Chapter 4: Part 1

The still air sat hot and heavy above Samuel's boat. He could use the little outboard motor and would if the wind stayed calm tomorrow. His fuel was low but it was about time he headed back to port for some refueling anyways. He vowed he wouldn't be making any pit stops at any of the bars. Didn't need or want the headache of women hitting on him. Eventually he might want a companion, but he sure as hell wouldn't tell her who he was.



A rueful chuckle rolled up his chest and out his mouth. He shook his head, remembering how empty his life had been back in New York. He could just open his office door and there would be four or five women waiting for him to raise his eyebrow just one millimeter. They'd strip off their clothes, offering him whatever he desired.



It hadn't been him, not really. The money had driven the women to use their bodies like vapid consumers used credit cards. Why invest in a relationship when they could use him then make him pay for it in the months to come.



When he came out here that all stopped. Not the women throwing their bodies at him, but his participating in their crazy antics. With his life almost a third of the way over, he realized he had nothing but houses, cars, boats and money on top of money to show for it. All crap when you got down to it. If he could find something worth loving then everything would gain meaning again. One thing he didn't want was an empty life, devoid of real significance.



Even if he met a nice girl who didn't know he was a mega rich man with money multiplying so fast he couldn't even calculate it in his head, she would eventually find out about the riches and change. They all did. Every time the money thing came up he could see them calculating their future with him.



It disgusted him. All the money in the world couldn't buy happiness. It did get him a nice sailboat where he could escape the crazies and live in peace for a while. Maybe if he met the right girl...Who was he kidding, there was no right girl.



The wind picked up, the sails snapped. The boat tilted and started to swing around almost throwing Samuel overboard. He jumped over the rigging and pulled in a line.



After gaining control of the sails he looked to the east and saw a huge thundercloud building. The weather radio crackled to life. A bad storm was building fast. He pointed his sailboat in the direction of the island he'd spied last night. Maybe the owner would take mercy on a hapless sailor.

Copyright Sara Thacker 2011

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