Sail Me Away...

He was leaning against the rail when a young woman, probably about 26, joined him. "Nice night," she says.

He figures she's trying to make conversation, but he's not really in the mood to talk. He'd had a rotten day, and none of his friends were really listening to what he had to say. "I s'pose so," he answers back. When he turns to look at her, his heart skips a beat. She was quite the sight to behold. Long auburn hair flowed down her back, her blue eyes reminded him of the ocean upon which they were sailing, and she had a cute button nose. "What brings you on the cruise?"

"I just needed to get away," she answers. She wasn't about to tell someone she didn't know her life story. "And this cruise, well, it seemed like my cup of tea."

There was something about the tone of her voice, he noted, that wasn't right. She was hiding something, although he wasn't one to pry. "My buddies thought it would be a chance for me meet somebody new."

That was sadness she detected in his voice. "Oh, what happened?"

He wasn't sure if he should tell her or not. The last thing he needed was someone feeling sorry for him. But it had been 7 months since his wife had passed, and their unborn child along with her. Damn drunk drivers really needed to stay off the road. "Drunk driver," he finally says, his voice hushed. "She never saw him coming."

A gasp escapes her lips. "Oh God, I'm so sorry!"

That's exactly what he didn't want. "It's been rough," he sighs, downing the last of his drink. "Not really sure how to move on. When I lost Marie, I lost everything. Everything that meant anything to me, I lost. Didn't see the point in moving on. But I had to, for Johnny. He's the only thing that's keeping me going, to be honest."

"Your son?" she answers, and she sees him nod. When her fiancée had died, she had been six months pregnant with their now 2-year old daughter. "I know the feeling."

Finally. Someone understood. Someone knew exactly what it was like. "Your kid is the meaning to your life?"

She nods. "If I didn't have Claire, my life would be meaningless. I'm Jane, by the way, but everyone calls me Janie. Never did like that much."

"Liam," he replies, extending his hand to the lovely Jane. "Care to join me for a drink? Y'know, that is, if you're not busy or anything."

Jane grows silent. An attractive man inviting her for drinks, a man, that if she judged his age right, was a good 10-15 years older than her? She doesn't know what to make of it. Was he just being nice, or did he have some ulterior motive? She curses herself for being so foolish. Not all men wanted to get in her pants, although the majority of them seemed to want to. "That sounds nice," she finally says.

Liam blows out a breath. He was so sure that she was going to say no. He extends an arm to her. "Shall we?"

She grins. "We shall."

* * * * *

Unbeknownst to Liam, a couple of buddies of his are watching this scene, from the shadows. "You see that Mike," he nudges his friend, laughing. "I think Liam might have found someone!"

"It's only drinks," Mike says, rationally. "It doesn't mean he's going to settle down with her or anything. Geez Jimmy, get your head out of the clouds, will you?"

"Lord dyin's Mike, I wanna see Liam move on. He's been living in a fog since Marie passed, you know that."

"I want the same thing Jimmy, but we shouldn't push him into it. He'll move on when he's ready to."

* * * * *

"...so I looks at Mike and says 'oh g'wan b'y, stop being so serious would ya?' and he just screwed up his face at me, like I was talkin' gibberish or something. That one needs to learn to loosen up."

Speaking of loosening up. Jane could sense a shift in Liam's mood. He seemed happier, and she suspects, that when he's not having his down days, that this is his true personality. Warm-hearted, the joker, an all around happy guy. "I have a few friends like that. Real sticks in the mud, if you ask me."

Liam slaps his knee, and laughs. "Yep Mike is a real stick in the mud. Now Jimmy, he and I are like two peas in a pod. Never knows what trouble i'se gonna get into with him." He reaches over, and takes Jane's hand. "It's real nice of you, Jane, to spend some time with me, when ya hardly knows me."

"I'm grateful for the company too," Jane smiles back. "I've spent too much time alone lately."

"It doesn't have to be that way tonight."

Oh dear lord, was he really saying what she thought he was saying? "Are you offering to?"

"Only if you want to." He finishes the rest of his pint, and then lays enough money on the bar to cover his tab and hers.

Jane thinks for a moment. Did she really want to sleep with this guy that she hardly knew? He was old enough to be her Father, for crying out loud. But, he was a nice guy, or at least he seemed it. And she did need some company. She downs the rest of her drink, and then smiles at him. "Your room or mine?"