A Gentle Seduction

Chapter 3

Charlie, under Joey's instruction, began to relax. Joey lifted her hand away from Charlie's but remained in her seat advising Charlie when to manoeuvre, in which direction and why.

They had been sailing for thirty minutes or so when Joey looked up at the sail.

"Wind's died a little. We may as well stay here for a while. Do you fancy some lunch?"

Charlie looked at the sail which had relaxed, feeling a little disappointed.

"Well, it looks like we have no choice." She said, her hand still clinging to the tiller.

Joey looked at Charlie's hand.

"It's alright, Charlie." She said, placing her hand over Charlie's and extricating it. "You can relax your grip, it won't run away!"

Charlie chuckled, feeling a little silly.

"Sorry!" She apologised. "I'm only used to cars!"

"You have to be in charge of a car, Charlie, but I feel with a boat, you work as a partnership. She'll look after you if you look after her."

Charlie was entranced. Joey had a way with words which Charlie had never know with anyone else. She spoke with confidence and experience and made Charlie believe in whatever she was telling her.

"Yes, I would love some lunch, thank you."

Joey started to secure the vessel.

"I have a French stick and some cheese and salad in that box over there, if you want to help yourself." Joey said, pointing to a cool box in the little cabin.

Charlie hadn't looked in the cabin before. She stooped slightly to look inside. The area was small, with everything fashioned in miniature. The little stove, sink unit, drop down leaf table and two softly sprung sofa benches either side which converted to berths as overnight sleepers. These were mostly smothered in books, note pads and maps.

Charlie smiled in wonder at the doll's house she was looking at.

"Quaint, isn't it?"

Charlie jumped as Joey spoke, standing closely behind her.

"Gosh! Charlie, you're jumpy." Joey said, resting a comforting hand on Charlie's shoulder.

Charlie shivered as she felt Joey's warm hand and quickly stooped to pick up the cool box. She took a deep breath and turned to face Joey, still feeling where Joey's hand had rested.

"Is this the one?" Charlie asked brightly, trying to hide her agitation.

"That's it."

Joey lifted the table top and made it secure. She took the cool box from Charlie and opened it.

"Let's not stand on ceremony," Joey said, "Just help yourself to whatever you want. Plates are just under the sink. Eating on deck okay with you?"

"Yes, fine." Charlie said, opening the little cupboard under the sink and spying some plastic picnic plates.

***

The girls settled down to their lunch. Joey laid out a plaid rug on the deck for their comfort and they munched happily.

"I'm sorry I can't offer you a glass of chilled wine." Joey said, with a grin. "I wasn't expecting company!"

"Well, maybe not a good idea to drink and drive!" The Senior Constable advised.

Joey laughed.

"So, a Marine Biologist! What is that, exactly?" Charlie asked, brushing away one or two crumbs from the crusty loaf.

"That's quite a question to answer! Marine Biology is, and I quote, 'the field of knowledge relating to marine organisms. It's the studying, observing, protecting or managing marine organisms, be they animal, vegetable or mineral'!"

"So, you study marine life, as such?"

"Yeah. That's basically it. Well, it's not, there's so much more to it, but I don't want to bore you!"

"You don't bore me!" Charlie said, a little too quickly. She frowned to herself and wished she'd rephrased her statement.

Joey just smiled and continued.

"The subject is vast. It can't be condensed down into a few short paragraphs. You know a marine biologist if they have note books full of scribble or drawing about marine organisms and their computers are crammed with recording of sightings of this and that and where..."

Joey stopped abruptly; suddenly aware Charlie was hanging on her every word.

"Well, that's sort of what I do." She said shyly, suddenly a little embarrassed by her own enthusiasm.

Charlie smiled, but sorry that Joey had stopped. Joey's voice had a way of relaxing her as she'd never experienced from another human being. She felt her rock crumbling again.

"Tango or Sprite?" Joey asked taking a tin from the cool box.

"Tango, please."

Joey tossed the tin over to Charlie who slightly misjudged her timing and it fell onto the deck and rolled away. Charlie stretched out her long arms and retrieved it. She pulled the ring and,

WOOOSHHH!

The beverage spewed its foaming contents all over Charlie's T-Shirt; soaking her in orange fizz.

"Oh!" Was all Charlie could utter.

Joey's eyes were large with wonder; not knowing if to laugh or cry at the scene. Pulling herself together, she leapt to her feet to grab a cloth to help Charlie mop up.

"Charlie! I'm so sorry!" Joey cried sincerely as she dabbed the cloth on Tango'd Charlie.

"Please, don't worry – it was my own fault, I should have known better than to open a shaken tin." Charlie said and started to giggle.

Joey looked at Charlie in horror! Why is she laughing? This is disastrous!

"You can't stay in this T-Shirt, Charlie. Look, I've got a fresh top in the cabin."

"I'm fine, honest!" Charlie protested; amused by Joey, flapping about like the proverbial chicken with its head chopped off.

Charlie followed Joey to the cabin, where Joey unzipped a holdall and producing a white vest top.

"Here." She said, handing the garment to Charlie, who was still grinning. "There's soap and water and a towel, coz you'll be sticky."

Joey noticed how the liquid had emphasised Charlie's shape as the wet T-Shirt clung to her breasts and she blinked and blushed and closed the doors on the little cabin, allowing Charlie some privacy. She mopped up the deck and cleared their lunch things to one side.

***

After a few minutes, Charlie emerged from the little cabin, still smiling. Dust and grit fell from her shoulders as more rock grumbled.

"Are you okay?" Asked a very worried Joey.

"I'm fine, please don't worry. It was my own fault! I've rinsed out the top and my bra; that was wet too! Is there some where I can hang them to dry?"

Joey took the wet garments form Charlie and hung them over a rail.

"They'll dry off pretty quickly." Joey said, turning to face Charlie and trying not to look at her unshackled breasts under the white vest top. "Can I offer you a drink?" She asked hesitantly.

"No thanks, I've just had one!"

Joey laughed, her embarrassment falling away.

"How about a coffee?"

"I'd love one!" Charlie replied, grinning.

***

The girls settled back down on the deck.

"Do you have family?" Joey asked Charlie as they sipped their coffees.

"I have a younger sister; Ruby. I'm her guardian. She's sixteen!" Charlie explained, grimacing.

"Oh!" Joey sympathised. "And does she give you trouble?"

Charlie smiled.

"Not often. On the whole, she's a good kid. Of course, like all kids of her age, she knows it all. They think they have a wealth of knowledge and experience behind them just because they've reached puberty."

"Wait 'til she enters the real world." Joey laughed. "And parents?"

Joey noticed as Charlie's face fell. Charlie was silent for a moment of two, as she fiddled with her finger nails.

"My Dad passed away six months ago." She almost whispered.

Joey watched as Charlie fought with her emotions.

"H-he had been ill for a long time, but it was an illness of the mind rather than physical. I suppose you could say I lost him a long time before that."

Charlie took a deep breath.

"I could've done more." She whispered and tears filled her eyes and one by one, gently ran down her cheeks.

Joey was by her side in a flash and wrapped Charlie in her arms, gently rocking her as one might a distraught child.

"I'm sorry!" Charlie croaked somewhere against Joey's shoulder.

"Shhh..."

Joey held Charlie tighter until her sobbing subsided. She gently released Charlie and taking a clean tissue from her pocket, dabbed her tear stained face. Charlie felt boulders falling from her shoulders as she looked into this kind girl's eyes.

Both were silent for a while. Charlie was the first to speak.

"That's the first time I've cried since..."

Joey took hold of Charlie's hand.

"It's good to let emotions out, Charlie. Holding them within, they become distorted and bear little resemblance to our real feelings."

She handed Charlie her coffee mug.

"What about your Mum?" Joey asked, tentatively.

Charlie took a deep breath and looked out into the ocean.

"She died a few years ago. How I wish..."

"Wish?" Joey asked gently as Charlie stopped short.

Charlie looked into Joey's brown eyes.

"How I wish I could talk to her again, just once. I'd tell her how much I loved her."

Joey smiled.

"I think she probably knew anyway."

A sudden gust of wind agitated the rigging and Joey looked up.

"Think we can get under way in a while. Do you feel up to it?" She asked kindly.

Charlie nodded her head and taking the hand which Joey offered, got to her feet.