Sandcastle Beach (Matchmaker Bay #3) - Jenny Holiday Page 0,44
the past few weeks, so she hadn’t seen the small fridge he had sitting on one end of the bar.
She ignored the compliment. “It would be easier, in a sense, if I hated the store. If the idea of spending my life there felt like a death sentence.”
“It doesn’t?”
“Well, it’s not like death by firing squad. It’s an okay way to pass the time.”
“But maybe death by a thousand cuts? Death by a thousand thorns?”
She nodded.
“You have ambition. That’s allowed.” He paused, unsure if he should go further. “A wise person once told me that.”
She smiled, a small one, but it felt like a triumph. “Benjamin, are we having a truce without football?”
“I think we might be.”
“Well, don’t get used to it.” She stood up, and she was back to herself. He could tell from her posture. Her confidence had returned. “Now come over here and help me scream.”
In the end, no one heard them scream. Ha. That sounded like a line that belonged in one of her Murder at the Mermaid shows. No one heard them scream because they didn’t have to scream. As soon as Maya stood up and shook off her melancholy—she had spoken uncharacteristically openly to Benjamin and put herself into a little funk—Pearl and Eiko burst through the door.
“Oh my goodness!” Pearl said. “We wondered if you two had gotten locked up here!”
“I told you to prop the door open,” Eiko said to Benjamin.
He looked confused. “No you didn’t.”
“All’s well that ends well, right?” Pearl trilled. “I’m actually glad you’re both here. I have something to ask you. I was at Whispering Pines the other day, and they want you to do a pretheater talk, Maya.”
“Of course.” She often visited the old folks’ home to do an orientation for whatever play was coming up.
Pearl transferred her attention to Benjamin. “Also, a few of them were talking about how they miss getting out on the lake.”
Benjamin chuckled. “I’m happy to offer a boat ride if that’s what you’re getting at. I’ve actually been thinking about how I so rarely get out on the lake these days.”
That was true. But probably that was partly down to her. Maya was, historically, the one who organized boat rides among their friend group. And her friend group and Benjamin’s friend group severely overlapped—that was the downside to life in a small town. She had gotten so busy and stressed lately she’d let that kind of stuff drop. But she’d missed the boat rides, missed the lake. Missed the company. Well, some of it—no need to get carried away.
“Great!” Pearl said. “Because I was thinking, what if the theater talk happens on the boat?” She waved her hands around in front of her excitedly.
“Oh my, what a wonderful idea!” Eiko said, and you didn’t need to be a theater director to recognize how bad an actor she was.
“Sure,” Benjamin said. “It’ll have to be after the Raspberry Festival, though. I’m going to be busy at the bar this week getting ready. And Karl has me on a Junior Achievement panel later in the week.”
Hmm. Karl had her on a Junior Achievement panel later in the week.
“Monday?” Pearl asked. “The day after the festival? Say yes because I kind of already told them.”
Benjamin met Maya’s gaze and raised his eyebrows. He was asking if she was okay with this plan so they could present a united front. She nodded. This was another of those scenarios in which it was easier to go along with what the old folks wanted. Still, it was nice to be in solidarity with Benjamin. Weird, but nice. She sent him a sympathetic eye roll as she said, “Yeah, Monday works for me.”
“Monday’s okay on my end, too, as long as we’re done by five,” he said. “So maybe we start at three? Can you get the Whispering Pines shuttle to drop them at the marina?” he asked Pearl. “I have life jackets for eight.”
“You got it!” Pearl said. “Thanks, you two!”
They made their way down to the main level and said goodbye to Eiko, who was headed back to the newsroom. Maya was kind of glad Pearl was with them as they took off down the street. Things might have gotten awkward if she and Benjamin had been left alone. Because they had, like, bonded for a second there? And she’d shed an actual tear in front of him. Though she was pretty sure he hadn’t noticed—thank goodness.