Nine Lives - Danielle Steel Page 0,56
her arrive, and the deckhands took her bags to the spacious cabin Paul had chosen for her. He wanted it to be a perfect trip for her and it promised to be. They had no special plans, they were just going to float around the islands and go ashore when they wanted to. She’d brought a stack of books to read, since she hadn’t decided yet how long to stay. She had no pressing reason to go back, other than the museum classes she wanted to take, but being on the boat was much more appealing than a dry museum class in Chicago.
The chef had prepared a plate of perfect tea sandwiches and iced tea for her as a snack. Being on the boat was luxurious and comfortable, and Paul loved being able to share it with her. It was the only gift he could think of to give her, to make her life more pleasant.
They sat talking until nearly dinnertime, and then went to their cabins to put on sweaters, since it got chilly at night. He observed no formalities there unless he had special guests, where it was required. With Maggie, he could relax, which he preferred.
They had a beautifully prepared dinner of delicate sole meunière and local seafood. They were at anchor off Antigua, which he liked better than being crowded in port with all the other boats, passersby, gawkers, and noise. Slightly off the coast, it was silent and peaceful. They sat for a long time after dinner talking some more, and then played liar’s dice for half an hour before they went to bed in their separate cabins. He didn’t make an issue of her sleeping in her own cabin, or try to seduce her. He just seemed happy to be with her, and didn’t ask for more than that. As soon as she got to her bed that night, she was out cold, and slept until ten a.m. the next day.
When she came up on deck in the morning, Paul was reading the newspapers the crew had brought from shore for him, the sun was bright, and there was a gentle breeze so it wasn’t too hot.
“My God, this is paradise,” she said, smiling at him. “I don’t know what I’ve ever done to deserve this, but thank you for having me.”
He could see how grateful she was. And he was being careful not to romance her. He didn’t want to scare her off. He was following her rules and respecting her boundaries.
They set sail a little while later, and sailed all day, before stopping near one of the small islands later that afternoon. They got off the boat and swam then, one of the tenders took them to the nearest beach, which was utterly deserted, with fine snow-white sand. Afterwards, they went back to the boat. Paul went to get a massage, and Maggie curled up with a book.
Each day seemed more relaxing than the previous one. They sailed around the local islands, anchored in port occasionally for a brief time to get supplies. And then they left the port and sailed again. The big sailboat handled smoothly and sometimes Maggie sat next to Paul at the wheel when he sailed it himself.
Their meals were exquisite and delicious. The crew were well trained and discreet, and Paul was wonderful company, and despite his broken ribs, he made her laugh with funny stories. He had become the perfect friend. She tried to make herself forget that she had ever been in love with him, and that they had kissed in London. She still felt the same attraction to him, but wouldn’t allow herself to respond or act on it. She wanted to keep their relationship chaste, which seemed simpler to her. She did not want to be the girlfriend of a race car driver with all the terror that would entail, worrying about him before and during every race, and panicked that he’d get injured or worse. As friends, she told herself, she could maintain a safe distance, but almost imperceptibly, day by day, they got closer and more at ease with each other. They had been in love as kids, and now they were totally comfortable companions as adults.
When Maggie texted Helen that she was going on a brief vacation after Christmas, Helen instantly had a suspicion that Maggie was with Paul. She didn’t want to ask her and break the spell of whatever she was doing, or intrude. She