"How about this table?" I said and pulled out a chair for her. I tipped my head to the girl behind the counter and held up two fingers. The coffee came, not too strong, but at least it was hot. Pat shrugged out of her mackintosh, reached for the Players I held out to her and dragged at the battery match flame. I watched her as she leaned forward over the lighter. The tiny creases at the corners of her eyes, the slightly deeper lines of her mouth, marked her as a woman of thirty, mature, a little worldly, but still attractive. Delightfully so to me, I thought, since, at thirty-five and a casualty of the divorce mill too, I was no longer interested in young girls, good to look at but unseasoned by life. She sat back in her chair and looked at me quizzically. "Did I pass inspection?" she said. I hadn't realized I'd been so obvious. It was a little disconcerting, even after dating her frequently in the last six months, to have my thoughts read the way she seemed to do. I smiled at her. "I'll have to have a closer look to be sure." "I don't know about that," she said teasingly. "I wouldn't trust you too far." "How far would you trust me," I asked quickly, an idea growing hopefully behind my bantering tone. She looked at me and her smile slowly faded. Again her intuition was right and the fear of getting emotionally tangled up with a man, the reluctance to bare her heart again so soon after it had been lacerated by another male, was obvious in her caution. "It depends on what you want to do." She laid the cigarette down. It burned untouched as she watched my face. "The satellite weather forecast is for good weather the next ten days," I said. "This looks like a perfect chance for a long cruise up the coast in my boat." I paused and looked straight at her, "but it takes two to work it properly." She had been on one day cruises with me before this and was learning quite quickly how to sail. I knew she would love to go but.... "Where do we stay at night?" she said. "I didn't figure on any definite itinerary. We could sleep on the boat, there's plenty of room." "I know that, but there's only one cabin." "I won't bite you." "Strictly platonic?" "You call the tune, I'll play it." She stood up abruptly and reached out her hand to me. "We're wasting time," she said. "Let's go!" * * * * *