Page 26 of Two Favors Repaid

Emma

Emma sat at the small kitchen table, sipping a coffee with milk and thinking about the strangely domestic scene they’d shared that morning and the promises both she and Rob had made. Rob had promised to come back and check on her by lunchtime; she’d promised to stay put on the boat.

He’d shown her how to engage and disengage the alarm and how to check the cameras. She could still feel on the back of her hand the exact spot where his hand had touched her.

She’d been seconds away from throwing herself at him, and he’d been completely oblivious. The night before, when he’d come out of the shower wearing that too small towel, she’d felt the desire radiating from him. She’d waited, lying in the little single bed, for him to knock on her door. But he hadn’t. And this morning, when he’d come out of the small bathroom already dressed in his uniform, he was back to his friendly self. Except for that brief moment where he’d touched her hand and sparks had flown between them.

She took a quick shower, trying not to think of what an intimate gesture it was to use Rob’s soap and know that she was going to smell like him the whole day, and put on a pair of comfy jean shorts and a bright orange T-shirt. She looked down at the mug in her hands and took a sip.

Emma smiled. As a teacher, she was used to drinking lukewarm coffee throughout the school year, to the point where she almost missed it in the summer.

What do I do now?

She’d promised to stay put until Rob came back ,and she intended to keep her promise.

She picked up her drawing and watercolor supplies with a trembling hand and headed outside to the deck. It was a beautiful morning. The sun shone on the water and on the boats, making everything resplendent. Her heart beat fast against her chest as she took a seat and spread out all her materials. This was where she got her mojo back, where she showed Ford—no, fuck Ford—this was where she proved to herself that she was capable of getting her life back.

She started with a rough first wash with her big mop brush and some cobalt blue paint, looking to create some texture for the sea and the sky. While that dried, she roughly planned the rest of the painting. Some trees in the background, like the ones she could see in the distance, and floating gently in the center of the page, a sailboat. She found the right wave and started painting the sailboat, an impression of dark shiny wood coming out of the ocean, then the people in one blunt stroke. She didn’t want to see their faces, just to know these were people out enjoying a warm summer day at sea.

When she looked up again from her painting, two hours had passed. She resisted the urge to add more shape and structure to the sailboat. She knew how easy it was to overwork a painting and end up losing its soul. She stretched out a kink in her back. It felt amazing. Her heart beat fast against her chest.

My mojo’s back.

She was so excited by her work, she almost didn’t hear her cell phone buzzing. She picked it up on the sixth or seventh ring, hesitating only briefly at the unknown number.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Ms. Farley?”

She nodded stupidly before realizing she needed to use her voice. “Yes, who am I speaking to?” It sounded like an older man, not somebody she recognized.

“This is Joe, from the maintenance team at Sunburn Elementary. I was at the front gate doing some repairs, and there’s a child here looking for you.”

“A child? What’s his name?”

“Says his name is Jonas. He seems to be alone, says it’s important he speak with you.”

“He’s on his own?” Jonas was one of her first graders and lived on the other side of town; he shouldn’t be out near the school in the summer, especially not on his own. “Is he okay?”

“I think so, miss, but he insists it’s important. That’s why I searched for your phone in the directory. I can keep him with me a little bit, but I really need to finish this job. I still have to change some lights in the gym before lunchtime.”

Emma was already on the move.

“Thanks for calling me. I’ll come over straightaway.”

Emma raced back inside to find her sandals and grab her handbag. She stopped by the tablet on the counter. What had Rob told her about disabling the pontoon alarm? She clicked on something and watched it go green.

There we go.

She thought of leaving Rob a note then realized it was only eleven a.m. She’d be back long before he was done with work.

Emma rushed outside, concern for Jonas weighing heavily on her mind. Jonas was slight for a six-year-old but kind and intelligent and popular with his peers. She didn’t realize he was having any problems at home. Last time she’d seen his mom, she’d been pregnant with a new baby. Perhaps something had happened.

It was only when she reached the car park that Emma realized her car was still parked outside her apartment.

Damn.

She was going to have to call a cab.