Anchor's Aweigh

"Well, that's easy to do on a lake with 14,000 islands! Listen, is there anyone you need to contact? You know, husbands, family, who might be worried about you?"

"Oh, no, no one. We aren't expected anywhere. We were going back to my family's cottage on Middle Island, but Cindy and I are there alone this week. I guess I'll have to make arrangements about the boat but that can wait until tomorrow. Are you sure you don't mind us crashing in on you like this?""

'Well, let's see. I suppose I could just set you both adrift, but it would seem less than civilized." A big smile took any seriousness from the remark. "I have lots of food, some pretty good wine, and enough beds for all of us. It's not every day Pasco and I get two lovely ladies dropping into the lake on our doorstep!! Literally!"

"Who is Pasco? Am I taking his bed?"

"No, he usually sleeps with me. Not to worry."

June's eyes widened for just a moment and Tom was pretty sure what she was thinking.

"If you feel good enough, come on out to the salon and I'll introduce you. He's been waiting to greet you since you came on board, but he knew you needed to rest up. By the way, I was going to put some tape on that cut you got on your forehead but I was worried about the swelling. It isn't bleeding anymore since I put the ice on it, but maybe we should cover it with some gauze and ointment just to keep it clean."

"Oh, thanks again. Boy I must have been a bit out of it, I hardly remember any of it after we hit the rock. I do remember someone picking me up. Was that you or Pasco?"

"Oh, that was me. Pasco stayed in the dinghy with Cindy while I got you from your boat..."

I went and checked on Cindy, who was still sleeping, so I gathered up her clothes and took them topside and clamped them onto the bow rail to dry in the breeze. Not every day I had a woman's clothing, especially a bra and panties, hanging from my railings. My boating buddies would be impressed! Well, the guys would, maybe not their wives.

Heading down to the galley to see about making us some supper was my next priority. The one steak I had out was not going to feed three of us unless I got creative. Checking the pantry I found pasta and that gave me an idea. Cutting up the steak into strips I seasoned it liberally. Then I got busy with butter, cream, garlic, and chives. Whipping up a Caesar salad to go with it would use up half my lettuce for the week, but I could always take the dinghy back to town or to Sioux Narrows for more groceries in a couple of days. When I had everything underway June poked her head out of the front stateroom and carefully stepped through the galley to the salon. Pasco, lying on couch watching me cook, sat up immediately, begging to be noticed.

"This is my partner Pasco," I said. As June grinned in recognition of her false assumption.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you? Me asking if Pasco had carried me?"

"Well, I'm sure he would have if it had been possible. You may not remember, but he sat with his head in your lap when I brought you on board and let you rest in the sunroom while I brought Cindy up."

June sat down beside Pasco and patted his head, scratching his ears, and generally making him feel loved. Pasco lay back down with his head in June's lap, adoring the attention. It did look like a pretty good gig if you could get it.

"Dinner should be ready in a few minutes. Just have to grill the steak strips, put the dressing on the salad, and drain the pasta. I'd offer you a glass of wine, but with the pain killers and a possible concussion I think it might not be wise."

"No, I'll pass, thanks. Just water will be fine. Shall I wake Cindy?"

"Sure, ah, but I'll need to get her something to wear. Her clothes were all soaked and they are still out on the front rail drying. I can give her a tee shirt and a pair of shorts, but they'll be miles too big. I can check, her panties might be dry, they are pretty thin, but the jeans and bra won't be anywhere near dry yet."

"She gave you her clothes?" June looked a bit startled.

"Well, I had to help her out of them, I'm afraid. She was shaking like a leaf and couldn't quite manage it."

"Oh, well. Boy I'm glad I just hit my head! An ice pack on the forehead isn't quite so embarrassing. Maybe I should go out to check on her unmentionables."

"With your head being hurt I don't really want you out there tonight. The walkway to the bow is quite narrow and I'd hate to have to fish another one of you out of the drink!"

"Would you? I'd have thought you might look forward to taking my clothes off too! Oh, forget that I said that. It was uncalled for! I really don't doubt your motives at all. You have been so very kind. Forgive me. Maybe my head is not so very good after all."

"Nothing to forgive. I thought it was kind of cute, and the idea, under different circumstances, would not be so bad at all either!"

June looked down at Pasco, blushing.

I took the opportunity to take a quick run to the bow. The panties were dry, except for slight dampness at the waist band, but they'd do, so I brought them back, dropping them on June's lap. "There is a closet just around the corner from the bottom of the stairs into the back stateroom. You should find some tee shirts and shorts in there. She'll need a belt to hold the shorts up. Should be one in the drawer on the left side at the foot of the bed."

June went down to the rear stateroom and I soon heard muffled voices in conversation along with a few giggles. I took the opportunity to climb up to the sun deck, check the barbecue, and grill the steaks to give the ladies some privacy. The sun was sinking in the west and there were just a few low clouds, which were going to give us a lovely sunset, so I set the sunroom table for dinner so we could enjoy it as we ate. A few trips up and down to the galley had everything ship shape by the time the guests climbed back up from the rear stateroom. June was smiling from ear to ear while Cindy took one look at me and turned beet red, her eyes unable to maintain contact. I pretended not to notice. The old faded Nitty Gritty Dirt Band shirt she had on looked a lot better on her than it ever had on me. It came down low enough to almost hide the ugly tan shorts she must have cinched up around her waist. Unbidden, the thought came to me that Fishing' in the Dark with her could be quite enjoyable!

The sleep and getting warm seemed to have done wonders for Cindy and she carried most of the conversation through the meal, filling me in on their friendship and details of their lives. They both worked for a large insurance company headquartered in Winnipeg and had been friends for years. I had guessed them to be in their early thirties and filling in some rough time lines from Cindy's brief history of their friendship verified that I would be close. While June was adamant that she would stick to water with dinner because of her head injury, Cindy opted for a beer, while I started a bottle of Cabernet I'd had open while preparing the meal.

After dinner I invited the two ladies to relax on the bridge deck while I cleaned up. Over their offers to assist I told them the galley was too small for more than one person, and I knew where everything went. I also didn't want them to tire themselves, especially June, whose bruised forehead still looked somewhat swollen and painful.

After cleanup we visited more and I discovered that both girls were single, although June had come within two months of marriage three years previously before finding out her boyfriend was after her condo and bank account. I explained my current status and we all agreed that relationships were a minefield that took careful and delicate planning and a good deal of luck to negotiate without serious injury.

As the sunset deepened I excused myself for a moment to walk out to the front deck to check on Cindy's clothes. As I was walking outside the bridge I couldn't help overhearing June telling Cindy that she thought I was kind of hot for an older guy. Cindy laughed and said she'd like to turn the tables on me and have me get naked for her so she wouldn't feel so self-conscious. I smiled all the way to the bow, where I gathered up Cindy's clothes. They weren't quite dry but leaving them out overnight would only get them wetter by morning.

At some point in the evening June asked me what the plan was for sleeping arrangements for the night.

"You girls just use the beds you were in this afternoon. I'll bunk up in the salon." I said.

"No, I'll take the salon," Cindy insisted. "You aren't giving up your bed. You've done so much already."

"Really it is easier for me. I still have to take Pasco to shore once more tonight and again first thing in the morning. I'm up pretty early anyway and I'd have to bother you in the salon getting his breakfast and my coffee before we head for shore."

"Look, Cindy can sleep with me in the front room. The bed is plenty big enough, and we simply are not putting you out of your bed. That's final!"

After a desultory effort at a three way game of cribbage, which only proved that June couldn't concentrate, we all parted company for the night after I loaned June another tee shirt to sleep in. Pasco and I headed for shore for his last pee of the day and by the time we returned it was nearly full dark and the front stateroom door was closed.

Pasco and I retreated into my stateroom with his nightly liver treat and my glass of Irish whiskey.

Monday morning bright and early my faithful companion alerted me to his perceived need for breakfast, exercise, and a washroom break. Stumbling up the stairs in just my jockey shorts I was instantly fully awake at the sight of Cindy, lying on the couch, her blanket below her waist and her tee shirt lying on the floor. Her mouth was open and a delightful bit of night drool glistened on her chin. My attention however was instantly transferred to a pair of smooth ivory mounds topped with deep pink caps and nipples, slightly darker and the size of pencil erasers. Those gorgeous twin breasts were slowly rising and falling in perfect symmetry, her deep breathing providing ample proof of their firm full state. Her belly, which I could see for two inches below her cute navel was slightly rounded and nicely tanned. Just as I began to collect my wits about me my erstwhile partner destroyed my momentary awe inspired inaction by dashing up to Cindy and avidly licking her face.

Her shriek and instinctive lurch away from Pasco caused three simultaneous reactions. The first was her blanket slipping down below her hips, revealing a neatly trimmed dark brown triangle of curly hair. The second was Pasco flipping backward in surprise as her arm came up in self-defence, landing him on his back and tangled in the blanket, ripping it from the couch entirely and leaving Cindy in the classic pose with one hand over her mound and the other across her breasts. The third inevitable reaction was my hand covering my instant erection as I turned and headed back down to my bedroom, calling the damn dog after me.

Returning cautiously to the salon a few minutes later, dressed in jeans and a polo shirt revealed an empty room. I shakily started the Keurig and put a bowl of food out for my now thoroughly cowed partner in slime. Just as I was taking my first sip the front bathroom door opened and a now tee shirt clad Cindy appeared, her face a masked in a frown.

"Do you train him to assault sleeping women?" She asked with a bite to her voice that I had not heard before.

"No, he is pretty much self-motivated." I answered. "But really you can hardly blame him, after all he was cuddled with you under the covers yesterday afternoon. He thinks you are his buddy."

Cindy looked at me in disbelief. "The dog was under the covers with me? Yesterday, after you undressed me? Are you some kind of pervert?"

"No, not really, but I admit I did envy him! You were shaking in shock from your dunking and the accident. Pasco is very intuitive and he felt you needed him, so he crawled in with you to comfort and warm you. This morning he just got excited to see you again. I'm sorry. Neither he nor I wanted to further embarrass you. I didn't expect you to be in the salon and we were both taken by surprise, albeit a delightful surprise if you don't mind me being too honest."

Slowly a smile spread across Cindy's face. "Not all your fault. June snores and I got too hot sharing her bed so I came out here. I forgot about you getting up early. It's your boat and you've a right to use it. Sorry I over-reacted but that's twice you've seen me naked in less than twenty-four hours. I am not an exhibitionist, so this is just weird!"

I noticed Cindy eyeing my coffee, so I turned the handle of the mug toward her. "Coffee?" I asked with a little smirk. "Peace offering with an apology for looking!"

"I guess I'd be more offended if you didn't," she laughed. "At least I can take solace in the fact I am still worth a glance."

"Oh, believe me! Um, I mean, no offence Cindy, but you have a beautiful body. You must know that! Oh, why don't I just keep digging deeper?" I turned to make another cup of coffee.

"Better make two more, I'm sure my screeching and our conversation have woken June by now. She takes cream and sugar if you have it."

All during the conversation Pasco had been sitting at Cindy's side looking up hopefully. Cindy bent down to pat him on the head, allowing her tee shirt to fall open and giving me another eye full of plump firm tits. Of course, just at that exact moment the stateroom door opened and June caught me gazing down at the voluptuous display in front of me. Red faced I turned to finish making her coffee, mumbling that it would be ready momentarily.

When I turned back June was grinning from ear to ear as Cindy held a hand over her cleavage, pretending to glare at me. I shrugged, handing June her coffee and turning back to finally make my own. By now Pasco was running back and forth to the stairs, indicating his increasing urgency to head for shore.

"I gotta take his Highness to shore for a bit. I will be happy to whip up some breakfast as soon as we return."

"If you tell me what to make and where it is I'll be happy to get started," June replied. "I'd ask the Goddess to help, but I guess she has made her contribution to the morning's agenda already!"

Cindy snorted in reply, then hid her face in her coffee mug as June howled.

"Pancake mix in the lower cupboard, blueberries in the crisper in the fridge. Bacon in the fridge door. There is a griddle under the floor of the kitchen. I normally set it up in the sunroom to keep the cooking smell out of the salon. If you prefer, there is a toaster right here and I think we have some eggs in the fridge as well. If you are cooking you get to choose what you make!"

We got back about a half hour later to the smell of bacon and the table set in the sun room. Over breakfast we discussed what needed to happen as the day unfolded. The runabout was going to have to be towed into Kenora for repairs, which would have it tied up for several days. On the spur of the moment I offered the gals that they should just come back with me and spend a few days on the yacht, as they wouldn't have any way of getting to and from the family cottage without a boat, and their alternative was to ditch their vacation and head back to Winnipeg. They tossed the idea back and forth with Cindy grinning the whole time. It made me wonder what I had all missed while Pasco and I were ashore.

I assured the girls that my dinghy, which has a 115 HP outboard, could easily tow their boat to town. While there we could stock up on food for the week and stop by their cottage for clothes and swim suits on the return trip. It seemed that the decision made itself and by the time breakfast was over we had a shopping list ready. I lowered the engine on their boat half way to provide a rudder and lashed the wheel to keep it centered. The dinghy had full fuel tanks so that wouldn't be an issue.

The trip back to town, even at half throttle towing the runabout was twice the speed I normally ran the big diesel motor yacht and we pulled into harbour at just before eleven. The guys were happy to take charge of the outboard repairs and the four of us, including the dog, piled into my car for a quick trip down the road to Redden's Grocery store. By the time we returned half an hour later with four bags of groceries and a case of beer the guys at the gas dock had the dinghy fueled and ready to go. A quick stop at the cottage on Middle Island for clothes and other female essentials, and at thirty-five miles an hour we were back at Quartz Island and the Refuge by shortly after one o'clock.

Quick sandwiches for lunch and the ladies decided to repair to the bow to suntan in the mid-afternoon sun. I grabbed my latest Baldacci novel and went to sit up at the bridge to give them some privacy. As much as I tried to concentrate on the book I was repeatedly distracted by the reminder that there were two pretty and interesting young women lying just fifteen feet in front of me on the front deck. Finally giving up the book entirely I decided to offer the ladies a drink as an excuse to interact with them again. Standing up I glanced out the front windows of the bridge, looking down at the front deck, only to catch my breath looking down at two women lying before me topless, faced away from me. June, smaller on top than Cindy had lovely breasts, suited to her lean frame, scattered with freckles and dark large areola with dark brown nipples that were sticking up slightly in the afternoon breeze. Cindy, of course I had now seen up close, but lying on her back her large meaty breasts were spread out and still looking soft and delectable.

How to ask them about drinks without appearing unexpectedly... While I thought it over I idly turned on the marine weather channel only to discover there was a weather warning for severe thunderstorms starting in the late afternoon and lasting until midnight tonight. That could get interesting, but I wasn't too worried because I was anchored in really good holding ground and protected from wind coming from almost any direction, so at worst it might get windy and wet with a nice light show.

Heading down to the galley I made up a plate of snacks and a pitcher of hard lemonade, making sure I made lots of noise as I approached the front deck around the side of the boat. Coming around the superstructure I discovered both ladies still lying in the same condition, seemingly unconcerned by my presence. Good!

"Food or drinks, anyone?" I asked as I walked around to look down so I could see their faces.

"Thank you, Thomas. You are a dear." Cindy smiled up at me, cocking her head inquisitively, as though waiting for a reaction.

Nope, I wasn't going there. I pretended not to notice the upper body nudity as I poured two glasses and set the tray of snacks between them.

June grinned up at me as I handed her glass to her, keeping my eyes firmly focused on her face. "It seems to me that one of us here is over-dressed Dr. Green!"

"Where did that come from? Dr. Green? Tom is fine!" I replied looking down at my attire. I was wearing my favourite black tee shirt that read, 'Those who refuse to learn from History are doomed to repeat it!' and a pair of black board shorts with sailboats. Smiling down at June I slowly lifted my shirt up over my head, dropping it on the deck as I lowered myself to sit at her feet. "Better now?" I asked with a grin.

"Yup, it's a start," Cindy replied. "But you still owe me!" She laughed.

We fell into casual conversation after that and for a while I almost forgot that the two women with me were half naked as we discussed my work at the university, history in general, and the questions of how accurate any of our assumptions about history really were in light of how much spin was placed on events by the people who got to record things. That, especially in the case of wars or other turmoil, was usually the victors! I told the girls about the possibility of a storm later in the day and suggested that we should really go and try to retrieve their anchor off the reef before the wind picked up and the turbidity got much worse.