Chapter 17 – A Moment to Remember

June 2, 2010 3:27 pm

"Not to sound skeptical, but are you sure you know what you're doing?"

The day had dawned early, with brilliant blue skies that smiled down on crystal clear waters, and Mother Nature had amiably followed suit in the afternoon. Miles away from the Aruban shore, Olivia stood barefoot on the glistening wooden deck of their rented Sabre 426 sailboat, a bemused expression on her face as she watched Elliot struggle to lower the anchor. A soft wind ruffled the sails, the cream canvas flapping quietly in the breeze. Beneath the hull, the ocean rocked gently, lapping languorously against the fiberglass. The water was virtually transparent and, when she glanced over the rail of the boat, Olivia could almost make out the sandy bottom, miles down.

The mid-afternoon sun warmed her now golden brown skin as the ocean breeze simultaneously cooled it, sending pleasant shivers of contrast up her spine. The fringed edge of her bathing suit cover up tickled her legs as she watched Elliot fumble with the anchor line, sweat shining on his arms and staining a dark line down his spine through his grey muscle shirt.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Elliot grumbled. True to his word, he did manage to drop the anchor a few more feet before pinching his finger in the line and cursing loudly. "Dammit!" Swiping at his sweaty forehead with his forearm, he stepped back and glared at the offending anchor.

Smiling at him affectionately, Olivia leaned against the rail and pushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes that had been liberated from her ponytail by the breeze. "I could help you know." Nursing his sore finger, Elliot waved her away, and she could tell from the set of his jaw there was no point in arguing.

"Even after all these years, I had no idea that you had your boating license." As Elliot took another stab at the anchor, Olivia sat down on the padded bench that occupied the stern. The muscles in Elliot's arms rippled as he fiddled with the chain, and she found herself admiring the view on several levels.

"My dad took me boating sometimes on vacation at the Cape. As soon as I was old enough, he taught me how to operate a motorboat and captain a sailboat. He felt all men should know how. In all honesty, I haven't had a lot of use for the license until now. I used it now and again to take my kids out on the water on our rare vacations. It's been a while, but it's all coming back to me."

Wiping the sweat off his chin with the neck of his shirt, Elliot straightened and turned to smirk at her. "Look, this will probably be easier if I don't feel so . . . scrutinized. Do me a favor? Go hang out on the bow for a bit until I tell you it's safe to come back?"

Shaking her head with a grin, Olivia stood and did as requested, her bare feet softly padding on the smooth wood of the deck. Leaning against the bow railing, she gazed out over the water, the light so blinding she had to squint even through her sunglasses. She eagerly took in the beautiful scenery using all of her senses. The cool breeze mixing with the warm sun, the smell of salty water, the open expanse of the ocean spreading out as far as the eye could see. Occasionally, she would catch sight of a small moving dot on the horizon, another boat cutting quickly through the water, but for the most part, their sailboat stood alone as it bobbed merrily in the water.

Closing her eyes, Olivia tried to memorize it all, painfully aware that today was their last day in paradise. Tomorrow at this time they would be back on an airplane, returning to the smog and hazy sunshine of the city and the depravity of their jobs. Earlier in the week, she had wondered if they would get off the island in one piece. Now she wished she didn't have to leave.

After the harrowing events in their resort room, Carlos was arrested, Maduro had grudgingly apologized, and Elliot and Olivia finally had the chance to enjoy their vacation. The remainder of the week had been wonderful. The weather was beautiful, the resort graciously upgraded them to a nicer suite that overlooked the beach and had a hot tub, and they actually had the opportunity to relax and enjoy each other's company. It had been romantic and refreshing. With each passing day, Olivia felt her relationship with Elliot grow stronger than she ever thought possible. When Elliot announced he had rented a boat to give them some true "alone time" on their last day, she had completely melted.

Behind her, Olivia could hear Elliot still rustling around and grumbling, but she kept her promise to remain facing forward. She grinned to herself when she heard the anchor chain click into place and Elliot's consequent grunt of satisfaction. He was a proud, stubborn man, and she loved him with all her heart.

After a few more minutes of shuffling and banging, Olivia heard footsteps approaching but she didn't turn. Seconds later, his warm, strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against him, his fit chest heating her to an even greater extent than the sun. Leaning back against him, she rested her hands on his and lay her head on his shoulder. In response, he nuzzled her ear affectionately before dropping a kiss on her temple.

"This is so amazing El. Thank you. I can't get over how beautiful it is out here." Olivia closed her eyes beneath her sunglasses, letting her fingers brush over his ropy hands and knuckles.

"It sure is striking," Elliot agreed, pulling his eyes from her face to look out over the glimmering water. Straightening up, Olivia turned in his arms to face him, leaning back against the warm metal railing. Her eyes travelled over his face before dropping to his inner forearm, where her fingertips traced his tattoo gently, noting each line, each break, each curve. After a moment, her fingers and eyes travelled up to the tattoo on his shoulder and repeated their exploration. She could hear his breath hitch, his eyes never leaving her face. Slowly she leaned in, nuzzling his chin and brushing her lips over the corners of his mouth before kissing him softly. His arms tightened reflexively around her, pulling her closer as they made out slowly.

Usually Olivia was the first to break a kiss, but this time he withdrew, backing up slightly and smiling at her.

"C'mere. I want to show you something." Gently Elliot took her hand and led her back to the stern. As they rounded a soft corner, Olivia's breath caught in her throat. Apparently the anchor wasn't the only thing he was fiddling with while she stared thoughtfully over the ocean. Spread out on the deck was a checkered blanket, held still on its four corners by four weighted pillows. Beside the blanket sat a small wicker picnic basket with several sandwiches and an assortment of tropical fruit peeking out. Beside the basket sat a shiny silver bucket full of ice, the neck of a champagne bottle protruding. As the ice melted in the sun, so did Olivia's knees.

"El . . ." Olivia murmured, touched. "Wow."

"You like?" Elliot couldn't hide his pleased smile.

"It's too much. How did you pull all this together?"

"Well I got the connections for the boat from Erroll. I picked up the rest of the stuff yesterday when you lay down for a nap in the afternoon."

"Sneaky." Olivia squeezed Elliot's hand gently and walked over to the blanket, laying down and stretching out. He joined her quickly, sitting down cross-legged beside her. Grabbing the champagne flutes and popping the cork on the bottle, he poured out two glasses. Handing her a glass, he lay beside her, his eyes always on her face. Tentatively, he reached over and undid the tie on her swimsuit cover up, pushing the material away and revealing her tanned body and sexy bathing suit. He felt himself respond to her physically as she ran her toes up his calf, but he had other business first.

"Well, this was really important to me. I wanted this to be something you'd remember."

Olivia laughed heartily. "You didn't need to rent a boat for that! This was certainly a vacation I will never, ever forget."

Elliot grinned ruefully. "It isn't so much so you remember the vacation. I know we will both remember the last week for the rest of our days. The good and the bad. It's more that I wanted to make this exact moment special, a moment to remember." As Olivia frowned questioningly, Elliot slowly leaned in, kissing her cheek. "I love you Olivia."

Olivia's heart flipped in her chest and she felt warmth overcome her unlike anything she had ever experienced before. His amazing blue eyes were soft but crisp as he gazed into her dark ones, which had just begun to swim with happy tears.

"I love you too El." Reaching out, she cupped his cheek and pulled him to her for a soft kiss. Her mouth melded to his as he pressed her down into the blanket, the warm softness akin to heaven against her back. She never, ever remembered feeling so happy, so complete. In that moment, her mother's haunting voice grew silent.

This time Olivia broke the kiss and lay back on the blanket, arms over her head submissively, her eyes glinting mischievously. "You've heard of the "mile high" club, right?"

Elliot grinned down at her, letting a hand rest firmly on her thigh. "Yeah."

Smirking, she reached up and kissed along his collarbone playfully. "Want to join the "mile out" club?"

Hours later, the sun dipped lower as they sat together on the deck, having returned from the stern to the bow again. The wind had died considerably, ebbing with the fading sun. Elliot sat propped up against the curve of the cabin and Olivia sat between his legs, her body wrapped in the blanket, hairline still damp with sweat. Her head rested against his chest and her forehead nudged his chin. They held hands, fingers intertwined, silent for the longest time.

Olivia broke the quiet while craning her neck and looking up at Elliot.

"So . . . how many drawers are you willing to give up for me in your bureau?" she murmured, smooching the spot where his neck met his jaw.

Elliot felt his stomach flutter excitedly, but kept composed. "I don't know. How many do you think you need?"

"At least half of them. "

"Half?! Good Lord!"

"Hey! I am a woman after all. You're a guy. How much stuff can you possibly have to need all those drawers? Oh yeah, and I will need closet space too."

Elliot chuckled quietly. "I'm sure with some rearranging I can give you as much space as you need." He stroked her hair softly and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. When she fell silent again, he wondered fleetingly if she had been joking. Driven to know for certain, he found himself asking the question he hoped he already had the answer to.

"So, this mean you are going to take me up on the moving in offer?"

Olivia smiled sweetly, closing her eyes peacefully. "Yeah. I'll give my notice tomorrow as soon as we get home."

Elliot grinned happily, feeling like a million dollars inside. "I'm glad Liv. It's a good decision. We will make it work."

Olivia snuggled back into him, feeling content and safe. "I think so too. Besides, who else would put up with ya?"

END

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed "Retreat"! Your positive comments and enthusiasm for the story kept me going.