Thunder Bay Ch. 02

In town, I stopped at the drugstore and picked up supplies before getting burgers and fries at one of the fast food restaurants. With all the people in town for the holiday, it took me over an hour to get back to Thunder Bay. Robbie was standing alongside the houseboat, filling the water supply tanks with a garden hose.

"I thought you might like some water to go along with the electricity." He stated when I stepped out of the car. "I assume you're planning on staying on the houseboat."

"Yeah. That's what I planned on." I responded. "I doubt I'd ever find a hotel room with all the boaters in town."

Sitting at the diningroom table, I watched Robbie eat like he was starved. Handling the burger was a bit of a chore but he managed to get most of it in his mouth.

"I'm not gonna start anything." He avowed, catching me staring at him. "I don't wanna argue any more than you do."

"Good. Let's keep it that way." I asserted, letting him know where I stood.

After cleaning up our mess, I expected Rob to suggest staying the night but he never so much as made a hint of the idea. I changed his bandage, glad to see the long, jagged cut was heeling.

"I better be gettin' home." He muttered, flexing his fingers against the constraint of the bandage. "I'll be back in the morning."

"Why don't you take the day off?" I suggested. "Get out on the lake and enjoy yourself for a change."

"I don't know. Maybe I will." Rob responded, giving me a smile. "Maybe I'll go fishing or somethin'"

I closed the gates and locked them after Robbie passed through them. Watching the taillights on his pick-up slowly disappear as he drove away, I wondered if I should have asked him to stay the night.

After enjoying a hot shower, I switched on the plasma television in the main salon. Watching a movie about halfway through, I grew too sleepy to continue watching. It was well after midnight so I decided to try out the queen-size bed in the master stateroom.

Waking well after sunrise the following morning, I sauntered out to the galley. The smell of freshly brewed coffee alerted me I wasn't alone. A box of chocolate covered donuts sat next to the coffee maker, too tempting to resist. Realizing I was just wearing my panties and an oversize t-shirt I looked around to see if Robbie was onboard. He wasn't so I didn't bother putting anything else on.

Stepping out onto the front deck, I saw Robbie's pick-up sitting in its usual parking spot. The overhead door was open so I assumed he was back at work and his hand was much better.

Finishing off my second cup of coffee and as many donuts, I lit up a cigarette. Robbie climbed the stairway, boarding the houseboat.

"I see you found the donuts." He stated with a grin. "I figured you liked chocolate."

"They're my favorite." I mumbled, realizing I still hadn't bothered to get dressed.

"I thought you were going fishing." I asserted, catching him staring at my legs.

"Nah. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do today." Rob grumbled. "I thought about working on the houseboat but my hand's stiffened up on me."

"Let me change the bandage before you do anything." I affirmed, motioning for him to follow me to the master bathroom. "I want to see how it's coming along."

The cut on Robbie's hand looked much better than it had the night before. I didn't see any discoloration so I felt assured it wasn't infected. I put another bandage on his hand to protect it just in case.

"There's a friend of mine who's got a cruiser down at the marina." Robbie affirmed. "He's not using it this weekend."

"And?" I questioned, knowing he was leading up to something.

"I thought the two of us....you know....could take it out for the day." He stammered. "That's if you'd want to."

Making the decision wasn't easy. I wanted to go out on the lake since it had been awhile but I was hesitant about what might happen if I agreed to go with him. Against my better judgment, I agreed to go with him.

Stopping in at the Whiskey Creek Marina's store before we took to the lake, I purchased a white bikini that didn't look too skimpy. Rob picked up some supplies, mostly food and soft drinks so we could make a long day of it.

So far the day was progressing nicely with both of us keeping our guards up. Robbie seemed in an especially good mood, his warm smile never changing. Boarding the Formula thirty-one foot cabin cruiser, I couldn't wait to get a look below deck. Outfitted with all the amenities, it was super luxurious but still not as nice as our houseboats. The cruiser was built for speed as well as luxury, something our houseboats weren't.

Robbie fired up the twin V-8 engines while I changed clothes. Returning to the deck, I stood next to the driver's seat and lit up a cigarette. With both engines at operating temperature, Rob motioned for me to untie the cruiser from the dock.

Within minutes we were cruising at speed down the lake towards the east. The skies overhead were cloudless, a perfect day for boating. We sped through the water for almost an hour before Robbie pulled into a cove off the main lake. Filled with a variety of boats, it looked like a favorite spot for partiers.

"There's some friends of mine that are supposed to be out here." He stated, leaning towards me. "We'll just stop for a quick hello and a cold beer."

I nodded my head, agreeing to his suggestion. I didn't know much about Robbie, let alone any of his friends. I was worried I might not fit in with a younger crowd so I hoped we wouldn't be staying long.

TO BE CONTINUED