Ahoy Miranda

As retired engineer Alan Meadows plugged away on the conversion of his 62-ft former fishing boat into a utility cruiser with luxury accommodation for six, he thought of his recent American visitor, a member of a family of new immigrants to the country.

Olivia had lit up his day, well the few hours she'd spent with him when calling in for the invitation of coffee when she was kayaking up the sound.

In her early thirties and rather good looking, Olivia's sheer presence had rekindled his romantic interest in women for the first time since the tragic death of his wife five years earlier. Until now his interest had largely been on a carnal focus.

With Olivia, everything had appeared ripe for sexual connection and yet it hadn't happen because she'd offered no encouragement. She hadn't given him the impression she was female oriented sexually. Possible she was committed to a guy or simply believed you don't have sex with all guys you meet or even guys you appear to have landed against like she had with Alan on that day she was paddling in one of the remote areas of the sounds.

Alan stepped back to look at the positioning of the next sheet of textured wall panelling to be sprayed vivid white and noticed it was placed the wrong way up.

"Christ move your mind off cunt," he swore but relieved he could recover from his mistake without having inflected any damage.

And on he worked inching towards finishing the cabin, the en-suite of which was completed including full wiring and plumbing.

Two Sunday evenings after Olivia's short visit to his property when kayaking up the sound, Alan arrived at Stillwater Lodge in his rigid-hull inflatable 13.7ft boat known as an RIB.

Claire Johns, who was in her mid-50s, met Alan at the door having seen him dock at the jetty.

She kissed him and said excitedly a woman had called on the land-line phone requesting he call her.

"You sly fox, what have you been up to?"

"I don't know any female who knows to call me here.'"

"I asked her for her name and she said to just say Hilaire Belloc."

"Oh I say?"

Claire asked impatiently, "You say what darling?"

"There's only one person..."

"What person?"

"The caller's number please. She called out hello when paddling in a kayak up the sound and I invited her for coffee."

"Omigod, a seduction. Come on, tell me all."

"It was a plutonic meeting."

"Is that so; then why is she calling so mysteriously?"

"To thank me for coffee again I guess. She's American and some of them are unusually polite."

"God Alan, you are being so frustrating; frustration or evasive I just don't know. Go and call her; you know where the phone is and don't dribble into the receiver."

Alan clipped her butt with the flat of his hand and Claire walked off laughing happily.

He called the number and a woman in a heavy southern American accent said, "Good evening, Kate Kennedy speaking."

"Hi Mrs Kennedy. It's Alan Meadows speaking. Your daughter Olivia left a message for me here at the sounds to call her."

The woman yelled, "Olivia the guy you met in the sounds is asking for you?"

Alan could hear some yelling in the background and Oliva came to the phone and said, a little breathlessly, "Oh hi Alan arriving at Stillwater Lodge as part of your Sunday evening ritual I believe."

"Yes."

"Oh man of few words, don't you wish to know why I called you?"

"You will tell me when you ready."

"God and I seem to recall calling you romantic. Just a moment, my sister wishes to chat."

"Hello Alan."

"Hi Lydia."

"So Olivia told you my name."

"Yes and that you were a professional potter."

"She told me you were a workaholic and that you would welcome me visiting you and working on your boat fit-out for half a day in return for free accommodation and food."

"Yes and I do recall she said you were handy with your hands and have helped your father with the renovations of your family home where you live now."

"Well that sounds like a good deal as I don't like my working environment here because there is too much noise and too much disruption."

"It might be too quiet for you here."

"I doubt it. What about sex?"

"You may borrow my Rubber Ducky and go down to the small settlement and may get lucky down there at the hotel or the restaurant or at Aladdin's Bar where you'd have contact with all the males you could wish for."

"Oh well answered Alan. I mean what were you expecting from me?"

"If you come here I'd expect good workmanship, pleasant company and if you want sex I suppose I could oblige"

Lydia laughed and said that was another great answer.

"Well I'm thirty-six. Mom doesn't want me to go into unchartered territory; dad said go-girl and my sister said you are a great guy and I'd love the environment that was inspirational enough to encourage me to produce my best pottery ever."

"Well then when will you arrive?"

"But my mother..."

"I would have thought 36-year-olds made their own decisions. Put your mom on the phone please and come as soon as you wish. Take the water taxi from the end of the highway at the sea entrance to the sound. The husband or wife skipper will know my place."

"Are you no intending to convince me to come?"

"No you're a big girl Lydia. It was lovely talking to you. Now your mother please."

"Yes Mr Meadows."

"Please call me Alan."

"Thank you Alan."

"You and Lydia can trust me to be the perfect host for her. In turn you trust your instinct. Goodbye Mrs Kennedy."

He cut the call.

Alan went into the reception room where a dozen or so guest from several countries were having drinks.

Jamie and Claire immediately pounced on him, Jamie handed across a glass of Alan's preferred red wine.

"What's happening? Claire asked. "I heard the first minute on the phone extension before I had to come in here. They sounded American."

"Yes but the family has immigrated here. The younger daughter was kayaking here as part of her holiday in this region."

"So she's fallen in love with you and is returning here?"

Alan said a little impatiently no, that was nonsense.

At the point Jamie was called to the kitchen,

Claire pressed home, "Then why..."

"Her older sister may come here."

"May come here? Didn't you urge her to come here?"

"No I mentioned she might like to visit and when the boat is finished I would welcome her parents coming for a sail for a night or two with my compliments. You see they are new settlers to this country."

"God I can't understand why you are being so generous and yet you denied having sex with the younger daughter?"

"She was vivacious and excited me having a female relaxing around me and chatting as if we were um were family."

"Oh god, you are unsuited to being a hermit aren't you? Now you go to the phone and call that older sister and formally invited her here. If she's too scared to stay with you she can stay with Jamie and me."

"That's very neighbourly of you Claire, and I really mean that. But please just leave it. She'll know if she wishes to risk the expensive upheaval and come here."

Claire's face softened.

"You are such a nice guy Alan. I see you as being determined to manage the situation so the young woman is not oversold in coming to be here with you and it would appear you two don't even know one another. God she would be taking a risk based on the limited information she has and she should consider her next move carefully indeed. I now think you are handling this well."

"Her name is Lydia Kennedy and she's a professional potter. I wouldn't be surprised if she calls to question you out about me. They have your phone number."

"Omigod what should I say if she calls?"

"Just be yourself and if anything be conservative as we both know you liked almost anyone and sing the praises of people with gusto."

"I knew you liked me darling. This is not to be repeated but my Jamie has told me he's jealous at the way I interface with you. You are a handsome bastard with good manners and a sweet smile."

The dinner gong sounded.

Claire whispered, "Smack my butt again Alan."

"Behave yourself," he chuckled.

During dinner a food server called Claire to the phone.

She returned almost ten minutes later and she stopped at the table where Alan was seated and said, "Lydia was most appreciative of my comments and the most expansive thing I said was she could really like it here. She replied her sister said it was a heavenly environment but the solitude could be depressing for some people and I said I agreed."

"Well done Claire and thanks."

* * *

Two weeks later Alan was finishing off the en suite bathroom of the second cabin when he heard the familiar toot of the horn of the water taxi.

By the time he'd climbed down to the found Alice Morgan had run the flat-bottom craft so its bow was on the dry gravel. She operated the hydraulics to open the end of the bow to hinge down so it formed a ramp.

An attractive blonde woman stood looking at Alan as he strode up the ramp. She was even better looking than Olivia and a little curvier with prominent breasts.

He tried to regulate his breathing.

"Hi Alan, did you get my letter."

"Yes thanks, it was delivered last Thursday. I'm sorry happy you're here."

"Oooh that so nice."

Captain Morgan said lightly, "Okay you lovebirds, let's get this gear unloaded. I have four passenger here eager to get to Stillwater Lodge and the three Mills' kids to drop off at their grandparent's farm."

"Lovebirds, how quaint Mrs Morgan. I'm here to labour on the Miranda and just for your information I'll have my own bedroom."

"So you say dear. I love your accent and now please check the freight coming off is all yours."

Lydia and Alan stood about three feet apart waving at the departing vessel.

"I'm surprised that you residents reply totally on water transport."

Alan said that was due to the nature of the terrain.

"Behind these hills you see sloping into the water are hills abutting each other in a rippling effect that continue for miles and miles and occasionally rise up to 4000 feet high. Such terrain provides a nightmare for road-makers and would make navigation very difficult for drivers. Anyway such construction of a network of roads would be absurdly uneconomic because of the very low density of residential population."

"Oh I understand," she giggled. "Olivia told me you were an engineer."

"Oh an engineer who was boring?"

"No quite the reverse Alan. She said in the short time she was here she felt the need to remind herself that she'd become engaged only recently to her boyfriend, an airline pilot."

"Oh she never mentioned she was planning to marry."

"And how long was she here Alan - three hours I think she said."

"Oh yeah, scarcely time for deep confessions."

They laughed.

Lydia looked at the rather dilapidated cottage and then Miranda that had been jacked up at the water end of the sloping slipway on to what appeared to be old railway sleepers to make her sit level.

"Where will I sleep?"

"In the cottage?"

She eyed the boat and asked where he slept.

"In the boat."

"Do I have that option?"

He rolled his eyes skyward and said, "The cabins are not fitted out yet but that work is expected to start soon."

"So you sleep on the aft deck?"

"Aft deck; do you know something about boats?"

"My degree is in marine biology. As students we went to sea and on to rivers and lakes in boats."

"Oh of course. I sleep in the wheelhouse."

Lydia kept patiently turning the screw.

"It's rather a large wheelhouse for the size of the boat."

"Um yes."

"It provided living space for the fishing crew I daresay."

"Um yes."

"And the conversion has provided reduced sleeping accommodation in the wheelhouse for how many people?"

Alan scratched behind an ear and said uncomfortably, "Two."

"And the two beds can be pulled together or spaced apart depending on whether the wheelhouse guest is male or a mother or the guest is a hot babe?"

Alan turned wild-eyed and said hastily, "You can sleep in the wheelhouse if you must, with the beds placed at maximum width apart."

"Oh Alan how lovely," said the pushy visitor. "If the exterior of the wheelhouse is reflected in the interior, everything inside will be pristine."

"Er yes and good thinking."

Lydia smiled and said wow that had been hard-going.

"I'm an engineer," he said with a boyish smile and she giggled and said there were signs already they were compatible.

"It's a magnificent day."

"Indeed," he said, obviously pleased the ice was broken and the grilling had ceased.

"Heterogeneity of hillside heights bounding the waterway with deep valley intersections will mean accelerating wind and indeed at times treacherous wind gusts burst over the water."

"Er yes," Alan said. "It's regard around here as land-based wind shear or simply bouts of stronger wind barrelling down valleys."

"But isn't wind shear...?"

"Um Lydia we locals are generally relaxed and leave scientific phenomenon to the scientists."

"Are you saying you'd like me to wind down?"

"Just a tad would be appreciated. God I'm hanging out for coffee. Come aboard the guesthouse Lydia. We can deal with your luggage later."

"Do I have to work today?"

"No it's already gone noon. You work on the boat mornings only. In a day or two we visit Mrs Shanks, a well-known hobby potter and general craftswoman back down the sound. She will provide you with information about local pottery resources and in Lawson City to the west of here amateur potters thrive because of the variety of good local clays."

"Does Mrs Shanks have a pottery kiln?"

"Yes and she said you are welcome to use it."

"Oh you lovely man; you prepared for my arrival."

"Aye I was confident you'd come."

Lydia looked at him thoughtfully, before beginning to climb the ladder.

"What you had a premonition?"

"No Mrs Johns said after your sister told you about our leisurely life-style of living on the water's edge in such picturesque surrounds she said she told you nothing would keep you from coming unless you were infatuated with a man."

"Oh did she? Well Mrs Johns should know a woman has to find a worthy man before she has the opportunity to become infatuated. If you must know, Claire Johns called me every three or four days to ensure I remained focused on coming here."

Alan clenched his fists and said sternly, "What? Christ that woman; she knew I didn't want you influenced one way or the other about coming here. I thought you should be left to make up your own mind because it would be a radical change to your lifestyle and that you'd feel isolated here and that could develop into an intense dislike of your situation."

"Yes Mrs Johns told me that. I think she secretly has the hots for you Alan. The build-up she gave of you made me think I'd find you could walk on water?"

"Christ that woman!"

"And my sister did everything but physically push me into coming here."

"Christ."

"Alan calm down. They both knew I'm needed here and had been invited here because you are not naturally a hermit. After pottery I like working with wood and further down the list of preferences I have a fondness for drinking wine in the company of a male who knows how to talk to females."

"This has been a fucking conspiracy," Alan groaned turning and began walking off.

"Alan come back, I need you here."

He obliged and stepping up to her grouched, "Why?"

"I'm about to climb the ladder. My sister said you appear to have a fetish for looking up a woman's dress as she climbs this ladder. I have no wish to deny you a cheap thrill."

Alan stood, having collected himself and smiled.

"I apologize for my behaviour. I speculate that I've exhibited a territorial instinct with you coming on to my patch."

She smiled and said that was a perfectly logical explanation and the intensity of the conversation would have helped to wind him up.

"Kiss me; that might help."

He frowned and said, "No that's not necessary."

"And what about me? Have you thought I might like to be kissed; you are probably aware you are rather attractive or should I say manly?"

Alan eyed Lydia and she eyed him demurely and then lowered her gaze.

Something stimulated him and he moved in and gently kissed the new arrival.

"Oooh that was good; again please."

This time Alan placed his arms around Lydia and put more into the kiss and felt her mouth open slowly and then their teeth touched.

"Oooh," she said, pulling away. "That was almost a steamy kiss."

He smiled and she smiled and gently touched the side of his face and asked, "Would you like me to remove my panties before I climb the ladder?"

That wiped the smile from his face.

"Keep calm," she urged. "Olivia suggested I should push you into kissing me because your emotions might have become slow to kick in because of neglect. I am perhaps guilty of pushing too far too fast."

Aland said softly, "That last bit was rather breath-taking but at last I'm beginning to understand you; it appears you are not shy about coming forward."

"Yes and that's resulted in some guys and especially their mothers having shied away from me. Apparently it's okay for guys to exhibit forwardness but not so for females. I've lived with three guys at different occasions for longish spells and that suited me fine but in each case we both knew that it was a transient arrangement. I'm telling you this to make it clear I'm no innocent."

He waited, sensing there was more to come but she appeared to be waiting.

"And I've been married."

She said, "Yes and so was I and he died."

For a moment that eyed one another almost bleakly.

Alan said tensely, "And you thought I might be suitable for your marriage?"

"Yes, I have to be truthful; I see such an arrangement as far superior to straight dating."

They were in deep enough to be personal, and Alan asked did she intend to marry.

"Yes but come on, let's not get bogged down. We are on the cusp of a loose arrangement and this loose woman invites you to indulge in your fetish as I climb this ladder. God we have spent long enough in getting me up on to the boat for coffee."

Lydia stopped at the top of the ladder, not swinging sideways on to the temporary landing.

Alan knew what was expected of him and climbed and pushed his head under Lydia's dress, sniffed and licked the inside of a thigh.

"That's enough," she called softly. "We both know it could be dangerous having sex on a ladder.

He laughed and said agreed and ran a finger over her covered pussy to telegraph potential commitment to advance pussy play when appropriate.

"Good boy," she purred, hitching up her dress hem with one hand and stepping on to the landing.

Alan stepped on to the landing as she stepped down on to the deck. He felt very ready for sex but instead invited Lydia on an inspection tour.

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