chance of a cool breeze coming off the gulf, I decided to wear jeans and a button up Columbia fishing shirt.
This is considered 'dressed up' in this part of Florida.
I arrived at Lucy's as scheduled, right at six thirty. She lived in a small cottage. Local realtors would call it 'Florida chic' – the kind of place tourists from up north would take photos of, but probably wouldn't live in themselves.
I parked my Jeep behind a late model Toyota 4Runner in her driveway. I presumed it was Lucy's.
Walking up onto her porch, I rang the bell and shortly, Lucy opened the door. She was wearing faded jeans, a loose white shirt, and a smile on her face. In one hand she had her house keys, and in the other her cell phone.
“ Walker, right on time. I like that in a man.”
Without inviting me in, she walked out onto the porch and locked her front door behind her. Pointing at my Jeep, she said, “We're taking yours, right?”
“Yep,” I said. “That's the plan.”
I walked over and opened the passenger door and Lucy climbed in without saying anything. Unlike her mother, she didn't tell me to never open the door for her again.
When I got in on the driver's side, she said, “Nice Jeep you got here.”
I nodded. “I hope so. The salesperson said it was in good shape. But you can't ever trust them. They'll tell you anything to make a sale. Could be the wheels fall off tomorrow.”
Lucy laughed. “Maybe you should have bought the extended warranty.”
Then she pointed at her car. “ I've got your tow bar in the back of my 4Runner. I'll drop it off tomorrow morning before I go to the beach with Mom.”
I nodded. “Sounds good. But there's no hurry. I probably won't need it until late this summer when I move out of Serenity Cove.”
“Doesn't matter. I don't want it rolling around in the back of my 4Runner, so you're getting it tomorrow.
She continued. “I'm picking mom up for yoga on the beach at eight in the morning and I'll drop it off then.”
“Yoga on the beach?”
“ Yeah, they have it every morning. And I try to go at least three times a week, depending on my schedule and the weather. Mom likes to come with me whenever she can.
“ I'd invite you to join us, but you don't seem the yoga type. And the class is mostly women.”
I smiled. “So you're telling me there will be a bunch of women on the beach in the morning, without many men around, and you don't think I'd be interested in being there? It sounds like something I shouldn't miss.”
Lucy laughed. “Great, I'll expect you to be ready at eight in the morning. Be sure to wear your yoga pants.”
Yoga pants? What had I gotten myself into?
Zekes on the Bay is a small open air cafe perched on a seawall behind Royal Palm Marina in Englewood. To get to Zekes, you drive down Wentworth Avenue until it dead ends at the large boat warehouse.
You park in the dirt parking lot, walk around the marina, and when you see the building with a tiki hut, you've reached Zekes.
When you walk in, you'll be asked whether you want to eat inside or out under the tiki hut. We chose to eat outside and found an empty picnic table overlooking the intracoastal waterway and Lemon Bay.
A young woman wearing cutoffs brought us menus. “Welcome to Zekes. What can I get you to drink?”
I nodded at Lucy. “You first.”
She shook her head, “I haven't decided. You go ahead.”
“ I'll have an unsweetened iced tea.”
With a quizzical look, Lucy asked me, “You're drinking tea? Not wine or beer?”
“Yeah, if that's okay with you. I'm not much of a drinker, and since I'm driving tonight, I figured I'd play it safe.”
Lucy smiled. “Well, that's one point in your favor. I'll have unsweetened tea as well.”
The server nodded and said she'd be right back.
Turning to Lucy, I asked, “You said that's one point for me. That means I'm on a point system? And I get a point for asking for tea? How many points do I have so far?”
She shook her head. “Not anywhere near
This is considered 'dressed up' in this part of Florida.
I arrived at Lucy's as scheduled, right at six thirty. She lived in a small cottage. Local realtors would call it 'Florida chic' – the kind of place tourists from up north would take photos of, but probably wouldn't live in themselves.
I parked my Jeep behind a late model Toyota 4Runner in her driveway. I presumed it was Lucy's.
Walking up onto her porch, I rang the bell and shortly, Lucy opened the door. She was wearing faded jeans, a loose white shirt, and a smile on her face. In one hand she had her house keys, and in the other her cell phone.
“ Walker, right on time. I like that in a man.”
Without inviting me in, she walked out onto the porch and locked her front door behind her. Pointing at my Jeep, she said, “We're taking yours, right?”
“Yep,” I said. “That's the plan.”
I walked over and opened the passenger door and Lucy climbed in without saying anything. Unlike her mother, she didn't tell me to never open the door for her again.
When I got in on the driver's side, she said, “Nice Jeep you got here.”
I nodded. “I hope so. The salesperson said it was in good shape. But you can't ever trust them. They'll tell you anything to make a sale. Could be the wheels fall off tomorrow.”
Lucy laughed. “Maybe you should have bought the extended warranty.”
Then she pointed at her car. “ I've got your tow bar in the back of my 4Runner. I'll drop it off tomorrow morning before I go to the beach with Mom.”
I nodded. “Sounds good. But there's no hurry. I probably won't need it until late this summer when I move out of Serenity Cove.”
“Doesn't matter. I don't want it rolling around in the back of my 4Runner, so you're getting it tomorrow.
She continued. “I'm picking mom up for yoga on the beach at eight in the morning and I'll drop it off then.”
“Yoga on the beach?”
“ Yeah, they have it every morning. And I try to go at least three times a week, depending on my schedule and the weather. Mom likes to come with me whenever she can.
“ I'd invite you to join us, but you don't seem the yoga type. And the class is mostly women.”
I smiled. “So you're telling me there will be a bunch of women on the beach in the morning, without many men around, and you don't think I'd be interested in being there? It sounds like something I shouldn't miss.”
Lucy laughed. “Great, I'll expect you to be ready at eight in the morning. Be sure to wear your yoga pants.”
Yoga pants? What had I gotten myself into?
Zekes on the Bay is a small open air cafe perched on a seawall behind Royal Palm Marina in Englewood. To get to Zekes, you drive down Wentworth Avenue until it dead ends at the large boat warehouse.
You park in the dirt parking lot, walk around the marina, and when you see the building with a tiki hut, you've reached Zekes.
When you walk in, you'll be asked whether you want to eat inside or out under the tiki hut. We chose to eat outside and found an empty picnic table overlooking the intracoastal waterway and Lemon Bay.
A young woman wearing cutoffs brought us menus. “Welcome to Zekes. What can I get you to drink?”
I nodded at Lucy. “You first.”
She shook her head, “I haven't decided. You go ahead.”
“ I'll have an unsweetened iced tea.”
With a quizzical look, Lucy asked me, “You're drinking tea? Not wine or beer?”
“Yeah, if that's okay with you. I'm not much of a drinker, and since I'm driving tonight, I figured I'd play it safe.”
Lucy smiled. “Well, that's one point in your favor. I'll have unsweetened tea as well.”
The server nodded and said she'd be right back.
Turning to Lucy, I asked, “You said that's one point for me. That means I'm on a point system? And I get a point for asking for tea? How many points do I have so far?”
She shook her head. “Not anywhere near
Similar Books
