of two years.
Oops – Dr. Josh Sawyer. God help you if you forgot that absolutely essential part of his name. Dr. Josh was one of the hottest up-and-coming spine surgeons in the medical community. And he had it all – pre-med from Duke, MD from Harvard, and connections with just about every noteworthy doctor in the country. Granted, he had his wealthy parents to thank for those connections, but that was neither here nor there.
The ship I stood on the prow of was the Endless Weekend – a little gift from Mom and Dad to their wonderful son after graduating top of his class. But I was more concerned with the storm on the horizon. Another peal of lightning flashed in the clouds, with a low, bassy boom of thunder sounding after.
“Josh!”
I couldn’t take my eyes off the storm. By that point I was so worried, desperate to find Josh, that I forced myself to turn. A quick look around revealed no trace of land. For all I knew, we were hours away from the coast of South Carolina.
“Jo-osh!”
He popped his impossibly handsome head out from below deck, his sun kissed blonde hair slicked back, his all-American good looks as striking as ever.
“What, babe?” he asked, irritation his voice.
“Don’t what, babe me – look at that!” I pointed in the direction I’d been staring, toward the storm in the distance.
He scrunched up his face and shook his head. “What?”
“What?” I squealed. “Josh, that’s the scariest storm I’ve ever seen in my life, and it’s getting closer and closer. What’re you even doing down there?”
“Getting the bed ready,” he said with a grin. “Figured we could get in a little deep-sea diving before we headed back to shore.”
As nervous as I was about the storm, I couldn’t resist rolling my eyes at his immature crack. Two years of dating and I had yet to figure out how a guy that smart and talented could have the sense of humor of a twelve-year-old.
“You’re kidding, right?” I asked. “Josh, there’s a massive storm barreling towards us and you’re thinking about sex?” It was doubly galling since I hadn’t been interested in sex with him for a long while. The trip was supposed to rekindle our attraction, but it was having the opposite effect, reminding me why I’d gotten sick of the man in the first place.
“Come on,” he said, irritation in his voice. “I bring you out on this awesome boat and you’re not going to put out once?”
It took all the restraint I had not to grab the nearest oar and clock him upside that stupid square head of his. He hoisted himself out of the below-deck, stepping over to me where I stood.
“That’s nothing,” he said, gesturing dismissively at the storm. “A little wind and rain.”
“It sure as hell doesn’t look like nothing,” I replied.
He let out an irked sigh before turning away from the storm. He scoffed. I hated that scoff. I’d heard it over and over again since we’d first started dating. It was a scoff that meant he thought I was either stupid or being dramatic.
“Don’t scoff at me,” I said, narrowing my eyes as I latched my gaze onto him. “That storm looks bad, Josh. You can’t tell me it doesn’t.”
He sighed, shaking his head as he trotted down the length of the boat, stopping at my side. He put his hands on his hips and gazed out onto the water toward the horizon.
Silence followed. That particular flavor of silence was one I’d gotten to know well over the years. It meant he knew I was right but didn’t want to admit it.
“Hm. Maybe we should head back.” Then he turned and started back below deck without another word.
Part of me wanted to follow him down there and give him a kick in the dick. It was the same BS I’d seen play out time and time again with him. I’d point something out, he’d act like I was some silly, bubble-headed idiot for doing so, only to recant when he finally understood I was right.
I didn’t give a damn about credit, of course. More that he was too proud and too arrogant for his own damn good. As I turned my attention back to the rapidly approaching storm, I found myself wondering if this was the time his stubbornness was finally going to screw him over – and me along with him.
Moments later the outer edge of the dark storm front was on top of us,