Mom gave Brook and me a big grin. If my mom had decided to play nice, I wasn’t about to say anything to get her out of her good mood. I was optimistic she would distract Brook’s parents enough that we might get some quality time together.
Cassidy seemed awfully quiet during breakfast. I looked over at Brook, and she shrugged, so on the ride to the boat, I sat by Cassidy to find out what was bothering her.
“What’s up, Buttercup?” I asked and waggled my eyebrows at her.
“I’m not sure I should be here. This seems like it was intended to be a family vacation,” she said.
I knew everyone could hear us, so I decided to take advantage.
“In fact, Brook and I intended this to be a dive vacation for the two of us, but the parental units decided to horn in. Brook wanted her best friend to join us, and I fully agreed that I wanted you to come too. You know that Brook brought some bikinis along. Rumor has it that she’s worried they’ll attract so many men that I won’t be able to fend them all off by myself. I hope you’ll help me protect her,” I teased.
Ava’s eyebrows rose, but my mom shook her head to let Ava know I was goofing around.
“Who’s going to protect me?” Cassidy asked.
“Good question. I’ll have to ponder that. Maybe you both should model all your swimsuits so I can be prepared. If they’re too scandalous, I might have to break out the Bo staff.”
That seemed to satisfy her. I gave her a hug for good measure.
◊◊◊
When we were dropped off at the marina, Ian and Dad went inside to figure out where we needed to go. Dad led the way, and I immediately recognized the yacht from the website. It was a 69-foot catamaran named ‘Cheeseburger In Paradise.’ It held up to eight guests and had two crew, Sophie and Captain Eric.
They looked smart in their matching white shorts and polo shirts. Sophie appeared to be in her early twenties, while Captain Eric had to be around our parents’ age. They had tropical music playing to get us in the mood. Captain Eric took the older crowd to show them their rooms while Sophie led us to the other side of the boat to ours. The berths were in the two hulls, so we had to go downstairs to get to our rooms.
“I put you girls in this one, and David, you’re down the hall. David, why don’t you join us so I can tell you all about the amenities together?” Sophie asked as we walked into the girls’ stateroom.
Brook and Cassidy had a queen-size berth, and apparently, someone had already unpacked for them. Their stateroom had an en-suite shower and head. I smiled when Sophie used the nautical terms for a bed and toilet. There was music piped into the room, and Sophie showed us how to select different Internet stations. Of course, the yacht had Wi-Fi, or I think we would have all gone insane on this trip.
My room was identical to the girls’. It amused me to find a pair of Speedos laid out with a t-shirt. I think Sophie imagined I might take the hint. Oh, well, we wouldn’t really be out in public, so why not? If I wanted to see Brook and Cassidy in tiny bikinis, I’d best at least play along.
◊◊◊
While we changed, they cast off and began the first leg of our journey. Our first destination was Culebra, a small island off the east coast of Puerto Rico. It offered some great water-based activities: beautiful beaches, great snorkeling and SCUBA diving, and awesome fishing, according to the itinerary. It would take us until about one to get there, so I planned to get some sun.
The main deck was split up into three separate areas. The center, called the salon, had the galley, a lounge, and a folding dining table, plus comfortable weatherproof Italian-style sofas. A separate sailing cockpit with an outside steering station sat forward of the main salon. A covered area in the aft, decked out in teak, was an open space that might be used for lounging, entertaining, or outdoor dining as needed. Forward, the boat had a netting-like material stretched between the two hulls that you could use to lie out. It was a little bouncy, like a trampoline, but when you lay down, you felt you were in a hammock. You could see the water rush by under you.
Brook and Cassidy joined me on the netting. Mom and Ava were in the salon, while Dad and Ian lounged on the aft deck; I suspected they were all having cocktails already.
Sophie came out to check on us.
“I’ve done these trips many times, and something that will ruin your vacation is getting sunburned the first day,” she warned. “We’re closer to the sun than you’re used to, plus the sunlight reflects off the water. I’ve seen more than one person burn their back because the sunshine reflects through the netting.”
“How long should we stay out here?” Brook asked.
“You’re going to be out in it all afternoon, diving and snorkeling. I suggest you come inside until you at least get a base tan,” she said.
I reluctantly gave in.
“Put your shirt on,” Mom said when she saw me walk in with only my Speedos on.
Ava had about choked on her drink. Mom was right; no need to give Brook’s mom a show. I stuck my head outside.
