Robin Alexander - Murky Waters

Occasionally, she would glance over at the blonde going over the budget sheets for the month. Tristan watched as Claire ran her fingers nervously through her hair.

Movement in the outer room caught Tristan’s attention. Two crewmen had entered and were talking with one of the crew coordinators. Tristan watched as they both stole glances at Claire, who was totally unaware of their presence. Tristan could feel her hackles rise as both men stared at Claire as if she were some new and unconquered territory. Her pulse quickened when one of them made his way to Claire’s office. Her first instinct was to head him off, but she waited to see how Claire would handle herself.

Most of the men who worked the boats were decent, but a few were always on the prowl, and Tristan had no doubt Claire was the reason they stopped by before going to their assigned boat. She watched as the crewman entered Claire’s office uninvited and introduced himself. Claire stood and shook his hand. Tristan observed silently as he spoke with Claire, unable to hear the conversation through the glass wall.

He talked for a while, and Claire nodded occasionally. Claire said something and looked over at Tristan and smiled. Tristan openly stared at the bold one who was standing in Claire’s office, and when he glanced at her, her right eyebrow arched as she stared him in the eyes. He looked away quickly and made a hasty retreat to rejoin his fellow crewman. They left shortly after.

45

Murky Waters

Claire had to fight the urge to grin when she noticed how Tristan sent them running with just a look. Tristan made her feel safe and protected, which was something she desperately needed. She gathered her reports and joined Tristan in her office. “Are you ready to go over this month’s budget?” she asked as she entered the room.

“Sure, if you’re feeling up to it,” Tristan said as she joined Claire at the small conference table in the corner of her office. “I’m curious. Did Mister Stud ask you out?” Tristan asked with a smile.

“He sure did,” Claire responded with a smile of her own. “I quickly explained to him that I was already dating someone.

Although, the tan line on his left ring finger would have been a deterrent if I were interested in men.”

“You will get a lot of that, I’m afraid. You’re a very attractive woman, and word gets around on the river fast. Soon, many of them will be finding reasons to pay you a visit. Should it make you uncomfortable, just say the word, and I will make sure that you are not bothered,” Tristan said sincerely.

“I’m very capable of handling myself, but if it does become a nuisance, I may have to enlist your help. I’m sure the look you gave him made it quite obvious that he was not welcome, so feel free to cock that eyebrow up anytime you feel it necessary.” Claire said with a grin.

“Now,” Claire said as she spread the work out onto the table,

“this really concerns me.”

Tristan joined her and looked over the spreadsheets.

“For the last two months, your crew change budget has shot up considerably. You have gone up from twenty-two thousand dollars per crew change to thirty-one thousand dollars. Do you have any idea what has caused the increase?” Claire asked as she studied Tristan’s profile while Tristan studied the data.

“We really don’t have any more boats up north than normal. The northern crew changes are usually more expensive because we have to fly our men getting on and off the boats,” Tristan replied with her brow furrowed in concentration as she scanned the data in front of her.

46

Robin Alexander

“Not to change the subject, but I have been meaning to ask this since I came here. Aren’t there any women who work on the boats?” Claire asked as Tristan turned to look her in the eyes.

“There are some women who do, but most of them are fleet boats that stay close to home. River towboats are really not a place most women want to work. The physical requirements are very demanding. That’s not to say that a woman in good shape couldn’t handle the job, but most women have no desire to spend thirty days at a time lugging rigging around and cohabitating with a bunch of sweaty, grimy men. I like to think we are just smarter than that,” Tristan said with a laugh.

Claire found herself lost in Tristan’s intense gaze once again. She had to shake her head to clear her thoughts. “Okay, so what is your theory on the conflicting travel budgets?”

“Well, nothing against you or your employees, but I don’t think they have researched the flights well enough. For example, right here, it shows our boats just south of Cincinnati on the river, but sometimes, it is cheaper to have the guys go into Louisville and drive up to the boat. In other words, it is best to research the airports all around the boat for the cheapest fare, instead of simply flying them into the closest city.”

“I see,” Claire said as she made notes. “If your people can give us a time frame we can work with, I can assure you that my staff and I can save you money. Did Rhonda ever try to work this out with you?”

“The only thing I ever got from Rhonda was attitude. Let’s get our people together and meet this afternoon. We can put our heads together and come up with some parameters that we can all work with and see what happens.

“Claire, aside from the fact that I am tickled pink that you are going out with me, I am truly glad you’re here. I think you’re going to give us a fresh perspective in here and save us money. I have to admit I’m truly impressed with what you have done so far,” Tristan confessed with a shy grin.

Shortly after, Mike and Lauren arrived. Claire got busy working with the agents, going over spreadsheets and generating the reports that Tristan needed. This alone took up their entire morning. Claire was so immersed in what she was doing she had not realized that half the day had already passed until Tristan asked her to lunch.

47

Murky Waters

Both agreed on a deli about a block from the office. Tristan chose a spot in the far corner of the restaurant, so they would be able to talk without everyone in the deli being able to overhear. She kept the conversation light during the meal in hopes that Claire would feel comfortable enough to tell her what was troubling her so.

When Claire didn’t volunteer any information, Tristan decided to broach the topic as gently as she knew how when she saw Claire looking around nervously.

“Claire? Do you want to tell me what is bothering you now? Are things moving too quickly with us? Are you regretting going out with me?”

Claire laughed. “Tris, slow down, honey. Right now, you are the one bright spot in my life. I am really looking forward to our date.

As a matter of fact, that has been the one thing that has helped me hold it together. What is bothering me has nothing to do with you.

I am just not ready to explain it yet. I will tell you this, though: just being around you is a comfort to me. Your willingness to listen means more to me than you know.”

Relieved to hear that she was not the problem, Tristan relaxed.

She didn’t want to push Claire into telling her anything until she was ready. Still, it bothered her that Claire would not confide in her.

The next two days flew by quickly. Tristan spent a lot of time with Claire preparing her for the crew changes that would start soon. During crew change, her department was extremely busy.

Fortunately for all involved, it only lasted a week, then things would quiet down until the next one started.

Much to Claire’s delight, Friday evening had finally arrived, and the butterflies in her stomach were working overtime. Tristan had told her to dress very casual, so she chose a short denim skirt and a sleeveless cotton top. True to her word, she had found the time to have a pedicure and was pleased with the results. She checked her makeup three times before Tristan arrived to pick her up, laughing at her nervousness each time she did.