The Island of Dragons (Rockpools Book 4) by Gregg Dunnett (best love story novels in english .txt) 📗

rounds up into the wind, and we get the spinnaker down, and then we sail back towards the marina, and take the rest of the sails down as we get there. And gradually all the boats that were coming out in the morning, are now making their way back, but instead of a sense of anxiety and anticipation, at least on our boat, now there’s a feeling of euphoria. I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything quite like it.

There’s loads of radio chatter too. I think that before I assumed Jacques was like some sort of villain in a Bond movie, but he’s not really. You can tell he’s angry at losing, but he congratulates Claude, and then David and Emily, on our boat, start talking with the crew on their boat – and you can tell they all know each other, and like each other too. But I don’t mind. Lily is thrilled with what’s happened, and everyone is working to put the boat away with huge smiles on their faces.

I’m not sure what’s supposed to happen once we have the boat sorted out, but I soon find out. We go up to the yacht club, the actual building, where the bar is already packed with people. And there’s loads of back slapping and cheering and retelling of the most exciting moments from the races. I don’t really join in, but I still find myself dragged in, as Claude, and even David seems determined to say it was my decision to go ‘left’ in the second race.

Then Jacques and his crew come into the bar, and there’s more backslapping, and more cheering, and more drinking, but it’s all good natured, sort of. Jacques insists that he had us, if his yacht hadn’t nearly broached on the last leg. Then we go to dinner. It’s a huge table, in a restaurant actually inside the yacht club, and when we get the menu this time it’s all seafood. The prices are even higher than the other restaurant, but Claude keeps telling us all loudly that we can order whatever we like because Jacques is paying. And he’s smiling at this, but in a kind of painful way, so you know he’s really hating this part. All the while a whole team of waiters and waitresses are bringing plate after plate of lobster and shrimp and bottle after bottle of Champagne.

After a while it’s clear that most people are full, and the waitresses clear away the shattered shells of all the seafood, and replace it with desserts, which frankly, are amazing. And then there’s coffees and I think, brandy, and even cigars, and then some people start to drift away. And I think that maybe this is my moment. I see Claude is sitting talking to no one, but with his eyes closed as he puffs away on his cigar, and I push out my chair to go closer to him. What better chance am I going to get to talk to him about the sea-dragons? I’m sure now. I’m certain he’s the sort of CEO who will do the responsible thing, if only he knows about the problem. But as I move I notice that Lily, sitting opposite me across the huge table, is looking at me in a funny way. It’s hard to describe the exact look she’s giving me, but then she gets up, and walks around to where I’m sitting, and she leans down and she whispers in my ear.

“Take me home Billy Wheatley.”

And I guess I forget about talking to her dad about the sea-dragons.

She takes my hand and starts to walk away, so that she expects me to follow after her. So I get up, a bit surprised at how I’m unsteady on my feet. No one seems to notice us leave, or at least no one pays much attention, it feels like the heat has been sucked out of the party now, by virtue of how much sea air everyone’s had. We’re back in the bar now, out of the restaurant, and Lily stops, and turns to me.

“I’m drunk.” She mouths, looking a bit dippy.

I blink at her.

“Take me home.” She says again.

“You want to come to my apartment?”

She laughs at this, then turns away from me, and spins around, all the way around until she’s facing me again.

“Maybe. But I was hoping for a hot shower, to wash all this salt off. And I’ve got a shower at my house that’s big enough for two. Have you got one that big?”

I shake my head. “No.”

She tips her head onto her shoulder. “Well in that case, I think mine is probably the better option. Don’t you?”

I don’t answer. I can’t answer. Instead I watch as she steps away to the bar, which is quiet now. She asks the barman to call a cab, and he nods and picks up a phone. He speaks for a moment then holds up two fingers to Lily. I hear him say two minutes. She turns back to me.

“My hero. Conqueror of my evil uncle.” She puts her arms around me, she leans her weight on me, then she rolls around, so we’re kind of arm in arm, and she leads me through the bar and back towards the door where we came in. It’s even quieter here. There’s a few people coming and going, but the party is behind us. We go down the steps, towards the parking lot, and beyond it we see a city cab driving toward us. By the time we get down to street level, the cab’s there and Lily pulls open the door and climbs in. She gives her address, and then we sit together in the back. We don’t talk, but after a few minutes, Lily starts to let her hand creep towards my legs. First she just brushes them, but then her hand begins to crawl onto my thigh, like it’s a spider, or a crab. I don’t say, or do, anything.