Miss Match Page 7

  Lucinda laughed and smiled as he finished the spin and placed her down gently. “Thank you, Massimo, you look pretty good yourself.”

  “Tell me, tell me, how are you? How have you been?”

  “I’m good. Been busy, you know”—she winked—“staying out of trouble.”

  “Mamma asks about you.” He added with a frown, “You should call her, you know, she misses you.”

  “I know, I miss her too. I will, I promise.” Lucinda added quietly, “Massimo, this is my friend, Samantha.”

  “Ah yes. It’s very nice to meet you, Samantha. Sorry about all of that. I haven’t seen Lucy in a long time.” He shook her hand and bowed his head. “Did you like the presentation?”

  “I will never look at a plastic water bottle the same ever again,” Samantha answered solemnly.

  Massimo turned to Lucinda and asked, “Will you be around for a bit? I have to do some meet-and-greet nonsense. Can I catch up with you lovely ladies later?”

  “Yes, Mass, we’ll be around,” Lucinda replied happily. “I’m sure we’ll end up by the new wing eventually.”

  Massimo kissed Lucinda’s cheek as he squeezed her shoulders once more. He looked at Samantha and added quietly before turning back to his colleagues, “I want to hear all about how you two met.”

  Samantha quirked her eyebrow and glanced over to Lucinda who shrugged. She could think of worse things than someone assuming that Samantha Monteiro was her girlfriend. “Come on,” Lucinda said, “let’s go get lost in the ocean.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Lucinda asked Samantha if she had ever been to the aquarium before and she was embarrassed to admit that she hadn’t. She had considered taking her niece and nephew here a few times, but it seemed that all they wanted to do when they were here was shop and look at electronics. To be honest, she didn’t have much experience with children; she barely had a relationship with her brother, so she didn’t see them very often anyway. They lived in New York; close enough to visit if need be, but far enough away to forget about almost entirely. Just like the rest of her family.

  “Well, I am honored to give you a special guided tour of the aquarium and I promise to give you all the inside scoop on the exhibits,” Lucinda said as they walked through the main doors.

  Samantha took in the penguin exhibit in front of them. It was set below eye level into an open-water alcove with rock faces and small cliffs from which the penguins could propel themselves into the water below. She scanned the enclosure and let her mind wander back to the greeting between Lucinda and Massimo. Their exchange was familiar, loving, and yet also a little sad. She wondered about the pained look on Lucinda’s face on the drive here tonight—it had been fleeting, but it had been there. There was something mysterious about Lucinda that intrigued her; she had so many questions for this woman. Being here tonight was her chance to find out those answers. All she had to do was ask, right?

  “Do you come here a lot?” That was a start.

  “I’ve been here quite a few times. Not as much recently, though.” Lucinda leaned in and whispered, “Don’t tell the others, but the southern rockhoppers have always been my favorite because they have that cool punk-rock hair thing going on.” She pointed out the bright yellow feathers coming off its head. “But, if we are being totally honest, I have a huge soft spot for the little blue penguins over there. They’re the smallest penguin species in the world.”

  Samantha nodded, listening to Lucinda’s facts about penguins as she wandered closer to the enclosure. These little guys were tinged blue and positively adorable. Their habitat was different from the rockhoppers’—there were an abundance of nest-like burrows and some sand. Lucinda explained that these penguins preferred a warmer climate and lived almost exclusively in Australia and New Zealand.

  “They’re so cute,” Samantha gushed as she watched one groom another. She turned to find Lucinda watching her with amusement.

  Lucinda waited until Samantha was ready to move on. She explained how the aquarium was divided into sections all surrounding one large center tank. Large was an understatement. The tank made up the entire center of the building. The structure was surrounded by sloping ramps that wound around the tank until they reached the top. Each ramp connected to a few smaller connected hallways with exhibits on the far walls: Gulf of Maine crustaceans like the rare blue and white lobsters found locally; Amazon Rainforest exhibits with brightly colored tree frogs, enormous anacondas, electric eels, and ferocious piranhas.

  The Pacific Reef community was Samantha’s favorite, filled with coral reefs and brightly colored tropical fish. She listened closely as Lucinda explained how the fish blended in with their tropical environments to avoid predators; even the eels had bright yellow stripes and green eyes. Samantha stood close to the glass, watching as a shark slowly wound his way under a coral formed ledge into the vicinity of an unsuspecting blue and white fish. The fish sensed the approaching predator and quickly switched directions, bulleting forward toward the glass before turning sharply. Samantha jumped and gasped, reaching back instinctively before bumping into Lucinda.

  “Hey there, you okay?” Lucinda’s hands fell to Samantha’s hips to steady her; they were so close now that her breath skated across Samantha’s shoulder.

  Samantha blushed and gently bit her lower lip. “Sorry, I totally thought that thing was going to jump through the glass.” She moved to step forward but Lucinda dug her fingertips into her hips slightly before releasing her grip.

  “It’s fine. I don’t mind at all.” Lucinda smiled and licked her lips as she stepped back and motioned toward the larger center tank. “I want to show you my favorite spot in the whole aquarium.”

  Samantha hesitated for only a moment before taking the hand Lucinda reached out to her to lead her. She let her fingers loosely entwine with Lucinda’s as they weaved past a few people and up the remaining length of the ramp. The opening at the top of the tank was absolutely breathtaking. Glass barriers around the tank reached just a little above waist height, so all patrons, large and small, could get a view of the tank below. A small platform at the north end of the tank was partially submerged in water; Lucinda explained that this little shelf was where the divers and staff climbed into the tank to do daily cleanings and feedings. Also, it was where aquarium staff would give daily lectures on the tank’s inhabitants and a few of its bright stars.

  Lucinda guided Samantha to the eastern edge of the tank, a less populated area, and walked her up close to the barrier so she could lean forward and look down. “Here, this is my favorite spot.”

  Still holding Samantha’s hand in her right while pointing down with her left, she said, “From where you’re standing, you can see the whole coral reef and all the fish, but through there, there you can see down to the Pacific Reef tank and the reflection of the brightly colored fish on the tank walls permeates through the space. It looks like a hidden rainbow, how the light bends with the curved glass. One exhibit spilling into the next—like total harmony.”

  Samantha squeezed Lucinda’s hand. An announcement rang out overhead about the silent auction, and the few remaining people around them started to filter down the ramps.

  Lucinda’s thumb soothed over the knuckles on Samantha’s hand as she explained more details of the tank. “There are over two hundred thousand gallons of water, over twenty feet deep and forty feet wide. There are sharks and stingrays and hundreds of fish.”

  Samantha turned from the tank to face Lucinda. “Is that how you know so much about the aquarium? From knowing Massimo?” She found it hard to utter well-formed sentences under Lucinda’s intense gaze.

  “Sort of. I spent some time here when I was younger, back when Massimo was a budding biologist. I sort of grew up with his family and have been coming to his lectures ever since.”

  “That’s why you came tonight? To hear him speak?” Samantha asked quietly, her eyes flickering to a stray blond hair across Lucinda’s forehead. She was resisting the urge to brush it back.r />
  “I told him I would support him by bringing an attractive date so he could be flanked by beautiful women in all the pictures—you know, so he didn’t feel like such a nerd.”

  Samantha smiled at that statement and couldn’t stop herself before replying, “Is that what this is? A date?”

  Lucinda faced Samantha fully, adding quietly, “It can be, if you want it to be.”

  Samantha let the words settle over her as she thought about it. Her right hand moved as if of its own volition, carefully brushing that stray hair to the side, her fingers lightly grazing Lucinda’s temple. Lucinda’s eyes fluttered closed momentarily and she gripped the glass barrier with her free hand.

  “Yes,” Samantha breathed. “I would like that.”

  Lucinda took a half step, closing the distance between them as she released the rail and reached forward to touch Samantha’s jaw with her thumb. “You look beautiful tonight,” she murmured. “Absolutely radiant.” She curled her fingers slightly, coaxing Samantha forward, and closed her eyes as she pressed their lips together.

  The kiss was slow and soft. Lucinda cradled Samantha’s face, her fingers sliding gently along Samantha’s hairline while her thumb stroked her jaw. Samantha let herself melt into it, into the feel of warm and soft, and she let Lucinda lead. Their lips slid against each other slowly, gentle and tentative until Samantha pressed forward, increasing the pressure. She wanted to feel the kiss entirely, she wanted to feel everything. Lucinda smiled through the kiss and stepped even closer, so their hips were touching, and Samantha’s hand slid from Lucinda’s shoulder to wrap gently around her biceps as her heart started to race a little faster.

  A sudden, loud spitting noise jarred them apart. Samantha jumped back from Lucinda and looked around, alarmed.

  “Relax,” Lucinda said as she pulled Samantha closer by their clasped hands and pointed down into the tank at the largest sea turtle Samantha had ever seen. “That’s Myrtle, just being a perv.”

  Samantha blinked, her mouth slightly agape as she watched this behemoth move around the water with a grace that seemed contradictory to her size, ducking her head periodically and spitting air and water out when she resurfaced. Samantha unclasped her hand from Lucinda’s to put both hands on the rail as she leaned forward to get a better look. Hundreds of small shimmery silver fish skated along the tops of the coral, darting in and out of holes in the rocks and seaweed-like filaments. Myrtle circled the tank once more before diving down again, disappearing into the ripples of the clear water, her shape distorted by the schools of fish swimming below.

  Lucinda stepped up behind Samantha, placing one hand at her lower back, the other on the rail next to her as she explained, “Myrtle the sea turtle is the star of the Ocean Tank. She came in 1970 and has been here ever since. She’s more than five hundred pounds and thought to be about eighty years old. And quite the practical joker, it seems.”

  Samantha let her eyes close at the soft voice behind her, her heart racing again when she felt gentle lips press quickly to her skin before pulling away. She missed their warmth and absently reached her pinky toward Lucinda’s fingers on the railing. She smiled as those fingers laced with hers, and looked down to admire the pale fingers between her own darker ones. Samantha turned slowly so her back was to the tank and then smiled at the appreciative look on Lucinda’s face as she let her eyes drag slowly over Samantha’s body.

  “Thank you,” Samantha said quietly.

  “Hmm?” Lucinda’s eyes locked on the dark ones in front of her. “For what?”

  “Thinking I’m beautiful. Teaching me about all things aquatic…”

  “It’s nice to share my useless knowledge with someone,” Lucinda quipped. “And of course I think you’re beautiful. I think you’re gorgeous.” Lucinda paused a moment. “Hey, wanna play with some sharks before we see Massimo?” She flashed an impish grin.

  Samantha scrunched her nose. “Sure, I guess. But I have to pee first. All this water is distracting.”

  “Ha. Okay, come on, I’ll take you.”

  They walked back down the ramp until they were on the second floor and Lucinda pointed out the bathroom to Samantha. She told her she would be waiting over by the center tank when she was all set.

  Lucinda walked to the edge of the ramp and leaned against the cement rail so she was facing the twelve-foot glass panel in front of her. She was just above the floor level of the giant tank and could see all the fish swimming in schools, skirting around enormous stingrays that obscured almost all of the glass, their tender white underbellies ghosting over the slightly clouded surface of the pane. She observed the reef that made up the center of the tank and climbed its way up to the top. Eels poked out periodically and a large nurse shark slinked across the sandy bottom. Her mind wandered to another time when she was in a similar position, lounging against the ramp’s border, staring aimlessly at the glass. It had been a few years prior, after a pretty awful fight with her last girlfriend, Grace. That relationship had been so damn toxic; she couldn’t believe it lasted as long as it did. Maybe that’s why she hadn’t dated anyone since, something she found herself reconsidering since meeting Samantha. She had secretly wanted tonight to be a date—to have the chance to kiss Samantha like she had wanted to the other night at the dance studio. And now that she had a new memory to help wash out the older, more painful one, she felt a little better about being here. Just a little. There was a lot about this place that gave her peace. She always found comfort at the aquarium; she could get lost in thought and imagine how weightless she would feel in the center tank. It was the only place she felt truly safe other than on the dance floor with Dominic. She came here to clear her head—she came here to find herself. She’d come here after Dominic died and tried to make sense of everything that had happened. She never quite found what she was looking for though. Her quest for peace had fallen short; it was the first time the tranquility of the aquarium had failed to help her find answers.

  “You’re thinking about him. I can tell.” Massimo’s calm, deep voice alerted her to his presence. She nodded and glanced over to him as he perched himself in the space next to her.

  “This place reminds me of Dominic. Every place does,” she added sadly. “But this place in particular.”

  “I know. Every time some idiot raffle winner gets inside the tank to feed the fish or scrub the glass I think of that day he almost scared that guy to death with the fake shark fin.” Massimo laughed. “My parents had to donate a whale skeleton to patch up the relationship with the head marine biologist just so Dominic could resume his diving therapy. My little brother was always up to something.”

  She smiled at the memory. Dominic was always getting into trouble. He was a total pain in the ass, but he could always make you smile when things got too serious or too heavy. He had started the scuba-diving therapy when he was younger. It was typically used to help rehabilitate paraplegics and those who suffered from neurological disorders, but he used it for a different reason. He had crippling stage fright and would hyperventilate. His mother hated the idea of medicating him because it affected his performance, memory, and balance. Some high paid shrink recommended he try diving to help him focus and control his breathing when he was nervous.

  He did well with it and then was encouraged to practice his breathing where he would be in front of lots of people. Dominic was the one who suggested he try to do both at the same time. He had been coming to the aquarium since he was little and felt like it was the perfect mix: control your breathing and be on display. How many thousands of eyes would see him in the forty-minute session he did underwater? Helping to clean the tank and practicing his breathing, calming his nerves, being careful and mindful of the living creatures while settling into himself. It was genius.

  “She’s very pretty, by the way,” Massimo added with a wink and crooked smile. He nodded toward Samantha who had emerged from the bathroom and was chatting with a waiter at the top of the ramp. As if sensing she was the topic of conversation
, she looked up, making eye contact with Lucinda and smiling before returning to her own discussion.

  “Yes, she is. Just a friend though, Mass.”

  “But you want more, no?”

  Lucinda looked into his hazel eyes and nodded subtly. “I do.”

  “Well, Luce, if there is any person in this world that can get the girl, it’s you. In fact, I’ll be disappointed if you don’t.”

  She smiled and looked over his shoulder as the woman in question approached, holding two glasses of white wine.

  “Massimo, sorry, would you like a glass? I sort of ran out of hands.” Samantha handed one to Lucinda, whose fingers lingered on her own longer than necessary, distracting her from his reply.

  “Oh no, no, thank you. I’m not much of a wine guy.” He smiled knowingly. “But I am hungry and I refuse to sample the shrimp cocktail. It’s a travesty to pass around seafood in an aquarium. Can I treat you ladies to a late dinner?”

  “Well that’s up to Cinderella here, I’m just the lowly pumpkin driver.”

  “Huh? Yes, sure, that sounds great,” Samantha answered.

  “Lucy, I have to run over to the new wing to grab my jacket and briefcase—meet you by the sculpture?”

  “Yeah, Mass, sure.”

  He chuckled to himself and rubbed Lucinda’s arm affectionately before turning to go.

  Samantha sipped her wine and watched him walk away. “Is that how it is with everyone you’re friendly with?”

  “What’s that?”

  “They all use nicknames like Lucy or Luce. But you introduce yourself as Lucinda. Is that intentional?”

  “Mm-hmm,” Lucinda purred as she stepped closer, watching as Samantha sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. She trembled as Lucinda’s fingers danced along her hairline, her eyes fluttering closed.