Life, Liberty, and Pursuit

by Susan Kaye Quinn

  She climbed out of the shower and hastily dried her hair. She decided to keep it down—David seemed to like running his hands through it, and she wanted him to feel free to do that. She glanced timidly at her closet, considering what else David would find appealing on the white sand beaches of Freeport. She dressed and laced up her walking shoes, deciding she needed to hurry. She wanted to be prepared when David arrived at her door early, which she had a feeling he just might do.

  * * *

  Anxious to get started on their day, David made a final stop at the coffee shop for lattes and bagels, figuring they could have their breakfast on the way. Passengers were starting to fill the hallways as people prepared to disembark. He wove between them, clutching his two steaming cups. He tucked one coffee between his arm and his chest so he could knock on her door. He was a little early, but he hoped she wouldn’t mind. He had run out of distractions.

  She opened the door and he could feel that irrepressible grin spread across his face. She was beautiful, of course, but there was a different look to her this morning—it was hard to place, almost as if she were glowing. Her brilliant royal blue polo shirt skimmed her waist, and her dark locks cascaded over her shoulders. She looked like she was ready for hiking, with her cargo khaki shorts and tan Keds.

  “Good morning!” he said.

  “Good morning. Are those for us?” she asked, pointing at the coffees.

  “Double latte, extra cream for the lady.” He handed her the cup. “Do you mind if we take it with us?” She shook her head and stepped out of the doorway, smiling up at him as she closed it. Having a free hand now, he circled it around her waist, pulling her close to him and kissing her.

  “Are you ready for our day?” he asked quietly.

  “Yes.” Her voice was quiet, and he heard a twinge of sadness. But he was determined this would be a happy day, so he kissed her briefly again. “Well, then we better go. We don’t want to be late.”

  “Late for what?” They walked down the hallway, jostling their way through the throngs of passengers. He grinned and shook his head. “You’ll see.”

  They emerged from the ship into blinding sunlight reflecting off the water and pier. The air was already heating up, with a light breeze carrying away some of the balminess. As they walked down the gangplank, they could see downtown Freeport, much less a tourist destination than Nassau and more a tropical island. Gone were the casinos, and in their place were several docks with large shipping container vessels for the bustling trade that supported most of the Grand Bahaman Island’s economy. White sand beaches glistened and stretched into the distance.

  As they walked down the wooden pier, they held hands and coffees, passing the trinket vendors opening their shops and the snack bars rolling up their shades. At the end of the pier, a short, dark-haired man waited for them, standing next to a black roadster and holding a sign bearing the word Marek. David had asked the cruise director to arrange for a private car, but he was surprised to see such a fine machine.

  Eliza raised her eyebrows. Before she could speak, he smirked and said, “The cruise director wanted to make sure we had a very nice stay on this island.” She gave a short laugh and kept smiling as he tipped the man and retrieved the keys from him. He held the passenger door open for her. As he hurried around to the driver’s side and climbed in, he glanced in the back, glad to see the pre-arranged picnic basket in the space behind the front seat. With their coffees stowed in pop-out cup-holders, he pulled two pairs of dark sunglasses and the bagels out of the backpack before he tossed it in the back seat with the basket.

  He handed one pair to her. “You might want these.” She put them on, grinning, and looked really good sitting in his car, even if it wasn’t really his car. He leaned over and kissed her, twining his fingers through her hair. He smiled at her as he pulled away and slipped the key into the ignition. The car purred to life under his hands. Perfect car for a perfect day.

  They flew down the winding two lane highway, the roadster begging to be driven fast. The road hugged the coastline, dipping in and out of the trees, alternately giving them a spectacular view of the beach and plunging them into the semi-darkness of the tropical forest. Eliza looked radiantly happy, her dark hair whipping behind her.

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” She seemed idly curious.

  He beamed at her. “No.” She seemed to accept this as a given, giving him a warm flush of happiness. They broke out into a stretch of road that flirted with the beach. He slowed their pace a little, enjoying the view—of both Eliza and the scenery.

  “So, you claim to have no girlfriends in Green Bay,” she started. He raised his eyebrows and peered at her over his sunglasses. She grinned. “But you must have friends. Tell me, who do you hang out with?”

  “A couple of guys from high school, Sam and Michael, are pretty good friends and we still get together. The rest have left for college, so I don’t see them much anymore.”

  “No friends at Lakeland?”

  “Not really. I don’t know,” he said, glancing at her, “there aren’t a lot of serious students there. They’re mostly interested in partying.”

  “But you’re not?”

  “Well, I’ve been to a party or two in my life.” He smirked. “But I think I’d rather stay home and read Jane Eyre.” That got him a glare.

  “You do not stay home and read Jane Eyre.”

  “Well, not all the time,” he said. “Sometimes I play Guitar Hero.” He stole his hand across the car to hold hers. With no other cars in sight, it was easy to concentrate on her. The roadside shops had thinned out once they left Freeport. Occasional palm trees dotted the side of the road, along with small stands of local vendors, but mostly the coast was devoid of civilization.

  “You said you tutor. What subjects?” He wanted to know more about her, as well as steer away from his pathetic social life.

  “English. It’s good money, and the kids say they like it better than summer school.”

  “Kids? Aren’t you tutoring high school students?” He had assumed Eliza would tutor students her own age, given her Ivy League credentials.

  “Sometimes. Mostly I help junior high kids that aren’t ready for high school.” He grinned and imagined that she probably broke a few young male hearts along the way.

  “Maybe I could get you to tutor me sometime?” he asked, a mischievous grin on his face. “How much do you charge?”

  “Your lessons would be free, Mr. Marek.” She slid a half smile to him, and he gulped.

  “All right, but you need to stop talking like that, or we’re not going to get to our destination in one piece.” He tried to keep his eyes on the road and push the image of Eliza-the-tutor out of his head.

  She grinned. “How far is it to our destination? Or is that a secret, too?”

  “It’s on the other side of the island, and we’ll be taking the scenic route. But it shouldn’t be too long. Are you in a hurry?”

  “No.” She lifted their entwined hands, using her free hand to gently massage the back of his hand and fingers. Her touch was seriously distracting him. He tried to keep his eyes forward, but then she ran her fingertips up to the crook of his arm, causing him to glance at her again.

  “Did you really break your arm in the third grade?” She seemed more interested in inspecting his arm than finding the answer.

  “Um, yes.” Somehow he lost his voice. They were going to have an accident if she kept this up. She looked up at him, apparently not expecting that answer.

  “What happened?” She let their hands fall back down on the arm rest, making it easier to speak again.

  “I didn’t want to tell this story, remember?” he said.

  “But I want to know all your secrets, Mr. Marek.” She teased him again, running her fingers all the way up to his shoulder.

  “
Okay, okay!” He feigned surrender. “I climbed up a tree, fell out, and broke my arm. I was actually in the sixth grade.”

  “Oh, c’mon, there’s got to be more to the story than that!” she said.

  “I wasn’t supposed to climb the tree?”

  “So, why were you up in the tree?”

  He wasn’t going to get out of this, he could see. “I was trying to see in Katy Wilson’s window.” He kept his eyes on the road again.

  “What did you see?” She smiled broadly.

  “Not enough to justify getting a broken arm!” She laughed. He loved the sound of it and wanted to keep being the one to make her laugh. The day already seemed too short, and they were just getting started. He took a deep breath, determined not to succumb to the sadness that kept nibbling at the edges of his mind.

  “Okay, your turn! How did you get a nickname that you don’t want to use?” He grinned at her, but it faded when he saw the frown turning down her lips. “I’m sorry … ”

  “No,” she said, seeming to force a smile. “It’s all right.” She sighed. “When my mom met my dad, she was working a carnival. He wanted her to go out with him, so he bet that he could beat the game she was running. If he did, she would go out with him. He won the bet.” She glanced at him, but her eyes were hidden by her dark glasses. “My mom says she won the bet, because she got me out of it. My dad took off before she knew she was having me.”

  “Oh, Eliza, I … ” He didn’t mean to drag that story out of her, and it rumbled some kind of anger deep in his chest.

  She gave him a tight smile, but a frown lingered on top of her sunglasses. “It’s no big deal. I’m used to it. I just like Eliza better.”

  He swallowed, looking for some way to recover. “You know, David isn’t my real name, either.”

  “Oh?” She looked intrigued, and the frown had disappeared.

  “No. My father wanted all of his children to have Polish names, but Mom was having none of it.” He smiled. “They compromised on my name. It’s really the Polish Dawid, but everyone except Dad calls me David.” A smile stretched across her face again. “I guess Mom won when Teagan came around.”

  He laughed and was glad to see her smile was back. They had rounded the west end of the island, a narrow peninsula that stuck out like a finger pointing to the northwest. According to the cruise director, this was the halfway point in their drive—they would continue driving along the coast to the south and east for a while. They sat in silence, soaking in the sun that had risen higher in the sky and turned the air a little steamier. He released her hand when he realized they had forgotten the bagels.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked, gesturing to the bagels balancing on the dash. “You haven’t touched your bagel.”

  “Sure.” She took one and shredded it into small pieces. She seemed to be thinking, chewing slowly. He took a few bites of bagel, giving her time before he gave in to his curiosity.

  “What are you thinking?” He was unsure if he had permanently soured the mood by bringing up the past with her father.

  “Wondering what your Basic Training will be like. Will they make you hike thirty miles with a fifty pound pack?”

  Her unexpected answers always charmed him. He had been looking forward to starting Basic before the cruise. Now it seemed like the end of something, rather than the beginning. “Not likely. Most of the physical training is indoors, which makes sense because most of the duty is on board a ship or submarine. I don’t think that means it will be easy, though.” He glanced at her to see what she made of this. “Hopefully, Tomasz’s brutal workouts will see me through. I’ve been reading the manuals and studying up, so the classroom part should be pretty straightforward.”

  “Classroom? I thought this was boot camp.” She looked skeptical.

  “The drills are mental and physical—they’re throwing everything at you at once. I don’t think it’s going to be anything like Princeton.” He cocked a grin at her.

  “I don’t know. I hear Princeton has a really crazy orientation week.” She laughed, but he didn’t like the direction of the conversation—too much about the future. But he was too curious about her to stop.

  “You said you haven’t settled on a major yet, but you seem to enjoy literature. Have you thought about majoring in English?”

  “Well, I enjoy Sense and Sensibility far more than most normal people,” she said, “but that just doesn’t seem like enough.”

  “Enough?”

  “Important enough. I mean, I want there to be some purpose to what I do. I feel like … ” She was hesitating to share something with him, which of course only made him more curious.

  “Like what?” He pushed his glasses up on top of his head to get a better view of her. She remained hidden behind hers and stared at the striking blue of the ocean.

  “I’ve been working toward getting into Princeton since the seventh grade, and now that I’m heading there, I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do.” She said this like it was something to be ashamed of. A warmth spread through him, and he took her hand and laced their fingers.

  “Eliza, you’re brilliant. You can do anything you set your mind to,” he said softly. She smiled weakly at his praise, but seemed unconvinced. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out when the time is right.” He wished he had something more compelling to say and that he could be with her while she figured it out. The sadness started to creep in again, but then he realized they must be near the turnout.

  The road had veered away from the coast. Dappled light littered the way as the forest canopy reached over and formed an almost solid ceiling above them. He was looking for the address when they came upon a large white house on the right, with a wide front porch and a small circle driveway that split off from the main road. He checked the number and pulled off the highway, parking in front of the two-story, glass encased entryway.

  Eliza’s eyes had gone wide, silently asking if this was their destination. “Apparently, the owner of the cruise line wanted to personally make up for our unfortunate business at Nassau,” he said. “This is his beach house, but it’s ours for today.” He grinned at her gaping expression and hopped out, bringing the backpack and picnic basket with him. He ran around to open the door for her, but she was already out, still staring at the house. He took her hand and led her to the front door. The house key was on the same chain as the car key, and in a moment they were inside.

  Cruise line owners appeared to be quite wealthy. The house was an amazing study in white and chrome as natural illumination from dozens of skylights and windows bounced around the house. Pale wood furniture enhanced the effect, making everything seem to shine. They wandered through the enormous common room and found the spacious kitchen, which opened up onto a wooden sundeck facing the ocean. He placed their things on the circular kitchen table and gazed out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the panoramic view.

  He turned to ask her what she thought, but suddenly she was in his arms, reaching up on her tip-toes to kiss him. Of course, he readily accommodated that, hands circling around to her back. Too soon, she pulled away, saying, “This is perfect.” He couldn’t agree more, pulling her back in for another, more passionate, kiss. There were no bartenders to interfere this time. As they parted, her eyes were blazing, and her lips were curled up into a small smile. If he wasn’t already breathless, that look would have taken it right out of him. She took him by the hand and led him out back, although he would have followed her anywhere at that moment.

  The sundeck was perched above the forest. A staircase led down to a small path that disappeared into the trees. Past the tangle of mangrove and palm trees was a wide strip of white sand beach and the clear blue Atlantic Ocean. They stood at the deck railing, breathing in the salty air and earthy smell of the lush greenery below them.

  He circled his arms around her from behind so that they could
both take in the view but still hold each other. She intertwined her arms with his.

  “Do you like it?” he murmured in her ear, very pleased with how his plans were working so far.

  “It’s amazing.” She rested her head against his shoulder and chest. He nuzzled her hair. Her delicate scent, mixed with the musky smell of the forest, was like some tropical perfume of paradise. He still couldn’t believe the effect she had on him without even trying. When she was trying, she was nearly impossible for him to resist. Add in the romantic setting and he was completely at her mercy. Fortunately for him, Eliza was merciful and, for the moment, all his.

  After a few minutes of gazing at the splendor of their secret retreat, he debated whether to start kissing her, or whether it was time for the next step in his master plan. He decided that the sun would be too hot for sunbathing later in the day, and it was time to venture forth.

  “Do you mind if we take a little hike?” He still held her close, in case the answer was no and he would need to resort to kissing her.

  “Whatever you want.” Her small sigh of contentment thrilled him in the most unexpected way. He was pleasing her with his plans. He hadn’t realized how nervous he was until he felt the relief that went with that sigh. She turned in his arms, placing her hands on his chest, and looked at him over the top of her sunglasses. “Although any hiking may carry the danger of broken ankles for the graceless. Did you bring your first aid kit?”

  “I won’t let you get hurt, Eliza.” An unintentional softness muted his voice as his unspoken plans leaked out. She flashed an uncertain look at him, but he covered his seriousness with a couple of light kisses. With her hand locked firmly in his, he towed her back into the house. Grabbing the picnic basket and backpack off the table, they headed back out onto the deck and down the creaky wooden stairs.