Free The Topsail Accord by J. Kalnay Page B

You missed,” she says. She walks around the counter, puts her arms around my waist, draws me near, and kisses me on the mouth. She pulls me closer, kisses me longer, and then releases me. She returns to her side of the counter.
     
    “ Here’s your surf lesson,” she says. She slides a printed page across the counter. “I arranged it all online, they will have the surf board and everything, you just show up. They said a rash guard or a tight fitting shirt of any kind is a good idea, and lots of sun screen.”
    “ Thank you,” I say. I look at the printed sheet. “There’s a mistake on here.”
    “ I don’t think so,” she answers.
    “ You paid for two lessons.”
    “ I know,” she answers.
    “ I don’t get it.”
    “ I thought I would join you for the lesson, if that’s alright,” she says.
    I am unable to respond immediately.
    “ But I thought you were leaving tomorrow?”
    “ I think I’ll stay for a while. At least until Thursday . Look after getting my house cleaned properly, and then stay at my cottage.”
    “ Don’t you have to go to work?” I ask.
    “ Yes, but I can work on the computer while I’m here, I don’t need to be back at the lab or the digs until Labor Day. But then I one hundred percent have to be back at the lab. Even though I’m the boss, I do have to work, and lead by example.”
    “ I know how that feels.”
    “ So you’re the boss?” she asks.
    “ Everywhere except around you.”
    The coffee is ready so I slide her cup across to her. She sips.
    “ It really is excellent coffee,” she says.
    “ Thanks. So, um, ah, while you’re here, can I see you?”
    “ Yes,” she answers. “I’d like that. I really enjoyed my workout on the beach this morning. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good running partner. You were good on the warm up and on the cool down and you didn’t mind about the repeats. I like that. Everyone I’ve tried running with feels like they either have to try to keep up or has to talk incessantly or has to explain why they can’t keep up. It’s pretty tiring. I tried meeting a few partners through eHarmony.com and Match.com, but none of them worked out. All the guys who said they were ‘athletic’ were delusional, unless their sport was beer league softball. All the guys who said they were six feet tall were actually five ten, and all the guys who said they were five foot x were actually five foot x minus three or four or five. It’s not like I care how tall a guy is, but if he says he’s six foot tall and athletic and he turns out to be five nine and fat, that’s not really getting off on the right foot is it? So the few dates I’ve tried have all been running dates, which weeds out about 90% of the guys right away, and then no-one has measured up, so I am really happy that you are a good running partner.”
    She stops. Takes a breath.
    She realizes she has carried on a very lengthy soliloquy.
    “ Sorry,” she says.
    “ For what?”
    “ For going on and on like that,” she says.
    “ I always have time to listen to something that matters. And running and running partners clearly matter to you, so please go on.”
    She searches my eyes, examines my face and posture, trying to decide whether I am for real, whether I really will have time to listen to things that matter. She has already mentioned that her ex never really listened, that it was very frustrating, because she would have to repeat things three or four times in different ways, and even then she was never quite sure he got what she was saying.
    I decide to prod her.
    “ I rarely run with anyone. I like the quiet on the beach in the morning. So I like it that you don’t talk my ear off. And I don’t mind it when you take off for your speed work. It’s beautiful to watch, and really adds something to the morning. And then, if you’re going to kiss me after running, well, that’s just icing on the cake.”
    She blushes.
    “ So you’d like to go running again