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I went to change. I put on a new T-shirt that I’d bought while we walked around that afternoon and a pair of swim trunks, then went downstairs to find Abbie pouring two glasses of wine at the kitchen island.
She held one out to me.
“You look like you needed this.”
“Good call.” I headed to the balcony door she’d opened up for the breeze and stepped outside.
The sun had set, the sky now a multitude of pastel colors, beautiful pinks and purple brushed against the rich velvet blue, slowly darkening to nightfall. This close to the equator, it tended to set earlier than anywhere else. I leaned on the railing and studied the ocean. A sailboat was off in the distance, just its silhouette visible against the darkening sky.
The space was fairly quiet, and I guessed most people were either out or keeping to themselves. I was glad we had our space, our own little haven.
We opened some of the balcony doors on the main floor to let the cooler night air in and help dissipate the heat that had seemed to build up that afternoon. The thin gauzy curtains danced in the breeze. I lit a few of the snowflake-scented pillar candles on the table that Abbie had found while digging around the kitchen and went back to the cupboards, grabbing some plates and going back to set the table. She’d gone back up to do some unpacking and settling in while I got the kitchen somewhat more organized. Abbie walked in, stopping to look at me in awe as I rearranged the table, trying to make it look a little more cozy. I’d put the wine glasses out, the water glasses, and a couple of the candles.
“Are you going to do this all vacation?”
I shrugged. “Never know.”
“I might like Vacation Lucas.”
I chuckled. “Have a seat. I made the charcuterie boards up already...”
I went back to the fridge and took them out. I’d sliced cheese, crackers, various types of sausage, put some sliced fresh veggies on there, too, and a little bit of ranch dressing for dip. I set them on the table in front of her and went back to get us some cutlery.
She leaned back in the oversized chair, studying the food laid out before her then back at me.
“Did you date a chef or something?”
“No.”
“Then explain this...” She motioned to the table.
“Can’t a guy watch a cooking show on occasion?”
She picked up a cubed piece of cheddar cheese and popped it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully for a few moments before answering. “Maybe. Undecided, if that man in question is you.”
“Ha.” I sat down across from her, setting down the bottle of red wine I’d brought over. “Tonight, we relax...”
“I thought the next two weeks were about relaxing. You aren’t really working, are you?”
“Nope. I’m officially on vacation until the new year.”
“Good. You work too much as it is. I barely see you anymore.” She pointed the cracker in her hand at me to emphasize her point.
“You could stop by... We could do lunch.”
“Right.” She nodded with a grin. “I’ll just show up at your office in jeans and my T-shirt from the diner and ask if you’re in.”
“You should.”
She shook her head. “We’ll make a date and meet somewhere. How’s that?”
“Fine by me. I’ll buy.”
“Of course you will. You invited me.” She laughed. “Or I could just pick up something from the diner and we eat somewhere…isn’t there a park close to your office or something?”
We picked the trays pretty much clean as we sat at the kitchen table and talked, sipping our wine and looking through the notes Dr. Allen had left us on how to use the speakers. I put what was left on a plate and covered it with a second plate before setting it back in the fridge for later.
Abbie stepped outside, and I took the half-full bottle of wine out to join her on the deck. She put the towels down on the lounge chairs. She took my phone and scanned through the app Dr. Allen had told me controlled the lights. She found the patio lights and turned them on low, then changed the colors so that they morphed from one to another in a constant loop.
