Page 50 of Friends with Benefits

‘You think the risk was worth it, huh?’

‘You tell me.’

I steal my cap back and press my lips to her forehead. ‘I’ve got to go.’

She nods and folds her arms across her chest. ‘Have a good day fishing. I can’t imagine anything worse.’

‘That’s why you’re not invited,’ I call back over my shoulder. ‘Enjoy painting the world pink.’

‘Bring me back a tiny fish that is so small, we can’t even cook it up.’

‘Save me some cucumber face mask. You know how I love utterly pointless shit.’

I hear her laugh as I make my way up to the deck.

14

JAKE

I’ve missed getting out on the water. Being brought up on Staten Island by a man who loved to fish, Drew and I were both taught how to captain a boat. But this is his week, so I’m playing designated driver so he can have a few beers with the others. Plus, I’ve been itching to put this bad-boy boat into full throttle.

Water sprays from the sides of the bow and wind blows in my face as I steer us into the open ocean. The guys have cracked their first beers. Kit, Drew and Brooks stand by the cockpit, joking around. Edmond and Marty are sitting on the padded seats at the bow. Our gear is in bags on the deck at the back of the boat.

The ultimate big-kid playground.

I crank the sound system loud enough to hear the rock tunes over the sound of the engines driving us forward. It’s a calm day, the chop is low, and we make good time out to the spot we’ve decided to fish.

I bring us to a stop around forty minutes from shore. Drew stands on the bow – brother team – directing me to a spot where he can drop anchor. The others grab a second beer and Brooks throws me a club soda. As we unpack and set up the gear, Marty takes a suspiciously timed call, doing nothing to help.

Edmond, being the one most happy handling bait, hooks up live bait to the rods and we take turns to cast into the water. I set my rod in its holster and sit on the edge of the boat. The clouds clear, opening up the sky to sunlight. The kind that appears to spray beams as it cascades toward the sea and illuminates the surface. I close my eyes and lean back, feeling the warmth on my face. And I remember something Jess once said to me.

‘I see my parents every day,’ she said. ‘I see them in the blue of the sea, the green of the grass. I hear them in the song of birds and the whistle of the wind. I see them in the beams that shine around the sun, as if they’re lighting up the sky to say hello. And I feel like they’re always here, always watching me from another time and place.’

Out here, on the open ocean, feeling insignificant in comparison to the world, I think maybe she’s right. Somewhere, out there, they are watching her. They’re taking care of her from afar. Coexisting with us, in another form.

Only Jess could make me see something like that. Only Jess could make me see how small we all are in the grand scheme of life.

I silently thank her folks, wherever they are, for sending her to me, or allowing her to stay with me. I thank them for watching over her and for giving her the strength to have come through everything in her life and still be incredible.

And I tell them that I wish I had known them. I can only imagine the kind of people they were. But I do know they must have had greatness in them because Jess has it now.

‘You sure you don’t want a beer, Jakey?’ Brooks asks, pulling me from my own thoughts.

‘I’m good, buddy. You guys go ahead and get wasted.’

Marty takes a bottle from Brooks’ hand and holds it up in my direction. ‘If you say so.’

I turn to Kit, who is sitting on a padded seat at the back of the boat, next to me. ‘Has he always been this arrogant?’

‘Ah, yes, always. But I think maybe you’re a little sensitive to it this trip,’ Kit says.

‘It’s a wonder no one has socked him in the face yet.’

‘Oh, they have,’ Drew says, heading over. ‘When we were associates at the firm, Marty got too close to another guy’s girl and he paid for it with a purple shiner.’

I shake my head. ‘Yeah, I can believe that,’ I say, glaring down the boat at Marty’s back.

‘Although I do agree with Kit,’ he adds. ‘Maybe because Marty has showed Jess some attention, you’re being a bit tetchy.’

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