Page 32 of Winner Takes All

“You’re on. Is there any other prize?” he pushes.

“No way, Victor. I’m confident but I’m not giving you that kind of power. If there’s more of an incentive, you might dive in and wrestle a shark.”

He throws his head back in laughter. The boats all stop and group together so we can chat before everyone spreads out. They fish together in groups like this in case something goes wrong and someone needs help. It’s smart.

Leroy, our guide this afternoon, moves his boat close and shows us how to cast our nets. His hands move with practiced ease, every motion precise and confident. “Watch close, young lady,” he says, giving me a wink. “You don’t wanna embarrass yourself in front of ya man here.”

I laugh at the words while shooting a look Victor’s way. “Believe me, Leroy, I’m the one who makes him embarrassed.”

Victor smirks. “Doesn’t happen, Leroy. I can handle this woman.”

I playfully elbow him as I take my turn with the net. It’s heavier than I thought, and I nearly fall over the side of the boat.

Victor catches my arm. “Careful. We don’t want to be fishing for you.”

I laugh. “That’s only because you couldn’t count me as the biggest catch of the day,” I say as I stick my tongue out at him. He shakes his head as he laughs.

We easily settle into a perfect rhythm, casting and pulling, learning the subtle art of fishing a new area in a new way with men who’ve done this their entire lives. The sun rises in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over us. I relax, completely immersed in the moment. I enjoy talking with Victor, and I also enjoy our comfortable moments of silence.

Soon our conversation drifts back to high school and all of the times we competed with one another. It was fun and pushed me to be who I am today. There were many times I was frustrated, but more times I enjoyed the battles.

“Why were you so dang annoying in high school?” I ask as I cast my net again.

Victor laughs. “Because you were so fun to tease. There were years you were way too serious. I was bringing laughter and competitiveness into your life. You can thank me anytime now.”

I shake my head, smiling despite myself. “I wasn’t overly serious, I was focused.”

“You were focused on being the best at everything,” he teases me. “Everyone knew you’d go places.”

“I wanted to prove myself. Maybe I still do,” I admit.

He glances my way, his smile fading a bit. “Who do you need to prove yourself to? The entire world knows how great you are.”

I blink, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone. “I don’t know if anyone’s ever asked me that. I’m not sure,” I honestly tell him. He grins again, seeming to like that I’m not blowing off his words.

He’s right, though. Why do I constantly try to prove I’m capable and better than others? I like who I am. I’m motivated, and while I might not be the best at everything, I certainly never shy away from trying new things. I don’t allow life to slip past me.

More time passes and Victor startles me as he lets out a triumphant whoop. I turn to see him hauling in a massive fish that gleams silver in the sunlight. I let out a groan. No. No. No. We’re at the end of our fishing trip and I’ve been winning until right now.

“Look at this beauty!”

I give him a mock glare. “I’ve seen bigger.”

He throws his head back and laughs. “Come on, Nik, you know you want to declare me King of the Sea.”

I roll my eyes as the other boats start circling back to us, our signal to begin heading back to the docks. I slowly bring my net back in, praying for a last second catch. It doesn’t happen. I have to give the man his due... along with a pouty look.

“Fine. Congratulations, King of the Sea. Let’s see how well you do at our beachside cookout,” I tell him.

He laughs hard at this. “I hope you always challenge me, Nik, because I love it.”

We have an enjoyable ride back to the docks, and I’m amazed at the huge haul of fish our group brings in. We can feed the entire town if we want to.

Once we’re at our spot on the beach, I’m once again blown away. The fishermen’s families have set up a makeshift kitchen that’s waiting for us to create some culinary magic. The fire pits crackle, and the smell of fish and spices fill the air.

Victor and I jump right in, eager to help. One of the women, Marva, shows us how to season the fish, rubbing it with a mixture of scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, and pimento. Victor stays at my side as I watch intently while mimicking Marva’s movements. I’ve watched many cooking videos, but they don’t compare to learning hands-on.

“Careful with that bonnet pepper, Nik, you don’t want to cry before dinner.”

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