Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“You see what I did there, Beatrice?” I point out to her. “I didn’t talk to strangers.” I pet her head as she huffs and closes her eyes. “Stranger danger.”
I look over and see the boat next to me is now pitch black inside. Did I look over all day wondering where she was? Pfft, no. Did I watch the light in the middle of her sun pads? No. Did I smile when she said loop de loop? Silently. Did I want to look over and engage in talking to her? No. Yes. Maybe. I was just so curious, and it was secretly killing me even though I pretended I didn’t care. Obviously, she was by herself, unless her boyfriend or girlfriend was in the boat and never coming out.
“You ready to go in?” I ask Beatrice, getting up from the sun pads and looking over at her boat. I go to the side of the boat, walking around to the front with Beatrice behind me. When I get onto the deck, I open the sliding doors and step in. Putting the book down on the middle of the coffee table, I lock up the boat. I head downstairs to my bedroom, going straight to the shower. Stepping in and hissing through while it goes from cold to warm, I turn it off when it gets hot. Stepping out and drying off before I slide into bed. “Night, Beatrice,” I yell from my bed. She usually sleeps on the couch and then comes to join me during the night, but sometimes, she will sleep in the second bedroom. A queen bed all for her.
I turn on my side, and it takes me a while to fall asleep. When the alarm rings the next day, I actually groan out loud. I shut it off and look down at Beatrice, who is sleeping. “What do you think about sleeping in?” I ask her. She doesn’t even answer me. Instead, her snores fill the room. “Good talk.” I use Vivienne’s snarky comment, laughing to myself and falling back asleep.
I feel Beatrice get off the bed and stretch, and my eyes open but then close back again. Rolling to my back and grabbing the phone, I press the button and see it’s almost eight o’clock. “This is a first,” I announce, throwing the covers off me. Walking to the bathroom, I grab a pair of boxers on the way. I walk up the steps and start my coffee when I hear the phone ringing from my bedroom.
I look down at the coffee cup and then back to where the phone is ringing, wondering if it’s worth not drinking the coffee. It takes me two seconds to ignore the phone, opting for drinking the coffee instead of getting it. Beatrice comes to stand next to me, nudging my leg. “Yeah, we are going to go out. Let me get dressed.”
I walk back to my bedroom, grabbing my black track pants and a sweater before reaching for the phone. I look down and see that it’s Miles, my agent. I’m about to call him back when Beatrice barks, and I know I’m pushing it. So I put the phone in my pocket and walk back upstairs. “Now you are rushing me?” I ask her, grabbing the coffee cup as I make my way to the door where Beatrice is waiting for me. “This is what happens when you sleep in,” I tell her as I open the door, and she steps out before me.
I have one foot out the door when Beatrice barks, and I look over to see Vivienne walking down her stairs. She’s wearing gray, loose-fitting pants and a knitted sweater. Her hair is pinned on top of her head, and she holds her coffee cup in her hand. She looks over and smiles at Beatrice. “Good morning, Beatrice,” she greets and then looks at me. “Have a good day, Beatrice,” is the only thing she says before stepping inside.
“See what I did right there? Not saying anything,” I explain to Beatrice as we walk down the dock. “It’s what you should be doing. Since when do you bark at people?” I ask her as we walk out of the gate. “She didn’t even say anything to me,” I scoff, looking back over my shoulder at her boat, trying not to let it bother me. “This is what we want.” I take a sip of my coffee. “To just not be bothered.”
The walk is different at this time of the day. There is more noise and definitely more people out and about. I have to leash Beatrice when we turn the corner and see a woman walking down the sidewalk with six dogs. The walk isn’t as long as it is at sunrise, and when we get back to the boat, my phone rings. I take it out of my pocket and see it’s Miles again. “Hello,” I answer, putting him on speakerphone while I give Beatrice fresh water and food.