Unfamiliar Waters

by Andrew Grey

  When he wasn’t looking for Nigel, Garrett debated pulling up anchor and getting the hell out of there. It would be best if he simply left, putting nautical miles between him and Nigel so he could hold on to his memories and nothing important would change.

  Garrett closed the book he’d been trying to read for the past two hours, because the words swam on the page and his thoughts kept pulling him elsewhere. If he’d been on land, he’d have paced the room, but there was no space on the boat for that, so he dropped the book onto one of the deck seats and lay back with a groan.

  Another bell sounded on the breeze, and once again Garrett wondered what they meant. Maybe they were a simple way of letting the people on the island know that dinner was ready? Or did they mean something more ominous? Garrett’s stomach rumbled, so he heated up a can of soup and made a sandwich, then sat on deck as he ate, lying to himself that he wasn’t watching for Nigel.

  Garrett swallowed the last of his soup, carefully did the dishes to preserve water, and put them away. When he returned to the deck, Nigel stood on the beach, waving.

  Garrett thought about turning and going back inside, but his heart sped up and he couldn’t stop looking. Nigel wore a pair of blue board shorts and a tank top that, even from this distance, Garrett could tell fit him like a glove. Garrett changed quickly, made sure everything was secure, dropped the ladder in the water, and made the swim to shore.

  “You stayed,” Nigel said. “I was afraid you would be gone or that you were like the people in my books who only exist in the story or in my mind.”

  Garrett chuckled, as he’d thought something very similar. “I’m real.” And if that was true, then Nigel was real as well. “Did you have a good day? I read a while and took a nap through the afternoon heat.”

  Nigel shrugged. “It was normal. Though Jules found a turtle nest, and he’s watching it to make sure it isn’t disturbed. Some of the birds and lizards on the island will eat the eggs, and we want them to hatch so we can watch the little turtles scamper into the sea.” He laughed innocently. “It will take some days before they hatch, so Jules put a cage around the nest to protect it. He’ll take it off when hatching gets closer.”

  “Did he see the turtle lay the eggs?” Garrett sat on the cooling sand. His gaze wandered up Nigel’s lightly furred legs and then his strong, lanky body.

  Nigel plopped down next to him, stretched out his long legs, and propped himself up with his forearms. “Yes. We watched her from one of the windows in the house. It was evening, and as soon as she covered up the eggs and left, we went down to protect them. Now Jules watches them all the time, like he’s their mother.”

  “How long ago was that?” Garrett wanted to hear Nigel talk, especially about something that clearly excited him.

  “She laid the eggs about seven weeks ago, and we check on them all the time but don’t disturb them. They should hatch in a week to ten days.” Nigel clapped his hands together once. “Maybe you could stay and watch them hatch too! It will be so exciting. The babies will dig their way out of the nest and then scurry to the sea. It will be cool if they all make it to the water and some survive. That way they’ll come back here to lay their eggs sometime in the future.”

  “Does that happen often?” Garrett found himself interested even if he’d never given the nesting habits of sea turtles a second thought.

  “Turtles return to where they were born to lay their eggs, so some must have at some point. It could be that she got blown off course and had to lay her eggs here, though. I don’t know.” Nigel rocked slightly in his excitement, and Garrett tried to imagine a world where something like hatching sea turtle eggs could make someone so excited.

  “You must love it here,” Garrett said.

  “I do. There’s so much. This cove has my conches, and they will grow and be happy and make more conches. There’s the sea turtle nest beach, and around that way are rocks, and the shore is rough where the waves come in off the ocean and scour the island. There’s a blowhole over there, and when the tide is up, it shoots water high in the air. Sometimes I like to go watch it. Then there are the birds and lizards. We see them all the time. They stay because there’s plenty of food for them.” Nigel bounced slightly, rocking on his heels. “What about where you live? What’s it like?”

  “Baltimore is a big city. Really big.”

  “Bigger than this island?” Nigel asked, like such a thing was absurd. It took Garrett a beat to comprehend that this little place truly was Nigel’s whole world.

  “Yes. Probably ten times bigger. It has buildings clad in glass windows that go hundreds of feet into the sky, and huge restaurants and shopping centers all connected by roads and freeways.” Garrett tried to think of a way to describe a city to someone who had never seen one. “It’s built around the harbor, with large boats, and it even has an aquarium with ocean life from around the world, including a few sea turtles.”

  Nigel looked at him like he was from outer space. “Do people live in those big buildings? How do they get up there? If they walk, they must be tired before they get to the top. So many stairs.”

  Garrett didn’t laugh. “They have elevators that take you all the way up. They use engines to pull you up with cables.”

  “Oh yeah, I remember them now. Wouldn’t it be great if they went sideways like in Harry Potter? Do they have handholds and go sideways?” The gleam in his eyes was magical.

  “No. They just go up and down.” As soon as Garrett said it, he realized Nigel was joking.

  Nigel looked at him with just a hint of a wry grin. “Still, that would be fun to go up that high. I bet you can see forever from up there. I sometimes go to the top of the house so I can watch ships pass on the horizon.”

  “You can look out over the entire city as it spreads out from downtown, out to where people live. It’s pretty big.” Garrett sat back. “But not as nice as this. There are people everywhere, and lots of noise from cars and buses, lights from signs and buildings. It doesn’t really get super dark anymore because of all the light, and you can only see the brightest stars at night.” It occurred to him that at home, he probably wouldn’t be able to see the star he had picked for David.

  Nigel tilted his head to the side as he watched him. “Why are you sad? Is it because you have to go back to the city and leave this beautiful island? I wonder what it must be like out there, but then I wouldn’t be here, and this is my home.”

  Garrett tried to imagine a life where he didn’t know about the outside world, its turmoil and stress. Hell, what must it be like to live where the most exciting thing was a clutch of turtle eggs and the biggest threat was a storm that blows in off the ocean? Where everything was tropical and perfect and there were no guns, no people selling drugs and each other… just an ideal place with ideal weather and turtles and conches and birds and lizards?

  A coconut thunked to the sand nearby, and Nigel picked it up, shook it, and then smiled. He ran back to the edge of the woods, pulled out a huge machete, and lopped off the top until he’d made a hole to the center.

  “Drink this,” he said, handing the coconut to Garrett. “Just tip it up slowly.”

  Garrett did as instructed, and liquid poured out onto his tongue. It was close to coconut water but had a definite flavor. Once it was empty, Nigel split open the coconut, dug out some of the flesh, and handed it to him. It tasted nothing like what he bought in the store, and Garrett ate the entire piece.

  “It’s really good.”

  “I like it. The trick is to wait for them to fall on their own. Some people climb up to get them, but then they might not be ripe. If it falls on its own, then it’s probably ready.” Nigel plopped back down, eating some of the coconut himself. “I bet you can’t do that in the city.”

  “No. Though you can buy coconut at the store.” Garrett wondered why he was defensive about living in the city. It wasn’t as though he had decided that it was city living or Baltimore in particular that was the end-all, be-all of… well, anything.
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  “What else is there fun to do where you live?”

  “When I was a kid, we used to go fishing or crabbing. Maryland is famous for a particular type of crab, and we used to catch those off the dock. My dad used to take me and my sister sailing. That was where I learned to navigate and spend time on the water. What about your dad?”

  Nigel shrugged. “I don’t have one. My mom and dad died when I was a kid. I remember them a little, but Dad was always working, and Mom stayed home but was really busy. I spent a lot of time with a nanny. After they died, Jules and I came to live here with my aunt.”

  He made it sound so simple, like everyone came to their own tropical island after their parents died. But Garrett supposed if this was all he knew and understood, there were definitely worse places to grow up, even if it was isolated.

  Nigel looked around as though uncomfortable. “Do you want to see the waterfall? It’s up that path about ten minutes. There’s a deep spot near there where I like to swim.” He looked down. “Are those the only shoes you have? They aren’t very good for hiking.”

  “They’re my water shoes.” With the coral on the seabed, he’d figured it was best if he wore shoes. “It will be okay as long as we don’t walk too fast.” Garrett got up and followed Nigel into the dense tropical foliage, keeping to the path until it made a bend, and sure enough, a waterfall tumbled down the rocks, ending up in a pool about forty feet across.

  Nigel stepped down and slid into the water. “It gets deep fast, but it’s cool.” He paddled out near a twenty-foot waterfall.

  Garrett pulled off his shirt and stepped into the pool. It was dang near cold, but in the almost ninety-degree heat, it felt amazing. He swam over to Nigel, who waited with a smile.

  “You can get under the waterfall, but you probably don’t want to. Jules is a real good swimmer and he gets pushed down. I just let the spray get my head wet and stuff.” He floated on his back, and Garrett did the same, looking up at the water as it cascaded over the ledge and began its downward plunge. There was something almost hypnotizing about the motion, the sun catching droplets, making them sparkle.

  “It’s really beautiful.” Perfection in paradise was a much better description, but Garrett had never been a poet, and the scene in front of him deserved more words than he could find, so he just looked at the view and tried to be happy.

  “Hey,” Garrett sputtered after a wall of water washed over him. He swam to the side and splashed Nigel back. “Think that’s funny?” Garrett was soon dripping as water ran off him. The amount that Nigel managed to splash left him wondering if he’d emptied the pool.

  Garrett laughed, deep and pure from the depths of his soul, and Nigel did the same, the happiness bouncing off the rock walls. It felt so damned good, and yet, when Garrett heard himself, a stab of guilt struck his gut for a second before it was gone. David would want him to be happy again.

  Nigel suddenly stopped, and Garrett realized he’d been standing there without moving. He didn’t want to talk about it, so he grinned and splashed as big as he could.

  “Sneaky.” Nigel laughed and returned fire until they were both dripping and so was the shirt Garrett had set aside.

  “I give,” Garrett said, stepping out of the pool into the shade, still chuckling. Nigel stopped and did the same.

  Nigel’s tank was plastered to his chest, transparent, his nipples peaked and showing through. Garrett probably took too long looking, because Nigel glanced down and then up again, and smiled. “You are very handsome,” Nigel said without changing expression, as though complimenting a man he’d just met was commonplace. Maybe in his perfect world, it was.

  Garrett smiled. Nothing in his experience or training had prepared him for this situation. He and David had circled each other for a while, doing a short dance of uncertainty and angst.

  Nigel tugged off his shirt, and Garrett got a close-up look at a flat belly and a lanky body built through years of sun, outdoors, and good living. He was as beautiful a man as Garrett had ever seen. Nigel dropped his shirt and for a minute stared openly at Garrett, whose first instinct was to cover up under such a naked appraisal.

  “You’re really strong, I bet.” Nigel took a step closer. “How do you get big muscles like that?” He actually reached out to touch Garrett’s arm, sending a ripple of heat radiating throughout his body.

  “In the city, we have gyms where we lift weights. In my job, I have to be strong.” Garrett didn’t pump or show off, but he couldn’t help bending his arm just a little. “You….”

  “I don’t have a gym.”

  Garrett nodded. “You don’t need one.” Nigel was perfect just the way he was. Garrett felt excitement building and hoped it didn’t show. “You have the waterfall and the ocean, and the footpaths you walk on and the beaches where turtles lay their eggs. People go to the gym because, in the city, they don’t have those kinds of things.”

  “Oh.” Nigel looked down again and then at Garrett. “I don’t look like you….” He continued examining Garrett with no shyness at all. “I like the muscles.” There wasn’t the barest hint of coloration on his cheeks, like he didn’t know that most people would be embarrassed by saying something like that. “I read a book once—Aunt Phyllis didn’t know it was in a stack of books she gave me. It’s called Maurice, and Maurice likes boys instead of girls. It was a long and very depressing book. I didn’t like it very much.” He made a precious face, like he’d eaten a bad coconut.

  “What did you think of the situation?” Garrett had seen the movie some time ago with David. He had to admit, the film was beautiful but depressing for the most part.

  “It made me think. Is it really bad for boys to like other boys like that?” Nigel locked his gaze onto Garrett’s with a pleading sort of desperation that lasted only a few seconds. “I think it was a long time ago,” he added with a shrug.

  “No. It’s not bad.” Garrett didn’t mention that he was gay because he didn’t want to lead Nigel to any sort of conclusion. And at that moment, a little distance between them might be a good thing, because he had no idea how much longer he was going to be able to control himself. Nigel stood so close, his fingers still caressing his arm, his little pink tongue caressing perfect lips, and those eyes—blue as the invitingly warm water and even more beckoning.

  “Oh. Good.” Nigel came to stand toe to toe with Garrett, then leaned even nearer. The kiss, when it happened, was a little clumsy, but as sweet and gentle as the caress of a summer breeze. Nigel almost jumped back in what Garrett hoped was surprise, grinning as he touched his lips. “You kiss good.”

  It took a moment to register that he had been kissed, and not by David. Guilt welled up, and Garrett had to remind himself that it was okay to move on. His head understood that easily enough, but his heart needed convincing.

  Nigel stood there expectantly, and Garrett forced himself to swallow his guilt, then smiled and nodded.

  “We can kiss again.” It wasn’t a question, and within seconds, his arms were filled with wet, wriggling Nigel, who seemed to have turned into the Energizer Bunny, which added to Garrett’s building excitement. This time he kissed with building heat and intensity that shredded any of Garrett’s remaining reluctance. Nigel was a fast learner, or Garrett’s superpower was teaching innocent, twenty-two-year-old horny boys how to kiss. Either way… holy cow.

  Garrett broke the kiss, swallowing and gaping in complete surprise. “I bet you didn’t learn to do that from your books.”

  “Lady Chatterly’s Lover,” Nigel said. “It was in one of those boxes too. Granted, it had girls in it, but I thought the basic concept would be the same.” He grinned. “It turns out I was right.” He practically giggled. “I know what people do together. I’m not some ignorant, island-living kid. I read. It’s just that I’ve never gotten to try anything out on a real live person before. I kissed my aunt a few times, but that was on the cheek and really different.”

  Garrett figured he’d play along. “How so?”

 
; Nigel clearly wasn’t expecting the question. “You don’t know?” He widened his eyes and then caught on. “Silly… there were no tingles when she did it.”

  “And there were with me?” Garrett asked, swallowing hard because he wanted there to be more than anything.

  Nigel bit his lower lip. “Yes. Did you not feel them? Maybe I did something wrong.” He put his hand over his mouth, cheeks reddening. “Am I a bad kisser? Do I kiss like a fish?” he asked seriously.

  “No. You don’t kiss like a fish, and yes, I felt the tingles too.” Garrett sighed, glad Nigel had as well. “And to answer your next question, no, it doesn’t always feel like that. At least it doesn’t for me.” And part of him wished it hadn’t this time. Then it would be so easy to sail away and not look back.

  “Oh, so it’s good, then.” Nigel stepped closer, and Garrett gently put his hands on Nigel’s shoulders.

  “There is a lot more to… well, tingles… than just kissing.” He needed to get his head screwed on straight before he did something he might regret, like seeing what the rest of Nigel tasted like. His mind flooded with images and the imagined taste of Nigel’s skin as he rolled his tongue around one of his perky nipples or swirled it into his perfect innie.

  “Like what?” Nigel put his hands on his hips, expression firm.

  “Well, if you read books, you know that people talk and they find out about each other. Some people go right to kissing and then on to other things, but that’s lust.” And Garrett was not going to take advantage of Nigel’s innocence like that. He knew very well what that felt like, and no one deserved that kind of experience. “It’s best if you get to know the other person. Find out what they like, where they come from, what sort of things they like to read, foods they like, movies they enjoy. Make sure you have things in common, besides kissing and—” He swallowed. “—other things.”

  “Like sex.” Nigel rolled his eyes, and Garrett had to stop himself from chuckling. “I know what sex is. I’ve seen the animals do it. I’m not an innocent.”