Distracted: Chapter Eight

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After a dinner of lukewarm tomato soup and ham sandwiches, Spence put the boat on autopilot and opened a bottle of wine. Filling a goblet half way, he handed it to Erin. "You really don't cook, do you?"

"I warned you," she said, stung. "I can make some things. Steak. Salad. Bread."

"You can make bread?"

"Well, I can toast it. Sometimes," she amended, taking the wine from him and raising the glass to her lips. She sighed.

She turned her head to the west, watching out the large windows as the last ray of the sun slipped beneath purple clouds. All day she had watched the starboard shore as they hugged the coastline. Now it was colluded with the setting sun.

"Let's go forward," Spence suggested, breaking her reverie.

Erin followed Spence out of the cabin, walking with care along the hull toward the trampoline. He placed his glass and the bottle on top of a locker and stepped onto the springy tarp. Erin had wanted to walk on the trampoline all day, but was afraid of the open mesh and its proximity to the ocean.

"It won't break, will it?"

"It's safe. Come on; let's watch the stars come out."

Spence opened another forward locker and pulled out two pillows, which he tossed onto the trampoline. Then he stretched out, his head cushioned, his glass cradled on his bare stomach. It reminded Erin of his hammock.

She handed him her wine glass, then stepped onto the trampoline, making him roll. He lifted the glasses to save the deep red liquid from spilling.

"Oops. Sorry." She sat and crossed her legs.

He handed her the glass, tapped his against it and said, "To Fusion."

"Confusion," Erin quipped.

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Bad joke."

Sitting next to Spence did confuse her. She could feel his body heat, he was so close. And, his scent overwhelmed her.

"What's that fragrance you're wearing?" she asked.

He chuckled. "Men don't wear 'fragrance,' babe. They wear cologne. That would be sweat and maybe a touch of diesel fuel. What you're saying is I stink."

Erin shook her head slightly, his gentle humor relieving a bit of her discomfort. "No, you don't stink. And don't call me 'babe'."

"That bothers you, doesn't it?"

Erin didn't answer. Did it bother her, or was it something else?

"It's important that you remember we're not on vacation. We need to keep a working relationship."

"Relationship? You said you'd get a puppy if you wanted a relationship."

With a severe expression she said, "Spence, there are many types of relationships. The one I'm speaking about now is respect between two people who are ..." She stopped as he grabbed her knee.

"A meteor shower!" He pointed skyward and, dropping his hand to her shoulder, pulled her to the trampoline beside him. "Watch. There at nine o'clock."

Erin did as she was told, her mouth open in surprise, her eyes wide and searching. Then she gasped. "I see one," she said, pointing with glee. "Oh my, I've never seen so many stars. They seem so close."

They remained on the bridge deck, sipping wine and watching stars for another hour before Spence said they were nearing their destination for the night.

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