Page 29 of Summer Romance

Frannie laughs. “What did Pete think of you?”

“I’m not sure I’m his favorite,” he says.

“Oh, I like this very much,” says Frannie.

“Want to comein for a beer and a swim?” Ethan asks as I pull into his driveway. “As fun as it was messing with Pete today, I think I’m ready to get out of this tux.”

That sounds so lovely and gluttonous. How I would love to spend the rest of this summer day floating in a pool with this handsome man. I want to get Pete out of my head and just lean into this, the easy conversation and the way he makes me feel like I’m lit from the inside.This is what easy and fun looks like.“Thank you, but I need to get my kids from camp.”

“Okay. What’s tomorrow?”

“Saturday.”

“I know. I mean, what happens? Does Pete take the kids? Can you come by?”

“I’m not sure, I’ll ask him.” I don’t know if he means can I come by to help with the house or come by to justhang out. Those words, “just hang out,” make me feel like a teenager.

Ethan turns to me in the still-running car and his expression is serious. “Ali. At some point you’ve got to hold him to a schedule. If you’re going to share custody, you’re going to need him to be accountable for certain days so that you can make your own plans.”

I let out a laugh. “I don’t really have a lot of plans.” I make eggs, I kayak. I replace people’s wire hangers with wooden ones.

He leans toward me, just an inch, but I can feel the space between us crackle. There’s energy to it. The hum of my car idling surrounds us, and I’m having a hard time knowing what’s vibrating. He is so ridiculous in that tux, but I want to know what it would feel like to brush my cheek against his. I’d just like to know what it would feel like to have my face close enough to his so that I could feel his skin against mine. I want to feel his hands in mine again; I want to feel them tug on my waist. He’s looking right in my eyes like he can hear my thoughts, and I have to break eye contact. I turn to my steering wheel and say, “What?”

Ethan keeps looking at me. “I know you’re in there, Ali Morris. You are the most confident girl in the room.”

“Are you getting affirmations off of Instagram too?” I’m still looking at my steering wheel.

“That’s how I remember you. In total control because you were completely yourself.”

I smile at the gearshift. “Well, that was a long time ago.”

He raises his hand like he’s going to touch me, but hedoesn’t. “That’s how I remember it. You were the girl who said what you wanted, wore what you wanted. I see you in the cafeteria grabbing a snack before soccer, walking by Jen Brizbane and her awful friends and not even noticing them. And my lame friends would say, ‘Show me more, Ali Morris.’ ”

I laugh.

“And you’re still that. I saw it the other night when you were with your kids, and even when you were trying to hop on that skateboard. Just so natural and sure of who you are.”

“Thank you,” I say.

“When I was a kid and had no idea who I was or who I could be in the world, I liked seeing how confident you were.”

I meet his eyes, and for a second I feel like I’m the girl he remembers.

“Cliffy definitely thinks you’re the coolest girl in the room,” he says.

This makes me smile. “Ferris does too,” I say.

“Ferris has great taste.” He opens the car door and the spell is broken. He leans back into the open window. “Okay, enough with the pep talk. You owe me thirty thousand dollars’ worth of organizing and a second date. Text me your schedule later.” And he straightens the collar of his ridiculous suit and walks into the house.

17

The kids and I are sitting out back after dinner, listening to the slow trickle of water in the creek. We have a wrought iron sofa with green cushions that’s tucked against the house, and it’s exactly the right size for the four of us. Phyllis just texted me a moon emoji, followed by a laugh-till-you-cry emoji, so I know she’s gone to bed. I text Pete: The scrimmage is at two in Greenville. What’s the plan?

Pete: Your lawyer’s a piece of work

Me: Yes. So what time are you getting them and how long are you keeping them? I need to work tomorrow, so it would be good to know.

Pete: Can I just let you know in the morning? I might do a long ride in the afternoon but I’m not sure.

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