Smooth Sailing (33 page)

“You’re not just yanking my chain? You really mean that?”

“Of course. All you have to do is get undressed and I’m ready for action. That’s all because of your fantastic body.”

“Hmm, you know, that’s pretty accurate. You look at me like you want to devour me.” She laughed, amazed at what she was hearing. “You’re the world’s most perfect girlfriend. Not many women want to stop you from going on a diet.”

“You do what you want. Just don’t lose weight for me. I like you with some padding. Some nice, soft padding on the sexiest body I’ve ever felt.” She sighed heavily. “Come down here so I can feel it again. I miss you.”

“I miss you too. And as soon as we hang up I’m going to do yet another status report, letting LA know how many items we’ve crossed off our list. I’m a few steps closer to St. Maarten, and the world’s most perfect lover.”

*

At the end of their first month apart, Laurie called with a status update. “We’re way ahead of schedule. Aaron keeps hinting that I can go back to LA if I need to. I think he thinks they’ll be able to slow down if I’m gone.”

“You’ve been working as hard as you did before the park opened. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Yep. As soon as I’m done, I’m gone. And having Hiroshi take over is good for everyone. Then he can run the place like he wants to, without having me interfering constantly.”

“Have you given any thought to what you want to do when you get here?”

“Hey, was it a coincidence that you said that right after I mentioned interfering?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you worried I’ll start bossing you around like I do Hiroshi?”

Kaatje barked out a quick laugh. “I’m not as easy to push around as Hiroshi is. I only saw him in action one day, but he seemed quite a few rungs beneath you in the aggression department.”

“I think he’s just respectful. He’ll be fine when he’s in charge. And, no, I haven’t thought about what we’ll do in St. Maarten. I assumed it’d be like it was when I was there. Take people sailing. Make love. Have dinner. Make love. Were your plans different?”

“Nope.” Kaatje laughed easily. “We’re in agreement. But I’m the captain on this ship.”

“As long as I can be first mate, I’ll be happy.”

*

Six weeks after Kaatje left Osaka, Laurie called with news. “Well, I just spent an hour on the phone with Fernando, and I think we’re in good shape. Corporate will grant me a three-month leave of absence, and Fernando thinks I could extend it for a month or two more if I needed to.”

“Fantastic! What does that mean?”

“That means that I can leave with no guilt. They might kick around some ideas for my next assignment, but they won’t make any firm plans without my agreeing. This is the absolute perfect way to work up to my resignation. No one gets hurt.”

“That’s great. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

“I’m very happy. Fernando’s being fantastic about this. You wouldn’t believe it.”

“I think he really cares about you.”

“Yeah, he does. I think he’s a little jealous too. If he didn’t have a big house and a couple of kids in private school, he’d like to cut back too. But he’s decided to hang in until he’s fifty, then retire early.”

“Do you think he will?”

She thought for a moment, considering all of the variables. “He will if he’s topped out. But he’s too aggressive to quit if there’s another promotion in his future.”

“How about you? I’m sure there are a few promotions in your future. Will it bother you to walk away?”

“You sound pretty doubtful, my friend,” Laurie teased. “You’d think I was a workaholic or something.”

“If work were alcohol you would need a liver transplant. Be honest with me. Are you having second thoughts?”

“I can’t wait to get out of this madness.” She had a mental image of Kaatje lying on the trampoline between the hulls, completely naked, looking up at her with lust in her eyes. “The only thing I want is you. I’m going to make a reservation for two weeks from today. I might not be able to leave that soon, but having the reservation will give me a goal to work for. And if Aaron knows he can get rid of me in two weeks, he’ll break his neck to hustle me out. Andrea, too, for that matter.” She chuckled evilly. “You’re the one who should have second thoughts. I’ve got a whole staff who can’t wait to get rid of me.”

*

On August fifteenth, Laurie fidgeted in her seat, peering out the window of the aircraft, wishing the ground crew would move faster. They finally got the staircase aligned and the door swooshed open. The other first-class passengers started to stand, but Laurie leapt to her feet and dove for the door, making the flight attendant laugh. “You must really be looking forward to your vacation,” she said.

“Much better than that. I’m moving here to be with the most fantastic woman I’ve ever met.”

“Well, good for you!”

She grinned so happily she knew she must look like a madwoman. But she didn’t care one bit. Mere months ago she was a workaholic who only looked forward to spending a random holiday in Cincinnati with her nieces. Now she was announcing her sexual orientation to strangers before deplaning to begin her new life—on a sailboat of all things. Real life was stranger than fiction.

*

Kaatje was planted just past the exit at customs. As Laurie walked out the door she jumped into Kaatje’s arms, holding onto her as tightly as her jet-lagged body would allow. Actually being in Kaatje’s embrace drained all of the nervous energy from her, and she could have fallen asleep right there at the airport. But when Kaatje murmured several times in her ear, “I love you,” one more burst of energy—along with her appetite—hit her.

“I love you too. But before I drag you to bed I’ve gotta get some food. I slept through three meals.”

Kaatje took her hand and clasped it to her chest. “We’ll have a late breakfast, then go take the boat out. I want to set anchor, lie in the sun and sleep all day.” She grinned and the expression was so beautiful that Laurie wanted to kiss her. Deciding she had no reason to censor herself, she pulled Kaatje to a stop and tenderly pressed their lips together.

“Just because I can,” she proclaimed giddily.

*

Laurie had stopped in LA for one night to relieve herself of her business suits and heels, and load up with her laptop, all of her shorts, T-shirts, swimsuits, and a few more formal items for having dinner with the Hoogebooms. Because of the luggage, Kaatje had borrowed her mother’s car, which they drove to the popular restaurant/bar at Maho Beach, just next to the airport.

Strangely, it was like they’d just met. Laurie was as nervous as she’d be on a first date with someone she was very, very interested in. The facts didn’t support the feeling. But this was a new chapter in their lives. The biggest, maybe the ultimate chapter. And there was nothing more important than having a happy ending with Kaatje. They ordered and sat there on the terrace under the Caribbean blue sky, seemingly at a loss for conversation. Kaatje broke the tension by moving to sit next to Laurie. Putting her arm around her shoulders, she let their heads rest against one another. “You’re wired pretty tightly today. I think you need a few days to get some rest. Do you want to stay at my parents’ until you get your sea legs?”

Seeing the concern in her eyes and hearing how empathic she was made Laurie fall in love all over again. She tilted her chin and gave Kaatje a kiss she normally wouldn’t have considered in public. But she was exhausted and nervous and delighted all at once, and she let her guard all the way down.

Kaatje responded at once, returning the kiss, making Laurie’s pulse race with desire. Blood hammered in her ears and the ground actually seemed to shake. As they broke apart the sensation continued and Laurie slowly opened her eyes to gawp at a full-sized commercial jet flying directly over their heads. The noise was bone-rattling and she blinked, staring at a smirking Kaatje. “Gets a little loud,” she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth.

“Wise guy!” Laurie shouted back. “Let’s grab our food and get out of here before I go deaf!”

“That was the show for the day.” The noise abated as the jet landed and squealed down the runway. “We only get two 747s a day.” She put her hands over Laurie’s ears. “I’ll protect you.”

Laurie playfully slapped at her. “I honestly thought my ears were ringing because of kissing you.”

Kaatje gave her a love-filled smile. “Mine were.” She leaned close and gifted Laurie with another earth-shaking kiss, this one without any help from outside forces.

LAURIE WASN’T SURE what time it was, and it took her a few hazy moments to remember she was on the boat with Kaatje. Her internal clock was completely screwed up, but she ignored her fatigue and the four times she’d woken during the night. What mattered was that they were together, and she was starting her new job—permanent first mate to Captain Hoogeboom.

*

By the time Kaatje woke, Laurie was finished with breakfast and was sitting in the captain’s chair, tossing bits of bread to the gulls. Kaatje went up behind her and wrapped her in a hug. “This is a scene I’d like to wake up to for the next forty or fifty years.”

Laurie tilted her head back and gave Kaatje an upside-down kiss. “I’d rather wake up next to you. I bet it takes me a week to sync up to this time zone.”

“They say it takes a day for every zone you jump.”

“I hope they’re wrong because I jumped thirteen zones. I used to power through jet lag, but that’s not working now.”

“Your body tells you what it needs, and you might as well listen to it.” Kaatje hugged her tightly. “Just take it slow and ease into the sweet life.”

“It’d be sweet no matter where we were. Being with you is the key.”

*

Just before Kaatje left to get their guests for the day, she handed Laurie a bag and stood there, hands behind her back, looking expectant.

“What’s this?”

“Something for your first day.”

Laurie peeked inside, then pulled out a sky blue sailing shirt, just like the ones Kaatje wore. But this one was special, bearing the logo of
The Flying Dutchwoman
on one sleeve and her name embroidered over the breast. “Kaatje, this is fantastic!”

“I got one for myself too. I thought we should look more official.” She dashed into the galley, emerging with her shirt. She slipped into it and started to button it.

“Mine doesn’t have my title,” Laurie said, pouting playfully. “Yours says ‘Captain.’”

Kaatje delivered a quick kiss, then climbed down the ladder to her dinghy. “‘Mrs. Captain’ would have looked dumb. And ‘Lesbian In Training’ would have been too revealing.” She started the motor and cast off, still talking. “Once you learn how to sail, I’ll officially promote you to first mate. But you’ve got to earn it!” she called out as the little boat zipped to the shore.

*

Laurie knew there was trouble before Kaatje even got back to the boat. She could see the expression on her face when she was still around twenty-five feet away, and something about it didn’t look quite right.

The dinghy was filled with five young women, and by the time they pulled up, Laurie could see they were in their early twenties, perhaps recent college graduates celebrating the end of school. Kaatje was acting cooler than normal, or maybe she was just being more professional, but she didn’t show any of the easy warmth that usually flowed from her.

Kaatje jumped onto the boat and quickly helped each of the women off the dinghy. She stood there for a second, looking a little odd, then said, “This is Mandy, Lisa M., Brittany, Lisa P., and Kim.”

“Hi, I’m Laurie.”

“Laurie’s my new first mate,” Kaatje continued. “She’s only been aboard for a short time, but she has a lot of experience in making people feel at home. Just ask her for anything you want, and she’ll do her best.”

That’s why she looked uncomfortable. They hadn’t even discussed what her duties were going to be. She would have fired anyone in Osaka who’d been so casual about a new job, but she was pretty sure she had a lock on this one.

Mandy appeared to be the type who was pampered and doted on her whole life by relatively wealthy parents. And her friends seemed like more of the same. They spent a good five minutes making sure their designer handbags, sandals and sunglasses stayed dry. But then they complained because the sun was too bright. Kaatje wasn’t able to insure no salt spray would hit them, and reluctantly, they put on their expensive glasses—which probably gave them less protection than the five dollar ones from the Venice Boardwalk.

They paid almost no attention to Kaatje during her brief, but important safety lecture. All of the girls had been on sailboats before, but none of them seemed to have much of an idea of what one did on a boat to stay out of the way of the captain. It seems that one or the other of the girls was always standing right where she shouldn’t have been standing for Kaatje to get them out of the harbor safely. Each of them seemed very fond of her own voice and pretty uninterested in hearing anyone else’s.

They’d only been off the buoy for fifteen minutes when Laurie’s head started to hurt. They were vapid. They weren’t biologically dumb; they were happily, willingly dumb, and that was hard to take. Kaatje smiled and chatted, but she was not her usual self, something that Laurie was secretly glad for. It would’ve been more than a little upsetting to have Kaatje flirting with these airhead girls.