At night the heat made sense. During the day, he couldn’t understand the weather. But at night it all changed. The humidity seemed to thin out in the breeze. The moon took over the sun’s shift. The roads were finally dark again, instead of being glossed up with mirage. Things made sense at night, especially with a woman in the passenger’s seat.
She looked over at him.
“Where now?”
“Your car’s still at Sunset Cove, right?”
“Yes, I guess that’s where we can go.” She looked back at the banquet building.
He started driving. He’d gotten the door for her that time. Heard the seatbelt buckle click. They didn’t turn the radio on. All they heard was the road rushing, because Jake liked the windows open. Mel spoke over the wind.
“How was your interview with Charlotte?”
“That? Interesting. She has some interesting theories about things to be sure. A little obsessed with bridge.”
She laughed.
“They all are.”
“Are they?”
“Definitely. I know-I’m the one who schedules the common room for bridge games. It gets intense.”
“It sounds that way.”
The wind blew loudly into the car as they accelerated. Mel smiled.
“Can you hear it?”
“What?”
“The Gulf.”
He went on the ramp.
“You can hear the ocean from here?”
“Yes,” she said and laughed. “And it’s the Gulf of Mexico. Not an ocean.”
He looked over quick. Her tan paled in moonlight. She smiled and her teeth shone.
“You learn to hear the water when you live here all your life.”
“I’d think you’d notice it less.”
“Most people do. But I always appreciate it.”
He glanced at the road and then looked back at her. She still smiled.
“I was talking to Javier, and he said that he could hear it too.”
“Who’s Javier?”
The inevitable boyfriend? He waited for the answer.
“Oh, he’s our maintenance person. Like our super.”
It was a good answer.
“He’s from Cuba, originally. And he says that no matter where he is, he always knows if he’s near the water. Of course, he’s never been very far from it.”
“It sounds wonderful.”
She ran her nails against the grain of the dashboard.
“It’s not perfect. You know, I didn’t exactly want the job. That’s a whole other thing though…”
They passed Palmstead on the right. The tennis courts were still lit, though they’d probably been empty since five. The pool shone from the moonlight. He didn’t ask her for directions to Sunset Cove. They pulled off the ramp and the wind slowed down.
“I guess I didn’t imagine I’d be doing paperwork so much. I’d rather get to know the residents better.”
He looked over and she smiled and tugged her ear. He could see Sunset Cove, rising up. Be aggressive. He swallowed.
“There are some things I’d like to know better.”
“So would I,” she said. “Though that was a pretty bad line.”
He smiled.
“I know.”
“But the sentiment was good.”
They pulled up next to her car and they both got out. They stood on opposite sides of it and then walked to the front. She looked at the hood of his car and Jake hopped onto it. It made a hollow sound and he grunted.
“I’ve always seen that in movies.” It was a little warm from the drive. She sat beside him on the hood.
“What else can we teach you about the world of automobiles, Jake Russo?”
“I don’t know. What else is there?”
“Drag racing?”
“That’s certainly something to do.”
“Driving around with your friends.”
“I often drive around by myself,” he said.
“That’s close enough.”
He leaned back a little and tested his weight on the windshield. It held. He leaned back and looked up, Mel’s shape just a silhouette.
“Why didn’t you want this job?”
She looked at the windshield and leaned back on it.
“Are we off the record?”
“Mel, of course.”
“It’s a good job. I like it. I like meeting the residents. Simeon can be…interesting. But he’s a fair boss.”
“But why didn’t you want it?”
She paused. Her dress was shining.
“I guess, I don’t know. I just don’t enjoy all the bad parts.”
“Like what?”
“The paperwork. Collecting fees. Scheduling common spaces. Being an enforcer.”
“Why not?”
“It’s just not my personality. I get emotional about it.”
“You can’t help that.”
“I wish I could.”
She sighed.
“I really just thought I’d find something with less paperwork by now. But I haven’t yet.”
“Yet. There’s a lot of time.”
“Like you. You just decided to come down here. You picked up and moved. I don’t think I could do that.”
He looked over at her. She was staring at the sky, shaking her head slowly, barely. He touched her arm.
“I don’t know if it’s like that.”
“How do you mean?”
“I would have stayed, if I could have.”
“If you could have?”
“I was told to come here. I was sent here by my boss.”
“Oh.”
“I’m just saying that…I understand.”
“I know.” She sat up. The back of her dress had stayed totally clean. He sat up beside her and realized he’d probably wrinkled his new suit. He clapped his hands together.
“Well.”
“Well.”
“So,” he said. “It was nice, again.”
“It was.” They stood up. This was it. This was the time. She had asked him to dinner for a reason. He knew it wasn’t a risk to ask her to stay with him longer. Just a little. She spoke first.
“What are you doing now, for the rest of the night?”
“I don’t know.”
“I could use a drink-it was like being at work with Simeon around.”
Just ask her. She touched her hair. Smiled. She wanted him to.
“Well,” he said and tugged at his sleeve. “I should probably get going.”
“You should?”
“Just tonight.” Thompson was right. He couldn’t push it when he needed to. And now he was stuck. Too late to change the story.
“I have a deadline. And my editor, he’s just-”
“I understand.”
“I did have a nice time.”
“So did I.”
“I’ll see you. Soon, I guess.”
“Of course.”
This was it. He turned around. Then he turned back. But she was already walking to her car. He let her drive out first and then he followed behind her.
He had to watch her from his car, fifteen feet away. The road to leave Sunset Cove was a long one, but it eventually turned. His headlights followed and at the foot of the driveway she stopped. She signaled and waved at him. He waved back and she turned left.
He turned the other way. Again.