Show You the Ropes

[BRANDON GARCIA]

Brandon loved his boat slightly less than he loved his sister. His whole life was on this boat. Hell, there were a couple nights when he slept on the boat because he would rather be there than home. The rocking of the waves lulled him like a mother's arms, and he was used to walking the decks even in the hardest of storms. Some people had to put on their sea legs before they boarded a ship; Brandon's never came off. The sea was his life and might be his death, though he didn't like to think about that. He didn't have a death wish and he was always striving for a bigger catch. This was what he did best.

Because he was good at his job and good to his ship, his men respected him. The only woman on his boat was his sister, and she wasn't on there often. It wasn't that he planned it like that, it was just there weren't many women in the trade. Fish wasn't the best perfume, after all. His men were rough and tumble guys, but good guys all the same. They respected him and his sister, and that was the important thing. All of his men called him Captain; he didn't like being called by his first name on the boat because it was too personal, but he never needed to correct them verbally. All of them knew better, by word of mouth or his disapproving look. The only one who didn't call him Captain was his sister, and Melanie was only on the ship one or two days out of the week. He was proud of her job and wouldn't ask her to help him full time, but he appreciated the help when she offered. He trusted her to get a job done right more than anyone else.

This Wednesday, she was acting a little jittery. He asked her if something was wrong, but she just shook her head and assured him she was fine. She'd been out late the night before, and she was all smiles today and yesterday, so he figured she was out on a date. It made him anxious, but he didn't ask for details. He'd gotten better about that over the years. If she liked the guy enough, she would introduce him eventually.

As they were about ten minutes from heading out on the water, Brandon saw an unfamiliar face walking up to the boat. He was a tall young man with longish shaggy hair and an almost nervous look. A newbie? Quite possibly. Word got around the Pier and the marina that he took on new guys on occasion, so he wouldn't be surprised if someone recommended him. It was a quiet day and Brandon had some good help on the ship today; he could stand to take on a new guy if he needed some training. He strode towards the guy, not looking unfriendly but he only had a small smile on his face. "Hey, can I help you?" he asked the guy.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie's head was still in the clouds as she prepped nets for going out on the water and made sure the gear was running properly. Her date with Kevin was better than she could have hoped for. She was crushing big time on the tall, handsome young man, and the smile on her face was practically permanent. All she could think about was how cute and sweet and funny he was, and it left her brain all fuzzy. Her cheeks were constantly flushed, her heart raced about every five minutes, and it was hard to focus on the task at hand. She would have to stick to menial tasks today so she wouldn't mess anything up.

It got worse when she thought about kissing Kevin. That...that had been perfect. The heart palpitations would start right about the time she started thinking about his lips on hers. It was enough to make her melt. She was both excited and nervous about seeing him again today and having him meet her brother. Not like boyfriend and girlfriend meeting her brother, but she knew Brandon was going to catch on to the two of them pretty quickly. Then things were going to start escalating. Melanie hoped Kevin could deal with a little hazing from Brandon and the other guys...Brandon mostly.

Her hair was tossed up in a ponytail, wearing an old t-shirt and faded jeans with work boots on her feet and she was hoping she didn't look too ragged for Kevin. She couldn't help thinking that way; she was girl after all. Her harness always had to be tight since the wind whipped in ways that could easily show her wings, but if the guys ever noticed anything, they didn't say it. The same went for Brandon. They made sure their shirts were long and wouldn't ride up to show their feathers.

She was straightening up from helping one of the guys check one of the nets for breaks, when she looked to the dock and found a familiar face. Her heart jumped into her throat and she smiled wide at Kevin. He came! She was so happy to see him and yet still anxious. She walked over as her brother greeted him, unable to hide her smile. She turned to the guy she was helping, Bobby, and excused herself before meandering over. Her hand came up and waved to him cutely from behind her brother. Brandon must have heard her walking up and he turned to look at her. "Oh, hey Mel, what's up?" She turned her smile to him and straightened a little. "Uh, this is actually my friend, Kevin. I suggested maybe he should come by and see if you could show him the ropes. He's looking for some more work and I thought he'd do well around here," she explained, her eyes going from her brother to Kevin. He was so cute! She really wanted to give him a hug in greeting, but she knew it would just provoke her brother. So instead she just smiled wide, her hands in her back pockets as she stood next to Brandon.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

Kevin was more than a little nervous about going to the docks to meet Melanie's brother for a job, but she assured him it would be fine. Would he be hard on him? Would he turn him away for simply knowing Mel? Would he make assumptions about him? Kevin had no clue and wasn't sure how the man would take to him, but there was really only one way to find out, so on Wednesday he made sure he had off in the afternoon and dressed in clothes he didn't mind getting dirty in, which was about 85% of his wardrobe anyway.

There were dozens of boats in the marina but it didn't take long to pick out the right one. There was a very attractive girl on one who he had gotten to know a little better the night before. He silently congratulated himself for not scaring her off yet, thinking of their cheap little date the night before.

Even in dress down clothes and a t-shirt she was cute and he smiled bashfully as he approached the boat, but all too quickly a boy was coming towards him who looked strangely familiar though they had never met. He looked like Mel. "Hey, can I help you?" He asked and Kevin had to gulp, willing himself to not be the scared guy he often was in these situations. Men who gave jobs where you had to use your hands did not like sissy men showing their pansy faces around their business.

"Uhh, yeah I'm..." He caught sight of Melanie coming behind her brother and he gave a sort of awkward, bashful smile as she waved at him, completely throwing him off balance for a moment. "Oh, hey Mel, what's up?" The boy said to his sister, and he silently chastised himself for allowing her to distract him.

"Uh, this is actually my friend, Kevin. I suggested maybe he should come by and see if you could show him the ropes. He's looking for some more work and I thought he'd do well around here,"

He suddenly wanted to crawl into a hole and his face showed it a little. She was introducing him! Didn't she mention her brother hated guys she knew? "I'm real interested in working on your boat, sir...captain" He offered and then cleared his throat, extending his hand. "Kevin Whitfield. I, uh.. I work construction and stuff. It's not fishing, but I'm used to hard labor, and I'm good at it." He confessed, trying not to sound nearly as nervous as he felt. He offered a weak little smile at Mel before turning back to her brother, wanting to do this on his own. He knew she was trying to be helpful, but this was a man thing! Women just didn't understand being macho.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

“Uhh, yeah I’m…” Brandon was patiently waiting for the guy to introduce himself, when he saw the guy’s eyes shift behind him and give an awkward smile. He was confused, and when he turned he found his little sister. He couldn’t blame the guy for smiling at her, since she was smiling at the guy too, but it did make him a little uneasy. “Oh, hey Mel, what’s up?” he asked, wanting to answer whatever question it was that she had and let her get back to what she was doing. Less time for this guy to dig on her. To his surprise, though, she was introducing the guy. Kevin? Her friend? Okay, he was looking for work, something he could do for the guy, but her friend? Not the way they were smiling at each other and making googly eyes. His dark, almost black eyes narrowed a little as she spoke. Was this guy the reason she was out late last night? He looked between the two suspiciously for a moment, but he could tell the guy was nervous with her introducing him.

“I’m real interested in working on your boat, sir…captain.” Yeah, Brandon was certain he was. More time with his little sister. He extended his hand and Brandon looked at it for a moment, considering if he should take it or not. “Kevin Whitfield. I, uh…I work construction and stuff. It’s not fishing, but I’m used to hard labor, and I’m good at it.” Brandon saw him give a nervous little smile to his sister, but Brandon had to respect that he was introducing himself, not letting his sister do the talking. Kevin, huh? He was tall, lanky, but muscular. He could handle the work on the boat. Brandon managed a half smile, taking the guy’s hand firmly. “Brandon Garcia. Good to have another set of hands,” he said, trying to sound cordial. It was a daily effort to stop being so overprotective of his sister. He just wanted to look out for Melanie, but he knew she wouldn’t appreciate Brandon being rude to this…this Kevin.

He waved a hand to signal for Kevin to follow him. “C’mon, I’ll show you around, introduce you to the guys,” he instructed, stepping further onto the fishing boat. His eyes caught Melanie’s and he could tell she grinned from ear to ear. Well, at least she was happy. He frowned at her, letting her know silently that he wasn’t happy with this. He had to admit, though, this was an original way to get in his good graces. None of her other hopefuls had ever come seeking work to get into Melanie’s pants. If that was his aim, he was going to beat the shit out of Kevin. His sister was not to be used. He cleared his throat, focusing on showing the guy around the boat.

“Most of the work is pretty self-explanatory. You drop the nets into the water, pull them back up, open them on the deck, and then pack the fish in ice. Everybody has deck duty once a week. At the end of the day, they’re responsible for swabbing the deck,” he told him. A grin crossed his face as he looked up at Kevin. “For newbies, their day is Saturday. Boat rules.” It was their way of hazing the new recruits. Saturdays were always the busiest days simply because there were more men on the boat. It was more to clean up. This was not a Kevin specific grudge, but maybe Brandon would bring on a couple more men than usual this Saturday to make it messier. Of course, he would have some help cleaning up. More than one man was always assigned deck duty. “That’s if you come back Saturday, though. We’ll see how much you like fishing after today,” he added. The statement sounded slightly ominous, and Brandon didn’t correct that. Fishing wasn’t for everybody. “It’s a messy job, but if you’re in construction, you’re probably used to that.”

He walked to a door and opened it up to a decent sized cabin. There were three burly men in there in the middle of a heated discussion. Brandon introduced them as Dave, Garrett, and Jake and introduced Kevin to them. They gave a casual greeting to the new guy, Garrett and Jake warmer than brooding Dave, and then went right back to their discussion about what car maker was better: Ford or Chevy. “Here’s the cabin. Lunch breaks usually happen in here. Up those stairs is where I’ll be whenever we’re heading out onto the water or coming back in. If you need me, you know where to find me. If you get hurt, you’ll come in here to get checked out. Melanie is in charge of first aid if she’s on board, but otherwise it’s me. Watch out because if you get stuck with anything, you’ll have to get a tetanus shot in the arm or the ass, neither of which is fun.” Garrett, a man with a scruffy beard and a Seattle Mariners’ hat on spoke up with a big grin: “If you’re going to get cut, rookie, do it when Melanie’s on board. Cap’s bedside manner is awful.” “No, you’re just pussy,” Brandon shot back with an amused smirk. The other guys laughed as Garrett waved his hand, and Brandon looked back to Kevin. “Any questions so far?” He looked to Kevin with raised eyebrows, hoping he was taking this all in. They hadn’t covered anything technical yet, but he didn’t want to lose the guy’s attention.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie could tell after she had introduced him that maybe Kevin needed to handle this alone. It was commendable really. Even after telling him that Brandon was overprotective and something of a jerk, Kevin still showed up and took matters into his own hands. “I’m real interested in working on your boat, sir…captain.” He remembered what she had told him about addressing Brandon and that made her smile a little to herself. At least her words didn’t fall on deaf ears. She watched as Kevin introduced himself and gave her brother some of his background. While he did, she looked up to her brother to see his reaction. His eyes were suspicious and she knew he didn’t buy that she and Kevin were just friends. She was anxious to know how he would handle that. Kevin gave her a nervous little smile and she smiled wider, nodding discretely to let him know she got it—he could handle it.

To her relief, Brandon gave a smile and took Kevin’s hand, introducing himself too. It was a semi-forced smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all! If she had recommended a scrawny guy or one not used to working with his hands, Brandon wouldn’t have been so nice. In fact, he wouldn’t have even taken the guy’s hand. With Kevin, he waved him along and made to show Kevin around. Thank God! As they walked off, she gave her brother a big appreciative smile and laughed inwardly at the look he gave her. He was on to them, but he would play nice. When Kevin passed her, she gave him a playful thumbs up and then wandered off in another direction. The nets still needed checking and the men could handle themselves.

As she began helping secure the nets to the ropes that would sink them and pull them back up, she let her mind wander a bit. Maybe she had painted a worse picture of Brandon than she should have. It had been a long time since she had introduced anyone to Brandon, and he was legitimately trying to behave himself when the men on the boat hit on her. He’d only slugged someone over it once this year. That was good improvement. She allowed herself to be hopeful that Kevin and Brandon could get along. But maybe she should have warned Kevin about the deck duty rule…

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

Kevin felt like the boy was sizing him up and he was pretty sure that he knew that Kevin sort of like his sister. He tried to be cool about it. He didn't want to give away how nervous he was, and when Brandon finally spoke again he held his breath.

“Brandon Garcia. Good to have another set of hands,” He let the breath out, feeling relieved. Was it that easy? Or had knowing Melanie been helpful? He had no idea and he had no intention to ask, he simply went along with the flow. “C’mon, I’ll show you around, introduce you to the guys,” He passed Melanie, looking elated and offered a little smile before looking forward again and following Brandon deeper into the ship.

He listened carefully as Brandon went over the rules. Drop nets, fetch nets, pack fish on ice. Easy enough! Be there Saturday. He could do that, he usually worked during the week anyway but had had switched some hours around this week to make sure he could be there today. “That’s if you come back Saturday, though. We’ll see how much you like fishing after today,” He grinned, wanting to confirm he would be back Saturday but in all honesty he wasn't entirely sure what to expect so it would be silly to make promises now he wasn't 100% sure he would want to keep. “It’s a messy job, but if you’re in construction, you’re probably used to that.” "Yes, sir." He replied. He was more than used to getting messy at work.

He followed Brandon into the cabin, checking out the three guys that were hanging around in there. "..If you get hurt, you’ll come in here to get checked out. Melanie is in charge of first aid if she’s on board, but otherwise it’s me. Watch out because if you get stuck with anything, you’ll have to get a tetanus shot in the arm or the ass, neither of which is fun.” The thought of getting a shot in his ass courtesy of Melanie made his cheeks flush. Honestly, a shot in the ass by Brandon wasn't a whole lot better. He would have to be careful not to get cut. “If you’re going to get cut, rookie, do it when Melanie’s on board. Cap’s bedside manner is awful.” “No, you’re just pussy,” Even Kevin had to laugh at the exchanged. They seemed like a decent group of guys, that was for sure. “Any questions so far?”

He did have one question but wasn't sure just how to phrase it. "Uhh, a couple.." He offered, clearing his throat and looking at the man a few inches shorter than he. "What time do I need to be here on Saturday and how long can I expect to be here?" He asked, looking at the three other men briefly before back to Brandon. "And what does the pay look like?" That was the biggest question. If he was going to bust his ass he needed to make sure it was well worth it. He had no problem breaking his back for a living as long as he was actually making a living.

[BRANDON GARCIA]

“Uhh, a couple…What time do I need to be here on Saturday and how long can I expect to be here? And what does the pay look like?” Good questions, and Brandon liked that Kevin was already planning for Saturday. He seemed genuinely interested in working on the boat, but then he could still be trying to spend more time with his sister. The man did blush when he brought up Melanie sticking him in the ass with a tetanus shot. Then again, who wouldn’t? Hell, Brandon didn’t like when she did it to him. He needed solid proof…like seeing them together. Brandon’s investigative side was starting to come out. “Saturday we leave the marina at eight thirty AM on the dot, so you’ll probably want to be here at eight o’ clock. Usually we’ll be out on the water for ten hours on Saturday, so we’ll get back in about six thirty. The pay is anywhere from $160 to $200 per day, about the same as construction from what I hear. That all depends on our catch, though,” he replied. “Come on, I’ll show you some of the more technical stuff.” He waved to the guys at the table before taking Kevin back out onto the deck.

“Since we’re here, I’ll show you where we ice the fish.” Brandon went to a series of panels that lifted up to reveal deep storage areas filled with ice. The pits of ice went pretty deep into the hull and from the panel you could see another set of stairs over in the corner of the room where you could better access the pits. “Basically we have an assembly line going whenever we bring in the nets. One guy tosses to the next, who tosses to the guy in the pit, who tosses to the guy icing the fish. When icing them, you have to make sure to really get them in the ice so they don’t waste too much. I’ll have Garrett show you when we’ve got a catch, he’s the one in the pits today.” With that he closed the panel and walked Kevin more around the boat, explaining how to haul the nets in and instructing him on how to avoid getting the lines tangled. He showed him where the emergency life jackets and life savers were kept and introduced him to the last guy on the ship, Bobby. It was a small crew, but they didn’t need to be big.

“We’re heading out in a few minutes now, but I’ll let you know what kind of fish we’re dealing with. Mostly we fish for halibut, tuna, and salmon, but there’s more than that out on the water. We don’t fish anything dangerous, so you won’t have to worry about that. Most dangerous thing we might come across out here is a jellyfish or two. Any other questions, now that we’ve gone over the basic stuff?” Brandon was neither warm and fuzzy, nor cold and mean; he was professional, and explaining what he could think of to tell the guy while he introduced him to the ship. Kevin was attentive, which Brandon appreciated, and he hoped the kid was a quick learner. If he was, he might actually have to thank Melanie for finding him an easy recruit.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

It would be an early morning but Kevin was used to those. Plus, he rarely went out late, opting to go to bed early because of his schedule. It made less time to watch Kelsey, but he had to trust her more to make better decisions. So far she hadn't screwed up, not as far as he'd seen. He'd snooped in her room a few times looking for signs that things were going sour, but she had surprised him time and time again with being clean this time. Maybe she was out making the right kinds of friends. Plus she was hanging around at home more, which made him feel better.

The pay was also decent. An extra $650-$800 a month would be a huge help, and that was only of he worked one day a week. If Kelsey wasn't such a light weight he would try to get her to come on board but he knew she would never go for it. Hard labor had never been her thing, and after the life they'd led he didn't expect her to do anything strenuous. She had it tougher than him at times, and he did his best to protect her but he hadn't always been there. He made up for it now by taking the brunt of their load when it came to finances. Heck, this could mean he might be able to afford an apartment with two bedrooms so he could have some privacy! Maybe then he could bring a girl home and it wouldn't be too awkward. Maybe he could bring Melanie home sometime.. He blushed a little realizing he was hanging around the girl in his fantasies brother. That was awkward. “Come on, I’ll show you some of the more technical stuff.”

Kevin paid close attention to everything Brandon was saying, removing Melanie from his mind so he could focus on the job at hand. It all looked simple enough. Yeah, he would probably suck for a bit, but he knew he could do the heavy stuff and wasn't concerned about not being able to handle it, and it showed in the way he watched. Not once did he look confused.

Most of the fish they were fishing for were fish he didn't know. Sure, he'd heard of them, but he couldn't pick a tuna from a trout. He knew what clown fishes looked like, but he was pretty sure they wouldn't be fishing those. Kevin didn't claim to know anything about fish, but he knew those weren't around those parts.

"Any other questions, now that we’ve gone over the basic stuff?” Kevin tried to think about it but then shook his head. "Not really." He said offering a small grin. "Where do I sign?"

[BRANDON GARCIA]

“Not really. Where do I sign?” Brandon had to smile at Kevin’s enthusiasm. Maybe he wasn’t just there to crush on his little sister. “I like your enthusiasm, rookie,” he said giving the guy a friendly slap on the arm. “We’ll see how you keep up. I’m sure you won’t have a problem, though.” Brandon could be nice when he wanted to be. Maybe the nicer he was, the more willing Kevin would be to fess up what was really going on between him and Melanie. By the end of the day, Brandon was sure he was going to have a good idea. From the captain’s look out, he could see everything going on on deck; he’d be able to see Kevin and Melanie interacting. Melanie was going to be so mad at his spying, though. Would that stop him? Nope.

“All right, we’re going to head out now. It’ll be about an hour before we get out to the area we’re fishing, so you’ll have a chance to get better acquainted with the boat. Melanie can answer any of your questions if you’ve got them. I’ll be up in the cabin, but you can knock if you need me,” he assured the kid. “Feel free to just hang out for an hour.” Brandon turned and looked toward the side of the boat. Dave and Melanie were standing a ways off chitchatting, waiting for him to tell them they were leaving to pull in the mooring lines. “Hey, Mel!” His sister looked over and smiled. “Yeah?” “Show the rookie the mooring lines!” She nodded and waved Kevin over. Brandon waved to Dave and started to walk back to the cabin. Dave caught up with him, a big burly man with a permanent frown. “What do you think about the rookie?” Brandon shrugged. “Hard to tell yet. He seems all right, though.” Dave glanced back as they reached the door to the cabin. “You know he’s got a thing for Mel, right?” Brandon glanced back as he swung the door open, unbeknownst to the pair he was watching. Mel was practically glowing and he felt a stone drop in the pit of his stomach. “Yeah, I know,” he sighed.

Once inside the cabin, he made his way up the stairs and started up the engine. He glanced over his maps, fastened beside a picture of him, his sister and his dad, and got himself ready to go. His eyes fell to the pair on the dock, waiting to see Melanie give the thumbs up for him to head on out. After a couple minutes of Melanie tossing the rope to Kevin, she stepped back onto the ship and fastened the little door to the deck behind her. She held up her thumb, telling Brandon it was okay to head out, and he pushed the lever for them to start forward. They were on their way and Brandon was going to force himself not to go looking for the pair on deck.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

“Show the rookie the mooring lines!” Melanie tried not to flush at the idea of getting some time alone with Kevin. She smiled and waved Kevin over, bidding adieu to Dave. They’d just been discussing him, actually, but only briefly. Dave had just asked if she knew anything about him, and she said they were friends and he was looking for work. That was all. Once Kevin reached her, she felt her heart fluttering a little in her chest. “Hey!” she greeted cheerfully. “The mooring lines are probably the easiest thing to learn on the ship. Basically, you’re just untying the boat from the dock. I’ll unravel the rope and toss it to you, you just catch it and pull it in.” She smiled wide and then stepped away off the boat onto the dock. It was a little step, so she kind of hopped it, but that’s what she always did. She heard the boat start up and knew Brandon was watching them. Nosy brother.

Once she had untied the rope from the dock, she tossed it to Kevin so he could haul it back up onto the boat. She moved to the other mooring line at the back of the boat and tossed it to Kevin as well. As he hauled it in, she hopped back onto the boat and secured the gate behind her before giving a thumbs up to her brother. She knew he would be focused on getting the boat out of the harbor, and there weren’t any other men on deck, so she took his hand and pulled him to the back of the boat where she knew Brandon wouldn’t be watching because it was behind him. Not that she was trying to sneak off and make out with Kevin, but she was trying to have a conversation with just him before their day really got started.

The engine was a little loud and the wind was starting to pick up as they started on their way, so she knew their conversation was just between the two of them. She leaned a hip against the railing, letting his hand go, but still standing close to him. “So what do you think so far?” she inquired sweetly. “Brandon harassing you yet?” It was a joke and she made sure to sound playful as she said it. She didn’t need Kevin to be scared all day that Brandon was going to be picking on him. He was bound to, but Brandon had been in a good mood the past few days, so it wouldn’t be anything big. His classic was shouting out the wrong fish’s name so the rookie would start to pack it in the wrong storage unit and throw off the packer’s flow in the pits. The only person who didn’t end up laughing at that was the packer, but that might be different today. Garrett was in the pits and he was a good-humored guy.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

“I like your enthusiasm, rookie, We’ll see how you keep up. I’m sure you won’t have a problem, though.” Kevin grinned at the compliment. He gave a nod, knowing he might struggle to keep up, but he would. He always did when he wanted something, and he wanted this. It was a new adventure, a paycheck and a way to get to know the beautiful girl on the deck below and maybe her to get to know him better. Not the real him, but the Kevin he made up that was good enough for her since he simply wasn't. He felt guilty for the lies he told her, but he knew it would make him more appealing to her and it wasn't as if he wasn't acting like himself. He was still all Kevin, just with a patched up history. She wouldn't ever have to find out.

“All right, we’re going to head out now. It’ll be about an hour before we get out to the area we’re fishing, so you’ll have a chance to get better acquainted with the boat. Melanie can answer any of your questions if you’ve got them. I’ll be up in the cabin, but you can knock if you need me. Feel free to just hang out for an hour.”

A free hour? That sounded good to him. He looked down ta Mel as Brandon called her, giving her instructions to show him some sort of rope. He obeyed the order to to hang out with the girl, feeling more than a little excited about it. “Hey!” she greeted cheerfully when he came to her, and he smiled back. "Hey yourself." He shot back playfully. “The mooring lines are probably the easiest thing to learn on the ship. Basically, you’re just untying the boat from the dock. I’ll unravel the rope and toss it to you, you just catch it and pull it in.” He nodded, "Sounds easy enough."

He caught the rope as she tossed it to him, just as she said to and moved with her to do the second set. It really was a simple task and he looked up at Brandon when Mel gave him a thumbs up before his eyes rested back on the beauty before him. He offered a bashful sort of smile, not sure what they were supposed to do for an hour. Turns out he didn't need to think of anything, because Melanie had grabbed his hand and was hauling him to the back of the boat. He had to move his legs fast to keep up with her quick stride, his grin growing wider.

The engine was louder back here and when she stopped he did too, his eyes following her as she leaned against the back railing. He gulped, admiring her with soft eyes. “So what do you think so far? Brandon harassing you yet?” He chuckled a little and rolled his shoulders, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Seems like a decent gig." He offered, looking past her to the sea. He couldn't believe he was on a boat! A month ago he was sitting in dirty, dusty old Texas and now he was on a boating ship off the coast of Oregon. "And he's actually pretty cool. I like him.." He shrugged nonchalantly. He wasn't sure what to expect from her brother but Kevin had somehow managed to impress him enough so that he wasn't giving him a hard time. Not yet, anyway. "The guys seem pretty cool, too." His grin quirked up on the left side. "I hear you're the one to give tetanus shots." He offered, leaning on the railing now, too. His arms folded over it and he turned his head to the side to look at her. "Would you be gentle?" He inquired, his tone teasing and playful.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie smiled wide as Kevin shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. “It seems like a decent gig.” She nodded and glanced out to sea. She loved watching the land fall away and the water grow as they moved out onto the bay and further out to sea. “And he’s actually pretty cool. I like him.” Melanie looked back up at him and grinned. He liked her brother! And Brandon was being cool! She was elated and relieved all at once. If Kevin and Brandon could get along, she would definitely try and make a relationship happen with this guy. “The guys seem pretty cool, too.” Melanie giggled a little and she nodded. “Yeah, they’re cool. There’s a couple more guys who show up on Saturdays,” she replied. “I hear you’re the one to give tetanus shots.” Melanie laughed and nodded. “Yup, that’s me!” she replied cheerfully. He leaned his elbows on the railing beside her and she felt her heart flutter a little at his smile. “Would you be gentle?” She blushed a little and giggled, glancing out to the water as if she was thinking briefly.

“Weeeell,” she started, sliding closer to him so their arms were leaned against one another, Melanie feeling flirty. “I suppose so.” She smiled brightly at him, despite her playfully reluctant tone. “I will tell you I’m gentler than Brandon. He just jabs it right in and doesn’t really pay attention to how deep it goes,” she warned, crinkling her nose a little at the memory of the last time he gave her a tetanus shot. “And I’m sure they told you where it has to be stuck, so it might just be best to avoid getting cut around here.” She giggled a little, blushing some at the idea of having to give Kevin a tetanus shot. Brandon might actually insist that he do it instead just so she wouldn’t get to see the slightest bit of his butt. Silly brother.

Being leaned against him right now, the engine running and the wind blowing steadily, she was suddenly very aware that they were alone. Nobody was around to see what they were up to and Melanie was feeling a little bold. She gave him a shy smile before she leaned in and pressed her lips to his gently. It was a soft kiss, sweet, and it made her heart pound hard. For just a moment, she forgot they were on her brother’s boat and she let her fingers twine with his on the railing. The kiss wasn’t long, but it was enough to make her flush bright pink. When she pulled away, she stayed close for a heartbeat, before smiling shyly again and leaning away a little, still leaning on his arm with her fingers twined in his.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

“Weeeell, I suppose so.” He gave a little laugh, grinning at her. She was sweet, and cute. A nice combination. He listened quietly as she spoke, loving the very sound of her voice and the way she spoke. She was animated in a way. Not in the moving your hands around way, but her eyes moved and she smiled here and there, and it was just a pleasure to simply watch her talk. She made his heart flutter simply by being around him. "Yeah," He nodded, "He told me where it goes. I think I'm just going to avoid the whole cut thing." He agreed with another smile.

He watched her as she moved closer, his hair whipping in the breeze. He made no move, just stood there watching, liking how close she was getting, but also very aware of it. Her brother could come out any minute, or one of the guys. It was his first day on the job! What would they think of him? Would he get his ass kicked? Those were some big dudes down there.. And there was a part of him that was afraid of her falling for him. Of course he wanted it. More than anything! But he was also aware he'd lied to her and would probably need to continue doing so to cover the old lies. But her shy little smile made him melt and freeze up. He could read her intentions all over her face and he wondered if it was a good idea or not, not that he would stop her if she tried. And she did.

He felt her hand on his, her fingers curling around his own as her lips brushed over his, lingering for a moment. His cheeks turned crimson and when she pulled away he cleared his throat, glad that she moved away as he looked back out towards the sea.

He felt so lost and confused, both loving that she seemed to be interested and terrified that she would show this sort of affection while he was on the clock...her brothers clock. Her, according to Melanie, very over protective brother. Kevin was an over protective brother himself and if he caught some guy locking lips with Kelsey after giving him a job, while on the job, he would be pissed to say the least.

He pulled his hand away gently, moving it a couple of inches from her and blushing again. "I don't think it's a good idea to do that on your brothers boat." He told her, his voice soft and nervous, looking at her bashfully. "Not that I didn't like it! Or want it... because I... well both. I mean, who wouldn't want to be kissed by you?" He gulped and looked back at the ocean. "I don't want to screw this up by pissing your brother off on the first day." He offered weakly, pouting slightly towards the sea. Maybe he was overreacting, but he had respect for Brandon. He had to.. he was his boss now, even if just on Saturdays, and she was officially his co-worker. He bit his lip and looked back at her. "Bit maybe we could do that again when I'm done work today?" He asked in a soft, hopeful voice, barely audible over the engine. "That is if I don't stink too much." He added with a grin.

[MELANIE WHITFIELD]

Melanie felt a stone drop in the pit of her stomach as Kevin pulled his hand away gently. Did she do something wrong? “I don’t think it’s a good idea to do that on your brother’s boat.” Melanie had actually forgotten they were on her brother’s boat. Her eyes got wide and she looked back out to the water. Oh, right! Somebody could catch them. Whoops. She looked back to him, backing off a little bit. “Not that I didn’t like it! Or want it…because I…well both. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be kissed by you?” She smiled wider, blushing bashfully, watching as he looked back out towards the water. “I don’t want to screw this up by pissing your brother off on the first day.” Melanie had to respect that. It meant a lot to her that he cared what her brother thought or did. Her heart melted just a little more, even as he was making an almost pouty face out at the water. She wasn’t upset; in fact, she was thrilled that he could keep his wits about him. God knew she couldn’t, apparently.

Her smile was soft and curious when he bit his lip and looked back at her. “But maybe we could do that again when I’m done work today?” Her heart fluttered. “That is if I don’t stink too much.” She laughed softly, looking back out at the water momentarily. She couldn’t wait to be off this boat again. Looking back to him, she nodded, her cheeks flushed pink. “I’d like that,” she assured him softly. She grinned playfully after that and shrugged, leaning more away from him. “And I’m used to the smell.” Her giggle was soft, and she turned her back to the railing now, leaning against it with her elbows perched on it. “Sorry I almost got your ass kicked,” she told him with a laugh afterward. “Good thing my brother is probably more focused on steering at the moment.” She looked up toward the captain’s cabin and could make out her brother with his back to them, bobbing his head to some kind of music. Yeah, he wasn’t paying attention. He probably had some Led Zeppelin on or something.

She looked back to Kevin and her smile turned gentle. “Thanks for not trying to piss off my brother. I do appreciate that.” A soft giggle left her, knowing how odd that probably sounded, but truth was, she hadn’t met many men like that. The few that had come around had disregarded her brother too much and even intentionally tried to rile him up. They quickly got the boot after that. She was glad Kevin didn’t appear to be the same. Melanie instigated, and he thankfully brought her back to her senses instead of ignoring her brother’s presence. She just got too comfortable around her brother sometimes. “So, do you want to go be social and talk to the guys?” she asked sweetly, her smile bright.

[KEVIN WHITFIELD]

He was relieved that Melanie didn't take his words the wrong way. The last thing he wanted was to reject her. She had to know he was interested, that he liked those little kisses, that he wanted more of them though he was terrified to take them.. He needed to man up more, and maybe that night he would initiate a kiss since it was obvious she liked them. "Used to the smell or not, I think I'd feel better not stinking if I'm going to.. if we kiss or something." His voice got smaller, feeling weird explaining what he would do to her, not that he was even explaining anything.

His eyes grazed over her as she turned, leaning back on the rail he was still leaning on. “Sorry I almost got your ass kicked,” He raise a brow. Ass kicked? Kevin grinned at the thought; yes, Brandon was a decent size guy and he could probably throw a good punch but Kevin was under the impression that, if needed, he could kick some ass right back. He might be tall and lanky but he was solid from years of construction. “Good thing my brother is probably more focused on steering at the moment.” His gaze followed hers to the captain's cabin, not having realized Brandon could have been watching the whole time. It made his heart race a little. He needed to be careful if he wanted to keep this gig. Yeah, he didn't need it desperately, but the extra cash would be really nice to have.

“Thanks for not trying to piss off my brother. I do appreciate that.” He grinned and shrugged lightly. "He hasn't given me a reason to yet, so all's good." He teased his grin broadening. “So, do you want to go be social and talk to the guys?”

Kevin wasn't a very sociable guy. He talked, but he was shy by nature. "If it will help my chances of not getting picked on, I guess I better." He said with a little laugh. "But honestly, I think I'd rather stay here with you. At least you won't shove me around and pick on me for being the new guy." He raised a brow and nudged her with his elbow gently. "Would, yah?"