" I know you're not, Ian," she laughed again, my whole body feeling limpand relaxed at just hearing it, "And besides, I don't exactly want tomeet in y...our bedroom. At first."My heart lurched. I could barely breathe. Was that a...come on?"I just want to have dinner," she went on as if she hadn't just reachedinto my chest and given my heart a playful squeeze. "But I'll be therefor a week. Plenty of time for other things."I could barely breathe. I was back to being a basket case...she wasclearly. "I think a person has a right to know, Susan." My dad was also watching Katrina move, and she was as beautiful to him as she was to me, I thought. I could hear his breath catch in his throat."I've thought of that," I told my dad, and then I held out my hand for Katrina to take and she knelt on the floor next to us, kissing my fingers."And?" My father cleared his throat and looked back at me."We'll introduce an element of doubt," I smiled at him. "I want Jim to have sex with Katrina as well.. Don't worry your pretty little head, Kitten," She says, not even looking at me this point. I decide to start to play with my phone, my safety net for moments where my anxiety levels are sky high. My hands trembling, this time not from the cold. A woman close to my age slides next to me in the back seat, buckling up. For the first time, I look up to see yet another beautiful woman with strikingly beautiful brown eyes, just like Joanne. Swallowing hard, the lump in my throat finally. Letting them know that they weren’t getting paid until they were walking off the ship, and that they weren’t walking off the ship until the two sections were organized, immediately ended most of the discussion.Still, I had to yell to be heard. “Everyone who goes out should carry a knife as well as a pouch or pocket to carry their pay in. The knife is not to cause trouble with, but to defend yourselves with. No one should be helpless. The Guard’s shieldmen may carry swords but not their shields.