sonja Henie

By Roger Arsht

Read previous episodes here.

     “I’ve met those type of men.” Cathy said with a laugh. “Where do you keep them?” 

     “I have a house in the country, and a barn that stables cars instead of horses. I buy the cars, and I pay my siblings who work in the family business to restore them when I don’t have the time.” 

     “Between your work and your hobby, where do you find time to date?” 

     “I don’t have the time.” 

     “Please tell me if my questions are too personal. How did you decide on trying Secrets Kept?” 

     “I am frankly…uncompromising about cars, work, and men. This attitude, for better or worse, has caused me to dump dozens of men who I found uninteresting or under-motivated. The whole Secrets Kept thing was a lark. My friend Brooke dared and pestered me to write a letter to Bertie, I mean Richard. I didn’t expect him to respond, and I didn’t expect to be stuck in a bathtub with a famous author asleep on top of me. Truthfully, the whole thing has been unpredictable and exciting. I should stop complaining. It’s the most fun I’ve had in years.” 

     “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Really. You are if I can be so bold…intimidating.”  

     This time it was Annie’s turn to laugh. “As a woman working on yachts, you must face the same types of discrimination that I do.” 

     “I do. I’ll tell you about it on the way back. We’re here,” Cathy, who was navigating, exclaimed. 

     As they approached the farm, dogs were running hither and thither. The breeder, Frank Wilson, couldn’t have been more amiable, but he wouldn’t tell the women which puppy was theirs. Annie and Cathy watched the litter carefully. A black and white feisty little thing, who was wrestling with her siblings, caught their eye. “Is that the one?” Annie asked. Frank Wilson nodded with a smile. 

     “She’s a handful. She doesn’t take any guff from her litter mates even though she’s the smallest,” the breeder shared with pride.  

     It took Annie a minute to corral the energetic pup. She pulled the puppy to her chest, and it was love at first sight.  

     “That was easy,” Cathy said, excitedly. 

     “So much simpler than Richard,” Annie said while paying Frank. The two women laughed hysterically as they walked to the car, which left the breeder wondering who Richard was and what made him so difficult. 

* * * * 

     On the trip back to Annapolis, Cathy shared her history with Annie. She told Annie that she had taken the job of steward on Keeping Secrets even though twelve years of U.S. Naval service as a helmsman aboard a destroyer qualified her for more responsibility. She explained to Annie how she couldn’t be happier working with Captain Ed because he treated her as an equal. “I’m privy to everything that takes place on the yacht. Ed and I share the work equally except in the galley. The man could burn water.” 

     “How does Richard’s condition play into your arrangement?” 

     “Because Ed is Richard’s primary caregiver when he’s having a depressive episode, it’s important that I can pilot Secrets Kept, plot courses, and repair mechanical issues as they arise. I don’t have to deal with the resentment I experienced in the Navy from seaman who were a lower rank and less capable than me. Everything I do is acknowledged and appreciated by Ed and Richard.” 

     “Is there something going on between you and Ed?” Annie asked. 

     “I’d be thrilled to be in a relationship with a man like Ed. However, he doesn’t do it for me. I’m interested in women.” 

     Annie laughed. “That must have frustrated the seaman on your ship.” 

     “I suffered a lot of derision when those guys discovered that I was a lesbian. It wasn’t easy putting up with their abuse. Their fragile egos deflated when they found out I was gay. Unfortunately, men can make an environment toxic when they think they’re being rejected.” 

     “Which wasn’t the truth.” 

     “No, it wasn’t. I was just trying to do my job. I appreciated what you said about not receiving the respect you deserve at work. Richard and Ed are always fair and respectful.” 

     Annie pulled her car into the parking lot at the marina, and then carried the new member of the Secrets Kept crew onboard in her arms. Cathy left Annie immediately upon arriving and took the helm. The yacht was at sea for less than fifteen minutes when it came to a stop and Ed dropped the anchor. Richard made his way topside. Most of his blue period had passed, and the man had a lightness to his step and a smile on his face. He was authentically surprised when a ten-pound Lagotto puppy began nipping at his shoes. Richard knelt to pet the dog when Cathy came into the salon. “Who’s this little girl?” Richard asked. 

     “She doesn’t have a name. I think Annie was hoping you would choose one.”  

     “Is this a gift? Did she buy this cutie for me?” 

     “I believe that is the case.” 

     Richard knelt and brought the puppy to his chest. Within seconds Richard’s hands and face were soaked from the dog’s kisses. He couldn’t hold onto the dog as it continued to yip, nip, lick, and squirm. The dog jumped from his arms and ran circles around the author. “She’s a beauty.” Richard eventually caught the Lagotto and put her on his lap so he could inspect the puppy’s black and white fur. After playing with the dogs for a few minutes, he turned his head toward Cathy with a puzzled look and inquired why Secrets Kept wasn’t moving. 

     “We have a problem with the bow thruster. It stopped responding as we were leaving port. Ed believes the problem is in the control unit.” Cathy said with a smile that escaped her normally professional façade. 

     “We’re not moving. The port thruster is out of commission, and you find the situation amusing. What am I missing?”  

     “Annie is more than a financial guru. She’s in the engine room knee-deep in oil and hydraulic fluid. She is showing Ed how the hydraulic control unit can be rebuilt with the spare parts we keep on board. She says the process is like bleeding a brake line on a car.” 

     Richard’s eyes were wide with surprise. He handed the puppy to Cathy and made his way down a series of stairwells to the bow of the yacht and through a watertight door. He heard their voices before he saw them. 

     “Clamp the line here while I reattach it to the pump.” 

     “Got it.” Richard heard Ed say. 

     “Release the clamp and we’ll see if the pump will push the air from the line. If it doesn’t, we’ll need to bleed it manually.” 

     “You’re not going to do what I think you’re going to do?” 

     Richard heard a series of spits and coughs. It was clear that Annie had cleared the air from the line by sucking the hydraulic fluid into her mouth. 

     “That’s it.” Annie said with gusto as she continued to spit the remaining drops of hydraulic fluid from her mouth. 

     “I’m going topside to test it out.” Ed said as he passed Richard. The two men’s eyes met. “Who knew?” Ed said with a shrug. 

     Richard moved to where Annie had been working and admired how comfortable she looked in the now-stained cotton t-shirt Ed had loaned her. She was cleaning the ship’s tools with a rag when she saw Richard. “Guilty.” Annie said with a smile. 

     “What are you doing?” 

     “Frankly. I’m having a blast. I haven’t taken something apart in years. You didn’t skimp when you bought this yacht. The Cummins engines, the generators, and the pumps are topnotch. You should see the bearings inside the thruster pump. It’s what you’d find in an expensive car.” 

     “I knew I bought a good one. I didn’t know it was that good.” 

     “Trust me. It is.” Annie said with a nod. 

     “Come upstairs when you’re ready. I’d like to know why you know that this is such a great yacht.” Richard said with a smile. “I think there are a lot of things I need to discover about you. You surprise me every day.” Richard turned to leave the engine room before turning back. “And I think we need to give our spunky new friend a name.” 

     “I have a better idea. Get your swimsuit on and meet me on the swim deck. Let’s see if she likes swimming.” 

     The swim deck on the yacht was lowered to a few inches below the surface of the water. The puppy nervously walked around the teak platform but wouldn’t venture beyond the edges. Annie pulled the dog to her chest and slid into the water. She paddled a few seconds before releasing the puppy who sputtered at first, and then found her rhythm. Within seconds, she was safely back on the platform where Richard was waiting. She greeted him with a vigorous shake of her body which soaked every inch of the man to his delight. Annie swam to the swim deck and took the dog away again. This time she confidently swam back to where Richard was sitting. 

     “Sonja.” 

     “What did you say?” Annie said while floating a few feet off the deck. 

     “Sonja Henie, The Finnish Olympic swimmer. We should call the dog Sonja.” 

     “How about a name from the 21st century?” Annie laughed and then continued. “Also, Sonja Henie was a figure skater, and she was Norwegian. I was thinking something Italian. How about Evelina? We’ll call her Lina.” 

     “I love it.” Richard said as he slid into the water next to Annie while Lina happily paddled around them.