Damn. I looked good. My hair was doing all the right things, and my favorite jeans were hugging my curves just right. Too bad the last thing I wanted to do was go to Pauly’s party.

Every month he insisted on throwing big, stupid yacht parties, and every one I went to I ended up getting seasick. Of course, most everyone just assumed I’d had too much to drink.

I would have backed out of this one except for the fact I promised Heidi I’d go with her. And I also promised I wouldn’t back out this time.

“Ugh,” I groaned at my reflection. My shoulders slumped down. I’m too nice. That was the problem. That’s how I’d get myself into these messes. I looked too good to waste it on a dumb yacht party I didn’t even want to go to.

My phone rang and before I even looked at the screen I knew it was Hiedi.

“Hey,” she said before I could even said hello. I could tell by her tone that something was up. Would it be evil to hope she was calling to cancel?

“Yes? Are you outside?” I asked narrowing my eyes at my reflection as if I were looking at her in my mirror.

“There’s a slight problem.”

I sighed. “Isn’t there always?”

“Our ride is running late. It’ll help tremendously if you can meet me at the dock.” I could tell by her tone that she would resort to begging if it came to it. “Please?”

“I could just stay home. Maybe skip this one… join you on the next?”

“Penny, you promised.” I could imagine her lip sticking out.

“Ugh.”

“That’s a yes?”

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to keep myself from agreeing.

“Pretty please?” There it was. She was begging. Nothing I could do now but give in.

“Fine.”

“You are simply the best,” Heidi said making a kissing noise into the phone.

“I know. Don’t be too long,” I said already knowing that she’d be long. Heidi hadn’t been on time a day in her life, but I loved her anyway.

We’d been childhood friends. I think I’d known her since birth, okay not really but close enough. Our mothers had been friends and neither of had a choice in the matter. We grew up together. It was lucky that we were two peas in a pod. Of course we were on opposite ends of the pod, but at least it was the same pod.

I flopped down on the sofa and clicked on the TV. She’d be at least thirty minutes late. At least. Might as well do something to take my mind off the horribleness that was to come.

After the Friends rerun ended, I gave myself one last look before grabbing my keys and heading out the door. The drive to the docks was stop and go. I hit every red light and hoped it would stay that way, only to curse when it turned to green.

It was dusk by the time I arrived. The navy blue night sky had an orange hue near the horizon. It was actually quite beautiful. The kind of night I’d love to be eating pasta with someone special, but the major problem with that plan was that I currently didn’t have anyone special. The only one that had ever mattered was long gone.

I parked on the street and walked to where I was supposed to meet Heidi. My heels clicked sharply on the pavement, picking up my pace when my phone rang.

“I’m almost there,” I said into my phone.

“We waited like forever, and you didn’t show. I couldn’t get them to wait any longer,” Heidi said. “You still have to come. They’ll be another boat in about fifteen they said.”

“Heidi! Are you serious? Why wouldn’t you just wait for me and take the next ride with me?” I whined. “Ugh.”

Her voiced softened. “The captain is so cute. What if he’s the one?”

“They can’t all be the one,” I mumbled.

“I couldn’t wait for the next and miss my chance. You have to understand. Please, Penny, you have to come. You promised.”

“That was back when you were going to come with me, not sneak off with some random—”

“He’s not random. He’s hot, and a friend of Zane’s.”

“Who the hell is Zane?”

Heidi clicked her tongue. “Please just catch the next boat.”

“Fine. You owe me so big. So, so, so, so, so big.”

I hung up the phone and looked for the sign that would point me in the right direction. But I didn’t need the sign, there was already a small crowd gathered where the next boat would pull in.

“Shit,” I muttered, stepping up behind the group. A short woman with a pixie haircut turned and looked me up and down. Let the judging begin.

I had no idea why Heidi liked these parties. Yeah, the guys were hot, and wealthy, but the girls had their claws out.

The woman poked her head between the two men she was with and tapped me on the arm. “Excuse me.”

“Hmm?” I said scrunching up my nose at her.

“I think you’re in the wrong spot. This is for—”

“Yeah,” I interrupted. I didn’t even want to hear what condescending thing she was going to say. “I’m in the right spot. But don’t worry. I get that a lot.” Because I wear a bra.

She rolled her eyes and sunk back into the crowd. Slithered was more like it.

Bitch.

Couldn’t wait to run into her at the party. At least if she said anything like that with Heidi around she’d put the woman with the short hair in her place. This night was already off to a fantastic start.

I crossed my arms and looked down the row of boats. My cheeks warmed when I spotted a familiar face.

My ex.

Great.

If one more thing went wrong, I was going home and I didn’t give a shit what Heidi would say about it. She was probably already buzzed on her second drink. Maybe she wouldn’t even notice I wasn’t there.

When I saw the lights of the boat in the distance my chest tightened. It would be here soon. I didn’t want to get on the boat, and definitely not with the girl with the attitude. Maybe I’d just catch the next one.

I walked over to my ex’s boat. What the hell was I doing? It was like my feet suddenly had a mind of their own. Then again, it would be a nice excuse for missing the boat. Maybe Heidi would understand since she’d known what happened between Jack and I.

He set down his book when he saw me approaching. “Well look what the tide brought in.”

“Hi Jack,” I said. “New boat?”

Jack shook his head. “Same boat as always.”

“I didn’t know you had a boat, that’s why I thought it was… never mind.”

I hated to admit it but he looked good. It had probably been at least six years since I last saw him. And right now I couldn’t remember why we’d broken up. Okay that was a lie, it wasn’t something I could easily forget.

“You’re all dressed up,” he said cocking his head to the side. “Oh. Party night?”

“Yeah,” I said chewing on my lip. “I promised Heidi I’d go but I—”

“I don’t see Heidi.”

I heard the pixie girl giggle followed by the noisy boat as it zipped away from the dock.

“Looks like you missed your ride,” Jack said pointing toward the boat with his chin.

“I’ll just catch the next one.”

Jack looked at his watch. “That was the last one.”

“Shit. How do you know that?”

“I live out here remember? Or didn’t you know that?”

“You live on your boat?”

Jack shrugged. “Mostly.”

“What happened to your apartment?”

“I didn’t sign the lease.”

“Where are all your things?”

“I sold them.”

I blinked several times. It was like I didn’t know the man in front of me at all. He had the same messy hair, and dark eyes, but his attitude was different.

“What about your job.”

“Who needs em?” Jack flashed me a smile that melted my insides.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He almost seemed to be looking at me in much the same way.

“Are you sure that was the last?” I asked.

“Almost positive.”

“One second,” I said, pulling out my phone to quickly tap out a message to Heidi.

Seconds later my phone buzzed. I almost didn’t want to look at the screen.

“I was right wasn’t I?” Jack asked.

“You were, and she tells me to get my ass out there and that I’ll have to swim if that’s the only way.”

Jack laughed. “That Heidi. Always the character.”

“She’s a character all right.” I gestured at his boat with my chin. “Does this thing run?”

“Um, yes,” Jack said narrowing his eyes at me.

“I have a favor to ask.”