“Not if I quit too.” Simone walked around the register and put her arm around Vicki’s shoulder. Vicki didn’t shrug it off this time.
Gizela’s face was turning red. “If you don’t finish your contract, you’ll be fired and put on a never rehire list.”
Simone shrugged and said, “I wasn’t planning to come back anyway. Enjoy your customers, Gizela.” Then she lifted a fist in the air and said, “Vive la revolution!” as they walked out together.
* * *
Miklos wandered along Duval Street, waiting for Rick’s friend. He had Vicki on the brain, constantly. Every shop window had some outfit that would look wonderful on her or a piece of jewelry he’d love to see gracing her neck.
He wondered if she was suffering too. Either way, it served him right. He shouldn’t have used their spanking game as punishment.
His grandfather had taught him everything he knew about pleasing a woman. He showed him by his loving example how to keep a wife, and his father followed suit. The twinkle in his mother and grandmother’s eyes confirmed it. Theirs were two of the most passionate romances Miklos had ever seen. When asked about it, they just grinned and said they were lucky. Lucky indeed. It seemed as if luck had nothing to do with it.
Most people with arranged marriages had to work toward love and then their loving actions would keep the passion in their marriages. Miklos would do better if he ever had the chance again--and he wanted that chance with Vicki more than the air he breathed.
He’d get settled, make some money, and then find a way to contact her on the ship. Perhaps in time she would forgive him for hurting her and would be willing to try to put their lives back together.
Rick had helped him cash the check he had been given from his weeks aboard the Sensation. Where he’d be without his new friend, he didn’t know. He should be looking for decent clothes for himself and new music to play. For work he dressed in the only decent clothing he owned other than his gym shorts and tank tops. His wedding clothes.
He still had to buy a walkman, like the one used to learn the song he played for Vicki. Damn, that reminded him of her too.
Needing all of these things at once, a place to stay, clothes, a way to learn the new music, would drain the little money he had. At least money gave him something else to focus on other than his colossal horrific luck.
At last, a music store. He wandered inside and cringed at the song they were playing too loudly. He would never play anything like that. He turned and walked out. Now he understood what Rick was saying about the noise forced upon the people of Key West. It felt like an assault. He’d be looking for a place to get away from it too.
Something sparked an idea that would not only help occupy his long empty days, but would save him money. He could play some of the same songs he knew if he could translate the words, and he could write--or rather invent--all new songs since he was still illiterate. It might help to express his feelings for Vicki instead of simply letting them hound him. And he would learn to read. It would take his mind in another direction for a little while and could help him escape his pain.
He returned to the park where he was supposed to meet Rick’s friend the realtor. He had a constructive plan and a glimmer of hope, at last. Sitting on a bench, he began to put words and music together in his mind. Before long he was sure this plan was a good one. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He only wished he had his guitar to practice the chords he heard playing in his head. Once he did that, he would have his first original song. His song might win her back if he ever had the chance to play it for her. He opened his eyes when he felt an approaching presence.
Someone wearing a casual tropical shirt and khaki pants extended his hand. Miklos stood to greet him.
“Hi, I’m Avery, Rick’s friend. I hope I didn’t disturb your meditation.”
“No. Not at all.” They shook hands. “I am very glad to meet you. I am Miklos Roman. Thank you for taking the time to help me.”
Avery smiled. “Any friend of Rick’s is a friend of mine. So, you wanted to see some rentals?”
“Yes, if they’re not too expensive, please.”
“Rick said you needed a hand but not a handout. I think I have just the thing.” Avery motioned him to follow and they headed for a nearby car.
“Is this place far from here?”
With a click of his key, Avery unlocked the doors of his powder blue vintage convertible. “Not that far. You can still walk to work. Do you mind doing a little maintenance?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Hop in.”
Once they were on their way, Miklos thought he’d better ask more about the money. “Will the maintenance job help bring the rent down to something I can afford?”
“It should.” Avery took a right and drove past the hotel toward the ocean. “Rick said you like working on boats. Is that true?”
Now Miklos was confused. He thought that he might be painting apartments or fixing leaky faucets. What did boats have to do with it?”
“Yes. That’s true. I worked aboard a couple of ships. I was also a longshoreman in Greece and New York. Recently I was on a cruise ship, but as a fitness trainer. The only maintenance I did there was wiping the sweat off of the equipment.”
Avery grinned. “You look like you could be either a fitness trainer or a longshoreman. Well, this job requires strength, but the skills are a bit different.”
He pulled into a parking space and pointed to what looked like an enormous floating bakery box. “There she is. My old houseboat, the Sea Hag. I tried to sell her, but she needed too much work and I wasn’t desperate enough to give her away. There are lots of fond memories tied up in that boat.”
Miklos stepped out of the car and strolled to the dock. “I would be living on your houseboat?”
“You can if you want to. My partner couldn’t stand evacuating for the hurricanes and last year was the last straw, so we bought a nice sturdy condo in town. Go aboard and I’ll show you around.”
He stepped easily from the dock to the deck. It was stable in the water, and he was pleasantly surprised.
As Avery unlocked the cabin door, he said, “The steps need to be rebuilt, the appliances are old but they work, and the whole thing needs to be scraped and repainted. Are you up for all of that?”
“Yes. I can build steps, scrape and paint. I don’t know much about appliances.”
“Neither do I. If anything breaks I’ll have to call a professional repairman. Treat her with care, though, and she’ll feel like home before you know it.”
Miklos ducked his head to enter the cabin and found it surprisingly roomy and charming. It was set up like a studio apartment. Everything was in one big space. A kitchen stood in one corner. A dinette table bolted to the floor with a U shaped built in bench was situated across from it. A living space with a comfortable looking sofa, two chairs, and even a woodstove completed the rest. Other than the lack of a bed it was perfect.
As if he read Miklos’s mind, he said, “The couch opens into a queen size bed. There’s also a smaller one built into the bow.” Then he winked and added, “Perfect for a single man who might bring someone back for the night.”
“This is good, then. My wife could join me here.” Vicky was absolutely the only person he wanted to bring home--for the night, the day, the next night, the day after that--and forever.
“Where’s your wife?”
Miklos hadn’t thought about what to say before he brought up the subject of Vicki. But it would certainly come up from time to time. When he told people he was married, they would naturally wonder about his wife’s absence.
“She is still working on the ship for several months to fulfill her contracted time with the cruise line.” As soon as he said that his unsettling sixth sense hit him. It was the same feeling he had whenever he told a lie. It never bothered him if he omitted a truth, only if he said something that was completely untrue. His Chovihano skills were still with him, so what he had just said must not be t
rue. If she’s not working out her contract, where is she?
* * *
Simone had rented a Toyota Corolla in Miami and was driving Vicki to Key West. They were both still tired from being awake since three a.m. Simone urged Vicki to take a nap.
Vicki couldn’t sleep if she wanted to. The combination of possibility, anxiety and fear were even more intense than the feelings she had experienced when she got on the ship for the first time. Her nerves were frazzled and her muscles tensed every time she thought she spotted land.
Finally running out of small talk, and nearing Key West, she fidgeted in her seat and asked, “What if he got himself to Miami somehow, hoping to meet me there?”
Simone shrugged. “He probably doesn’t have the money to get there. He might find a way by next Saturday, though, so, if we don’t find him in Key West within the week, we’ll return to Miami next Friday. I’ll have to get back home shortly after that.”
“Simone, I don’t know how to thank you for all of this.”
“Just look under every rock and bush until you find him. Don’t give up no matter what.”
Vicki sighed and leaned back on the vinyl seat. “I won’t give up. I’ll go all the way to Kardzal, Bulgaria if I have to.”
They spotted the Island of Key West looming out of the horizon at last.
“We’re almost there,” Simone said. “You must be excited.”
“Bloody right!” Vicki pulled down the visor and checked her appearance. She was disheveled, but it was no wonder considering last night.
“I’ll do your hair and makeup when we get there,” Simone said.
“Really? That would be wicked. I look horrible right now.”
“No problem. Consider it a reward just because you never said, ‘Are we there yet?’”
Vicki fished around in her purse and produced her hairbrush. She stared at it and remembered Miklos spanking her because--because she asked him to punish her. Her bottom was still sore. She loved baring her ass for his open-handed spanking as part of sexual their sexual foreplay, though.
She took a deep breath and tried not to cry. While brushing her hair she closed her eyes and let her mind drift. Suddenly she had a flash of Miklos. He was sitting on a stool, playing his guitar. It wasn’t a memory. Somehow she knew it was a vision. Didn’t he say he could only send me the visions of himself when we were close to each other? Her heart leapt. They were close!
* * *
Miklos had been playing his new songs intermingled with the old all evening. Singing his song to Vicki would be difficult, and he knew it. His mind would reach out to her as it did when he wrote it. He hoped he wouldn’t choke up. As he began playing the first chords, he closed his eyes and the crowd fell silent and spellbound.
I would not will this pain away
Though emptiness shall always stay
I’d give my core to see your face
In more than just my mind and dreams.
I call to you, but come to me
Only if your will be free
I’ll cherish you and all you are
With body, soul and…
“Miklos!” It was Vicki’s voice.
His eyes popped open and his heart throbbed. I must be imagining this. It’s the song, that’s all.
“Miklos!” Her voice was louder this time. He stood slowly and set his guitar against the stool. Mesmerized, he approached the sound of her voice as if in a dream.
Vicki flew around the corner, ran to him and leapt into his arms.
“I found you! Oh God, I found you.” She was quivering in his arms, and he could feel her erratic heart beating against his chest. A moment later, she began to sob.
Not a vision or a hallucination, she was real. He held her off the floor with all his gentle strength and buried his face in her neck. He was so stunned that according to all his senses, the only things in the room were her shaking body and his pounding heart.
When at last he could speak, he said, “I thought I’d never see you, again.”
A silent crowd began to come alive and applaud. This time there was no embarrassment when they realized they had made a public spectacle of their love. She slid down his strong body to stand on the floor and tipped her head back as if to let the tears roll back into her eyes and she smiled--the smile she always had only for him.
Thank you, God, for bringing my love back to me. Then he looked at Vicki as if there were no one else in the room. “I have a job and a houseboat where we can live. I love you more than you know, Vicki. I just want another chance. Will you stay with me--of your own free will?”
She grinned, wiped at the tears off her face, and nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll marry you all over again, this time legally, of my own free will.”
Miklos tipped her chin up and kissed her. She twined her fingers in his hair and their mouths opened to one another, melding together perfectly as they always had.
The familiar fire sprung up between them, and the passion of their kiss could not be hidden with the powerful emotions coursing through them. When, at last, they pulled their lips apart, the pressure had left her lips swollen and moist. He imagined her nether regions in the same condition. He did a deep knee bend and swept one shoulder under her waist to carry her over his back, caveman style.
She squealed and then laughed with delight.
Before he departed, he swiveled to look out at the grinning faces of the audience. “I’m on my break, now. It might last a while…”
On his way down the hall to his room, he heard chuckles and murmuring. It didn’t seem as if anyone minded. “You’ll stay with me, my love? Forever?”
“Yes, even if you’re tired and we don’t shag every night.”
Miklos carried her down the steps to the rear rooms. “I can’t promise you that won’t happen. I want to make love to you over and over, all night and every night. I can guarantee you love everlasting, and I’ll consider it a privilege to keep my lusty wife satisfied.”
“Still...” He paused as if deep in thought as set her down in front of his hotel room door. “I think we should wait to have sex until we’re legally married.”
Vicki gasped. “What? Are you joking? After all we’ve done?”
He grinned and laughed out loud. “Yes, my love. I’m joking.”
She whispered in his ear, “Oh, I might have to spank you for that.”
Epilogue
She heard his footsteps on the sturdy new houseboat stairs and rushed to meet him.
“I’m home, my love. I brought the mail.”
Vicki greeted her husband with a long, passionate kiss. He patted her expanding belly and said, “Hello, little one.”
“Look at all of these bloody letters! Is all of this fan mail?”
“It seems so.” Miklos bent to pick up a fistful that had fallen and set them on the dining table.
Vicki shook her head. “We’re going to need a bigger place. A room for the baby and a room for your mail.”
Miklos smiled, and led her to the couch. “I love reading my fan mail now that I can. Rick said the majority of the hotel’s mail is for me now, and he begged me to hire someone to read and answer it. I’d hate to do that, but I’m still slow with the writing. I always want to say the right thing.”
“I’ll help you.”
“That would be ‘wicked.’ He also insists I need a manager and I guess he knows somebody.”
“I hope it’s someone who understands what you’re about this time. You finally lost your wanderlust and want to stay in one place.”
“With you. I told him I wouldn’t go on tour without my wife and family, and he said this guy wouldn’t push me to do anything I don’t want to do.”
“Well good. That last arsehole who approached you was obnoxious. I’m glad you didn’t sign a contract with him. Aren’t there performers who make albums but never tour? There must be some.”
He sat on the couch and reached for her. She settled into his arms.
“Of course there a
re. Touring makes more money, but I don’t care about that.” Miklos kissed her neck. “My family is more important to me than any amount of money. Rick doesn’t want to me to go anywhere, either.”
“Of course he doesn’t. You keep that place full of paying customers, and he likes money just fine.”
“The odd thing is,” Miklos adjusted so he could look at Vicki’s face. “I’ve been thinking about my visions and journey. Does it seem like this is fate’s purpose for a Chovihano? It seemed there must have been more for me to do.”
“Oh? What have you come up with?”
“The only thing I can come up with is that most of those people who come to see me are couples who seem angry or distant at first, then by the end of the night they’re touching each other and smiling. I swear I can see them sending each other those looks that say, “Let’s get out of here.”
Vicki laughed. “That’s probably because your music makes them want to go back to their hotel rooms and fuck their brains out.”
He laughed, but became serious again, quickly. “I hope it’s more than that.”
Vicki looked at their twined fingers. “I read an article in the spa on my break today about how the divorce rate is dropping. I reckon you’ve had a hand in that.”
“What an honor that would be.”
“Do you think this is why fate brought us together? I mean, where do I fit in?”
Miklos smiled. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you. Not only have you brought me into the twenty-first century, but also every song I’ve written has been for you. I wrote out my pain when we were parted. I wrote about forgiveness and hope. Now all I can write about is how happy I am because of you.”
“I know, and I love you for it. Ninety percent of your fan mail is about how you brought couples who were drifting apart back together and how grateful they are.”
“It would be an incredible privilege to be charged with the mission to renew love before it’s lost, wouldn’t it?”
“Right. So, today Florida, tomorrow the world?”
Sensation of the Seas Page 16
