The Sorcerer: 2

The party lasted for a few hours. Summers in New England are like that.  There are parties nearly every night.  But it is the summers, officially beginning the end of June that people enjoy about the seacoast.

If you don’t like cold weather and aren’t able to ski, you join the mass exodus either south or indoors.  The long, cold and snowy winters begin in late November with snow coming at any time.  By April the snow is usually over.  But it doesn’t warm up until early June usually.  Like everywhere, the seasons now are unpredictable.  And this makes New Englanders smile more with a shortened summer season. Add to that daily breezes which provide relief for the otherwise intense sun and it is one glorious summertime experience.

Chrissy noticed that her first summer here in 2011.  But she had to spend a whole year here before she fully understood the people. And the smiling. Hard to get to know, but lifelong friends when you do.

Like getting to know Tom at her first sailing meeting that Terri brought her to. Chrissy immediately noticed him from afar.  It was his eyes which scanned the room looking for something.  A woman. Terri knew but Chrissy didn’t.  Terri didn’t trust him.

“A player,” she giggled.

“We’ll put him on probation and see what he is up to,” Terri said.

“You know, he stared at you most of the night,” she said.

Terri didn’t attend the meeting the following month.  But Chrissy did.  So did Tom.

In fact, he sat next to her.  She had just stepped over to speak to the coordinator of the sailing group for a few minutes.  Even put her purse on the table to mark her spot close to the door. Especially if the meeting was as boring as the first one.

When she got back she had a table mate.  Tom.

“Hi, we met last time.  Sailed much?”

“No, Tom, I’m a novice.  I take direction well,” Chrissy laughed.

“Tell me about you,” he said.

He asked all the typical New Englander credential questions.  Where she went to college, grad school, job, family.  That he said it gently did not make her question his motive.  Even though he was in marketing. She was eager to respond. To see where things go.  No attachment, just fun.

“So how about you?” Chrissy asked.

“Four boys,” he said. 

“Worked in Big Pharm, then in the outdoor field.  I have a boat here.”

The conversation would have lasted all night. 

He kept jumping his legs. Very curious.  There was more to this story.  She wondered.

“Need to get out of here, I have a teenager at home.  I don’t like leaving her alone.”

Chrissy looked at his business card.

”So now it is five kids,” she thought.

The following week, she dropped him an e-mail. 

He wrote back when he got back to town after a ski trip in Vermont.