and after thirty minutes of trying, he went above deck to get some fresh air. Lying on his back on the cushioned recessed lounging deck, he stared up at the stars and remembered how he had loved to do the same thing in Peter and Edith’s tiny backyard. But that seemed like five lifetimes ago. Feeling elated and sad at the same time, he drifted off to sleep in the cool sea air. A short time later, Kate stood looking down at him. She knew there was something special about Bobby, she could sense it, but couldn’t define it. She slipped out of her sleep camisole, grabbed a deck blanket from the bench locker and slid next to him as she covered them both with the blanket. She pressed her lips to his as she stroked his left temple. His eyes half-opened and he smiled.
“You’re overdressed,” she said. Without lifting the blanket, he stripped off his tee shirt and underpants. Kate maneuvered herself over him.
17
T he dawn awakened Bobby. Kate’s silky hair was pressed up against his face and he felt the warmth of her naked body against his. He peeked under the blanket and then smiled. I am the luckiest guy in the world, he thought . As he stood up, the early morning sea air chilled him. He grabbed another blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders and headed to the galley to make a pot of coffee. After it brewed, he filled two large mugs half way, and then substituted Bailey’s Irish Cream for milk and sugar. Returning to the still sleeping Kate, he put her coffee down on the deck and then stood by the side railing of Dreamweaver looking out to sea. Maybe it will all really turn out okay after all, he thought. Maybe the nightmares will stop, and maybe I’ll stop worrying about losing my mind or disappearing into the ether. Right now it all seemed good to Bobby. “Thank you God for Joe Manzini,” Bobby whispered to the sea.
Bobby sat next to Kate and kissed the side of her head as his right hand slipped under the blanket and caressed her shoulder. “I have some coffee for you. I made it a special way. They call it a ‘sticky’ in England.”
Kate opened her eyes, squinting in the bright sun. “A sticky?” She laughed as she sat up and took the mug. Her face shone in the morning light. “I wish Mom and I didn’t have to rush back today to St. John, but it’s our last day and we have three islands worth of shopping to do.”
“I wish we could stay out here forever,” Bobby said.
The sail back to St. John went too quickly for Bobby, but everyone else was in a jubilant mood after Joe’s “secret formula” Bloody Mary’s and western omelets. Anchoring offshore in St. John by noon, the sadness in Bobby’s eyes was obvious as he said goodbye to Kate after exchanging email addresses and phone numbers.
“Stop sulking,” Joe said to Bobby.
“Joe, she was so incredible. I can’t even put it into words. Isn’t she the most beautiful girl you ever saw?”
“Kate is lovely. But the good news is that you’re seventeen and trust me, you will rise again. Now there’s a soca beach party today on Grand Cruz Bay beach —-I say we need to be there.”
“What’s soca?”
“It’s a kind of dance music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago. The dancing is called “wining” —as in wind the body up. It’s the sexiest dancing in the world.”
As Bobby discovered, Joe knew what he was talking about. The local dancers were scantily clad and “wined” sensually. Bobby had never seen women move like that. He and Joe, along with a few hundred tourists and locals, found themselves swept along in a people train of happiness between the gyrating beauties. The sheer vivacity of the scene encompassed them as they laughed and hugged, bumping butts and hips with the uninhibited dancers.
“Joe, this trip is the best thing that ever happened to me,” said Bobby.
“It’s amazing, right?” replied Joe.
“Actually, I said it wrong. Joe—you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Bobby, we’re a
“You’re overdressed,” she said. Without lifting the blanket, he stripped off his tee shirt and underpants. Kate maneuvered herself over him.
17
T he dawn awakened Bobby. Kate’s silky hair was pressed up against his face and he felt the warmth of her naked body against his. He peeked under the blanket and then smiled. I am the luckiest guy in the world, he thought . As he stood up, the early morning sea air chilled him. He grabbed another blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders and headed to the galley to make a pot of coffee. After it brewed, he filled two large mugs half way, and then substituted Bailey’s Irish Cream for milk and sugar. Returning to the still sleeping Kate, he put her coffee down on the deck and then stood by the side railing of Dreamweaver looking out to sea. Maybe it will all really turn out okay after all, he thought. Maybe the nightmares will stop, and maybe I’ll stop worrying about losing my mind or disappearing into the ether. Right now it all seemed good to Bobby. “Thank you God for Joe Manzini,” Bobby whispered to the sea.
Bobby sat next to Kate and kissed the side of her head as his right hand slipped under the blanket and caressed her shoulder. “I have some coffee for you. I made it a special way. They call it a ‘sticky’ in England.”
Kate opened her eyes, squinting in the bright sun. “A sticky?” She laughed as she sat up and took the mug. Her face shone in the morning light. “I wish Mom and I didn’t have to rush back today to St. John, but it’s our last day and we have three islands worth of shopping to do.”
“I wish we could stay out here forever,” Bobby said.
The sail back to St. John went too quickly for Bobby, but everyone else was in a jubilant mood after Joe’s “secret formula” Bloody Mary’s and western omelets. Anchoring offshore in St. John by noon, the sadness in Bobby’s eyes was obvious as he said goodbye to Kate after exchanging email addresses and phone numbers.
“Stop sulking,” Joe said to Bobby.
“Joe, she was so incredible. I can’t even put it into words. Isn’t she the most beautiful girl you ever saw?”
“Kate is lovely. But the good news is that you’re seventeen and trust me, you will rise again. Now there’s a soca beach party today on Grand Cruz Bay beach —-I say we need to be there.”
“What’s soca?”
“It’s a kind of dance music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago. The dancing is called “wining” —as in wind the body up. It’s the sexiest dancing in the world.”
As Bobby discovered, Joe knew what he was talking about. The local dancers were scantily clad and “wined” sensually. Bobby had never seen women move like that. He and Joe, along with a few hundred tourists and locals, found themselves swept along in a people train of happiness between the gyrating beauties. The sheer vivacity of the scene encompassed them as they laughed and hugged, bumping butts and hips with the uninhibited dancers.
“Joe, this trip is the best thing that ever happened to me,” said Bobby.
“It’s amazing, right?” replied Joe.
“Actually, I said it wrong. Joe—you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Bobby, we’re a
Similar Books
