Page 6 of The Hitchhiker in Panama
“You were very helpful, dear.” Edith patted my knee. “Speaking of which, Lila here is looking to be a linehandler through the canal. Do you have your date yet?”
Jonas shook his head and focused his attention on me. “No, but the agent comes tomorrow. I was going to hire a linehandler through him.” Eivind nudged Jonas. “But you could save us some money,” Jonas finished with a smile.
“Right.” I nodded. “And I can cook and clean, too. But I don’t know much about, like, knots or anything . . . seamanship . . . stuff.”
“I can teach her what she needs to know,” Edith assured them.
“That is okay,” Jonas said. “Marcella and Elayna know what to do, and you will most likely just be along for the ride.”
“A warm body,” I agreed.
“You should come by tomorrow morning. You can meet the rest of our crew and then the agent, Robert, will come in the afternoon to give us the details.”
We made plans for me to swing by after breakfast the next day, and Edith and I departed.
Down the dock, I did a little jig next to Edith and sang, “I’m going to find a boat, I’m going to find a boat.”
We laughed and bumped hips. I threw a last glance over my shoulder, and Eivind was on the bow ofEik, holding on to the rigging and watching us walk away.
When we got back toSilver Lining, Peter was nearly done cooking dinner. I collapsed dramatically onto the couch.
“He’s so cute.”
“I know, that whole boat. Everyone’s so young and good-looking, it makes me wish I were decades younger.”
I lifted my head up. “Those guys would be chuffed to have you, I’m sure.”
Edith barked a laugh. “I hate to say it, dear, but I think maybe he’s got a partner,” she said while pouring herself another beer.
I sat up straight. “Really? He was so flirty.”
She held out her hands, palms up. “Maybe I’m wrong. You two would be a gorgeous couple, in my humble opinion.”
“Aw, thanks. Well, maybe he’s single, maybe he isn’t. Either way, I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
Whether Eivind was available or not, I reminded myself that this trip wasn’t about having a fling. A fling would just be a momentary distraction, and I wasn’t going to let anything disrupt my plans.
* * *
I lay in bed the next morning, thinking about my new possibilities. IfEikworked out, I would accomplish what I came here to do—transit the canal. I couldn’t help but think of Eivind, too. He was very good-looking, and I could already tell he was a flirt. But my first priority was to transit the canal—not get into shenanigans with a hot sailor.
Not counting my chickens before they hatched, I still announced on the morning net that I was available to crew.
After the net, I walked down the dock toEikand along the side pier. A figure stood in the cockpit, and he poked his head around the canvas when I called good morning. Mouth full and toast waving in the air, Jonas gestured to me to come in.
I picked my way around to the cockpit and climbed down onto a seat. Jonas swallowed his bite of brekkie and wished me a god morgen. People rustled around downstairs in the cabin and the scents of butter browning and sticky jam wafted out.
I settled into a cushion on the seat. “So, where did you sail from to get here?”
He swallowed the last bite of his toast and told me about the trip from Grenada. It took six days forEikto sail over.
“Beautiful spinnaker sailing,” Jonas said.
I made a mental note to ask Peter and Edith what a spinnaker was.
At one point, Eivind’s head came up, followed by his arm and a plate with two pieces of sliced bread. “God morgen, Lila. Toast? Coffee?”
“Oh, coffee, please, and thank you. I already ate.”
