Sails and Styles (Completed)

Chapter 5

We have docked the boat at another outstation down the coast. This one has a few more amenities including a clubhouse with a full kitchen, showers and laundry. There are quite a few people here on their boats and I can tell Harry would like to keep up his anonymity, so he stays on the boat while I head up to use the washroom and check in with the station manager. I see some familiar faces of other members along the way, but I give them curt smiles, so they don't push it beyond a friendly hello and a wave. I know they don't really know what to say to me either, so I think they're secretly grateful for my lack of social interaction.

As I come back down the dock nearing my boat, I hear the soft strums of a guitar. It's not until I'm in the cockpit do I realize the sounds are coming from my boat. I peek down the companionway and see Harry playing the guitar. He doesn't notice me at first and just hums quietly as he plays.

"Hey," I say interrupting him.

He stops playing and looks up at me like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"Sorry! I have this habit of having to play instruments that I see."

"It sounded good."

"Really? I had this idea as we were out there today."

"Well don't let me interrupt you. I'm going to start making dinner."

"Can I help?"

"I'll make you a deal. I'll make dinner if you make breakfast?"

"Deal," his eyes twinkle at me momentarily and I take a deep breath and exhale before continuing with dinner preparation, hoping he didn't notice.

I go up and start the little BBQ. I make dinner listening to the sounds of Harry playing drift out of the boat. I bring a small pop-up table into the cockpit and place our food on it.

"Harry?" I say gently down to him. "Food's ready when you are."

He sets down the guitar and the notebook he had been scribbling away in.

He comes up top and notices my makeshift dining table. "This looks wonderful!"

We begin eating and he looks around us at our surroundings. The sun is beginning to set, reminding me that I've made it through another day.

"I'm really glad I came," he says now looking at me with a content smile on his face.

"I'm really glad too."

We eat the rest of the meal in silence and when we're finished, I gather our plates to clean up.

"I wash, you dry?" he says to me.

"When was the last time you washed dishes?"

"What do you mean?" he looks at me like he takes great offense to this accusation, but I can tell he is kidding.

"Well I assume you have a housekeeper. Am I wrong?"

He looks at me sideways, deciding how to respond.

"Just because I don't do it regularly doesn't mean I don't know how."

And now I am full on laughing at him and he is just staring at me smiling.

"What?" I finally say between giggles.

"It makes me feel good when I can get you to laugh. You don't do it too often."

I stop laughing and look down, unable to look at him.

"You know I think the sun got to me today. Not feeling great. I'm going to go to bed early."