-Chapter Six-
Sailing away on lake Michigan
Morgenstein snaps a newspaper on mine and Kerry's face. He has called us for an urgent meeting. On the front page of the paper there' a big picture. Luka's smiling awkwardly, being hugged by the mayor in it. In big, bold letters the title reads 'Mayor Winklemann saved by a bystander doctor.'
"Apparently the mayor was choking and Kovac performed a Heimlich maneuver on him. The press has already called us a hundred times and how am I gonna explain them that the savior of Chicago mayor has been fired, huh?"
"He quit." Kerry points out.
"I don't care. Just rehire him."
I wanna kiss Morgenstein and the mayor! Hell, I'm even loving Kerry now!
"Ok. I'll call him."
This whole issue reminds me of that time Doug was fired but saved a kid from drowning live on TV so that County was forced to hire him back. Who cares now, though? Luka's back!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------
A perky Elizabeth meets me on the harbor instead of Luka. She's wearing clingy white pants, a matching vest that exposes generously her breast and a denim shirt. Her wonderful hair is pulled back into a denim cap and a pair of leather sailing shoes complete her perfect outfit. I look self- consciously at me: I'm wearing a baggy pair of pants, old boots and a shapeless parka because I'm afraid it might get pretty windy on the lake. From a wooden, elegant sailboat Luka greets us. "Hi there! I told Elizabeth to come along, Susan!"
I noticed that, Einstein. Elizabeth flashes her charming smile at Luka "Permission to board, captain!"
"Permission granted."
Elizabeth jumps on board with a cat-like move while a struggle not to fall in the water, almost tripping over a rope, a boom, I think it's called. Or maybe not. There must be something called boom on a boat, although I don't have the faintest idea of what it is. I don't know boats, I guess I am a country girl. Elizabeth looks around curiously and lets out an appreciative whistle. "A fine specimen of small clipper you have here. Bet she sails up to fifty knots per hour, Luka."
"Uh-huh." Luka pats proudly the wood of the boat. "I see you know your way around boats, Elizabeth."
"I used to sail with my dad."
"Give me a hand to hoist that sail, will you, then?"
Elizabeth hops about the deck familiarly with British efficiency. I just stand there, feeling stupid and useless. I am actually starting to think I am the proverbial third person of the crowd, since Luka and Elizabeth quite obviously make a perfect company.
"Hey, something wrong, Susan?"
"Err, it's just that I don't know much about boats, Luka. I am a dodo in the water."
"Come here, then. I'll teach you how to helm a boat. It's quite simple really, just like driving a car, only you don't have the pedals and you need a bit more strength. Nothing a woman couldn't handle, though. Women make the best skippers."
He puts my hands firmly on the helm and position himself behind me, his hands over mine. I can feel his heart beat against my back and his warm breath on my neck. Mmm, this feels so good I could stay like this forever. Unfortunately he steps aside but looks at me with proud eyes.
"You're a natural, Susan. Now veer larboard."
What the hell does larboard mean? I just guess, because I have a fifty per cent chance after all. So I simply turn the helm left.
Luka smiles approvingly. I am a lucky gal.
We quickly reach the middle of the lake and it's quite windy there after all. I'm glad I have my unsexy parka now. The wind is horribly messing up my hair, which sticks up my head like it has never seen a brush his whole life now. It blows wildly yet wonderfully through Elizabeth's unruly locks, though. She takes my place at the helm and Luka drags me to the prow of the boat. On a whim I step on the far end of the boat to feel the cold wind on my face. My hair is in a desperate condition so I don't have nothing to lose.
"I am the king of the world!" I cry as I spread my arms.
Luka chuckles "How Leonardo di Caprio of you!"
We sunbathe a little then Elizabeth strips off to a blue swimming suit. She's in great shape, you couldn't tell she had a baby not long ago. I can see Luka agrees with me.
"Are you crazy? You wanna go for a swim? It's cold!"
"Nah, it can't be as cold as the sea of the Orkneys islands."
She jumps into the water with an impeccable swan dive, without raising a single splash of water.
"Come on, it's warm, you chicken shits!"
Luka takes off his clothes and stands in his boxer, looking expectantly at me.
"I don't have a swimming suit."
"You are wearing your underwear, though?"
I am glad I have a black bra and panties. I leave my t-shirt on as well, though.
The water is frigging cold. Elizabeth must be some sort of penguin because she doesn't look cold at all. And it's not like she has this thick layer of fat to isolate her. I am so cold my lips have gone blue. I am glad I am with two ER docs because I feel like I am about to go into hypothermia. I thread about to keep warm. Luka looks like he is into his natural element.
"I was born and raised in a sea town."
We get back on board at last. As Luka hands me a towel I feel really self- conscious because my t-shirt is transparent and clingy to my body from the water, revealing my hardened nipples under the bra. Luka seems to appreciate the sight, though, and looks away abruptly when he notices he's staring.
As we step off to the boat, back to the harbor, I tell Luka " I had a great time."
"Me too." Elizabeth echoes.
"Come back then, and bring Susie along. And Ella, of course."
"Are you really gonna live on the boat?"
"Nah, I guess I'll go back to the hotel I lived in before. The manager lets me stay if I check on his guests from time to time. Mostly drunks that pass out at the bar."
"You're incredible, Luka!" I say.
"We foreigners are allowed to do crazy things, aren't we, Elizabeth?"
Morgenstein snaps a newspaper on mine and Kerry's face. He has called us for an urgent meeting. On the front page of the paper there' a big picture. Luka's smiling awkwardly, being hugged by the mayor in it. In big, bold letters the title reads 'Mayor Winklemann saved by a bystander doctor.'
"Apparently the mayor was choking and Kovac performed a Heimlich maneuver on him. The press has already called us a hundred times and how am I gonna explain them that the savior of Chicago mayor has been fired, huh?"
"He quit." Kerry points out.
"I don't care. Just rehire him."
I wanna kiss Morgenstein and the mayor! Hell, I'm even loving Kerry now!
"Ok. I'll call him."
This whole issue reminds me of that time Doug was fired but saved a kid from drowning live on TV so that County was forced to hire him back. Who cares now, though? Luka's back!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------
A perky Elizabeth meets me on the harbor instead of Luka. She's wearing clingy white pants, a matching vest that exposes generously her breast and a denim shirt. Her wonderful hair is pulled back into a denim cap and a pair of leather sailing shoes complete her perfect outfit. I look self- consciously at me: I'm wearing a baggy pair of pants, old boots and a shapeless parka because I'm afraid it might get pretty windy on the lake. From a wooden, elegant sailboat Luka greets us. "Hi there! I told Elizabeth to come along, Susan!"
I noticed that, Einstein. Elizabeth flashes her charming smile at Luka "Permission to board, captain!"
"Permission granted."
Elizabeth jumps on board with a cat-like move while a struggle not to fall in the water, almost tripping over a rope, a boom, I think it's called. Or maybe not. There must be something called boom on a boat, although I don't have the faintest idea of what it is. I don't know boats, I guess I am a country girl. Elizabeth looks around curiously and lets out an appreciative whistle. "A fine specimen of small clipper you have here. Bet she sails up to fifty knots per hour, Luka."
"Uh-huh." Luka pats proudly the wood of the boat. "I see you know your way around boats, Elizabeth."
"I used to sail with my dad."
"Give me a hand to hoist that sail, will you, then?"
Elizabeth hops about the deck familiarly with British efficiency. I just stand there, feeling stupid and useless. I am actually starting to think I am the proverbial third person of the crowd, since Luka and Elizabeth quite obviously make a perfect company.
"Hey, something wrong, Susan?"
"Err, it's just that I don't know much about boats, Luka. I am a dodo in the water."
"Come here, then. I'll teach you how to helm a boat. It's quite simple really, just like driving a car, only you don't have the pedals and you need a bit more strength. Nothing a woman couldn't handle, though. Women make the best skippers."
He puts my hands firmly on the helm and position himself behind me, his hands over mine. I can feel his heart beat against my back and his warm breath on my neck. Mmm, this feels so good I could stay like this forever. Unfortunately he steps aside but looks at me with proud eyes.
"You're a natural, Susan. Now veer larboard."
What the hell does larboard mean? I just guess, because I have a fifty per cent chance after all. So I simply turn the helm left.
Luka smiles approvingly. I am a lucky gal.
We quickly reach the middle of the lake and it's quite windy there after all. I'm glad I have my unsexy parka now. The wind is horribly messing up my hair, which sticks up my head like it has never seen a brush his whole life now. It blows wildly yet wonderfully through Elizabeth's unruly locks, though. She takes my place at the helm and Luka drags me to the prow of the boat. On a whim I step on the far end of the boat to feel the cold wind on my face. My hair is in a desperate condition so I don't have nothing to lose.
"I am the king of the world!" I cry as I spread my arms.
Luka chuckles "How Leonardo di Caprio of you!"
We sunbathe a little then Elizabeth strips off to a blue swimming suit. She's in great shape, you couldn't tell she had a baby not long ago. I can see Luka agrees with me.
"Are you crazy? You wanna go for a swim? It's cold!"
"Nah, it can't be as cold as the sea of the Orkneys islands."
She jumps into the water with an impeccable swan dive, without raising a single splash of water.
"Come on, it's warm, you chicken shits!"
Luka takes off his clothes and stands in his boxer, looking expectantly at me.
"I don't have a swimming suit."
"You are wearing your underwear, though?"
I am glad I have a black bra and panties. I leave my t-shirt on as well, though.
The water is frigging cold. Elizabeth must be some sort of penguin because she doesn't look cold at all. And it's not like she has this thick layer of fat to isolate her. I am so cold my lips have gone blue. I am glad I am with two ER docs because I feel like I am about to go into hypothermia. I thread about to keep warm. Luka looks like he is into his natural element.
"I was born and raised in a sea town."
We get back on board at last. As Luka hands me a towel I feel really self- conscious because my t-shirt is transparent and clingy to my body from the water, revealing my hardened nipples under the bra. Luka seems to appreciate the sight, though, and looks away abruptly when he notices he's staring.
As we step off to the boat, back to the harbor, I tell Luka " I had a great time."
"Me too." Elizabeth echoes.
"Come back then, and bring Susie along. And Ella, of course."
"Are you really gonna live on the boat?"
"Nah, I guess I'll go back to the hotel I lived in before. The manager lets me stay if I check on his guests from time to time. Mostly drunks that pass out at the bar."
"You're incredible, Luka!" I say.
"We foreigners are allowed to do crazy things, aren't we, Elizabeth?"