“…no he’s really a total shit bag,” Madison said laughing.

“I can’t believe it!” Bobby said, leaning back. “He’s always playing, like the nice guy. He’s nothing at all like that?”

“Total tool,” she confirmed. “But that’s enough about me, what do you think of me?”

They laughed.

“No seriously Bobby, what have you been doing?” she asked.

“Well I got out of the army after, well, this,” he said, pointing to the scar that ran up his neck to disappear under his beard, “and now I’m just another Beltway Commando. I work for a defense contractor.”

“What do you do for them?” Derek asked.

“I’m a project manager. Nothing super exciting but I enjoy it. I have a good team under me and we’re doing something I believe in.”

“Like what?” he asked.

“I can’t share the details, but it’s basically stuff to, well, make it so less guys get hurt and killed.”

“I can see why that appeals,” Madison said.

“I wish you did, I don’t know, something else,” Kitty said.

“Why?”

“Well it’s all, like, killing and stuff,” she said. “We need to be focusing on something more important, like climate change or feeding the poor.”

Bobby nodded and pursed his lips. “Yes. Those are important. But so is making the people we send into harm’s way safer.”

“Well we shouldn’t be sending them into harms way!” Kitty said.

Before Bobby could respond, Gina changed the subject, “So Bobby, you seeing anyone?”

“Ha,” he smiled. “No. Not at the moment.”

“Funny,” Derek said, leering comically, “I’m single too!”

“Dude, you’re both over equipped and under equipped when it comes to what I’m looking for in a partner.” They laughed.

“What a coincidence,” Gina said, sing-songy. “Maddy’s single too.”

“Subtle, Beana. Real subtle,” Madison said.

“Come on,” Bobby chided. “No way. Hell I just saw something in the checkout line saying you were with Leo.”

“OK, that isn’t true! Hell, at 31 I’m too old for him anyway,” Madison laughed. “No, I’m single.”

“What about you Derek?” he asked.

“Welllllllll…” Derek drew the word out. “I might be engaged.”

“Get the fuck out!” Gina said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well I haven’t officially said yes yet, hence the ‘might’,” he replied, blushing.

“Is this the guy you’re living with? Andrew?” Bobby asked.

“Yes,” Derek replied.

“Well for what it’s worth, I like him,” Bobby said. “He seems like a stand-up guy.”

“Oh he is. More than is. That’s the problem. He’s too good for me.”

“Oh fuck that shit Derek,” Bobby said, waiving his hand. “I thought you out-grew the whole ‘I am not worthy’ thing. He’d be lucky to have you, you’re an awesome guy.”

“Thanks bro,” Derek said, seriously. “I appreciate that.” He leaned over and clinked his beer against Bobby’s whiskey glass. “If I might say: ‘physician, heal thyself.’”

“Has anyone been down by the lake yet?” Madison asked, abruptly.

“Yeah, it’s nice,” Kitty said. “The water is pretty clean.”

“I’m going to go check it out,” she said, getting up from the table and going into the house.

Derek and Gina both made faces at Bobby.

“Uh, hang on, I’ll come with you,” Bobby said, rising.

“He’s cute, but a little dim,” Derek observed after Bobby went inside.

“He’d be a drag on her career,” Kitty said. "A war mongering defense contractor. That’s not a good look.”

“Kitty, you’re kind of a bitch when you drink, did you know that?” Gina said, frowning at her.

“Well it’s true! He’s hardly Hollywood.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Derek quipped.

Bobby caught up to Madison just as she was about to go out the back door.

“Hey, wait up, I’ll come with you.”

Madison paused and waited for him, saying nothing, expression neutral. They walked out of the building and down the path to the dock.

“Wow look at the stars,” she said. “It feels weird to be back in Vermont again.”

“Yeah it’s a beautiful night. You haven’t been back in New England?” Bobby asked.

“Not this far north,” she said. “I’ve visited Gina and my family, sure, but there’s been no reason to come up here. You?”

“A couple of times, hiking with friends, but it’s a lot closer to DC than it is to LA.”

“You ever think of me? When you do I mean.” she asked.

“Ha, kind of hard not to. I’ve seen all your movies.”

Madison snorted. “Please tell me you didn’t watch Fireball.”

“Three times,” Bobby grinned.

“Oh come on, it was a terrible movie!”

“Absolute stinker,” Bobby agreed. “Completely unrealistic, but you were in it. Naked too so…”

“Only for like a second!” she shot back, blushing.

“Have you heard of the pause button…”

“Oh God,” she put her head in her hand, laughing.

“You know you could have seen it all for real, senior week, if you wanted to.”

“Well, you weren’t famous then,” he quipped.

She looked hurt so he quickly continued, “I’m kidding. I know. I’m an idiot.”

“So why didn’t you? What was wrong with me? Didn’t you like me?”

They had gone to the school’s semi-formal ball together, ostensibly as ‘friends’ but literally everyone in their circle knew they were sweet on each other and were hoping that would be the time they finally got together.

“Of course I liked you,” he said.

“Then…?”

“I liked you too much.”

“Bobby, what the fuck does that mean?” she said without heat.

“I…look, we were graduating in a week. I had my commission waiting and a posting. The army was sending me to Knox for Armor Officer School. You were clear that you were going to LA. I didn’t want to make…to make a promise neither of us could keep.”

She looked at him, dumbfounded. “I forget just how stupidly noble you were. Stupidly noble or maybe just stupid, jury is out on that.”

He chuckled, ruefully. “Yeah, well…”

“Bobby, I liked you, but I wasn’t looking for a ring. I wanted to scratch the itch we both felt. Well, I assume we both.”

“Oh yeah,” he added hastily. “I was itchy too.”

“OK, that’s gross,” she giggled. She went on more seriously, “It was just sex. You hurt my feelings. Badly,” she added more seriously. “I assumed it was because you didn’t find me attractive.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “That’s not the case at all.”

She nodded. They were silent for a minute or two.

“I want to go into Burlington tomorrow and poke around. Come with me,” it wasn’t a question.

He nodded. “Sounds fun. I’d like that.”

“Good, I’ll see you tomorrow. Let’s go early, we can get breakfast there.”

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and walked back to her room. He stood on the deck for a few minutes, looking at the stars then walked back to his own room.

Neither of them got much sleep.