Love Struck (standard:romance, 12033 words)
Author: damnation	Added: Feb 08 2002	Views/Reads: 3868/2382	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
This sequel to The Day Lucy Broke Down picks up about four months after the original story. When Mach broke into a boat on a dare, spending the next five days with her ex-girlfriend was the last thing she had expected. Will they survive this journey toget

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story


I had fallen in love with Kelly Preston, that much I had known some time
ago. But, I was still in love with her after three months and it was 
not giving any signs of letting up. On top of that, she almost made me 
break my flower rule. I started asking myself if I could afford giving 
someone the power to hurt me as deeply as my father did when he left 
and I came to a conclusion. 

Something had to give. 

So I did. 

I broke up with her. 

Talk about stupid decisions. 

*** 

"Just what the hell were you thinking, Mach?!" I frowned at the shrill
voice in my ear and scrubbed harder at Betsy, my monster truck who got 
her name from the jalopy in Archie comics. "She's probably the best 
thing that has ever happened to you and you..." I never knew Jordan 
could be this concerned about someone else. It was just so... not her. 
Maybe Kelly was a witch. I widened my eyes at the idea. That would 
explain why I miss her so much it hurts... Argh! 

"Funny. I can just as confidently tell you that the best thing that has
ever happened to me... is me. And guess what? I have a feeling that I'm 
the better judge since..." I widened my eyes for effect as I whipped 
around to face my half-cousin. "... I'm me!" 

I turned back to my truck, saw a glint of silver on her, stopped my
movements abruptly and gawked. Did I just scrub the rust and the paint 
off Betsy?! Sidestepping Jordan, I made as if everything was under 
control as I went to get the garden hose to rinse Betsy off. 

Jordan threw her hands up in the air, exasperated. "For heavens sake,
Mach! Stop being so full of yourself! Did it ever occur to you that 
because you're you, you don't see things in perspective?" 

I dragged the hose over to where Betsy was and shrugged. "Honestly,
Jordan. I'm sure no one can tell me better how I feel about someone, 
right? It's too bad that I don't feel anything more than... what I feel 
for her." I shrugged nonchalantly as I turned off the hose. "She's a 
good kid. We're just not suited for each other, that's all." 

Jordan threw her hands up in exasperation but I knew that there was
nothing much she could say. All she had to base her argument on was how 
she saw Kelly and I when we were together, but I could just as easily 
turn the tables on her and call her bias. We were happy together... it 
was just time for me to move on. Although this time round, I was more 
anxious to do that because I did not want to do it. Makes sense? 

"How is she, anyway?" I asked in an off-hand tone. I started giving
Betsy a rub-down. It had been two weeks since I told Kelly it was 
better if we could stop seeing each other because all I felt for her 
was platonic love, and it was two weeks too long a time not to see her. 
I even missed that cat of hers, although I remain firm in my opinion 
that he needed a therapist. 

"Why do you care?" Jordan growled at me, frustrated. She must have heard
something my tone of voice, however, for she continued. "She isn't even 
communicating with Lucy," she said gravely, conveying the seriousness 
of the situation. I stared at her to ascertain her statement. No Lucy? 
Is that possible? That laptop of hers was her life! Jordan nodded. "Now 
do you see why I'm so worried?" 

2 

I walked past her place twice this evening, but I did not get past the
doorstep on either occasion. The first time, I could not even bring 
myself to lift up the latch to the gate. The second time, I got hissed 
at by an evil looking, ginger-colored tabby that promised me tattered 
clothes and torn skin if I lifted my fist to knock on that door. Jordie 
even scratched the air before him for effect. That cat is violent and 
an endangerment to everyone with the exclusion of Kelly. 

Sighing, I gulped down another shot of tequila. Ignoring the crowd
around me, I poured myself another shot of the liquor and proceeded to 
empty it without the usual accompaniment of salt and lemon. 

"Hey Mach! Come join us!" I glanced in the general direction where the
voice came from and shook my head. "C'mon... everyone has to play, 
man!" I frowned and wondered if they would let me off the yacht with 
this bottle of tequila if I refused. 

Clarissa came up beside me and I felt warm breath tickle my ear.
Shuddering involuntarily at the contact, my mind treacherously brought 
me back to a time when Kelly hugged me from behind. Gosh, she gave the 
best hugs. Her body was so warm all of the time, and she seemed to be 
able to make me feel so safe and secure even though she was of a 
smaller stature than I was. Snapping myself out of my reverie, I tried 
to register what Clarissa was saying. "... truth or dare." 

"Nah. I'll pass," I maintained, anxious to return to my tequila. This
drinking alone thing allowed me to beat myself up and feel sorry for 
myself appropriately. It was therapeutic. 

"Please? Come on, it'll be fun. Just a couple of rounds? Then maybe we
could use one of the cabins and you could show me just how sorry you 
are for not bringing me a birthday present...?" Her voice was 
suggestive and her intention was plain. She did look really good in her 
bikini top and a sarong around her waist. Before another image of Kelly 
managed to force itself into my head, I stood up to my full height of 
five feet eleven and shrugged. Why not. 

A soft hand pulled me out onto the deck and over to a rather large
group. I looked down to see why my hands felt so weighed down and saw 
that while one hand was clasped possessively in Clarissa's, the other 
one was holding the bottle of tequila. I raised the bottle to my lips 
and drank heavily, grimacing slightly when the liquor burned a path 
down my throat. I let the raucous laughter flow past me as the game 
started, not really caring one way or other what truths were being 
revealed. 

"Truth or dare, Mach?" I realized with a start that it was my turn when
someone tugged at my hand. What was the question anyway? Hell, do they 
ask the question before or after I give my answer? I shrugged. "Dare." 

Murmurs of suggestions floated around as they discussed what kind of
dare to give me. "We dare you to get something from that boat beside 
ours," someone called out finally. Boat? I'm on a boat? I thought, 
highly buzzed. I saw the amused green eyes looking up at me and 
remembered. Oh yeah. Clarissa's birthday. Yacht. Tequila. 
Heartbroken... Kelly... Dang. No matter what I started thinking about, 
I would always end up thinking of her. You're acting as if she was the 
one who dumped you, you useless git! 

Furious at myself for reasons I have yet to figure out, I glanced over
to the vessel in question and saw that it was not lighted up at all. 
Suddenly feeling very destructive and bold -- probably brought on by 
the unnatural amount of alcohol in my system -- I kicked off my shoes 
and climbed over the railing of Clarissa's party vessel. Balancing 
precariously, I prepared myself for the jump. "Mach, you don't have to 
jump..." Not waiting for the sentence to be completed, I dived into the 
dark, ebbing water. 

I was almost surprised when the cold water hit me and engulfed me
completely before I broke its surface. The water definitely looked 
better than it felt. I took a huge gulp of air, swiped a hand down my 
face, got my bearings, and started swimming towards the appointed 
vessel, feeling strangely exhilarated by the cheering behind me. 

Hauling your arse over the railing of the boat while you were inebriated
and weighed down by wet clothes was not as easy as it looked. The 
moment I lifted my body out of the water, the wind came straight for me 
and wrapped me up in its cool blanket. That, on top of the alcohol in 
my body, made sure that I was shivering my arse off by the time I got 
over the confounded railing. However, showmanship demanded that I turn 
around to give my adoring audience a cocky bow. 

Their cheering quieted suddenly and I quickly slipped into the shadows
when I heard a voice calling out for someone. I felt the boat sway a 
little and then heard the clomping of boots on the deck. Eyes widening, 
I let myself into the cabin for fear of being caught trespassing. 

I found myself in a small room. The faint moonlight showed a large bed
in the middle of the room and I sauntered towards it, forgetting 
momentarily what I was there for. I sat down on the bed, dazed, and 
started sneezing. Shivering uncontrollably, I started stripping the 
soaked clothes from myself and threw them onto the floor. I was about 
to fall onto the bed when I felt something rush up from my stomach and 
I ran blindly into an adjoining room to find -- to my relief -- that it 
was indeed a toilet. 

Bending over the toilet bowl, I emptied my stomach and grimaced at the
taste in my mouth. Oh God, whatever possessed me to drink so much? 
Kelly's face popped into my head as I washed my face at the sink. We 
did seem to have developed a particular liking for washrooms, I thought 
with a faint smile. By the time I went back into the room with the bed, 
the only thought that came to me was how warm and inviting the bed 
looked. I dropped onto it contentedly, snuggled within the sheets and 
fell into a deep, alcohol induced sleep. 

3 

What in fuck's name is that God awful sound? I scratched at my face
absently as I burrowed deeper under the covers. The wailing, coupled 
with the throbbing in my head, was enough to make my head explode. 
Wrapping the sheets around my body and over my head, I made my way 
groggily to the door, hoping to find and terminate whatever unholy 
ritual that was occurring in the vicinity. 

"One thing, I don't know why 

It doesn’t even matter how hard you try 

Keep that in mind 

I designed this rhyme 

To explain in due time 

I tried so hard 

In spite of the way you were mocking me 

Acting like I was part of your property 

Remembering all the times you fought with me..." 

Oh you're fucking me. That sound is someone singing? I stopped in
disbelief as the off-keyed voice bawled along to Linkin Park's In The 
End. "You can rule an album in your name out if that's what you're 
dreaming of, buddy," I mumbled to myself when I climbed the stairs 
before me. I doubt my mind was even registering what my body was doing. 


I reached some sort of landing and was faced with the back of a jumping
form. The music was loud enough to wake the dead if the awful singing 
didn't do that already. 

"...I tried so hard 

And got so far 

But in the end 

It doesn't even matter 

I had to fall 

To lose it all 

But in the end 

It doesn't even matter..." 

I put my finger onto the portable CD player that I detected and pressed
the power button to turn the damn thing off. Without the music, the 
next line was shouted loudly and clearly, shocking my system wide 
awake: "Fuck you, Mach!" 

"Kelly?" was the only thing that slipped from my lips when a loud Reowww
sounded and something ginger and furry came out of nowhere and knocked 
me onto the floor. 

*** 

"Ow!" I yelped at the sting of the alcohol on my wounds. 

"Stop moving!" The voice that commanded me was cold and emotionless,
squelching my desire to let out another exclamation. I tried my best to 
look ahead, and not at the cool gray eyes that were focused on the 
scratches on my face. 

I exhaled loudly when the rough treatment of my injury ceased, but
flinched again when something pungent was dabbed on. "You're not making 
this worse than it is, are you?" My voice came out sounding arrogant 
when all I wanted was to try and break the ice. 

I felt Kelly stiffen and I rolled my eyes inwardly. Good going, git!
"What could be worse than the way you originally look?" She leaned back 
in her seat and crossed her arms for a moment, looking as though she 
was assessing me. It made me squirm uneasily in my seat. "Actually, the 
scratches do cover up a little of the ugliness." Her voice was frostier 
than before and I was about to kick myself in the arse when she added 
sweetly, "Want Jordie to finish the job?" 

Alright, that's just about enough, I thought angrily. All I did was to
break up with her. It's not as if I killed her cat or something, right? 
I turned to her and hoped that the glacial look I practiced over and 
over in the privacy of my own bathroom worked now as I pinned my eyes 
on her. "If that's the case, shouldn't your face be scratched out 
completely?" I even managed to inject amusement in my voice as I 
replied smoothly. 

I saw a flash of hurt in her eyes, knew that I got her, but instead of
feeling good about it, I felt like a complete jerk. I braced myself for 
another scathing attack and was taken aback by her soft words, spoken 
in a tired voice, "Just fuck off, Mach. Fuck off." 

She got up abruptly, threw everything back into the first aid kit and
exited the room, leaving me to my own thoughts. I heard a soft hissing 
sound to my left and narrowed my eyes. I hissed back loudly and 
grimaced at the shot of pain that earned me. Jordie picked himself up, 
threw me a distasteful look, and disappeared. I buried my face in my 
hands, careful not to touch the three neat scratches that ran down my 
cheek below my right eye. How did I get myself into this mess? 

*** 

After a few moments of mulling over my situation, I wrapped the sheets
tighter around me and went in search of Kelly. It was then that I 
realized that the boat was moving. I had felt the boat swaying earlier 
on, but I didn't know that we were no longer attached to something 
permanent! 

I found Kell in the middle of a conversation with someone over the
radio, stomped over, grabbed the radio from her and demanded for her to 
turn the boat around. 

"Gimme that!" Kelly shouted, irate, as she tried to snatch the radio
away from me. I used my height as an advantage and held it over her 
head, stretching the wire attaching the radio to the boat quite a bit. 

"Not until you turn the boat round and send me back!" I stated evenly,
giving her a smug look as I twisted the radio this way and that in 
order to keep it out of her reach. 

A loud snap froze our actions and twin pairs of eyes traveled down south
to see that the wire attached to the radio was no longer attached to 
the control panel. "Oh you..." Kelly looked like she was going to 
explode, what with her eyes bulging behind her red tinted shades. I 
lowered the radio, shrugged awkwardly and handed it back to her. She 
tore her shades from her eyes and glowered at me. "What the hell am I 
supposed to do with this now that you broke it?" The anger in her voice 
was barely controlled and I was about to take a step back from her when 
my pride rooted me on the spot. 

"Take me back and you can get someone to repair that. You played a part
in breaking it as well, ya'know?" I knew I was being a pain but I just 
refused to appear guilty. I just wanted to get as far away from Kelly 
as possible. Being this close to her, clothed in nothing but sheets, 
was creating a lot of havoc within me. 

"We can't turn back," she groused out as she snatched the radio from me
angrily. "Dammit!" she cursed, throwing the useless radio across the 
room. 

Feeling a slight trepidation at her genuine frustration, I hardened my
voice and stated my point again. "Why not? There's the steering wheel. 
Just turn the boat back!" 

She threw a look at me, saw that she had the upper hand, and sat down on
a small cot near the control panel with a lofty expression. She 
replaced her shades onto her face and gave me a smug smile that did not 
quite reach her eyes. "No," she said simply as she stared at the sea. 

She was quite possibly the most infuriating person I have ever met.
Ignoring me completely, she propped her legs up onto the control panel. 
Dressed in a small, white, tank-top and white washed denim shorts, with 
a smug look that I wish I could wipe off with a sandpaper! on her 
impish looking face. Her vibrant, red hair was chopped off the moment 
her blonde roots started showing. Even I had to grudgingly agree that 
blonde suits her much better, even though the funky red hair was kinda 
hot as well. 

Dang. I was supposed to be pissed off with her. Instead, I am standing
here, wrapped up in white sheets, checking my ex-girlfriend out. 

Fuming at myself for having such weak will when it came to her, I
stomped to where the steering wheel was and attempted to turn the boat 
back. Fully expecting her to dash over and stop me, I was surprised 
when I heard her humming softly to herself. The damn wheel refused to 
budge. I gritted my teeth and bunched my muscles, but the boat refused 
to change its direction. 

"Where are we headed?" I asked instead, in a less demanding tone. 

Her short blonde hair looked even more mussed up when the wind was
blowing at her, but it only succeeded in making her look more appealing 
to me. Sighing regrettably, I waited for her to tell me that this was a 
one way boat trip to Hades and we were currently on the river Styx. 
"Yellow Island," she said at last. 

I started towards her again. "That's like five days from where we were!"
I exclaimed. Five days with Kell on a boat? Why did I ever think that 
this break-up was going to be easy? Then, another thought struck me. 
Five days with psycho cat? Hoboy. 

*** 

I stopped in the midst of scrubbing the deck and blew frustratedly at
the stray hair that was tickling my nose. After giving me a black, 
sleeveless top and a pair of shorts that reached my knees, Kelly 
rattled out my position on the boat -- her skipper, a.k.a. her slave, 
for her to order around as she pleased -- and my duties, which 
consisted of scrubbing the deck, cleaning the glass and basically doing 
whatever she wanted me to. 

The last statement had brought some lewd thoughts into my mind
initially, but Kelly had destroyed any illusions that I might have when 
she deliberately emptied a pot of coffee on the floor and ordered me to 
clear the mess up. Nope, this girl did not want me sharing her bed, 
alright. And she gave me a black shirt on purpose! My mind complained. 
It was hot enough to fry an egg on my back! 

When I had protested, she had given me a look, told me that she was the
Captain of the boat, and dared me to defy her. In which case, she would 
deny me all access to the fridge. My treacherous stomach growled again 
and I frowned at it. Why did it have to be her boat that I fell asleep 
in? 

"How did you end up on my boat, Mach?" 

This was the first time I heard her say my name without the word 'fuck'
in the same sentence since the day I broke up with her, and it caused a 
not too unpleasant shiver to run down my back. Yeah, yeah. She has you 
at her bid and call and all you can do is feel attracted to her? To 
counter that feeling, I put on my most innocent face and said,"You must 
have wished for something hot and sexy to appear in your bed cos' I 
have absolutely no idea how I got here." 

The sight that greeted me next would have brought me to my knees if I
wasn't already there. Kelly stalked over to where I was with a 
purposeful look on her face, pushed her shades up onto her head, 
dropped down all fours, and touched her nose to mine as she growled 
out, "Remember... I'm the Captain of this boat. Do not fuck with me. 
Comprende?" 

Water. I need water to take away the sudden dryness that my mouth is
enveloped in. All the moisture, it seemed, had gone down south. I 
raised a brow and attempted to look cool but we both knew that she got 
me. Oh yeah, she got me real good. 

"Answer me," she said in a low voice, her eyes narrowed. Our breaths
were mingling and all I wanted to do right then was to lean in and kiss 
those sumptuous looking lips. Stop it! You do not want her! You just 
broke up with her, remember? 

Instead, I restrained myself and did what other pussy-whipped
individuals would do: I did as I was told. "Clarissa threw a birthday 
bash on her dad's yacht. I was dared to take something from this boat. 
I drank a little too much so um, I fell asleep on the bed." I glanced 
at her to see if she believed what I was saying. "If I knew it was your 
boat, I would have never gotten on," I added hurriedly. 

"Naked?" she asked, ignoring the last bit of my confession. 

"Huh?" Oh yeah. Kelly, naked, right now, was a very good idea. She
looked so hot, glaring at me like this. No, no, no! Think waterfall! 
Kelly, naked, under the waterfall. Rivulets of water streaming down her 
back, caressing every inch of her hot, naked body... No! Think... ice! 
Kelly with an ice cube in her hand, rubbing it down the length of her 
body... Mercy! I blinked rapidly to get the erotic images out of my 
head. 

She straightened herself and sat on her heels, her arms crossed. If she
knew what I was thinking about right then, she would have me thrown 
overboard, I was sure. In fact, I myself felt like jumping into the 
deep blue ocean to cool down. "Do you have a habit of sleeping naked in 
the bed of someone you're planning to rob?" she rephrased her question. 
"Or were you already naked when you were with Clarissa?" She sounded 
hurt. Well, at least I knew I wasn't the only one who has yet to move 
on. 

The scratches on my face started throbbing a little and I quickly
spotted Jordie staring at me from behind his mistress. Yikes! This is 
getting so freaky. Could I actually detect his presence now that I got 
scratched by him? It's too much like Harry Potter whose lightning scar 
throbbed each time Voldermort, his enemy who gave him the scar, was 
close. I looked at the damp floor and gave a relieved sigh. Good thing 
the deck was wet; cats hate water, right? 

Wrong. This cat is psychotic! He's not normal! The ginger tabby crossed
the damp landing and leaped onto Kelly's shoulder so that he was 
planted firmly between Kelly and myself. "Hey, baby," Kelly said softly 
in greeting, and my heart clenched. Once upon a time, she, too, spoke 
to me in such a manner. 

I returned my attention to the deck, thankful for the first time that I
had something to do. A loud sound came from within the boat, making 
Kelly get up hurriedly. "We'll continue this conversation later," she 
announced and disappeared into the cabin, saying something about having 
to change the course of our boat. A sailing moron like me was best 
suited for... I looked down at the rag in my hand and resumed 
scrubbing... cleaning. 

Jordie, on the other hand, remained behind, keeping me under his
watchful eyes. "Slave driver," I mumbled in his direction as he licked 
his paw absently. 

*** 

Dinner was a simple and silent affair as we made a meal out of ham and
cheese sandwiches, both trying to appear engrossed in something other 
than each other. Kelly fidgeted with a compass and a map while I sat 
there, munching my sandwich and touching my reddish and warm skin 
gingerly. 

She threw me a glance and left the table abruptly. A few moments later,
she returned with a white tube in her hand, which she placed before me. 
I waited until she was finished with her dinner and had gone up onto 
the deck before looking at what she handed me. It was a tube of 
moisturizer. 

After cleaning up the dishes, I escaped to the room that she apparently
wanted me to have to take a bath. Wincing at my burnt skin, I was glad 
when the shower ended. I applied the moisturizer quickly and carefully 
slipped under the covers. The moisturizer soothed my burnt skin, and as 
much as I would love to deny it, Kelly's presence soothed the pain in 
my chest. 

4 

I was woken up yet again by loud music and awful singing. Strangely, it
felt good to know that Kell was somewhere in the vicinity. Even though 
she could really work on her singing, I thought with a grimace. I 
dragged myself to the shower and was pleased to find that my skin was 
not hurting as badly as the night before. Humming along to the music 
coming out from the control room, I failed to see Jordie waiting in 
ambush for me under one of the stools. 

"Ouch!" I yelped at the sharp pain in my leg. "Why, you little..." I
growled deeply in my throat, planning to imitate a dog when I recalled 
that this particular cat had dogs for breakfast. I narrowed my eyes at 
him and made a silent vow that one day... one day... My face fell. Kell 
would kill me if I harmed Jordie in any way. It was just a no win 
situation with this devilish animal. 

I climbed the steps leading up to the control room quietly, so as not to
draw more attention to myself now that Jordie looked preoccupied with 
his hind leg. The music drifting out was helping me some, and soon I 
was treated to another concert performance by Kelly Preston. 

Chuckling silently, I watched as she twirled around with a hairbrush in
her hand, freezing when she caught sight of me. The blush crept up her 
face slowly, but surely, and before long, she looked like a tomato that 
had sprouted golden hair. 

"You will stop sneaking up on me!" she said hotly as she turned the
volume of the player down. I gave her a 'who me?' look, making her huff 
loudly. She looked around the room and her eyes glinted when they 
rested on something. I followed her line of vision and saw... a bell. 

I backed off a little at the devious look on her face as she approached
me, bell in hand. "Aw c'mon, Kell, you can't be serious," I said when I 
caught onto her idea. Then I developed a devilish smile of my own. "I 
know you want me to ring your bell, but this is just too... oof..." She 
punched me! 

She grabbed my collar and pulled my face to her roughly as she hung the
bell around my neck with the other hand. "What did I say about me being 
the Captain?" she asked, her eyes flashing. I sighed inwardly as my 
knees went weak. Her 'don't fuck with me' attitude was so damn hot! 
Stop it, stop it, stop it! 

"Do not fuck with you?" I said in a hopeful tone. She nodded curtly and
was about to let go of my collar when I added in a smooth tone, "Then 
what about fucking you?" Now, that, like the break-up, was plain 
stupid. 

The slap across my face was totally unexpected. "Get out of my sight,"
she said through her clenched jaws, anger evident in her voice and 
stance. What did I do? What did I do? More confused than anything, I 
hesitated but saw the tears welling up in her gray eyes. Feeling like I 
failed in everything that I did, I clutched absently at the bell around 
my neck and left. 

*** 

I fingered my right cheek piteously as my reflection stared back at me
from the mirror. First, I got scratched. Then, I got hit. All on the 
same spot. I prodded the wounded area softly and winced as my finger 
connected with a tender spot. Blue eyes stared back at me, telling me 
that I deserved it. Sighing heavily, I exited the bathroom, checked to 
see that Kelly was nowhere in sight, and climbed onto the deck. 

Sitting myself at the edge of the boat, I positioned myself so that my
legs were dangling in the air, just about touching the water. Resting 
my chin on my hands, I silently took in the beauty of the ocean. It 
felt as though Kelly and I were the only two people existing in this 
world. Then, I realized with a start that I did not find anything 
lacking in my life at this very moment. Well, it would be more perfect 
if Kelly was sitting beside me sharing this wonderful moment with me... 
What was the reason for the damn break-up again? I thought to myself, 
annoyed. Why did I ever want to throw away something so beautiful? 

"Sorry." 

I turned to see a very small looking blonde standing behind me, her
hands stuck in the pockets of her baggy pants. An apology was the last 
thing I expected from her. She lowered herself and came to squat beside 
me, her short hair fluttering in the wind. 

"I shouldn't have hit you," she said softly, her hand touching my
reddening skin gently. 

I held her hand in mine and relished at the warmth it emitted. "It's
okay." 

She lowered her head briefly, and when she looked up again, her face
held a bittersweet smile. "It's just that..." she breathed deeply, 
looking as though she was trying not to cry before finishing what she 
had to say. "Mach, we just broke up two weeks ago. And here you are, 
appearing mysteriously in my dad's client's boat, baiting me again... I 
can't... I can't handle it, Mach. You said you only treat me like a 
friend... then..." 

She looked away and I reached up to touch her face, wishing I could take
a little of the pain away. Wishing I could take all the pain away. She 
shook her head and continued, "It's not fair. You can't tell me you 
only treat me like a friend and then say things like... like fucking 
me, Mach. It's not fair..." she trailed off, looking away. 

Oh God. I am the scum of the earth. "I'm sorry..." I whispered, my voice
breaking. I had not realized that I was on the verge of tears myself. 
"I'm the most insensitive git. Ever. Will you forgive me?" I wasn't 
only just asking her to forgive me for what I said earlier in the 
control room. I was also asking her to forgive me for hurting her like 
I did... Just because I was afraid that she might hurt me. Now, we were 
both hurting, and it was my fault. Would she take me back? Was I worth 
her taking me back? 

"It's okay." It was evident that she thought I was just apologizing for
what happened in the control room. She still thinks I don't want her 
anymore... She believed me when I told her that I only treated her as a 
friend. How am I supposed to correct this? 

I watched as her hand slip from mine, as she straightened up with the
same bittersweet smile on her face and turned away from me. Say 
something! I screamed at myself, but I remained silent and turned back 
to the view of the ocean, pain searing my chest. Now, it's all too 
late. Maybe it was better if I let her be. 

"Um, Mach?" I turned to her hopefully. Maybe she could start the ball
rolling? "Get your arse off the deck and start working. There're lotsa 
stuff for you to clean." She tilted her head in the direction of the 
washroom and I narrowed my eyes. Fine. Back to being slave, huh? I got 
up quickly, brushed past her, and went to get my rag and pail. 

*** 

Whoever said that doing housework is a chore? On the contrary, it kept
you fit. And, you could have the option of getting a facial done during 
that time. 

I was lying contentedly on Kell's cot in the control room, cleaning the
screen with the rag under my feet, with two slices of lemon covering my 
eyes. The music was good, and a nice breeze was blowing. All in all, it 
was a perfect day. Until... Foot's getting a little warm... "Ouch!" I 
yelped at the pain in my left foot. The slices of lemon fell off my 
face and I clutched my foot to me. Looking out, I saw my evil Captain 
grinning deviously at me with a magnifying glass dangling in her hand, 
challenging me to say something. Anything. Oooohh... 

I picked up my rag, disposed of the lemon slices and wiped the glass
angrily, with my hands this time. Jordie came up to me, tossed his 
head, and went away. I gritted my teeth as I limped around to rinse the 
rag. Evil girl. Evil cat. They deserve each other. Evil. Evil. Evil. 
The glass beneath my hand glinted in the sun, thanks to my tender 
loving care. 

God, I hate doing housework!! 

5 

Today is day three on... I frowned, trying to remember if Kelly had
mentioned the name of the boat. Shrugging, I washed up and changed 
quickly, barely remembering to hang the accursed bell around my neck 
before I stepped out of my room. Shaking it rather violently to 
announce my presence, I myself jumped at the loud clanging sound it 
made. Damn, that even made me jump and I knew it was coming. 

"What in the..." Kelly looked from the cup in her hand, the split coffee
on the floor and back up at me. Let's try being nice today, shall we? 

I gave her a sheepish grin and cocked my head. "You were the one who
doesn't want me sneaking up on ya'," I said in defense. She did not 
look amused. "Moo?" I tried, hoping to get a smile out of her. 

Success. I met her grin with my own and she rubbed the back of her neck
awkwardly. "Mach, you don't have to..." She motioned at the bell and 
shrugged. "... you don't have to wear it if you don't wanna." 

Well, well, this bell may not be that bad after all. At least it made
her smile. "No, no. Captain's orders is to be obeyed at all times." I 
hesitated before continuing, "She is not to be fucked with." I held my 
breath, hoping that she could see I what I was trying to do. 

The seconds ticked by slowly and I was beginning to worry when her face
broke into a brilliant smile that made my heartbeat quicken. "No, she 
isn't." Chuckling, she motioned for me to join her for breakfast. 
Perhaps peace may reign in paradise after all. 

*** 

"Didn't you check to see that your dad was in the boat before driving
off?" I asked after swallowing a mouthful of sinfully delicious 
croissant. We were back on the topic of how we ended up in the boat 
together with no knowledge of the mistake until the next day. I knew 
how I got there fairly well, but how did she miss me snoring on the 
bed? More interestingly, how did she mistaken me for her dad? I 
definitely do not possess the same equipments... Okay, don't go there. 
Thinking about someone else's dad with no clothes on was not a good 
place to go. 

"Well, my dad rang me to tell me that he had a little too much to drink
and might fall asleep by the time I got here. I came, opened the cabin 
door, got hit by the strong smell of liquor, and presumed that you were 
my dad," Kelly explained, finishing her third mug of coffee. "When I 
got to talk to him on the radio, he said he was walking Desiree... 
that's his girlfriend... to her car. When he got back, the boat was 
gone." 

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place and I nodded. "Since we're on
this topic, you have yet answered my question about your nudity," she 
continued and I almost choked. 

"Nudity? What nudity?" No, no, get all these evil words out of my head.
It was too late. The same images that came into my head when the word 
'naked' was uttered the other day on the deck returned full force. 

Kelly snorted at the constipated look on my face. "I don't know what
you're thinking right now," she said in a mirthful tone, "but it looks 
painful." You don't know half of it. When she saw that I was not going 
to tell her what was going through my head, she shrugged. "Mach, you 
were naked. In some stranger's bed! What if the Captain turned out to 
be some lecherous old man?" 

"Then I'd have to tell him that I'm not into what he has to offer?" I
said hopefully, then snorted. "Aw, I dunno. I was drunk. But one thing 
I can tell ya', I only got naked after I got onto your boat, okay? I've 
got the clothes I had on that night." 

She nodded and looked a little uneasy when she asked the next question.
"So... uh... you're seeing Clarissa, huh?" I cocked my head at her. 
"Never mind. Forget it. I don't wanna know," she said hastily, almost 
as if she was afraid that I would say yes. 

Well... "Not really," I said slowly. The pain in her face was evident.
"Just a couple of dates. No big deal," I shrugged it off. I knew that 
Clarissa was more than interested but somehow, my heart was not into 
it. We only went on two dates, and I was already feeling like 
everything that I was doing was obligatory, in order for me to get 
Kelly out of my head. 

"You sure do work fast, dontcha?" Her voice was tight and I felt sorry
for telling any of it to her. 

Are you proposing that I lie to her? Then, It's not as if you haven't
already! I growled, annoyed at myself. "Look, it's not as if I have to 
account myself to you, right?" I regretted the words the moment they 
left me. Why was I taking out my frustration on her? She got up to 
leave and I placed a hand on hers. "No, please, don't go. I don't know 
why I said that... it came out all wrong. Please?" She sat back down 
and brushed an invisible tear away, making my heart ache. "It's 
nothing, really. I don't even like her that way..." Wrong choice of 
words, apparently. 

"Just don't wait till she's in love with you before you tell her that,
huh?" she muttered in an angry voice. 

It's different with you! "Kell... I'm sorry for being such an idiot,"
was all I said. What can I say? I am an idiot, remember? "Anyway, she 
knows that I'm not into it. I just thought I'd go since it was her 
birthday, ya'know? I wasn't gonna see her anymore." 

Kelly nodded, took a deep breath, and gave me a brave smile. "So,
anyway, I radioed my dad immediately when I found out that it was you 
and not him on the boat. I had just finished giving him your details so 
that he could call your parents to let them know that you're okay when 
you snatched the radio from me." She gave me an amused glance. 

My face pinked a little at that. "Um... about that... sorry. Again." I
sighed. "I'm such an idiot." I was beginning to sound like a broken 
recorder. It just goes to show how stupid I was. 

"Hey, no one calls my skipper 'idiot', alright?" Our eyes met and held
as we shared a special moment that made my heartbeat quicken. Then she 
widened her grin. "No one except me, that is. Okay, idiot?" 

I narrowed my eyes and stood up suddenly, inadvertently causing the bell
to clang. She snickered at what must be a comical look on my face when 
I looked down at the noisy apparition and I approached her menacingly 
with my hands outstretched and my fingers wriggling. 

The scratches on my face throbbed again and I glanced around warily for
Jordie and saw him lounging on the kitchen counter. Hm, interesting. My 
nemeses could not be bothered with me today. Running after the escaping 
blonde, I took in a deep breath and... moo-ed, sending us into peals of 
laughter. 

6 

"What does your dad do, anyway?" I asked as we sat side by side, with
fishing rods in our hands. Fish would be a nice change from sandwiches 
day in and day out. It was another sunny day, and the bell that's 
resting on my chest was getting a little too hot for my liking. At 
least there was nothing my Captain wanted me to clean today. Fishing 
sure beats doing housework. 

Kelly finished putting on her sunblock lotion and settled in her seat.
"He sails. Sometimes he brings his clients around in their boats. Other 
times, he delivers stuff for people. This time, his client wants him to 
deliver his boat to Yellow Island and take him around. Dad's skipper is 
meeting him on the island. We were supposed to spend some time together 
on this trip." 

It was funny how you could miss someone when they were sitting next to
you. Now, sitting here beside Kelly, I found that I missed her even 
more than when I didn't see her. The ache in my chest started again, 
and this time I found myself wishing I could nuzzle her neck and hear 
her moan. I missed the scent of her skin and the way her lips felt on 
mine. What I wouldn't give to have her come back to me... 

"Mach, you alright?" Kelly's concerned voice woke me from my musings. 

"Yeah. Sorry I screwed up your little trip with your dad." I pulled my
long hair into a ponytail and fanned myself. It was getting really hot 
out here, I decided. Glancing up, I saw that the sun had slipped behind 
some clouds. Can't blame the weather now, can ya'? 

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Mach, stop apologizing, please? It's so... not
you." 

"Hey, whaddaya mean by that? Are you trying to say that I'm not polite?"
I loved bantering with her. Unlike with some people, our wavelengths 
were totally synchronized; she always understood my sarcasm, even back 
when she hated my guts. 

"Hon, I don't have to try to say anything about your politeness... or
the lack thereof. It's common knowledge that you're as uncivilized as 
they come," she said in a haughty voice. I looked at her with a silly 
smile on my face. She was just too adorable. I basked in the pleasant 
hum that enveloped my body and suddenly felt very self-conscious. At 
that moment, she turned to me with a question in her eyes and we froze 
at the nearness of each other. 

I could see the want in her eyes. I wondered if she could see the desire
in mine? It was futile to deny it any further -- not that I have been 
doing that very much the past few days -- I could not and would not let 
this girl go. I was about to lean in to capture her lips when she 
abruptly got up. 

"Um... I need a drink. How about you? Beer?" she asked, looking
everywhere but at me. Why can't she look at me? Why can't she see that 
I wanted her as much as she wanted me? 

"Yeah. Beer sounds good," I said lightly as she disappeared into the
cabin. Damn. This has to stop happening. Just kiss her will ya? You did 
so much better the first time round... I thought, recalling the first 
time I met Kelly. Now, that was truly a riot. I have never stolen that 
many kisses from anyone before. Come to think of it, I have never 
stolen anyone's first kiss before. 

Kelly returned with two bottles of beer and handed one over to me. I
took three large gulps of the cold liquid quickly and wiped my mouth 
with the back of my arm. I knew Kell still had feelings for me. Now it 
is up to me to convince her that I had feelings for her. Plan. I need a 
plan. We lapsed into a comfortable silence as we fished side by side, 
both occupied with our own thoughts. 

*** 

I put on the set of clothes that I had on the night of Clarissa's party
and surveyed myself in the mirror. I wondered if Clarissa was worried 
that I did not make it back, and decided that I did not care. I was 
just glad that I got onto this boat. I've got to remember to ask for 
the name of this boat, I thought. I might name my daughter after her. 
Chuckling at my reflection, I paused for a moment as I digested that 
thought. This has got to be serious if I am thinking about naming my 
daughter after a boat. 

I took a deep breath and started combing my hair, letting it fall past
my shoulder and resting lightly against my upper back. I had on a white 
t-back tank top and a pair of white pants with twin blue strips running 
down the length of it. That was my naughty sailor attire -- how apt -- 
one that I decked on when I was out on a hunt. Except that I wasn't 
really in a hunting mood that night. Tonight, however... 

I flashed my reflection a full-blown smile and checked my breath.
Confident that it was minty smelling, I pulled the bell that I had come 
to regard rather affectionately over my neck and psyched myself to 
carry out my plan successfully. 

*** 

You know what they say about best laid plans, right? Mine flew out the
window the moment I laid eyes on her. Her hair was in a mess. The white 
button down shirt she had on fell just below her knees, hiding the 
skimpy pair of shorts that I hoped she had on underneath. The shirt, as 
well as her face and hands were smudged with oil, some red stuff, and 
some white stuff. Sounds pretty obscure? Well, cooking ain't my forte. 

Smirking at the precious sight that I quickly stored away to peruse
again in the future, I leaned against the door with my ankles crossed, 
and rang the bell around my neck. 

She gave out a loud yelp and turned a murderous gaze onto me when she
dropped... something red. Must be the same thing that gave her shirt 
the red stain, I thought cleverly. Then her eyes widened and she looked 
slightly flustered. "Why are you all dressed up?" she asked, cleaning 
her hands on her dirty shirt. 

"You did mention dinner... so I thought... I'll go change then." I
turned to go and paused when she halted me. I stifled the smile of 
triumph that threatened to appear on my face and swung back to face 
her. 

She was fidgeting. How cute. She was nervous. "Um, dinner would be ready
in a few. Think you could help me watch the grill while I get changed?" 
I nodded gallantly and started towards her. She took a few steps back 
immediately. It was all I could do to keep myself from closing the 
distance between us with just a few strides, take her beautiful face 
into my hands and give her a kiss that would tell her how much I wanted 
her right then. 

"I'll um, get the wine?" I said instead, pointing to the bottle of
white, looking quite out of place amongst the vegetables. She nodded 
quickly and excused herself. 

"Oh! Keep a look-out for Jordie okay? He might try to steal our dinner,"
she called out from the bathroom. 

A gleam came into my eyes at that as I twisted the corkscrew expertly.
Finally, there was something that devilish cat cannot have on this 
boat. I will guard the fish with my life. He won't get to it without 
going through me. No, siree! I am going to enjoy savouring the fish 
that Kelly cooked for us in his little kitty face, watching his big 
blue eyes follow the movements of my hand when I place the juicy morsel 
into my mouth and chew on it slowly. This was going to be... 

I turned to look at our dinner and my face fell. I might as well throw
myself overboard now because Kelly's going to kill me. She's going to 
kill me. Kill me. She will skin me alive and then put me through the 
grinder... She's going to kill me. The smug looking cat was seated 
beside the grill, licking his paws lazily. All that was left of our 
dinner was the pile of bones beside him. 

*** 

"It's really okay, Mach," Kelly assured me for the umpteenth time after
she got out of the bathroom. "He does it all the time," she said, 
referring to Jordie, whom she was glaring at. Did psycho cat there 
bother? Of course not! He is an evil, evil being and he should die, 
die, die! 

"We had a perfectly good bass to eat but now we're eating sandwiches...
again," I said, munching on the cold bread despondently. 

Kelly looked at her sandwich speculatively. "Is it that bad? I made it
myself..." 

Of course I had to stick my foot into my mouth again! Figures! "No, no!
It's great! This... it's my favourite. I just love ham and cheese 
sandwich! You made it? You could open a store, then! It's great!" I 
stuffed the sandwich into my mouth and munched enthusiastically. 

The mirth on Kelly's face made me grin moronically back at her. "Mach,
stick to your smart-ass comments. Compliments so do not go with you." 
She shook her head, a rueful smile on her face. 

My grin fell and I attempted to swallow everything in my mouth. My plan
was definitely busted. No way was she going to want me back now. I 
ruined our dinner and I gave horrible compliments. 

"Hey... why so glum, chum?" Kelly asked when I kept silent for a long
while. 

I shook my head. 

"Mach?" I hm-ed my answer without looking up. "I wanna ask you
something." 

"Yeah?" I finally looked up. Kelly looked so cute in her Undertaker
t-shirt and her baggy shorts. It reminded me of the time when she came 
to collect her lap... Lucy... from the store. I'm sorry, Kell. I was a 
stupid, idiotic, cowardly git who didn't know what I had. Will you give 
me a second chance? I lied when I told you I only treated you as a 
friend... Gosh, if that was how I treated a friend, I would be sued for 
being a nymphomaniac! 

"...me?" Okay. Take a deep breath. This did not just happen to me. She
did not just say something that I would rate very important by the 
nervous look on her face while I drifted away. No, no, no. "Did you?" 
she asked again when I remained silent. 

Uh oh. Did I what? Did I mean what I said that night when we broke up?
No! Did I want to kiss you this afternoon? Yes! Did I let Jordie eat 
the fish on purpose? Hell no! "Uh... I'm sorry. Could you repeat your 
question?" I asked in a pleasant tone. 

"Never mind." She stood up and started clearing the things on the table,
clearly misinterpreting my lack of attention as not bothered about her. 
Worse still, she might have gotten the wrong idea that I was thinking 
of someone else! 

No, no! I mind, I mind, dammit! "Kell? Please repeat what you just
asked?" I hope the puppy eyes would work on her; it had to! "I was 
thinking about something that I wanted to tell you... that's why I 
wasn't paying attention to you. Really." 

Kelly sat back down again and I felt slightly relieved. "Really?" I
nodded furiously. "So what was it that you wanted to tell me?" She 
picked out a piece of tomato and bit it into half. Some of the tomato 
juice got onto her chin, making it highly difficult for me to 
concentrate on my task. 

"Well... I wanted to tell you..." My pride, my pride, my pride...
"...that I really enjoyed this couple of days with you," I trailed off, 
feeling useless. She stared at me, expecting something more than that. 
I shrugged and gave her a weak smile, to which she returned. 

"I'm glad this little... accident happened, Mach," she said slowly. "I
guess it just proves that we can be friends... and that's what you 
want, isn't it?" No, it's not! It's not, it's not... Will you take me 
back, Kell? I don't want to be friends. Being friends is overrated! 

I nodded mutely and looked away quickly. It might probably be better
this way. At least this way, I can be sure that we would always be in 
each other's lives... right? Wrong, dammit! I looked up to see that 
Kelly was moving away with the dishes in her hands and I did what I did 
best; I stood up, reached out, grabbed her to me and kissed her. 

I tried to convey everything that I felt in that kiss, truly I did. All
the love, all the angst... all the regret. Mm... I can taste that 
tomato... I heard dishes clatter in a distance but I did not break the 
kiss. Instead, I pulled her closer to me. She mumbled something in my 
mouth but I ignored her. Contrary to what many believed, I was really 
not that good with words. Not ones that really mattered, anyway. Then I 
felt her resist me. No, no, no! my mind screamed. Please, Kell? 

I allowed her to break the kiss. I guess I didn't want to force her to
do something that she didn't want to do. Maybe she already came to 
terms with us not being together anymore. Maybe she thinks it is better 
that way. But we feel so good together... the thought came unbidden in 
my mind and I felt a wave of sorrow wash over me. 

"Mach?" Kell sounded as breathless as I felt. I finally opened my eyes
and saw her looking at me with wonder in her eyes. Her lips were 
bruised from my rough kissing and I lifted a finger to touch it. If 
this was going to be it, then let me have one last memory of how we are 
together. "Mach, the damn bell is in the way," she managed to say, 
pointing a finger at the offending bell. 

Dang! Does this mean...? I watched her as she pulled the bell over my
head and place it on the table beside us in slow motion. "Kell?" I 
croaked out. It was probably the most important question in my life up 
to this point, and it only consisted of one word. 

"Is this what you do with everyone you want to be just friends with?"
she asked, masking her uncertainty with a crooked smile. 

"No... I don't want to be just friends with you, Kell. I was being an
idiot when I told you that. I lied to you when I told you I only loved 
you like a friend. Will you forgive me?" 

She studied me for a long time. "Darrell Mach, you are an insufferable
idiot... But you're my idiot. Okay?" I nodded happily and crushed her 
to me for another long, passionate kiss. Pulling her along with me, I 
reached blindly for the cabin door. Upon finding it, I pushed us 
through it, fell onto the bed, pulling her on top of me. She pulled 
away from me momentarily. 

"Mach, you're not gonna change your mind again, are you?" she asked in a
vulnerable voice, and it tore at me for giving her this insecurity. 

"No... I was so stupid, Kell. I was afraid... that you might leave me.
So I thought I'd leave you... you know, so you can't leave me first..." 
Dang, even I was confused by my line of reasoning. "But I realize that 
I've just been lying to myself. Will you give me another chance? Give 
us another chance?" There, I said it. No more pride left between us, no 
more lies. 

Contrary to the weakness I thought I would feel when I gave up my pride
to say those words to her, I felt all the more stronger for admitting 
my feelings for this girl in my arms. "I love you, Kell. I know three 
months isn't a long time... but I really mean it." The happiness 
shining in her eyes when she nodded told me that she loved me right 
back. 

7 

Morning found my arms wrapped around Kell as we slumbered. I cracked
open an eye when I felt something nuzzling my neck and came eye to eye 
with my personal demon, Jordie. I shifted a little to look at him 
properly and realized with a start that the tattoo on Kell's lower back 
was one of Jordie's eyes, not just any old pair of cat's eyes like I 
thought initially. 

He eyed me fearlessly for a moment, lifted a paw -- to which I flinched
instinctively -- and rested it on the cheek that he previously 
scratched. This time, though, I could only feel his velvet pad resting 
against my skin, and it felt nice. Could this be a truce? He gave me 
another look again, as though to warn me not to hurt his mistress 
again. "I promise. I won't," I said softly in a husky voice. 

Kelly stirred from her slumber and placed a kiss on my collar bone. "You
won't what?" she asked sleepily as she snuggled deeper into the covers. 
Her short hair was sticking in every direction and she looked 
absolutely delectable. 

"I won't hurt you again... intentionally, that is," I added hurriedly.
Wouldn't want Jordie after me if I accidentally stepped on Kell's foot 
or something. Words can mean so many things. 

A single gray eye peeked open, followed by a radiant smile, making my
insides melt for some reason. Dang, I'm turning too mushy! "You better 
not. But you know what? I don't really care, Mach. Just as long as 
we're happy now, who cares what happens in the future?" 

"You do make me so very happy, Kell," I said in a soft tone, trying to
ignore the standing goose bumps at the back of my arms. If staying in 
love meant made me into a walking goose bump, I would take the risk. 

Kell chuckled and grazed her teeth on my shoulder through the shirt I
had on. "Ya'know, Mach? I really liked it when you were being a 
smart-ass bitch," she said with a twinkle in her eyes, referring to 
when we first met. 

Narrowing my eyes, I pulled her closer to me and sighed inwardly at the
warmth between our bodies. "Ooh, didn't know you were into masochism, 
my love?" I nuzzled her neck as she squealed loudly. 

"Wait, wait, lemme finish talking, you big oaf! Some things just never
change, do they?" I gave her an innocent look that she saw through 
immediately. She climbed onto me and planted a huge kiss on my lips. 
"As I was saying, I really liked it when you were being a smart-ass 
bitch, but I love this sweet side of you, too." 

She paused slightly as she thought her words through. "I guess all I
want to say is that even though you can be a pain in the arse 
sometimes..." I glared at her cheeky words and she amended herself, 
"...even though you can be a pain in the arse most of the time..." I 
tickled her side, making her snort in an unladylike manner. In a warped 
way, it endeared her to me all the more. 

"Enough, you big oaf!" She slapped my offending hand aside and hugged me
to her fiercely. "What I really wanna say, Mach, is this... please 
don't fuck up what we have again, okay?" 

That was it; no sweet declaration, no mushy, romantic, goosebump raising
words. Just those simple few words that totally expressed what she 
wanted to say. Ironically, it was worth more than all the flowery 
speeches put together. "Okay." I planted a light kiss on her nose and 
grinned when she scrunched it up. 

"Okay," she echoed after me, gave me a long look, a loving smile and
then scrambled off the bed. 

"Hey! Where're you going?" I called after her, missing her warmth
already. My eyes caressed the curves that I held in my arms the entire 
night. 

Jordie was already on her shoulder as she made her way up to the control
room. "Gotta navigate, hon! We'll reach Yellow Island this evening." At 
that, my heart fell a little. I was sort of safe-guarding our little 
world jealously, and the thought of being around other people annoyed 
me somewhat. 

Growling loudly, I fell back onto the pillow and tried not to hear her
next words. "Go fix us some breakfast, idiot!" Oh happy, happy day. 

*** 

I stood behind Kell, my arms locked tightly around her waist as she
navigated us towards the island. We would reach there in a few hours. 
Kell's dad should be there already, having told her when she radio-ed 
him that he would take a chartered plane down to the island himself. 
She was a little worried that there might be any change of plans for 
there was no way he could have contacted us after yours truly rendered 
the radio useless, but there was nothing much she could do about that. 

"Is this considered cheating on Clarissa?" came the sudden question. 

"Cheating on her?" Frankly, the thought never crossed my mind. "Like I
said... It was just a couple of dates. We both knew it wasn't serious 
or anything... Well, at least I did. Actually I felt more like I was 
cheating on you when I was seeing her," I confessed, loving the feel of 
her in my arms. 

"And whose fault is that?" Hmph. I should have known that she was not
going to let me forget the break-up easily. That is okay. She could 
milk it out as much as she wanted, just as long as she stayed where she 
was... with me. 

"Mine," I answered softly. "But you love me anyway, dontcha?" I added in
an egoistical tone to which she snorted in mock disgust. 

"Get off your high horse, woman!" She jabbed me lightly in the ribs. 

"Ow! Hey that hurt!" I complained loudly, rubbing my side for show.
"This Captain thing has gotten you all macho and violent, hasn't it?" 
She glared at me. "Just wait till we get on dry land, missus! Then, 
we'll know who's ze boss!" 

Turning in my arms, she wrapped her arms around my neck, looking snug
between the steering wheel and me. She softly tucked my dark hair 
behind my ear, tiptoed and gave me a kiss that I returned eagerly. For 
someone who only started kissing not too long ago, she was getting 
pretty good. Her lips felt satiny and, combined with her tongue, 
created a heavenly combination. I slipped my hands under her shirt and 
stroke her warm skin. A low moan made my pulse race, and our kiss 
became rougher. 

One of her hands slipped down and caressed my breast, sending a fresh
wave of tingles to wash down my side. I growled loudly and was about to 
rip her top off when she broke away, grinning delightedly at my 
frustration. Breathing loudly, I bent down to capture her lips again, 
but was evaded. "Hey..." I began to complain when she hushed me. 

"Do you reckon this would change when we get on dry land, Mach?" she
asked innocently. I shook my head, still in a haze. "Then I don't think 
you're going to be the boss when we get there, huh?" Boss? What boss? 
Oh... 

I relaxed against her and rested my chin on her head. "All that just to
prove that I'm not the boss, huh?" 

She nuzzled my neck, making me shudder involuntarily. "Yeah. All that
just to prove that this is a joint partnership, pal." 

Chuckling, I lifted her eyes to mine. Her glasses have yet to be fixed
after she broke them at my place the first time we met, and she was 
still wearing her contacts. She looked cute either way, but this way, 
nothing got in the way of our kissing. "Okay, pal. Point taken. Now, 
can we kiss some more?" She did not answer, just pulled me down and 
proceeded to show me the benefits of our business venture. 

*** 

"C'mon, Jordie! Time to go!" I heard Kell yell as she stormed through
the vessel, looking for her cat. We have reached Yellow Island and I 
was actually looking forward to walking on stable land after being 
cooped up in the boat for almost a week. Not that I am complaining in 
any way. 

Kell came out of the cabin with Jordie on her shoulder and a sports bag
slung on the other. "Here, I'll get that," I said, relieving her of one 
of her burdens. Being an unexpected guest, I had no luggage, only a 
bell that I hung lovingly around my neck. I promised Kell that I would 
buy another one to replace it; it just held too many memories for me to 
not take it with us. 

"Thanks." Kell gave me a sunny smile as we got off the boat. I reached
for her hand and clasped it in my own, reveling in the feeling that 
little point of contact provided. Turning back to look at the boat one 
last time, I searched for her name that most boats had painted on the 
side. 

It read, Eros, the goddess of desire and Greek counterpart of Cupid. I
raised a brow and looked at my oblivious companion. Coincidence? Or 
fate? Kell felt me looking at her and glanced at me with a questioning 
smile. 

I smiled back at her and bumped my hip against her, making her eyes
narrow playfully. "I'm still your Captain, Mach," she said in an 
ominous tone. "Do not fuck with me." Oh yeah. Definitely hot. 

The End 


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