One Last Summer Fling

The lake looked beautiful in the setting sun.

Holly sat on the end of the dock, her feet in the cool water as she watched the pale yellow sun dip beneath the trees that lined the lake. The sky was lit up in a beautiful orange color that was starting to turn to a dark blue color. Soon the stars would appear as well as the moon.

She sighed, letting a cool breeze hit her face. It would be time to head in soon before the bugs came out and began to bite her. For now, though, she could just enjoy the pleasant summer night. There weren’t many left.

“Good evening,” a deep voice said, interrupting her musings. Opening her eyes, Holly saw a man about her age row up to her in a little rowboat. He had sandy blond hair and warm brown eyes that matched his pleasant smile. His short sleeves revealed well toned arms and she wondered if the rest of his body matched it.

Taking a deep breath, Holly smiled at him. “Hello there. Out for one last trip around the lake before it gets dark?”

“I guess you can say that,” he replied.

She tilted her head. “What would you call it?”

“Me finally building up enough courage to talk to the beautiful woman across the lake,” he said with a smile. He held out his hand to her. “I’m Jake.”

“Holly,” she said, shaking his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“So, care to join me for a trip around the lake?” he asked. “I promise I don’t bite.”

She bit her lip as she considered his proposition. “My mother told me not to accept rides from strangers.”

“Good advice,” he agreed.

“But I don’t always do what my mother says,” Holly continued, sliding into his row boat. It teetered a bit but Jake managed to steady it.

She leaned back, trying to look seductive. “So, where are we going?”

He shrugged. “Where do you want to go?”

“A lot of places,” she replied. “But I guess around the lake will do for now.”

“As you wish,” he said teasingly, starting to row away from her dock.

She listened to the soft splash each time he dipped the oar into the water, accompanied by the hum of the cicadas. It was a peaceful soundtrack to a beautiful night and the stars started to twinkle overhead.

Jake didn’t say anything and Holly realized he was waiting for her to say something first. She had already been more forward than she ever had been before and her heart was racing. Jumping into the boat with a complete stranger—what was she thinking?

Holly was about to ask him to turn around when he asked: “What brings you to the lake?”

“Vacation,” she replied. “I just needed a week of peace, quiet and relaxation. And I got those.”

“Good,” he said, smiling softly.

She leaned back. “What about you? What brings you to the lake?”

“Same as you,” he said, “except it was three years ago. I decided I loved it so much, I bought a house and haven’t left.”

“So you live here year round?” she asked, curious now.

He nodded. “It’s pretty peaceful and I always have a lovely view when I want to eat outside or take my morning coffee on my deck.”

“That does sound peaceful,” she said with a sigh, thinking of her own apartment. “If I want to have coffee outside, I have to lean out a window and sit partially on a fire escape.”

“And I bet the view isn’t as beautiful as this.” He waved his hand over the lake.

Holly thought of the tall skyscrapers, the beauty of the sky between their towering spires, the lights of the city and the sounds of urban life. She smiled. “It’s a different beauty, but it’s beautiful none the less.”

“I guess so,” he replied, pulling the oars up so they were drifting in the pale moonlight. He smiled at her. “So, what do you do?”

They got to know each other as they continued to drift on the lake, the small boat pushed by the soft waves lapping against its sides. Holly felt herself opening up more and more to Jake, relaxing in his presence. Maybe he wouldn’t end up being a serial killer after all.

Holly slapped a mosquito and groaned. “I think the bugs are telling us it’s time to go in.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, hitting a mosquito on his neck. “So I guess the question is if I’m taking you back to your house…or mine?”

The question made her heart skip a beat. She bit her lip, wondering if she wanted a one night stand before she went back home or if she just wanted to leave this night as it was.

She gave him a soft smile. “I think it’s best if I go home.”

“Okay,” he said, dipping the oars back into the water. “Thank you for a wonderful evening.”

“No, thank you. This was the perfect ending to a great week,” she said, closing her eyes to the cool night breeze blowing on her face.

“I’m glad. I wouldn’t want you to go away with bad memories of our lake.”

“Our lake?” She opened her eyes, smirking at him as she teased him.

He nodded, his chest puffing out a bit. “Yes, our lake. We all take a bit of ownership in it.”

“I can tell,” she said. “It sounds nice.”

Jake pulled the boat back up to her dock. “I believe this is your stop,” he said, holding out his hand to her.

She took it, letting him help her onto the dock. Holly stood over him, biting her lip. “Thank you again for a wonderful evening.”

“No, thank you,” he replied.

They stood there for several moments, staring at each other in silence. She wasn’t sure what they were waiting for—a kiss, a promise, an invitation—but she knew they both didn’t want this to end. Not yet.

She held out her hand. “Give me your phone please.”

“Okay,” he said, confused. He reached into his back pocket and handed the phone over to her.

Holly quickly added her number to his phone, still biting her lip with giddiness. She couldn’t believe she was being this bold but sometimes you needed to take action—right?

She handed it back to him. “Don’t be afraid to use that.”

“I won’t,” he replied, smiling at the screen before putting his phone away. “You have a good night, Holly.”

“You too, Jake,” she said, watching as he rowed away.

Holly headed back down the dock toward her vacation house. Summer was ending but autumn promised to be quite eventful.