James stared at Sandy’s chest across the table, and then he looked up to her eyes. “We were just waiting for you.”
The Governor grabbed James by the arm. “Come on, James. Tell her the news. We plan to celebrate tonight.”
“Celebrate? Celebrate what?” Sandy asked.
James looked questioningly at the Governor.
“James, come on, tell her about the loft.”
“I’m thinking about buying a loft over by the river.”
“Thinking about it?” the Governor asked. “There’s nothing to think about. It’s yours. We’ll sign the papers tomorrow, but we’re celebrating tonight.”
Before James could protest, Sandy grabbed his hand and pulled him up from his chair. “Well, if we’re celebrating we need to move to some place more comfortable.” She started to lead James back to another room.
“Wait a minute. I need to visit the restroom before I get comfortable. I want to be able to give you my undivided attention. I’ll be back in a minute.”
The Governor and Sandy sat on the couch waiting for James. “Can you leave?” the Governor asked. “I want to take him to the boat?”
“If you pay for the time, we can leave.”
“OK, when he gets back, it’s your idea to go out there. It’s a beautiful summer night.” The Governor reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “We get this info tonight and we’re home free.”
The Governor saw Sandy’s eyes move and turned his head to follow her gaze. James was wobbling back towards them with a couple of drinks in his hands.
James handed the Governor a drink and flopped down onto the couch, spilling some scotch onto his shirt. “Shit, that’s a waste of good scotch,” he said. He put his arm around Sandy’s shoulders. “A toast to kick off my celebration. To my friend, for finding me an investment, a home, a new start on life, and this beautiful woman.” James clinked his glass with the Governor’s. “Thanks.”
“Salud.” The Governor sipped his drink.
Sandy put her arms around James’ neck and spoke into his ear. “James, if tonight’s so special, why don’t you ask if we can go out on his boat and celebrate. It’s a beautiful summer night.”
James looked at the Governor, his eyes unfocused. “Hey, buddy. I’ve never been out on your boat. Why don’t we go out there and seal the deal tonight?”
“For some of my clients I take them out on my boat to celebrate. Why should tonight be any different?” The Governor looked at his watch. “Can you leave early and come out to the lake with us?” he asked Sandy.
“I’ll meet you at the door,” she said.
James turned to the Governor and put his arm around his shoulder. “Thanks, buddy. This is going to be a great night.”
Chapter 25
“Turn out the light!”
Tim flipped the switch to turn off the light that hung over the side of the small fishing boat, just above the water. The darkness of Lake Minnetonka immediately enveloped them. Clouds blocked out any moonlight. The only visible lights were the yellow electric lights from houses on the lake or flickering flames from fire pits along the shore. Plus, a few boats prowling the lake.
Tim and Matt were brothers, sixteen and fourteen years old from Excelsior, a small town on the south side of the lake. This summer they had decided they liked to catch fish and found the best way to do it consistently was to go at night and hang a light over the side of the boat. They set up a lantern with a shade around it, directing the light down into the water, just the way their grandfather had taught them. They had doused the light a few times tonight when boats had passed them. They had been sitting on the edge of a weed bed, illegally shining light into the water to attract the fish. They also didn’t have any running lights, which were required out on the water after sundown.
Tim looked to the front of the boat where he knew Matt was sitting and waited for his eyes to adjust so that he could see him.
“What’s up?” Tim whispered.
“There’s a cruiser coming. Port side. Over there.” Matt pointed across the boat.
Tim couldn’t ever remember port from starboard and followed Matt’s outstretched arm to see what he was looking at.
The boys sat and waited as they did the other times this night, waiting for the boat to pass so they could get back to fishing. “It’s stopping. What do you want to do?” Tim asked.
The large, white, Sea Ray Sundancer coasted to a stop about one hundred and fifty feet from them. The boys crouched in the camouflaged duck boat and peered through the reeds at the cruiser glowing in the dark with the lights on the bridge and rear compartment blazing. The voice of Frank Sinatra carried over the water from speakers somewhere on the boat.
“Sit tight. I don’t think they saw us. Let’s just wait and see what happens. We can leave if we need to.” Matt said. The waves from the cruiser rolled across the lake and rocked the boys in their boat. They reeled in their fishing lines and waited.
In a few minutes, they saw two men with drinks in their hands gather at the rear of the boat. The soft murmur of voices and the occasional laugh carried across the water. A woman joined them.
“Whoa, check her out.”
“I wish I had my binoculars.”
“You don’t need binoculars to see those. She has her own personal flotation devices if the boat goes down.”
The boys could see Sandy standing on the lit deck in her yellow bikini top. They watched as she talked to the men. She turned and started to walk away.
“Wait, come back.” Matt said a little too loudly.
“Shh, you idiot. You want them to see us?”
“Where’d she go?”
“Probably to take a piss or get another drink.”
“Looks like they’ll be there a while. Should we go?” Matt asked. The music drifting over the water changed to something more upbeat and Sandy reappeared with something in each hand. She crossed the deck and handed each man a fresh drink. Then she started to move with the music.
“We’re staying.” Matt said.
“No argument here, bro.”
Sandy spun around the deck, her long hair flowing behind her. She danced and moved provocatively in front of the men seated on the bench seats in the rear of the boat. Finally, she straddled a man, gyrating and grinding in his lap. She stopped and reached back behind her neck, untying the bikini top and letting it fall.
“You see that?”
“Definitely not real.”
“No, but very nice.”
“No tan lines.”
“Who’s the lucky guy?”
“I wouldn’t mind trading places with him.”
“In your wet dreams.”
“In my fantasy tonight.”
“Shh.”
The brothers continued to watch as the man and woman ground together and kissed. Finally, the woman stood up, took the man by the hand and led him out of sight. The second man remained seated and finished his drink. He looked at his watch, and put something in his mouth. A flare lit the night as the man held a match up to the end of the cigar and puffed to light it.
The smell of the cigar carried across the water. “Poor guy’s left alone with a drink and a stogie.”
“I think the show’s over and they aren’t going anywhere soon. Let’s go.”
Tim quietly pulled up the anchor and Matt started the nearly silent electric trolling motor and the brothers quietly pulled away from their fishing spot to head home for the night.
Chapter 26
The Governor took another long pull from his cigar, causing the ember on the end to glow red against the black sky, and watched as Sandy led James below deck. He looked at his watch. They’d been slowly cruising the lake for most of the evening, drinking and looking at the large homes on the shores. He had time to enjoy his cigar and the other work he had planned for the night. He stood up and looked out over the lake. It was a quiet night and the temperature out on the lake at night was bearable with the light breeze.