The Most Beautiful Surprise
I hadn’t heard from Ryan in a full week. He didn’t come by, didn’t call, didn’t even text. I don’t get it. Just last week he’d stayed a few hours, even on a Sunday. I’d felt so close to him. And now he just vanishes. I can’t stop thinking about that stupid thing I said, about preferring casual relationships back in college. And he’s supposed to be the relationship type.
So now what am I supposed to do? He’s the man. He’s the older one. He’s the one with more experience. And a father. I can’t go chasing after him.
This week, gin and tonic replaced sex. Since I don’t have the energy for walks or exercise, I do two squats on the balcony before I pour my first drink. Screw everyone. Adele’s vanished. Apparently Mark doesn’t miss me either. And Ryan’s probably already out there looking for his next serious relationship.
Ben’s catalog was finally done, but somehow the workload never shrank. I go to bed at one every night, only to be up again at six. And falling asleep takes a couple of drinks.
It made sense not to cancel on Ben’s exhibition. I needed to get out of the house for once.
It started at ten in the morning, but I didn’t show up until half past eleven. I was afraid I’d be the first one there, standing around alone like I’d gotten lost. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I’d never been to the marina before. Fancy boats and their overinflated owners never interested me. So I walked toward the entrance with a bit of anxiety this time too. Then I saw the crowd. It was like walking into some massive event.
I didn’t even try counting how many sailboats and motor yachts Ben had lined up. I didn’t even bother wondering if they were all his. Every single one was gorgeous. Elegant. Sleek.
In front of each one, hostesses waited with shoe covers in hand. Beside the boats stood tastefully arranged stands with champagne and the multilingual catalog I’d translated. It looked like people had come from every corner of the world.
As it slowly dawned on me what this whole thing actually was, I had to stop walking. Shame simply nailed me to the polished concrete. Jaw numb, mouth twisting toward tears, I replayed the last few weeks in my head. My carelessness. My indifference. My childish sulking.
For someone else, an exhibition like this would be one of the biggest events of their life. For Ben, it’s just the yearly routine. There’s a fortune behind it, and endless energy. And I’d let it all slip my mind over the promise of a lousy triple paycheck — which wouldn’t even cover half of one of these boats. And there were maybe twenty of them lined up.
“Emily!” I flinched at the sound of her voice. “I’m so glad you came!”
She stepped up beside me laughing, eyes sparkling, elegant, wrapped in a delicate cloud of perfume. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she hugged me.
Barely touching him, I ran a hand down his back and let myself sink into his arms for a second. I let out a quiet breath, just so I could catch one more hit of the soft, creamy, spiced scent surrounding him. I waited for it to settle in, to warm me from the inside too.
I can only hope it really did last just a few seconds, and that I wasn’t clinging to him like some baby monkey.
“So? What do you think?”
“Stunning. Really — congratulations, from the bottom of my heart. And thank you for the invitation.”
He looped an arm around me easily and gestured toward the boats.
“Go aboard whichever one you like, look around, enjoy yourself. Actually, pick the one we’ll take out next week.” He looked deep into my eyes. “We’re still on for the sail together, right?”
I smiled, flustered, and nodded. I searched desperately for the right words, but not one of them would come.
I scanned down the row of boats, and a pleasant shiver ran through me at the thought that I could pick any one of them. Even my toes curled with excitement. This was ridiculously cool.
From that point on, I threw myself into the crowd completely differently. I didn’t even mind that Ben couldn’t spend more time with me. I wanted to soak up every minute of it.
I went from boat to boat. Half the time I couldn’t tell if I was stepping into a floating apartment or a piece of sports equipment. A few of them left me literally open-mouthed. I was blown away by how perfectly comfort, practicality, and refined elegance came together. Even though it was obvious no one took me for a serious buyer, everyone treated me incredibly kindly. And I loved listening to the technical specs, the build details, and — of course — the prices.
I’d planned on staying an hour, tops. So I was genuinely shocked when my stomach growled and I checked my phone. It was already past three. I froze. I definitely wasn’t going to bed on time again. I glanced around quickly to see if I could spot Ben, then headed for the exit. By the time I was on the tram, I texted him. Thanked him again for the invitation and congratulated him once more.
That exhibition did wonders for my head, too. I finally sat down to work in a good mood, actually balanced for once. I didn’t get up from my chair until eight that evening, I was so in the zone. The only reason I stopped was my phone ringing. It was Ben.
“I just wanted to thank you — you brought me luck with your visit. You won’t believe it,” he said, sounding thrilled. “Seventeen boats got booked. That’s huge!”
Numbers started leaping around in my head, unbidden. I wanted to say something genuinely nice, but the only thing that came to mind was, “Wow, holy shit, that’s a ton of money!”
“Wow!”
That’s all I managed to squeeze out. I felt the ground open up beneath me.
“Since I have you to thank for it,” he went on lightly, “I’ve put together a little something. Do you happen to have some time? Say, an hour, give or take?”
“Yes.”
The answer left my mouth before I’d even had a chance to think it through.
And I knew perfectly well that after wandering around the marina for three hours, I didn’t have sixty minutes to spare from work in good conscience — give or take. I tried to take it back, but you can’t unsay something once it’s out.
“That’s wonderful. I’ll come get you right away. You don’t need to do anything special.”
I stared, glassy-eyed, at the now-silent phone screen. What on earth was I supposed to do now? I stood in the middle of the living room for a moment. Then, like a bolt of lightning had struck me, I threw the phone onto the couch and ran to brush my teeth and change. There was no time left to do my hair.
Ben looked like he’d come straight from the exhibition. I dropped into the seat beside him, the car still smelling brand new, and just let him take me wherever he wanted.
I was surprised when we pulled into the marina. I shot him a questioning look, but he just smiled mysteriously. He got out, opened my door too, then gently steered me by the elbow toward a big, navy-blue yacht.
“After you,” he said with a smile, gesturing me forward.
I stepped onto the deck hesitantly. Flustered, I almost didn’t notice the table set with a crisp, snow-white cloth, the champagne chilling in its bucket, and the carefully arranged place settings. I clenched my jaw so I wouldn’t stand there gaping.
“What is… this?” I managed hoarsely.
“Just a light evening treat after a long, exhausting day,” he murmured, gesturing for me to sit.
A few seconds later, an older woman appeared beside us with a silver tray. She set down glasses piled with tiny, colorful scoops of ice cream, then slipped away as quietly as she’d arrived.
I still couldn’t find my words. Ben leaned back comfortably and pointed toward the setting sun.
“This is actually what I wanted to show you. How magical the sunset looks from here.”
Warmth flooded my chest. It was a touching, genuinely thoughtful gesture. Without thinking, I pressed a hand to my heart. This is a moment I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.