it’s a good idea to go down hypothetical roads. Let’s just worry about the one I’ve proposed.”
Ethan needed a drink. He swiveled on his stool and searched the room. “Where’s that waitress anyway?”
His phone rang. “Dammit,” he muttered under his breath before he answered.
“Sorry, Ethan. We need you. I know you’re on a date...”
“That’s okay. She knew this could happen.”
In a way, he was glad it did. The conversation was not going well, and he wouldn’t be heartbroken to leave it.
Brigit straightened and looked at him with raised eyebrows.
“There’s a tug in Ipswich that got its lines wrapped around the ship’s propeller. We sent Parker, knowing you were busy, but now his lines are wrapped around the damn thing too.”
“So you need me to go to Ipswich, tow two tug boats and a ship to a dock, and then unravel them?”
“Yup. That’s about the size of it.”
“Jesus,” he muttered under his breath. “Tell them I’ll be on my way in five minutes.” He disconnected the call and dropped the phone back into its holster.
“I’m sorry Brigit. I’ve got to go.” He dug his wallet out of his back pocket.
“Oh, no. Don’t pay for my drink.”
“I asked you out and you came from some distance. I don’t know how far, because you won’t tell me...” He didn’t mean to sound angry. “Sorry. I’m just frustrated that we have to leave things so unfinished.” He flipped a few bills onto the counter. “Anyway. Here’s enough to cover dinner. I’ll call you tomorrow, and we’ll reschedule.”
“I don’t know, Ethan...”
“Don’t know about what? Rescheduling our date?”
“Yeah. I don’t know if dating is a good idea.”
He never cared for rejection, but he’d learned to accept it. “It’s up to you. We can forget the whole thing right now—”
“No! I mean...call me when things are settled down. Okay?”
“Fine, but I really need to think this over. It might be a couple of days.”
“Please keep an open mind.”
“I will if you will,” he said, and strode out the door.
* * * *
H is evening sucked. He didn’t get home until one o’clock in the morning, exhausted and pissed off. They’d had to cut the lines in fifty foot increments to get them untangled. When the crisis was over, he couldn’t stop thinking about how Brigit wanted to distance herself from him—as if he were a propeller, ready to chew her up. He grabbed a beer and took it to the living room.
“Rough night?” Charlotte asked.
“The worst.” After a long pause, he figured, What the hell. She’s a ghost, but she was a woman first. “Charlotte, I’m not a vain man, but I don’t think I’m hard to look at, am I?”
“Oh, dear. Did the brunette run away screaming? I thought she seemed a little high strung,” said his corporeally challenged friend.
He dropped onto the couch. “No. Not at all, but I asked one question that froze her.”
“Yikes. Frigid Brigid? It sounds like someone is earning a nickname worse than mine. What happened? Did she just lay there?”
“We didn’t even get that far. Hell, we didn’t even make it to dinner. I got called in for an emergency. I just asked if things were to change between us, how flexible she’d be.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Yeah. It’s hard to explain.”
“Try. I’m not going anywhere.”
He stifled a chuckle. “Well, it’s kind of insulting, actually.”
Charlotte was silent, so he couldn’t gauge her mood. He’d prefer not to be laughed at, but she could be weirdly understanding at times too. Oh well. Might as well get it off my chest. If she laughs, she laughs.
“I asked Brigit what would happen if we dated and fell in love. Would she hold me to that stupid contract or could we reevaluate it?”
“What contract?”
“Didn’t I tell you about how she wanted my sperm, but not my interference? She insisted on my giving up all rights and responsibilities of fatherhood.”
“Yes, I know that’s
Ethan needed a drink. He swiveled on his stool and searched the room. “Where’s that waitress anyway?”
His phone rang. “Dammit,” he muttered under his breath before he answered.
“Sorry, Ethan. We need you. I know you’re on a date...”
“That’s okay. She knew this could happen.”
In a way, he was glad it did. The conversation was not going well, and he wouldn’t be heartbroken to leave it.
Brigit straightened and looked at him with raised eyebrows.
“There’s a tug in Ipswich that got its lines wrapped around the ship’s propeller. We sent Parker, knowing you were busy, but now his lines are wrapped around the damn thing too.”
“So you need me to go to Ipswich, tow two tug boats and a ship to a dock, and then unravel them?”
“Yup. That’s about the size of it.”
“Jesus,” he muttered under his breath. “Tell them I’ll be on my way in five minutes.” He disconnected the call and dropped the phone back into its holster.
“I’m sorry Brigit. I’ve got to go.” He dug his wallet out of his back pocket.
“Oh, no. Don’t pay for my drink.”
“I asked you out and you came from some distance. I don’t know how far, because you won’t tell me...” He didn’t mean to sound angry. “Sorry. I’m just frustrated that we have to leave things so unfinished.” He flipped a few bills onto the counter. “Anyway. Here’s enough to cover dinner. I’ll call you tomorrow, and we’ll reschedule.”
“I don’t know, Ethan...”
“Don’t know about what? Rescheduling our date?”
“Yeah. I don’t know if dating is a good idea.”
He never cared for rejection, but he’d learned to accept it. “It’s up to you. We can forget the whole thing right now—”
“No! I mean...call me when things are settled down. Okay?”
“Fine, but I really need to think this over. It might be a couple of days.”
“Please keep an open mind.”
“I will if you will,” he said, and strode out the door.
* * * *
H is evening sucked. He didn’t get home until one o’clock in the morning, exhausted and pissed off. They’d had to cut the lines in fifty foot increments to get them untangled. When the crisis was over, he couldn’t stop thinking about how Brigit wanted to distance herself from him—as if he were a propeller, ready to chew her up. He grabbed a beer and took it to the living room.
“Rough night?” Charlotte asked.
“The worst.” After a long pause, he figured, What the hell. She’s a ghost, but she was a woman first. “Charlotte, I’m not a vain man, but I don’t think I’m hard to look at, am I?”
“Oh, dear. Did the brunette run away screaming? I thought she seemed a little high strung,” said his corporeally challenged friend.
He dropped onto the couch. “No. Not at all, but I asked one question that froze her.”
“Yikes. Frigid Brigid? It sounds like someone is earning a nickname worse than mine. What happened? Did she just lay there?”
“We didn’t even get that far. Hell, we didn’t even make it to dinner. I got called in for an emergency. I just asked if things were to change between us, how flexible she’d be.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Yeah. It’s hard to explain.”
“Try. I’m not going anywhere.”
He stifled a chuckle. “Well, it’s kind of insulting, actually.”
Charlotte was silent, so he couldn’t gauge her mood. He’d prefer not to be laughed at, but she could be weirdly understanding at times too. Oh well. Might as well get it off my chest. If she laughs, she laughs.
“I asked Brigit what would happen if we dated and fell in love. Would she hold me to that stupid contract or could we reevaluate it?”
“What contract?”
“Didn’t I tell you about how she wanted my sperm, but not my interference? She insisted on my giving up all rights and responsibilities of fatherhood.”
“Yes, I know that’s
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