Sea Worthy

Sea Worthy- By D.D.Renee

Her hair drifted along the night air, and her eyes glinted with the moon and stars  as the  Sylva De  Maria carried herself among others across the vast ocean.  She stood against a railing at the midsection of the large vessel, and peered over the edge into calm open sea.  Her luminescent skin grazed against the cold metal rails of the ship with an elegance one could only be born with, and along with her soft features and long dark hair- any passing sailor would have thought her nothing more than a beautiful lost ghost of the sea. 

“Mademoiselle ,” A young boy from around the corner of an old kitchen door called out for her, “If you will-” he showed her inside the room where she would be dining. 

It was quaint.  Small, but with a spaciousness.  Yet there was almost an opaque stench  cigar smoke trapped in the air.  This must be the captains quarters, she thought to herself.  She was most definitely correct in her assumption as she noted all the nostalgic items strategically placed-and visible from all angles of the room.  The man was surely egotistical.

She heard the cabin doors  creak open, and close.  There in the entry way, stood a tall, handsome looking man.  She watched him there.  Taking off his dress jacket and hanging it on the coat rack.  His strong movements were dually noted as he took the time to wipe a strand of his dark brown windswept hair from in front of his face. His strong jaw structure gave a sharpness  to his looks, and his overall facial appearance did nothing more that compliment the rest of his  more physical stature; which was, in a way, impeccable.  He took her breath away at first glance.  She knew she would be eating with the captain, but had she known this was he, she would have at the very least tried to eliminate any chance of looking relatively plain by wearing more jewelry or a new dress.

He walked over to where she was seated, and poured some wine into two glasses.  He opened the bottle and poured with such smoothness, such dexterity… that she could feel a shiver travel down her spine from the mere presence of this man.  He placed a glass in front of her, and the other seat, and smiled.  “I am sorry for the wait,” He spoke, making eye contact, and forcing her heart to beat faster than it already was.

“The captain, however, will be here to dine with you shortly.” 

He was punctual, precise and with that he walked away.  She was so confused.  Puzzled.  Was this man, this man she could swear she felt a perpetual ecstasy around, not the captain who she was to dine with?

She just sat there.  Eyes watching the door swing shut as the man exited the room.  Longing for him to return. His presence was soon replaced by a balding man of short stature.  He could not have been more than five foot tall, and this fact could be seen as he uneasily positioned himself in the higher than usual chair.  The room was dim, and a cabin boy lit a small candle in the center of the table.

“So” he started speaking as soon as he had gotten himself seated.  “It has come to my attention that your company on this ship was decided at the last minute.”

She smiled and put on a false visage, in order to keep a good eye from the captain.

He continued,  “Tell me. Your trip to Venice; would you regard to it as business or pleasure?”  He took a sip of wine , an action which almost seemed cued by the previous statement.  The last word, and his action there after sent a shiver up his spine.

“Business-” She began to retort, but he interrupted easily “Oh my dear, you must calm yourself..” He chuckled to himself, then looked into her eyes while muttering something about there being no need to be tense.  She was uncomfortable now.  She wished she had had the opportunity to dine with the other man .  That opportunity however, seemed altogether out of reach.

The captain took her silence as a cue to move forward in their conversation; and seemed not to be under even the slightest realization that he was indeed being ignored for the most part. He didn’t seem to mind, and she found herself thinking he might actually become upset if she interrupted his speech and or lecture at the time. 

The dinner continued like this for quite sometime, even after each individual was finished with both his and her meal.  The captain stood up and more or less dismissed her from the table; noting that there was an offer made for the next nights dinner to take place in the same manner as this one had.  Although she did not necessarily wish to spend her time with him, she made no hesitation to say yes to the most powerful person on the ship.

She led herself out the doors- catching a quick comment from captain to cabin boy about her now being “his girl”.  She exited the room with an upset stomach.  The thought of him made her stomach literally churn.  “His Girl”.. 

She rounded a corner and was soon back at the railing she had started at that night. The night air was cold and sharp.. The wind once again lifted her hair from her shoulders.  Her dress flowed in the sea breeze. 

She heard a door open behind her, and she turned in fear that it was the captain.  Her fears were lost when she saw the handsome man standing in the doorway.  A single hand closed the door behind him, and he smiled as they made eye contact.  He slowly strolled right beside her, relaxing his arms on the cool blue metal rails.  He looked at her.

“I’m sorry if I am disturbing you..” He started-  But her blush was a strong signal that his presence was a tasteful event in her eyes..

“I just couldn’t help but notice you in the captains quarters, “ He looked away.  She went to speak, but he politely pitched in. “He is a strong man here… People do anything they are told.  I didn’t want you to be hurt because- well because…” He stopped talking.  His voice had gone down to nearly a whisper. 

She took a single finger and guided  his jaw back to face her.  There eyes met, and slowly he started to lower his head.  It was the most simple, elegant kiss she had ever experienced.  She felt a sudden energy explode from the core of her body and  as the feeling trickled down through her legs and feet, she felt herself fall into his arms.  She felt safe there, and, after there lips had finally unlocked, she just stood there, wrapped and shielded by him.  She never wanted this moment to end. 

As fate designed the moment however, it was indeed shorter than she would have liked.  The sound of the doors slamming open again behind them was deafening. The small captain stood seething in the entry way.  Red in the face. 

She was afraid.  She hadn’t even thought about the possibility of them being caught together, and quite frankly, even if she had- she would not have traded the moment for the world.

She just wanted him, and for him to want her.  And his actions  proved her hopes true.  Quickly, he pulled her behind him as The rest of the captains crew settled behind him.  He took a revolver from the inside of his coat pocket..

“Get in the boat” He said calmly, pointing to an old rusted dingy- two oars hanging out the side of it.  Another sailor had already assumed the position to lower the old rowboat into the water.

They hesitated.  The captain cocked back the gun and fired a loud bullet into the air. “Get into the boat,” He repeated himself..  She was frozen; but she felt the handsome man start backing towards the boat.  She knew at that moment, the captain was not fooling around.  They were almost there, when the man stopped backing up.  He turned to her, just barely, and whispered “I love you, and you are safe, do you trust me?” .  She nodded - and so they stepped onto the dingy, and were let off into the sea.

It seemed only like yesterday, she recalled, three years later- Of the coast of Portugal. She took a sip of wine, watching the coastline, and the sunset.  She sighed.  She loved that man. 

He sat down beside her, a wine glass in hand and kissed her lightly on the lips. 

“I love you,” He whispered. “I love you too,” She kissed him, and returned to share                the sunset on the beach.