Page 11 of A Whisper in the Bay

Alissa got up and followed, shutting the door behind her. Every ounce of self-consciousness she’d had outside the office came rushing back as she sat down across the desk from Dane.

“Your samples?” he asked, hardly looking up at her.

Well, then. Alissa ignored his curtness and pulled her samples out of her bag. That attitude took away from his attractiveness, at least a little. And that made her much less nervous at first. It wasn’t like they were starting at a great point and spiraling downward. Dane read the samples in silence, taking his time. She resisted the urge to fidget.

“The first article is a favorite of mine,” she blurted. “The one on the boat company. I went down to a shipbreaking yard and watched them take apart some old ships. It was fascinating. And the scrap metal is apparently a big business for them.”

Dane glanced up at her for a moment, then looked back down. “I see.”

He didn’t say anything more—he just went back to reading. Alissa tried to analyze every micro expression on his face. Was he disappointed? Interested? He didn’t seem disappointed, at least not yet. But the silence was so deafening that she worried he was let down by what she’d brought in.

“Do you have any questions for me?” Alissa asked.

“I’m not done yet.”

Alissa folded her hands between her thighs so she wouldn’t pick at a thread on her cardigan or do anything distracting. Finally, Dane sat back in his seat. The tension around his eyes and mouth that Alissa had become accustomed to was gone. If she wasn’t mistaken, he looked impressed. Then he quickly hid it behind his cool exterior again.

“These are good samples,” he said.

“Really?” Alissa asked, sitting up. An evening’s worth of anxiety melted right off her shoulders.

“Yes.” Dane slid her samples across the table again. “But you don’t live here, do you?”

“Nope, not right now, but with the way things are going here, it seems like I’m worth a shot.” Alissa couldn’t help but grin.

“I’ll give you a chance, then,” he said, as if this gave him a very minor headache. “It won’t hurt to give you a try.”

Alissa held in an enthusiasticyes. “Thank you so much. I’m really excited to get started.”

“Josie will let you know about your payment and your hours,” he said, turning back to his computer.

Alissa thanked him again and left to talk to Josie. And when she walked outside, she finally let out the excited sound she’d been holding in. Even if she had to work with a grump, at least he was a grump who liked her work.

CHAPTEREIGHT

Caitlin peeked into her daughter Pearl’s bedroom one more time to make sure she was asleep. Thankfully, Pearl was well past the phase of refusing to go to bed. Then, Caitlin shut the door quietly. She padded down the carpeted hallway to the living room, where a glass of wine and some popcorn were waiting for her on the coffee table.

The room felt empty and silent, a sharp contrast from how it used to feel after she put Pearl to bed. A few years ago, she and her husband James would use this time to be together, catching up and watching TV if they didn’t collapse into bed first. The room always felt like a warm, comforting bubble that was just for them. They would curl up next to each other, especially when the weather was cold, and talk about anything that came to mind.

Caitlin sighed and picked up the remote, looking around. Where was James, anyway? She spotted him in the kitchen, standing at the fridge and drinking something. Instead of inviting him over, she turned on the TV, unsure of what to say. She found a silly, over the top drama and settled in to watch.

A few moments later, James came in, his laptop in his arms.

“I’m going to do some work in the office, then head to bed,” he said as he passed.

“Okay. Good night.” She looked up at him and he placed a polite kiss on her cheek.

This was their norm now—a kiss on the cheek and zero time spent together once Pearl was in bed. But tonight felt different, somehow. More alone despite the TV playing in front of her. She wanted some of their old magic back. Not the new, fluttery feelings of infatuation, but the comfortable love they’d had—being able to talk about anything and everything, being excited to share her day with him. Being one hundred percent comfortable with him.

She sighed, taking a delicate sip of her wine. At least they weren’t arguing like they were for a while. But then again, maybe the silence was worse. A sign that they were drifting apart after six years of marriage. Dread filled her chest, then cooled with resignation. This was just something that happened to people. They had their business, a thriving French restaurant, and Pearl, whose daily activities took up more and more time now that she was in kindergarten.

But knowing that this wasn’t unheard of didn’t make her any less upset about it.

Caitlin’s phone buzzed on the table—it was Alissa, so she turned down the TV.

“Hey,” Caitlin said when she answered.

“Hey!” Alissa sounded breathless, but in a happy way. “Guess what?”

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