Prince Among Men

Chapter 6 - Takebacks

Two days had passed at work. Jess had stopped asking why she was so quiet all the time, although they still ate lunch together. She worked as hard as she could, mustering extra smiles, attempting to be attentive to her patrons, focused on feeding the tip jar. It had taken her six months to save up for that dinghy. It wasn't a luxurious boat, it wasn't even a fancy boat, but it was her boat and now it was gone. She would have to start all over again. The harder she worked, the faster the time would pass until she could take to the sea again.

She had to wonder, in the back of her mind, if the storm had not been contrived in some way. It seemed too convenient for her to be deprived of her craft right after being lectured for merely occupying space on the ocean. She pushed away suspicious thoughts whenever they cropped up, knowing that her paranoia was unfounded.

She didn't go to the marina for those two days. She spent her evenings searching for extra job opportunities online, wondering if she could get a better boat this time. She didn't intend to stay grounded forever. She needed the space out there. Even in a small town, everything was too close together.

On the third day, Jess invited her to go get drinks after work. She agreed, relieved at the chance to take her mind off the boat. She caught a ride in Jess' car and they drove to the next town over, to some seaside tavern. She was grateful for the company, even if Jess spent most of the time goading her to talk to strangers. After too many refused opportunities to chat up the other bar patrons, Jess took her home, and she slept well for the first time since before the storm.

The next day at work was the same as the others in that it dragged on. A young couple from out of town came in with a small child who kept smudging the windows with his fingers. After they left, she found herself cleaning the glass above their booth, trying to look at the pane in front of her rather than the waves outside. The crowds dwindled, and there were suddenly too many people on wait staff. She volunteered to go home early, and then instantly regretted giving up the opportunity to make a full day's wage. Checking her phone outside the cafe, she saw that she had missed a call from the marina. She dialed the number back, to hear Theo's voice on the other end of the line.

"Oh good, you got my call. You're not gonna believe what I found this morning."

"Did someone try to sell you a boat for cheap? How much?"

"That won't be necessary. Uh...as it turns out, your boat is at the end of the dock, tied up just as if you'd put it there yourself."

The phone slipped from her hand. She picked it up, apologized, hung up, and flew down the hill towards the marina. Dumping her bike on the ground, she hustled across the dock. She could see the boat now. As she got closer, she expected it to disappear again, some trick of the eye that would fade away once she was near enough. Before she knew it, she was standing at the end of the dock, hands dangling at her sides, as she stared down at the boat. It was the boat. It was her boat. She crouched to touch the knot with which it had been tied to the post. The rough strands scratched her fingertips. It was real. It was all there.

The sound of Theo's boots on the planks approached from behind. She didn't look up. She was still kneeling on the edge of the dock, one hand grasping the post, the other running her fingers along the wooden hull of the boat as it floated placidly on its tether.

"Looks like someone's watching out for you," he said.