Forget Me (Hampton Harbor) (5 page)

Davey & Sons Boating
reads the card. Will's name is below the company information.

William P. Davey
, and then his phone number
is
printed
after.

I cash out his bill and slip the business card into my pocket,
knowing I don't have it in me to throw it away. The lunch shift moves quickly,
and it is busy today. Amy and I split the tips and I manage to pull in sixty
dollars, twelve of those belonging to Will. 

I work four shifts over the next week, and Will doesn’t come in
for any of them. I’m losing my chance to give him his change, and my chance to
start a conversation with him.

On Thursday, Shelley finds me during my afternoon break.

"We're overstaffed for tonight," she huffs. I have yet
to see her in a pleasant mood. "You and Amy can go home."

That is all she says before turning on her heels and stomping back
to her office.

"Sweet!" Amy says. "Eric mentioned wanting to see a
movie with me, and I think he is off tonight, too."

I've only known Amy for a few days but I've quickly learned almost
everything about her.
 
Besides the
physical features—tall, redheaded, and curvy—she is spunky,
outgoing, and speaks her mind. Eric is one of the boat washers down at the
docks, and she met him last summer when he came in to have lunch with Will.
They aren't officially dating but they've been to dinner a few times, and have seen
some movies together. From what I can gather, Amy has a lot of dates.

She claps her hands and throws her apron behind the counter,
disappearing out the back door with her cell phone to her ear. It's as I turn
in my own apron that I realize my ride has just left. I could call Charles or
Marie to come get me, but that would mean venturing into the office... with
Shelley. Instead I travel out the front door and turn right, headed in the
direction of the boats. It is sunny and warm today. There is barely a breeze,
and the water in the bay laps lazily against the dock.

The walk down the boardwalk doesn't take more than five minutes.
As I draw closer to the marina, I realize just how
large
 the area is. There are several docks that lead out into
the water, and more docks off of those. When Will comes in to the cafe, he is
generally dressed nice so I assume that he is probably in the main office. A
large blue building sits back from the bay,
Davey
& Sons Boating
is written across the top in large, white lettering. The
‘T’ is an anchor, and the ‘&’ sign is a buoy.

More small details that my mind is telling me I know.

There is a small ramp on one side, and a small sign above the door
reads
 
MAIN OFFICE: BOATING SHOP
IN FRONT. I climb up the ramp and open the door. A bell rings, signaling my
arrival, and I step into the main lobby. There is a desk directly in front of
me, and a cheery old woman sits there with a big smile on her face.

"Welcome to Davey & Sons Boating, how may I help
you?" she asks.

I glance around the room quickly. There are two other desks back further,
and several closed doors.

"I'm looking for Will," I say. "He's expecting
me."

I'm going to interpret him leaving his business card as expecting
me, because otherwise I am liable to look like a stalker.

The woman's grin grows and she looks at the computer, clicking the
mouse several times. "William is out on Dock A, helping with the Maiden
Molly."

I just nod, as though I know exactly what she is talking about,
and back out of the office. As I head back down to the marina, I notice that
the large overhead lights positioned along the edge are labeled with letters. A
is to my left, in the first row of boats, and out of curiosity I head toward
it. The docks are further apart here, and the boats larger. I’m amazed by the
size of them as I walk down Dock A.

The Whiskey Tango.

The Great Gatsby.

The Eleanor.

The VanOver Vessel.

I’m moving slowly now, reading each name and taking in the details
of each boat.

"Jane?" Someone yells my name and I turn around,
temporarily blinded by the sun. It reflects off of the white boats, and I
suddenly wish I had brought a pair of sunglasses to work today.

I cover my eyes and squint in the direction my name came from. My
eyes travel up the side of a boat, the
Maiden
Molly
, and I spot Will leaning over the edge.

My tongue shrivels into nothing and my stomach is knotted tighter
than the ropes holding these boats into place. Will is shirtless, his muscles
taut from the way his hands grip the side rail. 

"Hey," is all I manage to call out when my tongue grows
back to its original size.

He holds up one finger and disappears. A few minutes later he
steps onto the main dock, coming from a side dock around the boat. He is
wearing old, worn down jeans and oil splattered tennis shoes. He wipes the
sweat from his brow and it is taking all of my willpower to not stare at his
bare chest.

"Did you need something?" he asks.

I almost forget that I came to his place of work, and that I am
standing here staring at him expectantly. 

I fumble for excuses. "I came to give you your change."

"You came all the way to the dock in the middle of your
shift, and searched me out among hundreds of boats, all to give me change from
a bill I paid a week ago?" He puts his hands on toned hips. His pelvic
bones create shadowed lines that disappear into his jeans.

Focus Jane.

"No," I respond. "You haven’t been in all week and
I wanted to do it before I completely forgot. My shift ended early today, and
my ride ditched me, so I thought it would be a good time to walk down here. I
asked the receptionist in your office where you would be, and I came to look at
the boats, too.”

Will smiles and I realize I’m
rambling.

"Then you got my business card, too?" he asks.

"Yes." I pull it out of my pocket. "But I'm afraid
I don't own a boat to bring you any business."

I wave the card around before putting it back in my pocket. I pull
his change from my other pocket and hold it out to him.

He shakes his head and shoves his hands into his pocket.
"Keep it, I don't have anywhere to put it."

"I see pockets." I point to his pants.

"I might spill oil on it," he says.

I sigh and shove the money into my back pocket.

"You can make it up to me though," Will says.

"Oh really?" I arch an eyebrow at him.

"You can buy me ice cream after I get off work tonight."
He talks as though I've already said yes.

"What time should I meet you here?"

"Around five is fine."

"Ice cream for dinner?" I ask.

"No." He turns back to the boat and starts walking,
calling out over his shoulder, "You can buy me dessert after I buy you
dinner."

I walk back to the boardwalk with my mouth hanging open.

   
   
   
Will
Davey just tricked me into a date. I'm not sure if I should feel annoyed,
excited, or just indifferent. If I am completely honest with myself, I know
that dating isn't really something I should even consider right now. I know
that it requires honesty and openness, and those are two things I can’t give to
anyone even if I want to. I can think of only one person to ask in a situation
like this. I hurry back to the cafe and slip into the office, picking up the
phone to call Marie. She arrives fifteen minutes later to pick me up.

"Sorry you had to come all the way out here," I tell
her.

"It’s no problem," she says with a smile. "I don't
mind."

"Will Davey is taking me to dinner tonight." I blurt out
the words I've thought over and over again for the past thirty minutes.

"He asked you on a date?" Marie doesn’t sound as
surprised as I thought she might.

"I don't know if he really asked," I say.
"Actually, I don't really know what happened but I think I'm meeting him
at his work around five, and we are going to dinner."

"Well then it is a good thing we went shopping last week,
isn't it," Marie says.

I take a deep breath and hope to catch some courage as I do.
"Marie, there is something I need to tell you."

Marie takes the
news rather well. She doesn't show anger. She doesn't even cry or look afraid.
She just watches me carefully as I tell her my secret. Every detail spills out
of my mouth with emotion.

"I know I should have told you as soon as I knew what was
going on," I tell her. "I was just so confused. By the time the
morning came and I figured out I was missing my memories, something inside told
me that I needed to put on an act. I can't explain it, but I feel as though I'm
not supposed to discover who I am just yet."

"Charles and I know, dear,"
Marie
says when I am finished speaking. “We know that you have amnesia.”

"What?" My voice is barely a whisper.

"We had a suspicion when you woke up, right after the
accident. You were saying funny things, and acting strange. Then when you woke
up in the middle of the night, and had a panic attack, it became obvious.
Especially when you stared at my book collection on the dresser and told us
your name was Jane." Marie places her hand on mine and I look at the ground.

We are seated out on the back patio, our chairs pulled right up to
the stone barrier that separates the yard from the sea. I decide that I think
clearer here.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I ask.

Marie smiles slightly. "Charles thinks it’s best when situations
like these clear up on their own. There is likely to be more damage if you are
pressured to recall your memories too soon."

"I just don't understand." A tear slips down my cheek
and I brush it away. "I remember small details. I know what boats are, and
what a restaurant is. I understand dates, and shopping, and humor, and fun. I
feel like I've been here before, but I can't remember. I don't even recognize
my own face when I look in the mirror. How does any of this make sense?"

The tears are rolling down my cheeks faster now, and I give up
trying to brush them away.

Marie wraps her arms around my neck and gives me a tight hug.

"I don't have any answers for you sweetheart. I wish I
did," she says. “We can help you find your family if you want.”

I shake my head against her shoulder. “I’m just not ready yet.”

“Okay,” she whispers into my hair.

I pull away from Marie and wipe the rest of my tears. "What
should I do about Will?"

"I think you should go," she answers. "I think you
should give him a chance. And if you think you'd like to see him past tonight,
you should tell him what’s happened to you."

"How do I explain this to him though?" I ask.

"He'll understand," Marie tells me. "I've known Will
a very, very long time. It’s better that you do it now, rather then him finding
out the hard way."

"Now I have another problem," I say with a small smile.
"What should I wear?"

Marie pushes herself out of her chair. "Let's go pick something
out."

"Are you sure this isn't too dressy?" I ask, looking at
myself in Marie's full-length mirror. 

"Summer dresses can really be worn for any occasion. And I
think you look lovely," Marie says, playing with my hair.

I have tried to avoid mirrors when I can, but I can't seem to stop
staring at myself right now. Marie has picked out a simple red cotton dress that
we found at the Gap. It isn't exactly fancy, but it looks nice enough for a
dinner out. Marie has curled my hair at the ends, and it’s pushed over my
shoulders. I spend almost every waking minute either at the cafe or out in the
backyard, and therefore my hair is usually up in a ponytail. It’s strange to
see my hair down. The girl in the mirror actually looks pretty. Marie has
covered my face with light make-up and even though I feel strange with it on,
it seems normal.

"You look beautiful, Jane," Marie says. She stands
beside me, with her hands clasped together in front of her lips. Her eyes
glisten with a hint of tears, and I feel a surge in my own emotions. I'm lucky,
having fallen into the home of such a wonderful couple. I could have woken up
from my accident in a much different place, with people who didn't care and
just wanted to be rid of me. Charles and Marie are giving my mind time to heal,
which I know is exactly what I need.