It felt like my nerves were about to burst. When Simon and I parted ways a few minutes after I agreed to go sailing with him, I suddenly realized I had committed to a date. A wave of adrenaline passed through me at the thought and uncertainty of being with someone I had just met. It was crazy--I had never done something like that before.

But was it a date? I pushed the thought away as far as possible. He was simply offering to take me sailing--something I had said fascinated me. That didn't indicate it meant romantic interest, and fearing disappointment, I didn't want to jump to conclusions.

It was early afternoon on the day we were to go sailing. The family had just finished lunch and were in the backyard, lounging in wicker chairs and hammocks and feeling the cool breeze as it rose up the hills from the ocean. I, however, immediately departed to my room and changed into my swimsuit. Instead of my sarong, I decided to wear a dress, which took longer than usual to choose. Finally, I settled on a light blue one with thick straps and a fitted waist. Grabbing my sun hat, I left the house unannounced and started on my way to the dock.

As I drew closer, the area was bustling with activity. Quite a few boaters were scattered around but none of them looked like Simon. Suddenly, I felt nervous again. What if he had changed his mind and stood me up? Hoping to prove myself wrong, I carried along further down the main boardwalk. I searched out the sailboats hidden in between motorboats and yachts, and tried to determine which might be his. Apparently, we were to be sailing a boat different from the one I had seen the other day, so I had no clue where to look. Then, much to my relief, I spotted him.

He had just climbed up from the cabin and stood on the deck, glancing around at his work. As I approached closer to the sailboat, I noticed it to be a little smaller than the other, but it was glistening white, clean and well cared for. A single mast rose in the sky with two sails, one in front hanging loosely on the bow and the other still wrapped around the boom towards the back. Simon walked along the boat's edge, inspecting the lines.

Noticing my arrival, he paused and held onto the lines beside him, beholding me with a beaming smile on his face. Then, he jumped onto the dock and greeted me enthusiastically.

"Ready to go?"

"Sure," I said, holding on my hat from the wind.

He led me towards the boat and climbed aboard first. I began to follow, struggling to determine the easiest way to step on as the boat bobbed against the dock. He turned around and likely sensing my hesitancy, held out his hand. This time I didn't hesitate but quickly accepted, placing my hand in his as he helped me onto the boat. He stepped down into the cockpit as I boarded, giving me room to find my footing. Instead, I only found myself disappointed by the lack of proximity between us. There was something in his touch I couldn't help but notice.

"Welcome to my ship," he said with a cheesy grin, extending his arms to gesture at his boat.

"So is this yours?" I said, following him into the cockpit.

"Well, it's my uncle's," he said. "But it's as good as mine, I suppose. We share it. Anyway, I checked the rigging and pulled them out of their cleats so we are just about ready to go." He began unwrapping the mainsail from its cover and then pulled out a line connected to the boom, which swung loosely over the deck. Then he re-tied it. "Look out for this thing here," he said, slapping the boom. "It sways when we change direction, so you always want to keep that in mind--or else you'll end up with a concussion. But I'll let you know when we do that."

"Good to know," I said, raising my eyebrows. Realizing this might turn into a sailing lesson, I added, "Anything you need me to help with?"

He laughed lightly. "Wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me now, would it? No, I can manage. You just enjoy the ride."

At that, he peered up at the flags on the mast and watched them flapping in the wind for a moment, before releasing us from the dock. The sailboat began to rock freely and I put my hand against the side of the cockpit, taken by surprise by its sudden movement. I peered down into the water, which seemed to rise only inches away from the boat deck.

Once he had us out into the bay, he steered the boat towards the direction of the wind. Noticing I observed his actions closely, he explained, "We need to point the boat into the wind to get the least amount of resistance to hoist the sails." Then he glided across the side to the bow and secured the headsail, before walking back and securing the mainsail. He stepped closer to me, pulled tight on a line connected to the end of the boom and wrapped it around what I assumed was the cleat. Then he turned to me. "Ready?"

"Sure," I said, repositioning myself in my seat.

Grasping a line in his hands, he pulled down and the mainsail started to rise. Instantly, it flapped freely in the ocean breeze, but with Simon's quick hoisting, the sail was raised and pulled tight in a matter of seconds. After securing the line, he moved forward to the bow and hoisted the headsail as well. The boat was already moving as the mainsail had begun to harness the wind. Quickly, however, Simon walked to the helm, grasping the lines to hold himself up as he did so. Then he motioned for me to join him as he steered the boat slightly off the wind, causing it to accelerate even further and push us out to sea.

"Here," he said, stepping aside. "Take the wheel and keep it where it's at--just to make sure we stay on course."

"Oh! Okay," I said, startled by my involvement. Nervousness reappeared as the uncertainty of doing my job correctly overwhelmed my mind.

Sensing my hesitancy, he said, "It's okay. It's simple. Just hold onto it." He left my side and pulled the mainsail at an angle, before making his way to the bow and tightening the headsail. The boat began to tilt under the force of the wind and I adjusted my footing, all while trying to keep my focus on the helm.

Well, this is new, I thought, gaining a little more confidence in my steering. It wasn't what I expected but wasn't bad either. In fact, I was beginning to enjoy it, especially as I watched Simon working the sails with enthusiasm. I witnessed his concentration up close and personal--the way he glided along the edge, not looking down once at the placement of his feet, and how he focused on the sail, tightening it just perfectly to harness the wind before tying the lines around the cleats. Suddenly, I was upon the realization that sailing was in his blood.

Once he had finished cleating the line to the headsail, he walked back and released the mainsail. It began to flap rapidly in the wind but quickly grew quiet as he pulled it tight again. Then he came back to the stern and took over the wheel.

"Pretty good," he said. "You might be a sailor yet."

I laughed. "So is that it?" I said, my tone bordering on sarcasm.

"Mostly. Now we enjoy the ride."

I clasped my hands behind my back as I stood beside him. "That's a lot of work, especially for one person."

"It's not too bad once you get the hang of it. It's even bet'ter when it's your favorite thing to do--well, second favorite." He cracked a smile.

"So what was all that you were doing?" I said, quick to change the subject.

"That's called trimming. You pull on the jib sheet--that's the line--to adjust the jib--that's the front sail--and then the main sheet for this sail." He pointed to the massive sail above our heads. "Now we can steer the boat at an angle to catch the wind while watching the sails. If they start luffing, we need to adjust our course because that means we are heading into the wind too much and won't be get'ting anywhere. When you sail a boat, you steer in a zig-zag towards the wind," he explained, gesturing a zig-zag motion with his hand, "so you can get to your destination in the most efficient way."

"Interesting," I said, looking up at the sails before peering into the distance. "And where is our destination?"

"You'll see," he said with a wink. "I thought I'd take you to one of my favorite places."

We remained silent for the next several minutes, enjoying the cool breeze as drops of water sprayed across the boat. We had already sailed a good distance away from the island, allowing us to see Antigua's dotted green coastline and stretches of white sand. The water was growing darker as we ventured away from the shallow shore.

I climbed back down to the cockpit and sat along the edge, removing my hat and setting it beside me. I finally realized it was impossible to wear on a sailboat and decided to soak up the sun instead, savoring the warmth on my face. Reaching my fingers out along the water, I peered ahead and watched the water daring to rise above deck. The sailboat was leaning more dramatically now but Simon's demeanor told me he was in control. I gazed up at him, standing steady with his legs apart and his hands on the chrome wheel. His hair danced in the wind and his loose clothing blew carelessly against his body. Staring ahead, his eyes squinted in the sunlight as he focused on, what I assumed, was our destination. Fast approaching was a small piece of land.

He stepped away from the helm and walked towards me. "We're going to change direction a lit'tle. Watch the boom," he said, passing me by as he made his way to the bow again.

Unsure of what to expect but ready to heed any caution, I watched him release the jib sheet while pulling tight on the other. Suddenly, the boom swung to the other side, the mainsail shifting position and the boat tilting with it. Again, I instinctively grasped the edge of the boat but released my grip with more confidence than before. It was exciting to be on a boat moving with the wind, and I was beginning to understand why Simon loved it so much.

He darted to the stern, slightly steering the boat back on course to keep the mainsail full of air and pushing us to our destination. Only a few minutes passed as we approached closer to a small island. He began releasing the lines and after the sails relaxed, he returned to the helm and turned us into the wind. Before I could realize what was happening, we were nearly at a standstill and everything fell silent.

As the sailboat rocked with the soft waves, Simon reeled out the anchor and dropped it into the sand below. I peered down into the water and up towards shore, noticing how shallow it was as the water faded into a blue-green hue.

"Yeah, it's shallow here," he said, reading my thoughts. "That's why we anchor the boat out here. Are you alright with swimming to shore?"

"Yes, that's fine," I said, thankful for my swimsuit underneath my dress. I had not known what was in store for my boat ride but I knew it was best to be prepared for anything. "So this is your favorite place?"

"Yeah. I discovered it myself while sailing around a while back. No one hardly ever comes here--it's just a small, insignificant island with lots of rocks and sand but it's away from the tourists so I like it." He paused. "Sorry."

"Don't worry," I said, putting my palms out in reassurance. "I don't blame you. This is the kind of place I need sometimes."

He stepped over to me. "To get away?"

"Yeah."

"Sounds like you have some things on your mind."

I nodded, a sad smile escaping onto my lips.

"Well, allow me to take them away for a while," he said with a grin. "You ready?" Without waiting for an answer, he began taking his clothes off and stripping down to his swim shorts. Trying to hide my surprise and not overthink the situation, I began to undress as well. Much to my relief, he didn't watch but instead stepped onto the boat ledge and dove into the ocean, splashing me with water in the process. I laughed as he surfaced and shook the water from his hair. Then, I folded my dress and placed it on the seat of the cockpit, before stepping cautiously on the ledge.

"Are there sharks?" I said with a joking grin.

He glanced around into the water. "Just me," he replied, returning the smile.

Sitting down, I slipped my legs cautiously in the water and then jumped off the boat. I rose quickly to the surface, brushing my hair away from my face as I met Simon's gaze.

"Aw, that was disappointin'," he said, thickening his accent.

I splashed him in response, but he only dodged it and started swimming away. Gliding on his back, he motioned for me to follow, leading the way until we could touch the sand and climb onto the secluded beach.

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According to the stories, there actually were sharks on the set for the Rio video. Simon just didn't know about it until he was already in the water. Haha no thanks!

Thank you for reading :)