Chapter 38

“That was so lame,” I scoffed.

I never expected she would break into tears.

I never expected she would end up sobbing in my arms.

I never expected I would hug her like I did.

I never expected I would kiss her.

She kissed me back. I wasn’t expecting that.

“God! I needed that,” she said.

“I realize this an awkward time to mention this, but ... what is your name?”

And Cyn laughed. “You have no idea how many times I’ve heard that.”

“I’m almost ashamed to say,” Miss Physics said.

“Why?” asked Cyn and I together.

“Cora Josephine,” she said, “I’m named after a rich great aunt. My parents were in hopes of inheriting.”

“Did they?” Cyn asked.

“No, Aunt Cora is still alive. o One hundred and six.” Cora said. “She’s a horrid person.”

“Cora Jo,” I said.

“Well ... nobody ever called me that,” she said. “I like it. I’ve hated my name for years,” she rolled it around her tongue, “CoraJo. Cora Jo. Yep. I like it. It’s not stuffy. Cora Jo. And it’s not old fashioned.” She hugged me closer.

I wasn’t letting go.

In my ear, she whispered, “I hate my job. For two cents I’d quit.”

“Cyn?”

Cyn was looking shocked. She’d never seen me with a woman on my lap. I’m not a virgin but I never made a big deal out of it. Not like Cynthiamae ... Cynthia usually took out a quarter page newspaper ad. Not really ... but everybody knew!

“What?” Cyn asked.

“I need two pennies.”

“Get your own.”

“I’m not letting go ... she’ll get away.”

“One thing for sure,” she said handing me two cents, “I couldn’t separate you two with a prybar.”

“Here’s two cents,” I handed them to her. “Who do you need to give notice to?”

When Surprise bought the one hundred foot catamaran and had her shipped to us, she wasn’t named ... well ... sorta ... what kind of name is Hull #7?. She was Number 7 during the cleanup and rescue work. She was still Number 7 when we were in Naha. It was on the way to Miyakojima doing nearly 32 mph in calm seas under power that I said to myself, “Wow! Twenty Seven Knots!” There was still an inch or so of throttle and I thought, “Why not?”

Now we were Really flying ... the stuff of fairytales and I thought, “Alice in Wonderland ... We’ve fallen down the rabbit hole ... what’s that noise?” That noise was why we the boat was in Tokashiki harbor.

Cyn was right. Shit happens on my watch.