A Girl, A Boy and A Boat Pt. 04

"Rob.... I.... I'm so sorry. I wish things...."

"Me too." Looking into her eyes for a moment he mumbled a response before shuffling away.

Gazing at his back, knowing it was pointless to try saying anything more, she simply gave up and went forwards to do some sunbathing.

For the next couple of hours her client fished, drinking several bottles of beer, and got slowly drunker leaving Sam alone to lay on the foredeck and watch Rob. Her heart ached as she gazed at him, seeing him occasionally glance over at her she even went as far as taking off her top to get his interest.

Coming to the bow to take up the anchor he knelt down by her, "Your... your friend is getting very drunk. You might want to see to him."

"He's not my friend."

"Well, whatever he is you might want to take care of him."

Putting her hand on his arm she felt a surge of excitement flood through her just from the simple contact.

"I don't care about him.... I... I want you." She blurted out without thinking.

He shook his head and looked back at her, "Why? I can't give you what they can. I barely make ends meet as it is."

"I don't care about that." Suddenly her pulse rate jumped and she felt a glimmer of hope inside her.

"Sam I...."

"Blurghhhhhhhhhh!"

The sound of Andy throwing up over the side of the boat interrupted them and they quickly broke off their conversation, hurrying to the stern to sort him out.

"S'ok babe." He slurred, clearly very inebriated, putting an arm around her and groping her bare tit, "I'll be fine. I jus nee another beer."

"I'll make some coffee." Samantha stated, guiding him onto a seat.

"I need to get us back. Will you be ok?" Rob asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just do what you need to. I know where everything is."

She couldn't help herself and her heart rate rose. Just the fact he was speaking to her made her feel better.

From the bridge he kept glancing back to the stern, watching as she plied Andy with coffee and fended off his wandering hands until, with the harbour outlined in the distance, he finally fell asleep.

"We're nearly home, you'd better get dressed." He called out to her.

Looking up at his shout she saw the entrance to the marina approaching and hurried to get her bikini top on before disappearing below decks to put the rest of her clothes on.

By the time she resurfaced he had the boat tied up alongside the quay.

"Rob...." Ignoring the sleeping figure of her client she turned towards him and started to speak.

"Not now. You need to get lover boy back to his hotel." He cut her off abruptly, "I assume you're staying there with him tonight."

"Please Rob.... I don't want it to be like this."

"What do you want it to be like then? Do you want me to just wait around for you while you fuck anyone?"

"NO." She protested, "I just thought we might...."

"I've ordered a taxi so we need to get him up onto the quayside." He cut her off, his tone brusque and she felt the brief glimmer of optimism that she had appeared earlier vanish.

Taking one arm each, they struggled with the semi-comatose Andy eventually managing to get him to stumble onto the shore just as the cab arrived.

Easing him into the back seat she turned towards the man she loved.

"Rob please.... can't we...."

"Goodbye Sam." He said with a finality he didn't feel.

The pain and hurt in his eyes told her everything she needed to know and she simply slid into the cab alongside her client, his arm immediately going around her, his hand falling onto her breast.

Without another word Rob closed the door and stepped back as the driver pulled away.

Watching her go he stood on the quay until the taxi turned the corner and disappeared from view.

A solitary tear ran unchecked down his cheek. Throughout the day he had tried to pretend to himself that he didn't want her, but now he was faced with the reality that none of that mattered to him. He still loved her he knew that for certain now but she had another life, one that didn't involve him.

Morosely, trying to come to terms with his emotions, he locked up the boat before wandering along to Samuel's to get himself something to drink.

Ordering a beer, he sat up at the bar gloomily staring into the void wondering what Sam was doing now.

"On your own?" Francine slid onto the stool alongside him.

He couldn't bring himself to answer her so he just nodded.

"How was the charter?"

"Sam's client booked it. It was just the two of them."

"Shit. Did you get to speak to her?" Frankie gaped when he told her.

"Barely, she was kept.... busy."

"So, I guess she's still.... working?" She almost spat out the last word.

"Mmhhmm. She's at... at the Hyatt with him tonight." He replied gloomily staring at the floor.

"You know she's in love with you, don't you? She told me this morning." Francine continued after a short pause.

He looked at her and snorted, "Well you know I feel exactly the same way about her."

"Shit. What a fucking mess. What're you going to do Rob?"

Shrugging he took a mouthful of beer, "What can I do? She's made the choice to live that way. To... to be a...."

"I have no idea but I hope you work it out." She said, not letting him finish his sentence and slipped off the stool to go back to work.

'What am I going to do?'

'Does she really love me?'

'I'm jealous as hell of what she's doing but it turns me on.'

Staring into his glass he tried to make sense of everything that was going through his head.

Two beers later, with no answers, Rob got up and slowly made his way back to his boat and started to clear up the mess left over from the days sailing.