Fish Perfume (Cozy Harbor Marina Series) (17 page)

Everyone smiled and said hi. Mo had to turn around and face the grill. I could see her shoulders shaking.

Lolly asked, “Could I get a cheeseburger and a coke?”

Joe Turner said, “You should try the Italian sausage.”

I looked at Tony and rolled my eyes. He was laughing.

Lolly licked her lips and smiled at Joe. She said, “I had two of those yesterday. I think I’m in the mood for a cheeseburger.”

Mo said, “One cheeseburger comin’ up. Have a seat.”

I could tell none of the guys were going to leave while Miss Lolly was in the Shack.

Lolly looked at me and said, “Thanks for helping me out this morning. I really appreciate it.”

I said, “No problem. I guess you lost a day’s work.”

She said, “They were nice. They gave me two hundred dollars and all I did was get seasick. I guess I won’t be going out on the water anytime soon. Actually, I only do this occasionally for some extra money. I’m a full-time dancer.”

Dancing Kathy perked up and asked her, “Where do you dance?”

Lolly said, “I’m a dancer at a gentlemen’s club in Providence.”

Kathy said, “What kind of dancing do you do?”

The boys started to snicker.

Lolly said, “I’m a featured pole dancer.”

Kathy said, “Really. That is the new craze. It’s supposed be really good exercise. I own a dance studio, and I’ve had a lot of calls from people wanting to know if we offer pole-dancing classes.”

Lolly said, “It’s becoming really popular since it was featured on Oprah.”

Kathy said, “Hey, would you be interested in teaching a class at my studio?”

Lolly said, “I’d love it. I could use the money and maybe I could give up my side job.”

Kathy said, “Give me your number and I’ll call you. What nights are you free?”

Lolly wrote her number on a napkin and gave it to her and said, “Wednesdays are good for me.”

Dancing Kathy said, “Let me make some calls and see if I can get some people to sign up. How many do you think should be in the class?”

Lolly said, “As many as you can fit in your studio.”

Kathy said, “I can fit about twenty.”

Lolly said, “Sounds good.”

Mo said, “I’ll sign up and I’ll get my friends Sandy, MaryAnn, and Val to sign up too. They’ll love it and so will their husbands. How about you, Meggie?”

I said, “Sure. I can always use more exercise.”

Dancing Kathy got up to leave and said, “I’ll call you in a few days, Lolly, when I get things set up. This could be lucrative for us both.”

Joe said, “Hey, I’d pay just to watch the class.”

Dancing Kathy gave him a dirty look and said, “Forget it, Joe. I’m surprised you don’t have a pole on your boat.”

Everyone laughed.

Dancing Kathy said, “Speaking of poles, I wonder where I can get some quick.”

Tony said, “I know just the guy to call.” He wrote a number on a piece of paper and gave it to Dancing Kathy.

Dancing Kathy said, “Thanks, Tony. Lolly, I’ll be in touch.”

Lolly said, “Thanks.”

Dancing Kathy said, “No. Thank you,” and walked out the door.

Lolly looked around at all of us. “Boy, this is my lucky day.” She raised her eyebrows and said to Tony, “Thanks for letting me take a nap on your boat. Can I do anything for you as a thank-you?”

I thought the guys were gonna fall off their stools. Tony laughed and said, “No, I’m good.”

Since she had finished her burger, I asked her, “Are you ready to go catch the bus?”

She smiled and said, “Yeah. It was nice meeting all you people. Thanks again, Tony.”

The guys gave her a sad smile and waved goodbye. They were like children, and I was taking their favorite toy away from them.

I dropped her off at the bus stop and told her I would see her soon. I can’t wait to tell Ian about my day.

Before I went over to Ian’s for our nightly run, I checked my e-mail. There was one from Helen.

Hi, Meggie:

I’m looking forward to seeing you on Friday. I miss it up there. How’s Tony? I hope he’s missing me because I can’t wait to see him. I hope you’re keeping an eye on him for me. I’m so glad I can get off Friday. Tony will be picking me up at the airport. I get in around 10:00 in the morning. Just so you know, I’ll be staying with him.

Lonely in Philly,

Hel

I wrote back.

Hi, Hel:

Looking forward to seeing you, too. I’ve been keeping not just one eye, but two, on Tony and you have nothing to worry about. He looks like a lost puppy without you. Also, I haven’t seen any flaws. Have a good flight. Pop in the store if you guys make it down to the marina before the race.

Love, Meggie

P.S. Ian and I are still going strong.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Race day is finally here. I’m excited. I feel great and I’m ready to go. I went over to the Snack Shack and had a late lunch. Mo made me a big pasta salad to fortify me. Helen and Tony popped in the office in the mid-afternoon to wish me luck and to tell me they’d be at the finish line. At 4:30, I left Journey to close up, and I went over to Ian’s. We got to the Pier School where the race would start and did some stretches. Then we were off.

About two miles into the race, I could tell it was frustrating for Ian to hold back and run with me.

I told him, “Ian, go ahead. I don’t mind a bit.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. Go.”

He smiled and gave me a wave. “Okay. I’ll be at the finish line waiting for you.”

I waved him off and said, “Have fun.”

I continued on, and was about halfway through the race running up Point Judith Road when I heard someone calling my name. There was a crowd of people cheering everyone on. I looked into the crowd and spotted Sexy Cathy and Kenny. They were smiling and waving at me. I waved back. About a half a mile up the road from where I saw them, I noticed my right sneaker was untied. A vision quickly popped in my head of me tripping and getting stampeded by all the people behind me. I went off the road to tie my sneaker. The last thing I wanted to do was trip up anyone behind me.

Mission accomplished, I ran back to the road to continue the race when I realized I had just stepped in something. I looked behind me and saw a dead skunk. I can’t believe I didn’t smell it first, but I could sure smell it now, coming from my sneakers. I had been on the lookout for a good place to jump back in the pack instead of watching where my feet were going. For the rest of the race, the other runners gave me a wide berth and picked up speed as they passed me. I thought about quitting, but I got used to the smell, and I’m not a quitter.

When I approached the finish line, I could see people pointing at me and a few aimed their cameras my way. I found Ian, Helen, and Tony in the crowd waving at me and laughing. I crossed the finish line and bent over to catch my breath. When I looked up, Ian was standing in front of me while the others kept their distance. He must love me; either that or his sense of smell must be off.

He gave me a hug, handed me a bottle of water, and asked, “Meggie, are you okay?”

I smiled at him and said, “A little stinky, a little embarrassed, but I finished. I guess the people who passed me came in and told everyone about the skunk woman.”

“I was hoping it wasn’t you, but I had a feeling it was. I’m so proud of you for finishing.”

I looked over at Helen and Tony, who had their hands over their noses.

Helen yelled, “Congratulations. We’ll see you at Tony’s in a little while.”

I yelled, “Okay.”

Ian said, “Let’s get you home and showered.”

We had dropped Ian’s truck off earlier at the finish line and took my wagon to the Pier School. When we got to the truck, Ian said, “Take off your sneakers and socks, and throw them in that bucket in the back of the truck.”

I said, “I guess these sneakers are history.”

He said, “Yep.”

“That’s the third pair this summer.”

He said, “I think I should start buying stock in Nike.”

Ian dropped me off at the cottage and went home to shower and change. I soaped myself up good, paying special attention to my legs and feet. I then put on a khaki skirt, a black top, and a pair of black sandals. Hooray! I don’t smell like skunk anymore. Thank God my sneakers got the worst of it.

Ian picked me up, then stopped at the liquor store to pick up a bottle of wine to take to Tony’s. I was excited to see Tony’s house. We drove on a private road about a half-mile into the woods, and then turned into Tony’s driveway. The house had a big sweeping front lawn with woods on either side of it. The house itself was a large contemporary design, with gray shingles, white trim, and a black front door. Helen and Tony met us in the driveway and ushered us around back to check out the pool. It was a good-size, rectangular in shape and surrounded by a beautiful flagstone patio. On the patio sat two chaise lounges and a glass-topped table with six chairs. Beautiful flowering scrubs and perennials enhanced the entire backyard.

I said to Tony, “Wow, this is beautiful. I love the pool. We should have brought our suits.”

Tony said, “You guys are welcome anytime, even if I’m not home. I had it heated so I can get more use out of it. Make the season last longer.”

Helen said to Ian and me, “You both must be exhausted after that run.”

Ian said, “I’m a little tired. How about you, Meggie?”

“I’m more than a little tired. I’m also embarrassed about the skunk. I hope they don’t put my picture in the paper.”

Ian smiled and said, “They probably will. The local papers are always looking for a good story like that.”

Tony asked, “How about a drink? Helen made some killer margaritas.”

I said, “I’d love one.”

Needless to say, the margaritas went down too easy, and by the time we ate, I was feeling no pain. Tony barbequed some big beef ribs with a bourbon sauce that was to die for. With the ribs, we had potato salad, and corn on the cob, and, for dessert, Tony made my favorite, strawberry shortcake. After dinner, he took us on a tour of the house, which was impressive. I could tell from looking around that Tony’s a neatnik, which is a good thing because so is Helen. I think it’s the engineer in her. We had one more margarita after dinner and my eyes started to droop. Ian took one look at me and decided it was time to get me home. When we got to his house, we went straight to bed. It was the first night we didn’t have sex before we went to bed. We made up for it in the morning however. Sex sure takes the edge off having to get up at 4:00!

Today is the Blessing of the Fleet. Most of the boats that weren’t out fishing were going to be heading over to Galilee for the blessing at noon. The blessing usually attracts a couple hundred boats when the weather is good, and today is a stellar day to be out on the water. The boats parade by a grandstand where a priest—occasionally a bishop— blesses each and every boat. On the grandstand is a panel of celebrity judges, who award prizes for the most originally decorated boats.

At 10:00, I decided to take a break and walk around the marina to check out the decorations on the boats. Most of the fishing boats were out, but A dock, where the cabin cruisers are, was a buzz of activity. Boat owners had friends and family down to help decorate and participate in the parade. The
Grain Man
went with a Hawaiian theme and had a couple of blow-up plastic palm trees strapped to the deck. The guys wore shorts and Hawaiian shirts, and all the women and little girls were dressed as hula dancers.

The
Lady Marion
was doing “Gilligan’s Island” with all the characters. Pierce was the Captain, and Marion was Marianne. They enlisted Don and Geri from
She’s the Boss
to be Mr. and Mrs. Howell. They invited some other friends to make up the rest of the cast of characters. The
Dancing Queen
went disco, with seventies’ music and a disco ball hanging above the deck, where the dancers were practicing their routine for the judges. The
Bite Me
had several large plastic blow-up sharks, and the
Summa Home
decided on a pirate theme. All the other boats were festooned with colorful flags, streamers, and balloons.

As I was walking up the dock, Tony and Helen were boarding his boat.

I looked
The Stallion
over and asked, “Where are your decorations?”

Tony said, “I wanted Helen to wear her new blue bikini, and then I was going to make up a sign that said, “Who needs decorations?”

Helen shook her head and said, “Can you believe him?”

Tony said, “It’s just as well. There’ll be too many boats out there, and one look at her and they’d be crashing into each other.”

I asked, “Are you going over to the blessing?”

Tony said, “Yeah. I want Helen to see it. Can you come?”

“I wish I could, but I need to get back to work. Have a great time, though.”

Helen said, “We will. I’ll see you later before we leave.”

The rest of the day was really busy. Tony and Helen popped in the store around 4:00 to say goodbye.

I said to Helen, “So, when will I see you again?”

“I’ll be back up in two weeks.” She put her arm around Tony. “Tony’s coming down next weekend and I’m taking him to the Jersey shore.”

I said, “Tony, you’ll love it.”

He gave Helen a kiss on her cheek and said, “I’ll go anywhere my Polish Princess wants to take me.”

I asked Helen, “When is your flight tomorrow?”

“It’s at noon. It’s the only flight I could get.”

I asked them, “What are you doing tonight?”

Tony said, “We’re going out to dinner with some friends of mine. Would you and Ian like to come?”

I said, “I’d better say no. Ian said that when he got back in today he was going to have to repair a water pump on the
Miss Kay
.”

Helen gave me a hug and said, “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”

On Monday morning, Ian gave me a kiss in the parking lot and headed down the dock. I went and opened up the store. Today is my twenty-ninth birthday, but I haven’t told that to anyone here. I’m kind of shy about things like that. I wouldn’t want my friends to think I expected them to do anything for me. I especially didn’t tell Ian because I didn’t want him to think he had to buy me a present or go to any trouble. Not that he wouldn’t want to, but I just felt funny telling him.

Around 7:00, the phone rang. I picked it up and said, “Good morning, Harbor Marina.”

A voice said, “Good morning, sweetheart, happy birthday.”

I smiled.

I said, “Hi, Dad. How’s New Zealand?”

He said, “Very picturesque. We’ve really enjoyed ourselves. Your mother and I are exhausted, though. We’re ready to get home and back into our usual routine.”

“Are you still coming home on the fifth?”

He said, “Yes. How are things at the marina?”

“Good.”

“I hear you’re dating that Brady boy.”

“Yeah, Dad. He’s really nice.”

“Well, he’d better treat my little girl right or he’ll have to deal with me.”

“I’ll tell him that, Dad.”

He asked me, “When are you coming home?”

“Well, I have to be back the last week in August for meetings before the start of school.”

“Have you heard from your grandmother lately?”

“Yes. She’s coming back to Rhode Island on the seventh. She mentioned that she was going to come down and see you while I was still here.”

“Well, that will make your mother happy.”

“How’s Charlie doing?”

“Your brother is fine. He’s taken us on the pub tour of New Zealand.”

I laughed and said, “It figures.”

Dad said, “I’m just kidding. We’ve seen a lot here, but we’ve also seen quite a few pubs.”

“Mom must have loved it.”

“You know your mother. She makes friends wherever she goes. She’s invited half the population of New Zealand to come and visit us. She’s tried to fix up Charlie with at least a dozen women, and she’s shown your picture to a few guys. She won’t be happy until she’s a grandmother.”

“Don’t I know it. Is Mom with you now?”

“She’s right here. Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

He put Mom on the phone.

“Meggie, happy birthday, honey.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“I can’t talk long. Charlie has us signed up for a bus tour. Do you have plans with Ian for your birthday?”

“Yes. We’re going to do something tonight.”

“Oh, good. Well, I heard your father’s half of the conversation, so I’ll get all the info from him. I miss you. Have a great birthday. I bought you a nice present here. I’ll give it to you when you get home. Oh, and Charlie said happy birthday, too.”

“Thanks, Mom. Have a great time.”

“Love you, honey. Bye.”

At about 11:30, I was in my office working and Matt popped in.

He said, “Meggie, Mo wants you to come over to the Snack Shack.”

I asked, “What’s up?”

He said, “She wants you to taste one of her new recipes.”

I said, “Journey’s off today.”

He said, “I’ll cover for you. Brian’s down on the fuel dock.”

I smiled at him and said, “Okay. Thanks.”

I walked into the Shack. It was crowded with people, and I wondered if everyone had come to taste Mo’s latest recipe. Big H was there, along with Tony, Sexy Cathy, Kenny, Dancing Kathy, Deb, Marion, Bob, Mac, and Don and Geri from
She’s the Boss
. Everyone turned to look at me when I walked in the door, yelling, “SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEGGIE!”

I could feel the blood start rushing to my face. I asked them, “How did you know it was my birthday?” Then I said, “I know, Helen?”

Mo said, “Yeah, and I’m glad she told me. Come look at the cake I made for you.”

I went over to the counter and feasted my eyes on a beautiful sheet cake with chocolate frosting and pink roses around the edges. In the middle was written “Happy Birthday, Meggie” and around the writing were some candles. Mo lit the candles and everyone sang to me. I made a wish and blew them all out in one breath. I went behind the counter and gave Mo a big hug. Mo handed me a cake knife and I started slicing. Underneath all that delicious-looking chocolate frosting was a moist chocolate cake with raspberry filling. My mouth and eyes started to water. I was just going to let today pass like any other day.

I cut pieces of cake for everyone, and we all dug in.

I said, “Mo, this is sinfully good. I’m enjoying every bite.”

“No way would we let your birthday go by without celebratin’.”

I turned to everyone and said, “This is so nice. Thanks, everyone.”

Tony said, “It isn’t over yet. Time for presents. Sit down on a stool, Meggie.”

I sat down and he handed me a big box. He said, “This is from me and Hel. It’s something you need.”

I opened the box and in it were three pairs of Nikes. I started to laugh.

Tony said, “We thought maybe three pairs would be enough to get you through the rest of the summer.”

I said, “God, I hope so.” I gave him a hug and said, “Thanks.”

He gave me a wink. “You’re welcome.”

Dancing Kathy gave me a gift certificate for my first pole-dancing class. I asked her when the first session would be and she said next Wednesday. Bob gave me two framed 5 x 7 pictures of myself that he took—one with the lobster bait all over me, and the other one the picture he took of me after I went for my swim with the Diesel dog. Sexy Cathy gave me two new romance novels that had just hit the bookstore; Marion’s present was a gift certificate for a manicure in town. Deb gave me a beautiful pair of blue sea-glass earrings from her and Terry. Don and Geri gave me a baseball cap with their boat name,
She’s the Boss
, on it.