Ingrid Ch. 05

"Oh god, Steve. I'm so happy you're here," she said, embracing him.

"I like your hair. Is that a new style?"

She reached up and felt her wet mop. "Oh god, I was in the shower when the doorbell rang. I almost didn't answer it. It's a good thing you rang twice," she said, almost out of breath.

"In the shower, eh," he intoned slyly. "Mind if I watch?"

"You really are getting brave, aren't you? Want to join me?"

"I've already had a shower this morning and a good thing, too. Those two guys must have smoked a pack of cigarettes each. I'll have to have my clothes decontaminated before I wear them again. You go have your shower. I smell coffee and I can't think of anything I need more. Mind if I have a cup?" he asked belatedly.

"Of course not. There's cream in the 'fridge. I'll just be a couple of minutes," she said brightly.

The disappointment of last night was long gone. Her guy didn't just call, he came to her. She stepped into the shower and began to soap herself, humming some nameless tune.

Steve sat himself down at the kitchen table and looked through the morning newspaper. It had been on the front porch and he picked it up just as he was about the ring the bell a third time. He browsed the pages one after another and discovered little that deserved his attention.

He was on Section C when Ingrid walked in. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. She was dressed brightly in a white blouse with greens, reds, and blue brush strokes in the design. The blouse with navy shorts ensemble was tied with a white fabric belt. She had an old pair of slippers on her feet. Her hair was perfect, lovely and smooth in its auburn glow.

Steve stepped back and let out a soft wolf-whistle.

"God, you look gorgeous."

She flashed him a big smile and then pulled him back to her. It took them a minute or so to untangle. Steve spoke first.

"I saw the list on the counter. Looks like you got most of it covered already. That's great. Maybe we can get away earlier after all," he said brightly.

"Oh, I hope so. I'm ready now! Is there anything else I can help with?" she asked.

"Well, let's have a look at the list and see what needs to be done," he suggested.

He looked it over for a couple of minutes.

"You know Ingrid, I think we can do this together and get it done quickly," he said looking up at her standing beside him.

"So here's my plan. Get your weekend stuff, if it's ready, and we'll put it in the car. Then, we'll head out and finish the shopping, stop at my place to pick up my gear, and we're off to the marina. That sound OK?" he asked expectantly.

"Yes, of course! All I have to do is gather my bathroom kit and my bag and I'm ready."

She hurried off to the back of the house and a couple of minutes later she reappeared with a large overnight bag and a plastic grocery sack containing some shoes.

"I guessed I should pack light. I won't bother with the ski parka this time. The floater coats will do, won't they?"

"Yes, good thinking! Just as long as you bring that t-shirt," he smirked.

"Oh, I've got that and more," she answered slyly.

He finished his second cup of coffee, rinsed it out in the sink, put it in the dishwasher, turned to her and said, "Let's go!"

They left the house just before nine thirty and started on their rounds to the various shops for the necessary items. They spent most of their time on fresh food. Steve was very fussy and turned down meats and vegetables that looked just fine to Ingrid. She deferred to his expertise.

She got to choose the pastries and desserts. He looked after a couple of items at the liquor store, but they didn't include champagne. They held hands and rubbed hips together as they walked through the village, stopping at the occasional shop. Yesterday, Ingrid had spent most of her time at the Mall, collecting her items on the list. Today, they were strolling along Marine Drive in the Village, enjoying the spring air.

The weather was perfect once again. Blue sky, with some puffy white clouds over the mountains. By late-morning they could tell that it would be another warm day, and with a moderate westerly, their sail was bound to be good. With any luck, they'd be on the water before two, and should make Shadow Cove easily before dusk.

Ingrid, enjoying the close company of her man, was lost in another world. She was tense with anticipation for today and tonight. She felt like she'd been waiting for this day for years and perhaps she had. 'Big Red' has a Man! Stop the presses! She wanted to shout it out to everyone on the sidewalk.

She used to be embarrassed and angry when someone called her that, but no more. Now, it was her statement! After all, it was completely appropriate. And when that didn't fit the occasion, well, there was always Indigo.

Steve and Ingrid completed their shopping just before eleven-thirty. They drove back to his apartment, leaving the supplies in the wagon.

Taking the elevator to his floor, he opened the apartment door. His travel bags were sitting in the living room, open. The sport bag he had used the previous weekend was beside them. The cooler was on the kitchen floor, closed.

"I'll just be a minute, Ingrid."

He walked quickly to his bedroom and flicked on the light. She could see through the door that the bed was unmade and there were clothes in a pile on the floor, including what looked like a dark suit. So, he wasn't always Mr. Neat and Tidy, eh! More useful information, she smiled to herself.

Five minutes later he emerged with several folded shirts and two pair of shorts. He placed them in his bag and went back to the bedroom, emerging less than a minute later with a couple of pairs of khaki cotton pants. One last trip and she saw socks and underwear disappear into the bag. A quick trip to the bathroom, a bit of clatter and the sound of a zipper, and he emerged with his shaving kit, stuffing it into the sport bag. He moved the bag to the front door and reached into the hall closet for his Topsiders.

"There," he said "we're off."

"You didn't unpack this morning, did you?" Ingrid teased.

"No, it wasn't my first priority today."

"What was?" she asked slyly.

"You, of course."

She moved in front of him and kissed him, quietly and softly. She reached down and picked up his sport bag.

"You get the cooler," she said, looking at him as if she had just scored some small victory.

"Sounds fair."

The apartment door closed behind them as they walked to the elevator. Within a couple of minutes they were rolling out of the car park and turning toward Marine Drive.

"I'm hungry, Ingrid. I didn't have breakfast. Why don't we stop at Frisco's and have something to eat? We're doing fine for time."

"Sure, I'm hungry too," she quickly replied.

They pulled into the deli's small parking area and jumped out of the Volvo. They had their arms around each other as they walked into the small café. They each ordered a sandwich, chose to share a coleslaw salad, and treated themselves to a glass of local white wine.

Ingrid sat eating her sandwich, looking at Steve and saying nothing. She had a smile she couldn't hide.

Steve felt a bit uncomfortable with her watching him, but was inevitably drawn back to looking at her and smiling. He had been looking forward to this weekend more than he realized. He was proud to be seen with this incredible woman.

"Eat your heart out, boys," he thought.

They finished their sandwiches and salad, sat quietly sipping the wine and enjoying each other's company.

"I hope it's always going to be this good," Ingrid said out of nowhere.

Steve paused, looking at her, as if considering his answer.

He smiled and said, "Why not! We've earned it, haven't we?"

Ingrid didn't respond, sitting back in her chair a looking at him with her "I'm happy" smile. There wasn't anything that needed saying.

They were on the road soon afterward, and arrived at the marina parking lot just before one.

Ingrid remembered the routine from the previous week, and while Steve parked the Volvo, she walked over to the shed and pulled out one of the carts. She had already loaded the gear onto it when Steve arrived back at the ramp.

"Ah hah!" he exclaimed. "Nicely done. Thank you, we're off!"

He guided the cart down the steep ramp with great care.

"It's much steeper than I remember it," Ingrid noted.

"Yup. The tide's out. You get this type of change over a six or seven day cycle. The good news is that when we come back on Monday afternoon, it will be almost full and it won't be as hard to come up the ramp. How's that for planning? Aren't you impressed that I even arranged the tides for this weekend?" he laughed.

"Wow, my guy is a god!" she laughed. "He's a regular King Canute. Do your servants applaud when you do magic tricks for them?" she giggled.

"Not nearly enough."

Their mood was contagious. They were playing off each other the way they had on the phone almost a week ago.

He pulled the cart up to the small step-box on the 'Matron' and Ingrid climbed aboard. Steve began passing items to her and she put them on the deck near the stern. When the groceries were passed up, she made sure they were in the shade. Quickly, all the gear was on the boat.

While Steve took the cart back to the shed, Ingrid began putting the perishables in the refrigerator. When she had finished, she stowed the non-perishables in the lower cupboards, hoping that Steve would be able to find them when needed.

She then brought the bags down and placed them in the stateroom, and returned to the galley. She had left the cooler on deck. It was heavy and she thought it would be safer if they both handled it down the companionway. She didn't want an accident right at the beginning of their weekend.

In a minute or so, Steve reappeared, looked approvingly at the deck and thanked her for her effort. They moved the heavy cooler down the companionway together and Ingrid showed Steve where she had stowed the non-perishables. He was happy with all of her decisions, no changes needed to be made. He looked around, turned to Ingrid, put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her to him.

"Are you trying to impress me?" he asked quietly, "because you definitely have. Have you ever considered a career at sea?"

"Not until you came along," she replied. "We make a pretty good team, don't we?"

"We make a very good team. You keep surprising me. I like your kind of surprises," he said softly.

They kissed a slow, passionate, deep kiss. They looked at each other silently, smiling.

"Shall we cast off on our next adventure?"

"Yes Captain. All hands are on deck, ready for your orders," she answered promptly.

Steve dropped his hands down and patted her backside. A quick peck on the cheek and they headed up to the wheelhouse. The fans whirred and the engine was started. A further inspection by him confirmed the status of all the electrical gear. Fuel level was well over two-thirds, and fresh water tank almost full.

She had changed her clothes before preparing to cast off and was wearing her new powder blue sweatshirt and navy shorts while he wore the golf shirt and shorts that he had been wearing when he arrived at her house this morning. Steve rigged the lines for quick release while Ingrid moved forward to look after the bow.

She had no trouble remembering his simple instructions and repeated them before going forward. At twenty minutes after one on a sunny, breezy Friday afternoon in May, the 'Matron of the Sea' slipped her moorings and began the slow, careful movement into the narrow channel and out of the cove.

They cleared Passage Island and Steve gave Ingrid her course and his wind direction estimates before going forward to remove the sail cover. Ingrid handled bringing the boat into the wind almost as well as she had the first time.

There was more wind and chop this time and it was pushing the boat around, making it slightly more difficult to control. Nonetheless, she had it headed into the wind and Steve quickly raised the mainsail and the big Genoa. With a hand signal, Steve instructed Ingrid to pay off the heading back toward the southwest. They were off and running, just as if they had been doing this for years. Steve couldn't help but marvel how easily she took to handling the 'Matron'.

They met back at the helm and Steve once again complimented her seamanship. He pushed the tilting windscreens open to about thirty degrees to allow circulation in the large, stand-up wheelhouse. They were heeled over to port as they ran south, clearing Bowen Island and running out far enough to allow them a more direct sail up the Sunshine Coast. They would need to tack at least three more times if he was accurate in his plots. It would be a four hour run by his estimate. That should get them to their evening berth sometime around six.

With Ingrid's confident helm, he could go below when then got within an hour of their destination and begin meal preparation. Today's wind was a typical spring north-westerly. He would have to pay attention to it to keep his plan alive. The wind could easily change with the tide, or as they got further out in the Gulf. Ingrid wasn't equipped to manage those situations, at least not yet. He reminded himself about his moment of carelessness last week, and vowed not to make another mistake.

At three thirty, he tacked the boat onto a westerly heading. He rechecked the wind and noticed that if anything, it had come up a bit. They had just passed the ferry from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay, and he reckoned their progress was on target so far. Ingrid had been spelled off at three and she was happily looking at the scenery and snapping the odd picture with her pocket 35mm camera.

He had volunteered to put sun block on her, but she laughed and pointed out that she was wearing a sweatshirt. He looked a bit disappointed. She made sure he noticed that she was not wearing a bra under her sweatshirt. She teased him and pretended to play hard-to-get. They were playing all the little games that new lovers played, except that they weren't new lovers ... yet.

Steve had the chart of the lower Sunshine Coast on the chart table in front of him. He was studying the entrance and moorage locations for Shadow Cove, as well as the currents, depth, and any rocks or danger spots. His tide book was along side and he checked for the third or fourth time to be sure of the tide and current at their estimated time of arrival. He went back to the chart and tried to imagine what the bottom would be like. They were going to be there all night and he had to have a secure anchorage. It would nag him until they arrived, and he had set the forward and stern anchors.

Ingrid watched him as they changed tack again. She had resumed the helm and Steve had gone to the charts. His brow would furrow as he concentrated on his task. His mouth would move and his jaw would work back and forth. He would stand up and peer around for a minute or two, and then return to his study.

He had pulled his binoculars out of their drawer near the helm and would study the Coastline off to the north. What was he looking for? He was lost in thought. They had hardly said a word other than during the course and helm changes, but Ingrid was content. They were acting like an old married couple, she thought. They were comfortable with each other, each with their own tasks. They didn't need idle conversation.

Finally, Steve stood up, stretched and yawned, walked over to Ingrid and wrapped his arms around her waist. They were happy to be in each other's arms in this lovely boat, sailing on the Gulf this beautiful afternoon. A few puffy clouds, a nice, stiff breeze, and the 'Matron' and her crew were a happy boat.

"We're doing fine," he said casually. "Right on the money, I think." He nuzzled against her cheek, and closed his eyes for a few seconds.

"You sound tired," she said, concerned. "How much sleep did you get last night?"

"I don't know. About four hours I think."

"How much more time have we got on this tack?"

"At least an hour, I'd say."

"Why don't you go below and have a nap. When an hour is up or if I need you, I'll blow the horn. It's four-fifteen now. I'll blow the horn at five-fifteen, OK?"

She made it sound more like an order than a suggestion, but he knew an hour would do him some good. She was a responsible woman and wouldn't hesitate to wake him if needed.

"OK, Number One, you're in command. Wake me in one hour," he said, kissing her softly. He turned and went down the companionway to the stateroom.

Ingrid checked her heading and hoped she wouldn't have to blow the horn for an hour. He needed his sleep, especially for tonight. Despite her awkward evening on the couch, she had had a full eight hours and felt fresh and clear-headed. She reached over for a water bottle and took a swallow. She hoped she wouldn't have to use the head before the hour was up.

She reached out again and turned on the radio. She found a local FM station that played her kind of soft rock and turned it up a bit. She was sure Steve wouldn't hear it, and it kept her mind from wandering. She was singing along with the radio some time later when she looked up at the ship's clock and saw that it was ten past five. Five more minutes for my guy and then he gets "the horn."

Once again, she looked around to make sure she was in open water with no other boats or ships nearby. Everything seemed fine. She waited until the song was finished, reached over and pushed the button. She gave it a solid, one second blast which made her jump at the sharp sound. She waited for a couple of minutes and was considering pushing the button again when she saw him come up the companionway. He looked fresher and he smiled at her before looking around to see where they were. He stretched and yawned again and again wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't know why you need me at all, love. You have this boat in perfect trim and we've made good headway. I'm convinced, you are a natural!" he said, sliding his hands up underneath her sweatshirt. They roamed upward to her breasts and he caressed them gently.

"You'd better not do that, Captain. I have to pee, and if you make me lose my control there could be a terrible accident. I'm sure you'd be disappointed in me," she groaned.

"I could never let that happen, young lady. You go to the head and then report back here for further ... developments," he ordered in his "Captain's" voice.

"Aye, aye sir!" She turned, gave him a mock salute, and quickly scooted down the companionway before he could slap her butt.

Steve watched his redheaded beauty slip down into the cabin and smiled to himself. We are having fun. He couldn't remember just having fun in a long time.

His one hour nap had helped, although he would have easily taken two if it were available. He fell asleep almost as quickly as he lay down on the bed. He didn't have the slightest concern over Ingrid's command of the boat. He was sure he had barely got to sleep when the horn went.

He looked at his watch and had to blink a couple of times before he was convinced it was five-fifteen. He pushed himself off the bed and moved to the head. He soaked a wash cloth with cold water and wiped his face and neck. He felt better as he headed for the steps to the wheelhouse.

As he walked onto the upper deck he looked around. They were on course and, he thought, ahead of where he expected to be. They were about ready to make their final tack toward the narrow entrance to Shadow Cove. He was on a high and in a frisky mood. He wrapped his arms around his lovely lady and started to slip his hands up to her breasts. Her comment about having to pee put an end to the play.

Within a couple of minutes he would make the final tack and then go below to begin the preparations for the meal. Ingrid could guide us near the entrance, and then he would motor into the cove and anchor.