079:

"Hey Robert?" she changed the subject. "We've talked a lot about certain things and we know each other fairly well, but... like.... Is this what you like to do all the time? Cruise? I don't know this kind of stuff about you."

He chuckled. "I like to cruise." He stressed the last word oddly. "I like to fish mainly."

She nodded. "Hm... anywhere or just in the ocean?"

"Anywhere." He said.

"Did Karen fish with you?"

"When forced to. It wasn't her thing, but she did come on several trips with me." He laughed. "Why, will you fish when we go on our cruise?"

"I'll try anything."

"I'll teach you then. It's not for the faint of heart. I've seen some humungous fish out here."

"Do you ever dive as well?"

"All the time." He said. "Why? Do you?"

"More than I fish. My dad is an avid diver. He's taken all of us kids diving. We observe more than we catch." She told him and smoothed her hair out of her face where it was sticking in the heat and humidity.

"You'll have to bring the nanny if you want to get off the boat then. I would love to go diving with you." He said suggestively and she felt her face flame. "I'm sure you look hot in a wet suit."

"I'm sure I don't. You forget, I just had a baby."

"I don't forget. I think it just makes you hotter."

Melia laughed nervously. "I guess this is a little risqué."

"What? Our conversation? Not risqué... but a little deeper than we've gone before. I actually really enjoy it." He privately adjusted his pants and admitted it did other things to him as well. It had been a long time since a woman had been interested in him, or he her.

"How old are you, Robere?"

"Ah... thinking I might be a little old for you? Is nine years too much difference? I'm thirty-one. I have been avoiding that thought for awhile."

"Om... no, I don't think age makes a difference in that way." Melia said truthfully, not dismayed at all by the nine years. "But you might find me too immature, or too inexperienced. Jared was also a lot older than me, and he found me.... Inexperienced sometimes."

"I find your inexperience to be refreshing. I think any inexperience you may have will simply be endearing. I don't find you as worldly as you are portrayed in the media. And to be honest, that's a plus on my side. Do you find me too worldly?"

Melia considered. "No, I find you old fashioned and a bit provincial."

"Not stuffy? Or just old?"

"No!" she laughed. "Not at all. But I haven't seen all there is of you. Our times together have been all emotionally related to huge events in our lives. With the exception of our one sunset and the trip to the airport, which were still emotional, we haven't gotten to know each other as just ourselves."

"I'd like to remedy that situation soon, Mia." He said.

She pictured riding the waves in his boat... it wasn't just a boat, although he fondly called it that, it was a yacht. It certainly wasn't the biggest one she'd ever seen, but it was plenty big. There would be room for her and the girls and her nanny. She'd seen his other "boat" being towed. That could be a lot of fun as well.

"We will." She said softly, thinking how nice it was to have someone interested in her who had no other agenda. She liked knowing that they shared other loves, his for Karen and hers for Jared, and were aware of this... and were open to the new experience of possibly finding another love. What he'd said about having loved once so deeply, made him fit to love again. Now she knew how.

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