I managed to get today off after almost having my nose broke. Due to my free time here is another chapter!

Chapter 7

Gina's guests talked most of the night away discussing everything from where they were from to their childhood. Jake and Gina shared more about their home talking about where they liked to hang out and their favorite place to eat. It seemed Gina was almost as surprised to know Jake's favorite cafe also was The Jingle.

By 2:30 Gina and Carrie were trying to talk the guys to getting back to their boats so they would not be too tired in the morning before heading off. They insisted they would rather stay out since they rarely got to do such a thing before leaving.

"What ever you say boys." Carrie answered after many objections of having them head home. "Just don't come crying to us when your Captains are yelling at you to work harder.

"Well, dad expects me to be out all night anyway." he said with a grin, hauling out a smoke. He raised it in his hand in Gina's direction, questioning if he could smoke inside.

"Sorry," Gina answered. "You have to go out on the step or on the patio with that."

"Okay." Josh answered. He got up and turned, looking back at Carrie sitting on the couch. "Join me?" Giving Jake and Gina a short glance, then returning his eyes to her.

"Oh, yes!" Carrie jumped from her spot and showed Josh where the back porch was. Gina knew as they left the room it was Josh's way to get her to talk to jake more.

Jake and Gina sat in silence for a second. Gina was sitting sideways against the arm of the couch facing Jake.

"Go how did you make your way all the way up to Dutch harbor if your from Anacortes?" Jake asked, keeping his eyes on the flame of a candle the was in front of him.

"A few years ago I started working at the main Kelly's Connivence. She wanted to expand to other areas and one night while watching the show she got the idea to put one here. She wanted someone she could trust running the store when it opens so she asked me, knowing I also watched Deadliest Catch. I said sure and within the month I had moved here and started running the store."

"So you saw the show before?"

"Yeah, the second season was being taped when the store opened." Gina paused and then grinned. "It was so weird serving the captains when they first stared coming in. I realized they were just normal guys and now I'm good friends with them."

"If you watch the show then how come you never knew who I was?" Jake asked with a smug look.

"I haven't watched all of season 3 yet." she explained. "I missed it when I went to visit my dad, so instead of watching the last part, I waited for it to start playing from the beginning again so I haven't got to see you do your job yet, but I'm sure your good at it."

Jake nodded in response, letting the room fall silent again. Jake shivered, then looked around the room for a second.

"Cold?"

"No, I just got a chill for no reason."

"Feel like your being watched?"

Jake nodded and then realized what she ment by her question. Across the room, hiding under a large plant hid her cat, Bowie.

"Bowie is not used to guys being in the house." Gina commented. "When it's just me and Carrie, he's always around purring up a storm."

As if Bowie knew he was being talked about, he ran up to Jake and pounced over him and onto Gina's lap.

"Awwwww, is someone lonely?" she said, rubbing behind Bowie's ears. He instantly started purring, turning towards Jake and looking up at him. "He want's you to pet him."

Jake started petting the cat. "This is why I like cats. They demand your attention. Living with a cat is like working on a boat."

"Do you have a cat?"

"I'm not around enough to take care of one." Jake paused for a moment. "An ex of mine gave me one, but I gave it back because I knew I would not be able to take care of it."

Gina nodded in understanding, wondering if the ex he was talking of was the Natalie Carrie told her about.

Jake hesitated for a second before continuing. "She hates cats almost as she hates me being here. I ended up taking the cat back jut before I left and giving it to my mom because I didn't want Natalie to just give it away.

Gina just confirmed it was Natalie. She never wanted to judge someone without knowing them, but she really didn't sound that appealing. "Thats kinda shitty."

"Yeah, but now I know that Snickers is okay."

Gina smiled at the name. "Snickers is the cutest name ever."

"Mom and I named him that." Jake explained. "He's a dark tabby cat with light spots of brown that looks like peanuts, so we named him after the bar."

"It's nice though that you found him a nice place to live." She held back for a second before continuing. "At least Snickers is safe from Natalie."

Jake nodded, deep in thought for a minute. "She's still really pissed off that I'm here."

"Well, it's your job and yes it is dangerous and keeps you away for a while, but you choose to do it and she should respect that." Gina said, supporting Jake. "I think she shouldn't care about your job. She should trust and respect you enough for you to come out here without complaint. No one should have control over what someone else should do with their life."

Jake silently nodded. Gina could read on his face that she had hit a cord in his mind.

"Sorry if I said too much."

"Oh, no don't worry." Jake said, turning towards her. Bowie jumped from her lap and scurried down the hallway and into one of the rooms. "You've just explained how I feel about the situation perfectly. It's been over between us since she brought the subject up, but now I at least I know what to tell her when I call her for the last time.

Gina was relieved that Jake was willing to spill his guts over such a subject. She knew she had to tell him now. He knew she was okay with his job and all. It would be a reverse though in relationships in crab fishing. Usually the significant other was back home. If a relationship was to blossom, Gina would be in Dutch and Jake would be leaving her at the end of each season to go home.

"Is she who you called tonight at the store?"

"Yeah. I'm kinda glad I went there to call too." he smiled. Then I would not have gotten the weirdest invitation to eat pizza."

"There's a reason for that weird invitation." Gina started, blushing a little, readying herself to tell him how she felt. Jake turned to her, clearly not knowing what she was about to say. "I called Carrie to come over for pizza and she invited you beca-"

"It's freezing out there!" Carrie exclaimed from the porch door as she entered the house. She ran inside, dawning Josh's hoodie and looked at the two on the couch. Gina was shooting daggers at Carrie for cutting her off. She couldn't tell Jake now. Josh followed, catching the look on Gina's face, knowing something was amiss.

"Jake, come out for a smoke?" Josh encouraged.

"You were just out."

"I'm ready for another." Josh pushed.

"If you say so." Jake said getting up and following Josh.

As soon as she heard the door close, Gina looked over at Carrie, obviously her time with Josh went better then her time with Jake.

"I was about to tell him!"

"What?"

"I was about to tell him exactly why you invited him over for pizza."

Carrie's face fell when Gina told her. "I'm sorry, I never knew." she tried to explain. "Josh and I were cold."

"I know, I know" Gina said. "I was just so close to finding out what would happen between us."

"Yeah." Carrie put her hands in the pocket of the hoodie. "Josh is leaving tomorrow."

"How did things go with you to." a grin re-appearing on Gina's face.

"Well, he's going soon, but when he gets back he wants to take me out on a proper date." Carrie beamed.

"Thats good."

The back door opened on the guys stepped back into the house.

"Smoking seems to go so much faster when Carrie's not out there." Jake made a comment. The small grin on his face told he was filled in on Josh's and Carrie's status.

Carrie moved back to her spot by Josh, so Jake could sit back by Gina. She was hoping he would clue in that he could have someone to come back to when he's done the season. Jake smiled at the two to the right of him and then looked over at Gina. Was it a sign? Probably not, but Gina liked to keep hopeful. At least her friend was happy with Josh. Maybe she'd get another chance before Jake left in the morning, though it seemed unlikely.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm going to try and have another chapter up within the next few hours.