SATURDAY AFTERNOON

“NICK! DON’T!” It was no use. The words were barely out of her mouth when Cesilie felt the cool waters of the Atlantic surround her. NCR had just won the World Championship and Nick felt that everyone around him needed a good dousing in the ocean as celebration, Cesilie included. Reaching the surface for air she was surprised by a huge splash of salt water in her face followed by someone grabbing her and pulling her back under. Again surfacing and sputtering, “Nick” cough, cough, “I’m gonna,” cough, cough…

“You’re gonna what?” He was laughing. Her hair was hanging in her face and she was splashing around trying to find him when he was well out of arms reach, well her short arms anyway.

“When I get you, you are so dead!” By now, Cesilie was laughing too. There was no point in being mad. She continued to frantically splash in the direction she thought he was. Meanwhile he took the opportunity to sneak up behind her, grab her, and hurl her through the air into deeper water.

The next 10 minutes degenerated into an all out water war involving Cesilie, Nick, Aaron, Bob Carter and several other people who joined in the celebration. Soaked, chilled, and water logged the crowed eventually pulled themselves out of the water to gratefully accept the dry towels being handed to them.

Walking back to the boat where the rest of the team was the air was full of talk about celebrating in downtown Key West that night. “Join us?” Nick asked.

“Me?” She looked surprised.

“No, I was asking the invisible man over there, of course you.”

She just looked at him as he toweled off his hair then removed the towel, leaving his hair to stand out in all different directions. “What? What’s so funny?”

“You have a comb somewhere?”

Nick ran his fingers back through his hair. “That better?” She just rolled her eyes. “So? Do you dance?”

“My daddy would disown me if I didn’t.”

“Well then,” he was being pulled away for pictures and team responsibilities, “Meet me around 9?” He asked walking backwards.

Throwing her hands in the air she called after him, “Where?”

Talking to Mike and Tony quickly he looked back and yelled “Sloppy Joe’s, Mike will get ya.” And then he was gone, vanished in the crowd.

<~ Chapter 3 or Chapter 5 ~>


Karina 2003