Keeping her eyes locked on mine, she stood up and walked toward our table. Only when she stopped next to Matt and put a hand on his shoulder, did he and Stuart know she was there. Before they could speak, she said, ” I would speak with you, Captain. .Please come with me”

My first intelligent words were, “Uh … are you sure you want to talk to me. And why did you call me Captain?” This clever remark brought instant hilarity to Matt and Stu. Many things are funny after 6 or 7 hours of drinking.

“You arrived this morning from Bermuda on a sailing vessel. You have made this voyage 5 times in the past three years. May I please speak with you. Privately”

There are times when a man is ruled by parts of his body other than his brain, but I also wanted, needed to know how she knew so much about me.

“OK, you want to go outside for privacy”

“No, we can sit at my table. Your men may watch us”

As I sat facing this lady with strange eyes, the noise of a popular bar faded as if a volume control had been turned down