by Fawn Bonning
He caressed the railing with a soft lover’s touch. Captin’s Glory was everything he’d dreamed and more. Fifty-six feet of luxury and worth every penny. Three private sleeping compartments, a complete kitchen with the works, a decent-sized dining area. To captain a ship had been his life-long dream. With a name like Captin, it only seemed appropriate.
He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with salt air, something that always had a cathartic effect on him. He could practically feel it purifying his lungs of the toxic buildup of carbon monoxide and the other pollutants he inhaled every day while land-bound.
He was a man fully aware of his good fortune. Not every man had the opportunity to live out his dreams. And at forty-two, no less. The perfect age. Old enough to truly appreciate his good fortune, and yet still young enough to fully enjoy it.
He felt Pam come up behind him to slip an arm around his waist. Linked together, they enjoyed the solitude of the early morning, the only sound the gentle lapping of water upon the hull.
“Ready for another day of the three stooges,” she asked, breaking the silence.
He chuckled. As usual, she’d hit it right on the head. That’s exactly what they were like, his two nephews Nick and Justin, and Carl, his bumbling business associate, all falling over each other to impress Rene.
A real vaudeville act.
And all three were trying to impress her with their boating and fishing skills, of which they knew absolutely zilch.
But they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. That was the important thing. And Rene seemed to like all the attention. Hell, she seemed to thrive on it. And the weather thus far had been ideal, the skies clear and sunny, a beautiful southwesterly breeze.
Unfortunately, the fish weren’t being quite as cooperative. Not one single bite. Not even a tiny nibble in three days.
Pam lifted her arm to rub at his back. “It’s a lot quieter this year than it was last.”
Ray dropped his chin to his chest and shook his head. Just thinking about his brother Frank and his wife Alicia made his head hurt. They’d done nothing but bicker for seven days straight. And with Alicia’s abrasive voice, it’d felt more like seven long years.
He felt a tiny twinge of guilt. “You think I offended Frank by not asking them along this year?”
“Oh God, who the heck cares,” Pam said, crinkling her nose. That voice of hers is toxic. Deadly.”
“You’re not kiddin’.”
“The Department of Defense would do well to replicate that thing.”
“Be nice, Pammy.”
“I’m sorry, but it just has a way of working its way into a body’s brain and just rattling around until your head feels like it’s going to explode.”
“Yeah. That’s a pretty accurate description.”
“If you ever ask those two again, you better just count on my coming down with the flu…or pneumonia…or the bubonic plague…or leprosy, something extremely contagious.”
“All right, all right.”
“I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I’d spent the week hanging by my fingernails.”
He chuckled.
“Over a pit of crocodiles.”
“Yeah, okay, I get the message.”
“Or having a root canal.”
“Pam.”
“Or getting my nipples pierced.”
His eyebrows shot up as he considered this last alternative. “Now that doesn’t sound too—”
“Ray Captin, don’t you even,” she said, elbowing him in the side, and they both laughed.
Putting his arm around her shoulder, he pulled her close, kissing the top of the head resting on his shoulder. “Would now be a good time to tell you they’re thinking about moving down here?”
She chuckled. “Shut up.”
“No, I’m serious. Alicia’s freaking out because she thought she saw a bear in their backyard sniffing around the garbage. Frank says it was just a big black dog, but you know Alicia.”
“It was a dog.” Pam stated firmly. “I saw it. It was big and black and shaggy. It did kind of look like a bear at first glance, but it was definitely a dog. I’ll call and tell her so.”
“You think she’ll believe you?”
“I’ll make her believe me.”
“You live five states away.”
“And that’s as close as I can handle.”
He laughed and gave her a squeeze.
They were two of a kind, he and Pam. Sure, they’d had their ups and downs, but he couldn’t even begin to imagine how dull his life would have been without her. She was his better half, his mentor, his significant other, his lover, his best friend. She’d given him two beautiful daughters, both of whom were attending college, and both of whom were just as quick-witted and charming as she was. And she still knew how to keep him laughing.
“Well, I guess I better go dig up some breakfast,” she said with a sigh. “If they don’t smell food, they’ll sleep till noon.”
~~~~
Pam was a genius. Some twenty minutes later, coaxed by the aroma of sizzling bacon and brewing coffee, the three stooges stumbled out one by one with sleepy eyes and mussy hair.
Nick was the first to make an appearance. Dressed in bright blue shorts and a tank top that showcased his pumped pecks, he plopped himself at the table to pour himself a tall glass of orange juice.
His younger brother Justin wasn’t far behind. With black clumps of curls in complete disarray, he staggered out wearing a tank top that showcased a pencil-thin chest and a newly acquired sunburn. Slumping in his chair, he stared at his plate, swaying slightly with the movement of the boat and moving only occasionally to push black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his red nose.
“Feelin’ okay, there, Justin?” Pam asked as she spooned a heap of scrambled eggs onto his plate.
“Yeah, I guess.”
Moving to the counter, she dropped two slices of whole wheat bread into the toaster and pressed the lever. “You sure? I’ve got some Dramamine. If you want, I’ll get some for you.”
“Sure, I guess.”
Carl was the next to appear. Though his hair was also in somewhat of disarray, he was neatly dressed in white shorts, a crisp white polo shirt, white crew socks, white sneakers, and smelling strongly of cologne.
“Gentlemen,” he greeted as he situated himself at the table, snapping his cloth napkin and draping it across his lap.
Nick and Justin grunted in reply.
Ray tried to hide his grin below the brim of his coffee mug. Definitely not morning people, those two.
Kids these days. It was hard to figure them out. Although they weren’t really kids anymore. It was hard to believe that Nick was twenty-two and Justin nineteen. It seemed like just yesterday, he was attending their Christenings. And here they sat, practically grown men.
Well okay, so Justin still had a little ways to go yet. But Nick had grown into a fine young man: tall and muscular with dark wavy hair and gray-blue eyes. Reminded him a little of himself way back when.
Of course, his own hair was now peppered with distinguished smatterings of gray. But he kept in shape, did a little jogging…when his knee wasn’t acting up, played a little tennis…when his elbow wasn’t bothering him.
He was grinning as he sipped his coffee, and wondering how all those years had slipped by so quickly?
“This looks absolutely delicious, Mrs. Captin,” Carl said as she placed a plate of scrambled eggs in front of him. “Captain Captin,” he greeted with a snort, “you’re looking all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. What’s your secret?”
“He’s been up awhile,” Pam informed him as she replenished the bacon plate with fresh sizzling strips.
“Oh, right, right, watching the sun rise. I forgot,” he said, before shoveling in a heaping forkful of eggs.
“I can see how that might be easy to do,” Nick intoned. “He only does it every single morning.” Smearing a thick layer of strawberry jam on a slice of buttered toast, he grinned smugly at
what he considered to be a perfectly justifiable jab.
“Oh, man,” Justin groaned. “Do you have to do that right under my nose?”
“What’s wrong, sailor?” Carl asked through a mouthful of eggs. “Lookin’ a tad green about the gills there, buddy boy.”
“Yeah, and you look like a Tide commercial,” Justin shot back.
Nick thumped the table loudly, his mouth too jam-packed with jam-smeared toast to voice appropriate laughter at such hilarity.
Like a graceful butterfly, Rene made her entrance, flitting in dressed in pastel-pink short-shorts and a flowered bikini top.
Immediately, the attitude in the room changed, the three young men alert and at their best behavior. Even Justin’s sea sickness seemed to miraculously disappear as he jumped up to slide out her chair.
“Oh my, such a gentleman,” Rene drawled in her syrupy voice, one that never failed to make the men melt.
Though she was almost thirty, she looked more like nineteen with her deeply tanned skin and sky-blue eyes. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a perky ponytail and when she smiled, perfect pearly whites flashed, seeming instantly to brighten the room.
Well, he thought, looking around, it surely managed to brighten all the faces in this room, anyway.
“Scrambled eggs, Rene?” Pam asked.
“Oh, yes please. They smell heavenly,” she drawled, placing her napkin in her lap.
Carl picked up the plate of bacon and held it out to her. “Bacon?”
“Mmm, thanks.” Grabbing a piece, she took a tiny bite, chewing gingerly.
“How about you, Justin?” Carl asked, circling the plate under his nose. “Want some nice greasy bacon?”
“No, thanks,” Justin replied, forcing a tight smile. “How about you?” he asked, picking up the coffee pot. “Nother cup of bleach…oh, I mean coffee?”
Nick burst out laughing, spraying orange juice, before quickly bringing his napkin up in embarrassment.
Ignoring them, Rene continued to nibble on her bacon, demonstrating that such childish shenanigans were clearly beneath her.
Ray caught Pam’s dancing eyes as she placed two freshly buttered slices of toast on his plate.
“Well, guys and gals,” he said, setting his coffee mug aside, “looks like another picture-perfect day. Maybe one of us will get lucky and hook something, what do you think. We don’t want to go back empty-handed.”
“Oh, no can do, Captain,” Carl mumbled through a mouthful of eggs. “Never be able to face the guys at the office if we did that.” Snatching up his coffee mug, he took several gulps to wash down food only half chewed. “Last night, I dreamt I caught a sailfish,” he said, lifting his napkin to swab at his mouth. “Man was that baby living up to its name. Sailing through the air. It was beautiful.”
“Actually, the sailfish gets its name from its sail-like dorsal fin,” Ray informed him. “And I’m afraid you won’t be hooking any of those at the bottom of the ocean.”
“Bummer,” Carl said, his face dropping. Picking up his fork, he shoveled in another mouthful of eggs.
“Uh, Carl,” Justin spoke up, “you know those white, square-looking things in your mouth? Those are called teeth, and the reason they’re in there is so you can use them on your food before you gulp it down.”
“Uh, gentlemen,” Ray interjected, “around three o’clock or so, we’re gonna hit some deep water. How about it? Anybody up for some deep bottom fishing?”
“Awesome,” Justin said in a tone that didn’t match the word. Taking a small bite of scrambled eggs, he chewed gingerly. “Think we might catch a shark?”
“Mmmm, pretty slim chance of that. We’re gonna be dropping way down there, below a thousand feet.” Adding a tad of cream to his coffee, Ray stirred slowly. “There’s wenchman snapper and silk snapper, and wreckfish. I’ve got my sights set on another swordfish though. I caught one at this very spot two years ago.”
“That whale you got hanging in your den?” Nick asked. “Cool.”
“Yep. Took me six hours to reel that baby in. Put up a real battle. Remember that, Pam?”
“Like you would let me forget.”
“All right. So, maybe I do brag about it every now and then.”
“Yeah,” she laughed. “Now and then.”
“But you have to admit it was pretty exciting.”
“Yeah,” she admitted. “For the first ten minutes, maybe. And I suppose the last ten.”
“Sounds exciting to me,” Nick said, leaning back in his chair and lacing his fingers behind his head, giving everybody a good view of his bulging biceps.
Rene, for one, didn’t seem very impressed. Popping the last bite of bacon into her mouth, she wiped her fingers on her napkin and dabbed daintily at the corners of her mouth. “Well, that was delicious, Mrs. Captin, but I think it’s time to grease myself up, turn on some Garth Brooks, and bask in the sun for a few hours, if y’all don’t mind.”
Carl was immediately up to help slide out her chair. “Need some help?” he mumbled through a mouthful of toast. “I could do your back for you. You like Garth, too?” he asked, on her heels like a puppy dog as she headed to the deck. “He happens to be one of my favorites. You know, if you want, I could pick up a couple of tickets next time he comes around…”
“What a dufus.”
“Nick,” Pam chastised in her calm manner.
Nick ran his fingers through thick wavy hair. “I don’t know how you stand working with that jughead every day, Uncle Ray?”
“He’s a first class attorney. Besides, he works two floors down,” he added, and they all laughed.
“Now Rene,” Nick added, his eyebrows lifting as a grin formed, “there’s a different story. I wouldn’t mind working with her.”
“I hear that,” Justin added.
“Yeah, well, she’s actually a great secretary. I was a little worried when Cat left. I didn’t know if anyone could fill her shoes.”
“Yeah,” Pam laughed. “Or her bra.”
“Oh, yeah,” Nick said. “Cat with the bleached-blonde hair and the big fake boobs. Whatever happened to her?”
“Moved,” Ray said. “West Virginia, I think. She has a friend there with some health issues.”
“She was pretty hot. Not as hot as Rene though. I like my women au naturel.”
“Well, you two Romeos can just forget it. She’s got a boyfriend and he’s loaded. Real estate, I think. Family-owned business.”
“Who cares about money when you can have these dimples?” Justin said, pulling back his sunburned shoulders and smiling widely to prove his point.
“God,” Nick moaned, rolling his eyes. “Someone find a pin, hurry. We need to deflate his head before it explodes. We don’t want maggots everywhere.”
“Oh, that’s real cute, muscle-brain. Uncle Ray’s trying to eat,” Justin said, looking more peaked than ever.
“Uh, you didn’t take the Dramamine,” Pam said, pointing to the pills by his plate.
“Yeah, I think I’m okay,” he said, failing miserably at sounding convincing.
“Just take the stupid things, Justin,” his brother insisted. “I don’t feel like smelling barf for the next four days, if you don’t mind.”
“You can put your arms down, Hercules,” Justin shot back. “She’s gone. Besides, I think you forgot your deodorant this morning,” he said, waving his hand in front of his nose.
“Ha, ha. You’re a barrel of laughs.”
Finishing off his last swallow of orange juice, Nick slid his chair out. “Uncle Ray, Aunt Pam, breakfast was delicious, but barf-breath here is getting on my nerves, so I’m afraid I must take my leave. Adieux,” he said, sliding on his sunglasses and thrusting out his chest. “If you need me, I’ll be up on deck becoming better acquainted with my future wife.”
“Yeah, right, we’ll be sure to wake you after you get through dreaming,” Justin yelled at his retreating back.
~~~~
From his spot at the helm, Ray grinned at the
sight of Justin as he joined the others on deck. Obviously the Dramamine had taken affect. He seemed to be in fine spirits as he vigorously swabbed on a thick layer of suntan lotion, being careful to work it around the ridiculous gob of zinc oxide already smeared across his nose. The swimming trunks he’d donned were ridiculously large, accentuating his stick-thin shins. And he was far too pale and his glasses completely unflattering.
Ray felt a sudden swell of compassion for the geeky teen hanging so awkwardly in limbo between boy and manhood.
His eyes were misted when he turned back toward the ocean. He was steering them toward deeper waters, his hopes high that they might hook something come the afternoon. A little excitement would do the group good. Give the boys something to brag about when they got home. A swordfish, a wreckfish. Even something small would do. Something, anything. Not looking to break any records, here. Just something to hold up high and take a picture with, for goodness sake. What was a fishing expedition without a couple of pictures of the proud fishermen looking sun-burned and wind-whipped and thoroughly ecstatic as they posed with their trophy, an everlasting memento of a successful fishing expedition?
Checking the gages one last time, he lounged back in his chair to admire the yawning expanse of breathtaking beauty before him.
A small smile played upon his lips.
He had a gut feeling.
If he was a gambling man, he’d put money on it. They were going to catch something this fine day. Something grand.
~~~~
“Smile. Move in, Justin.”
Justin did as instructed, sliding closer to Nick.
Nick, in turn, moved closer to Rene until his arm was resting on hers. He breathed in deeply. Coconut oil—tropical, exotic—driving him nuts. Why that creep Carl had his arm around her, he’d never know. Was he blind? Couldn’t he see that she was irritated by it?