2016 – Day 13

Start writing a story that...

Step 1: takes place: in a boat

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For their three-month dating anniversary, Margot asked Tim to go with her on a boat ride along the river.

"We don't go anywhere except Bill's or Eddy's to play Xbox," she said. "Let's do something different. It'll be romantic."

"I don't know anything about boats," he said.

"It's just a rowboat," she said. "I think they let anyone rent one."

They argued for three days, but after Margot's final request and ultimatum, Tim agreed.

On the morning of the anniversary, they exchanged gifts (candy and bracelet for her, bottle of scotch for him) then drove out to the spot along the river where tourists could rent fishing poles, paddleboats, and rowboats.

It cost $20 to rent the boat, plus a $30 deposit for the oars and life vests. The boat they were given was pale blue with yellow trim along the top and "Sylvia" written in cursive along the stern. Margot squealed and hugged Tim to her.

"It looks like it belongs in a painting, doesn't it?" she said.

After their life vests were on, the man from the rental company helped them climb into the boat. Margot was instructed her to sit in the front, while Tim took the back seat. They were each handed an oar, given a quick run-through of the safety rules, and then shoved into the slow-moving water.

Tim, anxious and wobbly even while seated, plunged his oar into the water on his right and began swiftly rowing them away from the riverbank. Margot turned back and smiled.

"You're a natural!" she said.

"Turn around, you're shaking it," he said, now rowing on his left to avoid the sharp turn they were taking from his rowing on the right.

"Calm down," she said, looking around them. The water was calm, but the river was busy. There were several other rowboats like theirs ahead of them and two paddleboats behind. She saw a few boats all around that didn't look the same as theirs and guessed they must belong to people who actually lived beside the river and had their own boats. One such boat floated to their left along the opposite bank. It was painted gray with white stripes, and it was filled with five to six young guys. Margot saw a glint of something floating in the water beside them and realized it was a beer can. When she looked back up into the gray boat, she saw that one of the guys on the back bench staring at her. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw him wink and then smile at her.

"I need you to row on the left while I row on the right," Tim said.

Margot turned back to look at him as she lowered her oar into the water.

"Lets go further down the river from here," she said. "See what's there."

They each began to row together, looking for the rhythm that would keep them going straight. Margot stared ahead and listened for any sounds to their left as they pulled away from the gray boat. All around she heard the hum of people talking and laughing and the sound of water sloshing against the boats.

"Push harder or faster or something," Tim said. "You keep sending us to the left."

Margot focused on her rowing motion. Oar goes down, push back, oar goes up. Oar goes down, push back, oar goes up. After several strokes, she looked back at Tim.

"I think I've got it," she said, smiling. But then she saw it, the gray boat with white stripes following them down the river.