Chapter 14 - (actual chapter 6) a very ferry day
Listen to this chapter - just press play:
A shot of adrenalin and significantly mixed feelings upon once again seeing notorious Clark Barr heading directly towards her successfully sidelined this scary thought line. Once again, heâd caught her with a big olâ hunk of food stuffed part-way into her mouth.
Unintentionally leaning in and nearly over her menacingly close (he was clueless about how threatening this stance can be), with a pained and sleep-deprived expression his first words were âIâm sorry, Leigh! Thatâs all Iâm going to say, so I wonât get into any more trouble.â Heâd already turned to leave and was taking his first step along that line as he finished speaking.
âWait wait, please! Come back for a moment.â
âWhat? Did I screw up my apology just now?â
âTourist girl Wiggle Wobble Shimmer wishes to ask locally-living friend Chunk Casanova what she might want to consider doing off the ship around the area today. Suggestions, please?â
âEverything and nothing.â
She blinked expectantly, obviously waiting for more.
âItâs one of the worldâs major metro areas, Leigh, just like San Diego and L.A. in that sense. They have shopping, so does SD. They have museums, so does SD. Theyâre *different*, and thatâs why people go, I guess.â
âWhere do you go around here on your weekends, holidays, or other spare time?â
âHonestly, most of the time I donât go anywhere interesting. Usually doing chores and grocery shopping, or lying around the house exhausted from the work week.â
âYou donât go *anywhere* around here *ever?*â
âOKâSanta Cruz is kinda fun. You wonât make it there and back unless you rent a car and jam straight down there, play, and come backâand hope you donât get stuck in traffic, in this area where thereâs a lot of water and hills precluding much road gridding and alternate routes.
âMuir Woods and Muir Beachâ2 separate placesâare each very nice, as is most of Marin County away from the bigger cities like San Rafael and Sausalito. Actually come to think of it, Sausalitoâs OK, and you ought to be able to take a ferry there from very near here.
âThere are pockets of interesting things in the East Bay, but it takes knowing where most of the worthwhile ones are. You could take Richmond or Concord BART to the MacArthur station then walk east a mile or so towards Oaklandâs Piedmont district, which is nice but all youâre getting is somewhat upscale old neighborhoods and a ride on BART.â
âSimpson?â
âPfffft!â you know what it is.â
His half-smile plus proximity made her feel far too melty wiggly wobbly more than any form of shimmer, with or without wiggly wobbles. {How can somebody who annoys the crap outta me make me so wet?! Arousal, you are a strange beast.}
âBay Area Rapid Transit.â
âOK, yeah, right, I knew that. Anything else?â
âCan you please give me even a hint what youâre into? For example, if you tell me youâre all over physical media for music, Iâll suggest you head to Amoeba. I prefer the original one in Berkeley, but the S.F. store is alright, and closer.â
âPassed right by the S.F. store yesterday.â
âWell alright, youâve been there done that, or passed on that.â Now it was his turn to blink expectantly, in his case with words, âHint, please?â
âI really donât need more stuff in my life, so not especially into shopping. Walked all over the city yesterday, so while I donât mind walking, Iâm not seeking out anything involving extensive walking on its own merits, nor to see a nice neighborhood.â
âWhich city?â
âSan Franciskeeâ she replied in her attempt at a grizzled minerâs voice. âThe one they seem to think around here is *The* City.â Hungry, she took another bite of her croissant.
âProvincial arrogance abounds. And now youâre making a funny face like I just ripped a fart, but I know I didnât and I donât smell anything.â
She gazed blankly past him, smacking her lips like a dog whoâd just tasted something strange, or encountered a strange texture. âThat is *weird!*â
âWhat is?â
Her direct eye contact returned, âAll the flavor disappeared from this croissant! Here, taste this, please.â
âThereâs hardly any left.â
âTake it. Itâs no longer doing anything for me.â
He went ahead and ate all of what little was left.
âTastes alright to me. A nice oniony flavor with some tang from the cheese, and I can taste the butter.â
âThatâs what my first bites were like! That last one tasted like nothing!â
âMaybe youâre getting a cold. You might consider getting some zinc in you soon.â
âWhat if itâs the coronavirus?!â
âWhich one?â
â*The one from Wuhan!*â
âSettle! Thatâs the *novel* coronavirus, or another set of letters of insufficient interest to me as a non-medical person to commit to memory. I always thought a cold was a rhinovirus, but somewhere recently they were writing that the common cold or maybe some forms of it are a different coronavirus. Want me to feel your forehead, to see if you might have a fever?â
âYes please.â
{How can I be excited and soothed at the same time with the back of his hand against my forehead?!}
âNope, donât think so. Youâre barely warmer than ambient up there. Feel off any other way besides the sudden-onset anosmia?â
âThe what?â
âLoss of sense of smell, which we know is tightly related to taste.â
She sniffed her coffee. âI can smell *this*.â
âThatâs good. So any other symptoms of un-health?â
âNot really. Sinuses seem clear. A touch achey, but thatâs likely due to the walking I did yesterday, and the day before in Monterey and Pacific Grove.â
âHow far?â
âAt this port it was to and through Golden Gate Park, back through the Mission District, then on the California St. cable car back here.â
âThat *is* a damn good walk! I didnât know youâ⌠never mind.â
âI like moderate walking just fine.â Her mildly miffed expression quickly morphed back to friendly, âCare to go with? Maybe show me around?â
âIâm really wiped from last night. Gonna stay on-ship and rest.â
âWent to sleep late?â
â*Oh* yeah.â
âBut probably not in or on bed so lateâ she smirked.
âWhat else do you want to know about my private life?â
âSorry. I know weâre notâ*hhhhhhâ*any more than casual friends or business acquaintances or whatever, but we do have a history beyond that.â
âWe do.â He didnât look happy being reminded of this fact. âAnd Iâd better go. Have a great Bay Area day, whatever you wind up doing.â
Leigh had no idea why she felt a very slight sense of loss watching him walk away, nor why her gaze remained fixated on him until he vanished from view.
Romance
Apocalypse/Quarantine
Mutual gaining
Paradise/Holiday/Luxury
Indulgant
Romantic
Female
Straight
Weight gain
Wife/Husband/Girlfriend
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