Page 41 of Take Me Back
“No, really, I could probably injure myself watching paint dry. It’s okay.”
Dane helps me aboard, carefully and safely, and the deckhand is still smiling at my comment.
“I’m Fedor. I’ll be your tour guide and deckhand today, along with Captain Tisdale.” He indicates the man standing at the helm, who gives us a short wave.
Dane holds out a hand. “Dane. This is Kat.”
“Wonderful to have you aboardSweet Girl. Today we’ll be sailing around the cayes and stopping at some favorite snorkeling spots. If you’re interested in a beverage, we have plenty of drinks on board, and I’ll also be your bartender. Can I get you anything to get started before we depart?”
Dane looks to me. “Kat?”
“Do you have something fruity?”
Fedor smiles at me. “We have Belize’s favorite fruity cocktail, the Panty Ripper.” He shoots me a wink.
“What’s in that?”
“Pineapple juice and coconut rum. Perfect for a morning out on the water.”
I’m not sure whether it’s because of the suggestive name or despite it, but the drink sounds delicious. “I’ll have one of those.”
“Excellent. And for you, sir?”
“Do you have Bloody Mary mix?”
Fedor nods. “Indeed we do. Homemade from the resort. I’ll get your drinks, and Captain Tisdale will tell you about the safety features of our vessel.”
The wordssafety featuresare clearly directed at me.
Captain Tisdale spends five minutes telling us about the life jackets, paddles, and restroom on board before Fedor returns with our drinks. We settle onto a padded seat as the two men prepare to depart.
Just as Fedor is tossing off one of the dock lines, a familiar voice shouts from the dock.
“Wait! We want to come!”
Anya.
Footsteps pound down the wooden pier until her swirling hair and long legs come into view. She pauses to catch her breath. “They just told us you were going out. We want to come too.”
Captain Tisdale smiles brilliantly. “Of course, ma’am. We always have more room for a beautiful woman.”
Apparently she’s his type. Whose type wouldn’t she be?
Both Fedor and Captain Tisdale hurry to assist Anya in climbing aboard with her giant beach bag. My plan to avoid being anywhere near her while she’s in a bikini seems to be failing in spectacular fashion.
“Vander is coming as well. He refuses to run anywhere, so it was up to me to make sure you wouldn’t leave without us.”
For some reason, hearing Anya say this makes me like her a little more.
“I’m coming. I just didn’t want to risk breaking my neck for a sailboat ride,” comes Vander’s bored tone. “Thank you for waiting for me.”
So much for a quiet day out on the water for just the two of us.
It’s going to be fine, I tell myself.
Vander crosses to the cushioned bench where we’re seated. “I hope you two don’t mind the company. Anya’s never turned down a chance to go on a booze cruise. She’s always the life of the party. You’ll see.”
Apparently we have no choice.
