“Themed parties?” he questioned. “Like the boat thing?”
I laughed. “That was not a theme. That was decorations. I will admit I probably missed the mark with that one. I should have done something a little more fun. To be fair, I got exactly six days’ notice and zero direction from the client.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
“Short notices?”
“Yes.”
I shook my head. “No, not really. Usually, in my world, a short notice is a month or two.”
“It takes that long to plan a party?” he asked with surprise.
I laughed, nodding. “Yes, at least our parties do. It isn’t always parties. It can be a wedding, an anniversary, a grand opening, and things like that.”
“Do you plan weddings?”
“I do,” I answered. “I do it all.”
“Do you go to school to become a party planner?”
I didn’t get the sense he was asking it to be rude. He seemed genuinely curious. “You don’t technically have to. I have a degree in public relations with some business admin classes as well.”
“I never knew it was such a serious industry.”
“Have you ever been to a wedding?” I questioned. I had a feeling I already knew the answer.
“I’ve been to a couple.”
“Weddings are ridiculous to plan, big weddings that is. There are so many details. Add in people’s nerves and feelings and it can get pretty crazy. We take away the crazy.”
“I don’t envy you,” he said. “It is not a job I would ever want.”
“Yeah, I kind of get that from you. I don’t see you being a real people person, handling a hormonal bride that cries when there is a single bead out of place on her veil.”
“Oh my god,” he said with shock. “Does that actually happen?”
“It does. A lot.”
He shuddered as if he was truly repulsed. “No fucking way I could do that job.”
“It’s not all bad,” I assured him. “Sometimes, it can be so much fun. I love the big budget kid parties. I love the princess parties with castles and fairies and stuff like that.”
“Whimsy,” he said.
“Whimsical and dreamy,” I corrected. “Tell me more about your boat.”
“Why? It’s a boat. It floats.”
I burst into a fit of giggles. “Do you try to be funny or is this the real you?”
“I’m not trying to be funny. This is the real me.”
I slapped at my knee. “You are so dry.”
“Is that an insult? It feels like an insult.”
“It isn’t, I promise,” I said, trying to hold back my laugh. “You have a very dry personality and it is actually very funny.”
“Okay,” he said as if he wasn’t sure he believed me.
We fell into an easy silence. I noticed him scanning the area. I remembered the first time I had come upon the benches. I sat down and probably sat for an hour. I was taken with the beauty of it all. “It’s hard to resist, huh?”
“What?”
“The view.”
“It’s nice,” he agreed.
“It’s beautiful,” I answered. “I love the contrast between the park and the city. When I was younger, I used to pretend we were in a dome. Like a terrarium of sorts.”
“It is a very peaceful place,” he said.
“Sometimes, especially after a particularly long week, a little bit of peace is necessary. What do you do to unwind after a long week?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I go down to the beach.”
“Do you surf?”
He scoffed. “No. It’s the hair, right?”
I grinned. “It’s a little bit the hair. What do you do on the beach?”
“I walk. I swim. I just kind of chill.”
“Do you live near the beach?”
His coy smile told me he did. “You could say that.”
“Stop being so cagey. You have one of those big beachfront mansions?”
“It’s not as big as some of the others. I preferred more land and less house.”
My eyes widened. “Oh my god, you are being serious!”
“Yes, I am. Why would I lie?”
I turned to look at him, making a big show as I did. “The boat business is that good?”
“It is,” he said with a soft smile as he nodded.
“That explains a lot,” I said, putting all the pieces together.
“What does?”
“You are one of those wealthy, eccentric types.”
“I don’t think I’m eccentric at all. I like to keep to myself. I don’t go out a lot. I don’t care to go out a lot.”
“Because you don’t like people. I remember. Do you live in San Diego?”
“Yes,” he answered. “I live in the La Jolla area.”
“Wow, no kidding. I grew up in the general area. Not in one of those big fancy mansions on the beach but the general area.”
“I grew up on base mostly. We did finally move off base to a house just outside the city.”
“That’s pretty cool. Which base?”
“Pendleton,” he answered.
“Oh, yes, I know where that is.”
He smirked but didn’t say anything about it. “Can I ask how old you are?” he asked with slight discomfort.
“Why do you want to know that?”
“Because you look young,” he answered. “Maybe a little too young. I don’t want to be accused of anything.”
“I’m twenty-eight, plenty old enough. How old are you?”
“Thirty-two.”
“What do you think you would be accused of?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It always surprises me.”
“Are you saying you have been accused of doing things with young girls before?” I asked, only half-joking.
“Fuck no!” he answered. “It’s more about young women see me and think I’m their ticket to an easy life.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Now you are trying to piss me off.”
“No,” he quickly said, turning on the bench to face me. “I’m not trying to do that at all. I don’t think you are doing that. I’m saying the younger ones, they tend to do that.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Yes. They get this idea we are going to date and I’m going to fall all over them because they are young and interested in me. I’m not a fucking dinosaur just yet.”
I smiled, having a new understanding of him. “I imagine there are some ladies, young and old, who would be attracted to the money. I’m not.”
“Then why did you talk to me?”
“I talk to everyone. You intrigued me. I didn’t know who you were. Honestly, I thought you were one of the ship laborers.”
He burst into laughter. “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“And you still talked to me?”
“I’m not like that,” I told him. “I really am not interested in anything. I just saw a guy who, for whatever reason, appealed to my need to want to help. Not help but get to know.”