Lost at Sea

by A. E. Radley

  Annie didn’t want to hurt Caroline, and she certainly didn’t want Caroline to think she was being played. That could easily appear to be the case if one night Annie was declaring her feelings, and the very next she was telling the hard truth and requesting Caroline’s help.

  So, Annie had decided that she needed to keep up her charade, while trying to remain as honest as possible, until an ideal moment showed itself. She would continue to not talk about anything related to Serena in the hope that the right time to reveal all would present itself.

  A melodious knock on the door indicated that Caroline had arrived. Annie took a deep breath and took one final look at herself in the mirror. Skinny jeans and a tight, white t-shirt, the hoodie Caroline had taken a shine to tied around her waist. Simple but classic.

  She opened the door. Caroline had a pair of sunglasses on the top of her head, pushing her hair away from her face. She wore a light-blue polo neck with the collar up and a pair of black jeans. She looked happy and relaxed as she handed Annie… a crash helmet.

  “Thanks, flowers are more traditional, but it’s lovely,” Annie quipped.

  “Let’s go.” Caroline nodded her head, clearly eager to escape the ship and the people Annie could hear approaching in the distance.

  She grabbed her bag and left the room.

  She looked at the helmet; it was the same colours as the Italian flag. Did Caroline expect her to get on a bike? She prayed that Caroline didn’t expect her to drive one because Annie had never done so or been interested in learning.

  There were quite a few passengers around them as they entered the elevator lobby and made their way down to the gangway on the second deck. Caroline turned away from the usual exit and guided Annie through a crew area which was thrumming with activity.

  Crew in all sorts of uniforms, from engineers, to maintenance, to chefs, to waiters, rushed past them. Some had trolleys, some had pallets filled with supplies. Being behind the scenes was eye-opening; Annie had had no idea how hectic it was below the passenger decks.

  Caroline greeted everyone she came across. They all seemed happy to see her, and Annie felt a bounce of pride as she followed in her wake.

  They turned and walked into a room that led to a ramp down to the dock. Annie gasped at the huge hole in the wall which seemed to be a loading bay. The staff members stood to one side and allowed Caroline and Annie down the long ramp to the dock.

  “Hello, Captain, here she is,” a crew member said. He turned and gestured to a pastel-green Vespa which had a helmet hanging from the handlebar.

  A member of security approached them and asked to scan Annie’s card.

  Caroline thanked the crewman and put her helmet on. She turned to Annie and gestured to the helmet.

  “Safety first,” she said with a smile.

  “You’re going to drive a bike?” Annie asked.

  “Yes, it’s the best way to get around in Italy, if you want to actually get anywhere.” Caroline got on the bike and patted the space behind her. “I always have my bike aboard the ship.”

  Annie had never been a fan of bikes, but for some reason she felt at ease with the idea of Caroline being the one driving. She knew she’d not take any risks, try to show off, or do anything to endanger them.

  Annie strapped the helmet on and then straddled the back of the bike. She slid forward, pressing her body up against Caroline’s and letting out a contented sigh as she did. Caroline reached around and pulled Annie’s arm tightly around her body.

  “I promise this is the easiest way to get places, not an excuse to wrap you around my body,” Caroline said.

  “I’m not complaining,” Annie replied.

  Caroline laughed and started the engine. She shouted over the noise to ask if Annie was ready. Annie called back that she was, and away they went.

  Annie suspected that Caroline was driving more slowly than she usually would because of her nervous passenger, and Annie wasn’t going to complain about that. They passed through the port buildings quickly, only slowing as they approached a large security gate. The guard on duty gave them a friendly wave, and Annie realised that Caroline was known by him, proving that this was a stop that Caroline frequently explored.

  She had said that it was her favourite place, after all.

  They weaved through some cars loading up tourists in the port car park before joining the main road. Caroline expertly navigated. Annie expertly held on for dear life. She saw an imposing-looking castle and tried to focus on it for a few seconds and not the cars and other bikes whizzing by them.

  She tightened her grip around Caroline’s middle, feeling safer the moment she did.

  Caroline won’t let anything happen to you, she reminded herself.

  She peeked over Caroline’s shoulder. They were weaving in and out of the slow-moving traffic. Up ahead, there was a large tunnel. Annie could see hundreds of red lights from the traffic built up in the tunnel.

  Luckily, they turned left, remaining outside as they rumbled over a large, cobbled road. Caroline increased the power from the engine as they were travelling at a steep incline, and Annie held on a little tighter.

  They reached the top of the hill, and everything seemed to change. They were now on a much quieter road; it was wide and peaceful. To the left was a stone balustrade that looked out onto the ocean, and in the distance were some menacing-looking mountains that Annie guessed contained Mount Vesuvius. To the right were tall stone buildings which comprised of apartments, hotels, and restaurants. On the wide pavements were large fast-food carts selling everything from bottles of water to pastries to ice cream.

  The activity of the port vanished, and suddenly they were in a seaside town. They drove for a while, following the coastal road. Annie sat up a little straighter and looked to the left and then to right, admiring the view of the sea on one side and the beautiful architecture on the other.

  The road bore right, and to the left Annie saw a small marina. Next to it was a narrow, paved street cutting through the ocean. It was lined with beautiful lampposts and led to an imposing stone fortress on a peninsula away from the mainland.

  Caroline turned, and they slowly drove along the paved road. Narrow stairwells leading down to restaurants and the marina. In the distance, buildings scattered up the side of rolling hills.

  She looked straight ahead at the fortress. It was made from stone and very impressive. Three cannons protruded from three holes above the arched entrance. She wondered if Caroline was planning to show her the fortress when they turned down a small street to the left-hand side of the castle.

  The narrow passageway was practically empty. There were a couple of vehicles unloading, but aside from that it was peaceful. As they travelled a little farther, Annie started to see restaurants and gelato stands. She realised that the small area they were in, accessible only by boat via the marina or via the small pathway, opened up into a network of small roads and streets. Stone buildings rose into the sky, two or even three storeys high. There were restaurants all around and what looked like apartments up above.

  It put Annie in mind of pockets of Venice, a small island packed with people and entertainment, surrounded by small stone walls to keep the ocean at bay.

  Caroline stopped the Vespa and kicked the stand down. She hopped off the bike, removed her helmet, and held out a hand to Annie. Annie gratefully took it as she navigated her way off of the bike and pulled off her own helmet. She fluffed up her hair and looked around.

  “This place is amazing!”

  Caroline beamed. She took Annie’s helmet and placed it on the bike. “It is, isn’t it?”

  “Where are we?” Annie asked.

  “That is the Castel dell'Ovo.” Caroline pointed to the walls of the castle. “And we’re on Isolotto di Megaride, or rather, the peninsula of Megaride.”

  “Mega. Ride?” Annie asked, anglicizing the words.

  Caroline looked at her. “Well, you could say it like that if you were British. I would have thought an opera
singer would pronounce it nicely.” She winked.

  Annie felt a stab in her stomach. She’d only just remembered that operas were frequently in Italian. And she was supposed to be an opera singer. Which presumably meant she was supposed to be able to speak, read, and understand Italian.

  She’d never really understood the term ‘sinking feeling’ before. Now she understood it perfectly. Her legs felt like they couldn’t support her body. She leaned back casually against a wall.

  “Just joking,” she said.

  Caroline laughed. She leaned forward and kissed Annie chastely on the lips.

  “Good,” Caroline said. “Joke away. I want to have fun today; I want to put work behind me and try to remember what fun and relaxation are. I think I’d forgotten what that was before you came along.”

  Annie tried to smile; she didn’t know how fake it looked, but she did her best. “Sounds like fun,” she said. “Why here?”

  Caroline let out a nervous breath. “Because this is home.”

  “Home?” Annie looked around at the white and cream buildings which looked bigger than they probably were because of the narrow streets.

  Caroline took Annie’s hand and led her into one of the courtyards. The ground-floor doors to one of the buildings were flung open, and the delicious smell of homecooked food poured out. Café-style tables and chairs were being set up outside by a young waiter.

  “Hello, Caroline,” he greeted her.

  “Hello, Matteo,” Caroline replied.

  A woman exited the building. She was tall and thin, probably in her sixties, and looked very, very British.

  “Why don’t you ever call before you come?” she complained to Caroline. “I could cook something special for you!”

  Caroline chuckled. “Serena, this is Hazel. Hazel, this is Serena.”

  Hazel shook Annie’s hand. Annie tried to keep a firm smile on her face but being introduced to more and more people in Caroline’s life under the wrong name was, to say the least, stressful.

  “Sit down, both of you, I’ll get some drinks. How about some bread? Freshly made, of course. And some olives.” Hazel turned around, the decision already made in her mind that they were sitting down and eating.

  Caroline chuckled and pulled out a seat for Annie. Annie sat down, and Caroline took the seat beside her. They looked out at the courtyard, the castle walls in the distance.

  “She seems nice,” Annie said.

  “She is. She runs the restaurant here. I own the building, and my apartment is on the top floor.” Caroline pointed behind them.

  Annie squinted as she looked up. All she could see were closed shutters, but behind them was Caroline’s home.

  “Ah, so you’re her landlady,” Annie said.

  “Yes, and she looks after my apartment when I’m not here.”

  “Is this where you spend those twelve weeks off?” Annie asked.

  “Most of the time. Sometimes I spend time in other locations, but this is my home port.”

  Annie grinned. “Home port?”

  Caroline blushed. “Sorry, work jargon.”

  “No need to apologise, it’s adorable,” Annie reassured her.

  Hazel reappeared with a tray. She placed a bottle of water and two glasses on the table, a bread basket, two plates, cutlery, and a bowl of olives. Two menus were placed on the table as well.

  “Can I get you ladies some wine?” Hazel asked.

  “Not for me,” Annie said. She wanted to keep a crystal-clear mind.

  “Don’t feel like you can’t drink just because I can’t,” Caroline said.

  “Maybe I’ll have something later.”

  “Juice?” Hazel offered.

  “I’ll have an orange juice,” Caroline said.

  “Same,” Annie agreed.

  Hazel nodded and rushed back into the restaurant.

  “So, how long have you owned this place?”

  “Fifteen years, I…” Caroline started. She paused and winced.

  “What?” Annie asked.

  “I just realised that I bought this building when you were eleven.”

  Annie was about to argue with Caroline’s math but remembered last minute that she had a few years on Serena.

  “So?” Annie asked.

  “I’m a lot older than you,” Caroline lowered her voice, almost sounding embarrassed.

  “You’re more mature than I am, you’ve had more life experiences than I have. It’s part of what I l… like about you.” Annie nearly kicked herself for the slip-up.

  Caroline focused on the bread basket, a light pink tinge to her cheeks. “I bought it as an investment and holiday base many moons ago, but I started spending more time here once I left the Navy. Since then, it became my home. Sort of.”

  “What drew you to Naples?” Annie asked. The ‘sort of’ seemed to leave a huge weight on Caroline, so Annie steered away from it for the time being. She knew talk of home could be difficult.

  “History and culture,” Caroline said. “Napoli has a very cultured history, which led to it becoming a very vibrant city. There are so many sites of historical interest here, and in between them are museums, galleries, opera houses, theatres. And then there’s the water. Multiple smaller marinas and the main port. It’s great for my work. I can be here in ten minutes, and even though it’s close, it feels like I’m much farther away.”

  Annie looked around the idyllic peninsula; it looked timeless, a world away from the busy city, which was obviously a very short distance away.

  “It seems peaceful,” she said.

  “Not too peaceful,” Caroline replied. “Of an afternoon, this place starts to fill up with people. All of these restaurants are full by the evening.”

  “So, you’re out here partying the night away?” Annie joked.

  Caroline chuckled. “No, sometimes I’m in my apartment, listening to music and catching up on my reading.” She took a sip of water. “Boring, I know.”

  “Not at all,” Annie said. “That would be my preference, too. I did my partying when I was younger. Now I prefer an evening at home.”

  Caroline looked at her in disbelief. “You’re too young to say that.”

  “Are people defined by their age?” Annie asked, a little irritated at Caroline’s presumption. “At what age am I allowed to say that?”

  It was a little harsh, but Annie wanted to give Caroline a wakeup call when it came to the matter of age. It worked, as Caroline looked suitably chastised.

  “I’m sorry… I—”

  “I think,” Annie interrupted, “that people are defined by their experiences. Someone can live to be seventy and have lived a happy and comfortable life, maybe too comfortable, and have experienced very little. Some people lose everything at a young age and have to rebuild their entire world.”

  “I agree, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t make presumptions about you.” Caroline looked deeply upset, and Annie knew the message had been received loud and clear.

  “It’s okay,” she said. “You won’t do it again.” She winked, taking the edge off her words.

  Hazel returned with the juices. She’d obviously heard the end of the conversation and was chuckling. “What’s she done now?” she asked Annie.

  “Making comments about how young I am,” Annie said.

  Hazel rolled her eyes. “Honestly, the way she acts you’d think she was ninety. Fifty is the new thirty.”

  “You’re as old as you feel, right?” Annie asked.

  “Precisely.” Hazel looked at Caroline. “She’s fitter than any of us. Goes to the gym every day, if you can believe anyone would hate themselves that much.”

  “Thank you, Hazel,” Caroline said through gritted teeth.

  “Any food for you ladies?” Hazel asked.

  Annie shook her head. “Nothing at the moment.”

  “Maybe in a while,” Caroline said.

  “No problem, do you want the board?” Hazel asked.

  Caroline hesitated.

  “Board?” Ann
ie questioned.

  “Chess board,” Caroline said. “I sometimes play, but it’s fine, we can—”

  “I haven’t played chess for years,” Annie confessed, “but I’d love to play. I mean, I’ll be terrible, but I know how to play if you want to thrash me?”

  Caroline laughed. “Are you sure?”

  “She doesn’t take any prisoners,” Hazel said. “She made my grandson cry.”

  “It’s not my fault he’s so competitive,” Caroline argued.

  “You’re supposed to let children win,” Hazel told her.

  Annie laughed as the two women bickered. She realised this was Caroline’s family. Her home, her friends, the place where she was no longer Captain West but just Caroline. She could be herself and not be in the goldfish bowl that was Fortuna.

  She could imagine Caroline sitting in the courtyard, playing chess with the locals, or looking out the window at the marina, watching the sun set over the ocean. It struck her that this was Caroline’s sanctuary, somewhere she probably didn’t take many people. Annie felt blessed that in such a short space of time, she’d earned Caroline’s trust.

  She also felt the ever-present guilt bubbling away in her gut.

  Tenacious, Not Very Strategic

  “You cheater!” Caroline exclaimed.

  Serena laughed as she plucked Caroline’s knight from the board. “How am I cheating?”

  “You’re distracting me,” she complained. “You were seductively adjusting your top.”

  Serena held the piece in her hand and looked at Caroline. “Seriously?”

  “You were.”

  “I wasn’t,” Serena denied, “but if I was, you shouldn’t be looking anyway.”

  Caroline narrowed her eyes. She was fairly convinced that Serena had decided to use distraction as a technique after losing her second game in a row. The start of the third game had been filled with supposedly casual stretches. Then she’d started to bite her lip in apparent concentration. Caroline lost the gift of speech during the fourth game when Hazel had delivered their meals and Serena had started moaning as she took bites of garlic bread.