A/N: This chapter took a while to write, but as a bonus it's long and contains a bit of adult material at the end. Please read and review.
The work on deck went fairly smoothly, the last half of the string would surely stuff the tanks on board. Everyone was working with the same goal in mind, finish the string and get the boat turned towards town. Samantha and Jake were a great team working as best they could to get the pots baited and the crab sorted as quickly as possible. Samantha did her best to get in and out of the pots fast in order to protect herself from Edgar, just incase he got any ideas about revenge. She knew it was coming, she just hoped it wouldn't be out on deck. She was already cold, wet and fairly miserable however she knew that he could make it much much worse in a moment.
"Antha, do you want to learn a new skill?" asked Matt.
"Sure" said Samantha.
"Come on over, you can learn to throw the hook" said Matt.
Samantha slipped and slid over to the rail. Edgar eyed her warily before walking over to the intercom.
"Sig, slow down. Antha is going to try her hand at the hook" said Edgar.
"Ok, put a lifejacket on her" said Sig.
"Roger" replied Edgar.
Walking to one of the supply closets he pulled out a lifejacket for Antha. He walked back to the rail and placed his hand on Antha's shoulder. She jumped a mile and skittered away towards the rail. Edgar caught her wrist and then showed her the lifejacket.
"Why do I need this?" asked Samantha.
"Sig suggested you wear one" said Edgar.
"Are you going to throw me overboard?" asked Samantha warily.
"No" said Edgar.
Samantha looked suspicious.
"I swear I will not throw you overboard" said Edgar raising his hand. "It's just a precaution to keep you safe."
"Fine" said Samantha.
Edgar helped her into the lifejacket tightening it around her slender frame. With a final pat to her shoulder he turned her over to Matt for instruction.
"Ok Antha, this is the hook. The goal is to throw this hook, catch the line and pull it in" explained Matt. "Do you think you can do it?"
"I'll try" said Samantha.
Matt handed her the hook which was a lot heavier than she expected. Sig drove the boat as close to the buoy as he could to try to make her first throw as easy as possible. Samantha walked to the edge of the rail and tossed the hook as hard as she possibly could. The hook splashed into the water a few feet shy of the line.
"Well close but no cigar" said Matt. "Try again."
Samantha tried again throwing it even harder, this time she managed to hook the line.
"Alright, you got it on your second try. That's better than Junior did on his first time on the hook" said Matt. "Now pull it in."
Samantha pulled the line in hand over hand until the hook was back in her hand with the line. Matt showed her how to put the line in the block and turned it on. The whole process was really confusing for Samantha and Matt took mercy on her and ran the block for her. Samantha threw the hook on a total of 5 pots before she started to miss consistently.
"Antha, are you getting tired?" asked Matt.
Samantha nodded and handed him the hook.
"You did a good job" said Norman.
Samantha smiled and returned to bait duty with Jake.
The rest of the string seems to fly by for everyone. Sig announced the last 5 pots which gave Samantha her cue to head inside to make dinner.
Edgar and the guys walked into the galley an hour later to the smell of garlic. Samantha was showered, changed and cooking up a feast in the kitchen. There were filets of beef cooking in the oven while on the stove 3 different shrimp dishes were being prepared. Edgar walked into the kitchen and checked out what Samantha was cooking. She handed Edgar a spoon and motioned for him to taste the dishes. Edgar looked at her suspiciously and hesitated.
"I'm not going to poison you" said Samantha. "It would be the waste of all my hard work."
"Alright" said Edgar.
He dipped his spoon in the shrimp scampi, the spicy tomato shrimp and finally grabbed a fried shrimp off the top of the stack. All the dishes tasted amazing and Edgar attempted to dip his spoon again but was stopped by a crack on the knuckles.
"Just a taste" said Samantha.
"Fine. It's really good. Thanks for making my special dinner even though we hate each other" said Edgar.
Samantha smiled and shoved him playfully out of the kitchen.
"You're suppose to say we don't hate each other" said Edgar.
Samantha just shrugged and turned back to the stove. Edgar stared at her for a moment then headed to his stateroom to change.
Dinner was a happy affair everyone was excited about heading to town. The boat was absolutely stuffed with crab which made Sig very happy. The rest of the crew was happy because they had a chance to sleep on the trip to town and once they got to town they'd get to hit the bar. Samantha was excited to be heading to dry land but slightly worried about what awaited her regarding employment.
"Antha, this is the best Edgar meal we've ever had" said Nick.
"It's going to be sad to see you go. The dinners just won't be the same" said Sig.
"Yeah, I'll have to go back to making them" said Matt.
"Thanks for all the compliments. I'm sure you'll be fine without me" said Samantha with a smile.
"It certainly isn't going to smell as nice with you not here" said Jake.
"Ok, that was kind of a weird compliment" said Samantha.
"You know because you do all the laundry and that's not going to get done" explained Jake.
"Yeah, there will be no pillow washing once you're gone" said Matt.
"I don't understand why doing laundry is so hard for all of you" said Samantha.
"It's not hard, it's just annoying and we don't really need clean clothes or fresh pillowcases" said Edgar.
"Or clean bathrooms" added Samantha.
"We, don't have to sit down all the time so we don't feel it needs to be so clean" said Edgar.
"Gross" said Samantha.
"Are you going to go to the bar with us when we get back to town?" asked Jake.
"Sure, I'd love to let you buy me a drink" said Samantha with a wink.
Dinner was pretty much done and Samantha got up to get the special dessert. She'd made vanilla cupcakes with Northwestern blue icing. She set the cupcakes on the table and smiled. On each cupcake she'd attempted to write each of the crew members names.
"Sorry Norman, your name was a little long. I could only fit Norma" said Samantha.
Norman just shook his head knowing that Samantha had just given every guy on deck a new nickname for him.
"I'm sure Norma doesn't mind" said Edgar.
Norman punched Edgar in the arm in response. Samantha rolled her eyes and handed out the rest of the cupcakes. Once everyone had finished their dessert Samantha cleared the table and started on the dishes. Since it had been Edgar's meal he helped. The dishwashing was a relativly silent affair. When everything was cleaned, dried and stowed Samantha dug through the freezer picking out a frozen package of sausage for tomorrows breakfast. Once she'd done that she headed up to the wheelhouse to ask Sig a few questions. Edgar watched her leave and wondered if she really hated him.
Sig sat in his chair grinning gleefully at the numbers on the notebook page. The boat was stuffed with crab and if his calculations were correct he'd be almost halfway through his quota after this delivery. He turned at the sound of footsteps on the stairs, from the light tread he knew it was Antha. He had something important to speak to her about but wasn't sure how to bring it up.
"Hi Sig" said Antha once she crested the stairs.
"Hi Antha. Dinner was delicious" he said.
"Thanks" replied Samantha. "How long until we reach Dutch?"
"About 26 hours if the weather holds" answered Sig.
"Wow, that's a long time" said Samantha.
"Well the winds are against us and this was our farthest string" said Sig. "Are you anxious to get off the boat?"
"I just wanted to know how many more meals I needed to plan for" said Samantha.
"Ah" was all Sig said.
Samantha sat quietly in the port side chair watching the boat slip through the dark water. The sodium lights were on, illuminating a little of the water around the boat but in the distance it looked dark as pitch. The birds which followed the boat while it was actively fishing had all but disappeared. Samantha felt a pang in her chest as she realized she would never be so far away from the stresses of civilization again.
"Why so sad?" asked Sig.
"I think I'm going to miss how peaceful it can be out here" answered Samantha.
"You could always stay" said Sig.
"No thanks, the peacefulness does not take away the constant fear I live in on this boat or the dangers of working" said Samantha.
"We'll always keep you safe" said Sig seriously.
Samantha turned to look at Sig's fierce look and smiled. She knew every guy on the boat would do anything in their powers to keep her safe.
"I know" said Samantha quietly.
"I would think after all the shit that has been going on over here you'd want to get some well deserved sleep" commented Sig.
"Not really. The moment I close my eyes is when Edgar is going to strike" said Samantha.
"He's tired too" said Sig.
"I don't think he's ever too tired to prank" said Samantha warily.
"Try to get some rest, if not by sleeping maybe you can just put your feet up or something" said Sig.
"I'll do something relaxing" said Samantha vaguely.
She visited with Sig a few more minutes before excusing herself and going downstairs.
Samantha made herself some hot cocoa with marshmallows and sat down on the counter in the galley. She looked down at her fuzzy socks and then pulled up her pant leg. The hair on her legs was a little out of control. Deciding now was as good a time as any to do some personal maintenance she wandered into the bathroom and grabbed her razor and some of her body soap. Samantha returned to her perch on the counter and filled the sink with a few inches of warm water. Not wanting to get her pants wet she removed them and set them aside. Starting with one leg she slowly and methodically shaved her legs. She'd finished the right leg and had just switched to the left when a voice bellowed.
"Where the hell are your pants?"
Sig's voice startled her and she cut her leg before dropping the razor into the soapy water. The shout brought everyone out of their respective staterooms and into the galley. Samantha just sat on the counter staring in shock at everyone's faces, her leg was dripping blood into the water.
"Sig, you scared her" said Norman.
He walked over and grabbed a few paper towels and placed them firmly on the cut. The pressure on her leg brought Samantha back to the present and she replaced Norman's hand with her own. Reaching down she found the razor in the water and set it on the counter. Next she pulled her feet out of the sink and dried them on the small hand towel she'd taken out of the bathroom before checking the cut. The flow of blood had slowed to an ooze so Samantha rinsed it with a little clean water before she dried it with the towel.
"I think the yelling was a little overzealous" said Samantha turning to the assembly.
"Where are your pants?" repeated Sig.
"Right there" said Samantha pointing to the neatly folded sweats.
"Why aren't they on your body?" asked Sig.
"Because I didn't want to get them wet while I shaved my legs" said Samantha.
"You can't walk around this boat with no pants on" said Sig.
"Why not? Jake doesn't have pants on right now" said Samantha.
Jake was indeed just wearing his boxers.
"I'm not talking about Jake. It's not appropriate for you to walk around with now pants" said Sig.
Samantha raised an eyebrow, clearly challenging the validity of Sig's statement.
"I don't think it's a big deal" said Samantha.
Proving just how much she didn't care she hopped down from the counter showing everyone her underwear before she grabbed her sweats and slipped them on.
"Happy now?" asked Samantha.
"Yes" replied Sig.
"Who's driving the boat?" asked Samantha.
Sig shook his head and turned to return to the wheelhouse. Once the excitement of a bottomless Samantha was over everyone else returned to their bunks leaving Samantha blissfully alone.
As the night wore on Samantha quietly slipped into the staterooms collecting each guys laundry. Her goal was to wash everything one last time so the guys would have a clean clothes to start the next leg of the trip. As she folded the laundry she contemplated all the adventures she'd had on the boat in the last few weeks. She'd certainly never cooked so many meals or done so much laundry. She'd almost died while managing to save the entire operation by cutting line off a propellor in the middle of the bearing sea. It truly had been an amazing adventure. She couldn't help but laugh, any job after this would seem like a piece of cake. After the laundry was folded she carried it back to the staterooms and dropped it off on the guys bags. She was fairly sure she'd gotten everything back to the proper owner. After the laundry was done she went back to the kitchen and thew together a breakfast casserole for the next day. She was unsure how long she'd actually get to rest so just in case she got to sleep in she left the directions for baking written on a post it on top of the tinfoil. She made a fresh pot of coffee before cleaning up her mess and closing up the kitchen.
Standing in the bathroom Samantha was combing her hair. It had taken her a while to get all the tangles out, but now it was finally smooth. She parted her hair on the side and suddenly froze.
"No fucking way" she muttered to herself.
Reaching into her toiletry bag she dug through it until she found a pair of tweezers. Taking into consideration the shifting boat she carefully pulled her first grey hair out of her head. She stared at the innocuous hair squeezed between the two metal tines. Her anger was bubbling out of her. There was only one person to blame for this and he was about to get a very rude awakening. Samantha stormed down the hallway and burst into the stateroom Edgar shared with Norman. Flipping on the light woke up both brothers. However, Edgar was woken up even further by the unexpected weight now pressing down on his chest.
"Do you know what this is?!?" yelled Samantha.
"No" said Edgar, his eyes still closed.
"Open your fucking eyes and look" said Samantha.
Edgar's eyes slowly opened, both were full of sleep and for a moment they crossed while he tried to focus on the object in Samantha's hand.
"I still don't know what it is" replied Edgar.
"It's a fucking grey hair" said Samantha.
"So, we all have them, even junior" said Edgar trying to move his hands from under Samantha's knees.
"Well I've never had one. In my 29 years of life I've never gotten one until I met you" said Samantha. "And I've had some pretty ridiculous jobs and none of them gave me a grey hair"
"You can't possibly blame me for that" said Edgar in disbelief.
"I hold you completely responsible" said Samantha.
"Will you two just kiss and get it over with, I want to go back to sleep" said Norman covering his head with a pillow.
Samantha's head snapped over to glare at Norman and Edgar attempted to use her distraction to push her off of him. Unfortunately for him Samantha clearly saw this move coming and clamped her thighs around his body pinning him in place.
"You have really strong legs" commented Edgar.
"Is that suppose to be a compliment?" asked Samantha directing her attention back to the prone man beneath her.
"Yes, it's a very nice compliment considering you are trying to squeeze me to death with them " said Edgar.
Samantha frowned down at Edgar her eyes alight with anger.
"You're also kind of sexy when you're mad" said Edgar with a roguish smile.
"Edgar, you just don't know when to quit" muttered Norman.
Edgar struggled to get Samantha off of him but she was able to move and sway her body keeping one step ahead of his attempts to dislodge her. After a few minutes he gave up and laid still.
"So, what are you going to do to me?" asked Edgar.
"I'm going to pluck every single hair off your body" said Samantha.
"You should get started, it's going to take you forever" chimed Norman.
"I think you're right. Where do you think I should start?" asked Samantha.
"Norman, who's side are you on?" asked Edgar.
Norman just shrugged and propped himself up on one elbow enjoying his front row seat. Samantha turned around quickly sitting further up on Edgar's chest. Her flat feet were now pressed into Edgar's hands, her toes clutching his middle fingers in order to keep his hands from moving. Next she pulled up the hem of his t-shirt exposing his stomach. Using the tweezers she plucked a few hairs off him.
"Oh fuck, that hurt" yelled Edgar.
"Don't make me gag you" said Samantha.
"How do you plan to do that?" taunted Edgar.
Lifting herself off his chest she moved her bottom back and completely covered Edgar's face. While Edgar was strangely close to being suffocated to death he really couldn't think of a better way to go. Norman was laughing hysterically.
"Ohmay, I met it" said Edgar his voice muffled.
"Hey, don't talk through me like that" said Samantha moving back to sit on his chest. "How would you like me to do that to you?"
In order to prove her point she leaned down and said a few words into Edgar's crotch. He certainly had no problems with it.
"You could do that to me any time you want" said Edgar.
"Ugh, you are impossible. How about I let you choose which testicle I pull off with these tweezers" said Samantha.
Edgar decided that enough was enough, he tilted his hips to the side and pushed Samantha as hard as he could in order to toss her to the floor. To her credit she managed to hold on twice but by the third toss she landed in a heap on the floor. Edgar was on top of her immediately.
"Now who's in charge?" said Edgar menacingly.
Samantha rolled her eyes and squirmed a little to see how tight Edgar was holding her. She wasn't able to move at all. Edgar looked down at her prone form and smiled, she really was beautiful when she was angry. Deciding to take a chance he leaned down and kissed her. Samantha was shocked at the kiss, she fought against him for a moment before surrendering herself to his soft lips and questing tongue. Norman got up quietly and left the two to their own devices.
Edgar threaded one of his hands through Samantha's hair grasping it gently and tilting her head so he could deepen the kiss. She tasted like peppermint and he couldn't get enough of her. Deciding that breathing was going to have to take precedence he pulled back just enough to catch his breath before leaning forwards and sealing his lips to hers again. Samantha struggled to free her arms and Edgar moved slightly to allow her a little freedom. Her hands snaked around his body slipping under his shirt to caress his skin. His body was toned and as her hands slipped over his chest she heard his growl in approval. Moving slightly Edgar untangled his hand from Samantha's hair and slipped it beneath her shirt. With no hesitation he reached for her breasts, plucking at her nipples. Samantha's head tipped back and a very sexy moan escaped her mouth. Edgar smiled and moved to seal his mouth to hers. After a searing kiss he moved down pulling up her shirt and exposing her breasts to the cool room air. Her nipples were instantly hard a reaction that made Edgar's mouth water. Leaning forward her kissed the tops of her breasts gently before moving his lips down to encase one of her nipples. Samantha rocked her head back and forth surrendering herself to the wonderful feelings Edgar's tongue was eliciting. She imagined it must be talented considering how much talking he did. Samantha could feel Edgar's erection rubbing against her leg and she reached down to stroke it gently. In response Edgar bit down gently on her nipple.
"Do that again" moaned Samantha.
Edgar smiled around her breast and bit down again this time a little harder. Deciding that the t-shirt was in his way he pulled it off of Samantha and tossed it over his shoulder. As he laid her back down on the rough carpet he saw her wince.
"Lets move this somewhere more comfortable" said Edgar.
Samantha nodded and scrambled up onto Edgar's bunk. Before Edgar settled himself over Samantha he shucked off his shirt.
"Now we match" said Edgar.
"That's nice, I know how much you value fairness" said Samantha.
Before Edgar could retort the phone rang. Both Samantha and Edgar stared at it hoping it would stop, but after the beeping continued he finally picked up.
"What?" said Edgar.
"The boat isn't staying in gear, I think it might be the filter or the pneumatics " said Sig.
"Does it need to be fixed right now?" whined Edgar.
"Of course it does, we are practically dead in the water and it's blowing 50. Get down there and fix it, I'll meet you there" barked Sig.
Edgar hung up the phone and looked down at Samantha's exposed chest and sighed. He gave each nipple a kiss then kissed Samantha soundly on the lips before getting up and dressed. Samantha however, was not going to take this lying down or rather she was. Her hand immediately slipped into her pants and she brought herself off to a quick orgasm right in front of Edgar's wide eyes.
"Don't do that again until I can make it happen" said Edgar.
"Ok" replied Samantha.
Edgar attempted to adjust his erection before heading to the engine room to find out what was going on.