Smooth Sailing (22 page)

“Maybe a little.” They were now on a street teeming with life. People filled the sidewalk and filed in and out of restaurants and shops. “Let’s go to a coffee shop or a café and find a snack.”

“Do you want coffee, food, alcohol or marijuana?”

“Marijuana? Why would I want that?”

“That’s what the coffee shops sell. A coffee house has coffee. And a café has alcohol. All of them usually have food.”

Laurie pulled her to a stop. “You can buy marijuana? Legally?”

Laughing, Kaatje said, “You might be the first person to come here and not know you can buy marijuana. It’s not legal, but we don’t enforce the law prohibiting it.”

“Did this just happen? I haven’t been reading the news since I’ve been so busy…”

“Since before I was born.” Kaatje looked like she was going to laugh, but was polite enough not to.

“I’ve gotta get out more,” Laurie mumbled. “I just want something sweet. Is there a special place for that?”

“I can make you happy.”

*

They were soon seated at a small coffee house, with Laurie thoughtfully chewing on a bite of Kaatje’s pie. “Apples and raisins?” She took another tiny bite. “I’m not a big raisin fan, but that’s really good. I prefer my
krumulvlie
though.”

“
Kruimelvlaai
,” Kaatje gently corrected. “We’re going to have to spend some time getting your mouth around Dutch.”

With sparkling eyes, Laurie said, “You set yourself up for that one. You know you’re the only thing Dutch I want to attach my mouth to. But this
krummel
…stuff is fantastic. Although who would refuse crumbled butter and sugar is beyond me.”

“Have another piece, or two.”

“You’re not going to put the five pounds I just lost back on me that easily. Only one two-thousand calorie piece of pie a day. Unless we go to a coffee shop and get baked. Then I have no control.”

“Do you want to go?”

“No. I haven’t smoked since I was in college. Do you do it often?”

“Not often, but if I’m out with friends we’ll go and smoke a bit. You can order many different kinds. It’s a nice way to relax or get in the mood before a concert.”

“Different kinds? Really?”

“Really. Different kinds of marijuana and light and dark hash.” She chuckled. “Your eyes say ‘yes,’ but your mouth says ‘no.’”

Laurie took her hand. “It’s kinda late, and it’s obvious I don’t need any help getting into the mood with you.”

“Mood?” Kaatje looked positively innocent. “Do you want to have sex again?”

Laurie started to tug her along, but she was headed the wrong way. “And again and again and again. Let’s go!”

*

The next morning, Kaatje woke at her normal time. The sun was up, but the sky was gray and seemed close enough to touch. The difference in the weather between St. Maarten and Holland was enormous. Besides the temperature, the skies in St. Maarten rarely made her feel claustrophobic, but the low cloud cover in Holland sometimes did.

Even the weak, gray light didn’t dim Laurie’s beauty. Kaatje lay on her side and gazed at her for a while. It took only a few seconds for a knot of emotion to form in her chest. The perky, lively woman she’d started to fall for in St. Maarten now looked tired, and her pretty skin didn’t have the glow it did in the Caribbean. Even in this light, she could see the dark circles under her eyes. But that outsized work ethic had led them to this point, so it wasn’t all bad. If only there were a way to convince her to take better care of herself, but she wasn’t the kind of woman who took her responsibilities casually. The good thing about that was that she’d be a very devoted lover. There was no doubt about that.

Doing her best to stealthily creep out of bed, Kaatje went downstairs to make breakfast. In just minutes, Laurie shuffled up behind her and leaned heavily against her body. “I feel like I’ve been drugged. Did you take me to a coffee shop when I wasn’t looking?”

Reaching behind, Kaatje patted her. “No. I’m afraid you’re just a normal human being, trying to figure out what time it is. You’re body thinks it’s”—she looked at her watch—“one in the morning.”

“That’s about what it feels like. When I don’t have a million alligators biting at me, I actually notice how tired I am.”

“Go back to bed. We don’t have to do anything today.”

“What did you plan?”

I should say nothing, but…
“Well, I thought we’d go to the Amsterdam Historical Museum and spend a few hours, then take a bike ride around town, have dinner, then we can stroll over to Het Concertgebow. Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest is performing Brahms tonight, and everyone loves Brahms.”

“I have no idea what that last part was, but if you planned it, I want to do it. I’m off to plunge my head into a bucket of cold water to wake up.” With that, she headed straight upstairs to the shower, emitting a shriek of pain when she turned the cold on full blast.

Kaatje sat at the table, eating while she waited for Laurie to join her. It really would be better for Laurie to sleep all weekend, but that defeated the purpose of the visit. Kaatje had been mulling over their options, and one was to have Laurie find a job in Holland. Giving up the boat would be a blow, but losing Laurie would be worse. Since Laurie had never been to Europe, or anywhere else for that matter, her adaptability to Kaatje’s home was critical.

*

That evening they leaned into one another high up in the concert hall while they waited for the performance to begin. “You won’t believe this, but I’ve never been to a classical music thing.”

“No,” Kaatje whispered, feigning disbelief. “Well, even if you’ve been many times, this hall is special. A lot of people believe it’s the most acoustically perfect hall in the world. Even up here, we’ll be able to hear every note.”

“I hope I like it. I know you love music.”

“You will,” Kaatje said, oozing confidence. “Everyone loves Brahms.”

As the music began, Kaatje’s confidence began to falter. Laurie wasn’t sitting particularly still. It seemed like she was struggling to focus, and that wasn’t a good sign. Laurie’s foot was tapping nervously, something she did much of the time. It was like she had an internal metronome that beat faster than anyone else’s—definitely faster than Kaatje’s.

Trying to reassure herself, Kaatje calmly considered that Laurie didn’t have to enjoy symphonic music. If she got a job in Holland, there would be many, many nights when she didn’t come home before ten o’clock. That would leave lots of time to indulge in her favorite pursuits—alone or with friends. Laurie didn’t have to like everything she did for them to get along perfectly well.

Dividing her time between listening and worrying, she lost track of Laurie’s reactions. Then, she glimpsed Laurie’s eyes flutter to a close and a sated smile settle on her lips. It was the satisfied expression she sometimes had after she climaxed. Thrilled to the core, Kaatje leaned over to kiss her head and murmur, “I think you like it.”

*

They strolled home, walking down sidewalks that were as crowded as any Laurie had encountered in Japan. There was a liveliness about the city that gave it a charge she’d never felt in LA. “I’m an idiot for never having traveled.”

“You’re not an idiot, and you have traveled. Just not for fun. Until now.”

“I feel like such a dunce. You know so much about music and art and history. You speak two languages…”

“Uhm…three,” Kaatje interrupted. “Four if you count the German I learned the summer I spent volunteering on an organic farm in Schleswig-Holstein.” She shrugged when Laurie scowled. “Just being honest. I don’t want you to be surprised if we go to France and I start speaking
la belle langue
.”

“How’d you learn French? Did you live there?”

“No. I’m good with languages. I took French in school and I’d forgotten much of what I’d learned, but I met a woman on the French side of the island. She was a French national living on St. Maarten for a year and she helped me…practice.” She graced Laurie with a lascivious grin.

“I still can’t understand how you can afford to take so much time off and travel. I can’t imagine anyone I know being able to take the summer off to volunteer to work on a farm.”

Kaatje gave her a gentle smile. “Well, I was still in school, and I didn’t volunteer because of my good heart. I got food and lodging for my efforts, and I got to travel around on my days off. I’d catch a ride when the farmers had to go to various cities. I don’t go first class, Laurie. I don’t even go second class if third class is available.”

“Still…you’re all cultured. You pick up a new language as easily as you do a new woman. I just work.”

“You can always change that. Life is about choices.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she said dejectedly. “Tell that to the demonic Teddy Bear.”

*

They got into bed as soon as they got home. It was still early, only eleven, and Laurie had been able to battle her jet lag to a draw. Instead of ravishing each other they slowed down and made love in such a leisurely fashion that it felt like they had years to play with each other.

Laurie started at the top, giving Kaatje a sexy head rub, then meticulously working her way down her body. Neither of them gave voice to it, but it seemed as if she were imprinting the images of Kaatje’s entire body onto her brain to sustain herself for the months they’d be apart.

It took a very long time to go all the way down, kissing, caressing and teasing all the while. She was almost in a trance of concentration when Kaatje tapped her on the shoulder. “That’s my foot,” she said conversationally.

Laurie looked up at her, then shifted her eyes down. Kaatje’s smallest toe was in her mouth, and she was sucking on it like it was a life-giving nipple. Her mouth opened and the toe dropped out. Then she looked at Kaatje helplessly. “First vaginas, now feet. Don’t ever doubt how much I’m into you.”

“I don’t.” Her expression was tender and very sweet. “Is it okay I didn’t mention it until you were on the last toe?”

Laurie felt the other foot, noting the entire appendage was slightly damp. She shook her head and went back to business, taking a nibble out of a giggling Kaatje’s instep.

*

They spent the next day with Kaatje’s immediate family. Her brother Daniël owned a power boat, and they languidly motored up and down the canals, with everyone in the family calling out interesting buildings and monuments. Kaatje and Laurie sat beside one another, with little Thijs on Kaatje’s lap. After precocious, seven-year-old Roos impressed one and all with her English skills, Laurie leaned over and said, “I used to think my nieces were bright. They’re dullards compared to yours.”

Kaatje turned to see her teasing expression. “I’ll have to meet yours before I can offer an opinion.”

Laurie sighed and snuggled up against her, only mildly tempted to knock Thijs off so she’d have Kaatje all to herself. “That would be great. We’ll have to get on that. Grace and Lily would love you.”

Kaatje frowned for a moment. “Funny names,” she said, with such a straight face Laurie couldn’t tell if she was teasing or not.

*

That night they had dinner with some of Kaatje’s closest friends. All of them spoke English to a greater or lesser degree, but Kaatje was always ready to jump in with a quick translation. They all had regular, year-round jobs, but the way they talked about vacations they’d taken together made Laurie ask, “How much time off do you all get?”

They each answered in turn. “Five weeks.”

“I get five, but I buy two weeks extra.”

“I can take a sabbatical every other year for up to three months.”

“Damn.” Laurie shook her head. “I practically had to have a heart attack to take two weeks off, and I’m still getting teased about it. My staff still calls me ‘the slacker’ just to torture me.”

“They say Americans love to work,” said Marieke, a woman Laurie suspected was a former lover. “Is that right?” She looked at Kaatje for confirmation.

“This American certainly does,” she agreed, bumping her shoulder against Laurie’s.

*

They decided to go to a jazz club, and the majority wanted to stop for a quick buzz on the way. Kaatje held back and whispered, “Are you okay with getting high?”

“Sure. I probably won’t, but it’s fine with me if we stop. It’ll enhance my tourist credentials.”

Kaatje’s friend Elodie seemed to be the expert, and she decided on a light hash that she decreed was perfect for jazz. A nice, mellow high without too many visual effects. They shared a few bowls, with Kaatje passing it along after Laurie declined. But on the second round Laurie took a tentative drag and Kaatje followed right behind her. It had been at least ten years, but the familiar buzz slammed into her like a freight train. If this was a mellow high, she was awfully glad they hadn’t gone for a intense one. At that moment, Laurie remembered why she’d stopped smoking. She had two chronic side effects from drugs. Fits of the giggles mixed with lust, which, surprisingly, most guys hadn’t found attractive. She reasoned the lust was good, but the giggles made them suspicious. They walked down the street after they’d polished off three bowls, with Laurie hanging back to avoid embarrassing Kaatje with her unstoppable giggling. “I’m really sorry,” she whispered loudly, “but this always happens to me.”