Moving is one huge pain in the ass. I had been working for this company for six years when they offered me a great job in a city at the other side of he country. I am a California girl and moving to Philadelphia sounded as if I was going to China but the new position was a big step up in the company and my new salary was fantastic. But, three thousand miles away and seventy-five miles from the nearest beach, Ugh.
It's not just the physical relocation that's the problem, it's everything else involved. From finding an apartment and then getting a telephone installed and cable TV and water, gas and newspaper etc. etc. etc. And then just finding your way around the new neighborhood; where are the markets, dry cleaners, hardware, Wal Mart, etc.. And then finding a new doctor and dentist is another chore altogether. I was going to wait until I got friendly with some of the employees at the company and get some recommendations from them on those subjects.
The new apartment was terrific. It was on the twelfth floor of a high rise down near the Philadelphia waterfront on the Delaware River. Most of the boat traffic was only tankers going up the river but it was pretty. It was one bedroom with a nice, but small, kitchen and a large combination living/dining room. The only thing lacking was decent storage but I guess that's true of all high rise apartment houses. Each apartment has its own storage bin in the basement but I would be hesitant in storing anything of value there as it isn't well protected.
It took me a month or so before I felt comfortable in the new job. At least comfortable enough to be able to take a little time off to see a doctor about a cold I had picked up and was hanging on for what seemed forever. One of the other women in the office gave me the name of her doctor who had an office only a few blocks from my apartment. When she gave me his name she also said, "oooh la la." When asked what she meant she answered, "You'll see."
I got the appointment for just after noon the next day; dropped my car off at the apartment and walked to the doctor's office only two blocks away. It had the typical reception area with, Cindy, a very attractive nurse handling the patients as they arrived. She looked more like a California beach bunny than anything else I could imagine; long blond hair, large breasts about five foot four, one hundred and ten pounds and a smile that girls would die for.
She had me fill out the new patient paperwork and had me take a seat. I wonder how much time is spent waiting in doctors' offices around the world.... tons I'm sure. Ten minutes later she was ushering me into one of the small viewing rooms. That is another thing that bothers me about doctors' offices. When they usher you out of the outside waiting room that does not mean the doctor is ready to see you. It only means that one of the small viewing rooms has opened up and you can begin your wait all over again. Well, that's life.
When the door to the little room opened up fifteen minutes later the guy who came through the door wearing a white doctor's coat was good looking drop dead handsome. I could see what the oooh la la was all about when the woman in our office recommended this guy.
"Hi, I'm Doctor Mac MacKenzie and I see you are Marna Campbell. Do you mind of I call you Marna?"
"Not at all Mac" I replied.
"Touché"
"So, what brings you in to see me?"
I explained about the lingering cold. He did the usual listening to my chest through the stethoscope, lingering just a little longer around my breasts than I ever remember a doctor doing before, and then he quickly wrote out a prescription.
"So how are you liking Philly?" he asked.
"So far so good but I wish it were closer to the ocean."
"Ah ha, you are a California gal and like the sun and surf."
"Well, I'm not a surfer but do like the wind and waves." I responded
"Say, I have just the thing that might interest you. I have a sailboat docked down at Atlantic City and I'm taking Cindy and the appointment clerk sailing this weekend. You are welcome to come along if you would like. It will be fun and you will get to know another couple of women your own age." He offered.
"Sounds like a ball and I would love it. What do I need to bring and where will I meet you guys?"
"Just bring yourself, but wear sneakers or boat shoes. No hard soles and we can meet in the parking lot next door. It will be empty on Saturday morning and if we meet there at eight we can be out on the water at nine thirty."
The weather forecast for the weekend sounded great for sailing. They were calling for winds out of the South around twelve to fifteen mph with temperature in the mid eighties. It was only Wednesday so I had a couple of shopping nights to make sure I had an outfit I wouldn't be ashamed of. I chose a pair of khaki shorts with a burgundy top and an old pair of Sperry Topsider boat shoes I had for some time so it would appear that I had been on a boat before. I had been sailing a good few times before and certainly wasn't an expert but did know a good bit about handling a boat. I was fairly sure I wouldn't make a complete fool out of myself as just another landlubber.
I took a Dramamine before leaving my apartment just in case and brought a small carry on bag with me that morning with a few munchies and bottled water. I was ready. Holy shit. I never asked what time we would be back. In thinking back over the invitation all I could remember was that he said 'he was taking Cindy and the appointment clerk sailing this weekend'. Was that for the day of the weekend? I changed my small carry on bag to a larger one and threw in another pair of shorts and top and some undies and my traveling toilet kit.
We all met right on time and the appointment clerk, Joan, looked to be a lot of fun. She was about my age, thin but with what appeared to be a decent size bra size and an absolutely beautiful smile. It turned out that both she and Cindy had been on the boat before but not at the same time.
The drive to AC isn't bad once you get across the Walt Whitman Bridge. A few miles east and the AC Expressway begins and takes you right into the gambling mecca. The marina is directly opposite a casino so if you get bored it is right there to amuse you.
The boat was a beauty. A forty- four foot Cheoy Lee ketch. The decks were teak and the woodwork around the cockpit was beautifully varnished mahogany. Mac wanted to hose down the deck to rinse off the road dirt that was all over the boat. Apparently the road to the marina across the street gets a good bit of traffic and the grit the cars throw up covers the boats. In another ten minutes we were untying the dock lines and casting off. The dockside observers must have been jealous as hell...one guy and three gals.
With the southerly wind we were able to have sails up going out the AC inlet and we were moving along nicely at seven knots on our way to wherever. There wasn't much of a sea and a boat this size was truly in its element. I could just imagine loading it up and setting a course for the Islands. I think that is what I would do if it were mine.
I never saw it happen but Mac had loaded up the refrigerator with some cheeses and meats and, salad ingredients and some soft drinks for lunch. We were set. The engine driven refrigerator didn't have time to make ice but he left the engine running for the first hour or so to chill down the refrigerator. After an hour there were some semblance of cubes in the trays.
The boat was moving along beautifully. I had done some sailing on the West Coast but nothing in a boat this size. After Mac realized I knew how to handle the helm I was elected and became very sorry I had indicated I knew anything at all about sailing. The other two gals were stretched out catching rays while I was worrying about wind direction and the course we were steering. A half- hour of that and I suggested to Mac he engage the auto- pilot and let it take care of those duties. He flipped the switches, set the course and we were all free to move around the boat.
It wasn't long before Joan and I were sitting in the cockpit and just enjoying the wind and sun when I asked where Cindy was and Joan nodded forward. I stood and made my way out of the cockpit and around the side deck and ran across Cindy and Mac on a big foam pad up on the foredeck. Cindy was topless and soaking up the rays and Mac was lying on his stomach talking to her and every now and then leaning across to kiss a nipple. I stopped when I was almost there and started to head back when I head Mac calling my name. I turned and he was waving me forward.
