Smooth Sailing (41 page)

“But…I think you liked being that busy. That’s what I’m worried about.”

“Wrong. I know myself well when it comes to work. I don’t like to be at work all hours of the night. I’m certain of that. If I’m really in charge, I’ll control my work day and get home on time. I know how to delegate, and I got even better at it near the end in Osaka.”

“Are you sure?” Kaatje was begging her for reassurance.

“Yes. I’m certain. I was exhausted. Mentally and physically exhausted. There was nothing fun about that last year. And you met me when things were just getting to their worst point. For the first few years at Luxor, I went out a lot, took classes, exercised…all kinds of normal things and I was really happy. But then the extra work had to be done, and I never break a promise. I said I could handle it, and I did.” Even now she was remarkably proud of the job she’d done.

“But what if you backslide? I don’t want to fight. I really hate that.”

Laurie thought for a minute. “How about this? You keep track of when I get home. I’ll try to leave work by five, but for every day I’m home after five thirty, I’ll give you a thousand dollars. I won’t make nearly as much as I have in the past, and giving away a thousand dollars will make me think long and hard about whether that extra work is worth it.”

Kaatje squawked, “I don’t want your money and I don’t want to be your supervisor.”

“Just for a while. As a training tool. Once I have a goal, I’ll work like a dog to meet it. And getting home on time will be the best goal I’ve ever had.”

“I could take your money if we kept it in a travel fund. That would help pay for some of the trips I’m going on…hopefully with you.” She grinned, clearly teasing.

“Excellent idea. I promise I’ll close the hotel in September and October. Every year. It’s already on the business website I’ve mocked up. And I’m pretty sure you could talk me into staying abroad until right before Thanksgiving if you tried just a little bit.”

“Can I see the engagement bracelet again?”

She’d had to take it off earlier because it was too large and would easily slip off and be lost. Laurie put it on her again, and Kaatje kept gazing at it, then turned and headed back to port.

“Where are we going?”

“To a jewelry store. I want to have it soldered today.” She gave Laurie a luminescent smile. “Are you ready to take the leap?”

“Of course. But these are for when we get married.”

“We’ll get wedding bands too.” She shook her arm, with the bracelet sliding up and down, glinting in the sun. “This is our pledge to each other. It has nothing to do with the legalities of marriage. Our promises will all be bound up in these stays.” She sighed. “That’s the best word I’ve ever heard. Laurie will stay…with me.”

THREE AND A HALF YEARS LATER

LAURIE SAT IN front of her computer at the big, modern desk that took up a good portion of their guest room. Kaatje was draped over an upholstered chair, head dangling over one arm, legs over the other. Few people seemed less comfortable in an apartment with normal furniture than she did. She rarely sat upright on their chairs or sofa, but her inability to conform to design aesthetics seemed limited to St. Maarten. In Holland, she acted as though furniture was a perfectly normal part of her life, and her head was always significantly higher than her feet when seated. She was an endless series of contradictions. Really cute contradictions.

Even though she had trouble being upright, no one could say Kaatje was not a good sport when it came to the apartment. She didn’t complain about Laurie’s desire for a good-sized, two-bedroom place, even though she didn’t spend much time in it. Somehow, they wound up on the boat nearly every night, with the gentle rocking of
The Flying Dutchwoman
quickly lulling both of them to sleep.

The apartment had become a good transitional object for Laurie. It was, in essence, hers alone, and she’d filled it with things that made it seem like home. It wasn’t just an apartment, like her place in LA had been. It reflected her personality—her newly developing personality—and it helped her feel like she belonged on the island.

They’d met in the apartment after work that night. As usual, Kaatje had ridden her bike over and made dinner. They’d been working in the office since Laurie finished cleaning the kitchen, but now Kaatje seemed itchy to get back on the boat, so Laurie hurried with the paperwork. “Okay, the last question is whether we’ve lived under the same roof for the past three years.” She turned and gave Kaatje a wry grin. “We’ve lived under two roofs and one deck. That counts, right?”

“That definitely counts. Hey, we’re going to Holland to file the naturalization papers, aren’t we?”

“Yeah. I’m already shopping online for tickets. I can leave right after Labor Day.”

“How about staying to see Sinterklaas arrive?”

“Mmm, I should say ‘no,’ but I guess I can trust my staff to handle the Thanksgiving crowd.”

“Great. The kids would love to have us stay for that.”

“Every year we stay a little longer, you know. Not that I’m complaining.”

Kaatje grinned at her. “I think you love Holland as much as I do. How much is in our vacation account?”

“I know you want to call it ‘Laurie’s punishment for getting home late’ account, but I’m glad you can contain yourself.” Quietly, she grumbled, “I would have had to pay that much in one month if I’d stayed at Luxor. I think I’ve been exemplary.” She logged into their bank account and reported, “Thirty-two thousand, four hundred and sixty-seven dollars. I think we can afford to go,” she added dryly.

“You
have
been exemplary, but it’s cool to have a lot of money in our trip account. Let’s spend a few days in Spain. It’s time for another trip to see your former overlord. Thijs has been dropping hints every time we talk.”

“He doesn’t do that with me.”

“He’s still a little shy around you. Plus, he tries to be careful to speak at your level…which is really, really good for someone who’s only been studying Dutch for two years,” she added hastily.

“I had a feeling you told the kids to take it easy on me. Roos says things like, ‘Are you healthy? I am well. My school is fun,’ and I know she could probably give me her assessment on
Macbeth
or the next national election.”

“She likes that you’ve learned the language. She says you’ll feel more like a native if you read some of our classic novels in Dutch.”

“My Staatsexamen Nederlands als Tweede Taal diploma says I’m fully integrated into Dutch life. And if a bureaucrat says it, it must be true.” She got up and went over to Kaatje, taking her hand and pulling her into a sitting position. “I think we’re done. Let’s go back to the boat and celebrate Dutch style.”

“What’s Dutch style?”

Acting as though she were stunned, Laurie stared at her. “And you call yourself a citizen. Everyone knows the Dutch are the best lovers in the world. I want to practice a little more in case I have to show my goods during my naturalization ceremony.”

Kaatje took her in her arms, hugging her tightly. “That won’t be for months. We have plenty of time to practice. But it couldn’t hurt to get to work.” They kissed, kindling a tiny flame that would soon glow brightly. “I love you,” she whispered.

“
Ik hou ook van jou. Dat zal ik altijd blijven doen.
”

Kaatje grinned at her lovingly. “I will love you always too.”

“Can I trust a woman who can’t sit upright in a chair?”

“Yes, Moppie, you can trust me even though I can’t sit up. My heart belongs to you from any and all directions.” She slid off the chair, taking Laurie with her onto the floor. “I like this one,” she said, looking lecherous.

“It is pretty nice. Lots of room to move around.” She stroked Kaatje’s tanned cheek, thrilling to the glint in her beautiful eyes.

“We don’t have to rush to get back to the boat. Let’s enjoy our apartment for a while.” She stretched out on the thick area rug. “We have a nice ceiling in here. Why don’t you look at it while I attend to a few things?”

The way Kaatje tossed off such silly comments was definitely part of her charm. That plus a million other things. “If you’d spent the whole day thinking about it you couldn’t have come up with a better idea.” Laurie tilted her head and kissed Kaatje’s smooth lips. That first intent kiss still sent a thrill through her body. There was no doubt that one particular Dutch woman was the best lover in the world—for her alone.

THE END

Novels

Arbor Vitae
All That Matters
Cherry Grove
Girl Meets Girl
The Lies That Bind
The Legacy
Doublecrossed
Smooth Sailing

Serial Novel

I Found My Heart In San Francisco

Awakenings
Beginnings
Coalescence
Disclosures
Entwined
Fidelity
Getaway
Honesty
Intentions
Journeys
Karma

Anthologies

Undercover Tales
Outsiders

To purchase these books go to
www.briskpress.com

Author website
www.susanxmeagher.com