Вода под мостом

Sometimes you have to grab life by the neck and choke it real good.

How could anyone find a person cleaning up a river unattractive?

My eyes finally find his heavy intentional stare. “Only the people I’m close to get to call me Ave.”“Well,” he whispers against my neck. His callused fingers press deeper into my flesh. “What do you call this?”

She’s become a stain on my thoughts. A piece of lint that refuses to leave the fabric of my mind. I’ve caught myself veering toward her on more than one frustrating occasion.I need to spend more time around her, pick her brain and watch her take each of my pointed words in stride.

If my loss means she’s happy, I’ll concede it.

Sometimes the people who are meant to love you forget how to, and you wander through life alone.

“If you hook up with him on the boat, you can finally say you had your Titanic moment.”“If you’re referring to the part in Titanic where Rose lets Jack drown, then you are correct.”

“You don’t like the look?”“Suits never impress me,” I lie.Well, it use to not be a lie. The handsome linen suit covering Luca’s broad shoulders is beginning to change my opinion on the matter.

“You know, now that you’re stuck on this crowded boat all night, you might actually have to make conversation with people.”“I’m talking to you right now.”“Let’s be clear, you and your overpriced suit are being tolerated as I come to terms with being trapped here.”“You talk about my suits so frequently, it’s almost as if you’re obsessed with them, contrary to your statement earlier.”

“You’re insufferable.”“And yet we still stand here, suffering.”

“Yes. Whoever gets five business cards first wins.”“What do I get when I win?” The confidence in his voice makes me want to rise to the challenge even more.“When I win, I get your suit.”His eyes widen, and I realize how incredibly wrong that sounded. Even though part of me wants to see what’s underneath one of those stuffy jackets.“Seems like I would be the one winning.”

What impresses you, Avery? Because I would do it in an instant, over and over.

Avery pauses in front of me. The urge to grab her and breathe her in causes an unbearable tension in my body. My hand grips my empty drink.She leans in, her mouth only a few inches away from my ear. My breath shallows. If I slightly turn my face, our lips will indeed meet. I resist the urge to find out if she tastes as sweet as an ocean breeze.

She takes the champagne from my hand, our fingers brushing. The touch is so brief, it leaves me hungry for more.

Avery’s priority may be the competition, but I can’t stop looking at her long enough to focus.

I place my drink on a nearby table and shrug off my suit jacket. “Take this so you don’t freeze before we make it back to land.”“I don’t need—”“You can keep fighting me.”“I’m not—”“Just don’t be cold while you’re doing it.”

She shifts in my suit jacket. I wish I were the one wrapped around her. Am I jealous of my own clothes?

“Is everything a competition to you?”“With you?” Her eyes fix on me. “Yes.”

Avery speeds away from me. I feel the emptiness of her presence instantly. It’s becoming my least favorite thing, having her vanish in front of me.

“Why is it that when I’m around you, my clothes are always drenched?”“Is that why you had an outfit change before your interview?” I begin piecing together the reason behind her shrunken blouse that day.The corners of her lips curl toward the floor, and she gives me a slow nod. I immediately regret the comment I made about her clothes.“I promise, next time you’re wet around me, I’ll make sure it’s because of something you’ll enjoy.”She glares at me. “What are you going to do? Take me swimming?”