A Memorable Sailing
A Memorable Sailing
“Do we have to do all this?” Nora asked. She was amazed by some of the points on the paper.
Leon had already called the waiter and ordered some dishes for the two of them.
“No need, you can choose.”
“I choose?” Nora didn’t think Leon would be democratic enough to let her choose what to do on their date that day.
She thought Leon would be authoritarian considering his position at the Department of State and his wealthy family.
Leon grinned. “Unless you want it all and it’s going to take another day or two, and maybe another charity auction?”
Nora didn’t mind if they spent another day or two dating, without the charity auction involved. But of course she wasn’t going to say that to Leon.
“So, what do you like?”
Nora looked down, rereading the list. “I like sailing,” she said. “How about that?”
Leon nodded. “Of course. Whatever you want.”
The dishes they ordered came. It was only 10 o’clock, not yet lunch time.
The dishes Leon ordered were ones that weren't too heavy, but would fill their stomach.
Nora, who hadn’t had breakfast yet, was grateful to see all those delicious dishes.
She saw Leon starting to eat, so she quickly filled her plate.
Their date started from Chelsea Harbor in Manhattan.
Leon drove his car there with Nora after filling their stomachs.
Before leaving, Leon called someone and apparently told him to get ready at the port. “We’re going to borrow my brother's yacht.” He turned to Nora. “We’re lucky, the captain is in port checking the machine. Otherwise, I would have to drive it.”
Nora was dumbfounded. “Can you drive a boat?” she asked, quickly realizing it was a stupid question.
A wealthy man like Leom made sense to be able to do many things.
Nora wouldn't be surprised if Leon could also pilot an airplane.
A middle-aged man with a sunburnt face greeted them at the harbor.
“This is Harry, the captain.” Leon introduced him to Nora. “Is everything ready, Harry? Please give this lady a pleasant sailing experience.”
“Of course.” Harry smiled. The wrinkles around his eyes made a friendly impression.
Nora liked him immediately.
“Did you tell Max that I’m borrowing his yacht? He doesn't pick up my calls, but is always quick to take yours because he cares more about the yacht than me, his brother.” Leon shookhis head in amusement.
Harry nodded. “I did. He just told me not to bother him about his business in Belgium as a thank you for borrowing his yacht so often.”
That rare smile was again on Leon’s lips.
He turned to Nora and shrugged. “I always warn Max to be careful with his business abroad.
He likes to run into danger.”
It was surprising to Nora when Leon told her a little about his relationship with his brother.
“Maybe you should buy your own yacht.” Nora smiled back, starting to relax.
“I won’t be able to manage,” Leon said. “With all my officework. You know, I have to go back to D.C. tomorrow.”
Nora’s heart sank a little. She realized that they didn’t live in the same city. The Department of State is based in Washington D.C. And of course, Leon lived there. He flew to NYC just for his aunt’s charity party.
"Everything's ready! Why don't you guys hop on right away?" Harry called out from the yacht.
"Let's go!" Leon helped Nora climb up and balance herself. "I'm guessing you've been sailing yachts a lot, considering you said you enjoy sailing?"
Nora smiled slightly. No, that's not what she meant.
But when she said she enjoyed sailing, it was about a memory from a dozen years ago.
She and her father were on a sailboat, cruising through waters, circling small islands and catching some crayfish to take home.
It was a good memory before her father passed away from a heart attack.
"I've sailed with Gwen and our friends," she said simply.
After they boarded, the yacht began to slowly drive away from the harbor.
After all these years, Nora rarely missed her father. But the salt-scented breeze sweeping across her face brought back all the memories of her father.
“What are you thinking about?” Leon walked up to her.
Nora turned her head and saw Leon’s intense, questioning face. “I’m thinking of my father. He loved sailing and I always went with him.”
"Does he never sail again now?"
"Not anymore." She never told anyone that her father actually passed away.
“You said your father owned a diamond mine in South Africa.” Nora nodded awkwardly. “He must love you very much to make time for his daughter in the middle of his busy schedule.”
But Nora’s father didn’t own a diamond mine…
He was just a lawyer in a small law firm he started with two partners.
They lived in Bar Harbor. A small town on the coast of the state of Maine.
Her father’s office occupied an old, peeling white painted building on the corner of a less crowded street.
When Nora was a little girl, she would often visit the office with her father if he had to work late on weekends.
The office, with its mahogany desk and a set of almost worn-out leather sofas, was where Nora sat eating her sandwich while her father worked on his client files.
Sometimes, she went with her sister, Katie, to deliver the lunch her mother made for the three of them.
Katie, two years older than her, didn’t like to linger in the office. Katie didn’t really like sailing either. She preferred hanging out with her friends.
Even when she was in high school and Katie was already studying at a local college, they still often made time to drop by their father’s office, until a traffic accident took Katie's Life.
Nora didn’t know the details, her mother said so. It was strange that she couldn’t remember anything about the accident.
Katie’s death shook her father so much. It made him into a drunken, angry man, which disrupted their work and family finances.
He handed over his law firm to his two partners, and spent his time sailing and fishing.
At that time, Nora was sent to England to live with her mother’s cousin for two years.
“You have to live there for a while anyway,” her mother said with tears in her eyes. “I don’t want you to witness your father's downfall. He has become a drunken fool, not the man I once knew. Go. Continue your high school there until things settled down.”
Her father died when she had been in England for a year.
Nora regretted not being able to say goodbye one last time.
"What about your mom?" Leon asked. "Does she like to go sailing with you and your father? My father used to have a sailboat, but my mother, who was always seasick, never went with him."
"My mom goes sometimes," Nora replied. "She liked sailing too, but she didn't come much after she got busy with her charity club."
She remembered her mother's blonde hair fluttering in the wind as the ship sped across the strait.
Her mother still lived in Bar Harbor, never remarrying although age had not diminished her beauty.
Nora rarely returned to her hometown, as being there always left her with mixed feelings.
She thought maybe it was because she missed her father and Katie, but it was as if there was something else, something she couldn't understand.
"Ah, she's just like Aunt Sarah...."
Nora grinned. "Yes. Like Miss Lansing with her charity events."
"Do you want to take a look? Come on." Leon motioned for her to follow him.
Nora got up and walked behind him, whileLeon went first along the deck.
Max's yacht was named Ocean's Dream. It looked elegant with sleek lines and a gleaming white hull.
"A clichéd name, typical of Maxmillian Carusso." Although he said it expressionlessly, there was an amused tone in Leon's voice.
"He had always dreamed of owning his own boat. That's because one day when he was 15, he accidentally sank our father's favorite sailboat, so he was never allowed to sail our father’s boat again."
"And were you allowed to?" Nora began to enjoy their conversation. She didn't expect Leon to be so open to share stories about his family that people thought were so pretentious.
"Not really. My father doesn't trust me either."
They were on the main deck which had a pleasant lounging area.
There were cushioned chairs wrapped in light blue fabric, facing a large window with gently fluttering curtains, a place to relax and enjoy the coastal view and the silhouette of the city in the distance.
Nora couldn't resist sitting on one of the chairs. She rested her aching back from last night's hangover.
She sighed softly, enjoying the light refracting gently from the window.
Apparently, this was the luxurious life of a conglomerate that she could only dream of.
"You can stay here if you like. We won't be sailing all the time. In an hour, we'll dock at one of my friend's resorts."
"I like sitting here. It's so cozy. Blessed is the person who arranged all the interiors of this yacht.
"Diane, Max's wife, organized it," Leon said. "She's really good at that sort of thing. I'm closer to her than to Max. Well, then I'll leave you here. I need to discuss something with Harry."
"Thank you. You're very understanding."
"I'm always understanding." The tone of humor was again hidden in Leon's voice.
Then he left Nora who immediately closed her eyes, enjoying the sunlight warming her eyelids.
They spent the whole afternoon at Leon’s friend’s luxury resort. George was a friend of Leon’s at Yale despite their different majors. Nora watched their intimacy with a bit of envy as she didn’t have such a friend in real life.
Her only friend was her cat Mojo.
Fortunately, George was a lovely person. A typical person who was wealthy from birth, who was indifferent and enjoyed life.
His friendliness was genuine. He didn’t look at Nora with a judgmental gaze, even though he probably already knew she was the girl Leon had won in an auction.
For Nora heard George ask Leon, “Did you convey my apologies to Sarah for not being able to come?”
Leon offered Nora a swim at the resort’s beach. “George has a private beach,” Leon said. “You don’t have to worry about bathing suits. Harry will bring you a swimsuit from the yacht.”
Nora was dumbfounded. “But I didn’t bring a swimsuit!” she stated.
“Diane always has a supply of new swimsuits in her cabin, just in case. I’m not the only one who likes to borrow the yacht. Our younger brother Diego does too, and he often brings his girlfriend along.”
Nora laughed. “You know, I feel sorry for Max. He can’t even enjoy his favorite yacht by himself.”
Leon shrugged. “Yeah, well...but Max also borrows Diego's Hunting cabin every year. It’s worth it, I guess.”
However, Nora didn’t want to swim. She just enjoyed the view of the resort and their exclusive services while she could.
Not long after, Leon took her back to the ship.
“We’re not going to spend our date here,” he said. “I've Prepared dinner for the two of us.”
“We’re having dinner on the yacht?”
“No.” Leon replied calmly,“We’ll have dinner at my place.”