The peaks and valleys of the ripples sparkled in the sunlight as if someone had cast handfuls of jewels upon the surface of the water. Jinx lay on her stomach in the boat, one arm draped over the side, fingers rhythmically kissing the water as the craft gently rocked back and forth.
“What did you use?” asks the young man sprawled out on the other end of the rowboat with a fishing pole lazily draped across his chest, the line hanging flaccid in the water.
“I don’t remember. Why does it matter to you?” she replies languidly.
“Because my reading’s totally different from yours; that’s why,” he says and kicks her foot idly.
“Don’t kick me. I’ll tell Dad,” she says good naturedly as she sits up and begins taking her top off.
“Don’t do that,” he grumbles.
“What? Are you gonna tell Dad?” she says with a daring smile.
“Duh…you don’t think he’s gonna notice when you change into something else that you don’t have any tan lines? Damn, Jinx, get some self control,” he mutters and pulls his hat over his eyes while she takes her shirt the rest of the way off.
A splash is heard and Jinx curses.
The fellow laughs and says without peeking from beneath the hat, “You dropped it in the water again, didn’t you? Serves you right.”
“Screw you, Pierce,” she snaps.
“I think not,” he says calmly.
Jinx stands up unsteadily in the small boat, balancing carefully for a moment as the craft adjusted to her change in position. Twisting around she dives over the side, catching her foot on the rim of the boat and causing it to suddenly capsize.
A cursing Pierce bobs to the surface several seconds later and begins working at righting the boat, after which he turns his attentions to finding the various equipment that spilled out of it.
With an angry but rather resigned look he throws his hat back in the boat, climbs aboard and begins wringing his clothes out. A faint sound that calls to mind a small rock being tossed into a puddle is heard over and over again. He looks around and finally catches sight of Jinx as she dives and resurfaces repeatedly.
“Stop clowning around. I’m soaking wet and the sun’s going to be going down soon. Come on! I wanna get going,” he complains.
She stops for a moment and looks at him forlornly, her lower lip trembling, her cheeks flushed, and mumbles something.
“What?! Jinx! Come on!” he yells again and this time motions at her with his hand for her to come back to the boat.
She swims over but stays submerged, treading water a few feet from the boat, and says softly, “I can’t find my shirt. It must have sunk…the silver buttons I guess…Pierce, I…Dad will kill me if I come back half naked.”
“Aww, Jinx. You’re such a mess,” he says as he strips off his shirt and hands it to her.
She pulls on the shirt and her face lights up. She clamors over the side of the boat and launches herself at him gripping him in a bear hug, “You’re the best brother eve…”
The boat imbalanced by her sudden movements capsizes again, dumping both occupants with a fantastic splash back in the water.
Pierce resurfaces and sighs, “Dammit, Jinx,” before setting about righting the boat again.
Jinx giggles and begins rounding up the various supplies that float about them bobbing in the jewel like tones of the sunset tinted waters.
