Page 52 of Sail Away
He climbed on the back platform, greased the boots, and slipped his feet in. “Here goes nothing.” His body hit the water, and within a second, it felt like an elephant sat on his chest. He popped his head out and gasped for air. “Holy motherfucker. You can put it in gear.”
“Is it cold?” She tossed her arm over the back of the bench and rested her chin in her hand.
“Can you please hit it?” he said with his teeth chattering.
“Put the man out of his misery,” Craig said.
She pushed the throttle down, and as soon as the rope pulled taut, she took the boat up to speed.
He popped out of the water quickly, but it took a little while for the sun to warm him up, and he took it easy on the tricks because he didn’t want to fall back into what felt like a damned ice cube tray. He stuck with basic flips and things he knew he could do in his sleep. Wasn’t very thrilling, but he got that when his balls hit his throat and when he nearly froze to death.
It also woke him up and gave him a chance to clear his head from everything he’d learned, which wasn’t nearly enough. It posed more questions than it gave answers.
The sound of a couple of jet skis approaching caught his attention.
He hit a wave funky and wiped out when he realized it was Preston and one of the team members. At least this time the water didn’t feel so frigid. He swam to the wakeboard and rested his arms over the top. “He is not going to splash me,” Reid muttered.
“I believe that is his intention.” Darcie stood, turning the steering wheel and tapping the throttle, maneuvering the boat between him and the approaching jet ski.
Craig waved his hands up in the air.
“Y’all are very rule-oriented.” Reid handed Craig the wakeboard and climbed up onto the boat. “Not that I wanted to get sprayed.” The reality of what was going down crawled back into his brain, and he didn’t even know the half of it yet. “Or get knocked in the head.”
“That was some of the lamest, most boring tricks I’ve ever seen,” Preston said. He pulled up alongside the motorboat and cut the engine. “You looked like an old man out there.”
“I’m not getting any younger,” Reid said.
“Well, this youngster wants to give it a whirl, and I’d like to have a few words with you over an Irish coffee.”
Reid knew he couldn’t avoid Preston or the team all day, and even though he still had files to go through and try to make sense of, he wouldn’t be able to hole up in his room and do that all day either. “What if I wasn’t done yet?”
“You’re done,” Preston said. “Give him the keys to the jet ski.”
There was nothing worse than being spoken to like a child by your business partner in front of a team member, but Reid had no choice. He had to let it go.
For now.
He took the key and climbed on the watercraft. “Thanks for the morning ride.”
“Our pleasure,” Darcie said. “See you back at the yacht.”
Reid gunned the jet ski and took off, moving full speed ahead, which was only about sixty-five miles an hour. He went in a straight line, not doing even a single doughnut. It took him all of maybe eight minutes to get back to the vessel, where Bradley helped him off the watercraft and took his life vest.
“Did you have fun out there?”
“I did, thank you,” Reid said.
“And you, sir?” Bradley asked.
“Not as fun as this one.” He smacked Reid on the back. “I think he has the hots for your boson.”
“I’ve got no comment on that.” Bradley tossed the life jackets to the corner. “There are some muffins out if you want to start on those before breakfast is served.”
“Thanks. We just might do that.” Preston put his arm around Reid. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Reid shrugged Preston’s hand away as soon as they were standing in the main aft deck where the interior had set up a nice continental buffet.
The sun shone brightly over the mountains, and the wind rippled across the water below. If Reid weren’t preparing for battle, this might have been a nice day.
