They drove to Surfside, where tonight the waves rolled in quietly, and the sea was calm. They took off their shoes and walked in the cool sand. They held hands and talked about the dance, the people they knew, the people who hadn’t come. The moon was almost full, and the ocean looked silver, so they sat on the sand and stared out at the water.
Ari remained in a kind of enchantment. She leaned against Beck’s shoulder as they talked.
She had to know. “Have you ever been engaged?”
“Not even close,” Beck told her. “When I was working on my master’s, I was a complete dork, reading constantly, attending lectures, figuring out how I was going to be the best therapist I could be. Before that, when I was in high school and college, well, I was the opposite. I don’t mean I thought I was Don Juan, but I saw a lot of women, and the last thing on my mind was settling down.”
Ari was stunned to feel a streak of jealousy move through her. All those girls and women he had been with…
Beck asked, “But you’ve been engaged, right?”
“Yes,” Ari admitted. “To Peter Anderson. We’ve known each other all our lives. We met at a camp in New Hampshire when we were kids. We both went to Bucknell. Our parents approved. Peter is a good guy. He’s at Harvard Law now.” She told Beck about their wedding plans, the lodge they’d rented on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, his parents, her parents, everyone so thrilled.
“But during the last semester of school, I knew I didn’t want to marry him. I couldn’t. I did love him, but I never felt the way I feel…” Ari turned her head away. Suddenly she had tears in her eyes. “I loved him like a brother, or a friend,” she said.
“You did the right thing,” Beck told her, speaking quietly. After a moment’s silence, he said, “I’m glad you broke your engagement. I’m glad for the chance to be with you.”
Ari looked at Beck, allowing tears to fall. “I’m glad to be with you. But, Beck, I’m not sure what that means.”
“Let’s find out.” He drew her to him and kissed her.
His hand was on the back of her head, cradling it gently. His other hand was on her waist. Ari placed both hands on his chest, feeling his heart beating through the fabric of the jacket and his shirt. They kissed for a long time, and it was sexual but also it was serious, a searching and a finding.
Beck pulled back. “Wow,” he said quietly.
“I know.” She kept her hands on his chest.
He smiled. “Ari, I’ve never made love to anyone on a beach, and I’m sorry to tell you I’m not going to now. It’s the sand. It can sneak into places a person really doesn’t want it.”
Ari smiled back. “I know. But you can kiss me again, can’t you?”
“I can,” Beck said. And he did.
After a while, they rose, brushing sand off their clothes, and walked to his car.
Beck opened her door and kissed her thoroughly again, leaving Ari limp with desire. She sank into her seat and leaned her head against the back. The top was down on the convertible, and as Beck drove, Ari looked up and watched the stars watching them from the sky. They didn’t talk. They didn’t need to.
When they reached her house, Beck said, “I promised to go sailing with my family again tomorrow. Will you come, too?”
“Yes, please,” Ari said.
They kissed again, lightly this time. Beck escorted her to the door. They kissed again. Ari wanted to melt right into Beck.
“Tomorrow,” he said.
“Tomorrow,” she agreed.
Ari turned off the light her grandmother had left on for her and went silently through the dark house. She dropped her dress right on the floor, kicked off her shoes, undid the gorgeous necklace, placing it carefully back in its case, and dropped on her bed, smiling as she fell asleep.
* * *
—
Something delicious woke her.
“Oh, Gram, thank you!” Ari scooted up against her headboard as her grandmother entered the room, carrying a tray with hot coffee and buttered toast.
“Last night was fun, wasn’t it?” Eleanor asked, sitting on the end of Ari’s bed, pulling her kimono up around her legs.
“You have no idea,” Ari said. She looked at the clock. “Lord, it’s almost noon. I’m going sailing with Beck and his family at one today.”