Right. Like anyone was going to let me read, or God forbid, take a nap. A knock at the door, awakened me from a nap with the book lying across my chest. Again, I ignored the knock. Again, the knocker ignored my silence.
“Come on, you lazy bitch, I know you’re in there!”
“Joy!,” I called, “Wait a minute while I move the chair.”
I felt mostly human as I slid out of Lauren’s bed, moving through the curtain of beads to the tiny, dingy front room. It was blazing hot, thanks to the necessity of keeping the oil stove burning in order to have any hot water.
“I thought you were already gone,” I said.
Joy moved into the room and sat in the best chair. “No, we leave tonight to go anchor up. I’ve been busy baiting skates. That skipper is such an ass-hole.”
“Joy,” I informed her, “I believe all the skippers expect their crew to do gear work.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Yeah, but,” I said. “Don’t try to make excuses to me. I’ve worked with you before, you great big whiner.”
Joy looked indignant, but then shrugged and smiled. “Yeah. Well, he’s an ass-hole anyway. So what are you doing?”
“Mostly hiding,” I told her.
Joy lifted her brows and waited for the explanation. I sighed.
“Nothing too interesting. Some of it’s the same old crap attitude from the guys. I went out by myself last night, believe it or not, and I would have made you go if I’d known you were still around. I didn’t hear any sound coming from Sam’s at all.”
“No, well, some machine or something at the plant broke down and he had to go in until some time this morning. And that ass-hole made me bait skates until midnight. Oh, I hate him! So how was the bar?”
“What I remember of the bar was ok. You know how chicken I really am so I ended up drinking far too much. The next thing I knew, I was suddenly on some big dude’s boat and he’s standing too close and being far too friendly so I got myself out of there.”
Joy looked grim. She didn’t say anything, but I felt myself shrinking down into my seat she looked so grim.
“Not cool,” she finally pronounced.
“No, it wasn’t at all,” I said, unable to look at her.
“You ok?”
“Yeah. Big D. brought me Gatorade this morning, made me breakfast, and was just generally a good pal.”
“No, Petra! He’s so…so…greasy!”
I nodded. “He is, I know, but he’s fun to talk to and as long as I’m sober, my judgment doesn’t seem to be too bad.”
“Well, that’s too bad, then,” Joy’s sarcasm tinged every word, “since you seem to be sober so seldom.”
My mouth dropped open and I stared at her in disbelief. “You big hypocrite! You were my partner in crime and you work until midnight one night, one night, and now you go all righteous and judgmental on me? How dare you?”
“Petra, you need a keeper. What do you think you’re doing going to the bar by yourself? Remember that first time? Do I need to remind you about Mitchell? Do not go to the bar by yourself anymore!”
I opened and shut my mouth several times as I searched futilely for an appropriate retort. Finally I settled for, “Well, I didn’t want to go to the bar by myself, but I didn’t have anyone to ask.”
Joy rejected that statement. “Totally lame. Almost any of the guys would go with you even if they are acting like a bunch of butts right now. In fact, they’d probably start being a lot nicer.”
“And then too nice and then if I talk to a fisherman they get all sulky and I hate it when grown men sulk.”
“So stay out of the bar for awhile. Actually, I have a favor to ask you.”
I raised my eyebrows at her and looked at her silently, hoping my expression said, “fat chance I’ll do YOU any favors” and I waited.
“You have to babysit Sam while I’m gone.”
My expression turned to astonishment. “What? How do you expect me to do that?”
“I mean you keep him away from other women. You make sure he doesn’t cheat. If he goes to the bar, you go to the bar. Get it? Clear enough? That solves your problem, too, since you can’t go to the bar on your own anymore.”
“Joy, I’m far too hung-over for this conversation.”
“Liar. You told me you were almost human. You just don’t want to hear it. That’s what true friends are for. I’d do it for you if you’d ever just settle on some guy. Why don’t you have a boyfriend yet? What’s the matter with you?”
I had a weird sense of déjà vu and I think it was because Joy’s comments made me feel like I was at a family dinner back at the Ranch. Horror or horrors.
“Well, will you babysit Sam?”
My head shook no-no, but my lips, apparently said yes. “Yeah, I guess so,” I agreed grudgingly.
“Good. Now get your shoes on, Chick, we’re going for a skiff ride.”
“Really?”
“Really. Now get your shoes and you’d better wear a warm coat, too, it’s always colder on the water. Sam has his beer and he bought us a box of white wine.”
I’m sure I paled at her words. I was going to protest, but all I said was, “Classy.” Then I slid into my extra-tuffs, a hooded over-sized polar-tech coat, and I filled up a large bottle of water to take with me.
From the front door Joy called back to me, “And be sure to bring some toilet paper!”
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