A Nautical Tour

[st_clare]

Julianna liked the water.

In London, she used to walk down by the Thames, even in the dead of winter when the weather was frigid. It was not frigid in Nevada, even though October was more than half over, but it was only in the upper seventies today, which made it pleasant. The sky was a clear, cloudless blue. She had a room booked for the rest of the weekend so she could work on a paper. It wasn't precisely the same thing as visiting the countryside, but it was quieter than the city and the rates were reasonable. It might even be a good place for a tryst.

The day's outing had been planned by the teaching staff at UNLV, and Julianna had decided to go after some deliberation. It might be easier for her to socialize on the deck of a boat than at an event at the school where she was tacitly expected to be in costume. So far, she'd succeeded in making idle conversation, even without a drink in her hand.

The Watcher drifted away from the knot of people she'd been conversing with, stepped towards the helm of the boat. In the summer, the temperatures would soar again. She would walk down by the water's edge when the sun went down, once everyone else was gone. It would remind her vaguely of home.

Comments

A Nautical Tour

[cian_oneill]

Cian steered the 70' houseboat toward the mooring, checking the boat's run with a reversing thrust of the engines, then slipping them into idle. He quickly headed out onto the foredeck, collecting the boathook on the way to pick up the mooring's rope and fasten it firmly with a few flicks of the wrist. Once sure it was secure he returned to the wheel and after checking all the gauges, pressed the kill button, and the motors fell silent. Even though they were hardly an intrusion upon the conversation and laughter that had been flowing around the vessel that morning, it was still a noticeable quiet that seemed to draw all conversation to a momentary halt, the silence washing across the decks and stillness enveloping them for a brief heartbeat, before the small dinner gong was struck by the waitress who had been preparing lunch. Instantly the conversation levels were reignited and Cian turned to give Sylvia a grin and wink only to find a woman standing there, between him and the galley area.

"Afternoon ma'am, how are you enjoying the day so far?" he asked conversationally. He could see Sylvia starting to guide the others to the large selection of fresh salads, breads, cold cuts and seafood that was prepared and ready for the lunch.

Re: A Nautical Tour

[st_clare]

The brogue touched Julianna's ears when the boat skipper spoke, and it made her smile with reserved nostalgia. To Father's annoyance, she had become prep school chums with Aislinn McDonough, a Catholic girl from Belfast, and although she and Linny hadn't seen each other in years the accent was still familiar, still recognizable.

"It's a marvelous day for a sail." Lunch was being served, but she'd eaten a huge breakfast in the cafe. "I was expecting it to be chillier out on the water, but I don't suppose Nevada has ever experienced chilly conditions."

Re: A Nautical Tour

[cian_oneill]

"The nights c'n be a little cooler, even in the warmer months," he replied, recalling the cool night air he'd breathed during his run in the desert just the night before.

"But in here, in these coves, it can get warm," he added, as agreeing with the clientele was always a good idea.

Re: A Nautical Tour

[st_clare]

"You're a long way from home, aren't you? But I suppose we both are."

She gestured in a northerly direction with the glass of water in her hand, then pointed back at the shoreline, where the buildings that comprised the resort waited. Being that the tourist season had just ended, there were few occupied rooms at the motel. It was quite an improvement over where she'd stayed when she first arrived in Las Vegas.

"Have you just come across the pond, or are you more familiar with America?"

Re: A Nautical Tour

[cian_oneill]

Cian's eyes darted to confirm that the waving glass was just holding a clear liquid, water from what his nose could detect, rather than a cola beverage that would make for a sticky mess if she lost a grip on it.

"Been here f' a good few years now, ma'am, but m' heart lies wi' m' family back home," he told her, aware the clients, especially the ladies, liked that sort of sentiment. Even though it was basically the truth.

He saw Sylvia waving to catch his attention, signalling she'd made him a plate of food and was putting it in the fridge for him when he was ready to eat.

"Have y' been here long y'self?"

Re: A Nautical Tour

[st_clare]

Julianna had stuck with water because the only other beverage on offer was soda, and she didn't care for the sweetness of it. She didn't take her tea with a lot of sugar either. Sweets, she felt, should be limited to desserts.

"I'm actually freshly emigrated," she told the man at the helm. "A colleague of mine said a teaching position had just opened up at the university, and that I'd be on the fast track to tenure if I was able to get in. They needed someone well-traveled, with experience with native cultures. And published, of course."

She shouldn't bore the man. She was playing Place The Accent, trying to figure out what county he was from. The smell of the lake was fresh in the slight breeze. Yes, it was a fine day for a sail.

Re: A Nautical Tour

[cian_oneill]

Cian threw a very quick glance outside as the large houseboat swung a little on the mooring, the view outside shifting slightly to show a different part of the private, deserted cove to any who were looking outside, or sitting up on the upper deck.

"So what is i' y' teach?" he asked, trying to remember which school of the university had booked the social cruise, but not able to recall.

Re: A Nautical Tour

[st_clare]

"I'm in the linguistics department," she replied, watching idly as the view changed. "Apparently these cruises are a regular occurrence, but since I've only been with the school a few months this is my first outing on a boat like this."

She should have read up on Cottonwood Cove before this, but she hadn't been ready to discover things she liked about the area when she first arrived. It would have been an excellent place to come for swimming in the hot months.

"This must not be your first time at the helm," she said, noting the practiced way he guided the boat. "Have you worked for the resort long?"

Re: A Nautical Tour

[cian_oneill]

"About a year," he told her after a brief moment of thought. "But I've b'n working on boats for a few years," he volunteered, studying the woman for a moment as he spoke. Skylark. The name of the casino and the opening party he had attended suddenly leapt to mind, and the scene on the rooftop was where he'd seen her before. His face betrayed nothing of his realisation, as he finished listing the types of vessels he had skippered.

"I usually skipper the university's trips," he continued, "but this is th' first one I've seen where there's no open bar," he added, wondering still what was going on with that.

Re: A Nautical Tour

[st_clare]

"I was surprised at that myself, but the woman who took charge of the planning this time is a bit of a tee-totaler, which is why there's no alcohol today. Not all professors imbibe, I suppose. If I had been arranging things, it would have been different. That must come with being around longer."

The longer Julianna talked to the Irishman, the more she got the feeling that she'd seen him somewhere. Not terribly recently, and they hadn't spoken before this, but it was nagging at her. He was too old to be one of her students. It wasn't as if Las Vegas was lacking when it came to good-looking men. The Watcher took a contemplative drink of her water.

"I'm having the strangest sense of deja vu, and I have no idea why."

Re: A Nautical Tour

[cian_oneill]

"Well, we always carry a fully equipped bar, if anyone changes their mind," Cian slipped in, then shook his head. He had heard the exchanges between her and the two younger ones with her that night on the roof of the Skylark, especially when she had said the name 'Rhiannon', but she had been engrossed in her young companion and the verbal battle with the other two, and the bar, so knew there was very little chance she had seen him there. And she hadn't said it was him she recognised, just that she had a feeling of deja vu.

"If y' haven't been here on the lake before then I can't say," he replied, "perhaps y've been on a boat like this back home?"

Re: A Nautical Tour

[st_clare]

"That could be it," she said, her tone slightly dubious. "Water travel is less common than it was when I was younger, but I did take a longer cruise about ten years ago. It was a larger craft, of course, but..."

She was distracted when Clarissa, her teaching assistant, tapped her on the shoulder and offered her a plate of food from the buffet. Julianna thanked her for taking the trouble, nibbled on a piece of French bread as she turned back to face the skipper.

His fair hair had just caught the sun, turning it an even lighter blond, and the memory clicked into place. She'd seen him from the dance floor at the Skylark, standing head and shoulders above most of the women and some of the men. The 'a-ha' moment caused her expression to relax and become more open as the mental knot unraveled.

"I was right. I have seen you before."

Re: A Nautical Tour

[cian_oneill]

"Have y'?" he replied, picking up his bottle of water and taking a swig from it.

Re: A Nautical Tour

[st_clare]

It occurred to her a split second too late that if he'd been at the hotel's opening, he might have witnessed the spectacle she'd allowed Holiday to make out of her, and that was more of a source for potential embarrassment than the fact that she'd attended the event with someone young enough to be her son. Etiquette, especially in public, was very important to her, possibly too important. If she called attention to the fact that he might have seen her behaving badly, would he think her foolish?

"Yes. It's your height, it makes you quite noticeable. I haven't known many Irishmen, but the ones I have were short and bandy-legged." A pause while Julianna ate some more bread.

"If you saw me at the same event, I'm afraid I was not...at my best."

Re: A Nautical Tour

[cian_oneill]

Embarrassing clients was a definite no-no, and Cian wasn't about to do anything like that. He shook his head, smiling. "We all have moments in our lives we wish 'd gone diff'ren' t' what they did," he offered, "I know I have."

[st_clare]

Her posture relaxed another notch at his response, and she picked up a cube of cheese and put it in her mouth while she watched the sun glinting off of the water. It might have been just her English nature showing, but she was always more concerned about what random strangers thought of her than people she knew well. People who had known her for a long time, like Edmund, knew what to expect from her, and so she didn't worry that she might offend them. But at least she'd addressed it, and now that the man had reacted mildly she could put it out of her mind.

"I'd imagine that you don't get out on the water as often in the cooler months," she said contemplatively. "As you said, it does get chilly at night, and with the sun going down earlier the days will be much shorter soon. I regret that I probably won't see snow for the holidays."

She'd finished her water, and she put the glass aside to be refilled in a moment. When she was certain she wouldn't distract him from his task, she extended her hand in his direction, because her natural formality told her that the offer of a handshake mattered.

"Julianna."

[cian_oneill]

Whenever the boat was moored securely Cian was able to relax and ensure the clients were being catered to, and entertained, Sylvia more than capable at taking care of the catering. He was sitting, relaxed, in the skipper's chair, something he did to lessen his height and allow the clients to feel more comfortable.

"Cian," he returned, shaking her hand.

"Y' should think o' headin' over to Lake Tahoe. Good skifields there, and plenty of snow come Christmas time.

[st_clare]

His hand was warm and solid around hers. Cian. It was singular and strong. Making small talk didn't have to be so strenuous, clearly.

"I just might do that," Julianna said when she'd taken her hand back. "I'll have some off time from classes when Christmastime comes, and I'll be ready for it my then. I love teaching, but everyone needs a break now and then."

It seemed as if the outing were about to come to an end, and the Watcher decided to leave the Irishman to his duties and not get in his way. She would have to remember to bring a light sweater down to the shoreline for her walk.

"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cian," she said with a smile. "Hopefully next time there'll be a bar so you can get a drink after ferrying the fuddy-duddies from the university back and forth."

[cian_oneill]

"And yours," he replied. "Hopefully the next time you come it will be a little more like the usual cruises, with some music and a bar and people enjoying the water while the weather is still warm enough."

Sylvia had noticed the conversation ending and quickly grabbed his plate of food out of the fridge, walking across the large open cabin to put it within his reach, along with a can of soda.

[st_clare]

Julianna edged out of the other woman's path and back towards some of her colleagues, carrying her empty water glass and plate away with her. Yes, she would come back when it was hot enough to swim and otherwise enjoy the water. Meanwhile, she'd enjoyed the day very much. She didn't have to be uncomfortable if she didn't want to be.