Smart man. They exited near Everett, following Vivien's directions down increasingly rural roads until they pulled into a small marina. Boats bobbed in their slips and the smell of salt water mixed with diesel fuel. Ethan killed the engine and looked around. We're going on a boat.
Kayaks, actually. Vivian pointed to a rental shack at the end of the dock. I called ahead. They're expecting us. You want to go kayaking?
I want to go kayaking. You said you wanted something without a dress code. This is definitely that. He followed her to the rental shack where a teenager with sunburned skin handed them life jackets and paddles. 20 minutes later they were on the water.
Viven in the front of a tandem kayak and Ethan in the back trying to remember the last time he'd been in a boat. You've done this before, right? Vivien called over her shoulder. Not since I was like 15. Summer camp.
Great. So we're probably going to capsize. Very motivating, but they found a rhythm quickly, their paddles cutting through the water in sink. The marina gave way to open water, and Ever shoreline stretched out to their left while mountains rose in the distance. "This was a good idea," Ethan admitted.
"I have them occasionally. " Vivien paused her paddling, letting them drift. "I needed this, something that wasn't a board meeting or a quarterly report or someone asking me to approve a budget. How often do you do normal stuff like this? Define normal like kaying. Going to diners.
Eating food that costs less than 50 bucks. She laughed, but it sounded sad. Almost never. My schedule is usually meetings at 7:00 a.m. Conference calls through lunch, dinner with investors or clients.
By the time I get home, I'm too tired to do anything except review documents and go to bed. That sounds awful. It's effective. It's lonely. Viven stopped paddling completely and turned to look at him.
Yeah, it is. They floated in silence for a moment, the kayak rocking gently with the waves. A seagull cried overhead, and somewhere in the distance, a motorboat engine rumbled to life. "Why'd you agree to the blind date? " Ethan asked. "If your schedule's that insane, why bother? " Catherine wore me down.
My assistant, she's been on a mission to fix my personal life for months. Viven trailed her fingers in the water. And honestly, I was curious, wondering if there was anyone out there who'd look at me and see a person instead of a business opportunity. "Did you find one? " She smiled. "Yeah, I did.
He fixed my car in the rain and refused to take payment. Then he showed up to a fancy restaurant covered in mud because he was helping me and didn't know it. That guy sounds like an idiot. He's kind of perfect. " Ethan's chest tightened. Vivien, I know it's fast.