Mental Patience Ch. 02

"Sort of, just not yet, we have to get on a boat first." Elijah wore a cocky smirk, and it fit him well.

"What?!? A boat? What the hell are we doing?" That look was on her face again, and the sound of her voice mirrored the phone. The thought had finally formed in his mind; he knew what it was she was not saying.

"Well, it's a ferry. We'll boat over and drive back, it will give us some time to talk."

"From where?! To where?!"

"I told you, it's a secret," Elijah was grinning ear to ear, randomly glancing her way as he drove, relaxed into the black leather. The cool air coming from the dustless vents - mostly the cool air - made her nipples hard, yet he managed not to look, even with sunglasses on, even while looking her way.

"Oh, you're good," Jezebel was impressed with his gentleman grandeur, which was something she had always enjoyed. His performance was practiced, but his performance was genuine; so professionally done as to make all men look as fools for any similar attempt. He was also polite, and he actually listened - often questioning into what she told him - rather than assuming. He was making her nipples harder than the cool air did, especially the angled muscles on his forearms when at rest - the kind without all of the creepy veins - and how they redefined in sinew while he shifted or gripped the wheel.

It was not by chance that her early warning systems were going off, with the system pointing at Elijah. He was hiding something, or at least, he knew something and was not telling anyone, along with his actions and movements being almost avoidant. Like most of what he had done so far, he was doing it better than anyone she had ever seen, but it was still felt like he was ignoring her.

Not to mention one of his fingers always tapped a surface when he was not moving otherwise, always to the beat of the quiet songs on the stereo.

Elijah was silently resisting her charms for the sake of everything else she had to offer; a sacrifice for the good of the cause. That's what the system was telling her. The handsome, nervous, but polite man she had encountered had become something else entirely. He almost appeared to be royalty in the guise of the common man with the way he controlled himself.

"But uneasy lies the head that wears a crown..." Jezebel spoke aloud during a comfortable silence, one of few silences and all comfortable, as she thought to herself.

"Excuse me?" Elijah could swear that she just quoted Shakespeare at random. "Who does that?" he thought to himself. He had been paying attention to the road and interchange, causing him not to believe his own ears. It could have been the radio.

"Oh?" Jezebel stared his way as if he had interrupted a philosophy class.

"What?" Elijah feigned confusion.

"What?" Her statement was matter of fact, a challenge.

"Um... Nevermind?" Elijah decided to drop it, leaving anything further on her. She had responded the same way towards his casual inquisition of her ambiguous career information.

They arrived at the first stop shortly after, parking in line with a half-hour until the vessel left. The salt of the bay air wafted between the power of her perfume and hints of leather, while the squawking gulls set the mood without intent against the sound of the closing power windows.

"Want to take a walk and look around? We've got some time to kill, and I would love some coffee. They have a little store inside if you're game."

"Let's do it." She was smiling as she spoke, the words instantly making Elijah imagine her naked. He fought ever part of his being, mental and physical, to not say: "That's what she said." Outwardly, he made no action aside from continuing the conversation. It was as if nothing had happened.

"Uh.. You can leave your purse if you want. Today is on me." Elijah seemed kind of nervous, similar to when he asked for her phone number. It was if he had trouble asking of her, even simple things like entering his house. It was like he did not want to be involved.

"Are you trying to impress me, Eli?" Jezebel had an eyebrow up, and flicked her sunglasses to the end of her nose in time with the words. She decided to play the game instead of calling him out.

Elijah's jaw dropped, surprised momentarily by her powers of sex. Jezebel admired his perfect and straight white teeth - despite his smoking and coffee - along with his fine, but trimmed and full, dirty blonde hair. He had freckles, barely noticeable through his tan; Elijah was a ginger, Jezebel knew it when the sun from the glass on the roof reflected red in his hair; she had never witnessed someone of his tone with a tan.

"Well... Yeah, I am actually, but I haven't been on a date in a while, so it's no big deal. Not to mention I would be stupid not to treat you to anything you want. You don't mind being spoiled, do you?" Elijah was smiling wide, again looking cocky; the smile more gorgeous than his features even though he looked like a movie star with his sunglasses on. Jezebel could only grin and go damp down below as she replied.

"No, not at all..." Elijah kept making her tingle through deeds without contact.

"Great. We'll do fine then," he spoke shortly after exiting the car, followed by Jezebel. "Ladies first," he was waving her on with his accentuating movements. The car alarm beeped when they were a few feet away.

"Are you being a gentleman, Eli? Or do you just want to stare at my ass?" Jezebel wasmakingher questions sexier, reaffirming his notions.

"Both," he spoke as he walked with her, a step behind her own pace. He could barely take his eyes off of the tear in her jeans at the join of her rump and thigh. Only one asscheek of the jeans was torn, and he could easily make out the tanline - and dark or light skin crease - free curve of her posterior - Her skin tone was natural, and/or she tanned in the minimal.

Elijah held the door to the building on the edge of the water for Jezebel as they entered. She ran her hand across his t-shirted chest as she passed by his frame leaning on the door, and then walked into the air conditioning.

***

"So, do you want to talk about the good stuff? Or do you want to just keep playing and chit-chatting?" Elijah leaned with his back against the rail of the circular wooden dock hanging over the water, and set his coffee down to the side on the flat top. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered her one, Jezebel declined. She also noted his reticent attitude when he asked.

"What? What do you mean 'good stuff'?" Jezebel leaned, to his right, on her left side, against the railing, using her elbow for support.

"Well, we could start with secrets..." Elijah had a devilish look on his face for an instant. He knew going for broke meant the next line of questioning could be stronger, more honest.

"No way, not going to happen," Jezebel could not believe his audacity.

"Well then, do you have any kids?"

"Nope, you?" Her response was relaxed and she was obviously glad he left the secrets go.

"Nope, no kids for me. Have you ever been married?" Jezebel suddenly looked nervous. It was the first time he had seen her that way.

"I'm... I'mdivorced. Forawhilenow." She moved in place with fidgets and wiggles. Elijah thought it was cute, he would press her later if things continued on well. Her voice matched the sound of the phone.

"Sorry to hear that. Married long?" Elijah knew his next question. He would make it into a statement.

"Thanks... Four years.. He sort of.. He cheated on me. So..."

"Sort of?"

"Yeah." She was looking at the decking.

"Alright, then," again the words' feel hung in the air for a short time. "So then, there's just that other thing, then." Elijah loaded, and cocked the hammer, waiting for the either or: Either a Grammar check or a 'what the fuck' moment was going to happen.

"What? Other thing? What do you mean?" Jezebel was back to sexy confusion, but the worry was still there, his intuition was just as intimidating as the rest of him.

Elijah was far more forward than she had anticipated, yet not at all controlling. He was throwing her off her game, the thing she did best, and he was doing it better. His next statement had the potential to go either way in her mind, good or bad, due to his blunt honesty and performance; the more she was around him, the harder he was becoming to predict.

There had to be something wrong, something to be worried about.

"The other thing. You know, that you are an exotic dancer. Like, a stripper, right? You didn't have to be worried, I don't mind." The smile on his face, coupled with his look, was pure calm and acceptance and man. The horn for the ferry bellowed the ready tone the moment after he finished speaking, followed by the momentary and revealing look.

"...how did-" Jezebel never finished speaking. Elijah flicked the ember of his cigarette into the water - followed by an air flight by the butt into the nearest receptacle - grabbed his coffee, and offered her his arm. She accepted his escort back to the car, and onto the boat within it, in stunned silence and fidgets. She felt strangely weak and stupid even though her test scores told her otherwise.

Elijah's smile never left his face while they touched with hooked elbows and her hand on his bicep, though all the while thinking about the fact that Jezebel was still hiding something else, something that felt like a big deal.

He began to think maybe she was still married. That would explain why she had not walked with the crowd, and that would explain why she lied to him while talking about her marriage. He would wait, he really liked this woman. He would give her the benefit of the doubt.

The trash bin never caught fire.

***

"Look..." Elijah pointed towards the ahead as they stood facing towards the bow of the vessel, "...dolphins, I think, yeah, dolphins." Elijah had been quiet for the twenty or so minutes since the ferry left. He had led Jezebel to the highest point on the ferry that passengers could go. They were alone at their new level, one away from the bridge, and since it was the second trip of the day, there were few other passengers. He had put on a plain black hooded sweatshirt jacket, and the hood was down.

At least she could see his angled calves incessantly flex as he never stopped moving, even when he was not moving, and even then he was always looking at something.

"Attention, attention. This is the captain speaking," the speaker was deafening and the captain mumbled. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you look towards the front of the boat, you will see a pod of dolphins heading out to sea. That is all. Thank you." All Jezebel heard was unintelligible noise.

"So, yeah, dolphins." Elijah could feel the slight chill of the air over the water getting progressively colder. A person would need a jacket had the sun not been out. Jezebel had goose bumps, and was rubbing her upper arms as she looked towards the small mammals still a distance away. He was already unzipping his sweatshirt as she began to speak.

"It's kind of chilly, I should have brought my jacket," she turned his way as she spoke. It was the first time she had spoken since he told her he knew of her career choices. "You.. um.. think you could keep me warm?" She had a slight grin on her face when she finished, using it almost as bait as she took hold of the warm sweatshirt he offered.

"Only if you tell me your real name," Elijah looked serious and he spoke without movement of any kind, not letting go of the sweatshirt. He was looking directly at her now, as compared to the surroundings that had his attention previously. It was also the first time he had made eye contact with her, and she had not caught that he was not doing so previously, until now.

It was almost frightening; at the same time it was too obvious, too powerful, too questioning, too deep, and too forward; flat out it was the most beautiful and intimidating thing she had ever seen.

"Nicole, my real name is Nicole," she almost seemed relieved as he went back to how he had appeared before, letting out her breath as a sign. For the first time in her life, Nicole was in a position she had never been before, she was losing, and a man was rewriting the rules.

Elijah moved in in time, lightly placing his hands on her upper arms as she spun back around and moved his body close against hers after she put on the sweatshirt.

Elijah was a solid and wide type of man despite his slim build, his shoulders easily wider than her hips, and he split the wind before it reached her even though she was up front. She still had the solid panel of the boat in front of her, but she now leaned into it slightly as he slightly leaned into her. His natural body heat was intense; Nicole was instantly hot in at least two places with his contact.

He had trashed the coffee cup, and she could smell the scent of his minty gum and slight cologne over the salt air, the same as the day at the air show, and she could smell his natural scent on his sweatshirt. The combination of them was almost too much for her, as her olfactory senses were staying at their peak along with everything else.

"What about you, Mister Elijah. Mister big mystery. You haven't said a word about your family or anything or what you do besides work and clean." Nicole was back on the prowl, this guy was worth it: He was stunningly handsome, and he wasn't trying to show off.

Thanks to her career choice, she was around men all of the time, she knew what trying looked like. Nicolehad tokeep going, had to keep trying to win, she had no choice but to take the bait. The more she was around Elijah, the more she noticed just how different he was. Most men, to Nicole, were simple one dimensional clichés, trying as hard as they could to be one thing, a perfect one thing: A big old dick or asshole.

Elijah was trying to be average, and by all assumptions, he would appear to be, just written off as cocky or intelligent, another dick or asshole. Upon the slightest examination, though, he became something else. Something she could not comprehend or break down. It looked like a duck, and quacked like a duck, but was showing all of the makings of a falcon or an owl.

All Nicole knew is that she liked whatever it was, she would have him naked. He left her question to pause in the air before he answered all at once, almost thinking about what she had said, and then saying 'fuck it' or something similar.

"That's because I only have my grandparents, I see them every week or so, help them with chores and stuff." Elijah dropped the level of his voice, and put his hands on top of the metal wall, in front of Nicole, on either side of her. His hands were more than twice the size of her own hands. At five foot seven inches without heels, Nicole always thought she was a big girl.

"I haven't really spoken to my parents in quite a few years. Same for my siblings, there's six of them. They get along just fine together with my most recent ex. Their traded-child support group works pretty well without me in it attempting to fit the nomenclature." His voice progressively lowered as he spoke.

"Are you serious?" Nicole spun around, in place and between his arms, facing him and watching him avoid the gaze of her eyes. His appearance showed that he was absolutely serious, it almost made her want to cry; it was not that he was in despair, but that he had looked so physicallyun-sadbefore or had appeared to have so little sadness in his personality, that he must always have had sadness on his face short of smiling. Nicole could see it now. "Why would they do that?"

"The truth?" Elijah's eyes focused down and left and did not move.

His question took her aback. Nicole could see his hands tighten and his sinewy forearms flex, and she felt his body shrug down as he pushed against the railing, at least until he finished speaking. The intonation of his words and kinetics of his actions still brought on her sorrow even though he did not have the same expression as he had a moment ago. It seemed like he wanted to continue, but he kept silent.

He was waiting for her answer.

"Yes, the truth." Nicole couldn't believe how many things this man was, and could be. She added emotionally unstable to the list in her head.

"We don't get along because no one wants to be Cinderella forever, and because I never have been, and never will be, a cocaine type of man."

"What?" Nicole could not understand what he was saying.

"You heard what I said. Think about it, it's the best I can do, I swear."

"Did you practice that?" She almost wanted to laugh at her own joke, smiling proud, but the way he was staring at her after she replied, she instead jumped back against the rail. His glare lasted for only a second, long enough for Elijah to put his hands into his pockets and begin to pull away from her.

"No. I was being serious." He uttered with vehemence as he began to step back.

"Woah, woah, look I'm sorry," she touched his face with a hand, directing it towards her own direction, freezing his body in place, and grabbed one of his belt loops with the other. She stared at the accent color of his eyes as the phrase settled in her mind on the border of confusion. She had a large family, and she understood the benefits of the tribulations caused, and how bad the tribulations could be without benefits.

"Ok." Elijah was looking around again, mostly at the foaming water at the front of the watercraft, essentially looking everywhere but her eyes even though that's where his face was pointing. The hand on his face moved down to join the other now on his belt and she tucked her fingers inside his shorts as she pulled his body softly against her own against the railing.

Elijah was looking over the top of her head, towards the bow of the vessel and the water beyond, as she continued speaking up to his profile, studying the muscles of his neck and perfectly stubble'd jaw line.

"Hmm, so you work a lot. You have no contact with your family." Nicole sniffed his chest like an animal. "You visit your grandparents twice a week or so." She spoke, for a short time, into his chest, and then into his beltline, before moving back to his profile. "Plus you never go on any dates? Do you have any friends?"

Her questioning seemed nothing but kind, nothing but genuine, and Elijah saw it the same way even though it was the worst thing she could have asked. His hands were gripping the railing again; her finger tips still teasing elastic.

"Um.. Not really. I mean, I know a bunch of people, I mean, they are friends with me and everything, it's just.. so.. yeah..." While she held him in place, she could feel the vibrations and emotions of his voice. The only other vibes she had ever felt from a man were stupid or rapist or creepy, never something grand, never something similar to this, something almost benevolent in both directions.

"Poor, Eli..." The words snapped his gaze to her own, as it was meant to, but Nicole was speaking without sarcasm, so his gaze immediately softened. "Well, you have me now." Nicole stood up onto her tip toes, kissed him on the cheek, and then spun around facing the water again, leaning with her arms crossed on the railing. The pair was quiet for some time, both amazed at the amount of information passed, and so quickly. Elijah slowly did slight horizontal push-ups, he seemed to never sit still.

"Yep, you're right, those are definitely dolphins. They're beautiful..." Nicole, ever so slightly, began to rub her charms against him. She was intending to not be noticed, but knew she surely was. Land was becoming visible, now on both sides, as they reached the halfway point. Elijah stopped moving as soon as Nicole started.