In my dreams, I heard the dolphins again, distantly, but I ignored them. My dreams were filled with Vanessa. Everything ached from too much swimming and sex yesterday, so I resisted waking for as long as I could, savouring even the thought of her. Oh my God, on the kitchen bench, then the dining table, carpet burns from the floor, those raspberries…
I reached over, to where I was sure she’d slept beside me, but the bunk was cold and empty. The blankets and sheets were made up with almost military precision, I saw in the dim light filtering through the half-closed hatch above.
I looked around for my clothes. They were folded neatly on top of my backpack, in the corner of the floor by the stairs, with my boxer shorts on top.
I dressed and went upstairs to the kitchen. I made myself a cup of black coffee. I’d learned to take my coffee black on my first trip out to site three years ago, as fresh milk and bread were always the first supplies to run out. At the Abrolhos, it was the same. Even Vanessa’s organised vessel was not immune to the lack of fresh staples.
Where was Vanessa? This was her boat, moored off an uninhabited island. Where else would she be?
The kitchen was as clean as when I’d stepped aboard yesterday, so she’d certainly been up. A packet of frozen croissants sat on the sink draining board, the cardboard box damp from melted ice.
I heard footsteps on the deck outside, so I left the cabin to stand on the main deck, coffee in hand.
She stood dripping on the main deck, wearing a fresh, clean bikini in a darker shade of blue. In one hand she held a baldchin groper and in the other a huge rock lobster. “I caught breakfast!” she told me cheerfully. “So, do you want fish, lobster or croissants?”
The lobster snapped his tail menacingly and dropped a leg on the deck. I looked down at the dark red limb.
Lobster for breakfast? Shit, before I came up here I wouldn’t have eaten one and now I hate them more than ever.
“Croissants,” I answered.
She held up the lobster and glared at him. “YOU can be lunch.” She dropped him over the side, back into the water.
Vanessa slapped the fish on the filleting board and started cleaning it. In a very short time, the fish was nicely filleted and she was looking at it thoughtfully.
“I’d like croissants, too,” she said, taking the fish into the cabin. “But I don’t think we have enough butter for lunch, if we have croissants for breakfast. Do you mind if we head back to Rat in a few hours, so we can be at my house by noon? It looks like the only food we have left on the boat are the fillets from yesterday and today.”
“Sure.” I shrugged. This bikini was skimpier than the one she’d worn yesterday. It was occupying a considerable share of my attention as she bounced around the kitchen, ripping open the packet of croissants and putting them on a tray in the oven. She set the timer before turning to face me again.
“Thank you so much for coming up to the Wallabis with me!” She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me, pressing her body against mine. She was still cold and wet from her swim, so I was a little hesitant about holding her too close. She immediately noticed and took a step back.
“I’m still dripping wet,” she apologised. “I should take my wet bathers off and do something about that.”
She grabbed a towel from the dining table. My heart leaped and then sank as she headed down to the lower cabin. I sat at the table to wait.
When she came back up again, her t-shirt covered her boobs completely.
The dream’s over. At least she was mine for a night. And what an incredible night…
I was startled out of my reverie by the oven timer. Vanessa was already in the kitchen, shifting plates and cutlery around.
She put everything on the dining table in front of me. She sat down across from me and started buttering a croissant for herself.
I shoved half a croissant into my mouth. With my mouth full, it was harder to ask her if I’d ever get to sleep with her again.
She nibbled on the end of one, looking thoughtful. “It’s just after eight now. We have two to three hours before we have to head back down to Rat for lunch. Did you want to have another snorkel, or maybe try another fishing spot? If you’re still tired from yesterday, you can always go pick a bunk and sleep till then. What would you prefer?”
I’d prefer to pick up where we left off last night. Fuck swimming, snorkelling, fishing or sleep, all I want is you.
I gritted my teeth so I wouldn’t say it aloud. Then I took another huge bite of my breakfast.
If you’re not going to mention sex, I’m not saying a word about it. Shit, does that mean she didn’t enjoy herself as much as I did last night? I should have taken it more slowly. I’ve fucked up royally now.
I swallowed the last of my croissant. “Whenever you want to head back to Rat is fine with me. I think I’ve had enough snorkelling and fishing to last me all weekend.”
She smiled, but she didn’t look as happy as she had last night. “Sure,” she said softly. “We can head back as soon as I’m done with the breakfast dishes.”