A Romance Slowly Sets Sail

CHAPTER 1

Just before midnight six male businessmen and a young presenter attending a three-day conference on (big breath)'Empowering Executives to Accept Their Role in Collective Responsibility' decided to have one last drink before heading to their hotel.

With wait staff assisting cleaning behind the bar the oldest man in the group, Perry Taylor, went to the bar to order. He asked Bernie Bader, the presenter who'd that day had spoken about ten dynamic ways to consolidate the team, to help carry back used glasses and empty beer bottles.

Curly blond Bernie collected the six bottles and two of the glasses and grinned, weaving slightly, "Can you managed the reminder Perry?"

"Fine, follow me slave," Perry slurred.

Bernie had placed the six bottles held against his chest by one arm and the glasses from his other hand on the bar when balding Perry, rarely anything but charming, attempted to slip in the gap but bumped a guy standing with two others at the bar.

"Watch it you jerk."

"Sorry but I doubt I'm the jerk."

"Calling me a jerk are you," snarled the guy and threw a punch that Bernie he anticipated. He stepped between the two men and jolted the blow off-course with a forearm.

"You hurt my arm punk."

"My apologies," Bernie smiled. "The contact with you was unintentional and the slight was rather provoked."

"What's a slight?" bellowed the aggressor.

"Jake it will be what you feel if I hit you with this," said the woman behind the bar, holding up a baseball bat.

Jake reached over and grabbed the bat from her.

"Welcome to the world of sore heads you jerks," he said, drawing back the bat to swing at Perry who stood frozen, mouth open in shock.

Bernie, in suit and jacket, leapt and kicked under the descending bat into the belly of the guy, knocking the assailant into his friends who caught him and restrained him, not that restraint was necessary because the guy was sucking in air as if on his last gasp.

"Our apologies for being involved in disturbing the peace," Bernie soothed handing the bat back to the barmaid. "Nothing broken and here's a hundred for you guys not to take this incident any further. We're off now, thanks for your service."

Jake hurried back to the table and said, "Come on guys, let's go. We must give Bernie twenty each and I owe him greater thanks. My head, it could have been cracked."

* * *

Three months later Dyan Taylor was in the elevator glaring at a guy and a woman staring at her breasts. What kind of weirdoes where they? Why couldn't they be like the blond guy looking up at the ceiling? She looked up and saw a spider and closed her eyes shuddering.

The duo who she thought had been thinking about asking her to join her for night-play left at the next floor, both grinning at her like apes.

Now the good looking guy was looking at her breasts. God, other women had breasts. Why didn't he look at them? Well she had to concede she and the guy were alone in the elevator. Perhaps she should ask what he thought of them?

The elevator stopped at the reception floor to her office and he moved to exit but held the hold door open button.

"Good morning ma'am?"

"It's miss," Dyan all but snarled.

"Miss you have dripped toothpaste between your... your ums."

The guy smiled apologetically and left.

Dyan was aghast, looking down the front of her black shirt. It was true. Toothpaste was splattered between her, er, 'ums'. Her what? She giggled as held her handbag against her chest at the next floor and hurried to the bathroom.

Almost an hour later her father appeared with the blond guy in toe. He looked at her 'ums' and winked approvingly, presumably because the toothpaste had disappeared and the material had dried. But one can never tell with men. Perhaps he just approved.

"Hi darling, this is Mr Bader who will be with us for three months to examine our entire operation and to recommend practical ways to streamline and improve productivity. Bernie this is my daughter Dyan."

"Um, um. How lovely to meet you Dyan."

Dyan's face flamed and her father asked was she okay.

"Yes perfectly," the 30-year-old brunette said icily.

"Well I'm placing another desk in this office for Bernie. I should have said something but it didn't come up."

"It didn't come up because you forgot to discuss it with me."

"Other matters are more important around here darling than who sits where."

Dyan felt ready to hunt, hit and destroy but before she could fire the newcomer said smoothly, "Perry name me one thing more important than your daughter?"

Perry stood scratching his head instead of telling the guy to get lost. Her father then grinned and said, "My wife?"

The three of them laughed and Dyan realized she'd been expertly defused. Oh wasn't he just adorable?

Perry looked at his watch and asked, "What do you think about office-sharing with Dyan not you have met my fiery daughter?"

The cur smiled and said, "Dyan is production manager. I was wondering why her office is not down in the plant, ideally being elevated so she can see and be seen?"

"Well whatever," Perry said. "You sort that out with Dyan but don't ruffled her. I have a meeting. I'll leave you in her capable hands Bernie."

Dyan stood glaring at Bernie who appeared mystified and asked what?

"If you don't know already you'll never know," she snorted knowing he never would.

"Fetch us coffee please Dyan and let's talk about it. My turn to get coffee next time we have it together."

God he was smooth. Before she'd had time to thunder and tell him to get his own fucking coffee he was declaring he'd get the next one, signaling he didn't expect her to be a mule. She handed him coffee and didn't invite him to sit and she stood, two arm lengths clear of him.

"May I say something personal?"

She nodded knowing he was about to apologize for attempting to relocate her in the plant.

"You are very beautiful."

Dyan felt her chest begin to tighten and her stomach pulled in involuntarily. God, her body was preparing to have sex with him! The jerk had nailed her: how the hell could she reject being called beautiful and now he was staring at her breasts. Where they really swelling that much? No that was impossible.

"I don't want you touching me," she shrilled.

"What?"

"Never touch me."

"Do you mean never touch your hand or does your thinking go much deeper and are you thinking groping?"

She gurgled, "P-please tell my about yourself."

The résumé was over in four minutes and then he said, "Now tell me about yourself including why you are paranoid about being touched."

"Paranoid? I like being touched... oh god. I'm so... oh fuck, saved by the bell. Here comes your desk."

"Is the f-word allowable around here?"

"No but tolerance is given to hot-headed women with visitations of paranoia."

"Good heavens, what a wonderful combination for a woman who yearns for release."

Her brain almost disabled by his intensity, Dyan yelled to the two men, "The desk, over here!" At that moment Christy from HR arriving to induct the newcomer. Dyan managed to kick back into gear and thought Christy was practically devoid of breast development... the guy was forced to appraise her by her legs.

She heard the smooth-ass reply to the introduction, "Christy? Was your father a count?"

"That was Monte Christo, not Monte Christy," the head of HR giggled.

Dyan closed her eyes momentarily and groaned as if about to vomit.

"Are you okay Dyan?"

"Never better thank you Christy. Have Bernie all day or all week if you wish... er... if you need him then longer."

"Why thank you."

Dyan saw Christy looking at Bernie's wide chest and wondered what Christy was thinking. There were rumors that at times Christy suspended her marriage vows.

When they'd disappeared and the men had placed the second desk where she wanted it and added two filing cabinets and they'd left, Dyan called Leigh.

"Mom, I have a man in my office."

"Oh lucky you. May I have him as a discard?"

"Mom, stop being silly. Dad has brought in this work efficiency and management consultant to run through our operation with a fine tooth comb."

"I would have thought that was both sensible and desirable."

"Perhaps, but daddy has placed the jerk with me in my office and the jerk has already said why isn't my office above the floor of the plant."

"Oooh, that appears good thinking. Get a male production manager and find yourself a role in planning and debit control if you wish to justify remaining in the office suite."

"Mom, that's a great idea. Not debtors though because that is soul-destroying work."

"Go for the position of general manager then. You think that woman's a jerk."

"Yes mom but unfortunately it's likely where this guy Bernie is heading if he wants permanent employment."

"Well fight him for it; you always have loved to scrap."

"Mom that's brilliant. I must buy you a present."

"Thank you dear. Bring the jerk home for dinner tonight to allow me to make my assessment."

"Er mom, he'll only stare at your boobs."

"Oh great, I need someone who does that."

Dyan groaned. "Mom, I don't wish to mislead you. He is handsome and could be brilliant."

"Oh god, that's why you are behaving erratically like this? You know he's the one."

"Mom, don't be so fucking ridiculous."

When her mom stopped laughing she said, "Ah, that foul mouthing tells me I'm right. Wheel him in tonight darling."

Dyan threw down her phone and kicked her trash bin across the room, hurting her toe.

She mouthed obscenities and was surprised she knew so many of them.

* * *

Leigh called down the passage to the bedrooms, "He's arriving darling."

"Please get the door mom; I'm still dressing."

Perry was glued to a sports report on TV.

Leigh checked her hair in the hallway mirror and opened the door to be greeted by Mr Flowers.

"These are for you ma'am."

"Oh, thank you. These are out of season... there was no need."

"I've impressed the boss and now wish to impress you ma'am."

"Oh you naughty boy," she giggled, and stood to be kissed.

Bernie obliged.

"Call me Leigh."

"Um how will Dyan handle that?"

"Politely I would hope. I take it by that remark you're already found my daughter has a quick-ignition."

"Yes, it's refreshing. The task though is for her to increase her chances of being either correct or justified when she blows."

"That is a very discerning comment Bernie. Please come in. These flowers are lovely."

"That tells me they have come to the right home."

"Now Bernie," Leigh giggled. "There's no need to go over the top."

The evening went pleasantly, everyone behaving and Dyan even managed to say the flowers for her mother looked lovely, although adding and looking at Bernie, "That was a civilized gesture."

The parents noted Bernie coped by just winking at Dyan who flushed.

Mother and daughter found the 34-year-old had degrees in management and law because he'd planned to leave consulting eventually and end up holding the tiller of a reputable and successful company.

"Our company doesn't have a tiller," Dyan charged nonsensically and the great ape then said to her, "Oh but is it reputable?"

Her father roared in laughter and her mom perhaps had an edge of restraint behind her grin. Dyan managed to choke, "Oh that was funny." It fell flat as Christy Thomas' chest. The great ape had been with her all day. So during the next pause in conversation she asked, "How did Christy manage to occupy you all day?"

"She was tremendously informative. She answered my questions about staff deployment and management, what training and job backups were in place and after we had lunch at the yacht club we built a multi-dimensional model of the company in operational mode."

"The yacht club?"

"Ah yes, I transferred my membership here although I sold my sail boat before leaving Seahills."

"But it's almost impossible to get in to the club."

Her father smiled like a fat cat and said, "Bernie was lucky. His uncle Richard Gapes on his mother's side is club commodore."

"Oh we have a boat," Leigh said.

"A motor-yacht, a forty-eight footer," Perry explained.

Bernie said, "Very nice" but Dyan said, "No it's not. A friend told me Sonnet is dubbed 'Granny of the fleet."

"Sonnet?"

"We are not a literate family," Dyan said. "The wife of the previous owner was a poet."

"Well perhaps I ought to take a look at her."

Perry snorted and poured Bernie more red wine. "I'd like Sonnet very much. Nothing ever goes wrong with her and so I never have anything done to her."

"God Perry," Bernie laughed. "Boats are like women... expensive to maintain and hard work to get the best out of them."

The two women sighed at one another as the two guys roared in laughter. Perry asked if Leigh wanted more wine; she said no and he slopped the wine, overfilling her glass.

"I'll talk to you afterwards Perry." That was all she said. She shouldn't have even said that in front of a guest but it showed Leigh as being in control of her home and maintained herself under control as well, leaving Bernie to wonder if the hot-headiness had jumped a generation.

Bernie went to leave an hour later. Leigh kissed him with hesitation and said, "Good night our charming guest. Perry shake hands with our guest and please show Bernie to his vehicle Dyan."

"Is he short-sighted?"

"Dyan!"

"This way Bernie."

They stood expectantly in the driveway. Dyan reached up and gave him a goodnight peck.

Dissatisfied he said, "I bet Christy kisses better than that."

Dyan flashed into super-boil but before she could explode he'd grabbed her and was kissing her... gently, beautifully and long. She almost melted but then no guy had ever pulled the blindfold over Dyan Taylor.

She pulled away and huffed, "That was uncalled for."

"Can you blame me? If I waited for the invitation I'd be retirement age."

"Well try this: touch me again and you'll be jobless."

He said quietly, "Well try this: I have convinced you father I can set the systems that will increase company efficiency by up to a third within two years and without extra manpower or capital expense. If one of us is to go which one do you think it will be?"

"Then I must use my head wisely and do nothing to initiate brinkmanship."

"That's very intelligent. May I ask do you like sex?"

"Up your fat ass sailor," Dyan smiled sweetly and walked away not looking back, knowing she'd hit a foul because he appeared to have a really cute ass. However she felt immeasurably better because he'd just had her over a barrel over that question which one of them her father would choose. Um, was he really thinking of having sex with her?

* * *

Dyan saw that Captain Bader was on the fly bridge when they arrived. The engine was already idling, the main lines had been cast off and the inflatable had been unlashed and was sitting in the water at the stern ready on the right length tow line.

God, how nauseatingly correct, she scowled.

Captain Bader came to the end of the bridge deck and waved down to them as if his crew had just arrived.

"Hurry Perry, get aboard and take stuff," Leigh called. "It's weighing me down."

Just like in films Captain Bader jumped clean over the railing and landed in a crouch seven feet down on the jetty and was already upright and taking the box of provisions off her mother before Dyan had only realized what had just happened.

"Oh thank you Bernie," cooed her mom. "Put those aboard and then please help me. I get scared stepping over the railing when the tide is full like this."

"No problem," he said, kissing her mom lifted Leigh who squealed like a wacky teenager over the railing and on to the decking.

"Next please."

"Keep your hands to yourself," Dyan snarled softly.

As she was attempting to step over the railing her foot caught in her two-layer sari wrap and she fell sideways and only just recovered her balance but with a foot hanging into the closing gap between the boat and the jetty.

Dyan looked down and saw the gap was no longer closing so held her scream.

She looked along and saw Bernie straining to hold the boat from pressing into the fenders, pushed by a tidal surge.

Dyan called, "I'm safe, thanks to you."

"My pleasure," he said not looking at her.

Leigh and Perry hadn't seen the close call.

Handing Bernie a beer Perry said, "My security is not great huh? You found both sets of keys."

"People casually steal boats because of people like you are too slack to really hide keys. But the real tough and determined guys will get in no matter what are your security systems, even alarm mechanisms attached to sirens. Give then well inside two minutes and everything will sound quiet and sleepy again."

"Okay, seen anything much wrong with the boat?"

"Nah, $25,000 to $40,000 should fix it well. The main item would be say twin diesels, possibly turbo-charged. Or maybe gas engines. You need to engage a consultant. He'll ask what you do with your boat and how often and recommend you over-power so that you run the boat at no more than 80% of available power. What you have installed here is a six in-line gas-guzzler dog that probably no one will buy. If you need to save costs ask the consultant about rebuilt motors that should come in at one third the cost of new ones but they are nothing more than reconditioned old motors. I recommend twin motors for smoother cruising. But for goodness sake, get this boat out of the water and its hull attended to. Some of the poor performance is the result of hauling all that weed around."

"What weed?"

"I told you the hull below water looked slimy dad."

They anchored and did some fishing and after lunch and everyone helping to clear away the oldies went down for a nap, but it sounded pretty loud for a nap.

"What are you going to do?"

Bernie said log an inventory of what he believed needed to be done to the boat.

"Dad should sell it and buy a new one."

"Why?"

"It looks worn out, scruffy."

"That's because it hasn't been maintained. I believe it's actually an excellent boat and performs how I hoped it would for its type. Despite the heavy weight of that prehistoric engine it got up and planned well."

"Whatever, I'm doing up to the rear of the fly bridge to sunbath. Keep away."

"I need to go up there to complete my list."

"Okay, please yourself and embarrass me."

Bernie arrived with his improvised clipboard and Dyan moved to cover up.

"Nah hold it, I've seen lots of tits."

"You make it sound as if you're looking at a piece of meat."

"Oh, permitted to look am I?"

"I'm too big here."

"That's your opinion. I'd say about perfect."

Dyan looked at him carefully. "Really?"

"Yeah. Want to have sex?"

"Nah, I have a boyfriend. Jack Doyle, assistant sales manager."

"Ohmigod."

Dyan looked anxious. "What?"

"A mommy's boy if I ever saw one."

"You don't know what you're talking about Bernie. He's soft with me and attentive and plays the piano. He's... he's intellectual."

"Aren't you in need of a guy like me with a bit of grunt?"

"Fuck off Bernie."

Bernie went off to complete his self-appointed task. No one would thank him for this. But he grinned. Until now he hadn't really dwelt on shafting The Daughter, but she had great tits and he'd also glimpsed the outline under her bikini bottom of thick pussy lips.

Yummy.

A couple of hours later he was on the aft deck outside the saloon when Leigh arrived, appearing to be half waddling. Bernie was bored reading Perry's comics.

She picked up the list and said, "Oh my, a huge list of things to do."

"Yeah but a decision on the engine first and any replacements done before this other work is commissioned. It will amount to a minor refit."

"Do you think it's worth it?"