by Daya Daniels
“You kids these days have the world at your fingertips. If we can make it from nothing, you can make it amada, trust me.”
“You’re an amazing photographer and I can’t wait for the day when the world will have the privilege to see your work, Cass. That is the truth.”
It’s quiet for a while. I fiddle with the single morsel of fish left on my plate with my fork.
“He dumped me.” I admit out of nowhere.
Joseph sets his silverware down, letting it rest on the edge of his plate.
“I know I told you it was mutual but it wasn’t true. I lied. Rupert dumped me.”
“Oh, fuck him Cass. I never liked that cinched up, stuck up, pompous ass.”
I giggle.
“You’re better off.” Joseph says finishing his beer.
I bite my lip.
“You know when I met your mother, I instantly fell in love with her.”
I laugh and bob my head a few times. I’d heard the story a million times.
“Her father hated me, my God.” He wipes his forehead. “Whooo.”
“Your mother and I were completely different shades.” He laughs. “We were from different cultures. I could barely speak English and your grandpa was a school teacher who came here from Trinidad and Tobago. I was uneducated where as he had a university education. So, you can only imagine how all this went over.”
I nod.
“Your grandpa felt that she could do better and so did I!” Joseph laughs. “It wasn’t easy but I loved her. Your mother was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen and after the first time I took her out on a date, I knew I wasn’t letting her go. I didn’t care what anyyybody had to say. And neither did she. We were made fun of sometimes by all sorts of people. I didn’t care. You get a thick skin.” He lifts a shoulder. “I even got into a fist fight or two.” He smiles and shakes his head. “Even arrested once or twice.”
I chuckle.
“I promised your grandpa that I’d take care of your mother and I have. To him, the rest didn’t matter. So, what I’m saying is that sometimes you have to go through a bit of shit, to get to your happiness.”
Joseph wipes away the single tear that slips from my eye. “Don’t lose your courage, Cass. It’ll all happen when it’s supposed to.” He whispers.
Nico
“Show me the stars, Papai.” Tatiana giggles.
I spin my phone around and point it to the night sky. “That sweetheart, is Vega.”
“Can I see it from where I am?”
“Of course, just look out the window.”
Tatiana’s bright face fills the screen before she comes closer, pressing a kiss to it. “I miss you, Papai.” She croons softly.
“I miss you too.”
“When will you be back?”
“I don’t know. Maybe in a few months.”
“Can I come there?” She asks.
I groan. “Yes, when school is out.”
“Yes.” She hisses.
“How is school by the way?”
“It’s good.”
“Just, good?”
“Yep, just good.”
“C’mon Tat, you have to give me more than that. I haven’t see you in a while.”
“I don’t know what else to say.” She whines.
“Okay, then. We can talk about it later.”
“Why aren’t you staying with Vovo?”
I run a hand over my jaw. “Because I like it more here.”
Tatiana smiles. “What kind of fish have you caught?”
“All sorts.” I say, watching her face brighten again. “We’ve caught snapper, wahoo, mackerel, jacks, coneys. Last week we caught a marlin and a few days after that we caught a sailfish.”
“That’s cool.”
I laugh, watching her fiddle with her chocolate curls that have grown longer since I last saw her.
“So, you’re enjoying your break?”
“Sim. Yes.”
“Well, that’s good then.” She says firmly. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too, Tat.”
“I have to go.” She announces, taking a glimpse over her shoulder.
I chuckle, certain she’s snuck this call in without asking permission but I don’t complain. I’d do anything to spend time with Tat, even if it’s through the lens of a camera.
“Okay, Tat. I love you.”
“I love you too, Papai.” She whispers, blowing me a kiss before she ends the Skype call.
I press the phone to my chest and stare out at the night sky. Ambrose is long gone and now I’m here alone. It’s quiet and peaceful just the way I need it to be.
Curiously, I kept my gaze on Cass tonight when she left and watched her ass sway as she headed across the lot. The young woman that collected her gave me a pissy look but waved and then glared at me for a while, before driving off.
I’m certain the fact that I worked on a fishing boat and looked like a homeless person had a lot to do with why her features twisted the way they did, along with why her eyes dripped with disgust.
Whatever.
I’d stopped worrying about the judgments of others long ago and I had no room in my life for stuck up cows. I’d hoped to God that woman wasn’t Cass’ mother.
I sigh.
Usually, when Ambrose left I would tidy up and write a little if I wasn’t tired. Tonight, I can only think about the exquisite woman I met today that seems to have set my Goddamn insides on fire. She’s crawled under my skin and infected me with everything her. Every single time I picture her angelic face, I get hard and I stay hard. Her lips are pouty and her skin is soft. She’s small and curvy – fun-sized. I imagine she doesn’t weigh very much, not in comparison to my two hundred and forty pounds. I’d easily dwarf her small frame with my own. Visions of me fucking the breath out of Cass float to the front of my mind, only making the hard-on I have again that much more annoying. I shift it in my shorts and groan, forcing myself to think of something G-rated. If she doesn’t come back tomorrow, I think I might lose it completely.
Cassandra
It’s seven in the morning and the blue sky is clear. A few birds chirp and sing that are perched on the branches of surrounding trees. Reel Talk is next to the wharf, where it was last night, only I don’t see Nico anywhere. His bike is parked a few feet away. I head down a few stairs and place my foot on the side of the boat, before jumping down onto the deck.
I absorb the incredible sight of the harbor and how glassy and calm the water is.
Last night, I couldn’t sleep. I spent most of it shifting and turning in the tiny bed of mine that has a view out the sea. I thought mostly about the wonderful day I’d had. The water. The sun. The fishing. The beer. The food. The insatiable man that I’d met...
Nico and I talked most of the night. He told me he was thirty-three and went to school in Sao Paolo and England for a few years before returning to Brazil. I listened to his stories and asked a few questions but I didn’t pry. The last thing he needs is some Bermudian asking him a whole bunch of pokey questions.
At some strange hour, I sat up and flipped through one of my most recent portfolios that were a mixture of photographs including scenery and even portraits. Whenever I pull them out, I scrutinize nearly every single picture – the angle, the light, the focus. There isn’t one that I like. I’m my own worst critic.
Looking around the boat, I spin around and take a few shots of the view from the boat and of the boat itself. I know Ambrose plans to sell it but I don’t think he’ll get much. It seems that the only thing the boat does right, is float. The disaster should be sold with a Buyer Beware sign stamped across the front of it. I let the camera hang from my neck and knock on the door a few times. There’s no answer. Hesitantly, I turn the handle and find it unlocked. I look around and debate if I should head inside. I do.
The moment I enter, the roasted scent of freshly brewed coffee fills my nostrils and the lingering aroma of eggs and sausages that must’ve been cooked. A newspaper rests
on a small table.
“Nico.” I call out, turning the pages of it.
No answer.
Taking my camera off, I place it down and drop my satchel next to it.
I ease down the narrow stairs further into the cabin. When I round the corner, I scan the small space. A single platform bed rests in the corner, covered in white sheets and a single pillow. An open duffle bag is on the floor, next to a stack of old books. It’s minimal in here. There’s no television but an iPhone rests in the center of the bed, displaying the time.
“Nico.” I call out again.
I take a few steps forward and freeze just outside the bathroom door, when I hear the water running. He’s here. I start to back away but stop when I hear groaning. It’s deep and raw and relentless. The sound seeps into me and warms my stomach and the long-neglected spot between my thighs. I place a shaky hand on the door, peering inside, listening to the sound of my own breathing and conscious of the way my heart rages in my chest.
I take a deep breath, when the view of Nico a few feet ahead clears through the steam. A fragrant clean smell drifts out into the bedroom. Him standing naked in the shower, through a glass door comes into view. His hair is slicked to his head and skin is wet. He’s facing the shower wall and his head is lowered. Slowly, my eyes scan his incredible body and take in how all the muscles in his back and arms flex with his movement. His mouth hangs open and his arm works feverishly in front of him. Time seems to stop when I feel my own lust skyrocket at the sight in front of me – firm ass and muscular legs. I move closer into the crack, admiring his washboard abs. I eye the very prominent V-muscles that lead down to the delicious goodness, I’ve been curious about since I met him yesterday.
I nearly tear into my bottom lip, when I spot the huge cock in his hand that he works viciously from root to tip.
Holy. Shit.
He works it hard and slow, gliding over the swollen flesh, focusing on the head each time. The sounds that spill from his mouth nearly hypnotize me and I swear I’m about to come myself, just from sight in front of me.
He moans again and I imagine him letting out the sound into the shell of my ear, while his heavy weight slams into me with the nine-inch monster that he holds in his hand.
The hot spray of the shower beats down on his back and dribbles down his tatted - up skin. I jump when his hand slams against the tile above his head hard, like he’s trying to shatter it, while hoarse grunts leave his mouth. His ass muscles clench and soon, long streams of cum explode from the head of his cock, soaking his forearms and thighs as he rings the monster out. He growls and cranes his neck towards the ceiling of the small shower and lets out an exhausted breath, when he’s done.
I’m frozen and my heart is pounding in my ears. Sweat slicks my forehead and the back of my neck. Nico’s eyes shoot towards the steam fogged mirror across the bathroom.
Fuck.
I duck back and cringe, unsure if he spotted me. I make my way back to the stairs quickly until I’m back in the den. I’m sweating and my hands and are shaking like I’m about to go to confession. I’m a fucking mess! I scramble to find my camera and sling it around my neck, careful not to knock over anything. I fail miserably and the newspaper slides away from the table and lands on the floor in a disorganized heap. Fuck! I rush to put it back together and rest it back on the table. I pick up my satchel and go flying out the rickety door like I’m being chased by Freddy Kruger, shutting it behind me.
CHAPTER TWO
Nico
I take a deep breath and stand straight, still holding my dick in my hand. This woman was all I could think about and if I never see her again, I’m not entirely sure what I’ll do. Soaping myself up, my thoughts drift to my father who I’d promised to see a few times this week. My father’s conversations always bored me but I tolerated him. After all, I didn’t have much choice.
I leave the shower and wrap a towel around my waist. I’m long overdue for a shave but I still don’t want to. I run a brush through my hair and I’m out of the bathroom in less than a minute. I shove my legs into some shorts and throw on a T-shirt. I push my feet into a pair of beat up Sperry Top-Siders and take the three stairs that lead to the main cabin. I inhale the scent of coffee and pour myself another cup. I walk over to the small table in the corner and eye the destroyed newspaper there with curiosity. I take another deep breath.
The boat rocks softly today. The water is calm and the sun is out. The soft footsteps just outside the door excite me. I twist the handle on the door, while my heart rate picks up in anticipation of seeing the woman that now invades my dreams and all my waking hours. I discover her taking shots of Reel Talk. When I come out, she drops her camera and gives me a nervous smile.
“Bom Dia. Good morning.” She greets.
I give a slow nod and slowly approach her, taking in her attire. She’s wearing a thin T-shirt, a very short pair of shorts, exposing her toned legs and round ass and a pair of simple yellow canvas sneakers. Her long hair is out and a pair of aviator sunglasses hang from the neck of her T-shirt. She’s looks casual cute.
“I didn’t think you’d come back.”
She takes a few more shots. “I promised Ambrose I’d finish this. He’s paying me for this job.”
I nod and stare at her pink cheeks and her bottom lip that quivers wildly. I do a semi-circle around me, surveying the area.
“Have you been out here long?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at her.
Cass walks along the port side of the boat and takes a few more shots. She stalls without answering my question but eventually she does.
She pouts. “No, I just got here actually.”
“Uh huh.” I say. “The door doesn’t lock up here.”
She shrugs. “Oh.”
“Did you come in?”
“No. I told you I just got here.”
“Uh huh.”
She continues taking shots like the paparazzi, while I sip slowly from the cup in my hands.
“It’s a beautiful morning.” She sings out.
“Yes, it is.” I agree, following behind her staring at her round ass.
Jesus. Fucking. Christ.
It’s perky and round and my fingers twitch with the need to smack it. I feel like a predator that’s ready to pounce, while I watch this woman. My eyes take in the curves of her body and her gorgeous smile whenever she lets me have it. She stands motionless, squinting out at the water and the crows and sparrows that dart by.
“Do you have more work after this today?”
She winces. “No, nothing scheduled yet. I planned to work a little more on my website.”
“Sounds good.”
“Ambrose said he’d call me this morning about a few more jobs but it’s getting up to ten. I should probably just call him myself.”
“Would you like some coffee?” I ask, when she places the camera down to search her pockets and her bag.
She stands straight, clearly deep in thought and rakes her fingers through her hair. I inch closer, inhaling the intoxicating scent of vanilla that dusts her now tanned skin and hold my hand out. Her eyes lock with mine for a moment and red creeps up her neck and spreads across the apples of her cheeks.
She opens her mouth to speak but no words come out.
This shit is amusing!
Cassandra
“Are you looking for this?” Nico asks, extending his paw-like hand towards me.
I open my mouth to explain, accepting that I only don’t just look like a fool. Now, I’m a liar too. He slow blinks and takes another long sip from the coffee mug in his other hand. I meet his caramel eyes again, wondering how a man as rough around the edges as this one could have such long dark eyelashes. He’s fucking beautiful.
I reach into his palm and retrieve my iPhone, with a long sigh.
“It was on the table, inside.”
“Oh.” I breathe out, jerking my eyes away from his.
Nico spins away from me and runs a hand through his hair, as he heads back tow
ards the cabin. I breathe deep, feeling like I’ve been punched in the stomach. I mumble a few words to myself about being a jerk and then let out another loud sigh. I stare at a few of the shots of the boat on the camera before packing it away and slinging my bag over my shoulder. I head towards the back of the boat but freeze when Nico pops out of the door in front of me, like he’s about to arrest me.
He gives me a grin and drops a helmet in my hands.
I give him a dumb look.
“You said you weren’t busy today and neither am I. So, I thought maybe we could do something?”
“Sure.” I say softly.
His face lights up and every single one of his straight white teeth are exposed, and I nearly pass out at how his smile affects me.
I take the helmet from his hands. He jerks his chin in the direction of the parking lot. “My bike is just up there. You have a bathing suit, right?”
“Yeah, in my bag.”
He nods. “Well, let’s go then.”
“Okay.”
He takes my hand and pulls me along. When we make it to the parking lot, he puts his helmet on and helps to fasten mine. His thick fingers brush over my chin and cheeks as he does it. I look around, taking in the lines of traffic that travel up and down Scaur Hill.
I sigh realizing it’s early in the morning. Most people are at work, in the early beginnings of their very busy day and here I am just pissing the day away taking photographs. Now apparently, I was going sightseeing with a man I barely knew. He places his hands on my shoulders and squeezes. His touch is firm but soft at the same time. I give him a shy smile and when he touches my chin again, I become fixated on his lips. The top one I want to take between my teeth and his tongue, I want to taste. I snap out of my trance and breathe.
“It’ll be fun.” He teases. “I promise.”
I nod before hopping onto the back of the bike and wrap my arms around his middle.
Cassandra