Chapter 10
“MISS YOU EVERY MINUTE.”
Chevelle
This bet has gotten my competitive juices flowing.
I wore that fish costume all the time when I started out and it smells disgusting, which I’m pretty sure Rowdy did on purpose.
I almost threw up every day and would hide behind buildings just to take it off and get some fresh air for a bit.
And when I’d get home, my sisters would complain about how much I smelled and tell me to take a shower, when I’d already showered and scrubbed myself clean. So there is no way I’m losing this bet.
The problem is, Rowdy is ancient and knows every fishing corner in the area. And Cam’s supernova boat probably has killer radar that will take him directly to the fish. Which means if I don’t use some stealthy planning, my ass will be in that suit.
Friday morning, the first day of our competition, I have the morning off since I don’t have a charter booked. Most weekenders drive in on Friday morning and book for Friday afternoon or Saturday. But I saw on the log that Cam has an excursion booked with six guys.
He hasn’t shown up yet and was still in the shower when I left. The docks are quiet since most of the fishermen are still out for the week. Rowdy took his first charter out because his clientele leans toward older people who are usually up at the butt crack of dawn anyway.
Since no one is around, I lean down on the dock and grab a fish floating on the water. Whether he slipped off a boat or just floated to shore, he’s definitely dead.
I pick it up with both hands and smell it, my face jerking back. Cam’s clients are definitely not going to have the great charter they were promised. Looking around again, I’m surprised it’s so quiet out here. I step onto his new boat.
Getting to really look around this time, I realize it’s nicer than I thought. And bingo—he’s got radar. I need an edge, so I toss Mr. Smelly Fish under one of the bench seats with the life preservers. Hopefully it stays in the sunlight all day and bakes away.
“Gunner!”
Cam’s voice makes me bolt up then hunker down. He’s coming this way, and I have no excuse for being on his boat. And Gunner will scent me out in no time.
I head down to the little galley because the boat is posh and of course he has a place for people to chill and get out of the sun or cold.
There’s a bedroom and a little sitting area.
He’s got a notepad with notes scribbled in his handwriting.
I can’t really decipher any of it. I look through one of the small windows and see Cam come aboard with two cases of beer.
His head is cranked to the side, holding his phone between his shoulder and cheek.
“I told you I needed that by this weekend. Has to be the same color,” he says.
The person on the other end must say something.
“They’re expecting it Monday when they get into town.
Do I have to remind you that this is a company and I’m not going to start pissing off customers?
Get me the same color or I’ll find someone else.
” He sets down the beer and hangs up his cell phone.
“Some people, Gunner. Be happy all you have to do all day is flirt, sleep, and shit.”
Gunner whines.
“I know, if you could just go back to the dog park, right? It was like your own little strip club.”
I bite my lip to keep from laughing. Cam loves his dog. Makes me think he’ll be a good dad one day.
God, where the hell did that thought come from?
He heads back off the boat and my assumption is he must need more supplies. I sneak back up to the wheelhouse and peek through the window. But a nose moves between my thighs and lifts into my ass. I reach behind me and get a handful of fur.
Gunner.
I quickly turn and Gunner pounces his front paws on me, making me lose my balance. I screech as I plop down on my ass.
“Ugh… Gunner,” I seethe through my teeth.
“What are you doing on my boat?” Cam asks, now standing in the wheelhouse doorway.
“Nothing.” I get up and brush off my ass. “Bad boy, Gunner. Friends keep secrets.” I pet him so he knows I don’t really mean it.
“Bullshit. You trying to poison my guests, or find out where I’m taking them so you can get there first?”
“No.” I give him the most innocent look I can muster.
He narrows his eyes. “What do you think? Want to partner up against Rowdy?”
“No, that’s not fair.” I move to leave the galley, but he blocks my way.
“I should make you pay money to see the boat.”
I put my hands in my pockets. “I don’t have any money, sorry.”
“Then maybe a kiss?”
“Oh yeah, because I’m your girlfriend? Those guys were old enough to be my dad. You didn’t have to try to scare them.”
“Why, did they hit on you?”
“You know, Cam, some men take me seriously as their fishing tour guide. You might only see tits and ass, but other people see a competent woman.” I push him away and make my way off the boat onto the dock.
“Oh, come on, Chevelle, you know that’s not what I see…” He continues carrying on while I walk over to my boat.
That should stop him from trying to figure out why I was on his boat in the first place. I smile the entire time I walk away.
I’m in my bikini and my bright-orange fishing overalls, cleaning my boat and getting ready for my first charter of the day. I might not have had a charter this morning, but I waved goodbye to Cam as I lay in my boat wearing my bikini.
He had to bite his tongue when he usually would’ve yelled at me to put on some clothes.
I’m wiping down the seats when Cam’s boat pulls into the marina. Everyone on the boat is green and sitting on the benches. The smell may have dissipated if they threw the fish overboard, but I’m sure it’s burned into their nostrils. The fishing poles don’t look like they got much use.
“Chevelle, you better stay right there,” he squawks over the radio.
I look up with a confused expression.
“Don’t play coy. We all know what you did.”
He docks the boat and I hate how good he is at maneuvering such a big boat. It’s kind of a turn-on. And then I have to watch his muscles bulge as he throws out the lines to someone on the dock. The man is way too sexy for his own good.
I leave my boat, still in my overalls, hoping the small glimpse of skin will make him tongue-tied. Or at least it should.
“I’m very sorry about this. I’ll refund your money and do a complimentary booking,” he tells the group, but they all ignore him, walking down the dock.
“Didn’t catch anything?” I ask with a saccharine sweet voice.
He comes down off the boat. “You put that fish in there, didn’t you?”
I shake my head, crossing my fingers behind my back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He grabs my arm and pulls it out as I quickly undo my fingers. “You’re still lying. Crossing your fingers doesn’t work.”
I shrug again at my last failed attempt to feign innocence.
“I’ll give you props though. I didn’t even realize it until we stopped to fish and they mentioned the smell. Bravo.” He leans forward. “Payback will be a bitch though.”
I laugh. “Try it. But right now, my charter is coming, so I better change. I don’t want them getting the wrong idea.”
I unclip my overalls and allow them to drop to the ground. Cam watches me with a heated glare as I step out of the overalls and turn around to walk back to my boat.
Right before I turn down my own pier, I glance over my shoulder. “You did say payback was a bitch, right?”
He opens his mouth but shuts it.
“Thought so.”
Then I catch sight of some familiar people over his shoulder, and I don’t like it. It’s a group of elderly people, and my grandma leads the pack.
“Cameron!” Ethel raises her arm.
You’ve got to be kidding me. I turn back around and stomp over to them, which loses some of its effectiveness since I’m in a bikini.
“Grandma!” I shout, and she touches her ear.
“Don’t yell, dear. How are you, sweetheart?” She inspects my face, and I’m instantly reminded of the fact everyone knows about Derek. Luckily, the bruise is mostly gone now.
I lower her arm. “I’m fine. Why are you looking for Cam?”
She signals to the group she’s with. “We booked him for a charter. New business.”
“Yes, but your granddaughter already does fishing charters.” I keep my voice low.
“And I booked a charter with you when you first started, remember?” She pats my cheek.
How can I forget? She and Dori asked me to take them to party island because they’d heard rumors of it and wanted to see what it was about. I did, and they actually partied with the kids who were about forty years younger than them. Never underestimate my grandma.
“Yes, but Cam is my competition.”
“Not competition. There’s enough business for everyone.” She runs her hand down my arm. “It’s Earl’s birthday and we wanted to do something fun.”
“I could’ve taken you out.”
She looks past me, and my shoulders sag a bit, knowing my boat doesn’t compare to Cam’s. “Next time, dear. We need the cushions for our butts. You understand.”
“Uh-huh.”
She walks back over to her group. Cam winks at me over their heads and I roll my eyes.
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, I just need to refuel, grab a few more bottles of water, do a little disinfecting”—he glares over at me—“and then we’ll be on our way. I apologize for the delay. I got a little distracted.”
Earl and Isaac look my way. “I would too.”
Ew… I turn toward my boat to go change.
Cam escorts them all onto his boat and serves them food and drinks. I bet none of them will fish, so he’s screwed as far as the bet goes anyway.
In the wheelhouse of my boat, I quickly change into shorts and a T-shirt. By the time I come out, my charter guests are walking down the pier. They’re four men who look like serious fishermen and are maybe a few years older than me. They’re good-looking and I’m kind of wishing I kept the bikini on.
“Welcome,” I say.
“You’re Chevelle, right?” the guy I’m assuming booked me, whose name is Jack, says. “Next time can we get on your boyfriend’s boat? That’s one nice fishing vessel.”
All four men turn toward Cam’s boat. He salutes me as he’s backing up to head out to the open seas.
“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend.”
“He told us that you like to keep it secret since you work so closely together. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us.” Jack winks.
I blow out a frustrated breath.
Just before Cam leaves, he honks the horn of the boat and winks. “See you soon. Miss you every minute.”
“He seems like a cool guy,” one of the guys says.
“Everyone sit down so I can cover the safety stuff, then we’ll be on our way.”
I could kill Cam, but then again, I guess payback is what I deserve. At least it didn’t threaten my catch. It could’ve been worse. But he has to stop telling people he’s my boyfriend like some jealous lover. Or maybe that’s wishful thinking. Maybe he’s just acting like an overprotective brother.