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Glacier Gal

Page 12

by L. Langdon


  In fact, her whole body was trim and curvy. Everything was in nice proportion. Laura was top heavy—that was one of her claims to fame, an attribute that she had hoped would get her to Hollywood. Gerri didn’t catch your eye in a ‘Wow, look at the size of those…’ way. With Gerri, everything fit together perfectly. The artist in Sven itched to draw her as she was right now. The male in him had a different itch…he suppressed it ruthlessly.

  His wits came back to him. How long have I been standing and staring? He probably didn’t even want to know. “You look beautiful,” he said huskily, “just beautiful.”

  Gerri had considered wearing a light sweater—the evening was cool, as usual. She had decided against it because she wanted Sven to see her in the dress without extras. Now she didn’t need the sweater; she felt warm from the approval in his eyes. It was everything that she had allowed herself to hope for.

  And Sven himself was mighty easy on the eyes. He, too, had evidently had some nice clothes stashed away. While he was studying her, she had allowed herself the same privilege. He wore a pale blue, long-sleeved dress shirt with the sleeves folded below his elbows. Both shirt and slacks fit more snugly than his usual daily garb. In fact, they almost looked tailored, though Gerri would never believe that they were. If I stand here any longer, he’ll know I’m posing. “You look very nice yourself,” she said. She glanced down. The Glacier Gal’s gunwale was high enough to make a graceful disembarkation difficult in this short dress. She angled sideways, preparing to scissor over with minimum indecency.

  “Wait,” said Sven, approaching with his hands outstretched. “That dress is lovely, but it’s not meant for climbing around a boat. May I?” Before she knew it, he put his hands on her waist and lifted her gently, but quickly, over and onto the float.

  “Thank you,” she said shyly. That had been completely unexpected. But she liked it. The feeling of effortless levitation was seductive and left her wanting more contact with him. As they started to walk, she indulged this by leaning into him a bit, as if she were cold. Sven took the hint (or opportunity) and put his arm around her shoulder as they walked.

  The town of Pelican, she mused as they walked, was strange indeed. No, ‘strange’ wasn’t quite right. Exotic, maybe? It was barely a town. A hamlet, maybe? A settlement? It was perched between the water and one of the typical steep mountains of Alaska. There were no streets, per se. Rather there was a boardwalk running along the shore from one end of the town to the other. Most of the buildings were connected to this boardwalk, and rose on stilts over the shore. Gerri had been told that the town actually had a car—a tiny thing called a Crosley—but she had never seen it.

  At one end of this defining boardwalk was the Pelican Cold Storage, the largest building in Pelican, and the town’s primary economic engine. In its heyday, Sven had told her, it processed millions of pounds of fish per season. The dance was being held in a building at the other end of the boardwalk, perhaps a half mile away.

  Their walk became a sort of a promenade, with occasional greetings called out to Sven and numerous curious looks directed at her. A number of the people walking seemed to be heading to the dance. As Sven had said earlier, it wasn’t like there were many other things going on in Pelican this evening.

  She tried to imagine, as she scanned the various faces, which one might turn out to be Ace Artin. She had mixed feelings about meeting him. On the one hand, she was glad to have found out from him about the dance. It was a great excuse to dress up for Sven (she could admit that in the privacy of her thoughts). On the other hand, Ace sounded like somewhat of a wolf, which didn’t interest Gerri at all. It was likely moot, since Gerri would clearly be nothing like what Ace expected.

  Sven saw him first. His arm unconsciously tightened around Gerri’s shoulder. She glanced up at him, saw the frown, and followed his gaze. The man approaching with a wide smile was reasonably nice looking—white, of course—and a few inches shorter than Sven. Gerri had just time enough to be bemused by his hair before he reached them. Does anyone still wear a ducktail?

  “Hi, I’m Ace. Gerri, I presume? Aren’t you a pretty sight?” He pumped her hand. “Sven, old man,” he added jovially, “You decided to come out tonight, too, huh?” Sven was not known for attending these events.

  “Hello, Ace.” Sven was polite, but Gerri could tell that his heart wasn’t in it.

  “I’ve got a friend holding a table for us. Let’s go in before he gets impatient.”

  Once inside, they approached a table near the dance floor. A man seated there was watching them with great interest—and more than a little amusement. He was just a shade taller than Gerri and stocky. He was an American Indian (oops, make that a Native, thought Gerri remembering the local term). Sven grabbed an extra chair and Ace introduced them both.

  “Gerri, Sven, this is Edwin John, captain of the E ‘n E.”

  Sven nodded. “Seiner, right? I’ve seen it. It’s a nice looking boat.”

  As Sven and Edwin chatted, Ace reconsidered his strategy. He had not expected Sven’s presence, and wasn’t sure whether his plans for Gerri were scuttled. He decided to be an optimist. “Gerri? May I get you a drink?”

  She glanced at Sven. “Thank you. Nothing alcoholic—do they have pop?” She took a quiet pride in remembering the local name for soft drinks.

  As Ace and Sven went to get drinks, Edwin turned to Gerri with a look of amusement. “I don’t think Ace was planning on having Sven here with you. Are you and Sven a couple?”

  Gerri opened her mouth and then, smiling shyly, reconsidered her words before she spoke them. “No, not really—not exactly. We’ve known each other for only a few weeks.” Honesty bade that she say no, but it pleased her to leave a little ambiguity in her answer.

  Edwin suppressed a grin. Unless he was misreading the signals, Sven was looking mighty possessive. For safety, he changed the subject. “Did you just recently move to Alaska?”

  “I’m just visiting.” Gerri found herself describing once again her trip and her improbable encounter with Sven, leaving out only the part where she posed as a male. That, at best, would have resulted in her being teased, and possibly Sven as well.

  The two men returned with pop for all and, as they settled in, Edwin turned his attention to Sven. “Sven, Ellen says to tell you hello.”

  Sven looked startled. “Ellen Ward?”

  “Ellen Ward John now.” He paused and looked around the table for effect. Gerri was beginning to get the feeling that Edwin loved being just slightly outrageous. “I want to thank you for dating her in high school.”

  “Thank me? Why? She probably wishes that she had never met me.” Now Gerri was listening with rapt attention.

  “Nah, she doesn’t hold it against you. She was pretty mad at her father for a while. But you did me a good turn. If he hadn’t shipped her to Sitka to get her away from you, I wouldn’t have met her,” he said laughingly.

  Gerri was eager to hear more details, but just then some music started playing. Ace immediately asked her to dance. Gerri didn’t want to refuse, so she compromised by leaning over as she got up, squeezing Sven’s forearm, and whispering: “Back soon. You’re next.” in Sven’s ear. She would get the story about Sven and Ellen later.

  She never got to hear that story. When Ace’s dance had finished, Sven was right there to ask her for the next. Between the two of them, Gerri got little rest. Sven warned her that he couldn’t dance any of the ‘new’ dances, but he did an enthusiastic and very presentable jitterbug.

  On one of the slow dances, Ace—perhaps impatient with his progress with Gerri—held her in a tight, barely moving embrace. She tried to keep a little distance, but it was difficult without making a scene. After a few seconds of this, Sven appeared by their side to cut in. Ace glared at him, but gave up his place without any verbal fireworks. To her disappointment, Sven didn’t try to duplicate that embrace.

  When they returned to the table, Ace bent toward Gerri and spoke softly. “Sven seems to think y
ou’re his alone. Is that true? Did I get the wrong idea?”

  That was the second time Gerri had been asked about her relationship with Sven, and she didn’t know any better how to answer. She gave a strategic answer to let Ace down easily. “Maybe. I mean, we’re still new to each other, but we’re…um…exploring the situation. Please don’t tell Sven I said that.” Because I’d die of embarrassment!

  Ace glanced at Sven, who was talking to Edwin. “I won’t say a word. He doesn’t need the encouragement.” In a louder voice, he added, “If you folks will excuse me, I see someone I know. Gerri, if I don’t get back, it was nice meeting you, and I had fun dancing with you.”

  Sven left as well, to get refills on their drinks, leaving Gerri at the table with Edwin. She fanned herself. “It’s warm in here.”

  “You’ll cool off now that you finally have a chance to rest. I think that Ace finally realized that Sven wasn’t going to let you get away from him.”

  Gerri looked at his amused expression and gave a small shrug and a smile. “I don’t know about that, but I’m enjoying myself.” She decided to give Edwin some of his own teasing medicine. With an innocent smile, she asked, “Tell me about yourself. How does your wife feel about your going to a dance without her?”

  If she thought that she was going to discomfit him, she was wrong. He threw his head back and laughed. “She knows why I’m here, and she’s fine with it.” He looked around conspiratorially and bent his head close. “I’m here on a secret mission—actually two secret missions, but she only knows about one.” He paused to gauge his effect on Gerri. “I’m here as a baby sitter. We’re going out tomorrow, and I don’t want to have anyone on my crew hung over.”

  Gerri knew she was being good naturedly baited, but she couldn’t resist. “That’s the one she knows about?”

  “Right.” He paused and twirled his glass. “And, of course, I’m here to gather gossip and report back to her. She’d never forgive me if I didn’t do that.”

  Gerri looked around. “She knows the people here?”

  He shook his head and pointed at Gerri. “The gossip is about you guys. She’ll be curious about how Sven is doing. He’s…” His voice trailed off; as if he was sorry he had spoken. “Sven has had some tough times in his life. Ellen will be glad to hear that he has a lady friend after all of these years.”

  “Tough times? You mean when he dated Ellen?”

  “No, No. That was nothing. What I’m talking about was later.”

  Gerri made encouraging motions with her hands. “Come on, tell me. The suspense is killing me.”

  Edwin smiled apologetically. “Sorry. What I know is third hand.” He cast a look toward the concession area. Sven was heading back with drinks in his hands. “It’s not really my story to tell. According to Ellen, he’s a very polarizing person—some people hate him and others think that he’s a great guy.” He glanced toward the concession area. Sven was almost in earshot. Edwin added quickly, “Ellen is definitely in the latter group.”

  “So am I,” Gerri added in a considerable understatement. She was already making plans to get more information. From whom? Mindy? Wally? Or Sven himself?

  “You two look like you’re plotting something.”

  Gerri started to reassure him, but Edwin spoke first. “If you two are ever in Hoonah—that’s where we live now—Ellen will insist that both of you come for dinner.”

  Sven cocked his head in puzzlement. “You talked to her?”

  Another chuckle from Edwin. “I don’t have to talk to her. We know each other well. In fact, I knew from the moment I heard your radio conversation with Ace yesterday that she would expect me to ask.”

  Now Gerri wondered if she’d missed something important yesterday. “Were you on the radio? I didn’t recognize your voice.”

  “I didn’t say anything—didn’t have anything to say. Sometimes you can learn more by listening than by talking.”

  Gerri smiled wryly, picturing herself huddling by the vent in the Pee Dee State college library. “That’s certainly true.”

  After the dance, Gerri and Sven walked slowly back to the boat. Neither one wanted this evening to end. Gerri shivered a bit and Sven again put his arm around her. She allowed herself a small, secret smile of satisfaction—that was exactly what she’d hoped he would do. And she hadn’t even faked the shiver. The temperature had dipped into the fifties—Gerri had learned by now that ‘a warm summer evening’ didn’t mean the same thing to an Alaskan as it did to a South Carolinian.

  Gerri was energized by what she had heard from Edwin. She had already been fascinated by Sven, but now he had an added aura of mystery—even tragedy—that she yearned to penetrate. I can start with Ellen…

  “Tell me about you and Ellen.”

  Sven was startled by the question. Was this a proprietary interest? He dismissed that quickly—in his dreams, and illicit dreams at that. “There’s nothing to tell. Edwin pretty much said it all. Her father moved her to a Native school in Sitka. I’m glad that things turned out well for her. Edwin seems like a nice guy.”

  “Were you unhappy?”

  He looked at her. “Unhappy as in heartbroken? No. We’d only been on a couple of dates. I don’t even know if anything would have developed. Unhappy as in pissed? Yes. We both were angry at our parents. She for being uprooted, and me for…” He paused.

  After a minute of silence, Gerri glanced at him. He saw her out of the corner of his eye. “You know how at some point in life, you find out that your parents are just ordinary people? And not necessarily very nice ones? That was that point for me.”

  “They objected to your dating a Native girl?”

  “Yes. Vehemently.” And not in polite terms. “I mean, Juneau is nothing like the South. But at that time—ten years ago or so—there was a color line. It wasn’t that people were nasty: just that certain things weren’t done. It depended on the person. My parents, to my surprise and disillusionment, had a problem with, um, mixing.”

  Gerri could imagine this all too well, but didn’t want to seem to be criticizing his parents. “Are they… Have they changed?”

  “I doubt it. I don’t know. They’re not in my life now. In fact, they don’t even live in Alaska anymore.”

  “All that because you dated Ellen?”

  Sven sighed. This conversation was getting out of control. “No. There were some other things that happened later.” Gerri was silently waiting, Sven sensed, for him to elaborate. “I’d rather not talk about those things now,” he said.

  Gerri gave him a squeeze. “I understand. And I’m sorry. I guess I’m lucky. I haven’t been disillusioned by my parents. I hope I never am.”

  They had arrived back at the boat. “I had a wonderful time,” Gerri said. “I hope I didn’t spoil it at the end with my questions.”

  Sven took her in his arms and held her. After a moment, he whispered in her ear. “I had a great time, too. In fact, I almost forgive Ace for trying to make time with you.”

  Gerri laughed against his chest. “Poor Ace. All of his wonderful plans, gone to naught.”

  “Don’t worry about him. I’m sure he found somebody more…tractable.” He stepped back and looked at her. She stared back, her big eyes intent and a small smile playing on her lips. And in a minute, I’ll be as bad as he was. He lifted her gently over the gunwale to the deck. “We need to start early tomorrow. Let’s turn in.”

  Chapter 15

  Gerri wasn’t able to make much progress in solving the mystery of Sven’s past. Three days later, she knew nothing new. They had been fishing long hours and falling into their beds exhausted at the end of each day. It never seemed to be the right time to bring up the subject.

  Gerri had no cause for complaint, though. The fishing was good. She was learning to estimate the catch and, more to the point, estimate her share of the profits. That was telling her that she had another sizeable check coming to her at the end of this trip. At Sven’s suggestion, she was going to open a checking a
ccount at a Juneau bank when they next came into port.

  She smiled in satisfaction as she lay in her berth. Who could have believed that her very first checking account would be a whole continent away from South Carolina? Who could have believed how much money she would be depositing in it? She could hardly wait to tell her parents about this in her next letter.

  That reminded her—she should have a letter from home by now, waiting at Mindy’s. This summer was turning into such a wonderful adventure. She just hoped that her parents weren’t upset with the changes she had made to her plans. She mentally started composing her next letter. As always, she would accentuate the positive and be reassuring.

  She would mention the money, of course. She would mention all the interesting people that she had met. She would mention that she was still looking forward to seeing a glacier. She would mention the town dance and thank her mother for insisting that Gerri bring the dress. She would not mention—she grinned briefly in the dark—that she had spent the dance with two white men competing—politely, but tenaciously—for her company.

  That guided her thoughts to her relationship to Sven. She had to admit that she had a crush on him. If he were black and lived in South Carolina, she would very much want to date him. But he was neither. Still, she thought that he liked her as well. Didn’t he say that she looked beautiful? She remembered that well, having played that scene back in her mind more than once.

 

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