Learning To Swim For Real

Chapter 23: Sightseeing

The next day they took a boat tour of San Francisco Bay. It was beautiful weather, a rare, clear day, with blue sky and fluffy clouds. The water was deep cobalt, and Kelsey and Jack braved the ocean breezes for the entire three hours, remaining on deck, facing into the headwind. Jack, of course, was used to it, but Kelsey surprised him.

"You sure you don't want to go below?" he asked, placing his lips right next to her ear so she could hear him. He was behind her, with his arms around her waist as they faced the direction the boat was heading.

She shook her head vigorously, and he could tell she was smiling.

"I feel like Rose in Titanic," she said, turning her head a little to answer him. She jumped up and down as she was struck by something. "Your name is Jack!" she cried, gripping his arms tighter. She turned to face him, her face practically bulging with excitement. "Oh my god, can you believe it?"

Jack grinned at her. "Oh my god!" he mimicked.

She made a face at him. "I don't care if you think I'm stupid," she declared.

He shook his head. "I don't," he assured her. "I think you're adorable, I do." And he leaned forward and kissed her.

The boat docked at Alcatraz to let some tour groups off, and Kelsey shook her head.

"I can't believe you swam all the way over here from all the way back there," she remarked. She looked back in the direction they'd come. It's really far." She looked at Jack. "How far is it, exactly?"

"It's about a mile and a half," Jack said, "depending on how straight you swim."

"And don't you get cold?" she asked, unzipping Jack's coat a little so she could slip her hands in and hug him under it.

"Yes, you get very cold," Jack said with a laugh. "We all had wetsuits, you realize that, right? We didn't just swim it in our jammers?"

"Oh. No, I didn't realize that," Kelsey said.

The boat had left Alcatraz, and they were again in the open water, and Kelsey turned once more to face forward, enjoying the wind and sun and feeling of freedom.

"Yeah, and the suits give you protection in case the sharks find you, you know?" Jack said, rubbing his chin on her shoulder.

Kelsey whipped around in his arms, sure she'd misheard him.

"Sharks?"

Jack nodded.

"Jack LaGuardia, are you saying there are sharks in San Francisco Bay?" Kelsey asked, her voice rising to a squeak, the beauty around her forgotten.

"Of course," he said, resting his arms on the railing nonchalantly. "Didn't you know that? There are lots of things swimming around here--whales, killer whales--"

"WHAT?"

Kelsey clutched at Jack and pulled herself close to him, as if something might jump over the railing and land on them. She looked over her shoulder suspiciously, though there was nothing there except the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge. It took her a moment to realize Jack was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe.

"Dammit, Jack, are you lying to me?" she asked, slapping at his chest.

He shook his head, wiping his eyes and trying to take a breath. "No, I'm not, but honestly, they're not dangerous, I swear," he gasped, pulling her close and kissing her cheek. "No, wait, I take that back, I don't think anyone's actually seen an orca in San Francisco Bay, okay? There are whales that swim in here sometimes, though, which are perfectly safe, and the sharks are mostly leopard and lemon sharks, which are very docile, I promise." He stroked her hair. "You should've seen your face, though!"