Unknown Diners

Chapter Forty-One

Lorne read the article again, then saved it, closed his computer and put it in the settee pocket. "How's your blog post coming?"

"It ground to a halt after I saw yours. Haven't been able to get it going again."

"Where were you heading with it?"

"The same duplicity thing as yours, but without the context or the depth. Without the hypocritic recruiting. I love that part. Mine seems totally flat now."

"Why don't you review a mystery place? Do a glowing review of last evening's dinner, but without the naming the restaurant. Start a guessing contest or whatever. There are other places you can review later to add to the theme."

"Hmm... Might be a way to salvage what I've already written... Hmm." Catherine nodded to him and smiled.

"What have you so far?"

"Last night's dinner drafted. Needs the details and polishing. I was struggling writing about that terrible... Yeah, I like that."

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Read me your draft — dinner last night."

By the time they were off Dundarave she had finished crafting, editing and polishing it. "Should be fun." She smiled as she closed her computer.

"It sounds marvellous. Love the way you've built the mystery through the piece. Get them increasingly salivating and wondering at the same time. Should be a lot of fun."

They did another horizon scan, checked the sails and the instruments, then sat cuddling on the lee settee as they sailed toward Lion's Gate. "We'll have to motor through the Narrows."

"Regulations?"

"Yeah. Designed to keep incompetent sailors from impeding the commercial ship traffic." He smiled at her. "We're allowed one sail sheeted home for stability through First Narrows. It's the same for Second Narrows."

"The current? I remember the currents under the bridge. We okay?"

"A small part of dawdling in bed." He leaned to kiss her neck and shoulder. "A tiny part was to wait for the tides to help us across English Bay to False Creek. We'll be in First Narrows toward the end of the flood." He clicked the tide symbol on the chartplotter, and they examined the current graph.

"Looks like a bit over three knots."

He pointed across the graph. "See it decreasing? It'll be below two by the time we arrive, and for the Narrows, that's almost as good as it gets, giving us a nice boost to help us through."

"Coming back out... What about then?" She ran her finger across the screen. "Turns at 1720. Spend a couple of hours in the harbour and head out with the beginning of the ebb." She smiled. "I love your way of moving with rhythms and cycles."

"Far better than fighting them." They kissed, scanned the horizon and returned to their cuddle.

Off Prospect Point, they luffed up into the wind. Lorne started the engine, furled the jib and staysail and sheeted the main home while Catherine handled the helm. As they were motoring under the bridge, steering by electrical autopilot, Catherine asked, "So when are you going to publish it?"

"I'm sure it's cooked enough now, two hours and a bit to —"

"You do that too? Leave it sit for an hour or two, then go back to it? I've been doing that for years."

"Saves publishing impulsive writing, the old sober second thought thing. It always looks different once the rush to write has passed."

"Yeah, same. I sometimes question whether I wrote some of the stuff." She chuckled. "Both the good and the ugly."