Page 5 of Duty and Desire

Chapter Four

Gio

I stowed my groceries in the boat, and paused for a moment to drink in the scenery.

The ferry and boat point near the supermarket was buzzing with activity, but that wasn’t surprising: Vaitape was the major settlement on the western coast. It was the dropping-off and picking-up point for the hundreds of tourists who arrived on the cruise ships that had to remain in the Teavanui Passage, a channel providing the only opening to the ocean beyond the rim of islets.

Boats and yachts lined the docks, with signs advertising fishing charters or excursions.

Then I spotted a familiar face.

Nick sat in the stern of a pale blue boat, his attention locked on his Kindle. He wore faded jeans and a white tee, his hair as unruly as usual. The sign standing on the dock was colorful, with photos of the island, and the words See Bora-Bora From The Water across the bottom of the panel.

Now there’s an idea …

I strolled over to the boat, bending down to peer closely at the board. Nick tucked his Kindle into a bag and stood, moving toward me.

“Hey. What are you interested in? A Flyboard tour? Snorkeling?”

I straightened. “I was thinking of something more sedate.”

“Whale watching?” he suggested.

“I don’t suppose you offer a trip around the island, to look at the sights.”

Nick smiled. “Sure, I can do that.”

“How much?”

Nick stroked his barely-there beard. “About four hundred.”

I gaped. “Dollars?”

He laughed. “No, French Pacific Francs. But I can take US dollars too. That works out at about forty.”

“That doesn’t seem a lot for a tour.”

“The owner of the boat charges more for the first tours I mentioned. But I’m not busy—at least, my next booking isn’t for another hour and a half—and if you want to see the island, why not?”

I beamed. “Thank you. Do I pay you now?”

He nodded, and I fished my wallet from my back pocket.

Once he’d stuffed the folded bills into his bag, he extended a hand.

“Welcome aboard.” I took it and stepped into the stern.

Nick pointed to the orange life preservers near the cockpit.

“In case you need one. The owner would be happy if you wore one, but it’s your choice.

” His eyes sparkled. “You don’t look as if you’re about to dive off the boat. ”

I snickered. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be my first choice.” I sat on the padded seat next to the console. “I’m Gio, by the way.”

“I’m Nick.” He reached down to start the engine, then pulled away from the dock. It wasn’t until we were about forty or fifty feet from the shore that I remembered my groceries.

Oops .

“So how long does it take to see the entire island by boat?”

Long enough that my milk and other chilled foodstuffs were going to go off sitting out in the open?

Oh well . I guessed I’d be doing more shopping when this little jaunt was over.

“That depends on our speed.” Nick pointed toward the land. “See the ring road? There’s a bus that takes about an hour to complete a circuit.” He steered the boat north. “So… are you here on vacation?”

“Not exactly. I’m a writer. A friend loaned me the use of his bungalow for a few months.”

He gave a polite smile. “Sounds like a good friend. You’re from the States?”

“San Francisco.” I stared at the lush dense canopy that covered the island as far as the eye could see. “Which is nothing like this.”

“It is a beautiful place,” he agreed. Nick pointed to the highest peak. “That’s Mount Pahia. Legend says the war god Oro descended from there on a rainbow.”

I grinned. “I love rainbows. Where I live, you can’t walk down the street without seeing one every few feet.

” When he gave me a puzzled glance, I chuckled.

“I live in the Castro, which is kind of the gay heart of San Francisco. Pride flags everywhere.” He fell silent, and I supplied an answer to his unspoken question. “And yes, I’m gay.”

“I see.” He smiled. “Then you came to the right place. Bora-Bora is very LGBTQ+ friendly. We get a lot of same-sex weddings here. The resorts are pretty inclusive.”

That had been one of the first things I’d researched.

I gazed at the tree-covered slopes of the mountain. “Is it possible to hike up there?”

“Yes. It’s a fantastic trek through orchards, forests, orchid fields and fern-covered crevices.”

I smiled. “You sound as if you’re reading from a brochure. Is it something you’ve done yourself?”

He nodded. “Sometimes I work for a travel company that organizes jeep safaris around the interior of the island. But in my opinion, it’s best to explore it on foot.

” He pointed to the second peak. “That’s Mount Otemanu.

You get the most amazing panoramic views of the atoll from up there.

But I’ve hiked up to Mount Pahia too.” Nick smiled.

“The trail can be a little slippery and it’s a good mix of fun and danger. Amazing views from the top.”

I grinned. “I think that just got added to my To Do list.”

Nick pointed to the shore. “Over there are American cannons, left from the Second World War. The airport where you landed was once a US air base.”

I left my gaze drift along the shore line. “The island lives up to its name, doesn’t it?”

He blinked. “You know what Bora-Bora means?”

I recalled what I’d read. “ Pora pora mai te pora ? Created by the gods?” That earned me another blink, and I chuckled. “I probably mangled that. As for how I know, I’m used to doing a lot of research. Before I left the US I made a point of learning all I could about the place.”

Nick bit his lip. “You’re remarkably well-informed.”

The more he spoke, the more obvious it became that Nick was an articulate, intelligent man.

“I know they speak Tahitian and French here. Do you speak either of those?” I was still trying to place the slight accent filtering through his speech. It definitely wasn’t French, but maybe German, Danish, Icelandic or even Dutch. His English was excellent.

“I speak French, which I hated learning when I was growing up, but for which I’m thankful now.”

“Where did you grow up?”

Nick glanced at me, his smile reserved. “Not around here.” He returned his attention to his steering. “What do you write? Are you an author, a journalist, an academic?”

“I write fiction.”

His eyes lit up. “And would I have heard of you?”

I let out a wry chuckle. “I don’t think I’d find one of my titles on your Kindle, put it that way.”

“An observant writer, clearly.” He fired me another glance. “You’re not going to give me your pen name, are you? Or do you write as yourself?”

“No, on both counts.” If he could be reserved, then so could I.

Nick drove the boat around the northern headland, and I tried not to smile when we passed Roger’s bungalow. He continued to point out various landmarks, and it was clear he knew a lot about the island.

“So this is what you do for a living?” Except I already knew the answer to that.

What intrigued me was what his response would be.

“I do this and that,” he said with a wave of his hand.

“It depends on the weather and the season. I have plenty to keep me busy.” His impassive expression came as a surprise.

Up until that moment he’d been relaxed and friendly, and it was as if his last statement had served to remind him of something.

I had the impression it was something unpleasant.

I studied him surreptitiously.

Why do you need to be occupied? Is it to keep your mind from taking you to places you’d rather not go?

There was a depth to him, and it drew me in, compelling me to learn more. Our conversation was casual, and I yearned to hear more, to fathom the sharp mind I was certain he possessed.

I listened as he talked. For all his knowledge of the island, I couldn’t shake off that feeling of… disconnect, that he was a man out of place, far from home.

Like me.

A lonely man, perhaps?

And that was also like me.

When the impulse seized me, I went with it. “You mentioned hiking. Is that something else you do? I mean, do you take tourists on excursions?”

There was a pause. “I’ve been known to conduct a few tours of the interior, yes.”

“Great. When we get back to dry land, do you think you could give me a business card? In case I’d like to arrange such a tour.” I held my breath.

Say yes. Please say yes.

For reasons I didn’t understand, I wanted to know more about him. For a book? Very possibly, but I knew my motives were more personal than that.

“I can do that, sure.”

For the rest of the trip, I listened to his calm, steady voice as I tried to concentrate on the scenery and not on the young man whose presence kept tugging my attention away from it.

Then it occurred to me I’d better not let him see me get into the boat I’d left moored. Because why would someone hire a boat when they already had one?

I didn’t want Nick to be suspicious.

I wanted him to trust me.

When we arrived at the dock, I took the card he produced, thanked him, and walked toward the road. I watched with relief as a family of four approached him, all carrying snorkeling gear, obviously the booking he’d mentioned. I waited until he’d pulled away from the dock before heading to my boat.

My groceries were toast, but it was so worth it.

After another visit to the supermarket, I took off for the bungalow, and as I steered north, I replayed our conversation in my head.

Kai had been right on two counts. Nick would make a very interesting character, and there was more to him than met the eye.