The sun warmed her face and calmed her, much the same as the seas breeze did when it ruffled her hair. She looked completely out of place, standing on the dock in her deep blue designer suit and heels, scanning the rows and rows of boats tied in their berths, but she didnāt care. Slipping off her jacket, she unbuttoned two of the mother of pearl closures that went up the neck of her silk blouse. Her outfit was fine in air-conditioned offices and cars, but it was sweltering outside in the real world.
Glancing down at the slip of paper in her hand, she read again his boatās berthing location. She doubted that heād really thought sheād write it down when he gave it to her, the last time they chatted, but something had made her do it ā marina address and all. What had made her carefully tuck it into her wallet and keep it was beyond her understanding. She was only realizing that sheād intended to make this detour all along.
She smiled as she read his boatās name again: āTime to Ponderā. Pondering is precisely what she had been doing in these long months since they had met on line. Theyād met on line in a writerās chat room. Both had proverbial ādayā jobs, but their hearts were into writing and theyād corresponded for some time about it. Critiquing each otherās works had been very helpful to her especially ā his praise giving her the confidence that she needed to put her writing on the line. While she still kept her previous position, she was beginning to get responses to her efforts at publishing.
But that wasnāt what brought her to the marina on this hot summer afternoon. Jack had sparked her imagination and touched her heart and sheād decided she wanted to meet him. The fact that her most recent business trip had taken her to his town only made it seem like kismet.
Walking carefully along the wooden dock in her high-heeled shoes, she watched for his boat, thinking sheād recognize it from the pictures heād sent. Sure enough, there it floated, all 33 feet of sleek comfort, bobbing on the gentle swells in the harbor. Standing next to it, it occurred to her that she didnāt know how to āknockā on a boat. She knew he was there ā or at least heād said that heād planned to spend the weekend on it ā but part of her had pictured him on deck. She wasnāt comfortable just getting onto someoneās vessel any more than she would have walked into someoneās house.
So even though she felt foolish, she cleared her throat and said. āUhā¦. Ahoy?ā
Thatās when she heard the music coming from below deck, so she summoned up some more courage and called louder, āAhoy, there!ā
The radio was turned down and there he was, poking his head up through the door in the deck. āYes, whatāsā¦ā and then he saw her. She was the last person heād expected to find on this dock, at his boat, but there she stood ā more lovely than he had realized, even from her picture. āLianneā, he breathed, staring. It was awkward for a moment, her standing on the dock, dressed for a cabinet level meeting and him in his trunks and t shirt with a dirty rag in his hand, but she made it work.
āPermission to come aboard?ā she asked and they both laughed. He dropped the rag and stepped up to take her hand.
āPermission granted,ā he answered, waiting while she kicked off her heels and raised her shapely leg over the boatās side. He couldnāt help but watch those legs as her skirt rode up her thighs and he glimpsed the lacy tops of her thigh high stockings. She caught his glance and though her cheeks reddened, she didnāt lower her gaze. āIām glad you came,ā he said softly and she decided that she liked his voice as much as his writing.
āSo am I,ā she smiled, still holding the hand that had helped her aboard. Their eyes were locked on each other for an endless moment and she wondered if they would kiss then. Instead, he released her hand and taking her elbow helped her to one of the cushioned seats on the deck. The sun was setting and the afternoon breeze had picked up somewhat, but it was still hot and perspiration was making her silk blouse stick to her skin. She felt out of place and physically uncomfortable and began to wonder what sheād been thinking ā coming to a marina dressed in a business suit. Even as the thought entered her mind, she knew that it had been a now or never move. If sheād taken the time to go to the hotel and change her clothes, sheād also have changed her mind.
When Jack offered her a cold drink, she gladly accepted wiping some sweat from her brow and smudging her makeup at the same time. She looked up into his face and felt her nerves relax ā he was so obviously pleased to have her there. She also felt heat wash through her body like molten lava as she followed his gaze to the way the wet silk was clinging to her breasts.
Once again, their eyes met and they smiled, accepting both the pleasure of meeting for the first time in the flesh and their attraction to one another. āYou know, āhe said, āI have a shower on board ⦠you look hotter nāhellā¦āand even as he said it they both caught the double meaning and laughed lightly.
āA shower would feel great, ā she agreed and he liked the music of her laughter as she spoke, lingering on his ears. āBut I havenāt brought a change. Iād hate to get back into this sweaty stuff after Iām all clean and coolā
He offered her his hand again. āNo worries. Iām sure Iāve got something that will work for you. Cāmon.ā and he led her into the below deck cabin. She sighed with pleasure as the cooler air hit her and laughed lightly.
āI never thought that your boat would be air-conditioned!ā
He smiled. āHey! What pleasure vessel could live up to its name without it?ā He loved the way her face reddened at the word āpleasureā. Was it possible she was thinking the same way about him?
After giving her a quick explanation of the showerās workings he told her heād be on deckā¦if she needed him.