Open Water

The narrator and the woman drink ciders in the hot late afternoon. She asks why he so specifically asked her to spend time together that day, when they’re usually more spontaneous. He says that he just wanted to make sure that he has time for her.

At the beginning of the day, the protagonist senses that the woman is angry at him, but he can’t tell why. He treads carefully around her. She wants him to take a photo of her, and it is intense for him to see her openness through his camera. Their complicated relationship is evident in the photos, the best one being when the woman regards the narrator rather than the camera.

As evening falls she asks who the narrator is, saying that there are elements she doesn’t yet know. He reflects that he doesn’t think one person can ever know another completely. They go to a pub and the bartender enjoys the pair’s comfortable happiness, pouring them extra-strong drinks. The protagonist’s friend, Theo, goes onstage with his band, and the narrator observes that Theo is different while performing, “confident in his honesty” (89). The woman and the narrator dance close, skin against skin, and he feels the expansiveness of the experience.