No Tan Lines

"What's that one with the fish symbols?" I asked, and then, yeah, well, he said he went fishing. "Is that for finding fish? You mean they've got stuff that helps you spot fish? That just doesn't seem fair."

"Not for the fish it's not," and he laughed. "Here, I'll slow her down a little, you take over steering her, and as you get used to it, we'll pick up speed. You good?"

"Sure," I said, my hands back on the wheel as he eased the engine levers back and we slowed, eleven knots, then ten.

"She's yours," he said, taking his hands away from mine. "Turn her, play with her, speed her up, slow her down. Get a feel for how she handles. There's nothing out here you can hit so have at it. Sit up in the helm seat where I am and take her. I'll be right beside you."

He slid down, his body pressed against me for a couple of seconds as he eased out, and I enjoyed that pressure, his body against mine. I wriggled into the helm seat, hands on the wheel. 'No Tan Lines' seemed to be steering herself, but when I eased the wheel around, she turned gently. Turned gently back again as I turned the wheel the other way, taking her in a circle, carving a figure 8 on the water, enjoying how she responded.

"Can I go faster?" I asked.

"Sure," he said. "Just ease more power on, both levers at once, don't do anything too fast."

I eased the twin levers forward, feeling the surge of power as 'No Tan Lines' picked up speed. Twelve, fifteen knots, and we were leaving a wake as I turned her, circled, weaved, pointed her out to sea, glancing at him and he knew what I was thinking.

"Sure," he grinned, and he was smiling as he watched me, one hand on the wheel, one on the two levers for the engine and I eased them further forward, still slowly, and now 'No Tan Lines' was moving. Fifteen, sixteen, eighteen, twenty knots and she was leaping through the water now, and I could feel the ripples as we raced across them, and when I glanced back, there was a long white wake curling out behind us.

"She's going to come up onto the plane any second now," Dave said. "You'll feel her get lighter. Before you do that, try a few gentle turns."

"Okay," I said, easing the wheel around, and 'No Tan Lines' curved smoothly, 'n I took her tighter, feeling her respond effortlessly. Straighten her out, slowly curve the other way, weaving through the water.

"Keep her straight, there's someone coming up behind," Dave said, and I straightened her out, glancing back, and yeah, coming up fast, white spray either side and the dude crashed past us. Couple of younger guys, shorts, shades, cans of beer, whooping it up.

"Jeeze," Dave shook his head. "Good boat, Scarab, but they know not what the heck they're messing with." He grinned at me. "Power her up, Jenny, slowly. Keep her in a straight line behind them, don't try and turn her or anything, and I've got it if you make a mistake."

"Okay," and I eased those engine levers forward. Slowly, and Dave was watching me.

'No Tan Lines' seemed to leap ahead. Twenty five, six, seven, eight, nine, thirty knots and we were holding steady behind that Scarab, and I could hear our engines now, a throaty rumble and the water was calm, almost flat, barely a ripple, and I held her straight without any effort at all.

A quick glance at Dave. He grinned, and I grinned back, hand sliding over to the engine levers, wondering how fast 'No Tan Lines' could go as I eased them further forward. Thirty one, two, three, four, thirty five and we were creeping up behind them. I eased her over, gently, straightened her before we hit their wake and she crashed through those waves easily. We were paralleling them now, and they had no idea what was coming up behind them.

Catching up slowly, and then we were parallel with them, a hundred feet out, and I eased off a little, matching their speed, and Dave was laughing. One of them glanced over, dropped his beer, whacked his buddy and pointed as I waved, and Dave was just about doubled up. The guy driving her reached for the dash, that Scarab leapt ahead.

"Twin Yamaha F350 outboards," Dave said, and he laughed. "Let's see how they do against twin 1900 Cats. Pour it on, Jenny, I'm right here."

I could hear those Yamaha outboards screaming, but I'd been waiting, one hand on the engine levers and as they leapt forward, I eased the levers forward, and 'No Tan Lines' responded.

"You go, girl," Dave yelled over the rush of the wind. The Caterpillars throaty rumble became a low growl, 'n we were up at forty knots now, pacing them effortlessly and looked like they'd hit their limit, and I was just totally buzzed.

"Drop the hammer," Dave called out, laughing, 'n I did, notching the engines up and we surged forward, up to forty-four knots, and they were dropping away behind us. I waved, grinning as we blew them away, 'n I kept it there for another ten minutes, just riding the speed and the adrenaline, the rush of wind, the wheel in my hand, alive, feeling the surging power of 'No Tan Lines' under my hands as we raced in a dead straight line outwards, our wake laid out like a ruler behind us. The color of the sea morphed from green to blue, a deep blue like I'd never seen before, and I eased the power of now, slowing, suddenly wilting from exhaustion and adrenaline overload, but not wanting this to end.

"Can you take her?" I asked, easing the levers forward, slowing her gradually until she came off the plane, the water hissing under the hull, and I was sagging a little, and he was right there, taking over the wheel as we changed seats and I relaxed, letting the breeze wash the excitement and the adrenaline away, breathing in the fresh sea air, salt and cool now.

"This is pelagic water out here," he said. "This is the real blue, the ocean blue, not the coastal waters. Beautiful isn't it? You have to see it to believe it can look like this."

I looked, and yeah, he was right. A blue so intense it invaded your mind, swept you up in its beauty and left you speechless.

"It's lovely," I said, at last.

"It's as close to heaven out here as I've ever been," he said. "Beautiful water, beautiful boat..." He turned his head towards me and smiled, but his look was serious. "Beautiful girl."

"Hey, I'm not a boat bunny," I said, not quite alarmed. First thing Aunt Suzy had warned me about when I arrived. Guys thinking a girl was a boat bunny, coz there were girls like that. Quite a few, Aunt Suzy said, but mostly places like Miami and Fort Lauderdale and Islamobad. Not small town southern Florida.

He grinned. "Hey, I know you're not a boat bunny, Jenny, so relax, okay. This isn't Miami or Fort Lauderdale or anything."

I couldn't help grinning back, and it felt really good to smile and mean it, and hey, I was smiling.

"We're going to head back in now," he said, easing her around, and I sat there as he got us back up onto the plane, steered us back towards where we'd come from, and I was tired now, exhausted, but enjoying myself as we headed back.

"Why don't you lie down on the pad up front there," he said, glancing at me as I yawned again.

"Huh?" I said, then, standing, hanging on to the grab bar, and looking. "Oh." Coz there was a big bed sized pad in front of the helm console that I hadn't even noticed. Turned out it was really comfortable too, and I closed my eyes and....

"...Wake up sleepyhead."

I did, slowly, and we were tied up in the Marina and I sat up, slowly, really dopey.

"I'll drive you back to your Aunt and Uncle's," he said, helping me up. Helping me down the ladder and then off 'No Tan Lines' and down the dock to what turned out to be an old F150.

"Would you really like to come out tomorrow," he said, as we pulled up outside the restaurant. "For the day? Really? I'll take you fishing if you like."

"Yes please," I said. Then, eyeing him. "If it's not any bother for you."

"None at all. I go fishing all the time, be nice to have some company, so it's tomorrow for sure then," Dave said. "I'll come here and pick you up, okay? Don't want you to tire yourself out just walking down to the boat early in the morning, and it'll be a long day."

"It's..." I started to say.

"It's not a problem, Jenny," he said. "You're a lovely girl and I've really enjoyed your company today. I'll be here to pick you up at seven, okay?"

"Okay," I said meekly.

"Bring a swimsuit as well," he said. "Maybe we can do some snorkeling if you like to swim."

"I've only ever swum in a swimming pool," I said.

"Then you're in for a treat." He grinned.

"Okay." I smiled back.

"Good," he said, smiling, releasing my hands, walking me in through the door. "Hi Suzy." He waved, then looked down at me. "You get an early night, Jenny. See you in the morning."

I watched him leave. So did Aunt Suzy, and she waited until I was behind the counter.

"He's taking me fishing tomorrow," I said, before she said a word. "He's got a beautiful boat down at the Marina."

"Be careful, Jenny," Aunt Suzy said. "Told you before. You see guys like him with young girls all the time. It's a thing around some of the marinas here, boat bunnies. They hook up with these wealthy guys down here on the boats, and live off them, and there's a reason they call the girls bunnies. You don't want him thinking you're one."

"Okay, okay, I got it," I said. "You told me when I arrived, and he told me that already. He knows I'm not one of those."

"Good," Aunt Suzy said, and someone was there, wanting to pay.

"I better get an early night," I said. "He's picking me up at seven tomorrow morning. He said he'd bring some fish back for Uncle Wayne."

"Okay," Aunt Suzy said. "Text me and let me know when he's bringing you back. Don't be too late, okay."

"Okay."

It was only after I went to bed that I realized I didn't have a swimsuit. I hadn't bothered packing one. Went to sleep anyhow, exhausted, sweating in the heat of my small bedroom and it hadn't been that warm after the dun went down. I woke up in the middle of the night, sweating, coughing. Coughing on and on and water didn't help and I was dripping sweat and sleep didn't come. I lay there, tossing and turning until six, crawling into the shower and at least the water was cool.

"Dave," I said, and it was seven on the dot when he pulled up outside. "I don't think I can go. I'm not feeling that great."

"You look like shit," he said.

"Gee, thanks," I said, but I was feeling worse by the minute, and I had to put my hand out and lean against the truck, and I knew what it was, because I'd felt like this before.

He looked at me. "Let's get you in the truck, and sitting down."

He did, and he just about lifted me in, and I sagged into the passenger seat. He walked around, climbed in, started the truck up and looked at me again, put his hand on my forehead for a few seconds.

"Did you tell your Aunt or Uncle you weren't feeling well?" he asked.

"No," I said, weakly. "They need to get everything ready. They're up at five every morning, and it's getting busy. I can't ask them. If I lie down, I'll feel better."

His hand rested on my forehead again, cool. "You've got a bad fever. I'm taking you to my Medical Center," he said, flatly, and I didn't have the strength to protest. I was working overtime just to breathe now, and god, I could hear myself wheezing. Dave was on his phone, talking as he drove, but it was just noise, and I closed my eyes.

God, no. My parents couldn't afford that again. Not for a fever. "I'm on my Dad's medical plan but there's a huge deductible. I'll take some Tylenol, I'll feel better tomorrow. I just need to rest."

Except I hadn't had any rest last night, and the heat, it was already way too hot, and I was pouring sweat, and Dave was wearing a jacket.

"You close your eyes and don't worry about that," he said. "I've got it covered."

No idea what he meant, but I closed my eyes. No idea how long it took, but next thing I knew he was opening my door, lifting me out, carrying me through some automatic doors, and then I was on one of those stretcher things on wheels that hospitals and emergency rooms use, and I knew what those were. Been on them way too often, and there was a mask over my face and I could breathe again, and they were wheeling me in. I didn't want to be there. I remembered doing this in that hospital I'd been in back home far too well.

Far too many times.

"One hundred and four point three," the nurse said, looking at the thermometer, and god, I had that sinking feeling I'd had far too many times over the last year when they looked at my test results and took my temperature and everything, and I was supposed to be getting better, not ill all over again, and I just zoned out, feeling like shit, and I'd had a lot of experience feeling like that.

"Can you swallow these?" someone asked, and I opened my mouth, swallowed them without asking, and closed my eyes as they hooked me up to an IV drip, and I'd been there before too.

At least Dave was there this time, beside me, holding my hand and asking questions, lots of questions, talking to the Doctor and the nurses. All the usual hospital stuff, poking and prodding, sticking needles in and doing the vampire thing with needles and my arm, x-rays, CT scan. Time passed, a couple of hours and I knew that from the clock on the wall, and Dave was there the whole time, and I heard him, on the phone to Aunt Suzy.

"It's okay, Suzy," he said. "They know what it is now, you don't need to worry. I'll take care of her today. Why don't you come over to the boat tonight after you close? I'll keep an eye on her until then... no, no, I've got it all covered, don't worry about that."

"No, no, it's no problem at all, I've got a very flexible medical plan..."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure. I'll see you then. Call me when you get to the Marina and I'll ask the guy on the gate, Zed, he'll show you where I am. He'll call me and I'll come and meet you..."

I closed my eyes, and it seemed like forever before I opened them again, and Dave and the Doctor were talking now, their voices low.

"Pneumonia," I heard the doctor say to Dave. "And we just got her records in from the hospital she was in back in Minneapolis. Looks to me like she might be at risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and how they didn't figure that one out I have no idea. Public hospitals, they're under way too much pressure, but we'll sort out the pneumonia for now and once we've got that fixed, you can bring her back and we'll run some more tests."

Dave said something I didn't catch, and then it was the doctor again. "Yeah, prescribing her doxycycline, along with a cough suppressant and advil for the fever. That should bring it under control quickly. If she doesn't improve by tomorrow morning, or she gets worse this afternoon or tonight, you call me. You've got my cell, call me and bring her straight back in, Dave. Doesn't matter what time, I'll be right there, buddy." He took the thermometer out of my mouth. "Yeah, down to one hundred and two, it's all kicking in."

So okay, I swallowed all the pills and stuff the nurse gave me all over again, and just kind of lay there still feeling like shit while Dave and that Doctor who seemed to know him, coz they were on first name terms, yapped away, and I really didn't want to be there.

"Hundred point five," the nurse said a while later, and that Doctor was back.

"Yeah, you can take her back now." I heard him. "Check her temperature every hour, if it starts to climb again, you call me and I'll come over." He laughed. "Not like I don't know where to find you, buddy."

I closed my eyes and kind of drifted of, until Dave squeezed my hand.

"Let's get you out of here," he said. "They said you can go," and by then I guess the Advil and the drugs really were kicking in, because I was feeling better. Just a bit, but that bit was enough that I figured I was going to live. I mean, I'd been through this before. If you felt better, you were going to live. There were times I hadn't thought that though, and yeah, I knew the difference. Really well.

"Where are we going?" I asked, back in the F150, sitting there while he drove, and the winter sun was beating down, but I was cold until he wrapped me in his jacket.

"I'm taking you back to 'No Tan Lines', Jenny," he said. "I talked to your Aunt Suzy, you'll be more comfortable on her. Your Aunt'll come over this evening." His hand reached out to hold mine, and I didn't take my hand away. I didn't want to. I wanted him to keep holding my hand, coz when he was holding my hand I felt safe, and he did, all the way to the dock.

"Think you can walk to the boat?" he asked, helping me down.

"Yeah," I said, sweating now, but I didn't feel anything like so bad, and I walked all the way out. With his arm around me, and I liked his arm around me.

"You need to sleep," he said, once we were inside the salon, and it was beautiful inside. "We're not going anywhere today. You're just going to rest. You can sleep in the guest cabin downstairs. This way."

"Okay," I said, following him down the stairs, not even thinking that really, I shouldn't be so accepting and trusting. I mean, I'd known him how long? A couple of days, and I was going to sleep on his boat. "It's nice down here," I added, rather fuzzily.

"Bed," he pointed, and I sat down rather too quickly on the bottom bunk in the small cabin. He knelt down, eased my runners off. "Lie down," he said, pulling a light duvet over me as I did. He checked his watch, and yeah, he wore one. "I'll check on you in a couple of hours," he said. "Close your eyes and sleep, okay. You'll feel better when you wake up."

I woke up once, and kicked my jeans and socks off, unhooked my bra and pulled it out from under my tee-shirt and put it on the beside cabinet, sort of thinking thank god I'd worn a pretty lace one, and not one of my plain old boring white ones, and I went straight back to sleep.

"Wake up, Jenny," his voice said, cutting through the daze, and it was dark but the hallway light was on, and I wondered if you called it a hallway on a boat. "Time to take your medicine."

I took the pills, took the water, swallowed, and crashed back out, wanting to cry. No going out on his boat, no swimming, no fishing. Sick again, and Aunt Suzy would come tonight, and she'd take me away, and he wouldn't bother taking me out on his boat again. Who wanted to bother with a girl who was so sick she was no fun at all, and my cheeks were wet with tears as well as sweat as I dropped off into a feverish sleep.

"She's asleep, Suzy," his voice said, real quiet and hushed, but I woke to a dimly lit cabin, light shining in through the open door from the passage. "She's been asleep all day and this evening. I took her temperature an hour ago, it's down to ninety nine point three now."

"Thank you so much for looking after her, Dave. We had no idea she was so sick, she didn't say a word to us. I called her Mom after you called me, let her know and she says to thank you. She's planning to fly down this weekend and take her back home..."

"Why don't you leave her here tonight," Dave said, his voice so quiet and soft I barely heard him. "She's sleeping now, I'll make sure she takes her medication and I'll call you in the morning. You and Wayne 've got the restaurant to run and she's fine here, and I'll keep an eye on her."

"If you don't mind?" Aunt Suzy hesitated. "It's not your responsibility, she's staying with us..."

"I don't want to go home, tell Mom not to come. I'll be okay now. I'd like to stay here, Aunt Suzy," I said sleepily. "Can I stay here tonight? If Dave doesn't mind?"

"Of course, I don't mind, Jenny," Dave said, his hand taking mine, squeezing gently. "I'll look after you, you close your eyes and go back to sleep."