by C. Morgan
“Amara, don’t go,” he said.
I flashed him a look. “It’s best that I do.”
I walked out of the dining room without saying a word to Nick. The man was a first-class creep. I could not understand why my dad thought I would have anything in common with the man. He was a pretentious prick. I couldn’t stand him the first time I met him, and it wasn’t getting any better. If my parents thought they were going to set me up with him, they had another thing coming.
It was still a free country and we were long past the age of arranged marriages. I would never willingly date Nick, let alone sleep with him. The thought of his lips on my cheek repulsed me. This time, I did wipe the spot his lips had touched. He couldn’t be more different than Fulton. Fulton was a bit of a roughneck, and he wasn’t refined, but he was ten times the man Nick would ever be.
I stomped to my car, turned it on, and squealed my wheels as I sped out of the driveway. I didn’t care if my parents disapproved of my departure. I was not very happy with them at the moment either. Once I cooled down, we were going to have a very long talk about what was okay and what was not. Setting me up was not okay. Sabotaging what should have been a nice family dinner by inviting that asshole was definitely unacceptable.
I drove home, kicked the door shut, and flopped onto the couch. I was so damn pissed. I couldn’t even explain why I was pissed. When Nick insulted Fulton, I took it very personally. Fulton wasn’t mine to defend, but I did feel like I owed it to him. I should have let Fulton pop Nick just once before I pulled him off.
Chapter 17
Fulton
It was time. The engine needed a serious tune up and I didn’t have the expendable cash to have one of the many marine shops do it for me. I had to do it myself. It was a long time coming, and after yesterday’s haul, it seemed like the right time. I didn’t need to go fishing today, which meant I needed to fix the engine to make sure I could go fishing tomorrow. Hopefully, I was able to get the engine running again by tomorrow.
The damn thing was heavy, but I could manage. I had done so before. I probably should have had Stanley help me before he went out to make the deliveries. It was too late for that now. I used the wheeled cart to push the engine toward my waiting truck bed. That was going to be the hard part.
I paused to catch my breath, my hands on my hips as I sucked in air. “Need a hand?” I heard a voice say.
I turned to see a man wearing slacks and a white dress shirt coming my way. He wasn’t lanky, but he wasn’t exactly muscular. “I think I can get it,” I answered. I didn’t want the guy pulling a back muscle or getting his crisp white shirt greasy.
“I don’t mind,” he said with an easy smile. “I’m not quite as weak as I look.”
I could use the help. “Then, sure. That would make my life easier.”
He rolled up his shirt sleeves and braced his legs apart. “Ready?”
Together, we hoisted it into the bed of my truck. I pushed it forward and closed the tailgate. I extended my hand to shake his. “Thank you. That was a huge help.”
“No problem. What’s it off?”
“My old boat,” I answered.
“Do you fish lobster?”
“I do.”
“What’s that look like?”
I gathered the man to either be a tourist or one of those types that rarely got out of the office. His clothes and the soft hand told me as much. “It looks like a lot of work and a little pay.”
He grinned. “Do you use traps?”
The man did not have a clue about lobster fishing. That much was obvious. “I do,” I answered and gave him a brief rundown of the process.
“Do you do that every day or just once a week?”
I shrugged. “I go as often as I can. The weather and demand tend to dictate how often that is.”
“I’m sorry for all of the questions,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about getting a boat. I want to do some fishing but I’m not sure I’ve got the skills.”
“It’s not quite that easy to become a lobster fisherman,” I explained. “You can fish near the shore but there is a license you’ll need to have to fish like me and the other guys.”
“Oh, good to know. Do you have to go to school for that kind of thing?”
“There is a process, but it does not include a four-year degree,” I said with a laugh.
“So, you catch the lobster and then what?”
I didn’t normally make conversation with complete strangers, but I was in a good mood and the guy seemed nice enough. Not many people were all that interested in what I did. They looked at me with a mixture of confusion and disdain. They looked at me like I was the help. I was not to be seen or heard. I was just supposed to bring in the lobster.
“I sell it direct to most of my customers. Some of the bigger operations sell to distributors.”
“Why don’t you?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest. He seemed genuinely intrigued.
“They take a cut,” I answered honestly. “I’m a small operation. I can’t afford to lose much off the top.”
“Smart thinking,” he agreed. “Do you go out and actively seek customers?”
I shrugged. “Not really. Mostly, it’s word of mouth. I fill the small orders the bigger guys don’t want to mess with. I keep my prices cheap because I don’t have the middleman. It saves me and them.”
“Did you take business classes?” he asked.
I chuckled. “No. I’ve worked on boats for most of my life. My dad taught me, and I learned from other captains. I’m better at hands-on learning than reading it out of a book. I believe you get a better idea of the real world when you are in it, not when you are being told about it.”
He was nodding as if he understood. “That makes sense.”
“What about you?” I asked. “What brings you down here?”
He shrugged, looking around. “I wanted to check things out, get a feel for things.”
“None of the boats down here are what you want,” I told him.
“Because?”
“Because these are working boats. I’m guessing you want something a little more leisurely. Something with a bed and couches and stuff like that.”
He grinned. “I think my wife would like somewhere to sit.”
“I’m sure she would.”
“I’ll let you get on your way. I’m sure you have a lot to do. Thanks for your time. It was nice to meet you.”
Technically, we hadn’t met but it didn’t matter. I doubted I would ever see him again. He went on his way, leaving me alone with my truck. I got in and headed for home. I backed into the garage, ready to get started on the engine. But first, I needed something to eat.
I walked in the house and made a couple of sandwiches. I stared out the window, daydreaming a bit. I thought about Amara and what she was doing just then. Was she at the restaurant? Was she thinking about me at all? She hadn’t called, but I wasn’t too worried. I was giving her some space. She would need lobster soon. That was my in.
All it would take was one look, maybe a stolen kiss, and she’d want me again. I would whisper in her ear and remind her of the multiple orgasms I had given her. Her cheeks would grow flushed and she would make that little whimpering sound just before she exploded. I would kiss her just under her ear. I learned fairly quickly that was one of her spots.
I was halfway to a full erection when I heard a knock on the door. I didn’t get a chance to open it. Stanley walked in. “Hey, where’s mine?”
I looked at the last bite of my sandwich and quickly stuffed it in my face. “Gone.”
“Asshole,” he muttered. He walked into the kitchen and helped himself to the sandwich fixings. He piled meat and cheese between the two slices of bread.
“Did you make all of the deliveries?” I asked.
He nodded, his mouth full. “Yep.”
“Any problems?”
“Nope.”
“Good.”
“Did you bring that bitch of an en
gine over?” he asked.
“Yep, just waiting on your big ass to help me unload it.”
“I’ll unload it into the ocean,” he quipped.
“Then you better be prepared to paddle the boat,” I told him.
“Let me finish eating.”
“I had a strange conversation today,” I started.
“I have strange conversations every day,” he replied.
I laughed. “Yes, I know you do. The strange part is I don’t.”
“Who was it? Your lady lover?”
I sighed, shaking my head. “Why would I have a strange conversation with her?”
“I don’t know. Because you never talk to anyone.”
“Exactly,” I said, wondering if I should even try to tell him about the man. I had a feeling it would end up being more trouble than it was worth.
He took another bite. “And?”
“And what?”
“What’s the big deal about this conversation?”
“The guy was a suit. He helped me lift the engine into the truck. He was asking a hundred questions about lobster fishing. It was weird. I don’t know why he was there.”
“Do you think he was casing the place?”
“What the fuck would he be casing?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “Was he after your truck?”
“I’m pretty sure his shoes cost more than my truck and boat combined.”
“Maybe he works for the competition,” he suggested.
I was impressed. “That’s actually not a terrible idea.”
“Maybe he was looking for a job,” he offered.
And just like that, the old Stanley was back with his ridiculous ideas. “I don’t think he was looking for a job. I think he was trying to determine whether it was a good business venture for him.”
“You know, I’ve heard about rich guys paying a lot of money to work some blue-collar job. They want to see how the other half live.”
“Like one of those undercover boss things?” I asked. The idea was not too farfetched. “That guy wouldn’t last an hour on the boat. His hands were baby smooth. He wasn’t too weak, but I can’t see him putting on muck boots and sticking his hand in fish guts.”
“If we took on a third man, we could do twice the amount of work. We could pull more pots, make more money.”
“And do you think this third guy is going to work for free?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“No, he wouldn’t. I would have to pay him out of your wages. I can’t afford to take another hit.”
“Wait, what?”
“Exactly. We take on another guy. You get paid less.”
“Well fuck that then.”
I laughed, getting to my feet to clean up. “I thought that might change your mind.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll keep busting my hump while you rake in all the dough.”
I rolled my eyes but said nothing. We both knew I wasn’t rolling in the dough. “I’ll be in the garage,” I told him and headed out.
I thought about what it would be like to roll in the dough. I could leverage everything I had and buy a newer, bigger boat. I could hire a couple more guys and expand my operation. I could make more money. I wasn’t sure if Amara was wealthy, but she was definitely used to some of the finer things in life. I could see it in the way she talked and dressed. If I wanted a woman like her, I needed to up my game.
I tossed an oil-stained rag on the ground. No way. I was not a sellout. I wasn’t going to go into debt to impress anyone. I liked being debt free. I liked working for myself. I liked not having to answer to anyone or deal with a bunch of guys. More people on the boat meant more problems. There would be arguments and hurt feelings and demands for raises. Stanley had his quirks, but I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else. We had a good understanding. He worked his ass off and there was nothing he didn’t know about fishing and boats.
“All right,” he said as he walked into the garage. “Let’s get this bitch humming.”
“If you don’t talk nice to her, she is never going to run right,” I lectured, feeling very much like him.
“How many times has she left me stranded? How many times have we lost out on some good fishing because she decided to pitch a fit?”
I reminded myself we were talking about an engine. “Just hand me that wrench,” I told him.
We got busy working together to do what we could to extend the life a little longer without giving it a full overhaul. The idea I could buy a new one if I just indentured myself to the bank hung in the back of my mind. No matter how tempting the idea was, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
The simple life worked for me.
Chapter 18
Amara
It was another slow day. I wasn’t worried. Not yet. It seemed like I found myself saying that a lot when the restaurant was empty and the employees were standing around. I couldn’t afford to pay them to chit chat. I sent home one of the waitresses and a busboy.
Kerri was just finishing up with a customer when she came over to stand beside me. “Don’t worry,” she said.
“I’m not worried.”
“Liar. I can see it on your face. This is the business. We’ll get some traction here soon enough.”
“Thanks. I hope sooner rather than later.”
“You could leave and hook up with your hot man,” she teased.
“Stop. He is not mine.”
“I saw him look at you. He is definitely yours.”
“He’s nice.”
She leaned close to my ear. “I saw the hickey.”
I slapped a hand over my neck, my cheeks suddenly very hot. “You did not.”
“Oh, honey, I did. I saw it the first day, but I didn’t want to embarrass you.”
“You just did.”
“That’s because you were trying to deny what’s happening between you. Do you like him?”
“I said he is nice,” I retorted.
“The mailman is nice. The guy that delivers the clean linens is nice. Fulton is not nice, and I mean that in the nicest way possible.”
She had a point. Nice was probably not the right word. “Fine, there is chemistry, but like you said, that doesn’t mean anything, especially with Fulton.”
“I think you should be careful, but I won’t tell you to stay away from him. That obviously didn’t work the first time.”
I wasn’t ready to talk about whatever it was that was happening between us. Considering there had been no contact since he left my apartment, I was leaning toward the one-time thing. He said to call him but part of me expected him to call me or to stop by. He had not, which kind of stung, but it wasn’t all that surprising.
“You know, you have let me go twice now,” I said, deftly changing the subject. “It’s your turn. Take the rest of the night off. You’ve definitely earned it.”
“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m your manager. I’m supposed to work my ass off while you lounge around.”
I burst into laughter. “I do not lounge.”
“No, but you could and there would not be shit I could say about it.”
“Kerri, really, take the rest of the night off. I insist. Go home, take a bubble bath, and relax.”
She looked around the restaurant and then back at me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Go. I’ll see you tomorrow. Be prepared to work your ass off.”
“Thank you. And don’t worry about business. It will pick up again and I’ll be coming to you with my hand out and asking for a raise.”
“Advertising starts next week,” I told her. “We will be ready to kick ass and we will revisit that raise thing again.”
“Yes, we will,” she said with a wink.
After she left, I grabbed my laptop and sat at a back table so I could keep an eye on things while getting some work done. I was busy working on some spreadsheets when the door opened. I was thrilled to have customers.
“Dad?” I asked with surprise when he wa
lked toward me.
He smiled. “I can see you are working hard.”
I got up to give him a hug. I was still a little pissed about the shit he pulled but he was my daddy and I couldn’t stay mad for long. “It’s a little slow. Can I get you something?”
He shrugged. “How about a soda?”
“I’ll be right back.”
I returned a few seconds later and handed him the glass. “Thank you.”
“What are you doing here? Did you want something to eat?”
“No, no, I just stopped by to see how you were doing.”
“Since you sabotaged me?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize there were hard feelings between you and Nick.”
“I don’t like him,” I said matter-of-factly.
He smiled. “Sweetie, that’s not nice.”
“I’m not five, Dad. You can’t lecture me about being nice to the other kids. Nick is not a nice man. I don’t care for him. I will never date him.”
“Fair enough. I’ll let your mother know Nick will not be welcome to any more family dinners.”
“Thank you.”
“Is what he said true?”
“Which part?” I sneered. “His money, his things, his everything.”
“That part about you dating your lobster supplier.”
I rolled my eyes. “I was talking to Fulton about upcoming deliveries. Nick was very rude. He interrupted us, and then when I asked him to take a seat and said I would get to him, he was nasty to Fulton.”
“You don’t think this Fulton character overreacted?”
I frowned at him. “No, I don’t. Nick could have respected my wishes. He didn’t. Fulton was sticking up for me.”
“It sounds like you like this guy.”
“He’s not a bad guy. He’s giving me a great deal on lobster. He didn’t have to take me on as a customer.”
He nodded, sipping his drink. “I appreciate your need to keep good relationships with your suppliers. In your business, that is going to be very important. However, it’s important you keep things professional. Blurring the lines between a supplier and a paying customer can get tricky.”