A smile appeared on her face, and she put the device back down, returning her attention to the screen. “Houseboat.” She muttered softly. “That's an idea.”
“Dar, did you say something?” Alastair had been watching her.
“No, just taking notes.” Dar replied dutifully. “We'll need to hike the back haul to the continent if that all comes through. Bring it up through the new Euro hub maybe, or invest in an equatorial tie line.”
Everyone nodded as if they knew what she was talking about, and the round table continued on.
“So what would be the difference between this and a houseboat?” Dar asked, as she set the anchor and they drifted against the current, coming taut against the line and rocking gently.
“Well.” Kerry finished setting the table, looking up and appreciating the clear, winter cooled sky above them, the horizon just painted with the last bit of sun. “A house boat is bigger, for one thing.”
Dar paused and looked around at the deck of their boat, her brows lifting a little in puzzlement. “This isn't exactly a dinghy.”
“No, I know.” Kerry chuckled. “Be right back.” She went back inside the cabin of the boat, rolling a little with the motion as she went to the small galley, retrieving a platter of fajitas fixings and a round container of tortillas. She brought them both outside with her and set them down on the table. “But it's more like a house.”
“The houseboat?” Dar was pouring sangria into wide based glasses. “That would make sense, what with the house in the name and all that.”
“Dar.”
“Hehe. I'm being an asshole. Sorry.” Dar took her seat and relaxed, extending her sweatpants covered legs out and crossing them at the ankles. “I remember seeing houseboats off the west coast, and they were like trailers on pontoons. I'm assuming that's not what you''re after.”
“No.” Kerry sat down and took a sip of the sangria as she took a tortilla and selected some contents for it. “I just think of stuff like, taking one of them up some of those canals, like in Holland, and seeing something new every day.”
“Hm.” Dar copied her. “That might be fun.” She allowed. “I'll have to look at some of those river cruises they have. That could be a hoot, going through locks and stuff like that.”
“Ahh.” Kerry leaned back and regarded the horizon. She was in a thick hoodie, and had sheepskin lined boots on, a radical change from their usual t shirts and shorts. The weather had gotten colder as the day went on, and now it was in the upper 40s, crisp and chilly out on the water.
But with a pretty sky, and hot chocolate to look forward to, it didn't matter. “There's just so much I want to see and do.” Kerry admitted. “Like, where do you start?”
“Yeah.” Her partner agreed. “Well, we know we're going to start at the Grand Canyon, March 15th.” She pulled a packet from her jacket pocket and put it on the table. “We pick up our RV March 12th in Vegas.”
Kerry paused in mid bite, surprise obvious on her face. “Buh.” She put her tortilla down and picked up the paperwork. “Wow. Didn't know you... “ She studied the contents. “Oh wow. And the parks too?” She looked up at Dar, seeing the grin working its way around a mouthful of steak. “I thought you were still thinking about the timing.”
Dar shook her head as she chewed. She swallowed, then chased the mouthful down with some sangria. “Me wanting to stay is bullcrap. I still think we should have gotten out in October, but drawing it out now doesn't do service to anything but my ego. Meeting with the board showed that today.”
“Ah huh.” Kerry nodded slowly, taking a bite. “Bottom line.” She said, after a swallow.
“Victim of my own success.” Dar settled her shoulders a little more comfortably. “You were right.” She lifted her glass and toasted her partner. “Besides, making plans always makes me feel better.”
Kerry chuckled.
'Plans okay with you?” Dar inquired, after a moment.
The packet was a complete set of reservations, including the plane flight to Vegas, a rental of what looked like a pretty snazzy RV, overnights in cabins, the whitewater trip... Kerry sorted through it all with growing delight. “When did you do all this?”
“Me?” Dar eyed her. “I just told the island travel agent what we wanted. She did the heavy lifting.”
“It's awesome. I'll go talk to her this weekend and get all the loose ends tied up.” Kerry smiled, putting the papers away. “Thanks, hon. You've made me a very happy woman.”
Dar responded with a contented smile, as she retrieved another tortilla. “She even made reservations for Chino at a pet resort while we're on the river.” She commented. “They have hot stone massages.”
Kerry stopped in mid chew. “The pet resort?”
“Uh huh.”
“Do they take people reservations too? I think we're gonna need it after a week on the river.”
Part 3
“Ugh.” Dar swallowed several Advil, washing them down with a swig from a chocolate milk chug. “Mind if we order room service instead of going out?” She asked, as she heard Kerry return from the bathroom after storing their overnight sundry kits.
“Of course not.” Kerry went over to the luggage stand and removed Dar's pajamas from it, retreating back to drape them over her partner's shoulder. “Get undressed, and I'll see what they have to offer. Do you really think I'd rather go out to eat in downtown Washington and risk running into people who think they know me?”
Dar was glad enough to exchange her jeans and sweater for her long, threadbare t shirt, folding the clothes and packing them neatly before she picked up a magazine and retreated to the couch in their sedate hotel suite and curled up in one corner, willing the drugs to quickly settle her cramping.
Pain in the ass. Dar exhaled, and opened the magazine, full of the ocher and sand colors of the Southwest. She'd started feeling it as the plane took off, and resigned herself to dealing with the monthly annoyance. “Should be a pill for this.”
“You mean to prevent it?” Kerry sat down next to her with the menu. “I've been saying that for years. At least it was a short flight.”
Short, and private. “Mm.” Dar flipped the pages. “I really am gonna miss that jet.” She mused mournfully. “Spoiled my ass.”
“We just have to get rolling fast enough to get our own, hon.” Kerry studied their choices. “Twice grilled par boiled snails, or hamburgers?”
Dar looked at her, one brow arched.
“Yeah, I know. But those conch you brought into the cabin were sort of snail like. I thought maybe you'd gotten fond of them.” Kerry smiled as she picked up the phone. “Hello, yes. I'd like something delivered”
Dar went back to studying her magazine, looking at the pictures of the rafting trip they'd planned. It looked fun, and exciting, and she could almost feel the twisting and turning of the boat going through the rapids.
It made her smile. Even the thought of having to sleep in a tent didn't really bum her out. “I bet when we're out there at night, we can see a lot of stars. Like out on the water.”
Kerry leaned on the back of the couch and looked at the page. “You're really jazzed about this, aren't you?”
Dar nodded. “I am.” She said. “I really want to make up for not taking vacation for fifteen years, and it's going to be pretty cool, out there with that small a group.” She flipped a page. “We reserved for the first trip of the season.”
“April.” Kerry nodded. “So we can take the RV around to all the parks first, then end up there for the rafting trip.” She exhaled in contentment. “This is going to be so much fun.”
It was. Dar wished they were already on the other side of the remaining two months of work. The thought of going through the stressful separation was starting to annoy her. “Just you and me and Chino, seeing cool stuff. I even got them to send me a brochure for hot air balloons.”