Page 25 of Weathering The Storm

“Same way they drinkwaterunderwater, I dunno.”

“They don’t drink water. They, like, breathe it. That’s what gills are for, dumbass.”

“So, they could drink beer through their gills then. Or… breathe it?”

A hiccup reverberates off the water. “Why do you even care?”

“Iz’za business idea,” he slurs. “Spirit-infused crab legs. Y’know, like beer-battered fish.”

“That’s not how they make beer-battered fish. Do you actually think that? Do you think they get the fish drunk before they fry them?”

Jorgensen doesn’t respond to that question, but a beat passes before he switches gears. “So, if crabs breathe the water they drink, doyouthinktheythink we’re drinking the air we breathe? Wait… arewe drinking air?”

“You are definitely not drinking enough air. Not enough oxygen in your brain,” Pyotr says. “And you are going to fall off the—”

Splash.

“—dock.”

Nick springs to his feet, and I’m not far behind him. Both of us peer over the gunwale where, two slips over, Orlov is fishing Jorg out of the water. Perry is laughing his ass off so hard, it looks like he’s about to fall in next.

“Fuck,”Jorgensen sputters.“I think I’m sober now.”

“Not a chance,” Zach says.

“Walk straighter next time,” Orlov suggests.

Nick smothers his laugh with his palm, but not before half of it bubbles out through his nose. He turns to me, a slash of a smile on his face. “Is this what you deal with all day?”

“Worse, sometimes. I’ll take too many beers over too many energy drinks any day of the week.” I lean against the cold steel of the gunwale. “They’re a great crew, though. Best I’ve ever worked with, but that makes sense. The best captains get to hold on to the best guys.”

“I like how you complimented yourself too there.”

“Well, since we’re in the habit of being honest tonight,” I tease.

His amusement fades, giving way to something more earnest. “You haven’t told them, have you?”

“That I’m gay? No, no. Not because I think these guys would take it badly, but… I just didn’t wantyouto know.”

“I’m sure you've worked with plenty of old-school assholes around here, but I hope I never came across like—”

“It’s not that.” I smile. “I thought if you found out, you’d be able to tell how I feel about you.”

“Oh.” His voice comes out low and fragile, a lap of water against the hull. “I wouldn’t have. I was too hung up on the way I feel about you.”

I’ll have to replay those words later, when I’m not distracted by the booming footsteps approaching theSuoja, or the uproarof laughter as Jorg tells a heavily embellished tale about how a barracuda nearly amputated his thumb.

Nick glances up at the dock again. “I hate asking this, but… do you mind not telling them for a while longer? I’m not sure if I… well. It complicates things for me. Being their boss. I don’t want to lose good workers, lose business. You know how word travels around here.”

“Hey.” I hunch over, stealing one last kiss before the guys come clambering on board. “You don’t have to justify anything to me, alright? It’s easy to say, ‘If they have a problem with it, you don’t want them working for you anyway,’ but reality isn’t so cut and dry. Whatever you decide, I support you. If you need me to stand with you while you tell them, I’ll be there. If you never want to tell anyone at all, you already know I can keep a secret. I’m with you. Okay?”

His eyes soften, his deep exhale fogging up the air between us. “Okay.”

Chapter 7

Seth

The guys wouldn’t take no for an answer from either of us about going out on the second night.