Chapter 5

Monday, Winter break officially started. I arrived at 5:15am for duty shift on my first choice of boats — McElroy's Joy, a commercial fisher — only to find my Grandparents arguing.

"Marcus, I have never missed a day 'cause I was sick, and I am not about to start now. Besides, who's gonna run this office if I'm out, you?"

"Hell, yes! You just go on home an' I'll handle all this."

"You can't handle your own job, how are you gonna handle mine?"

"Alright now, woman, I just 'bout had it with them kinda cracks..."

"Then it's 'bout time that you left me to my work!" She looked at me. "Al! What are you gawking at?"

"Uh, nothing, ma'am." I had never heard them actually argue before. Fuss at each other, yes, but Granddad was really upset, I could tell. It was disturbing.

"Hold on." He said, putting his hand gently on hers, "What if the boy stays here with you. If you need to take a break, you can..."

"I have never needed to take a damn break..."

" ... in damn near forty-five years. I know, I know but Candice, honey, humor me. 'Sides, if-n —" he stopped, looked at me, frowned and looked back at her, "— might make some sense to train someone as a backup."

She glared at him. "I don't need help, damn you. Don't you have someone else feet to get under?"

"I ain't givin' on this one, Candice. The boy stays here."

They stared at each other and I swallowed hard wishing like all hell I had come in late and missed all this. Finally, Grandma looked away and said, "Put your things in the back and clock in. You'll be in the dock house today."

I could hear them talking softly and waited in the back room until I heard him leave. I came back in just as the crews started arriving. It didn't take long to see what Grandma was doing but it was amazing trying to figure out how she knew who was on which ship and when, who to call in, which boat was going where.

"I been doing this a long time." Was all she'd say.

Later, after all the boats were checked in and all the crews signed out, she let me go home. I had always known that Grandma was the first one in; I had never realized that she was also the last one out. She looked exhausted when Granddad came to pick her up but neither of them commented on it.

Instead of going home, I went to Lisa's house. I greeted her mother with a peck on the cheek and headed up to Lisa's room. Lisa was on the phone with someone so I sat down at her computer and logged in — I long ago guessed her passwords — and checked my e-mails. The one I was waiting for was there. Peter was coming home Thursday. "Yes!" I quietly cheered.

I checked a couple other things — the sports page, the one porn site I can reach from here, my Amazon account to see where my Christmas order was. Finally, I got tired of waiting for her to get off the phone. I sat on the bed next to her and she scooted over so I had space. I picked up her foot — I still had orders regarding Lisa. I took off her shoe and sock and nibbled the bottom of her foot. She jerked her foot back because she hates it when I do that but she didn't drop a note in her conversation. I held her foot firmly and began licking her toes. I didn't worry about how long it was gonna take to work my way up her body or what I was gonna do to make her cum hard enough to tell Peter that I hit it right. I just systematically licked and sucked every inch on skin I could reach. When I got to her jeans, I pushed them up. When they wouldn't push any further, I stopped long enough to take them off. At some point, I hadn't noticed, but she got off the phone. I started with her calf again and concentrated on not skipping any spots. I tuned out her low moans. I held her down when she started squirming too much.