Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Sixteen
Nikki
We step from our cabin with the sky still dark, only a sliver of dawn teasing the horizon. I smile as the crisp morning air filled with the scent of salt teases my nostrils. I’m buzzing with excitement as we make our way to the docks where small boats are waiting for us.
The seasoned fishermen with leathered skin and easy smiles greet us as we approach. There are a dozen boats and twice that many fishermen at the docks.
“Are you ready to fish?” one asks with a thick Bahamian accent.
“More than ready,” I tell him. This earns me a smile.
They show us our boat, then tell us to follow them. Victor and I clamber inside, and my smile’s permanently fixed on my face as the engine starts and we push away from the dock. This is going to be a great day.
We head out to sea on the calm waters, the engine’s low hum breaking the early morning silence. I feel a rush of freedom with the wind in my hair and the ocean spray kissing my skin. Victor sits across from me, his eyes lit up with boyish excitement. How will we ever leave this place?
I lean back and joyfully laugh, feeling utterly free. How in the world did I live in Seattle for so long? I hate crowds. This freedom of being out on the open water with happy locals searching for food is my idea of heaven.
“You’re happy,” Victor says, his grin matching mine.
“This is perfect, Victor. Thank you so much for bringing me.”
“I agree with you. We tend to work so much we forget to stop and enjoy the spoils of our labors. Besides cooking, what makes me happy is hunting for my own food, foraging in the woods, and being in the beautiful open air. I was in some terrible climates in my time in the military, but I always looked for beauty in whatever land we were sent to. No matter what, though, I’m always called back to the ocean and forests.”
“I agree. When I was living in the city I felt a heaviness I couldn’t get past. I was happy being with Sia, and we had some truly joyous moments, but there was always a weight on our shoulders. Coming back home has helped. Being here, I feel free as well. There’s nothing like being out in the open.”
He smiles. We really do have far more in common than I’ve realized. It’s crazy. It makes me realize how foolish I was to fight this. I can’t predict what the future holds, but I can dictate what’s in my present.
I don’t want to let go of all of the challenges though. Challenge is one delicious spice in life. I give Victor a sly smile. “Want to make today even more fun?”
“You know I do,” he says.
“Whoever catches the biggest fish is Queen or King of the Sea,” I tell him, confident I’ll beat him in this. I’ve been fishing since I was a young kid, and I’ve always had Poseidon on my side. I think it’s because he knows a mermaid spirit when he sees it.
“You’re on. Is there any other prize?” he pushes.
“No way, Victor. I’m confident but I’m not giving you that kind of power. If there’s more of an incentive, you might dive in and wrestle a shark.”
He throws his head back in laughter. The boats all stop and group together so we can chat before everyone spreads out. They fish together in groups like this in case something goes wrong and someone needs help. It’s smart.
Leroy, our guide this afternoon, moves his boat close and shows us how to cast our nets. His hands move with practiced ease, every motion precise and confident. “Watch close, young lady,” he says, giving me a wink. “You don’t wanna embarrass yourself in front of ya man here.”
I laugh at the words while shooting a look Victor’s way. “Believe me, Leroy, I’m the one who makes him embarrassed.”
Victor smirks. “Doesn’t happen, Leroy. I can handle this woman.”
I playfully elbow him as I take my turn with the net. It’s heavier than I thought, and I nearly fall over the side of the boat.
Victor catches my arm. “Careful. We don’t want to be fishing for you.”
I laugh. “That’s only because you couldn’t count me as the biggest catch of the day,” I say as I stick my tongue out at him. He shakes his head as he laughs.
We easily settle into a perfect rhythm, casting and pulling, learning the subtle art of fishing a new area in a new way with men who’ve done this their entire lives. The sun rises in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over us. I relax, completely immersed in the moment. I enjoy talking with Victor, and I also enjoy our comfortable moments of silence.
Soon our conversation drifts back to high school and all of the times we competed with one another. It was fun and pushed me to be who I am today. There were many times I was frustrated, but more times I enjoyed the battles.
“Why were you so dang annoying in high school?” I ask as I cast my net again.
Victor laughs. “Because you were so fun to tease. There were years you were way too serious. I was bringing laughter and competitiveness into your life. You can thank me anytime now.”
I shake my head, smiling despite myself. “I wasn’t overly serious, I was focused.”
“You were focused on being the best at everything,” he teases me. “Everyone knew you’d go places.”
“I wanted to prove myself. Maybe I still do,” I admit.
He glances my way, his smile fading a bit. “Who do you need to prove yourself to? The entire world knows how great you are.”
I blink, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. “I don’t know if anyone’s ever asked me that. I’m not sure,” I honestly tell him. He grins again, seeming to like that I’m not blowing off his words.
He’s right, though. Why do I constantly try to prove I’m capable and better than others? I like who I am. I’m motivated, and while I might not be the best at everything, I certainly never shy away from trying new things. I don’t allow life to slip past me.
More time passes and Victor startles me as he lets out a triumphant whoop. I turn to see him hauling in a massive fish that gleams silver in the sunlight. I let out a groan. No. No. No. We’re at the end of our fishing trip and I’ve been winning until right now.
“Look at this beauty!”
I give him a mock glare. “I’ve seen bigger.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “Come on, Nik, you know you want to declare me King of the Sea.”
I roll my eyes as the other boats start circling back to us, our signal to begin heading back to the docks. I slowly bring my net back in, praying for a last second catch. It doesn’t happen. I have to give the man his due... along with a pouty look.
“Fine. Congratulations, King of the Sea. Let’s see how well you do at our beachside cookout,” I tell him.
He laughs hard at this. “I hope you always challenge me, Nik, because I love it.”
We have an enjoyable ride back to the docks, and I’m amazed at the huge haul of fish our group brings in. We can feed the entire town if we want to.
Once we’re at our spot on the beach, I’m once again blown away. The fishermen’s families have set up a makeshift kitchen that’s waiting for us to create some culinary magic. The fire pits crackle, and the smell of fish and spices fill the air.
Victor and I jump right in, eager to help. One of the women, Marva, shows us how to season the fish, rubbing it with a mixture of scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, and pimento. Victor stays at my side as I watch intently while mimicking Marva’s movements. I’ve watched many cooking videos, but they don’t compare to learning hands-on.
“Careful with that bonnet pepper, Nik, you don’t want to cry before dinner.”
I snort. “I can handle the heat better than you, Victor,” I say with innocence.
“You two entertain us,” Marva says with a laugh. “Cooking is always better when we have fun.” She flips some fish in the sizzling pan.
“We do love fun. I better show Nik how to do this fish right,” Victor says. He expertly filets his fish, seasons it, then drops it into hot oil. He grins as the delicious aroma fills the air, making my stomach growl. It’s amazing how hungry being on the ocean makes a person. You’re mostly sitting there, but it feels like you’ve had a massive workout.
“Please show me, King of the Sea,” I say with a whole lot of sarcasm in my voice, making everyone around us laugh.
We gain a crowd as we good-naturedly compete with one another to make our fish filets the best. Honestly, I’d say we’re equally matched. Cooking over fire is most likely more in Victor’s favor, though, as he’s done it more than I have.
“You two are like fire and oil,” Marva says.
“I agree, and fire and oil make some mighty fine plantains, don’t they?”
“And a great show,” Victor says. He tosses a perfectly golden plantain in the air and catches it with his mouth, earning a round of applause from our audience. I give him an eye roll, but I’m secretly impressed.
We finish preparing the food then gather around tables placed on the beach. We all dig into the crisp and tangy Escovitch fish, fried plantains, salads, fruits, and many more side-dishes. One of my favorite things is the warm and soft bammy, absolutely perfect for soaking up all of the delicious spicy sauce.
Victor is sitting at my side. “This is my favorite moment of the day with the sun sinking while sitting here with incredible people eating a meal we’ve all prepared together.”
“It’s my favorite too. My cooking skills are improving every day we’re here.”
“I agree. I’ll tell you, though, each time you come, you learn a little more. We’re gonna travel all over the world, Nik, and never stop learning.”
My heart thuds with excitement at this. “I won’t say no to that,” I tell him.
“If I’m going to have the best restaurant in town, I need to learn from the best. I told you I want an evolving menu, and that includes cuisine from around the world. It doesn’t hurt that I love coming to these places and learning.”
“It’s been my dream to travel to different places and learn one on one. I want to be the best, so I have to learn from the best. Are you worried that having your restaurant will keep you locked down?”
He thinks about this for a moment, then shakes his head. “Nope. Because I’m going to treat my employees well, train them, and encourage them to think outside the box. They’ll cook as well as I do. It will give me confidence that the restaurant will be in good hands when I’m gone. I don’t want an anchor, I want the restaurant to give me wings.”
“There are times you seem too good to be true, Victor,” I tell him, making him laugh.
“I have many flaws, Nik, but my passion for life isn’t one of them. I also believe in people. The world would be a better place if we all had this attitude.”
“I have to agree with you on this. It’s hard sometimes to stay positive though.”
“I agree with you. When you’ve seen the sort of things I’ve seen in the military, it gets tough. With much evil in the world, it can bog you down. I’ve chosen to focus on the good which is so much better.”
I squeeze his hand, falling more for this man. It’s happening so fast. Sure, we’ve known each other nearly all of our lives, but allowing these feelings to break through is what’s new. It seems so quick. I don’t care anymore, though. There’s nothing I don’t like about him.
The sun sets, and the live band changes up the music, making it livelier. Victor once again pulls me from my seat and straight into his arms. We’ve danced every single day since coming to the Bahamas. I hope we continue when we’re home again.
His face goes serious as he looks at me. “Why have we always fought this?” he asks, his voice low, almost lost beneath the beat of the music.
I gaze into his beautiful eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of his question, the weight of years of holding back. “I don’t know,” I admit. This is the truth. I’m not sure why I’ve fought so hard to hold back from him when, if I’m being honest, I’ve always had feelings for him.
“We won’t do that ever again,” he says. It’s both a promise and a warning. He’s telling me not to pull from him and run away.
“We won’t,” I agree.
His eyes search mine for a long moment, and everything around us fades until it’s simply him and me beneath the gorgeous night sky. The fighting is over... the real fighting. We’ll always challenge each other, but fighting our feelings is over.