Denna and she shot him a look that could probably turn most men to ash where they stood.
I stayed on deck to continue with my last minute preparations while considering my new arrivals and hoping they wouldn't destroy my ship while they were left to their own devices.
Denna was a very attractive woman, yes, she had a certain coldness about her but it seemed like a veil of protection she shrouded herself in. Jack was clearly, or at least he thought he was, a Casanova, possibly used to women falling at his feet, however, I couldn't imagine Denna falling at any man's feet. It was more likely to be the other way around once she'd wrestled them there. Was I about to embark on a bumpy ride? I sure hoped not, I wasn't good with confrontation.
"Dinner's ready son," my mother called as she joined me on deck. "You might want to join your guests ASAP; those two are going to be a handful. Do you think you can manage them?" she asked, her worry clearly showing on her face. "I get the feeling they're a little different from what you're used to love.” The look of concern in her eyes probably matched the look of bewilderment I had in mine.
“It'll be fine I'm sure mom, they're just...getting off to a rocky start, don't worry, I'll keep you posted.”
"Have a safe journey," she called as she turned and climbed off the boat. I hoped she wasn't stressing too much, she hated it when I left for a trip but we always had radio contact every evening which she had to look forward to.
I headed down to the saloon to join my guests for dinner and drinks, but when I arrived, only Denna waited.
"Good evening," I called as I reached for a beer in the fridge. "Will Jack be joining us?"
"I believe he is off in his cabin stroking his ego," she said dryly, making me choke on my first sip. "I-I hope you like lasagna," I said for lack of anything better as I reached to pull our dinner from the oven.
"Smells wonderful." She smiled, making herself useful by bringing the salad and the bread to the table along with our drinks. I was feeling quite domestic, moving around the kitchen with Denna, talking softly and attempting to avoid awkward conversation and overly long silences, but we seemed to suffer from no such thing. I was remarkably comfortable with the woman who seemed much less cold to me than she had on deck earlier this afternoon.
"Starting without me eh Captain?" Jack called suggestively as he entered the saloon, shifting his leering gaze on Denna and I could see her cool facade return. She did not like our fellow passenger. I suspected Jack had been drinking in his room, a pastime I did not permit aboard my ship. Drinking in the evenings over a meal was fine, but I did not need a drunken sailor failing to follow my orders when it mattered.
"Please join us," I said politely, pointing to a seat opposite me and far from Denna who sat at my side carefully sipping her wine.
"She's a beautiful ship Captain," Jack offered as he helped himself to large servings of everything, not waiting for me to serve which was customary aboard my boat.
"Thank you," I murmured, quickly deciding I did not like Jack at all. I didn't care for the way Denna shrank from his presence, not that she seemed afraid of him, I couldn't imagine her afraid of anyone, but her guard was definitely up.
"You married Captain?" he asked
"No," I replied. "How about you?" I asked Denna hoping to draw her into the conversation. "No," she said softly.
"Don't worry sweetheart, you just need to thaw that cold ice queen thing you've got going on and some man will be more than happy to take you on," Jack said as if her were offering her sage advice.
"Yes, because I'm just dying to catch a man." She smiled a broad fake smile. "Any man will do, so I don't have to be a disgrace all by my lonesome."
I couldn't help but laugh at her dry humor and Jack's obliviousness to her sarcasm. She flashed me a genuine smile as
I stayed on deck to continue with my last minute preparations while considering my new arrivals and hoping they wouldn't destroy my ship while they were left to their own devices.
Denna was a very attractive woman, yes, she had a certain coldness about her but it seemed like a veil of protection she shrouded herself in. Jack was clearly, or at least he thought he was, a Casanova, possibly used to women falling at his feet, however, I couldn't imagine Denna falling at any man's feet. It was more likely to be the other way around once she'd wrestled them there. Was I about to embark on a bumpy ride? I sure hoped not, I wasn't good with confrontation.
"Dinner's ready son," my mother called as she joined me on deck. "You might want to join your guests ASAP; those two are going to be a handful. Do you think you can manage them?" she asked, her worry clearly showing on her face. "I get the feeling they're a little different from what you're used to love.” The look of concern in her eyes probably matched the look of bewilderment I had in mine.
“It'll be fine I'm sure mom, they're just...getting off to a rocky start, don't worry, I'll keep you posted.”
"Have a safe journey," she called as she turned and climbed off the boat. I hoped she wasn't stressing too much, she hated it when I left for a trip but we always had radio contact every evening which she had to look forward to.
I headed down to the saloon to join my guests for dinner and drinks, but when I arrived, only Denna waited.
"Good evening," I called as I reached for a beer in the fridge. "Will Jack be joining us?"
"I believe he is off in his cabin stroking his ego," she said dryly, making me choke on my first sip. "I-I hope you like lasagna," I said for lack of anything better as I reached to pull our dinner from the oven.
"Smells wonderful." She smiled, making herself useful by bringing the salad and the bread to the table along with our drinks. I was feeling quite domestic, moving around the kitchen with Denna, talking softly and attempting to avoid awkward conversation and overly long silences, but we seemed to suffer from no such thing. I was remarkably comfortable with the woman who seemed much less cold to me than she had on deck earlier this afternoon.
"Starting without me eh Captain?" Jack called suggestively as he entered the saloon, shifting his leering gaze on Denna and I could see her cool facade return. She did not like our fellow passenger. I suspected Jack had been drinking in his room, a pastime I did not permit aboard my ship. Drinking in the evenings over a meal was fine, but I did not need a drunken sailor failing to follow my orders when it mattered.
"Please join us," I said politely, pointing to a seat opposite me and far from Denna who sat at my side carefully sipping her wine.
"She's a beautiful ship Captain," Jack offered as he helped himself to large servings of everything, not waiting for me to serve which was customary aboard my boat.
"Thank you," I murmured, quickly deciding I did not like Jack at all. I didn't care for the way Denna shrank from his presence, not that she seemed afraid of him, I couldn't imagine her afraid of anyone, but her guard was definitely up.
"You married Captain?" he asked
"No," I replied. "How about you?" I asked Denna hoping to draw her into the conversation. "No," she said softly.
"Don't worry sweetheart, you just need to thaw that cold ice queen thing you've got going on and some man will be more than happy to take you on," Jack said as if her were offering her sage advice.
"Yes, because I'm just dying to catch a man." She smiled a broad fake smile. "Any man will do, so I don't have to be a disgrace all by my lonesome."
I couldn't help but laugh at her dry humor and Jack's obliviousness to her sarcasm. She flashed me a genuine smile as
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