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“What do you know about him?” I asked after taking a sip of water.
She shrugged. “I know him a little, like I know them all a little. Roz has talked about them through the years and I guess that makes me feel like I know them better than I do. I’m older than everybody, of course.”
I watched as Scott grabbed a bottle of beer and took a couple of slugs. He plopped a bit unsteadily next to Felicity, who inched pointedly away.
“You’re looking great.” Scott gave Felicity a leering, boozy grin. “Do you work out?”
She gave him a cold glare in return. “I run.”
Scott snorted. “Running. Of course you do. Hey, do you remember when we were in high school?”
“Vaguely.”
“I always had sort of a crush on you back then.” He grinned again at her over his beer, then quickly downed it.
Kelly shot them daggers with her eyes, although Scott seemed totally oblivious to this fact. Kelly, in turn, struck up a conversation with Kyle, who was miserably watching Scott and Felicity together.
Felicity stood up in a single, fluid motion. “Good thing for you that you ended up with Kelly instead. She’s much better for you than I’d have been.” She walked off to get herself a drink.
“Looks like a set-up for drama,” drawled Luna. “And Grace doesn’t look too pleased, either.”
Sure enough, Grace’s eyes were cold as she looked at Scott, then became shuttered.
Luna said, “I’m just glad Grace brought some vegan options. I mean, that was super sweet, wasn’t it? She’d sent out an email to see what kind of food preferences and allergies and stuff that people had. What a thoughtful hostess.”
Roz sat down next to them and heard the last bit of what Luna said. “If only she hadn’t invited Scott, then it would be the perfect day.” She rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, what is up with him?” asked Luna. “The times I’ve met him, he’s been a little obnoxious, but never that obnoxious. He needs to stop flirting with Felicity.”
“Who knows? I guess it’s the alcohol, although he should be used to it. He’s not exactly a teetotaler. Anyway, the booze isn’t helping,” said Roz. “I wish those two would just break up.”
Luna said dryly, “Well, you might get your wish, Roz. Kelly sure didn’t seem happy about Scott chatting up Felicity.”
Roz said, “I know I’m a mean friend, but it’s the best thing that could happen to Kelly. She wastes so much energy trying to make that relationship work when anyone can see it’s doomed. There’s so much else she could do with her time if she didn’t have to worry about Scott.”
Roz stopped talking abruptly as Grace came up. “The captain is throwing down the anchor. Want to head upstairs and hang out for a while?”
“Absolutely,” said Luna, beaming. “Can’t wait.”
“Who wants a frosé?” asked Kelly.
There were a lot of enthusiastic affirmations. I hated to sound like the rube in the group, but I had to ask, “What’s a frosé?”
“it’s wonderful,” said Grace. “You’ll want one.”
I felt a little dubious on that point.
Luna said, “It’s a frozen rosé with sugar and strawberry syrup added to it. Really good, especially when it’s a warm day.”
And it was. It felt light and refreshing when she poured one for me, although I knew I was going to have to counter it with some water at some point.
The top deck was warm and the sun felt fantastic. I could feel my spirits lifting. There were comfy chaise lounges everywhere with pillows and fluffy towels. Scott had brought drinks up to accompany the frosés (mostly beer) and Grace had light snacks and water upstairs. The view was spectacular. The leaves were at their peak and sported bright yellows, rich reds, and golden-oranges. The mountains seemed to spring up from the lake. For the first time since arriving, I actually relaxed.
Grace changed the station on her phone and the music was more low-key with acoustic songs and softer folk music. Everyone was chatting together for the first few minutes. Kyle came to sit next to me and ask me about work. It was a subject I could warm to, although I had to always be careful not to go on and on about it until I sounded like an advertisement for the Whitby Library. But Kyle was interested in the programs and I was happy to talk about them.
“That’s really cool,” he said finally. “I’m over there a lot, but I’m usually just running in to pick up a book and then running back out again. I remember seeing you over there, though.”
“I remember you, too,” I said. “What is it you mostly like to read?”
We talked a few more minutes together, although I could see his attention wavering sometimes and his gaze was pulled over to where Felicity was sitting. Scott was no longer sitting next to her, but he was still trying to engage her in conversation from a couple of seats away. Grace gave us a thoughtful look and smiled when she saw me glance her way.
Kyle moved on to speak with Grace and Luna plopped down next to me.
“I want a nap,” she said in a drowsy voice. “And it’s still early afternoon.”
“It’s probably the food,” I said. “We all ate plenty of it.”
Luna snorted. “It’s probably the alcohol. Maybe the food a little bit.”
A few minutes later, she was sound asleep, mouth slightly agape as the conversation continued in the background.
Scott said, “I’m going to swim. Anybody want to go with me?”
Kyle shook his head and said a little stiffly, “I didn’t bring a suit.”
“You didn’t put one on under your clothes? We’re on a boat, dude! You didn’t think about going swimming?”
“Not when it’s this chilly,” said Kyle in a slightly disapproving tone.
Grace said, “I think you’re going to be on your own, Scott. But the captain pointed out there was some sort of diving board on the bottom level.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Not on the top level? How disappointing.”
Roz said sharply, “I guess he didn’t want the liability if someone broke his neck.”
Scott scoffed. “It’s just a swim, guys. Live a little. See you in a few.”
He took off his shirt and headed down the stairs to the lower level of the boat.
Kelly said, “This, I’ve got to see. He’s probably going to turn blue. Want to come with me, Kyle?” They followed Scott downstairs.
Roz looked at Grace. “Scott’s being so obnoxious today. Even worse than usual. He’s really baiting Kelly. And drinking way too much.”
Grace sighed. “I know. Let’s try to view his antics as entertainment for the group.”
Felicity said, “I don’t see it as being very entertaining.”
“No, of course you don’t,” said Grace. “If you want me to, I can call him a taxi and ask him to leave. I only invited him here because he was part of our old group at school and because he’s dating Kelly. His drinking must have gotten a lot worse than I remember it being.”
Felicity shook her head. “No, I don’t want that. He’s just really irritating, that’s all, especially with Kelly right there.”
Roz said darkly, “Yeah, Kelly isn’t appreciating it, but she knows it’s not your fault, Felicity. I’d like to give Scott a piece of my mind. It’s too bad this boat is so tidy. I remember that Scott’s terrified of bugs. That might be entertaining.”
Felicity said, “I’m going to make myself a lemonade. A little hydration is in order. Anybody want to join me?”
“Good idea. I’ll come along,” said Roz.
“I think I’m going to follow Luna’s lead and doze off for a little while,” said Grace with a chuckle.
“And I think I’m halfway there,” I said sleepily, surprising myself. I wasn’t usually one for taking naps, but the lulling motion of the boat and the food and drink I’d had weren’t helping. I slid on my sunglasses, pushed the chaise all the way back and fell into a gentle sleep.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I woke up to what sounded like an angry, hushed conversation. The nice thing about my sunglasses was that they were mirrored and totally opaque. I opened my eyes to see who was talking.
It was Scott and Grace and whatever they were talking about, neither one looked very happy. Scott was sneering and swaggering—or possibly staggering—as he weaved in front of Grace. Grace was still seated and looked coldly furious. No one else was on the upper deck besides me, and Luna snoring away beside me.
Scott said, “You’re wrong if you think I won’t go through with it, Grace.”
“Friendship clearly counts for nothing, does it?” Grace asked briskly.
“Friendship? There are friends and there are friends. I’m not going to let a childhood friendship from ages ago affect what I do today. Besides, it’s hard to be friends with someone like you,” said Scott.
“Keep quiet!” she hissed. Grace looked right at me and I froze, feeling like she could somehow tell I was awake.
He laughed. “You’re worried about those two? They’re total lightweights, Grace. They’re out cold. The two librarians aren’t used to drinking that much.”
“Look, you’ll get it,” said Grace in a clipped voice.
“Just make sure I do. I’m glad Kelly got you to invite me. Aren’t we having fun? Now I’m going to head downstairs to get a real drink . . . there’s only beer left up here.”
I saw him head to the stairs, unsteady on his feet. Grace stayed behind and took deep breaths as if to collect herself. She stood up and held onto the rail tightly, staring off blankly at the gorgeous view for a few minutes before slowly heading downstairs herself.
I was glad I was finally able to move because I was starting to get a real crick in my neck, but hadn’t wanted to disturb the conversation. I glanced over at Luna and saw she was turning a really unhealthy shade of red.
“Hey, Luna,” I said softly. She snored on and I reached out a hand and gently touched her arm. “Hey, you need to wake up.”
“What for?” asked Luna groggily. She frowned and sat up, as if realizing where she was. “Wow, I was really out.”
“I know. I took a nap, too. It must be all the sun and food. But you’re starting to burn.”
“What?” asked Luna again. She took her sunglasses off and studied her skin, gingerly touching it. She grimaced. “Great. Yeah, I’m burned, all right. This is going to feel awful tomorrow.”
“Want to borrow some sunscreen?” I asked.
“It’s a little late for that,” said Luna wryly. “I probably should just stay out of the sun for the rest of the day.” She glanced around. “Where did everybody go?”
“They’re all downstairs. I’m pretty sure the boat is going to start heading back to the house in a few minutes.” I added in a low voice, “While you were sleeping, I overheard a really weird conversation between Scott and Grace.”
Luna’s eyebrows flew up. “Really? Tell me about it?”
“I don’t know exactly what I was hearing because I woke up in the middle of it. But it almost sounded like Scott was trying to force Grace into something. He said he’d definitely go through with it and then she said she’d make sure he got it. I don’t know what they were talking about, but it wasn’t friendly.”
Luna blinked. “Huh. That’s weird. They were good friends when they were in school. Let’s go downstairs and see what’s going on now. If he’s had even more booze, there’s no telling what we might see or hear.”
But when we got back downstairs, everything seemed to be normal. Kelly and Scott were sitting together and Scott was actually being attentive, getting up to refresh her drink or to get her a snack. Kyle was tentatively having a conversation with Felicity, who was smiling at him. And Grace and Roz were chatting together.
The boat started moving again to head back to the house. Roz glanced over at us and her eyes grew big. “Wow, Luna, you’re burned to a crisp!”
Grace made a face. “That’s got to hurt.”
Luna said sadly, “Not yet, but I’m sure it will soon.”
“I have aloe vera back at the house,” said Grace.
“Good. I’m going to slather it all over myself,” said Luna glumly. “I can’t believe I forgot to put sunscreen on. But now that it’s fall and with the air as cool as it was, I guess I just didn’t think about it.”
“Aloe vera, for sure. And maybe take an ibuprofen, too,” said Roz, wincing. Then she asked, “So what’s the plan for the rest of the day?”
Grace said, “I wanted to make sure I didn’t overschedule everybody, so I built in some downtime this afternoon. When we get back, everybody can take a nap, or play ping pong or pool, take a swim in the pool, or go for a walk. There’s an amazing trail that the neighborhood association keeps up, if anyone is looking for exercise. Then I thought we’d have supper on the screen porch.”
I’d glimpsed the screen porch earlier and it definitely wasn’t a modest or casual space. It was more like a tremendous room with a carpet, a television, a stone fireplace, fancy ceiling fans, what appeared to be stained mahogany floors, and wooden chairs and sofas with cushy linen pillows and cushions.
I said, “I can help you put supper together, Grace.”
She gave me a smile. “Thanks for that. I really appreciate the offer, but I’m having it catered and there’s a team to serve it and to clean up.”
Luna shook her head. “You’ve put a lot of time and thought into this weekend. And . . . money.”
Grace said, “It’s really nothing—I’ve really looked forward to having a party like this. It’s been sort of a stressful year and this is one way for me to see friends, get to make some new friends, and bless my new house. I’m just delighted to have everybody here.”
When we got back to the house, everyone went their separate ways. Luna followed Grace in to get some aloe vera and have a nap. Felicity declared she needed to stretch her legs a little and Kyle quickly said he’d join her for a walk on the trail that Grace had pointed out. Roz said she’d swim some laps in the pool. And I climbed into the hammock with my book in a section of Grace’s wooded yard facing the lake. I gave a deep, happy sigh. The hammock was almost like being in a bed—it actually had a thin mattress covering it and a soft pillow. Even though I’d fallen asleep on the boat, this was the point where I felt completely relaxed. I could hear the water lapping gently against the dock, birds singing as they visited the nearby bird feeders. And the trees above me provided shade from the bright sunshine.
The backyard itself was amazing, aside from the lake. It had been landscaped with mature bushes providing nooks with benches and comfortable chairs to relax in. It all lent a beautiful, private air to the space.
I started reading And Then There Were None again, marveling over the way Agatha Christie had created such a mysterious atmosphere at the isolated island party in the story. A few pages in, I heard voices approaching. They settled in one of the garden nooks nearby and I grimaced. It looked like I was going to be eavesdropping again. The voices, which I recognized as Scott’s and Kelly’s, were already engaged in an argument, so I didn’t want to make myself known . . . they’d likely already be embarrassed.
“Slow down with the drinking,” said Kelly in a furious voice. “It’s like you’re on a mission to get sloppy drunk. I don’t understand—you’re not always like this.”
“Maybe I just need a break,” snapped Scott in a slurred voice. “Don’t you ever take a break?”
“Not like this. You’re starting to humiliate yourself.”
Scott drawled, “Funny, I don’t feel humiliated.”
“Well, you should. You’ve been rude to everybody. What you should be doing right now is going off to take a nap. Take a break from the booze. Then you can start up again at dinner if you want to. But if you keep hitting the bottle as hard as you have been, you’re going to make a total fool of yourself.”
Scott said in a sarcastic tone, “I do appreciate your concern, Kelly. But I’m totally fine. Look, I’ve been under a ton of stress lately. Is it so bad that I’m taking the chance to unwind at an absolutely gorgeous lake house in the mountains? Nobody else seems as uptight about my drinking as you are. Unless it’s one of those librarians. That Ann has been shooting me some looks.”
“She’s not the only one,” hissed Kelly. “I bet there’s one person who wants you to stop drinking even more. Felicity. You need to just back off.”
“I haven’t done anything. I’m just being friendly. Besides, I have something I need to talk to her about. These are people we haven’t seen in ages—it’s good to just catch up with them.”
Kelly said, “I think there’s more going on here than just catching up.”
I heard sound of sticks and leaves underfoot as Kelly left. “Oh, come on, Kelly. Don’t be like that,” called Scott after her. Then he gave a dramatic sigh and followed her.