Pacey arrived at the lounge at twelve forty five. He had fifteen minutes to kill. He took the stool Rory was sitting on last night and beckoned the bartender over. A slim brunette sauntered over.

"Do you need a menu?"

Looking at her name tag Pacey noticed her name was Moira. "No, I'll just take a cup of black coffee please."

"I'll be right back."

Pacey had just returned from the boat. He had prepared a little surprise for Rory's visit. He hoped that she would like it.

The bartender set the steaming cup of coffee down and walked away. It was cold outside a cup of hot coffee was perfect. Pacey settled in to await Rory's arrival.

Suddenly Pacey was jarred out of his thoughts. Rory had slid into the stool next to him.

"Caught you napping didn't I; a penny for your thoughts Pacey."

Recovering from his surprise Pacey responded. "Hi Rory, no real thoughts; I was just relaxing." He lied. There was no way he was going to tell Rory he was thinking about her.

Rory took her long coat off and set it on the seat next to her. Today she was wearing a beautifully tailored knee length light brown skirt with a soft green turtle necked sweater. Everything she wore was again perfectly tailored. She looked so young with her hair swept back into a ponytail. Pacey shook his head and wondered if she had a picture of Dorian Gray stashed in her attic. "You look good." Pacey then felt like an idiot school boy.

Rory felt herself blush. She never did take compliments about her looks well. "Thank you. So do you." What an inane reply she thought.

"I've ordered some coffee, would you like some."

Pacey said the magic words that warmed her heart. Rory was addicted to coffee like a junkie to heroin. "Yes please."

Pacey gestured to the bartender for another coffee. He was tongue tied; he did not have a clue as what to say to her. It was if the conversation of last night hadn't taken place. "You look really nice."

Rory blushed again. "Pacey you already told me that. After I finish my coffee I'm going to change into something more appropriate for crawling around a boat."

The coffee arrived and to Pacey's surprise Rory drank it black like he did. "Take your time, I'm not going anywhere."

Rory smiled and held up her cup. "Cheers Pacey."

Pacey picked up his cup and touched her cup. "Cheers, but don't you usually do this with alcohol?"

Shrugging Rory replied. "I don't see where it makes any difference. Oh, I just remembered I never paid my tab last night." Rory stood up and started gesturing at the bartender who was blissfully looking out the window. "Pacey do you happen to know her name?"

Pacey took her arm by the elbow. "Her name is Moira." Go ahead and sit. Your tab has been taken care of."

Rory sat and then then turned to Pacey. "Did you pick up my tab?"

Pacey turned away from Rory. "I guess I am guilty." Then he noticed the chalkboard with the menu written on it. "I'll be damned." He thought to himself. Rory had played him. Then he felt her hand on his shoulder.

"Pacey will you look at me. "I'm not going to let you pick up my tab." Rory reached for her purse. "How much was it?"

"Put your money away. It wasn't much. "I had a wonderful time talking with you last night; so it was a small price to pay."

"Well I enjoyed the evening also. So it is not fair that you have to pay."

"Rory, you're getting too worried about that tab. Buy me lunch in New York some day and I'll call it even.

Rory tried to envision the tall rugged looking man before her mixing with her circle of friends. Then she smiled to herself "The men would hate him and the women would love him." "Okay you're on. I'll go change now."

Pacey nodded and took a sip of his coffee.

Rory rose and walked to the elevator and the thought passed through her mind "There was no way in hell that one Josephine Potter would be at that lunch."

The rain had abated so the couple decided to walk the three quarters of a mile to the boat. Rory had re-appeared in Jeans and a brown turtle neck sweater and again had on heelless boots and her long coat. A couple of steps out of the hotel Rory took his arm. Pacey liked that. The gesture to him was intimate and warm feeling swept through him. He hoped that she liked the little surprise he had prepared.

The walk to the boat took a little over twenty minutes. Even though Rory did not know anything about sailing; she thought the sailing yacht was beautiful. She admired the sleek lines and the clipper bow; even at rest the boat looked like it was challenging the wind. She turned to Pacey. "This is beautiful. I never knew a boat would have beauty like this. Even though the boat was against the dock; it seems like it is ready to pounce upon the wind and go sailing off across the ocean to a far and strange land."

Pacey took her hand as they walked across the narrow gangway. Rory liked that; it made her feel all girlie inside. She went through her woman's lib phase. It didn't last long. She loved being treated as a girl; albeit one that had a brain. The boat was gently rocking with the waves. Pacey this boat is beautiful. I love the Teak decks."

"Yes it is; I don't think I will ever be able to afford one of these things, but it is fun taking them on a cruise. You know Rory, that most of the owners of these yachts have no clue as how to sail them. That's how I make my money. I deliver the boats and they like to walk around on deck in some sort of nautical outfit with gold braid on their hat. So I guess when they entertain, which actually is the main reason they have a boat like this, people may thing that they are some sort of master seaman.

You know Pacey I have been on a few yachts in my time, but nothing like this and you said the only reason they have a beautiful boat like this is to show off?"

Pacey laughed. "Yes and get laid."

Rory hid her blush fairly well. Pacey took her around topside and in very simple terms explained what things were and how they affected the operation of the boat. The thing that impressed Rory was that everything had a place and how neatly the lines were coiled and how any auxiliary equipment was readily handy and marked. Rory wondered if she could ever master all that was involved in running a boat like this. There were lines going everywhere and Pacey easily rattled off the name of the line and what it did. "Pacey this is complex and beautiful how do you know all of this?"

Pacey stared at her for a moment before replying. "Once you work on deck for a while it will make sense. There is a system to it. Are you ready to go below?"

"You're the tour guide Pacey lead the way.

Pacey opened a door amidships: Rory noticed it had a fairly steep ladder going down into a cabin. Hesitantly she walked down the steps and looked around. The cabin was beautiful. All the woodwork was Mahogany, which was polished till it gleamed. There was a flat screen TV, a couple of strategically placed couches and a small dining area. The light had been left on so Rory had no problem getting round. "Pacey, do you have a ladies room on this boat?"

Pacey looked at her seriously. "You know what we usually do is just walk to the fantail and pee off the stern.

Rory had a vision of her trying to pee off the back of the boat. "Come on Pacey, a boat as beautiful as this has a bathroom.

It's called a head and if you take a short walk down this passageway the door at the end will be what you're looking for."

"Thank you." And Rory walked to the door.

As soon as Rory disappeared into the head Pacey hastily took two plates from the fridge and placed them in the microwave. He had to scramble a bit, but Pacey was determined to come up with a Thanksgiving meal for Rory. It seemed like she was really down, because she was going to miss it.

Rory returned from the head and noticed that Pacey was setting a table. "What are you doing Pacey?"

Pacey turned and grinned." I figure since we are here we have a little meal."

Puzzled Rory walked over to Pacey. "You can cook a better meal here than we can get at the restaurant?"

"Rory sit over there for a minute while I get all this ready." Pacey gestured to a couch. "To answer your question, maybe not better, but maybe more appropriate."

"More appropriate?" Rory shrugged her shoulders and sat.

"Close your eyes Rory."

"Why?"

"Come on play along."

"Why?"

"Rory I thought we were past the monosyllabic answers." Pacey then whirled and fell to one knee. "Because I beseech you to close your eyes."

"Rory started laughing. "You're crazy. Okay I will. Rory then closed her eyes.

A few minutes later Pacey called out. "Rory open your eyes."

Rory opened her eyes to a fully set table with sliced turkey, sweet potatoes cranberries, mashed potatoes stuffing and macaroni and cheese. "Thanksgiving dinner; where did you get all of this?'

"Well to be honest the sliced turkey came from a couple of turkey hungry man dinners and everything else I was able to find around town and I got a can of cranberries from the super market. I don't think this is gourmet, but I think it is edible."

"Pacey, this is so sweet of you. I had no idea. This'll make me miss home a lot less. Thank you." Rory walked over to Pacey and hugged him. "Thank you again." She then kissed him on the cheek and stood back.

Pacey rubbed his hands together. Now that that's over, let's eat." He then took Rory's arm and guided her to one side of the table.

Once seated, he filled a plate and handed it to Rory, then filled his own plate. "Crap I forgot the wine."

Rory looked up at Pacey. It's not important Pacey. I can't wait to eat."

"It'll just take me a minute.'

Pacey rose and retuned with a bottle of white wine and two glasses.

Rory patiently waited till Pacey poured the wine. She picked up her glass. "To Thanksgiving Pacey."

Pacey raised his glass. "To Thanksgiving Rory."

Eagerly Rory dug into her food. It wasn't a Thanksgiving meal cooked by Sooki, but it was delicious and special in its own right. "Pacey this has to be one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me."

"It just seemed like you were really missing Thanksgiving, and it was no big deal doing his. I sort of missed it myself."

"Pacey what about your two crewmen, didn't they want to eat also?"

Pacey laughed, I asked; and they could have not been more disinterested. They have found a pub not too far from the hotel they like to hang out in. So they're happy." Pacey thought to himself. "Thank God they'd rather drink beer and shoot darts than hang out with two boring older people."

Toward the end of dinner Pacey noticed the wind had started picking up and you could hear the rain being driven against the hull. "Rory was dinner okay?"

"Pacey it was better than okay. Thank you so much." The diner, the wine and the gentle rocking of the boat; Rory felt comfortable and like she had known Pacey for half her life.

Pacey looked across the table at his dinner companion. He had never met a girl quite like her. Obviously she was well off and very educated, but there was no sense of airs about her. Also she could be sarcastic in a nice way. Unlike a former girlfriend whose sarcasm could be biting and brutal. "Let me clean off the table and we can have a drink and relax and if you want watch a movie.

"I'd love to Pacey."

To Be Continued…..