He looked relaxed, Lola realized, and exceptionally yummy at the wheel.
She had gone down to the kitchen for a juice, and now climbed back up the ladder and came to stand by his side. “This suits you,” she said.
“Thank you,” Gage said, accepting the water she handed him. “I didn’t know it at the time, when I first stumbled upon the boatyard. But I’ve felt more at peace with this decision than anything else in my life.”
“What does your family think of it? Do you have family?”
“My parents are still together. They live in Vermont now and are taking a stab at making goat cheese and raising bees for honey, if you can believe that.”
“Only child?”
“One sister, who has happily taken on the burden of giving my mother all the grandchildren she wants. She has one more on the way, which will make six.”
“Six!” Lola exclaimed.
“I know, right? She loves being a mom. They live in Vermont too, and the kids race all over the land. They’re basically outdoors no matter the season. They’re happy there, which is what really matters.”
“You miss them,” Lola said.
“I do, but I visit at least once a year and we Skype. It’s all good. They can’t travel as much, but I hope to bring the lot of them down here once the new baby is a little older. Assuming she isn’t pregnant again after that.”
“How old are you? Unless that’s rude of me to ask,” Lola said, turning to look at him. It was annoying that men only got more handsome as they got older, and Gage was at that indistinguishable age between mid-thirties and late forties.
“I’m thirty-seven,” Gage said with a smile.
“No kids?”
“Nope, which I am completely fine with. My sister got that gene, I think. I figured if I really wanted them, I’d have chosen a different life path.”
“You can still have children living on an island, or even sailing around,” Lola said.
“Sure, but having a wife and a baby on board would likely be a lot trickier than it looks. Especially when that baby starts toddling about. No thank you,” Gage laughed. “What about you? Did you grow up thinking about a big dreamy wedding and two-point-five kids?”
“Nope.” Lola laughed and shook her head. “Also seem to be missing that gene. And my mom had enough weddings for me to play out any dreams I had of picking out a dress, or where to get married. I got to do all that with her.”
“Do you want to get married?” Gage asked, and Lola gave him the side-eye.
“Is that a proposal?”
Gage sputtered, then laughed, shaking his head as he corrected the course of the boat ever so gently.
“No, not at this moment it’s not.”
“I’m a little gun-shy on the whole marriage thing. I never quite understood how my mother continues to throw herself headfirst into marriages over and over. She claims it’s because love is meant to be celebrated, but to me it seems ridiculous.”
“She’s a romantic, then.”
“She is. And I love her dearly, even if I don’t always agree with her relationship choices. Like, why marry again?” Lola shrugged. “Why not just be together with her partner? The marriage part doesn’t seem necessary. Especially at her age.”
“She sounds fun,” Gage said.
Lola looked up at him. “Really?”
“Sure. She’s not afraid to love again, she likes putting on a pretty dress and having a big party. Why not? Would you prefer her alone and at home and unhappy?”
“No… I suppose I hadn’t thought about it that way. Not that she would ever just sit at home; the woman travels more than I do. But, okay, I see your point.”
“I’m happy to break some of your cynicism then.” Gage laughed and bumped her shoulder companionably. “Want to drive?”
“I’m not cynical –” Lola paused. “Wait, you would let me drive this thing? What if I capsize us?”
“I’ll be right here to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Gage promised.
Lola stepped forward and took the large captain’s wheel, surprised at the resistance under her arm. It felt like she had total control, and if she spun the wheel, the whole thing would flip.
“Here, correct our course a bit,” Gage said at her shoulder and she looked back at him.
“How do I know where we’re going?”
“See that little line on the screen in front of you?” Gage pointed to the panel of instruments. “We are the little boat. You want to keep the boat on the line.”
“It’s like a video game,” Lola said, bending over to look.
“Sure, but with real-life consequences,” Gage said. “Where’s your camera?”
“In my bag,” Lola said, then gasped when Gage left her to go find her bag. Holy shit, she was driving a boat all by herself in the middle of the ocean with nobody around. No land, no Coast Guard, nada. She gulped, feeling a small sliver of panic work its way through her. Then she took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and realized something else.
She really liked this.
It was exhilarating, she realized, to be able to steer the boat in any direction she wanted, knowing that there were new adventures to be found in whatever direction they went. It was kind of like how she’d lived her life, but now she understood for the first time why she’d felt so restless of late.
She hadn’t been at the wheel.
Instead she’d been drifting along, following any whim she had or taking any client requests she’d felt like. There was nothing wrong with that, but it wasn’t as if she’d been purposeful about her existence. Siren Moon? That was purpose, and she’d be able to direct her path and interests based on what benefitted her and her gallery first. It was an exhilarating feeling, she realized, much like driving this boat.
“Yes, I love that. You look like a cat that just got the cream,” Gage decided, and she realized he’d been clicking away with her camera, capturing her moment of epiphany.
Lola jumped, and quickly glanced down at the screen to see the boat had deviated from the line. Turning the wheel sharply, she gasped as the boat responded, sending Gage almost tumbling. But he grabbed a railing and launched himself beside her, grabbing the wheel from behind and steadying the boat.
“Whoops, sorry about that,” Lola said, her heart hammering in her chest. “I didn’t realize how much the boat would turn. I went off the line. I’m sorry.”
“No matter, it’s easy to correct your course out here,” Gage said, his body warm against hers as he slowly turned the wheel, “You want to be gentle though, as the steering wheel is quite responsive to touch.”
Lola bit her lip, her senses heightened as he steered them back on course, and thought about what else would be responsive to his touch.
“Also, you don’t want to send the captain overboard,” Gage said at her ear. “Or do you?”
“I have my moments.” Lola laughed and turned, surprised to find his face still there, his lips inches from hers. “But I’ll do my best not to toss you in the drink.”
“Or make me walk the plank?”
“Depends how bad you’ve been,” Lola said, her eyes still caught on his lips.
“I can be very… bad,” Gage said, and closed the distance so that his lips pressed hotly to hers. Lola was imprisoned there, between his arms, her back to the wheel, as he kissed her slowly and languidly, like they had all the time in the world and didn’t need to steer a boat. Lola broke the kiss, then, taking a deep, shuddering breath, she dipped under his arms and stepped away from the wheel.
“I don’t want to be responsible for distracting the captain,” she said lightly, gesturing to the line on the screen again.
“That’s a good first mate. Think you can rustle up any snacks below? We’ve another hour yet. Oh, and can you hit the radio? We could get some tunes out here.”
“That would be nice,” Lola said, staring at his back as he began to hum cheerfully, reaching down to hit a button on the dashboard. Did nothing ruffle this
man’s feathers? Lola felt like his kisses made her drugged, or like she’d been hit in the gut with a sledgehammer. Her body felt warm and liquid, and she was struggling to think of anything else but dragging him down to that bunk below.
He was going to drive her crazy, she decided, and that was the truth of it.
Chapter 27
It was kind of like the movie Castaway, Lola thought as they approached the small island – a pristine white beach sheltered in a small cove, a few palm trees ringing the island.
“It’s crazy to me that there are just these little paradise islands out here in the middle of nowhere. Who owns them? Don’t people want to buy them? Can you buy them? Or would that be foolish? Getting food and water out here would probably be a nightmare, so I guess it makes sense not to own one.”
“I’m sure you can find an island to buy if you’re in the market and have the money,” Gage said, bringing the boat close, but not all the way in. “Ready to drop anchor?”
“Sure, what do I do?”
“I’ll handle this part,” Gage said and went about securing the anchor.
“Now what? How do we get in? Swim?” Lola asked, shading her eyes. She loved swimming in the ocean, but they were still a good ways from the shore and she wasn’t sure if there were currents or not.
* * *
“Did you really not notice the Zodiac at the stern?” Gage leaned against a railing, his grin wide.
“What… there’s a boat? Oh yeah, you told me that, but I didn’t see it,” Lola said. She left the wheel to walk to the back of the boat where indeed, there was a little inflatable boat with a small motor. “Huh, what do you know.”
“I know that I’m not swimming to shore, but you’re welcome to if you like,” Gage said as he began stocking his waterproof bag. “Do you want anything in here that can’t get wet?”
“Yes, my camera, please. Everything else shouldn’t matter. I have sunscreen, towel, loads of water, some snacks, camera…” Lola trailed off. “Do I need anything else?”
“Bring your water shoes. We don’t know if we’ll find caves or what, but you’ll want to have them just in case. I have bug spray, a first-aid kit, and a few other things you might need too.”
“You’re quite the Boy Scout,” Lola said, handing him her camera and slinging her pack over her shoulder.
“Being prepared is smart. Nobody ever said, ‘Oh shoot, I’m so upset there’s a first aid kit here when I just sliced my hand open.’”
“Fair enough.” Lola watched as he lowered the boat to the water and then led her to a little staircase. It opened to a small platform where she could hop neatly into the boat. “That’s a smart set-up.”
“It lets you park your boat further out; that way you don’t damage the reefs or your boat.”
“Smart,” Lola said again, and then held onto her sun hat as Gage gunned the engine and zipped them toward the shore, the water splashing against the front of the boat. He cut the motor as they drew close, and hopped out in waist-deep water, pulling the boat until it bumped on the sand.
“My lady,” Gage said, holding out a hand for Lola. She took it, stepping from the boat, her toes sinking into the sand.
“Wow,” Lola breathed, turning a full circle on the beach while Gage grabbed his pack. “This is next level. I mean, what a picture-postcard of an island! Gimme my camera,” Lola said, holding out her hands to Gage. He complied, handing it over so Lola could frame up round after round of shots. The pretty sand beach led to what looked to be impenetrable bush, palm trees, and nothing else. It was a bit of surreal experience to stand on the island and realize she and Gage were likely the only ones around for hours. Lola framed up a stunning shot of Fantasea, thinking she’d give it to Gage as a thank-you gift for bringing her here.
“Now what? Your wish is my command,” Gage asked. Despite herself, Lola took a quick photo of him as well. He just looked so… natural in the environment. In fact, she’d yet to see him flustered. Maybe that would be something to put on her list, Lola thought – figure out how to fluster Gage.
“I’m not really sure. I was told this is like a mermaid hotspot, but I’m not entirely sure how one goes about finding a mermaid. Maybe we just have a wander around the island? See if we find anything? When we get too hot, have a swim?”
“Perfect. I brought masks and snorkels, so we can have a peek underwater as well.”
“I don’t really know what I’m looking for,” Lola admitted, and then stood back when Gage pulled a machete from the Zodiac. “Um, whoa. Wait a minute.”
“It’s for the bush,” Gage said, pointing to the tangle of jungle behind them. “If we want to go into it, we need something that will cut through it. Nothing better than a good ol’ machete. Plus, I can cut open a coconut for you if you’d like.”
“Now that is definitely something I have to see,” Lola said and fell in step beside him. They walked in companionable silence for a while – and by silence, Lola meant silence. Aside from the sound of the waves on the beach or the rustle of the wind in the trees, there were no other sounds. No car horns honking, no music playing, no doors closing. It was weird to realize just how much ambient noise faded into the background of her daily life.
“Look, there’s a turtle,” Gage said, and pointed to the turquoise water, where indeed, a turtle had popped its head up before dropping back underwater.
“Aww, he was cute.”
“What would you name him?”
“Trevor,” Lola said. Gage just looked at her. “What? Trevor the Turtle. I think it works.”
“Trevor it is, then,” Gage smiled and they rounded the curve of the island, where the beach turned from sand to rocks. Picking their way more carefully now, they stopped to look into the tidal pools, watching crabs zip around and little fish wiggling.
“It looks like there’s another cave there,” Gage said, and Lola looked to where he was pointing at a small entrance in a cliff’s wall. “Should we go look?”
“If we can get to it,” Lola said, and stopped to tug her water shoes on. Carefully, they climbed their way over the rocks until they stood at the opening to the cave.
Her necklace hummed at her neck as they drew closer. Reaching out, she grabbed Gage’s arm.
“There’s something in there,” Lola whispered.
“How do you know?”
“I feel it,” Lola said, not bothering to explain herself. “I… just tread carefully.”
“Danger?” Gage asked, automatically tucking her behind him.
“No, just… I don’t know. Sadness is what I’m getting. But also joy. Just… I can’t really tell.”
“I’ll go in first,” Gage decided, pulling two dive lights from his bag.
“No, let’s go in together. I feel like we need to be careful so as not to damage what’s in there, not like something will harm us. Almost as though we’re the danger here,” Lola said, trying to narrow down the feeling in her gut.
“Then we’ll move slow and not touch anything,” Gage said, taking her hand and pulling her to his side. Together they ducked into the opening, which was just wide enough for the both of them, though they both had to stoop, Gage more so than Lola. Slowly, they half-walked, half-waddled their way deeper into the cave, until it suddenly opened into a massive cavern.
“Holy…” Gage breathed, shining his light across the room.
“Shit,” Lola finished.
Chapter 28
“Pearls,” Lola breathed.
“Thousands of them,” Gage said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her in front of him so that she pressed back against his front. Neither of them moved, just stood there and shone their lights all over the mounds of pearls piled high in the cavern. There were all sizes, ranging from the teeniest tiniest seed pearl to ones the size of Lola’s hand. The colors ranged from deep lustrous white all the way to a stunning opaque grey, and Lola had never wanted to take a picture of something more in her life. She’d never seen anything like it.
&
nbsp; “I really want to take a picture of this, but I know it won’t ever translate to film the way I want it to. Besides… I think it… just feels disrespectful.”
“It’s mermaid treasure,” Gage said at her ear. “I think I’ll remember this moment for the rest of my life.”
“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life… but, why… why the sadness as well? I don’t understand.” Lola leaned back against Gage’s chest while he held her tight, and she closed her eyes and thought, going deep within to try and read what she felt.
“I agree, it does feel like there’s some sorrow mixed in with the beauty here. Like a yin and a yang; the harmony of life, I suppose.”
“The human condition,” Lola said, opening her eyes. “Pleasure and pain, love and loss, life and death. These are souls, Gage.”
“What?” Gage said, stepping back, but Lola grabbed his arms, keeping him wrapped around her. She needed to steady herself for a moment as the rush of emotion washed through her, the necklace all but buzzing at her neck.
“Remember in the myth? Irmine collects souls as pearls and keeps them, protecting them in the afterlife. These are sailors that died at her reefs, or maybe families, swimmers, island-folk. She turns them into pearls and protects them forever.”
“I’ll be damned,” Gage whispered. “I can absolutely feel it, now that you say that. You know, I always just sort of dismissed that myth, but to be honest, it’s the only explanation. There’s thousands of pearls in here. No pirate would have dumped this loot here. And they aren’t native to the area – look at all the different kinds and colors. Holy shit, does this mean mermaids are actually real? I mean, I guess I kind of thought they might be; actually, I always hoped they were – I wished for them, just once, to see, you know? It’s silly, I know, but –”
Lola turned and pressed a finger to Gage’s lips to stop his babbling.
“I’m the one on a mermaid hunt. I absolutely believe they are real. The fact that we were allowed to see this shows that they trust us to bring no harm to them, or to their treasure.”
Up to No Good: The Siren Island Series, Book Two Page 14