Antarctic Affair

by Louise Rose-Innes

  “It was worth a shot,” said Don not looking him in the eye.

  Taj secured the kayaks with rope so they wouldn’t roll around the deck. “I think I underestimated you old buddy.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Don muttered busying himself with collecting the paddles which were scattered about the landing deck.

  “I think you do.”

  Don raised an eyebrow.

  “I think you knew she wouldn’t quit. You sussed out how important this story was to her and you threw us together on purpose. Don’t bother to deny it.”

  Don stood up and put his hands on his hips. “Okay, I felt sorry for her. You’re not the easiest person to work with, you know.”

  Taj sighed, “I know. It seems I misjudged her too, she’s not so bad after all. In fact, I think she’s growing on me.”

  Don chuckled. “I’m glad to hear it. She’s definitely more capable than we thought.”

  “Probably more than she thought, too,” said Taj pensively.

  Don scratched his head, “Mm… you may have a point there.”

  “Nevertheless, you are a complete sucker for a pretty face,” pointed out Taj, shaking his head.

  Don shrugged, “I admit it. It’s a weakness.”

  What Taj didn’t admit to his friend was how his initial impression of George had been turned completely on its head. He knew he’d over reacted when he’d first met her and he put it down to being stressed about his deadline, but now he found his respect for her tenacity and courage was growing. He was suddenly curious about her and he found he was looking forward to talking to her again.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Georgina arrived on the upper deck and was amazed to see the entire bow had been decked out with makeshift wooden tables, plates and cutlery. Two wide barbeques were burning away merrily casting a rosy glow on the cheeks of the people milling about and going a long way to warm up the frigid air. She immediately spotted Taj and Don leaning against the railing, laughing together. They had such an easy-going friendship. She admired that. As she drew near her heart began to beat faster. She could still feel his hands massaging her on the kayak, easing away her tension. Then there was the way he’d helped warm her hands and tie her life jacket. Random acts of kindness, or was it something more?

  He waved as she approached and she sighed in relief. She felt strongly that something had shifted since yesterday’s drama on the ice pack, or perhaps even before. It was as if she’d somehow managed to pass some kind of test and finally won his approval. He didn’t run away when she came near anymore and thankfully didn’t look at her in his previous disapproving manner. Whatever the reason, she was immensely relieved. At least now she didn’t have to be so pushy. It wasn’t natural and didn’t bring out the best in her, she was well aware of that fact. It just happened to be the way she reacted when she got nervous. And up until now, Taj Andrews made her very nervous.

  “How is the article coming on?” asked Don as she joined them.

  She noticed Taj turn and look out to sea, as if he found the familiar sight of the humpback whales alongside the ship suddenly fascinating. Definitely publicity shy, she thought to herself. Cute.

  “Fine,” she said pleasantly, unwilling to talk about it since it made Taj so uncomfortable. The last thing she wanted to do was to ostracise him all over again.

  “Are you going for the ‘rebel photographer’ or the ‘man behind the lens’ angle?” asked Don with a wicked grin.

  “Shut-up,” murmured Taj pummelling his friend on the shoulder, which only served to turn Don’s grin into a chuckle.

  “I haven’t decided yet,” Georgina replied, watching them with amusement. “I need to get to know the subject a bit better before I can decide which angle I’m taking.”

  Taj swung his head around to stare at her. “I’m sure that can be arranged,” he said softly. Her gaze met his briefly, but then she looked away, flustered by her own boldness.

  “You should have been at the dive yesterday afternoon,” said Amy, joining them.

  “I would have loved to,” said Georgina, “but I really had to do some work on this story. We’ve only got four more days out here.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Amy groaned. “But you missed out on a good giggle. Claude and Taj were bundled up like spacemen.”

  “Those suits are what keep us alive down there,” said Taj, seriously. “The water is below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, that’s minus one degree centigrade to you,” he added for Georgina’s benefit. “If the suit tore and icy water came rushing in, we’d die of shock within minutes.”

  “Rather you than me,” said Amy, shaking her head in wonder.

  “Ditto,” said Don.

  “Did Claude find what he was looking for?” asked Georgina. Amy nodded. “And then some. I heard he kept you very busy down there,” she said to Taj.

  “I’ve seen enough amphipods to last me a lifetime,” drawled Taj. “There is only so many ways of photographing the little critters.”

  Amy laughed. “At least we got some good samples to study in the lab,” she said. “Claude is very excited.”

  “Each to their own,” mumbled Don, meeting Georgina’s eye.

  “You’re a good one to talk,” piped up Taj suddenly. “I couldn’t drag you away from that watering hole in Kenya for love or money last year.”

  Don shuddered. “Don’t bring up Kenya, buddy, I’m still upset about those wildebeest.”

  “What happened?” asked Georgina.

  “The crocs got them,” explained Taj and at her look of horror, “It’s a common phenomenon. The buck try to cross the Zambezi River and the crocs attack them. Most of them make it, but a few of the weaker ones, they get caught.”

  “A croc nearly got you too if I remember correctly,” said Don cheekily.

  Taj gave him a sour look. “You had to bring that up, didn’t you? And it was a hippo, Mr Zoologist, not a crocodile. I would have thought you knew the difference.”

  “All I saw was the massive jaw, about to take a snap out of your…”

  “That’s enough,” interrupted Taj quickly.

  At Georgina’s incredulous look he said, “I’ve got some great pictures if you want to see them.”

  “I think I’ll pass, thanks,” she said uncertainly.

  “I take it you got away intact?” asked Amy.

  “Barely,” said Don grinning, “and no pun intended!”

  Taj groaned and rolled his eyes.

  “You guys do get around, don’t you,” Georgina remarked impressed. “Africa last year, Antarctica this year.”

  “I was in Russia during the summer too,” added Taj.

  “Oh yes, jumping out of helicopters, I remember,” finished Georgina, looking at him with amazement. “Where do you find the energy?”

  “Same place as you do when you have a deadline to meet,” said Taj regarding her steadily.

  She stared back at him and thought irrationally that his eyes were the same colour as the mirror-calm sea behind him.

  “Passion is a great motivator,” he said softly and Georgina turned away, flustered by the suggestive tone in his voice.

  “I was in Panama last month,” said Don to no one in particular.

  There was a loud hiss as one of the chefs slapped an enormous steak onto the grill. “Now that’s what I’m talking about,” shouted Don and moved over to take a closer look. Claude joined his wife and they were soon deep in conversation about the prime specimen’s he’d collected the previous day.

  “So how are you enjoying the trip so far?” asked Taj grabbing two beers out of the ice box. He opened one and handed it to her.

  “Thanks. I can honestly say it’s been a lot more exciting than I thought it would be,” she said with a laugh. “I can’t believe I’ve climbed up an active volcano and kayaked amongst ice bergs and whales. It’s definitely going to be a story to tell the kids one day.”

  Taj regarded her thoughtfully. “It doesn’t have to be the only
story you have to tell though.”

  Georgina looked confused. “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing’s stopping you from going on your own adventures every now and then. You should get away more.”

  She stared at him. “Now you sound like my mother. I told you, I’m not an outdoorsy person.”

  “You’re healthy, you’re coordinated and you can think on your feet, I’d say you make a great candidate for the outdoors.”

  “Thanks, but believe me, I’m much happier just writing about other peoples adventures.”

  “Are you? It sounds like a poor second to me,” he said.

  When she didn’t reply he asked, “What does your mother do anyway?”

  “She’s a travel writer,” she said softly, avoiding his eyes.

  Taj nodded slowly and stared at her as if he was trying to figure her out. “I take it she travels a lot,” he hedged.

  Georgina nodded. “She was very seldom home. I barely remember her.”

  “When last did you see her?” he asked. Georgina groaned silently. How on earth had they gotten on to this topic?

  “Fifteen years ago,” she sighed. “Like I said, I barely remember her.”

  “You must have been very young when she left.” Georgina cast her eyes out to sea, staring at the pristine white icebergs in the distance. “Yes, I was twelve. My father couldn’t put up with her inability to stay in one place anymore, and so one day they had a row, she left and didn’t come back.”

  “And you’ve never forgiven her,” finished Taj.

  Georgina flared up, “No, I haven’t and I never will. She left a twelve-year-old daughter to be brought up by a workaholic father. What kind of women does that?”

  “Have you ever asked her why she did it?” he enquired idly.

  The delicious aroma of char-grilled steak wafted over them. “I never needed to, my father told me. He said the lure of a new place, an unexplored destination was too strong. He called her a gypsy. In fact I think she did actually have some Romany blood from her Polish ancestors. She was always that way. The first few years of my life were spent in a camper van driving around Europe.”

  “So you weren’t strictly telling the truth before, you have travelled - probably more than most. You just don’t remember it.”

  “If I don’t remember, it doesn’t count,” she said stubbornly.

  “Maybe you have more of your mother in you than you think?” he suggested.

  “You’re wrong,” said Georgina firmly. “I’m nothing like my mother. She’s wayward, unreliable and lives a bohemian lifestyle. Do you know where she is at the moment? She’s ‘finding herself’ in an Indian ashram.” She gave a bitter laugh. “I’m organised, career orientated and I crave stability.” She spread her arms, “Chalk and cheese.”

  “It’s not hard to see why you crave stability,” Taj told her softly. “But that’s something you have to find inside yourself, it’s not something anyone can provide for you.”

  She narrowed her eyes, “What are you, a shrink now?” She knew that was uncalled for, but she really did not want to talk about her mother anymore and she detested being compared to the woman.

  Taj shrugged. “Sorry, just trying to help.”

  “I don’t need help,” she said curtly.

  “No, your life is just perfect,” he mumbled. “Let’s eat, I’m starved.”

  Taj moved off to grab a plate but Georgina found she’d lost her appetite. She sighed. Thinking about her mother always depressed her. She knew that was where she’d got her writing ability, she supposed she should be thankful for that, but she could do without the wanderlust. She grabbed the railing and looked down at the water rushing by. The icy mist caressed her skin and made her feel alive and invigorated. She thought of the things she’d done, things she never in a million years would have thought she could do and her heart rate suddenly accelerated. Was this what her mother felt every time she visited a new place? The thought sobered her. What if Taj was right? What if she was more like her mother than she realised. What then?

  “You’d better dig in, it’s going fast,” said Don handing her a plate. She smiled her thanks and went to find a seat at the table where Max Copeland the documentary maker was sitting. She saw Taj glance at her but she ignored him. She didn’t feel like talking to him right now. “Mind if I join you?” she smiled at Max.

  “Sweetie, you could do just about anything and I wouldn’t mind,” he said loudly. She grinned. “I just want to eat.”

  He gave a deep belly laugh that made his whole body shake. “You just go right ahead, little lady.”

  The steak was good and Don had piled her plate high with salad and corn on the cob. Before long she was stuffed.

  She put down her knife and fork to find Max staring at her. “Do I have food on my face or something?” she asked self-consciously.

  He laughed again, “Not that I noticed,” he said. “Tell me, have you ever considered a career in television?”

  Georgina frowned. “No, why?”

  “You would be perfect for it. I’ll bet you take one hell of a picture.”

  “Actually I’m a terrible photographer. If you want a cameraman you should talk to Taj over there. He’s the talented one in that department.”

  Max’s guffaw was so loud people from the other tables turned to stare. “I’m not talking about taking photographs, honey, I meant being on camera.”

  Georgina nearly fell off her chair. “You can’t be serious,” she squawked.

  He reached out and tilted her chin upwards in order to get a better look. “Man, would I like to try you out one day. With that English accent you’d be irresistible. You could talk about potato farming in Uzbekistan and people would listen.”

  Georgina turned her head away and he let go of her chin. “Sorry, didn’t mean to offend you. It’s my job to notice these things.”

  She gave him a small smile, “No offence taken. I was just surprised, that’s all. I’ve never had anyone tell me that before.”

  He gave her a sly grin. “Darlin’, I’m going to get you on camera before this trip is over. You mark my words.”

  Georgina had to laugh. “You’ll be wasting your time, you do know that.”

  “That’s for me to decide,” he said, licking his fingers noisily and with much satisfaction.

  Georgina excused herself and went inside. It was freezing and she wanted to warm up before she lost all feeling in her extremities. This trip was getting stranger and stranger by the minute. She got a cup of coffee and wrapped her hands around it. The nautical clock on the wall above the coffee machine read three o’clock. By her estimation that would make it seven o’clock in England. She decided to call Charles. Taking her coffee with her she went to the communications room to ask if she could use the satellite phone.

  There was the familiar static on the line and then Charles answered, he sounded so far away.

  “Hello darling, it’s George…gina,” she added quickly. Now she was even calling herself George.

  “Georgina, I was wondering when you were going to call. How is your article coming on?”

  “Well I made it up the volcano, if you can believe that. And down into the crater. It was amazing. We nearly got attacked by an enormous elephant seal, and there are penguins everywhere, even on isolated icebergs.”

  “My God, Georgina, it sounds like a zoo out there. Are you sure its safe?”

  Georgina laughed, “No, it’s not safe at all. In fact I nearly fell off a kayak yesterday. Taj, that’s the photographer, got stranded on a sinking ice sheet and I had to rescue him.”

  There was a long pause.

  “Hello?” called Georgina, thinking she’d lost the connection.

  “Have you been drinking?” asked Charles suddenly. Georgina was astounded. “Why would you ask that?” she wanted to know.

  “You sound so different. Not at all like yourself. The Georgina I know would never take such unnecessary risks. You hate the wilderness. You hate the wate
r. Remember how we turned down that diving holiday last year with the Braithwaite’s because you said Zanzibar wouldn’t agree with you.”

  She could hear Charles’s confusion, she could even understand it. “It’s hard to explain,” she began. “I feel different, Charles. I never knew I could do this stuff. Perhaps I had to be forced to realise I would enjoy it. I thought I would hate being out of my comfort zone, you’re right, but it’s exciting. I feel invigorated and alive.”

  “I see.” It was clear he didn’t.

  Georgina bit her lip in frustration. “Aren’t you even a little bit excited for me? I’m having this huge adventure and I’m trying to share it with you.”

  “I’m sorry, darling. It all sounds a bit bizarre to me, but I am happy for you. I just can’t relate. London is a long way away from Antarctica.”

  And she’d never felt further away from Charles.

  She sighed. “I know. I suppose I can understand. How was the book launch?”

  She heard the enthusiasm inject back into his voice. “Great, a rollicking success. All the important players were there. I suspect we’ve got a best-seller on our hands.”

  “Great,” she replied, amazed at how little she suddenly cared about who was at his book launch. It wasn’t just the distance, she felt worlds apart from him right now. In this fascinating natural environment where life was a constant adventure, things like networking and impressing the right people seemed very unimportant. She didn’t blame Charles for his lack of interest, it must be hard to imagine how she felt without having experienced any of this.

  There was an awkward pause and then Charles said, “I’d better go. Sir Rowley is coming round for dinner, he’ll be here any minute.”

  “Oh right, of course.” Sir Rowley was Charles’s late father’s friend and the non-executive chairman of the company’s board of directors. Georgina found him to be painfully boring but she’d always been too polite to say so. Now she was relieved she wasn’t playing hostess.

  “We’ll talk in a few days then,” said Charles.