Lisa put down the phone.
"That's disappointing," she said a she turned towards me, her shoulders slumping, a little pout forming on her lips. "Sally can't come, she's got to work."
Bloody disappointing.
Sally, her husband Jack, Lisa and I had planned a big sailing weekend in the tropics. We'd paid a huge deposit, booked flights and everyone had been as excited as school children planning for it.
Jack was the best sailor and his presence allowed us to qualify to hire the boat and take it to some pretty out of the way places. So there would be no crew, just the four of us sailing, sipping and ... well and ... the boat had two doubles beds, one in the pointy bit, the other one down the back. Jack would have said for'ard and aft I suppose.
Any, without him, we would do our deposit cold. So I asked the question I didn't want to.
"What's the story with Jack, then?" I said.
"Sally hasn't told him yet, she thought she'd better let us know first," Lisa said. "She's ringing him now. I guess we just have to wait and see. It's a lot of money ... "
I thought of all the permutations. Money gone, no holiday was high among them.
Maybe I could impersonate Jack and hopefully sail the boat with just Lisa and I.
And if we sank it and drowned ...?
Just as I was thinking all was lost, the phone rang.
It was Sally; she had spoken to Jack and had insisted that he go without her.
I heard Lisa saying stuff like "are you sure Sally?" and "oh that's really nice of you" and other things like that while she looked at me with a huge grin.
I know I was bloody sure. I wanted my holiday, and I didn't want to loose my money.
Lisa put down the phone.
"Sally insists that Jack comes with us so they don't do all their money either, and she feels bad about upsetting our holiday plans," she confirmed matter of factly.
"But apparently the call has come from head office and there's not a lot she can do. She did say at the time this was a possibility.
"Anyway, as far as we're concerned it's still on!"
The formal communication process over, she then let out a huge "yippppeeeeeee!"
And the slumped shoulders were gone and the pout was replaced by a broad grin.
Lisa loves her holidays.
And me!
The big Volvo engine roared into life at the touch of the button Jack asked me to push.
"That was easy enough," said Jack. "We'll wait and see how you go at putting up sails though before we declare you a proper sailor!"
I didn't mind his condescending banter.
Sailing and I had never really crossed paths, but I was game to try. And he's been trying for a while to beat me at tennis.
As we sailed out of the dock, Lisa was down below (see using nautical terms already) mucking around with her luggage.
"Which end of the boat do you want Jack," she said.
"Both bedrooms are pretty much the same size."
"Cabins," roared Jack. "You're on a boat Lisa, they're cabins."
So it was going to be like this for both of us, Jack showing off his nautical knowledge.
But I don't think Lisa cared either that Jack was being a smart arse, because hey without him we wouldn't be here.
And here was turning into a mighty special place.
We were by now leaving the docks and the cityscape far behind, the wind was blowing gently, the big engine purring as it took us out in the wide channel we would follow to our first stop over β Wilson's Bay.
It was secluded, protected on all sides β well according to the bloke from whom we hired, oops chartered, the boat.
"Best place to head to first night," he had said. "Then make up your mind after that. The world is yours!"
Lisa came up to join us.
"Wanna steer," said Jack.
"Sure," she replied. "Not much to run into out here."
"Well she's all yours baby," said Jack
"Of course that means you can't have a drink now, but Ian and I can.
"Ian, get your captain a drink and while you're at it, have one yourself!"
Lisa's pouted.
"Prick," she said.
"We'll all get our turn," said Jack. "And anyway, Wilson's Bay isn't that far away.
"We won't be too many glasses ahead of you by the time we weigh anchor."
I was tempted to say something about why do we need to know how heavy the anchor is, but thought better of it.
Instead I just opened a bottle of chardie that Lisa had put into the fridge, then found two glasses and performed my waiting duties, as requested by the captain.
"Cheers, captain, to your good health," I said.
"Cheers, too," said Jack.
"How much further to Wilson's Bay," said Lisa plaintively?
"Not far now my dear, just over there, see where those other boats are," said Jack.
"Reckon you can steer us there without hitting any of them?"
"Prick," Lisa replied.
"She has a thing about pricks, your wife," said Jack.
"I reckon your end of the boat will be rocking tonight." J
Jack dropped the anchor over the side and the splash was followed by the grrrrr of the chain, then quiet.
Everyone looked at each other in celebration of the quiet. The engine killed, there was now just the occasional queerup of some bird, invisible among the thick bank of trees to the south.
And a whisper of a breeze.
But the main noise was no noise.
"This is perfect," said Lisa, by now equipped with a glass of chardonnay and standing on the bow, just idling away time.
At the back of the boat, I lifted up the lid on the marine barbecue.
"How good's this," I said.
"I'm happy to be cook tonight if you two just want to kick back, but I expect my glass to be topped up regularly."
"Done deal," said Lisa.
"Fine by me," said Jack.
The pair of them found a comfortable place to sit on the deck while I set the barbecue ablaze, and went down below to find the salad stuff and the meat.
Lisa had carefully arranged it all in the little fridge. This was too easy. While the barbecue got warmed up, I tossed some lettuce, sliced some tomatoes and made the salad.
Back up on deck, I put the steaks on the barbecue.
As I looked around, Jack and Lisa were chatting away amiably.
"Pity Sally couldn't be here," said Lisa. "This is too good for words.
"And it will only get better," said Jack. "We've got four days of this and places as good as this to stop in at all along the coast."
I reached for my mobile and said: "Let's send Sally a pic, cuddle up you to and I will get the scenery behind you."
Jack and Lisa moved really close together, I clicked the phone camera and then sent the picture to Sally's number.
It didn't take long for the reply.
"Looks beautiful," Sally had written, "but tell that prick of a husband of mine to put your wife down!"
"Seems your wife is as interested in pricks as mine," I laughed. "Sally says to tell that prick to put down my wife."