North Coast: A Contemporary Love Story

by Dorothy Rice Bennett

  Just then Gina came in the front door and called out a hello. Sam ran to greet her, tail in rapid motion.

  “It’s a beautiful afternoon,” Gina said, with a big grin. “And the weekend is supposed to be gorgeous.”

  Valerie thought a minute. “Do you work tomorrow?”

  “Yes, tomorrow evening. Why, do you need something?”

  “Well, I’ve been invited to go sailing tomorrow. They told me I could bring a friend, and I wondered if you would like to go. But it’s possible we might not get back in time for you to make your shift at work.”

  Gina bit at her upper lip, looking thoughtful. “I’ve never been sailing and I might get seasick, but I’d sure like to try it. It sounds wonderful.” Making a decision, she nodded to Valerie. “Let me make some calls and see if I can cover my hours at the theater.”

  She ran up the stairs with Sam at her heels, quickly entered her room, and called the theater manager on her cell. She asked for names of people she could call to cover for her or with whom she could trade shifts. She made some notes, thanked her boss, and started dialing.

  A few minutes later Gina came bouncing back downstairs, looking for Valerie who was still sitting at the dining room table, deep in thought.

  “I’m covered. So I can go,” Gina said, barely masking her excitement.

  “Is this a big sacrifice for you?” Valerie asked, knowing how much Gina depended on her work income.

  “I traded. I’ll work an extra shift next weekend to make it up. It’s okay and I really want to go. It sounds like a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

  Valerie smiled. “Good! I’m glad you can come along.”

  “What do I need to do, or wear, or what?”

  “Paulina said to wear sports shoes with white or light soles. Something about not marking up the deck.” She shrugged. “And to be comfortable, but wear warm layers and to bring some sunscreen and a hat. She said it will be chilly on the ocean, but the sun could feel warm and by the afternoon we might be stripping down to shirtsleeves.”

  “What time do we go?”

  “Paulina said to be at the marina at 11 a.m. She gave me instructions on how to find the right dock and where to leave the car,” Valerie explained.

  “Wow, this is really exciting!” Gina exclaimed.

  “I know,” Val said with a big grin. “I’m taking a camera and my sketch pad,” she added.

  “Oh, yeah, that reminds me. I’ve got plenty of sunscreen, if you need any,” Gina offered. “Couldn’t live without that in Tucson!”

  “Thanks.” Valerie nodded.

  Clapping her hands in excitement, Gina disappeared up the stairs to change for her evening job at Ritchie’s Grill.

  “What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?” she hollered down the stairs. “I’m cooking.”

  The two women were on their way out the front door on Saturday morning, their stomachs filled with pancakes, toast, sausages, fresh fruit, and hot tea, when Valerie suddenly exclaimed, “Sam! I didn’t think about how long we’re going to be gone. Poor Sam. I need to do something about her.”

  Gina stared at her. Befuddled, she tried to help. “What if—?”

  Miraculously, Josie appeared around the corner of the house. “I heard that. And go on. I’ve got a key to the house, and Sam will be fine. I’ll see that she gets out.”

  Valerie was so happy to see Josie back on her feet, in her overalls with a pair of clippers in one hand. With her cropped hair, a smudge of dirt on her face, and her soon-ready-for-the-washbin clothes, she was obviously happy and back in her element. Her left leg was still in a brace, but she had learned to work around it and was gradually resuming a more normal life. She no longer needed crutches and could drive herself wherever she had to go.

  Val was greatly relieved. “Oh, thanks, Josie, that’s perfect.”

  Valerie gave Josie a quick squeeze, and Gina offered her a big smile.

  “We’ll take lots of pictures and tell you all about it,” Val called back as the two women sprinted to the Volvo, dumped their gear and jackets in the back of the wagon, and took off.

  They located the Woodley Island Marina, parked the wagon, and worked their way along the docks, gawking at the many sailboats and fishing craft until they saw the right finger, Dock D, with the big sailing vessel Sweet Dreams tied at the end of it. They both nearly gasped at the size and splendor of the boat. A gleaming white hull with a tall mast and wood trim everywhere on deck. Mahogany, really beautiful.

  Paulina stood in the cockpit. She greeted them both and watched closely as they stepped carefully from the dock onto the slightly rocking boat. Her husband, gray headed and balding with just the hint of a paunch, came forward, and Paulina said, “This is my husband, Jim.”

  “Jim, this is the artist, Valerie Stephans. I’ve told you all about her. And this is?”

  Before Gina could answer, Val spoke up. “This is my friend, Dr. Gina Fortenham.”

  Gina almost gasped and gave Valerie a perplexed look, but she kept her mouth shut. There were nods and handshakes all around. Jim took charge and told them where they could put their jackets and other gear and where they should sit in the cockpit. He showed them how to fasten their orange life vests, which he explained were called “PFDs.” The boat’s engine was already running and Jim said they would be leaving shortly.

  “Oh, Jim,” called Paulina, “take them down into the cabin and show them where the head is and the galley—before things start really rocking and rolling.” She chuckled to herself.

  As she climbed down the ladder into the cabin, Valerie surveyed the beauty of the sailboat with amazement. The rich mahogany surfaces everywhere she looked—bookshelves, the sleeping quarters, the deluxe galley, and the captain’s table for dining. “Wow,” Gina whispered to her, and Val nodded in agreement.

  Jim offered them some seasickness medication, since neither had taken any, and they both accepted. “You may not need it, but it’s better to be prepared,” he said kindly. His weathered blue eyes twinkled. “A small amount of Bonine shouldn’t make you drowsy but it will really keep your stomachs settled.”

  Food on board included fruit, bottled water on ice, cold cuts and bread for sandwiches, salads, cookies, and other snacks. Valerie could see that they wouldn’t go hungry.

  Shortly Paulina released the mooring lines as Jim backed away from the dock and pointed the bow of Sweet Dreams out into Humboldt Bay. Once in the bay, he raised the sails, which he explained were on “roller-furling” and opened almost automatically at the touch of a button. Jim tied down lines while Paulina stood at the big spoked wheel, which she called “the helm.”

  “I love sailing,” Paulina commented with a smile, “as long as it isn’t too much work. The helm I can manage.”

  Soon they had passed the breakwater opening and were out on the Pacific Ocean. The big boat began to gently heel over, but Jim, now back on the helm, cut the engine and kept Sweet Dreams steady. Gina and Valerie both held tight to the railing and stared with open mouths up into the large white sails now filling with wind.

  “We’re lucky today,” Paulina explained, “the wind is light but steady and the seas are predicted to have very slight swells. Since you haven’t sailed before, Gina, this is about as good an introduction as you could get.”

  Even the light wind on the ocean was nippy, and Gina and Valerie both pulled their jackets close to keep warm. Gina had thought to bring a watch cap, and she pulled it down around her ears. Valerie had forgotten to bring a hat, but she did have a headband on, and she pulled it over her ears. That helped.

  After watching Jim move easily around the boat, Gina became curious about what it would look like up front, at “the bow,” as Jim had called it. Holding onto the handrails carefully, she worked her way from the cockpit forward until she reached an open area just behind the bow. Once she was there, Paulina called to her to stay low in case the jib sail shifted suddenly. Wearing a PFD wouldn’t prevent her from being knocked overboard into the ocean
, Paulina warned.

  With the engine no longer running, all that could be heard was the wind and the sound of water as the bow of the boat cut into the waves and swirling water washed up against the hull. From the expression on her face Gina obviously loved the soft slapping sounds of the water and the feel of the boat’s rocking motion.

  Valerie, still in the cockpit, soon began to wonder what Gina was seeing. She also made her way to the bow. Gina motioned her to be very still, so she could hear the ocean and the wind, and Val nodded. She had not told Gina that she had been sailing before and just kept quiet, enjoying Gina’s excitement.

  Soon the two of them were lying side by side on the deck, faces up, relaxing in the bright sunshine. Lying flat cut down on the wind and soon they began to feel warm. They slipped out of their jackets and lay on top of them. Within minutes both were drifting off to sleep.

  Valerie stood on the foredeck of The Ancient Mariner, hanging from the lines and grinning upward as the Golden Gate Bridge passed overhead. Doreen was next to her, tall and tanned.

  It was a wondrous San Francisco summer day, and they had come aboard the 30-foot sailboat with their friends, Rob Randall and Steve Wieman—two young couples having the time of their lives.

  Steve was at the helm, slender, bearded, wearing dark glasses. Rob, muscular and stocky, handled the lines. “Look at that bridge!” Rob called to them from the cockpit. Valerie and Doreen both turned and nodded and smiled at the same time. The Golden Gate was breathtaking, whether in sun or fog or rain, and sailing under her magnificent red superstructure was even more amazing.

  In late morning, they had left the dock from a marina not too far from Fisherman’s Wharf, first following a gradually increasing wind across the big bay and back again. They had passed Alcatraz Island and then, since the wind was just right, had headed for the Golden Gate and the ocean beyond.

  While San Francisco had many treasures to offer, sailing on a summer day ranked at the top of Valerie’s list, both in her dreams and now in the reality of it. She wanted to pinch herself to believe this was actually happening. Doreen’s broad grin showed that she, too, was having the time of her life.

  Initially clad in jeans and sweats over bathing suits, Valerie and Doreen had stripped to their swimwear by early afternoon and quickly slathered each other with sunscreen.

  As the Golden Gate Bridge, its red girders bright in the sunlight, slipped behind them, they gradually turned their attention to the ocean. There were several sailboats on the water, slipping along in this direction and that. And even though it was Sunday afternoon, there were several giant freighters in the shipping lanes, heading into San Francisco Bay.

  Steve watched the wheel carefully and periodically checked the radar and compass. Valerie and Doreen had come back to the cockpit from the bow and Steve explained to them some readings he was getting on the radar screen.

  “You’ve got all the latest gear on this boat,” Valerie observed.

  Steve nodded. “Yeah, it cost a bundle, but it’s worth it. You have to stay out of the shipping lanes, unless you want to be run over by a freighter! And sudden fog can catch us out here. Without knowing what is around us, we could really be in trouble.”

  Rob came up from the galley with trays of food that he passed around. Steve managed to hold the helm with one hand and tackle a sandwich with the other. They all drank bottled water for lunch, but there was wine below deck for later.

  Once they had finished their food Rob went below and turned on some music. There were speakers in the cockpit, and the mellow sounds from the CD in the galley washed over them soothingly. Valerie and Doreen relaxed on deck cushions. Doreen’s head nestled in Val’s lap. Val ran her fingers through Doreen’s auburn hair.

  “Feels so good,” Doreen murmured, closing her brown eyes. Valerie leaned down and placed a light kiss on her lips. “That’s even better,” Doreen whispered.

  Rob moved over to Steve at the helm, slipped his arm around his waist, and offered him a kiss. Steven returned it and the two smiled.

  “Okay, you gals,” Steve said with amusement. “You look like you need some private time. We’ve got the perfect place for that, a bed down below in the bow. All nice clean sheets, and you can close the door.”

  Valerie smiled mischievously at Steve. “And what are you going to do while we’re down there?”

  “That’s easy,” Steve replied with a devilish grin. “We’re safely out of the shipping lanes, so we’re going to drop the sails, throw out a couple of anchors for drag to keep us from drifting, and enjoy each other’s company up here in the cockpit.”

  “Will we all be safe?” Doreen asked.

  “That’s why we’re staying up here. If any danger comes our way, we have plenty of time to react,” Steve assured them both.

  Taken off guard but curious about this arrangement, Valerie and Doreen stepped through the entryway and down the ladder into the cabin. The boat was swaying and they hung onto the railings, but by the time they got up to the bow and its tiny private space they realized that they were safe as soon as they lay down on the sheets.

  In seconds, their excitement over the day’s sailing turned into excitement over each other. First a kiss, then a stroke, then a nibble. Soon the swimsuits were abandoned and they hugged, kissed, and explored each other’s bodies. Perhaps a decade into their relationship, they discovered that the new surroundings made their sexual encounter fresh and wild. They rolled, and rocked with the boat, and took each other to ecstacy. Then they lay spooned together, sated and deliriously happy.

  Paulina stood over the two sleeping women. Both were on their stomachs, and Valerie’s right arm was resting on Gina’s back. “Wake up, girls,” Paulina said, “you don’t want to get sunburned out here. And we’re having sandwiches. You might enjoy having some food with us.”

  Totally surprised at where they were and that they had both dozed off, Valerie and Gina abruptly sat up. Val, obviously uncomfortable, quickly pulled her arm away from Gina, and Gina looked at her quizzically. The two struggled to their feet and awkwardly followed Paulina back to the cockpit. Jim gave them a big smile when they were safely seated.

  “I can’t believe I fell asleep,” Valerie said. She also couldn’t believe that she had put her arm over Gina and had slept that way. She felt embarrassed at the unplanned intimacy. She vaguely remembered something she had dreamed, something about Doreen and sailing, and now she wondered in confusion if she had reached out to Gina because she was unconsciously back with Doreen.

  “Me, too,” Gina added, her questioning gaze again going to Val, who looked away. “Could it be the medication we took?”

  Jim laughed. “Just ocean air, most likely.” He was at the helm, steering by moving the big wheel a spoke to the left or the right. “The most tense people in the world can relax on a sailboat. It’s wonderful therapy for whatever ails you.”

  Sensing some tension between her guests, Paulina passed around a tray filled with sandwiches and fruit. “Eat up,” she encouraged them. “I brought Jim’s favorite sailing food, and there is plenty for all of us.” They each took a ham and cheese sandwich and Valerie quickly realized that out in the open air she was ravenously hungry. Gina seemed to be digging quickly into her sandwich, as well. Paulina encouraged them to drink a lot of water, because the sun would be pulling moisture from their bodies without them being aware of it.

  After their meal, Paulina took the helm so Jim could eat more comfortably. Jim focused on Valerie.

  “I like your painting, young woman,” he said. “Paulina came home and raved about your work. I wasn’t sure until I opened the package on my birthday. Then I was impressed. I’ve seen a lot of landscapes in my time, lots of sailboats and lighthouses, all painted diligently but most lacking some special touch to make them unique. You have done that, taken something very real and moved it beyond realism. I like that very much. We’ve placed your painting in a prominent position within our collection.”

  Valerie, already a
bit pink from the sun and wind, blushed at the compliment. “Thank you very much. It’s always nice to receive praise from someone who can recognize the difference in artists’ work and styles. Some people buy just to own, without understanding.”

  “Paulina says,” Jim continued between bites of food, “that you are from San Francisco. We’ve sailed down there any number of times. Beautiful area. What caused you to move away from there to live up here?”

  “Well,” Valerie confessed, “I was born there and lived in the City all my life and it is beautiful. At times I really miss it.” She paused a moment and then decided to just say it all. “But my life partner died of cancer and I needed to make a change. It was just too hard, being surrounded everywhere by memories.” Well, she thought to herself, she had never lied to anyone about her life or lifestyle and she didn’t want to start now. For a moment, she wondered how this information would be accepted by her hosts.

  Jim didn’t miss a beat. “Say, Eureka is a good place for starting over. It’s not overcrowded, yet there is culture and a sense of history. The Victorian architecture throughout the town is beautiful. I’m sure you’ll do well here,” he said supportively.

  He turned to Gina. “And you are a doctor. Medical?”

  “No,” Gina said. “Doctor of philosophy. English literature.”

  “Oh, interesting. Do you teach?”

  “Not right now,” Gina said, looking at Valerie.

  “And what brings you—from somewhere in the Midwest, I take it from your accent—to Eureka?”

  “Long story,” Gina said, with a hesitant smile. “Let’s just say I’m starting over, too.”

  Paulina turned from the helm. “Are you two a couple?” she asked.

  Valerie and Gina both reddened visibly.

  “No,” Valerie said.

  “I—,” Gina started.

  “Gina and I share a house and a dog, Samantha, but we are not partners.” Valerie cut in and finished before Gina could admit to being her roomer.