entry was more than twenty years old?”
“You’re right.” I mentioned my coming trip to Catalina and said I hoped it would turn up something. He wished me luck and mentioned what a romantic spot it was.
“I’m going with the crochet group,” I said, rolling my eyes. “At least most of the crochet group.” I told him how CeeCee didn’t want our newest member to come. When I mentioned Camille’s name, Mason blinked in surprise.
“I wouldn’t have figured she’d join a handicraft group.” he said.
“Then you know her?” I asked.
“She’s Alexander Rhead’s daughter. Who doesn’t?”
When we got to my house, Mason, ever the gentleman, insisted on escorting me and the dogs to the door. Maybe it wasn’t all gentlemanliness. When we got to the porch and I started to say good-bye, he put his arms around me and kissed me. He’d kissed me before, but always more in the just-friends vein. This was a full-throttle, deep kiss. And much as I hated to admit it, it sent a shock wave down to my toes.
In the middle of it, the front door opened and my mother looked out saying something about having heard some noise.
“You must be Barry Greenberg,” she said, making no attempt to mask the fact she was checking him out. She invited him in and I started to make excuses, but he was all charm and introduced himself as he followed her inside. The She La Las were just packing up, and my mother told him all about their big audition.
I couldn’t believe what Mason said then or that my mother fell for it. He said it was hard to believe she was my mother. That she looked so young she could be my sister. I mean, isn’t that the oldest line there is? But she lapped it up anyway.
CHAPTER 10
“WHAT KIND OF BOAT IS IT AGAIN?” SHEILA asked from the backseat. I had borrowed my parents’ Explorer, and CeeCee, Dinah, Adele, Sheila and I were on our way to catch our ride to Catalina. The boats left from a small harbor in Long Beach. We’d found the one window in time just after rush hour and before midday when traffic was light, and we were practically zooming down the San Diego Freeway.
Just like Sheila, I, too, had never been to Catalina. And also like her I was very nervous about the boat. It was the whole boat thing that had kept me away all these years. I had a terrible feeling I would get horrendously seasick on the way over and not want to take the boat back and have to spend the rest of my life on Catalina Island. Okay, maybe my fear was a little over the top. But who says fears are rational?
My son Peter had been to the island a couple of times and had mentioned to me that helicopters flew there, too, but that sounded even worse.
Adele started talking about the steamship that used to go to Catalina and how that trip took two hours. “But that was back in the seventies. The boats they have now don’t seem to pitch so much, and it only takes an hour anyway,” she said, patting Sheila’s hand in reassurance.
Who was reassuring me? But then I hadn’t even disclosed my fears to Dinah. I hoped the fact that I was on a mission of good would somehow help. Maybe the fairies of the sea would make the ride smooth or just knock me out for the trip.
“You know, ladies,” CeeCee said, “this isn’t really the season. I hope the sea isn’t too rough.”
My stomach did a flip-flop at that. Then she went on talking about how all her trips there had been on her friends’ boats.
“Private boats go there?” Sheila asked with a little nervous squeak in her voice.
“My, yes. The harbor at Avalon is practically on the beach. But you’ll see when we get there,” CeeCee said. Then her cell phone rang and she made a big fuss about having to take the call and asking if we could all keep it down because she was sure it was her agent. “We’re in final negotiations about my new contract.” She held up crossed fingers and finally pressed the button to answer the call.
Arranging the day had taken some doing. Mrs. Shedd had been okay about me taking the day off. I had hoped she would object to Adele being out, too, but somehow Adele had pulled it off. Then I had realized the greenmobile was too small for all of us, so I had to convince my parents to trade cars for the day.
I’d asked my parents—well, my father—to take care of the dogs. When I’d mentioned it to my mother, she had looked as if I’d asked her to move the moon or rearrange the tides, instead of opening the door to the yard a few times and pouring some food in a couple of bowls.
When I pulled into the parking structure at the boat terminal, CeeCee lost her cell reception and got cut off midcall. She held the phone in her hand as if waiting for it to ring as we got out of the SUV and walked into the terminal building. The
We picked up our tickets. Dinah looked over at me with concern.
“Are you all right? You look pale.”
I nodded. I didn’t want to say it was because suddenly the boat trip had become all too real. I decided the best way to deal was by looking out for Sheila, so I wrapped my arm in hers as we headed outside to the dock.
Since it was a weekday and February, only a trickle of people were waiting to board. The boat was kind of odd looking, but before I could comment, Adele stepped forward.
“Good. We got one of the catamarans,” she said, then continuing with one of her in-the-know speeches she went on to explain that only four of the Catalina Express fleet were catamarans and she personally thought they had the best ride. Whatever it was called, I thought it resembled a sled.
I didn’t say anything to Sheila about it and hoped she didn’t notice the boat looked as though it were on stilts. CeeCee seemed impatient with the whole procedure.
“I’m afraid I’m not used to all this business with tickets and bomb-sniffing dogs.” She adjusted her wide-brim straw hat as two hunky Coast Guard guys walked a German shepherd past us as we prepared to board. “There was none of this on my friends’ boats. We just sat on deck chairs and sipped margaritas.”
No more stalling. I took a deep breath and led the way. Since the temperature was a bit cold, CeeCee suggested we sit inside. We had our choice of seats and took one of the booths along the window.
The engine started and the boat backed out of the slip and then turned around. We slid under a bridge and past the huge, permanently docked
“This isn’t bad,” I said to no one in particular, but Adele answered anyway.
“Pink, we haven’t even left the harbor yet.”
I tensed all over again, and Sheila hid her face in my shoulder. The motor made a louder sound, and the boat began to move faster. We passed the giant clawlike things used for unloading the cargo ships from all over the world, and then suddenly there was nothing ahead but open water. Sheila held tighter. I readied myself for the first wave of queasiness. The boat at last began to rock as it picked up speed. I waited for that sick feeling to come . . . but to my surprise, it didn’t.
I realized I’d been holding my breath, and in a gush I let it out and began to breathe again. “It feels like we’re sailing over small hills,” I said, relief spreading over my body. I wasn’t going to have to stay in Catalina forever.
“They’re called swells,” Adele corrected
Whatever they were called, they were just fine. The color returned to Sheila’s face, and she finally let go of my arm.
I had brought the crochet piece with me, and I laid it out between us on the table. CeeCee pointed to what we now all acknowledged was the landmark Casino Building.
“You have to admit it really does look like a bath-powder box,” the actress said still trying to cover her error.
Adele rolled her eyes. As usual, she had dressed over-the-top for the occasion, wearing white cutoff pants, a middy blouse with a heavy blue sweater and a white sailor’s cap. Even the crew on the boat snickered when they passed us.
