Sparks Fly

pimples asking out the most popular girl in class. “We’ll cruise out to Angel Island and then maybe drop the kayaks in and row around. While we’re at it, we’ll get some Feng Shui done.”
    He held his breath until she—finally!—said, “Yes.”

CHAPTER FIVE
    Saturday morning, Angelina woke up early and did her usual four-mile walk, hoping to work off some of her nervous energy.
    She never should have agreed to this consultation on Will’s boat. But Krista’s words— You need to have some fun before you dry up completely —had been playing in her head like a broken record.
    After her shower, she stood in her closet wondering what the heck she should wear. Nothing seemed appropriate. Frustrated, as the clock ticked closer to 9:00 a.m., she put on her favorite jeans and a white scoop-neck T-shirt. Figuring it might be cold or windy out on the bay, she also pulled out a red sweatshirt and a jacket. Topping off the whole outfit with red tennis shoes, she looked in the mirror and declared herself ready to sail.
    She was midway through plaiting her hair into a French braid when her doorbell rang. Quickly finishing the braid and slipping a covered rubber band around the end, she yelled, “Coming.”
    When she opened the door, she had to steady herself. Will looked more gorgeous than ever in his khaki shorts, Giants T-shirt, and baseball cap.
    “Good morning,” she said as she locked the door behind her. Don’t drool all over him, she chided herself. But when she saw his car, she blurted out, “Mustang convertibles are my favorite car.”
    “You’d be surprised how many women complain that it’s not a BMW or a Jaguar.”
    “What kind of women have you been driving around?” she said, cocking her head slightly to one side.
    “The wrong ones, I guess.”
    She directed him to Krista’s condo, which was a couple of blocks away. They knocked on the door and heard her friend call out, “It’s open. Come in and I’ll be ready in just a second.”
    As far as Angelina was concerned, Krista rode a very fine line between Feng Shui greatness and disaster. Her decorating style consisted of sharp lines and ultramodern furniture in varying shades of cream and gray. Angelina had often told Krista that if she ever felt ready to settle down with the man of her dreams, she should soften the sharpness inside her house. But since Krista didn’t seem interested in limiting herself to only one man, Angelina let it be.
    Krista flounced out through the doorway and made a Madonna-esque pose for them. “Am I gorgeous or what?” She pirouetted in a slow circle in white capri pants and a white crop top, an orange scarf tied flamboyantly in her wild mass of curly red hair.
    “As always,” Angelina agreed.
    Before she could introduce them, Krista enveloped Will in a hug. All in one breath she said, “Hi Will. I feel like I know you already. You’re just gorgeous. I can’t wait to see your boat. Isn’t Angelina absolutely scrumptious?”
    Will just laughed in response. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Krista.” Stepping back out of her embrace, he looked at his watch. “We’d better get going or my friends may just sail off without us.
    Either that or drink all of the beer on board,” he added with a wink.
    They flew up Highway 101, past suburbs along the Bay, chatting about nothing in particular, relaxing into the freedom of a Saturday off—top down, blue skies and the ocean waiting to be explored.
    Will took the Fourth Street exit and pulled into the pier next to the baseball stadium. He parked in his reserved spot and directed each of the women to grab a light cooler from the trunk. Unlocking the gate, he led them down Dock C to his boat, which was easy to locate because his friends were waving at them from the bow, drinks already in hand.
    “Oh my God, only a tycoon could own a boat like that.” Krista looked more closely at Will and a flicker of recognition caught in her eyes. “Wait a second. You’re the guy who—”

    Will cut her off. “All aboard,” he said as he tried to gauge Angelina’s reaction to his boat. The last thing he needed was for Angelina to find out just how famous he was. He was truly enjoying how she treated him just like anyone else.
    Maybe he had done the wrong thing by inviting her on his boat. She was bound to ask some questions about his net worth, just like her friend was doing right now.
    Adding to his problems, Krista was saying, “Damn, Will. The only time I’ve