Bark’s Wharf in Boston was the last place Cain Archer would expect to see the woman who was making her way toward him, gracefully skirting barrels of chum and coils of heavy rope in trim, high heels. He knew her instantly, of course. But he was having a hard time believing she’d be here, in this particular setting.
He leaned his shovel against a piling and waited.
“Captain Archer,” she greeted as she came up to him. “They said you’d still be here; I’m glad I didn’t miss you.”
“You know me?” Archer asked, raising a brow. The evening was getting stranger and stranger. Lilan Dia was standing on his wharf, addressing him by name.
“By reputation only, I’m afraid.” She was a classy, classy girl. And, to be honest, he was prepared to hate her – she was, after all, an actress. But the way she looked at him, the simple honesty of her smile disarmed him. She didn’t carry herself like a bohemian elitist or artiste.
“What reputation is that?” he inquired. Already he was getting a little nervous. “Fastest gut-shoveller on the Eastern seaboard?”
She laughed; he was amazed how genuine it was and how warm. “Hardly. I meant your reputation as a ship’s captain. You were lauded as one of the best, a few years ago.”
“Try fifteen,” Cain corrected immediately. “Yeah, I made Patholux some good bank. So what? I was young and had the energy and the company liked the way I looked. I used to clean up nice, Miss Dia, and act even nicer. Toting folks around the system on a yacht came easy to me.”
“You were also noted for being discreet,” Lilan added carefully.
Cain’s eyes narrowed. “What happened on those boats was none of my business. They weren’t hurting anyone, Miss Dia. They just wanted to have a good time.”
“That’s it, right there,” Lilan said pertly. “You’re a man who understands people. You can see them from all angles. That’s why I sought you out.”
Can rubbed his hand on the back of his neck slowly. “Uhh, Miss Dia…rumors or no, that job’s over. I don’t…do that sort of thing anymore.”
She tipped her head. “What are you talking about?”
He sighed. “The stories. About me offering…company to some of the older ladies on the yacht excursions. I was young, Miss Dia, and no-one forced me to -…”
Lilan’s eyes widened, then her head fell back and she laughed. It was a wonderful sound. “Captain, I have absolutely no intention of that sort in mind. I am not looking for a gigalo.”
“What are you looking for then?”
“A captain for my ship.”
He was ashamed at how hard his heart began beating. “Ship? You want me to captain your yacht?”
“Not a yacht, Captain Archer. It’s actually an older, Georgian-class vessel. The Embry-Riddle. I’ve just purchased it, and I need a crew.”
Cain frowned. “Why?”
Lilan sighed softly. “I need a sabbatical. It’s been ten years since I stopped doing cinema, and my transition from vid to stage went smoothly…but it’s exhausting work. I perform almost every day, with few breaks. My credentials are solid enough for me to take a leave of absence from my career, and I want to travel. I obviously can’t fly a ship on my own, and I’d like a crew that interests me and that I can get along with. Are you interested at all?”
“Miss Dia, look at me. I’m literally shoveling fish guts at midnight on a filthy dock in Boston. I’d be an idiot not to be interested. Can I ask what the pay will be like?”
Lilan’s smile curved merrily. “I want a two-year run. I’ll pay you the going rate for captaining a small frigate and, at the end of the two years, I’ll sign the Embry-Riddle over to you.”
For a moment, Cain was afraid he might pass out. Or vomit. In front of Lilan Dia. “You’ll…give me my own ship?”
“Correct. I won’t have a use for it, and you can use it as an independent transport service, or sign on with Isely or Haight Enterprises. Or sell it. I don’t care.”
“Jesus.” He nodded. “Okay. Yes.” And his grin lit his whole face as he extended his hand. “God, I hope you’re on the level.”
She clasped his hand and seemed not to notice at all that it was calloused and less than clean. “I certainly am, Captain, and I look forward to sailing under your command.”
He leaned his shovel against a piling and waited.
“Captain Archer,” she greeted as she came up to him. “They said you’d still be here; I’m glad I didn’t miss you.”
“You know me?” Archer asked, raising a brow. The evening was getting stranger and stranger. Lilan Dia was standing on his wharf, addressing him by name.
“By reputation only, I’m afraid.” She was a classy, classy girl. And, to be honest, he was prepared to hate her – she was, after all, an actress. But the way she looked at him, the simple honesty of her smile disarmed him. She didn’t carry herself like a bohemian elitist or artiste.
“What reputation is that?” he inquired. Already he was getting a little nervous. “Fastest gut-shoveller on the Eastern seaboard?”
She laughed; he was amazed how genuine it was and how warm. “Hardly. I meant your reputation as a ship’s captain. You were lauded as one of the best, a few years ago.”
“Try fifteen,” Cain corrected immediately. “Yeah, I made Patholux some good bank. So what? I was young and had the energy and the company liked the way I looked. I used to clean up nice, Miss Dia, and act even nicer. Toting folks around the system on a yacht came easy to me.”
“You were also noted for being discreet,” Lilan added carefully.
Cain’s eyes narrowed. “What happened on those boats was none of my business. They weren’t hurting anyone, Miss Dia. They just wanted to have a good time.”
“That’s it, right there,” Lilan said pertly. “You’re a man who understands people. You can see them from all angles. That’s why I sought you out.”
Can rubbed his hand on the back of his neck slowly. “Uhh, Miss Dia…rumors or no, that job’s over. I don’t…do that sort of thing anymore.”
She tipped her head. “What are you talking about?”
He sighed. “The stories. About me offering…company to some of the older ladies on the yacht excursions. I was young, Miss Dia, and no-one forced me to -…”
Lilan’s eyes widened, then her head fell back and she laughed. It was a wonderful sound. “Captain, I have absolutely no intention of that sort in mind. I am not looking for a gigalo.”
“What are you looking for then?”
“A captain for my ship.”
He was ashamed at how hard his heart began beating. “Ship? You want me to captain your yacht?”
“Not a yacht, Captain Archer. It’s actually an older, Georgian-class vessel. The Embry-Riddle. I’ve just purchased it, and I need a crew.”
Cain frowned. “Why?”
Lilan sighed softly. “I need a sabbatical. It’s been ten years since I stopped doing cinema, and my transition from vid to stage went smoothly…but it’s exhausting work. I perform almost every day, with few breaks. My credentials are solid enough for me to take a leave of absence from my career, and I want to travel. I obviously can’t fly a ship on my own, and I’d like a crew that interests me and that I can get along with. Are you interested at all?”
“Miss Dia, look at me. I’m literally shoveling fish guts at midnight on a filthy dock in Boston. I’d be an idiot not to be interested. Can I ask what the pay will be like?”
Lilan’s smile curved merrily. “I want a two-year run. I’ll pay you the going rate for captaining a small frigate and, at the end of the two years, I’ll sign the Embry-Riddle over to you.”
For a moment, Cain was afraid he might pass out. Or vomit. In front of Lilan Dia. “You’ll…give me my own ship?”
“Correct. I won’t have a use for it, and you can use it as an independent transport service, or sign on with Isely or Haight Enterprises. Or sell it. I don’t care.”
“Jesus.” He nodded. “Okay. Yes.” And his grin lit his whole face as he extended his hand. “God, I hope you’re on the level.”
She clasped his hand and seemed not to notice at all that it was calloused and less than clean. “I certainly am, Captain, and I look forward to sailing under your command.”