"Better get down here." he called to Phoebe.
She rose and made her wav beside him. Roger gunned the engine, and we were bouncing over the waves. Ashley and Posy screamed with glee. Randy was smiling, and Wally was finding music on the CD unit. I couldn't help but be excited. The water. the sunshine, and the wind were all invigorating.
"Like Florida a little more now?" Ashley shouted at me.
I nodded. smiling. I saw Phoebe gaze at me and turn back to whisper something in Roger's ear. They both laughed, and he slowed down.
"Get in the water, Wally. We don't have all day. Stop fiddling with the music. Who the hell can hear it anyway?"
"Right, right." Wally said. "Prepare yourself for a real treat," he told me, and slipped on a life vest. Then he dropped the skis into the water and jumped in.
Phoebe attended to the line and handle and moments later signaled to Roger that Wally was ready. He began to accelerate the boat. and Wally rose out of the water. I was genuinely surprised at how agile he looked and how well he moved, bouncing on the waves, following the wake the boat created. Very soon he was showing off, lifting one leg and skiing with only one.
Phoebe said something to Roger, and he began to speed up and turn the boat more sharply. Wally did his best but finally took a fiop, flipping over in the water, the rope and handle flying ahead and bouncing over the waves.
"Is he all right?" I cried.
"He's fine," Ashley said.
We circled until he was alongside the boat. Phoebe reeled in the line and handle.
"You bastard. Winston!" he shouted.
Roger gunned the engine and pulled away from him, leaving him bobbing in the water. We could hear him screaming. Roger made a wider circle, leaving him there longer. When we pulled up alongside him this time, he was silent.
"Nice." he said, climbing aboard.
"You ready to try it?" Phoebe asked me. I looked at the others. Randy looked worried.
"I don't think so," I said.
"What do you mean, you don't think so? We wasted time and money picking you up. How many kids your age get this kind of an opportunity?" Phoebe snapped at me. You want to be with us, you've got to be initiated. Get in the water. Wally, get back in there with her, and show her how to set up."
"Sure," he said eagerly,
"We're too far out in the ocean," I moaned.
"Oh, we are not. Like you really were a Navy person. Roger, tell her."
"We're very close to shore here, and these are relatively calm waters. Nothing is going to happen to you. Once you're up, you'll love it," he said.
"Everyone here has done it," Phoebe insisted,
I looked at Randy. He looked down, which was enough to tell me that it wasn't so. Nevertheless I could see Phoebe wasn't going to be satisfied until I tried to water-ski.
"Okay," I said.
Randy handed me a life vest. and I slipped it on. My legs were trembling. but I sat on the edge of the boat and slowly dropped into the water. It was warmer than I had expected. Wally dove in and brought me the skis. He fit my feet into each one. My legs were going every which way on their own.
Phoebe threw the rope, nearly hitting me with the handle.
"All right," Wally said. "This is easy. Hold the handle here," he instructed. "Get the rope between your skis, points up. Come on."
"I'm trying."
"Get them up," he urged, and then he came around behind me and took hold of the handle, making me pull it closer to me. "I'll help you get those skis up," he said. He put his hands on my waist. "Come on, point them up."
I did it, and he dropped his hands to my rear end, cupping it and lifting me.