I sat up in bed, and it took a moment for my vision to catch up with me. I slipped into a sundress and looked through the apartment, trying to figure out if Marty had left a note or any clue about where he had gone. Then I noticed his wallet and keys on the desk in the living room. He had made coffee for me as well. I gladly took a cup and sipped it as I sat back on the couch and tried to piece together everything that had happened the night before. I had gone from feeling angry about the divorce and losing my house to the wild delight of a new experience that I would never get to brag about. Not bad for a Wednesday.

A few minutes later, Marty came through the door wearing his short swim trunks and an old T-shirt with the logo completely faded. He looked great. He was trim and tan and had just enough muscles to prove he wasn’t a slacker. Every inch of him was covered in sweat.

I was surprised how relieved I was to see him. I couldn’t explain the doubts I’d had when he wasn’t in bed with me when I woke up. And I’m typically not that insecure.

“You were quite a ninja leaving this morning. I had no idea where you went.”

He grabbed his left foot and held it behind his back to stretch his quadriceps as he said, “You looked so peaceful when I woke up that I slipped out and used the workout clothes you let me keep here. I went for a run along the public beach and kept heading south, all the way to your former house. In the daylight, it’s even more spectacular. I could see that even the bungalow on the beach was beautiful. Something about running on the deserted beach and seeing that big house really pissed me off. As badly as I was treated by my ex, I feel like you were treated worse.”

Obviously I agreed with him, but I didn’t want to sound vindictive or petty. I just gave him a quick kiss on the cheek to show my appreciation. But the look in his eyes told me there was more to what he was saying. Seeing that house had sparked something in Marty. He wasn’t exactly who I’d thought he was when I first met him. And I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

Chapter 9

There was no way I could risk the scandal of a dine-and-dash at a local restaurant, so when the bill came at Charley’s Crab, I snatched it right out of Marty’s hand. We’d had lunch and only had a few cocktails. I hadn’t been a midday drinker since I was in college, but it was kind of fun and there was something about doing it with Marty that made it seem okay.

Before I could get to the bottom figure on the bill, Marty had grabbed it back and handed his American Express card to the waitress.