Page 25 of Changing Tides
“Last pot and we’ll be done.”
“Whatever. My interest in shellfish has diminished exponentially. I need to lie down.” Marianne sat back from the side and lowered her hood as they slowed to anchor by the pots. Joey could see a sheen of sweat across her face and felt sorry for her, despite the rudeness.
They pulled up the last pots and showed Denny the lobsters from a safe distance before dropping them into their tanks.
“All done. I’ll get you back now and drop these over to the Waterside.”
“What about your delivery to the mainland?”
Joey had been avoiding talking about that. “I’m thinking of selling to one of the distributors for a while. It’s not worth me doing deliveries.”
The truth was Joey was terrible at finding new customers. They’d depended far too much on the Waterside and Batiya, and now their market had been almost halved. They should be doing something to find more custom. They vowed they’d get onto it when Marianne had moved out of their house.
Joey pinched the bridge of their nose. They’d had so many plans for local fishing cooperatives and new markets a few years ago, but they’d quickly settled back into familiar ways, and the van they’d invested in was barely half full on most trips. They earned enough to get by, and that had always been enough.
Marianne pulled herself up to full height and she grasped Joey’s hand. “Your lobsters are amazing. There’s a market out there that would be all over a story about a local fisher. You just need to sell yourself.”
Joey reversed their grip, so they held Marianne’s long fingered hand. The feeling of her touch was magical. They made eye contact for a moment and wondered if what they thought they saw in her eyes was just wishful thinking.
“Let’s get you a job and then you can help me reinvent myself as the go-to shellfish supplier on the west coast.”
Marianne turned suddenly and finally treated the fish to her secondhand Pinot Grigio.
Joey was waiting with a tissue when she finally finished retching. Taking it, Marianne turned away.
“I’m sorry, I’m a disgrace.”
“You’re not. You’re just sad. Things will get better.” Joey hoped that was true.
They focused on getting them back as quick as possible. Marianne couldn’t get back on dry land soon enough.
“Look, Denny’s happy and warm. Why don’t we leave you to get some rest and he can help me with my deliveries?”
Marianne blinked. “You’d do that for me?”
“It’s for Denny, too. He loves it.” Denny’s perch allowed him to see out into the sea while still protected from the wind by the wheelhouse. He was currently giggling away to himself.
Marianne rubbed her head again. “If you’re sure, I’d love a lie down.”
“We’ll have a grand time, won’t we, Denny?”
“Boat,” shouted Denny.
“See? Go get some sleep. We’ll be back later.”
Letting Marianne off the boat was a relief, and they traveled on happily with Denny. When they got to the harbor they moored up and took Denny up the steps.
“Jacky.” The lifeboat tractor driver and ferry operative sat on a stone bollard, sucking on a pipe Joey knew wouldn’t be lit. Jacky liked the look of the pipe but he preferred his vape.
“Joey O’Hara. When did you have a babby?” He grinned.
“You know he’s not mine, Jacky, don’t be an eejit.”
“He suits you, so.”
Joey rolled their eyes. “Would you just be able to hold him for a few minutes? I’ll bring his stroller up now, and we can get him in.”
Jacky took Denny and sat him on his shoulders.
