“And the military guy?”
“A few years later, they found his body. Hypothermia. He was a week’s hike away from civilization and there was an early winter blizzard in September.”
“Why do you read about these stories?” I ask her.
“I don't know. I guess it's the same reason that people like to read thrillers and watch horror movies. It's scary, but still I'm drawn to it.”
“I think there's something else to it,” I say.
She turns her face and looks at me. She sighs deeply.
“I guess I felt a little bit like the family members and friends of some of these missing persons. I kept looking for you, but I couldn’t find you. It was also worse than that. I couldn’t reach out to the police or any authorities because no one could know that I knew you.”
“I'm really sorry,” Tyler says. “I didn't want to leave alone. You know that. I wanted to go with you.”
“I know. It was all my fault. I'm just so relieved now and then I think about what all those other people are going through still living in this waiting room of uncertainty.”
I take her hand in mine and pull her closer to me. I kiss her on top of her head, then on her forehead, and then her cheek.
By the time my lips find hers, the dark cloud lifts. She kisses me back and smiles just like she did before.
“Hey, I just realized that I never saw the people throwing fish,” Isabelle announces all of a sudden.
“Oh yes, of course! Well, it's back at Pike's Market where we were earlier. Should we head back?”
“No,” she says, shaking her head. “Maybe tomorrow.”
“I wouldn’t want you to miss any sightseeing things that you have on your bucket list.”
“Well, I don't plan on this being my only trip to Seattle,” she looks up at me and winks.
I smile.
We haven't officially discussed it. We barely just mentioned it during lunch, but I'm glad that this relationship or whatever this is that's going on between us isn’t going to be over on Monday.
I told her that it would be difficult for me to fly out to Pittsburgh, but I could easily pay for tickets for her to come to visit me.
Of course, I want her to stay here and live with me, but I also know that she has a life there. I had asked her to abandon it once and to some degree she was willing to do that, but not now.
I know that she's trying to be careful. I know that she's trying to keep her guard up because this past year was as difficult for her as it was for me.
We haven't talked about that either, but I can tell by how she is with me. It's like we are both treating each other as if we were some sort of fragile glass vases that could shatter at the slightest provocation.
After we walk along the waterfront for close to an hour, Isabelle asks to go back to the boat.
“I'm getting a little cold and I’d love to snuggle up by the fire.”
“That sounds perfect,” I say, licking my lips at the prospect of getting her naked, wrapping her up in a fluffy blanket, and turning on the fireplace.
It's one of my favorite features of the boat. It makes it feel like an actual home and I have spent many nights sitting there curled up with a good book as well as a few bad ones.
We get a cab over to the marina and walk up to the sailboat section on the far end. There by the locked door that leads to the actual boats, I see Tim, my old general manager.
“Oliver!” Tim yells and my back immediately straightens up and my shoulders tense.
As I approach him, I see that he is dressed in a suit with a tie and holding an elegant umbrella over his head to keep himself dry.
His outfit looks like it has been recently dry cleaned and he is as put together as I have ever seen him.
He even got a haircut.
“Hi Tim,” I say, walking up to him.
He smiles at me in that unfamiliar way that I have never seen before. I have a feeling that he wants something but that it might take him a bit to ask for it.
“How are you?” he asks. “Hi, I'm Tim.” He extends his hand to Isabelle.
I introduce them, avoiding both of their last names. Luckily, the drizzle stops and I don't feel like I have to invite him onto the boat.
After a little bit of small talk, I ask him what he's doing here. He shifts his weight from one side to another and I can tell that he's a little bit uncomfortable talking in front of Isabelle.
I give her the keys and tell her that I'll be there in a few minutes.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“I'm really sorry about what happened,” Tim says. “I’m such an idiot, but I really needed the money. Of course, that's not an excuse!” He throws his hands up in the air.
“I'm sorry that it happened that way,” I say, being careful not to assign too much blame. “I appreciate you coming here and saying this. It takes a lot of guts. Not everyone would do that in your position.”
“I know that I said some mean things, but I didn't mean any of them. I was just surprised, shocked, and emotional.”
It feels good to see Tim in this light. Back when he was working for me, he seemed bored, detached, and not at all involved.
I don't know what's different now, except that for the first time he actually seems like he gives a damn.
“Listen, I'm here to ask for my job back.”
I open my mouth to say something, but he keeps talking over me.
“I really want you to think about it. I know that I did a terrible thing, but I was in a bind. I've been behind on my rent for months and they're kicking me out. I don't know if you've ever been evicted, but it's a really scary thing. I don't have any family or many friends here and I can't go back to Oregon.”
“I don't know what you want me to say,” I say, shaking my head. “I appreciate you being so honest with me, but–”
“Oliver, please. I'll never do it again. I'll never do anything to cross you again.”
“Tim, I caught you stealing money from me. I really can't take you back as an employee. You were lucky that I never called the police.”
“I know, I know that.”
“If I had told the police then they would've arrested you and you would have had to plead guilty and you'd never work in hospitality again.”
“I know and I appreciate that,” he pleads.
“If you needed the money, you should have just come to me. I could have given you a loan against your salary.”
He casts his eyes down to the floor. I immediately feel bad. I want to take it all back.
The fact that I haven't had a general manager has become a little tiresome.
He wasn't very good, but at least he dealt with a lot of the calls that I now get directly to my phone number day and night.
For a moment, I consider giving him another chance. Can I actually do that? I know that this is bad and that it would be a bad sign to show my employees that I took someone back who was caught stealing from me, but wouldn’t that also show that I'm someone who is willing to give people a second chance?
“I wish that I could help you, Tim, but I can't,” I say after long pause of the deliberation.
“Why?”
“I just can't,” I say, shaking my head. “Everyone knows that you were fired for stealing and if I take you back then it will be open season on theft from the hotel. We’re barely surviving as it is. I invested all of my money in this place.”