“Because my husband doesn’t like sailing,” I say. “He gets seasick.”
“And he lives on a houseboat?”
“Protected water doesn’t bother him, but the big swells out on the open sea do.”
Collin nods. “Well, let’s just say you could take a trip, that you could sail anywhere you wanted. Where would you go?”
I think for a moment, then smile. “Catalina Island.”
Collin appears amused at my choice. “Why?”
I take my last sip of wine and he refills the glass. “Because it sounds romantic. There’s a song about it, you know.”
“‘Twenty-six Miles Across the Sea,’ right?”
“That’s right,” I reply with a grin. “Anyway, I wanted to go there on my honeymoon, but Dex preferred Mexico.”
“Well, Mexico’s pretty great too,” Collin says. “I’ve seen most of the Pacific Coast. I’d like to sail the Baja.”
“Oh?” I ask, intrigued. “How did you end up traveling the coast?”
Collin’s smile fades, and I worry I’ve stumbled into forbidden territory, but then he shrugs and simply says, “I don’t like to stay in one place too long.”
I want to ask him more about his past, but my attention is pulled back to the houseboat when I hear a round of uproarious laughter.
“Sounds like they’re having a good time in there,” he says, indicating the back deck.
I nod. “Will you sail your boat? I mean, when it’s finished, before your customer picks it up.” I feel my cheeks getting warm, and my speech hastens, the way it always does when I’m nervous. “You see, I’ve always dreamed of sailing the world, leaving from here and going from port to port, letting my skin get dark from the sun.”
Collin searches my eyes for a moment. The sun has set, and the light is dim now, so I can’t make out his expression exactly, just his eyes, and they’re bright and big, and maybe somewhat entertained. “Are you asking me to take you sailing?”
I’m embarrassed. I wasn’t making an obvious hint, but if I’m honest with myself, it might have been a tiny one. I’d love nothing more than to step onto that beautiful craft and feel the wind in my hair beneath its puffy sails. “Well, no. I just—”
“I’m only teasing,” Collin says. “I’d love to take you sailing.”
I smile and turn away, concerned that I’m blushing.
“You’re rare, you know,” he says.
I worry he’s just trying to flatter me, so I shake my head. “Go on.”
“No, really,” he says. “Not many women would dream of a life on the seas the way you just described.”
“I don’t see why not.”
He shakes his head. “No, so many women want the safe, comfortable life.”
I think of my life with Dexter. Safe. Comfortable. I suppose that describes me to a T.
Before I can say anything else, Collin speaks again. “I’ve lived and died by a quote I read when I was a boy. It goes something like this: ‘Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.’”
“That’s . . . beautiful,” I say, a little breathless. “It makes me want to set sail.”
Collin grins, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ticket stub. I can see that it’s from a movie theater ticket to An Affair to Remember. I wanted to see the film last month, but Dex complained of a headache, so we stayed in.
“I don’t understand,” I say.
“Your ticket. For the maiden voyage.”
“Right,” I say, unable to contain my smile.
I look up when I notice Dex walking toward us. “There you are!” he says.
I stand up quickly, and tuck the ticket into the small pocket of my dress. “Hi, honey,” I say.
“Feeling better?”
“Yes, much.”
Dex smiles at Collin, and extends his hand. “I’m glad you could come. I’m Dexter Wentworth. And I see you’ve met my wife, Penny. Come, have a drink with us. They’ve just started dancing.”
Collin nods and follows Dex and me back to the house. Naomi is drunk. I can tell by the way she’s standing, a little off-kilter, and smiling, like a Cheshire cat. I wonder where Jimmy is tonight. I imagine him home by himself, lonely, reading comic books or watching the television set. Gene stands up and collects Naomi’s martini glass, and she stumbles toward us. “Oh, look, it’s the handsome boatman,” she says.