Date.
Was this a date? Was that how he saw this? I flushed slightly at the thought and I think he noticed. I was probably as red as the shorts he hadn’t worn after that comment. Now I was the nervous one. Nervous for what this day would bring.
She startedto blush and I could’ve kicked myself for using the worddate. Too late now. My brain was always playing catch up with my mouth where she was concerned. I brushed it off and pretended I hadn’t noticed that she looked like a teenager about to embark on her first date. Maybe itwasher first date? I started thinking about her dating other guys and my gut twisted. I didn’t like that thought. It didn’t sit well with me. No one else knew what she needed, not like I did.
We strode down to the yacht and I stepped aside to let her board first. Gus had pulled a little in-built ramp out for us to walk onto the yacht, and she held the rope at the side with a death-like grip. Had I done the right thing, bringing her on here? If I could’ve slapped my own face, I would’ve. I needed to stop overthinking everything and just grow a pair of fucking balls. The girl needed to get out. She needed pushing to start living outside of the bubble we’d created. She needed to live outside of her comfort zone.
I watched her wander around the yacht, peering into the interior with its cream upholstery, polished wood, and beige fixtures. It was probably a palace to her, but to me it was just a pile of fibreglass and steel floating in the water. Possessions didn’t bother me. Things didn’t matter, people did. Sure, it was easy to say that when you had a bit of cash in the bank, but after living on the streets and clawing my way out by any means possible, I came to have a deeper appreciation for my fellow man. Perhaps I was being a bit harsh; she had been through tough times too. She knew the value of peace of mind and security. I could’ve probably hired a pedalo for the girl and she’d have reacted in the exact same way. That was what I loved about her. She was real.
“Let’s head up to the front of the boat,” I called out. “I think it’s the bow or the stern or whatever. Fuck if I know. It’s the front. I’m calling it the front.”
She laughed and followed me to the head of the yacht, where cream padded seats ran along the sides. I sat down and put my arm along the side of the boat. Surprisingly, she sat next to me. Maybe the motion of the boat was unsettling for her and she wanted that connection. Either way, I wasn’t going to complain. She rarely chose to sit next to me, certainly never this close.
* * *
She glancedout across the water as the yacht increased its speed. Her eyes grew wider as she looked at the disappearing coastline. She peered over the edge of the boat, at the frothing white foam that whipped along the side of the vessel, her breath catching in her throat in awe. And me? I watched her. Lost in the pleasure that her excitement evoked within me. I felt like a parent watching their child on Christmas Day. My feelings for her were far from parental lately though. I was in deep shit.
We’d been sailing for some time when I heard Wednesday give a little cry. I pulled her towards me, thinking she was upset, but she turned and placed her hand on my chest and beamed up at me then pointed to the edge of the boat. There, in the waves created by the boat, were dolphins, jumping and riding the water like a group of surfers. It was as if they were racing us, trying to keep up with the yacht, twisting and turning, and putting on the best show ever for my girl. I fucking loved those dolphins.
We watched them as Gus weaved and bobbed the yacht over the ocean. My arms stayed around her waist. I couldn’t bring myself to let go, and she didn’t push me away either. I think she was so focused on the beautiful creatures playing for her she hadn’t realised how close I was. I was torn between watching the marine show and getting lost in the scent of her that the wind was drowning me in. The smell of her strawberry-scented hair as it whipped into my face and danced across my skin. The warmth of her body as it leant into mine.
When the yacht finally slowed down then stopped, she shuffled away from me. It stung, but I understood. Still didn’t make the loss of her any less painful though.
“That was fucking awesome,” I said to try to mask my disappointment.
She twisted in her seat to face me.
“Think we can take one home and keep it in the pool?” She threw her head back and laughed. If I could’ve bottled my feelings in that moment, I would’ve. She made my heart swell. I wanted to make her laugh like that every day for the rest of her life. She deserved it.
“We got lucky today!” Gus bellowed over to us, then came to stand next to where we sat, his hands braced on his hips.
“Can we feed them?” I asked, thinking how happy it’d make Wednesday if she could get a bit closer to them.
“No can do, sorry. They’re wild creatures. They need to find their own food. If we feed them, they’ll eventually become dependent on humans for food, and that’s not advisable at all.”
“Jesus, Gus. You’re like the fucking dolphin guru.”
“Gotta know my stuff. What kind of sailor would I be if I didn’t know this shit?” He chuckled to himself then added, “There’s no law against feeding the captain though.”
I rolled my eyes and reached for the backpack I had wedged under the bench we sat at. Lucky for Gus, I’d packed an extra ham salad sandwich and a can of Coke.
“Hope this’ll do. My culinary skills are somewhat limited to pancakes and other breakfast goods. I make a mean scrambled egg.” I shrugged, passing it to him.
“I might hold you to those eggs one day, skipper.” He grinned and headed off back to the helm, or steering wheel, or wherever the fuck he was driving this thing with. “I’ll keep us here for a bit, let you enjoy the views. If you wanna go for a swim once the dolphins have gone,” he said, nodding to the sea, “feel free. It’s pretty safe and calm out here. Perfect day for a dip.”
I let him walk out of earshot before I looked over to Wednesday.
“What do you say? Fancy a dip before lunch?” I didn’t give her a chance to reply. Instead, I stood up and pulled my T-shirt over my head and kicked my trainers off. Then I placed my sunglasses on the bench, climbed up, and flung myself into the water.
Holy-fucking-shit it was cold. Freezing in fact, but I took it like a man and gave a satisfied howl like I’d dived into warm butter.
“The water’s amazing. Come on, jump in.” I had absolutely no expectation that she’d join me. So when she climbed up onto the bench and threw herself in after me, still fully clothed, I laughed.
“Argh…” She resurfaced not far from me, her teeth chattering and her lips as blue as the waves we shivered in. How she managed not to call me an asshole was beyond me. My girl had balls of steel.
“It’s fucking freezing, isn’t it?” I joked, and dived underneath. It didn’t take me long to swim under the water towards where she was, and when I grabbed her legs and pushed her up, throwing her like a rag doll, she shrieked and bombed under the water.
I hovered in place, treading water and waiting for her to resurface. Shit, was she a strong enough swimmer? My mouth went dry when all around me was calm. What the fuck had I done?
