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“He’s giving you quite a show,” I said with a laugh.
“Okay, okay. Here you go.” She set the treats on the ground and he chomped them happily and then rubbed against her, purring again.
“He’ll love you forever now.” I pulled out the charcuterie tray from the fridge and took off the wrap on it. Still looked good.
“Oh, wow, that’s really nice. You really didn’t have to do this,” she said, and I was a little bit embarrassed.
“Sorry. I guess it’s a little much.” I looked down at the tray and wanted to run away.
Esme took a few steps toward me and put her hand on my arm. “No, it’s really great. I’m just not used to interacting with people outside of a bar.” This was said with a laugh. “I don’t get out much.”
I found that hard to believe, but she said it with sincerity.
“Shall we take this to the porch?” I said, and then wanted to cringe at how formal I sounded.
“Sure,” she said. It was an absolutely glorious afternoon. Not too hot, and the breeze was blowing just perfectly. Only a few wispy clouds dotted the sky that was so blue it almost hurt to look at.
“Oh, this is gorgeous, you’re so lucky,” Esme said, settling herself onto the couch. It was just big enough to accommodate two people, but my thigh brushed against hers as I joined her.
“It’s not much, but it’s mine.” I didn’t want to pry and ask her why she didn’t have her own place, but I had to admit, I was curious.
“I know I’ve grown up here and I should be used to it, but I’m still always shocked at how beautiful this place is,” she said.
A seagull flew overhead, and I heard the distant sound of a boat chugging through the water. Very faintly, voices drifted out the open windows of my neighbor’s homes. Nearly all of them were occupied during the summer. In the winter things got much quieter. When so many people were around, I got annoyed, but in the winter, things could get bleak and lonely.
Esme sighed and leaned back on the couch. Her eyes skimmed the water, and I tried not to stare at her too much. I still couldn’t believe she was in my house. Without taking her eyes off the ocean, she reached for a piece of cheese from the plate. I did the same, if only to give myself something to do other than gazing at her.
The silence between us wasn’t awkward. I kept expecting it to turn and for me to feel strange and uncomfortable, but that feeling never came. We just sat there together, looking at the natural beauty in front of us and munching on snacks and sipping our drinks.
Esme sighed and set her empty drink can down. I blinked, unsure of how much time had passed since we’d been sitting here.
“I can’t stop thinking about the idea of a silent retreat. It sounds amazing.” she said, finally. We’d talked about her wanting a break from her life before. Sounded like she really needed it.
“My mom tried to get me to go on one of those, but I had so much anxiety about the no-talking that I refused to go,” I admitted. “But I’m not a bartender who has to talk to people for hours on end. That sounds like it would wear on you after a while.”
She nodded and slid a cracker between her lips. “I don’t hate my job, I promise. It’s just too much sometimes. I crave quiet. Like this.” She gestured at the ocean. “I want to go out there and float and let all the thoughts drain from my head until there’s nothing left.”
I finished my drink, making sure to not let the ice fall on my face. “You know, they have those sensory deprivation tanks. There probably isn’t one in Castleton, but I bet there’s one in the state.” I’d written a listicle for a website that mentioned them once. Like the silent retreat, it sounded like something that would give me a panic attack, but maybe it could help Esme.
“Huh. I’ve never heard of that. Thanks.”
“Sure. I know lots of completely useless stuff. It’s an occupational hazard of being a content writer.” Esme pulled her legs up onto the couch and faced me.
“What other kinds of useless things do you know?” I willed my face not to get red at her increased attention.
“Hmm, let’s see. I did a huge list of unusual date ideas for a dating app. Then there was the ‘What is Your Cat Thinking?’ article, and one of my favorites that was instead of your zodiac signs, you’d take a quiz and get assigned a different kind of plant. I was a daisy. Sweet, steady, and utilitarian. Something like that.”
Esme laughed. “I wonder what I’d get. Probably a cactus or something.”
“No, definitely not. You’re only prickly when you have to be. Maybe a rose with a few thorns on it.”
Esme looked down and then tucked her hair behind her ear. “You’re sweet.”
Sweet enough to fuck, I hoped.
Potato screamed inside the house to come out and sit with us, so I let him out and he immediately tried to go for the plate of snacks. I handed it to Esme and pushed him away. “Go play with your toys, you dork. There is nothing on this plate you want.” He yowled, but I found one of his toy mice on the floor and threw it to the other side of the room for him to chase.
“I should probably go,” she said, putting the plate back down on the table. That was it? I didn’t want her to leave.
