Page 37 of Sailor's Delight
They sat for a moment in silence, measuring for each other up, waiting for the other to speak first.
Eventually, Jenn caved. “Look, just so you know, this is as far as this whole thing goes. I’m tired, I’ve had a really shitty day, and I’d really like to just get drunk and go back to my room alone.”
Casey studied her for a minute longer before he spoke.
“I’m truly sorry. That sucks.” He went quiet again. “Your guy friend?”
Jenn stared into the bottom of her tumbler and nodded, her throat constricting.
Casey put one hand on top of her wrist. The warmth in the gesture surprised her.
“I’m sorry.”
Jenn looked at his hands, for the first time noticing what long, strong fingers he had. A weightlifter’s hands: strong. A pianist’s hands: nimble and delicate. She couldn’t help the constriction of her pelvic muscles as she imagined what that combination could be capable of.
She shifted, placing the tumbler down with a solid clink. “Ugh! All right, condition number one, boy-o, is that you get it through your head that you are NOT coming back to my room with me, nor will I be going back to yours!” She gestured to all of him. “This whole sympathetic, artistic, hot giant thing you’ve got going? I’m not boarding that train, mmkay?”
Casey smiled and patted her hand in a grandmotherly way. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t come back to your room even if you asked me to.”
Jenn blinked and ducked her chin as if he’d struck her. “All right, well you don’t have to be a dick about it.”
He chuckled. “All I mean is that…” He studied her again. “That’s not what I’m interested in.”
Jenn’s brows furrowed. “Oh? And what is it that you’re really interested in, Mr. Casey Pianopants? Because for someone who’s not interested, you and I keep finding ourselves in each other’s company an awful lot for a big boat full of people.
Casey laughed out loud now, “Hey, you literally walked into my bar. I had nothing to do with that.”
Jenn looked at him, studying his face for any hint of what was going on behind his eyes. “True.”
Casey went quiet again, and they took another moment of mutual examination.
It was Casey who broke the silence this time.
“Will you do something with me tomorrow?”
Jenn held up her finger, and the waitress came eagerly over, her eyes flitting between the pair at the table.
“Water?” Jenn said simply.
The waitress nodded, then walked away, her high ponytail bouncing busily.
“Terribly vague, Casey. What exactly are you asking me to do with you tomorrow? I never sign a contract without reading the fine print.”
“Fair enough.” It was Casey’s turn to shift. “There’s a waterfall. It’s kind of a ‘locals-only’ kind of thing, but I’d like to show it to you, if you’d like.”
Jenn frowned slightly. “You want me to just go off into the jungle with you, alone?”
Casey backpedaled. “No, it’s not anything like that. Heck, bring your friend, if you want. What was his name, again?”
Jenn’s jaw clenched. “Trey?”
Casey nodded. “Sure! Bring Trey along. It’ll be a blast.”
Jenn inhaled deeply. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Oh, come on! It’ll be a blast! Just bring him along with you.”
Jenn’s voice was hard. “I really don’t feel like being around Trey right now, Casey. If at all possible, I’d actually like to avoid him at all costs.”