I walked the length of the docks a few times before I found the boat I desired. I didn’t bother to ask for permission before boarding.
I dropped the bag filled with my gear on the boat deck and walked the length and back. The rain from the previous night made the deck slick. My boots offered firm traction as I walked. The location at the edge of the slip was perfect for our escape, though the condition of the vessel left much to be desired. No matter, I didn’t intend to have the boat for a long period of time. It was a means to an end.
“Hello? What do you think you’re doing?” I turned to the voice; a man had appeared from the lower deck. He was very tall and almost too thin, resembling a scarecrow. He lifted his hat and wiped at his brow, exposing a smattering of stringy gray hair.
“I want to buy your boat,” I said, not moving from my spot.
“Do you see a For Sale sign?” he asked. “I don’t know what you’re thinking but this is my property.”
“I will pay double its worth.”
“Did you not hear me? I said it ain’t for sale.”
After years of fending off foster siblings and training in self-defense because of it, I knew I could take him down. But I wanted his boat more than to see his face smashed into the wooden slats below our feet. Even if the temptation was strong.
I clenched and unclenched my fists. “With the money I give you, you can buy two more decaying boats. Or maybe a really nice one. Take my offer.”
“I think you need to leave,” he said, the veins in his forehead pulsing in time with his heartbeat.
“I think you need to reconsider.”
His neck reddened. “I’m going to call the police if you don’t leave now.”
I didn’t need that headache, not yet. “As you wish,” I said and ducked away, silently promising to be back soon enough.