Chapter 26
"How sweet, AJ, you're such a thoughtful husband," smiled Sarah, as she started giving the cook her order.
AJ stood and stretched, "Well, Sarah, are you going to try your hand at fishing?"
"Nope, I think I'll stick with what I know best-pee-wee golf," she grinned.
AJ's face turned beet red, and he turned and went outside to meet the crew. There were three deck hands. They baited his hooks with the squid, they were also there to help him reel the fish in, if he needed help, and to hook it and drag it on board. Then the hands would store it until they returned to the dock. If he caught a fish that he wanted mounted, then the crew would recommend someone and deliver the fish to them. If he caught several smaller ones in the range of twenty-five to fifty pounds and wanted them cleaned, then they would do that for him.
A fishing pole was rigged and ready by a swivel chair. The Captain stopped the boat and introduced his deck hands. "Mr. Bayer, if you need anything at all just ask on of these three men here, "Henry, Charlie, or Pete. They'll be glad to help," smiled the Captain. "Charlie's a little green around the gills today, because this is his first day with us, but he'll get the hang of it soon."
AJ looked up to shake hands with the men and caught Charlie's eye. He didn't know whether to laugh or hit the man. Deciding it was probably not a good thing to do either, and Charlie did look like he could use a good dose of Dramamine, so AJ nodded and took his seat. Pete picked up the squid to bait AJ's hook when a wicked gleam came into AJ's eyes. "Pete, if you don't mind, I'd like to be the man who breaks in the new guy, please," grinned AJ. "Charlie, you'll be my personal deck hand today so you can bait my hook."
Charlie gave AJ a look that would melt steel, and walked to the pole. Lifting the huge hook, he reached for the bait and pulled out the black, slimy squid. Taking one look at what he held in his hand, Charlie dropped it and rushed for the edge of the boat. Once there, Charlie's stomach shifted and rolled, until his eggs benedict came up and went over the boat into the ocean.
"What's the matter, Charlie-can't handle a squid?" grinned AJ, reaching down and baiting his own hook. Dropping his line into the water, AJ sat back and waited, watching Charlie mop the deck where he had dropped the squid.
Sarah came outside and walked over to tell AJ she was going topside to sunbathe, when she noticed Charlie. "AJ, isn't that..."
"Darlin', this is our deck hands Charlie and that one is Henry, and over there is Pete. Today is Charlie's first day and he seems to be having a little trouble," smiled AJ, putting his arm around Sarah.
"Well he looks just like Webster, our pool boy! Doesn't he, dearest?"
"Now that you mentioned it, he does!" both AJ and Mac smirked at 'Webster'.
"Phew! What is that awful smell?" asked Sarah, wrinkling her nose.
"Squid, Sweetie, that's what they use for bait," grinned AJ. "Why, don't you like squid?"
"Not that kind I don't!" smiled Sarah, leaning over and kissing AJ's cheek before turning and going topside. Once there, she started to strip off her clothes. Every man on board stopped what he was doing to watch, until at last she was down to her bright yellow bathing suit. Pulling her beach towel from her bag she spread it out and lay down. Dropping her sunglasses down from her head, she picked out a magazine and settled down. Everyone started breathing again and went back to what they were doing.
An hour and forty-five minutes later, AJ's line started squealing and running away from the boat. Everyone ran to see what was happening. Sarah even lifted her head to watch.
Locking the pole into the chair, AJ sat back and started to work the fish. Slowly, a give and take game of hunter and hunted played out before the eyes of all on board. Suddenly from the ocean broke a beautiful fish, causing a gasp from even the Captain himself. AJ's heart started to beat rapidly-this was the one he had wanted.
To be continued….