Nook are both closed, and I pretend like I’m interested in the tour he’s giving me, pointing out all the boat’s features, but honestly, my mind is halfway between the gutter and a sliver of golden skin I keep seeing above the waistband of his charcoal board shorts when he reaches to switch on lights in the boat’s low ceiling. He’s wearing a shirt with the sleeves rolled up high enough to show off his bronze arms, and his shorts aren’t just low, they also have a bonus strategic rip exposing one muscular thigh. I mean, come on. He switches the lights on. Off … I signal for him to show me again. He gladly complies. His hips have that weird boy muscle that makes a V shape on either side of his stomach, pointing toward greener pastures.
Kind of hard not to look.
And we haven’t been alone since that day my mom watched me take pictures of the boatyard. Some of them turned out pretty good. Kat is happy, so that’s what’s important.
“So that’s the Narwhal tour,” Lucky says. “How’s your queasy factor so far?”
“Ugh. Don’t say that word, p-wease,” I say around a ginger-flavored lollipop that I’ve been sucking for several minutes in preparation for boarding. I also have a tin of candied ginger in the pocket of my shorts.
“Ginger is proven to help with seasickness,” he assures me. “So does getting back on the water. Practice and practice again. I researched this thoroughly and asked a bunch of hardened, salty old boaters. You’re going to beat this. Mind over matter. We’ll make a sea-loving lass of you yet.”
I pluck my lollipop out of my mouth with a soft pop. “Really don’t know how you talked my mom into letting us do this.”
He shrugs “Just pointed out where she could see us from your apartment window through one of your camera lenses,” he says casually, and sounds like he means it.
“Uh, what?”
“Look,” he says, ignoring me. “If you want to get past this seasickness—”
“I could just stay on land forever.”
“—a bigger boat is a good place to start. That’s why I thought we’d try out the Nimble Narwhal, here. My dad acquired it in a trade earlier this year. Impressed?”
“If by ‘impressed’ you mean ‘is it giving off Cape Fear vibes,’ then yes. Are you sure there aren’t bodies stuffed inside the sofa?”
“You insult me, Saint-Martin. I’ll have you know I spent hours scrubbing everything down here until my fingers bled.”
“Don’t believe you.” God, he’s adorable.
“Maybe not bled. I did clean it, though. And it’s body-free. And rodent-free. I also threw away a lot of insect carcasses. You’re welcome.”
“What is all this for, if I may ask?”
“This is how I’m going to turn you into a water rat.”
“Why?”
He taps the side of his head with his finger and waggles his brows. “I have a plan.”
“Hey! That’s my thing,” I insist. “I’m the person with the plans and schemes.”
“Tough,” he says, shrugging. “It’s upside-down day. You ready?”
“No, I’m not ready in the least bit! I don’t want to get sick again,” I say, clinging to the carrot-colored kitchenette counter. “Especially not in that bathroom.”
“Told you before, seasickness is an inner ear problem. It’s sort of a battle between your senses, right? Your body is used to being on solid ground, and once you’re on a boat, your eyes are seeing one thing, and your inner ears are detecting another, and it’s one big sensory overload, and kablam! You’re sick.”
“Terrific for science. Let’s not do any kablamming.”
“Nope. We’re going to kablam until your body gets used to the water. The ginger helps your inner ear. So does antihistamine. That’s all motion-sickness pills are, really. And I’ve got them in case you need them.” He pats his pocket. “Remember last time, with the old fish and the sealant smells? I think that was a big factor. Strong smells make it worse.”
“It definitely didn’t help,” I agree.
“That’s why I cleaned, see? And I aired everything out. No smells. So today let’s start small. We’re just going to sail out for about a nautical mile, then I’ll stop the boat. Got it?”
Okay, adorable or not, I’m really unsure about all this and moan a protest.
“Mind over matter,” he says, gesturing to the deck above.
“I’m going to crack open your mind for making me do this, Lucky Karras.” The only thing saving him is that even though I can’t see his spectacular hips at the moment, he’s smiling down at me with that beautiful smile