Fish Perfume (Cozy Harbor Marina Series) (7 page)

I needed something to ease my pain and drown my sorrows, so I downed it. The boys were commenting on all the women in the bar. Three women walked in. They were in their forties, attractive and dressed as if they were on the prowl.

Buddy said, “Look, ‘Sex and the City’ plus twenty years.”

The twins laughed.

I was horrified. I looked at Buddy and said, “You’re awful.”

I was thinking to myself, that will probably be me in another fifteen years.

The band was really playing some great dance music, so I took turns dancing with Buddy and the twins. The Philly girl came out in me and I became a dancing fool. I’m a pretty good dancer, if I do say so myself. Of course, the alcohol probably helped a lot. A little liquid courage never hurt anyone. The band was in the middle of their last set, and I had just sat down for a break. Somebody tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around to find Ian behind me.

He smiled and said, “Having fun?”

I guess he saw me after all. I smiled back and said, “Oh yeah. I’m having a great time.”

“Journey told me you came with them, and I told her I’d give you a ride home since they’re going in the other direction.”

I looked up at him and said haughtily, “That’s okay, Ian; I can get a ride, and I wouldn’t want to interrupt your date.”

“I’m not on a date.”

Why was he so cheerful and lying to my face?

“I saw you come in with a date,” I fired back.

“That’s my cousin Christine. She came down from Boston for the weekend. She left with some friends of hers a little while ago.”

Now I felt like a moron.

I told him, “Well, I appreciate the offer, but I can get a ride.”

“Meggie, do you know these guys you’ve been dancing with all night?”

“I just met them, but they’re my new best friends,” I answered meekly.

He gave me a steely-eyed look and said, “I don’t think it’s a good idea to get a ride from them. They look pretty wasted to me.”

“I could just call a cab.”

“No, Meggie. I think you should let me take you home, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

I asked, “Are you leaving now?”

“Yep, I’ve had enough and so have you.”

“Who are you, the party police? You’re acting like my brothers. I’m twenty-eight, Ian. I can look after myself.”

“I’m sure you can, sweetheart, but tonight I’m looking after you and you’re coming with me.”

“All right, all right, just let me say goodbye to the boys.”

I gave big hugs to all the boys and left the bar with Ian. As soon as I got outside, the fresh air hit me, and I realized I was drunker than I thought. I tripped on the curb and Ian caught my arm. I then felt a stone in my sandal and started to limp.

Ian asked, “What’s wrong? Did you hurt your foot?”

“No. I have a stone in my sandal.”

Ian stooped down and gently undid the strap on my sandal, removed it from my foot, shook the stone out, put it back on, and buckled the strap. How sweet was that? Jimmy the Rat Bastard would have never done that.

Still in amazement of his gallant gesture, I said, “Thank you.”

He looked into my eyes and said, “My pleasure.”

We walked down the block, and he helped me into his truck.

As we drove away, he asked, “Meggie, do you always party like this?”

Embarrassed, I said, “No, I’m not really a big drinker. I haven’t been out in weeks, so I just wanted to have some fun tonight.”

“Well, you sure looked like you were having some.”

“Did you have a good time?”

“Yeah, I like to go to Kelly’s once in awhile and listen to music. I always run into people I know.”

I’ll just bet he does. Probably all blond, hot, big-boobed sluts.

Being brave, I said, “I’m surprised you didn’t have a date tonight. Don’t you have a girlfriend?”

He turned to me, smiled, and said, “I have lots of girlfriends.”

“Oh, lucky you.”

“How about you? Any boyfriends back home?”

“Nope. Had one, but we broke up about six months ago. He dumped me for a bimbo.”

He laughed and said, “Well, you sure attracted a crowd tonight.”

I smiled. “Yeah, I did, didn’t I? You should have come over and danced with me.”

He gave me a smirk and said, “I’m not much of a dancer. I have other talents.”

“I’m sure you do.”

He pulled up to the cottage, got out, and came around to help me out of the truck. I was okay, just a bit wobbly. I gave him the keys and he opened the door for me.

He said, “Drink a lot of water before you go to bed. You’ll be glad you did in the morning.”

I turned around and he was inches from me. It could have been the alcohol, but I couldn’t help myself. I leaned in and kissed him on the lips. He seemed surprised at first, but then he started to kiss me back. I opened my mouth and he dove in, deepening the kiss even more. His arms came around me and he held me close while he kissed the life out of me. Our tongues mingled and explored as our bodies meshed perfectly together. I put my arms around his neck and held on. He was turning me into a wet noodle. I don’t know how long we kissed, but it wasn’t long enough. I was hoping we would still be at it in the morning. I was so turned on, I wanted to rip my clothes off. He eventually broke the kiss, and we looked at each other. He looked as surprised as I felt.

He took a step back and abruptly said, “Goodnight, Cinderella,” turned around, and practically ran out the door.

I shut the door and had to sit down on the couch to catch my breath. I put my hand in front of my mouth and exhaled. Yep, just as I thought, beer breath. My first kiss with the man of my dreams and I had beer breath.

Well, I did find out what two of Ian’s other talents are. One is kissing, and the other is the hundred-yard dash.

I sat there and relived the night—the kiss, the music, the kiss, the dancing, the twins, the kiss. Finally I got sick of myself and got up and went to bed. I guess I couldn’t have been too drunk, because I set the alarm and it went off at four in the morning. I dragged myself out of bed and got in the shower. I wasn’t feeling so good. There were cloudy skies in my head, but I knew I had to rally. I opened up the store and went into the office to make some coffee. Saturday mornings are the busiest, and both Journey and I were struggling. She was as hung-over as I was. I let her take lunch first. When she got back, I went over to the Snack Shack for something to eat.

With the lunch rush over, I found Mo all alone. She took one look at me and said, “Meggie, you look like a hurtin’ cowgirl.”

“Yeah, Mo, I had a little too much fun last night at Kelly’s.”

“I heard you were the life of the party, dancin’ up a storm.”

Surprised, I said, “Did Journey tell you that?”

“No, Don and Mikey Murphy on the
Tuna Kahuna
came in for coffee this morning and said they saw you at Kelly’s.”

I moaned. “Boy, I guess there are no secrets around here.”

“Well, honey, I’ll fix you my hangover cure. How about a cheeseburger, fries, and a big coke?”

“Sounds great. I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck and I’m suffering from party remorse.”

“Why? There’s nothin’ wrong with havin’ a good time.”

“Well, I agree with you there, but I really blew it with Ian. He was there and saw my performance. The thing is, I saw him come in with this gorgeous girl, the every-man’s-fantasy type. I was crushed and got a little bummed out and had a few too many cocktails.”

“Oh yeah, I heard he took you home.”

My jaw dropped and I said, “You’re kidding?”

“Afraid not.”

“Well, it turns out it wasn’t his girlfriend but his cousin Christine.”

“I’ve met her. She comes down once in a while from Boston for the weekend.”

I confessed, “I’m going to be so embarrassed next time I see him. He walked me to my door and I kissed him.”

Mo leaned on the counter. “Now
that
I didn’t hear. This is gettin’ better and better. Did he kiss you back?”

“Yes, I’ve never been so thoroughly kissed in my life. Then he said ‘Goodnight, Cinderella,’ and ran out the door. He couldn’t get away from me fast enough. It was probably my beer breath.”

“Oh, honey, I think he might just be your Prince Charmin’,” she said, laughing and shaking her head.

“I wish. He probably thinks I’m a big party girl now. If he wasn’t interested before, I probably ruined any chance I had with him. Besides, he told me he has lots of girlfriends.”

Mo, trying to make me feel better, said, “Keep the faith, honey, you never know. Guys are slow-movin’. They might love you to death, but they fight it every step of the way. I don’t know why. I guess they’re all born with the stupid idea that quantity is better than quality. Eventually, they do smarten up, and then they’re happier than a bear with a picnic basket.”

She served up my lunch and I ate every bite.

“Mo, you’re a lifesaver. I feel so much better now. I’m going to bed early tonight and I’ll be a new woman tomorrow.”

“You’re welcome, honey.”

I got through the day and went home. I checked my e-mail and had one from Laura.

Subject: Miss you

Hey, Meggie:

Just got back from the shore. The boys had a great time and Danny came down on the weekends. My mother-in-law babysat a couple of nights so Danny and I could go out for a few cocktails. Went to the Windrose and ran into Jimmy the Rat Bastard. He isn’t dating Barbie, the Bimbo anymore. He didn’t say who dumped whom but I hope he was the dumpee. He asked about you and I told him you were up in RI for the summer having a wild time. He looked really sad when I shared that news. Of course, I enjoyed every minute of it. Talked to Helen, and she is really looking forward to coming up. I miss you. How are you? Have you seen that cute guy again?

Love, Laura

I answered her back.

Hi, Laura:

I’m so glad to hear from you. Too bad about Jimmy and Barbie. Do I feel sorry for him? NO! I’m having a good time and I don’t really think about him anymore. Getting away has been good for my mental health. The marina keeps me busy and I did go out last night to a local pub. I drank too much, danced a lot, and am totally hung-over today. I’ve made an ass out of myself a few times since I’ve been here, but what else is new. You know me. Anyway, I did run into that cute guy again last night. His name is Ian. I knew him as a kid up here. He’s a lobsterman who keeps his boats at the marina. He is hot, hot, hot. I’m totally infatuated with him, but unfortunately, I don’t think he’s interested. I’ll let you know if anything changes. Any advice for the lovelorn? Give the kids a hug.

Love, Meggie

I hit Send and shut my computer off. I made myself some dinner and got in bed with
The Maiden and the Monk
.

CHAPTER FIVE

I can’t believe next weekend is the Fourth of July already. Independence Day is a big deal in Cozy Harbor. People decorate their homes and yards in preparation for the traditional Cozy Harbor Fourth of July Parade. It’s usually pretty hilarious. I’ve been here for a few of the parades and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Greg came by yesterday. He told me he would haul out the decorations for the marina that are stored in the shop and enlist Matt and Brian to put them up. This is the busiest weekend of the summer at the marina. Everyone who has a boat will be down for the festivities. I’m predicting that Journey and I will have a pretty hectic week. We’ll have to make sure the shelves are well stocked, which means I’ll have to do inventory and order more supplies.

I had a busy morning, then I left Journey on her own so I could keep my date with Mac. It was another beautiful day with blue skies and low humidity. We haven’t had a lot of rain this summer. Luckily, when it has rained, it’s usually been in the evenings or in the middle of the night. So far, it’s been a great summer weather-wise for boaters and beachgoers. I met Mac on his boat, and we headed over to the tidal flat, our favorite spot. We clammed for about an hour and did pretty well today, getting almost a bucket full. After we were done, we took a little boat ride over to Potter’s Pond.

I asked Mac, “Are you playing poker tonight?”

He laughed and said, “Yeah, I’d better show up, too. I won the pot the last two weeks in a row, and the guys will be out for blood tonight.”

“Is it a high stakes game?”

“Just a nickel a hand, but the guys take it serious. You’d think we were playing for big bucks.”

“Sounds fun.”

He nodded and said, “Oh, it is. We’ve known each other for years, and we reminisce a lot and tease each other unmercifully. Hang on to your old friends, Meggie. There is nothing better than having lifelong friends you share a history with. You laugh at the same things and have the same values. Our opinions differ sometimes, but that makes life interesting.”

I told him, “I’ve had the same two best friends since grammar school. After high school, we went to different colleges, but we’ve never drifted apart. My friend Helen is coming to visit next week.”

“She’s invited to go clamming with us any time. I’ll look forward to meeting her.”

“She’d like that, Mac. I just have to warn you; she’s a character.”

“You girls should have a good time then.”

“Oh, we will.”

“Have you seen Ian lately? Any progress?”

I blushed and told him about Friday night and that I haven’t seen Ian since.

“Well, I think Ian’s starting to come around. First he insisted on taking you home. That’s a good sign. I don’t think he liked you dancing with those other fellas. Second thing is, if he kissed you back, then he is definitely interested. It’s not like you’re some girl he just met. Ian’s known you and your family for years. If he kissed you, he meant it.”

Doubtfully I said, “I don’t know, Mac. I hope you’re right. To be perfectly honest with you, when I saw him for the first time after all these years, I felt like you did when you met Marie, all warm inside. Every time I see him, it’s like there’s this magnetic force field pulling me toward him. I never felt that way before about a guy. I can’t get him out of my head. He’s on my mind constantly. People always say you’ll know when you meet the right one. I never believed in any of that. Now I wonder if there isn’t something to it.”

“Always go with your gut, Meggie.”

We headed back to the marina and saw Ian coming in on
The Stalwart
. He looked over at us and gave us a wave. My heart started to pound and my hands began to sweat. I’ve been anxious but nervous about seeing him again. Mac and I got the boat tied up. We each took some clams, and I went back to the office.

I just got settled in at my desk paying some bills when Randy from the
Blood, Sweat and Beer
s knocked on my door jam.

He said, “Hey, Meggie, sorry to bother you.”

I turned toward him. “No problem. What can I do for you?”

“Well, I had a pair of really nice Maui Jim sunglasses on the boat, and they’re missing. I could have misplaced them, but I always keep them in the exact same place, and they’re gone. I just wanted to let you know in case somebody turns them in.”

“Sure. I’ll put a notice up on the bulletin board and let you know if I hear anything.”

“They were expensive,” he informed me. “My wife bought them for me for my birthday and she doesn’t part with a buck easily. She told me she found them on sale. She’s the consummate bargain shopper. She cruises a sale rack like a shark going through a chum slick.”

I laughed and said, “I hope you find them.”

“Me too,” he said and left the office.

I made up a notice about his missing glasses and put it on the bulletin board out in the store. By the time I finished the bills, it was time to close up. Journey took off for the day, and I closed up the store. After sitting for most of the afternoon, I needed a little exercise, so I thought I’d take a walk on the docks with the ulterior motive of maybe running into Ian. To my disappointment, he was gone. There were a few fishermen cleaning their catch on B dock, however, and I went over to say hi. Medium Howard was there, along with Dino from
Atsa My Boat
and Jim from the
Bonnie Blue.

Medium Howard said, “Hi, Meggie. We had a good day today. We caught a lot of good-sized fluke.”

“That’s great,” I said. I looked over some of the fish they were cleaning. I told Dino, “Boy, that one is as big as a doormat.”

Dino asked me, “Would you like a piece? It doesn’t get fresher than this.”

“Gee, thanks, I’d love some.” I started to think about how I would cook it.

Dino put a big portion in a zip lock bag for me. I thanked him and continued my stroll around the marina. As I wandered down A dock, I saw Tony cleaning his boat. He looked up and gave me a smile. He looks great with a shirt on, but without a shirt, he is downright mouth-watering.

“Well, if it isn’t Red Hot, the great hoofer, standing right in front of me,” he teased.

I laughed. “I bet everyone around here knows what I had for breakfast, too.”

He looked up at me and said, “A waffle?”

“Close, I had a pancake.”

“Meggie, you look beautiful today. I want to skinny dip in those gorgeous baby blues of yours. When are you going out with me? You’re doing real damage to my fragile ego.”

“Tony, the only thing that’s fragile around here are the planks on A dock. They’re worn out from the parade of women traipsing down to your boat.”

He winked at me. “They’re all cousins. I have a big family.”

“Tony, speaking of parades, are you going to be in the Cozy Harbor Parade on the Fourth? Maybe you could go as a sultan and bring your harem.”

Excited, he said, “That’s a great idea. I always have room for one more if you’re interested.”

I told him, “I’ll keep that in mind. Well, I’d better put this fluke Dino gave me in the fridge. Have a good evening.”

“You too, gorgeous. I’m still having those visions. I’m not giving up.”

I laughed and headed back to the cottage.

After a hot shower, I put on a pair of old gray drawstring shorts and a black tank top. Since it was too hot to dry my hair, I let the air do it. I then made myself a great dinner. I’ve always loved to cook. I was so excited three years ago when I found out this great restaurant in Philly was offering cooking classes on Saturdays. I think I’ve taken every one they offered. First I had the clams, which I sautéed with a little olive oil, some white wine, garlic, hot pepper rings, and cherry tomatoes. After that, I had the main course, which, of course, was the fluke. I cooked it in parchment paper with asparagus, shallots, lemon juice, and some Old Bay Seasoning. I washed it down with a glass of Chardonnay. I’m getting spoiled by all this great fresh seafood. I can’t wait until the tuna start showing up.

I settled on the sofa to finish off
The Master and The Mistress
. I’m whipping through these romances. I’ll drop the ones I’ve finished off to Sexy Cathy tomorrow. I dozed off while I was reading and woke up when someone knocked loudly on my screen door. I got up and peeked and was shocked to see it was Ian at the door. My heart went in my mouth. I must look like hell. My hair was probably a mess, not a touch of makeup graced by face, and I was braless. Not being all that well endowed in the boob department, a girl like me needs a bra. Oh well, there is nothing I can do, he’s already seen me.

I walked to the door and said, “Hi, Ian.”

“Meggie, I’m sorry to bother you,” he said.

“Come in,” I said.

He walked through the door and ran his fingers through his hair. He seemed upset. He finally said, “Meggie, I just wanted to be the one to tell you, because stories get exaggerated. It’s probably just nothing.”

I sensed by the way he was acting that something was seriously wrong. “What is it? You’re scaring me.”

Ian hesitated, then said, “I just went down to the boat to drop off some supplies, and on my way home, I passed by Mac’s house. There was an ambulance and a fire truck there, so I stopped. They were just putting Mac in the ambulance. I know some of the firemen, and they told me Mac had some chest pains and called 911. They took him to the hospital in Wakefield.”

I put my hand over my mouth and sat down on the couch. I started to cry. “Oh my God. I hope he’s okay. Maybe we shouldn’t have gone clamming. Maybe it’s too much for him and he was just going because of me. It’s probably my fault.”

My Catholic guilt was overwhelming me and I became hysterical. I don’t cry too often, but when I’m upset and get started, it’s hard to stop. I’m not a quiet crier either. I get loud and then my nose starts to run, and then I get the hiccups.

Ian came over and sat down next to me. He put his arm around my shoulder, kissed the top of my head, and said, “Meggie, don’t be so upset. It’s not your fault. Maybe it will turn out to be nothing and he’ll be fine. Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll take you to the hospital.”

I snorted a couple of times and said, “I love Mac.”

“I know, sweetheart. That’s why I wanted you to know right away. Now go get dressed, and we’ll go see how he’s doing.”

I went to my bedroom and threw on some clothes. By the time Ian and I got to the hospital, the ER nurse said they had Mac resting comfortably, and they were doing some tests on him. An hour went by; I paced while Ian read a magazine. He then went to the cafeteria and got us both some coffee.

When he got back, I said, “Ian, I know you get up really early. You don’t have to stay. I can call a cab later. I’d like to stay until they know something.”

“It would be hard for you to get a cab this time of night. I want to stay and find out how he is, too. I’ve known Mac my whole life. He and my grandfather were good friends. I know Mac has a nephew in Warwick. I think his name is Mike. I would imagine Mac gave the hospital that information but I’ll go ask the nurse.”

Ian came back a few minutes later. He told me, “Mac
did
give them Mike’s number, and he’s on his way.”

“That’s good. I’m glad he has some family close by.”

Another half-hour passed and Mac’s nephew, Mike, showed up. A little while later, the doctor came to talk to us. He said Mac did not have a heart attack but just suffered a little angina. They were going to keep him in the hospital overnight for observation and they’d evaluate him in the morning. If he feels better then and all the tests results are good, they’ll let him come home.

I gave Mike my number and asked him to call me if anything changed.

I turned to Ian on the way home and said, “Ian, God really screwed up when he decided people should die. I don’t know what he was thinking.”

He tried to reassure me, saying, “Don’t worry. Mac’s going to be fine.”

“I haven’t lost anyone close to me. I guess I’ve been pretty lucky. When my dog, Cassie, died it broke my heart. It took me a long time to get over it.”

He said, “I was very close to my grandparents, my father’s parents. I was a senior at Mass Maritime when they died. My grandfather got pneumonia and within a week, he was gone and then my grandmother died three months later. My grandfather had a few problems, but my grandmother was in good shape. She went downhill fast after he died. My mother swears she died of a broken heart. They were both in their late seventies. When people are older, you kind of expect it and think you’re ready. The reality of it is, you’re never ready to lose someone you love. It’s a kick in the stomach.”

“I’m so sorry, Ian. It must have been a hard time for you.”

He swallowed hard and said, “Yes, it was.”

I asked him, “How did you get through it?”

“I just kept reminding myself of how lucky I was to have had them in my life as long as I did. They were a big influence on me. If I ever meet the right girl and get married, that’s what I want. I want a marriage that will last forever with a person I can’t live without.”

I was going to raise my hand and say, “How about me?” but it wasn’t the time or the place for that statement.

We pulled up to the cottage and I turned to Ian.

“Ian, thanks so much for coming to tell me and for taking me to the hospital. I’ll go in the morning and see how he is.”

He gave me a warm smile, took my left hand in his, and squeezed it.

He said, “He’ll be fine, Meggie. I’ll stop by the office to see you after work tomorrow. I’m sure by then you’ll have some good news for me.” He released my hand and I got out of the truck.

I shut the door and leaned back in the window and said, “Goodnight.”

He smiled and said, “Try and get some sleep. Goodnight.”

I went into the cottage and got ready for bed. It took me a long time to fall asleep.

* * * * *

The next morning when Journey got in, I headed off for the hospital. The information desk told me Mac was on the second floor in room 211. I got off the elevator and ran into Mac’s nephew, Mike, in the hallway.

“How’s he doing?” I asked.

“The doctor was just in to see him. He said Mac’s doing great and he can go home around 11:00.”

Relieved, I said, “Oh, I’m so glad.”

“I’m sure he would love a visitor if you want to say hi.”

When I went into Mac’s room, he was sitting up in bed watching TV. He saw me, smiled, and clicked off the remote.

I went over to his bed and grabbed his hand. “Oh, Mac, you gave me quite a scare last night.”

He squeezed my hand and said, “Mike told me you and Ian were here. Don’t you worry, sweetie, I still have a lot of time left. When the inevitable happens, I’m ready. I’ll get to be with Marie and Billy, so don’t you worry about old Mac.”

“Well, it’s so nice to see you feeling better. I can’t stay long, but I’ll come by tonight and check on you after work.”

Mac smiled and said, “I’m always up to seeing a pretty face.”

I gave him a kiss on the cheek and drove back to the marina.