The Wheels of Fortune (closed for DarkWarrioress)

[Tio_Narratore]

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow, too,” Arthur said as he rose from his seat. “Good night, Tess. If you do need me for anything, I’ll be in the study. I feel some writing coming on.”

He headed for the study, his unfinished whiskey in hand and Tess’s little kiss in his mind. It was odd, he thought, how intimate that kiss felt, a very small peck on the cheek, but very deep in feeling. He felt very good about it as he sat down to another chapter of his tale.

Keeya Moseki found herself sitting on a bench in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum. Art was her passion and, when she was blue, her solace. And solace was what she sought this day, her first day in Manhattan. She was a long way from her home in Botswana, and she left Gaborone in joy. She was to meet Charles Smith, the man she had fallen in love with. She only knew him through the Internet; they had met online two years earlier, as she began her third year in art and cultural studies. He was wonderful, sharing all her interests in art, and now that she had completed her degree, she was to meet him in New York. Not just meet; he had promised her they would be engaged and she would join him in his Manhattan penthouse. And so she arrived at JFK on the flight, at the time and at the date she had told him.

She deplaned and looked for him. And waited for him. And texted him. And never heard back from him; his line was no longer in service. Keeya feared the worst, and anxiously went online to her bank in Gaborone. It was as she feared; her bank account had been emptied, the money transferred to a numbered account in the Bahamas. Not knowing what to do she took her one suitcase and found her way via public transit to the one place she most wanted to see. And there she sat, finding some comfort in the paintings before her.

It was nearly closing time when she felt a tugging at her collar. No one was there, but the tug felt insistent, drawing her towards the exit. She went along with it and stepped out into the street. But it wasn’t the street she expected. It was definitely not Fifth Avenue; she found herself facing a glass pyramid. A pyramid she knew from her studies. She stood, thoroughly confused, in front of the Louvre, with the Tuileries Garden just beyond.

Arthur reached for his glass and refilled it from the Study liquor cabinet. A satisfying sip from the glass, and he leaned bak to reflect, not on what he had just written, but on the prospect of a day to be spent idyllically on the lake and at the beach with Tess. Off to his room, then, for a shower and some sleep.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Tess had climbed into bed, but she was far from sleepy. Too much to think about. She lay back against the bed, folding her arms under her head as she stared up at the ceiling of her room.

What did she want from Life? How did she want to proceed?

Tess knew she wanted to be happy and in order to round out that happiness, she wanted a companion to share it with. How to proceed was a bit trickier to figure out. What had happened to her was traumatic, yes. She was lucky, she knew. She was still alive. Some women weren’t so lucky. Tess knew she was strong. She just had to find her resilience. She could live her life in fear, cowering in dark corners when she felt threatened or she could reach out and grab what the world was offering and enjoy it. Some things weren’t as easy as others. One step at a time, she reminded herself. With that lingering thought, she fell asleep.

The next morning, she was up bright and early. She donned an emerald, green bikini under a pair of shorts and a flowery top. With a couple of towels slung over her arm, she went downstairs with a spring in her step, her eyes searching for Arthur. Not seeing him about, she headed for the kitchen to finish up packing their picnic basket.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

“You’re up early,” Arthur exclaimed as he came into the kitchen. “I was just outside in the shed, gathering up some tackle for our fishing picnic. A couple of light spinning rods and reels and an assortment of lures. I packed a jar of salmon eggs if you’d rather go bait fishing.”

He headed over to the counter to start a pot of coffee.

“I’ll put some up for a light breakfast, with enough left to fill a thermos. I do like a bit of coffee during the morning.”

He stood there for a moment looking at Tess.

“You look nice,” he said. “I very much like your flower-bedecked top.”

Truth be told, he was also looking at her bare legs, and found them rather attractive. He wondered if she thought he looked good in his blue swim trunks and beige tee.

Breakfast finished, they headed out to the lake. As he led the way down the path, Arthur carried the tackle and a cooler box for anything they might catch. Tess followed with the picnic basket.

“Let’s sit a while,” he said as they arrived at the beach. “I’d like to savor the morning with a half cup of java.”

He fetched the thermos and sat in one of the Adirondack chairs facing the lake.

“Feel free to explore,” he said, “if you’d rather not sit.”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“You’re up early. I was just outside in the shed, gathering up some tackle for our fishing picnic. A couple of light spinning rods and reels and an assortment of lures. I packed a jar of salmon eggs if you’d rather go bait fishing.”

The sound of Arthur’s voice coming from behind her, made her jump a little in startled surprise. She whirled around.

“Oh! You startled me, Arthur. I didn’t expect you up so early either.”

She wrinkled her nose.

“I think I’ll stay with bait fishing.”

She had never tried the other and perhaps, depending on how their day went, she’d ask Arthur to teach her.

“You look nice. I very much like your flower-bedecked top.”

The sincerity in his voice made her smile.

“Why, thank you and you look pretty darn good yourself, Mr. Hawthorn.”

Her eyes made a show of wandering over his form with appreciation in her eyes. After they had breakfast, they wandered down to the beach. It was a glorious morning.

“Let’s sit a while. I’d like to savor the morning with a half cup of java.”

Tess smiled as she set down their picnic basket.

“I’ll remember that for future reference.”

She smiled as he invited her to stay or go exploring.

“I think I’ll join you in that coffee,” she spoke as she rummaged around in the basket for the couple of coffee cups she had put inside of it.

She sat back in the chair and watched appreciatively as the sun started to slowly rise. At the moment, sunbeams poked through the tree branches and spread out across the lake, making it seem like the lake was shimmering in gold. The water of the lake itself was peaceful and calm. They could hear the morning birds making their own conversations. Tess leaned her head back against her chair, closing her eyes. The birds were singing. Arthur was quietly pouring coffee into the two mugs she had produced for him. It was simply… lovely.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Arthur sat back, enjoying the coffee and the morning. He’d sat here often since he lost Emily, and it was always a bittersweet moment as he thought about the mornings there with his wife. Today was different, though; Emily was in his mind, but he felt completely at ease; there was no bitterness to take the edge off the sweetness of the morning. ‘Is this what the end of grieving feels like.’ he wondered as he sipped his coffee.

He glanced at Tess as he sat next to her. He liked seeing her there as he listened to the sounds of the morning. A sudden splash on the lake took him from his reverie. It was a loon landing not far from his beach.

“We should get out soon,” he said, “the fishing will be better; they tend to take it easy during the heat of the day.”

As soon as they finished their coffee he headed to a little shed to take out the rowboat.

“Would you like to give me a hand?” he called to Tess as he opened the doors of the boathouse.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

It was so peaceful out here. Tess sat back in her Adirondack chair and let the atmosphere relax her. She wasn’t sure if it was the lake or Arthur’s presence, perhaps both, that relaxed her so much. She couldn’t remember a time in her life, ever, that relaxed her so much. The sound of something hitting the lake drew her out of her lazy reverie. Turning her head slightly, she saw a loon had landed on the water and was fishing. It made her smile.

“We should get out soon. The fishing will be better; they tend to take it easy during the heat of the day.”

Tess turned her attention to Arthur with a soft sigh.

“I suppose you’re right. As the afternoon approaches, they’ll go deeper to avoid the heat.”

She finished her coffee, took Arthur’s cup and stowed them both in the picnic basket along with the thermos. Getting to her feet, she followed him to the boathouse.

Would you like to give me a hand?”

“Of course, Arthur. What would you like me to do?”

She could help him carry the boat down to the lake. With the two of them doing it, it shouldn’t be much of an effort. She stood just inside of the door, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness of the boathouse before she turned them toward Arthur.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Arthur looked towards Tess and found her eyes on him. He smiled in the darkness.

“It’s a lightweight boat, mostly Kevlar and carbon fiber over a wood skeleton, “ he noted. “Only weighs about sixty pounds. Maybe seventy-five with the three oars. So, hook your fingers under the gunwale just fore of the thole and we should be able to trot it the few yards down to the water with no trouble at all.”

He took hold of the boat on his side so Tess could see exactly what he meant. Sure enough, they were down to the water’s edge in less than a minute. He held the bow line as they shoved it in and then fastened it to a stump by the shore.

“Let’s take the basket with us in case we want to eat out on the lake.”

He walked back to the chairs and table to get the tackle while Tess took care of the picnic basket. Back to the boat, then, and he had Tess sit on the center thwart whle he sat at the stern. All settled in, and he pushed off. Once adrift he positioned the sculling oar and began propelling them forward. Tess had a good view of the lake and the surrounding shore and countryside, and Arthur had a good view of Tess’s back.

As they sailed around, following the shoreline, Arthur pointed out the various features around the lake. They both kept their eyes open for signs of wildlife, and they weren’t disappointed, with two does and a fawn watering in a little cove providing the highlight. Around the far side of the lake Arthur steered them towards the middle, staying far enough away from his only neighbor’s beach. He stopped sculling and let the boat drift.

“This is the deepest part of the lake. The water here is cold and refreshing,” he said. “Would you like to take a dip before we head back towards the shore to fish?”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“It’s a lightweight boat, mostly Kevlar and carbon fiber over a wood skeleton Only weighs about sixty pounds. Maybe seventy-five with the three oars. So, hook your fingers under the gunwale just fore of the thole and we should be able to trot it the few yards down to the water with no trouble at all.”

She moved to his opposite side and lifted. He was right. The boat was amazingly light and she easily held up her side.

“Let’s take the basket with us in case we want to eat out on the lake.”

Tess took up the picnic basket and set it inside of the boat before she got in herself. She studied the lake as the boat rippled through it, disturbing the placid waters. The sound of the oar pushing them through the water was oddly relaxing. She watched a few loons take flight as they moved in their direction. Now and then, she could feel Arthur’s eyes on her back and she wondered what he was thinking. Then Tess gasped softly. A doe and her fawn had come down to drink from the lake. Her eyes were riveted on them. The sound of Arthur’s oar stopping made her glance over her shoulder at him, a question in her eyes.

“This is the deepest part of the lake. The water here is cold and refreshing. Would you like to take a dip before we head back towards the shore to fish?”

“Cold, hm? Refreshing?” She grinned, “I guess I should find out for myself.”

Tess slid her top over her head, setting it aside before removing her tennis shoes and socks and then took off her shorts, revealing her emerald, green bikini.

“Um, is there any graceful way to get out of the boat and into the water?”

Her eyes held a teasing light as she looked at him expectantly.

“And are you joining me in the lake, Arthur?”

 

[Tio_Narratore]

“Yes to both questions,” Arthur said with a laugh. “There are a number of ways of gracefully abandoning ship.”

He shifted to the port side of the dinghy so Tess could get out on the starboard. His eyes were on her the whole time, savoring the sight of her body, so well exhibited and accented by the green of her bikini. His mind, not unexpectedly, turned again to thoughts of sex.

“I’ll sit opposite your entry to balance the boat. You can either dive in or jump. Stand up on the center thwart, and I’ll hold the boat steady.”

As soon as Tess was in the water, Arthur stripped off his shirt and set a drift anchor. When she surfaced, he dove in on the port side and swam under the boat to surface right behind her.

“Nice and cold. Very refreshing,” he said as he brushed against her. “Do you like it?”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She had been wondering how to exit the boat gracefully. Shooting Arthur a grateful look, she slid over the starboard side and into the lake. Her first contact with the water and after she surfaced, slicking back the hair out of her eyes, made her gasp and shiver. It was cold but invigorating. Tess heard Arthur’s entry into the water, but caught no sight of him. Where had he gotten to? There was a disturbance under her treading feet and she expected him to pop up between her and the boat. Instead, she head his voice come from behind her, making her gasp in surprised as she whirled about, feeling him right behind her.

“Nice and cold. Very refreshing. Do you like it?”

Tess smiled and continued to tread water.

“It takes a bit of getting used to, but yes, I do like it.”

Now more than ever, she became aware of Arthur, treading water right behind her. Oddly, she thought she could feel his body heat as well. For a split second she had this insane urge to whirl about and wrap her arms around his neck as the two of them lightly kicked through the water. Instead, she took a deep breath and dove down, swimming under him and further out into the lake. It was serene down here under the surface. Chilly as well, but the peacefulness of the lake made it barely noticeable.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Arthur followed her under the surface, enjoying the sight of her nearly nude body as she swam through the clear water of the middle of the lake. He was pleased that she wore a bikini; it afforded a view of all her muscles rippling under her skin as she stroked her way through the water.

“The boat will pretty much stay where it is,” he said as they surfaced some distance away. “But still we shouldn’t get too far away from it. Sometimes the cold of the water catches you suddenly. Too much blood to your core and not enough to your muscles.”

They stayed in places, kicking lightly to tread water as they quietly listened to the sounds of the lake. After a few minutes a fish broke the surface near them and stirred Arthur from a little reverie. He’d have to talk about it in a way with Tess later.

“Let’s head back to the boat now,” he suggested, and began swimming on the surface.

“Now,” he began as the reached the rowboat, “getting back in is a bit trickier than getting out. It’s a bit easier if we help each other, You stay here and hold onto the gunwale while I go to the other side.”

“Put some weight onto your side while I use the water to get me up and in.”

He bobbed up and down three times, shooting himself up and over the gunwale with the buoyancy of the last bob.”

“See, you use the buoyancy of the water to get you up. I’ll lean back on my side to help hold the boat steady while you get in.”

Once Tess was in the boat he retrieved towels for them and once again enjoyed seeing her movements, this time as she dried herself.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

For a brief moment, she forgot about Arthur. There was the silence and coolness the depth of the lake provided Tess. All too soon her lungs were reminding her that she needed air. It was with reluctance that she kicked to the surface and found that Arthur had surfaced a distance away. His voice carried over the water to her.

“The boat will pretty much stay where it is,” he said as they surfaced some distance away. “But still we shouldn’t get too far away from it. Sometimes the cold of the water catches you suddenly. Too much blood to your core and not enough to your muscles.”

She slicked back her wet hair as she listened and nodded. It was so peaceful out here, treading water with her companion. Somewhere close by a fish jumped and startled her back to the present.

“Let’s head back to the boat now.”

They both started cutting through the placid water toward the boat.

“Now, getting back in is a bit trickier than getting out. It’s a bit easier if we help each other, You stay here and hold onto the gunwale while I go to the other side.”

Tess grabbed onto the side he indicated and waited.

“Put some weight onto your side while I use the water to get me up and in.”

She wasn’t quite sure how much that was going to help, but she trusted him and did as he instructed. The water undulated. Once. Twice. Thrice. He was in the boat.

“See, you use the buoyancy of the water to get you up. I’ll lean back on my side to help hold the boat steady while you get in.”

Arthur had made it look so easy, but she would try to do what he had done. She bobbed once, twice and on the third time tried to end up in the boat as he did and failed. When she resurfaced in the lake, she slicked back the hair from her face and with a look of concentration, tried again. This time, she ended up in the boat but felt like a fish that had been landed in doing so. She was laughing as Arthur tossed her a towel. Tess rubbed her body parts dry and then started in on her hair. She was looking about the lake as she did so. Her eyes shifted to Arthur and silently watched him for a moment.

“Arthur, thank you. Your lake is----” she searched for the right word, “breathtaking. I don’t remember the last time I have known such peace.”

She had wanted to stay out in the lake longer, but Arthur was right, for this time of year, the lake was much cooler and it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?”

Coffee sounded great to her at the moment. She could sit all day out here with him, she realized.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Arthur smiled, almost blushing at her compliment about the lake.

He poured a cup of coffee for Tess and one for himself and sat transfixed for a few moments as she sipped the hot drink.

“It’s nice sitting out here with you, Tess. It’s the first time I’ve been out on the lake with someone in over two years.”

He paused to take a sip from his own cup.

“In fact,” he continued, “I haven’t really down any socializing for that long. My only contact with people has been business related. You know, shopping, banking, dining out, meeting with my publisher - things like that. Friendly enough, but not just spending time with anyone. I’m glad I met you. I do enjoy your company.”

He was a bit torn, maybe more than a bit. He liked her enough to want to be intimate with her, but he also liked her enough that he didn’t want to put her off because of his interests in sex. Clearly she had been in an abusive relationship, and he didn’t want to do anything that would hurt her, that would remind her of those bad times. Times, he reminded himself, that weren’t very far past. It could even be that her ex was tracking her down once again.

He looked up into her eyes, hoping to see that she enjoyed being with him as much as he enjoyed her companionship.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Tess took a sip of her hot drink and swallowed, then moaned softly. She glanced at Arthur.

“That tastes so good.”

She smiled.

“I’m glad I met you too, Arthur. I am enjoying your company immensely. I haven’t done anything in the last two years but work and go home.”

She paused momentarily then corrected herself.

“Well, that and running away from my ex-husband,” she frowned slightly. “It seems like this is something we both needed to do. If I’m truly truthful, there have been moments when I have missed having companionship. I just--- I just have never been able to trust anyone to find any.”

But she found that she did trust Arthur. How could she not? He had given her trust with so much already. The question in her mind was, how much trust? Would he take advantage of it? She doubted it. She was learning about Arthur and what she was learning was that he didn’t or wouldn’t take advantage of her. That wasn’t who he was.

“You know? I’m really looking forward to spending time with you in New York, Arthur.”

 

[Tio_Narratore]

“I’m looking forward to it as well,” Arthur agreed, “both to the time in the city and the drive there. I’ve been driving it alone every couple of months; it will be a welcome change to have company for the trip. Unless you’d rather go by train. The train trip is very nice too. Comfortable and good scenery. We could go either way.”

He finished his coffee and began to weigh the drift anchor.

“Let’s go closer to shore for a little fishing. Maybe we’ll catch our dinner.”

So much to think about. His latest novel was progressing well - he’d have to give it to Tess to read later - and his publisher will be happy, And then there was Tess. Where was he going with her. He was so pleased with her company that he definitely wanted to keep her as a friend, but he also found her attractive as a lover for the same reasons. But would that frighten her off? Her husband had abused her, and she could still be very fragile regarding physical relations. He’d still have to tread carefully. Perhaps he should also pay attention to her desires and pleasures; he’d really like to share pleasure with her, learning and experiencing both their desires. Her ex husband, too. Would he make an appearance? Men like that are good at tracking their women, obsessed with reclaiming them or punishing them. How should he deal with the man if he does show up.

All this and more went through Arthur’s mind as he sculled towards a little cove to anchor and fish, all the while pointing out sights and sounds to his companion.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“I’m looking forward to it as well,” Arthur agreed, “both to the time in the city and the drive there. I’ve been driving it alone every couple of months; it will be a welcome change to have company for the trip. Unless you’d rather go by train. The train trip is very nice too. Comfortable and good scenery. We could go either way.”

Tess hadn’t given it much thought to how they would get to New York. Her initial thought had been that they would fly but he had said driving or a train ride. Leaning forward, she put a hand on his arm.

“Can we really take a train? It’s one of the things I’ve never done but would love to experience it.”

Traveling either way with Arthur was something she was looking forward to. He was a good companion and they had wonderful conversations, not to mention she simply enjoyed being with him.

“Let’s go closer to shore for a little fishing. Maybe we’ll catch our dinner.”

“All right, “she laughed suddenly as a thought occurred to her, “ Do we have anything in the freezer for dinner if we don’t catch our supper?”

She tried not to compare Arthur to Brad, but that was hard not to do. Brad never spoke with her and she couldn’t think of one time they had had a deep conversation. On the other hand, she and Arthur had had a few. They also worked well together. Brad had expected her to fix his dinner every night. Arthur worked with her to make theirs.

​

Brad swore yet again. Violently as he tipped the bottle to his mouth once more. Where was she? And what was she doing? She better not be fucking another man, dammit. She belonged to him. He didn’t care what some court of law said about that. He didn’t care about that damn protective order she had gotten against him either. Tipping the bottle once more and finding it empty, he threw it at a nearby wall and staggered out of his apartment. He was going to find that little bitch and when he did, he was going to make her sorry she had ever run away from him. For now, he needed to go buy another bottle and find some little cunt to fuck. Someone he could rough up a bit too.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

“Can we really take a train? It’s one of the things I’ve never done but would love to experience it.”

“You’ll enjoy it, Tess. It’s a great trip in the summer. The train doesn’t get into the City until ten at night, so in the winter, most of the trip is in the dark. But this time of year, it’s still light when we go through the Hudson Valley. I’ll book us first class so we can reserve seats on the right-hand side of the trains; that’ll give us a view of the Hudson River and Valley. We’ll even pass right next to the walls of Sing-Sing, the famous prison. I haven’t taken the train since last year; I’d really like to take the trip with you.”

And he definitely enjoyed the prospect of riding along with her. And Sing-Sing, he thought to himself, that’s a place where her ex should be. She - no woman - should have to be on the run from a psychopathic bastard who thinks he owns her.

“All right, “she laughed suddenly as a thought occurred to her, “ Do we have anything in the freezer for dinner if we don’t catch our supper?”

He laughed at her comment.

“Of course we have something for supper, either at home or at a restaurant. But the fishing is good here. A Brookie or two would make a good dinner. It’s a bit late in the morning for them, but I know a spot where we might get lucky. There’s a steep drop-off where they hang out in the cooler water waiting for food at the edge. They prefer worms, but you can use a worm jig with some salmon eggs on the hook. If the Brookies aren’t around, we’re likely to pick up some sunfish or yellow perch.

He dropped an anchor at he edge of the drop-off. They had their tackle ready in a ew minutes and cast their lines near the deep water. Arthur used a small silver spoon.

“They like minnows, too,” he explained, and then played the lure while thinking how nice it was to be out on the lake with his new companion.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She grab bed her pole and set it up, setting the hook and weight for deeper water. Reaching into the tacklebox, she rummaged around until she found a jar of salmon eggs. Setting it beside her on the bench, Tess strung a few on the hook before casting out and letting it sink. She gave a small crank or two and then waited.

“The train trip sounds like fun, Arthur. I’ll look forward to it. How long will the trip take to New York? And do just sleep in our seats?”

Tess’ voice whispered over to him as she kept her eyes on her line and slowly cranked the handle of her reel. Then all of a sudden the tip of her pole dipped and she felt a hard tug on the line.

“Ah! I got something!”

Tess couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice as she suddenly gave a tiny yank on her pole and started to bring her line in. Something was definitely there. It was giving her a bit of a fight. As her line came in, she pulled upward and a small fish dangled on the hook, making Tess laugh as she set the pole in the boat and went to unhook the fish.

“You’re lucky!” She told the fish, “You are too small. So back in the lake you go.”

She leaned over the boat slightly and put the fish back into the lake.

“I hope we catch something larger than that.” She laughed.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

His eyes were on Tess as she dealt with the little bit of fight. Her movements were pleasing to him, so natural and comfortable. Her laugh, too. Natural and appealing, a blend of the girlish and the womanly.

“It’s good you put that one back, Tess. He was only about six inches. A keeper, but to little meat on him.”

Arthur cast again, playing his silver spoon along the edge of the drop=off.

“The State rules for Brookies are a bit unexpected,” he continued. “The limit is five a day, but no more than two of them can be over twelve inches. Once you have that, everything bigger than a foot gets released. But that’s okay. They’re best for eating at around ten to twelve inches. A fat foot-long is enough for two good filets.”

“Oh, he said as an afterthought, “there’s a ruler screwed in on each gunwale for a quick measurement.”

He cast a few more times, his eyes going back and forth between his line and her back, and particularly on her back when he was hauling in his lure after skirting the ledge. She had a lovely back, he thought as he eyed the little ripples in her skin as her muscles worked. His mind was entirely on her back as he was finishing reeling in the spoon, and so he was quite startled by the sudden strike on his line. His drag was set fairly loose, and the fish set the hook as it dove. He regained his composure with a laugh and worked the fish back in.

“Not a bad size for a Yellow Perch,” he declared as Tess turned to watch him,” but I have my heart set on trout. I’ve some blueberries in the freezer, and I like to cook up some trout in blueberry sauce.”

He took the fish off the hook and gently released it back into the lake.

“So, “ he said as they watched the fish dive, “let’s see if we can catch a good-sized trout for tonight’s dinner.”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Trout sounded good to Tess, especially grilled trout. She cast out her line again and looked at Arthur.

“Blueberries and trout? I’ve never tried that before. Are we grilling the trout as well?”

Blueberry sauce. That was something different. Tess was more than happy to try something different with Arthur. After each cast, Tess let her line sink into the cooler depths before she started to slowly reel in her line. After about the third attempt, she decided to switch to a shiny lure. If something didn’t work, try something else. She watched as her line sailed out into the lake and sunk with a soft “plunk” before she slowly cranked on the reel, bringing it in.

“So,” Tess’ voice was almost a whisper as she spoke, “What would pair well with trout and blueberry sauce, do you think?”

Her hand paused on the reel’s handle as she felt the slightest of tugs. Then it was gone and she resumed reeling in her line.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Arthur caught another perch and released it. It didn’t matter much, though; as much as he would have liked to catch a good-sized brookie, he was even more pleased to watch Tess as she fished. Her bikini bra was skimpy enough for him to see how her muscles rippled under her skin with each move she made. He definitely liked her company, her easy comfort when with him, and he definitely would like her intimate company. But there was that conflict: if he approached her, tried to seduce her, would it end that easy familiarity she had developed with him. He’d still have to wait, wait for some sort of sign from her that she wanted to be intimate with him. For now, it would have to be just fishing.

“A sauvignon blanc or a pinot grigio does the trick,” he said in answer to her question. “The light acidity balances the sweetness of the blueberry sauce, and each enhances the pleasure of the other.”

He thought of his own pleasures then, the balance between pain and pleasure that heightens the sense of each, of the life he had with Emily. Still, he was in the present, not the past, and had to live with whatever was there.

“Try twitching the lure, Tess,” he advised. “Jerk your rod a bit upward and then back down. As you lower it, quickly reel in the slack, and then twitch it like that again. It makes the lure move like an injured minnow - easy prey for the predator.”

He went back to fishing himself, though his eyes and his mind were still more on Tess than the fish.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Tess continued their conversation even as she followed his instruction. She would sneak glances at him as she fished, a small smile playing on her lips as she wondered what he was thinking.

“Oh! Arthur!”

Her voice was laced with a hint of panic as the end of her pole bent toward the water.

“Help! This one seems kind of big.”

Tess frowned as she concentrated on the fishing line and bringing in the fish on the end of her line. The fish was putting up a big fight. She had been fishing before, but she had never caught anything this seemingly big and her knowledge of fishing was sorely limited.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

“Hang on,” Arthur called as he rose from his seat at the stern and leaped to straddle the center thwart behind Tess. “Here you go.”

He wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands on hers.

“It does seem like a big one!” he declared as he guided her right hand to pull up on the spinning pole. “Lift to pull him in a bit, then reel in the line as you lower the tip.”

He guided her right hand down as he cranked the reel with her left hand to take up the line they had gained. The fish dove again, drawing out a couple of yards of line against the drag. Arthur repeated the play to regain line. By this second attempt to bring the fish closer, Tess surely knew what to do on her own, but Arthur kept his arms around her, his hands just resting on hers as she played the fish in. Putting it honestly, he enjoyed having her in his arms, feeling the bare flesh of her back, save for the bikini bra strap, against his bare chest.

After about ten minues of fight, the fish was beside the boat and Arthur unwrapped himself from Tess to get the net and land her catch.

“Now that’s a good-sized brookie,” he declared as he held the fish through its gill covers. “About fifteen inches, I’d guess.”

He stretched the fish out on the gunwale ruler. “Fourteen and a half. I was close.”

“That’ll be more then enough for dinner,” he said as he took a small wooden club from the tackle box and hit the fish hard on its head.

“I don’t like letting them suffer; they’re going to die for my dinner anyway. Why prolong it. And keeping them alive in a bucket until you’re ready for them is cruel too.”

He opened up a cooler he had loaded on the boat and dropped her catch in to keep it fresh.

“If we keep fishing, we should release any we catch. We won’t need them,” he explained. “Or, if you want, we can go have lunch now. Here or back at the beach. It’s your call.”

As he waited for her answer, his mind was on those minutes with her in his arms. It felt good to him, comfortable and natural. He wondered what she thought, if anything, about it.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Tess didn’t expect Arthur to come up behind her and help her bring in the fish. As his arms came around her, she could feel the warmth of his body surround her and she surprised herself. She didn’t pull away.

“Lift to pull him in a bit, then reel in the line as you lower the tip.”

Her mind came back to the present and she did as he told her to. They brought the fish in the boat and Arthur unwrapped himself from her. She felt a slight pang of loss. Tess liked the feel of him pressing against her from behind. She could almost hear his whisper in her ear and knew she was being fanciful.

“Or, if you want, we can go have lunch now. Here or back at the beach. It’s your call.”

Tess blinked. Arthur had said something and was waiting for an answer. With shaky hands she set down her pole and looked in his direction.

“Let’s go have lunch and I wouldn’t mind back on the beach, please.”

Tess found her heart beating erratically and loudly, at least to her ears.

“Arthur--- I ----” she stopped suddenly, unaware of what she was going to say him.

Tess wanted his arms back around her. She missed being held gently, tenderly. It had been a long time. She simply gave a shake of her head and sat down in the boat and waited for him to take them back to the beach.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Arthur saw Tess’s confusion and heard in her aborted statement. It pleased him since he figured it meant she had enjoyed his touch but was unsure about how she should feel about it. Her back was to him once again as she sat on the center thwart facing the bow. He hauled in the mushroom anchor and began sculling across the lake, back to his beach.

His eyes and mind were on her back as he rowed, observing every ripple of her flesh as she shifted slightly to look this way and that. As he looked and thought, he imagined holding her again, around from the back, from the side, and even in front. His thoughts wandered even further, to her chest, braless, pressed against his bare chest, his lips not whispering fishing instructions in her ear, but caressing her neck.

Yes, her neck. And more. She was naked in his reverie, naked and tied spread-eagle on his bed while he kissed her and touched her from toe to head and back again. Just pleasure for her; no pain, just the tautness of the ropes and a feeling of helplessness without fear. Would she like it, he wondered, and that snapped him out of his daydream.

“Tess,” he said with a sudden thought. “I bet you’ve never stern sculled. Would you like to sit with me and learn how to do it?”