Paradise Thriller

Girls In Bikinis

"Where did you ever learn to drive one of those things?" Jolene looked at Clarice skeptically, and Alison agreed Clarice didn't seem like the fun in the sun type.

Clarice shrugged. "Camp counselor in high school. Then I ran the summer aquatics program in college for part of my tuition."

"You go, girl," Jolene said as Clarice straddled one of the waverunners and gestured to Alison to do the same. Alison glanced over at the cameraman who was still on the dock. There was no way she could even approach him with the other three women right there, but maybe there'd be some chance today for her to be on shore herself while Brogan was still out in the water and distracted. It was starting to look like there were a lot less production people on the island than she'd hoped. She shifted her attention back to Clarice, who was explaining the basics.

"You turn the key. It's powered through water that's sucked into the machine and propelled out through the back." Clarice pointed out the throttle. "You don't have to go full out, and remember to try to hit the waves at an angle. Don't turn too sharp or you'll flip it. Climbing back on in open water while it's being tossed around by the waves is no picnic, take it from me.

"Clip the safety cord to your --- do we have an life jackets? Hey Brogan!" she shouted, but her call was lost in the sound of his boat engine.

Jolene snorted. "Don't bother."

Clarice looked at her. "What - "

"Get real, Clarice. You think he wants us to cover up our tits with life jackets?"

Clarice looked at the group and bit her lip. "Please tell me you all know how to swim."

"I grew up in lake country," Miranda said. "I used to go fishing with my Dad." She looked out over the water a few seconds, then turned back and grinned. "So, yeah, I know how to swim."

"I was on the swim team for awhile in high school," Alison said, remembering. That had been their third move that year, and her dad hadn't had any better luck holding onto that job. When they packed up the next time, Alison didn't bother trying out at the new school.

"Yeah, sure," Jolene said. "I was on the swim team in high school, too." She stared back at them as if daring them to question her statement. "Anyway," she shrugged, "I'm not planning to fall off."

Clarice and Alison exchanged a look, then eased their waverunners off the floating deck and into the water. The inflated "banana boat" was already tied onto the back of Alison's waverunner, and Jolene climbed on, gripping the handholds tightly, while still flashing a smile at the cameraman on the dock.

Alison accelerated, tightening the towrope and pulling the banana boat away from the dock. Miranda laid belly-down on the round canvas-covered tube, slipping her hands through the foam grips on each side, arching her back and dangling her legs out over the water.

"Go, matey!" she shouted, and Clarice gunned the engine and took off across the water, with Miranda and tube bouncing behind her, shrieking. Miranda's tube skimmed over the water and Clarice angled outward, the tube grazing the banana boat that was moving along at a more sedate if choppy pace.

Miranda looked like a kid at a water park, Alison thought, as she cautiously increased the speed of her waverunner, glancing back over her shoulder to check on Jolene. When Clarice got to the end of the run and turned, the tube picked up speed, angling in an arc and lifting off the water, Miranda screaming in delight and managing to hang on.

As Alison felt the sea spray on her face she almost, for a moment, could imagine that she was nothing more than a tourist on a tropical island vacation, that she wasn't there to find answers that meant more to her than everything she had worked for at the health club in New York. She couldn't help wondering if Gwennie's thighs had straddled this same waverunner, and she snapped her attention back as a sharp turn into a rolling wave almost capsized her.