Page 3 of Sailor's Delight

“I’m fine.”

Trey smiled warmly. “All right, well this is cozy!” Then he turned back to his book. Crossing one knee across the other, he opened it to the back cover. “So this is supposed to be pretty good, huh?”

“I loved it.”

“Really? Huh. Well, what the heck.” Trey flipped to the first page, glanced outside at the growing crowd, and began to read.

“Thanks for stepping in, but you took your sweet time.”

“Hmm?” Trey looked up.

Jenn nodded out the glass doors, where Casey could still be seen, walking around the hallway angrily, flexing occasionally in obvious agitation.

“Oh, I didn’t want to step in the middle of anything where I wasn’t needed, is all.”

Jenn chuckled. “I was afraid you hadn’t seen me at all!”

Trey’s eyes returned to his book, but they twinkled in suppressed mirth. “Oh, I don’t think so. I clocked you the moment I stepped off the elevator.”

Jenn blushed in pleasure. She still had it. Approaching forty, and she could still turn all the right heads.

“I think the doors are open.” She pointed at the movement of the crowd outside the doors.

“Hmm?” Trey had already returned to his book. “Oh!”

He stood up and slipped the book into the waist pocket of his jacket, then held out his hand. “Shall we?”

Jenn smiled, slipping her hand into his. “Absolutely.” Trey helped her to stand, and his eyes went wide in open-mouthed amazement.

“Jenn, you are absolutely stunning.”

Grinning now, she turned a full circle for him. “You like it?”

Trey nodded. “Very much!”

“If you like these, you should see what I’m wearing underneath!” With that, Jenn turned and walked for the door, smiling to herself as she left Trey blinking his eyes rapidly and grinning, as well.

“Well, okay!” she heard him mutter.

Trey pulled out her chair for her and pushed it in when she sat down. “Well, what are the chances that I’d be assigned to the same table as three of the most outstanding folks on the ship?” Trey looked across at the bohemian couple Jenn had noticed earlier and smiled. “Trey. He/him. Pleasure to meet you.”

The couple seemed instantly and measurably more at ease, then smiled. Chloe smiled then held out her hand. “Chloe: she/her.”

Trey smiled and shook Chloe’s hand. “Chloe.”

Desire stood and reached across to shake Trey’s hand enthusiastically. “Desire: they/them.”

Trey returned Desire’s smile. “Pleasure to meet you both.”

Jenn reached across. “Jenn: she/her.”

Staring at Chloe, Jenn said, “Chloe, you actually look really familiar. Have we met?”

Chloe laughed uncomfortably. “Do I?”

Desire laughed, as well. “Believe it or not, she honestly gets that ALL the time.”

Desire pointed between Jenn and Trey. “How long have you two been together?”