Grand Cayman

"Thank you for the business. Hope to see you soon." Lenny gave us a crooked smile.

"We're even Lenny," said Doreen. She turned away to attend to unmooring the boat. Lenny climbed out with his mountain of cash.

The engine roared to life. Lenny cast off the last line. I caught it and coiled it up like the others. I was going to have to learn to be a deck hand. The boat rocked back and forth, and then lurched forward. I caught myself by grabbing a railing, and then steadying myself as the boat crept forward exiting the marina, controlling its wake. I stood in the rear of the boat, watching the marina get smaller as we entered the open sea.

* * *

"So, how did you learn how to pilot a boat on an ocean?" I was standing next to the captain's chair, and the ocean breeze was blowing through my hair. We were making a decent speed, the boat bouncing a bit over the small, choppy waves. I let Mr. Pibb out of his cat carrier and he was sitting behind the windshield that protected the captain's chair. Doreen was petting him.

Doreen had changed into a bikini. Her appearance was highly distracting. I wanted to go below with her and fuck her silly.

"Went to Maine every summer. Got to pilot my uncle's fishing boat when I was fourteen. Been going out in the ocean ever since."

Now I was going to ask something that had been bugging me from the minute she showed up in our house. "How did you get Mr. Pibb to cozy up to you? He doesn't like anybody, except me."

She picked him up like a sack of potatoes and dropped him on her lap. He curled up in it. "I'm a cat person. Grew up with them. Love them. I think Mr. Pibb has good taste." She scratched behind his ears. He craned his neck and had his eyes closed. Traitor.

I moved on. Mr. Pibb was going to have to make it up to me. "How did you learn to buy a million dollar boat?"

She turned to look at me. "You ask a lot of questions. I know a lot about a lot of things."

"I can see that."

She checked the GPS to make sure we were on course. She made a small correction in our course.

Not one to be discouraged, I asked my next question. "So where are we heading?"

"St. Thomas has legalized gay marriage. Let's start there."

"Marriage?"

"On the beach. Private. No paperwork. Just the two of us."

"It's a little sudden, isn't it?"

She put the boat on autopilot. She swiveled in her chair so she was facing me. The cool salt air was gusting, blowing her blonde hair in multiple directions. She used her hand to smooth it back.

"Don't you love me?"

I thought about it for a moment. I did. I did love her.

"Yes," I answered, in a firm voice.

"Well good. We're going to be attached at the hip for the rest of our lives, either here or in prison. We might as well make it official."

"Do you mean ...?"

"Of course, Kristin, will you marry me?"

"Yes," I answered, as a formality. I couldn't believe we were doing this.

She entered a marina in St. Thomas into the onboard GPS.

"They're about seven thousand islands in the Caribbean. I'm sure they'll find us someday." She kissed me and held me tight. Then she laughed, with the laugh I found so endearing, "When we're part of the beach."

"How long will it be 'till we hit St. Thomas?"

"Couple days if we take it easy."

"I got an idea what we can do."

"What?" Doreen was still paying attention to the onboard computer. She touched the screen and then looked at me.

I held my hands in front of me, my wrists together.

She put the boat on autopilot. She slid out of the leather captain's chair and stood up in her flip flops. She looked spectacular in her skimpy white bikini. She took my hand in hers.

"Let's go. I've got a few more things I'd like to show you." She raised my clasped wrists to her lips and kissed them. Then she kissed me.