Donna had agreed earlier in the week to as the Husker put it “disappear for the weekend.” At the time she was not entirely certain what that entailed, but after all he was a wholesome guy who had agreed to follow her into her lifestyle the past few weekends so it was only more than fair that she tried to do some of the things he wanted. Donna packed two large suitcases filling them with everything from chic casual to shorts and jeans. Of course there were running shoes and workout clothes along with a few selections of lingerie from Victoria’s Secret Pink Collection. The garments were only slightly more functional than the corset, stocking and heels she could be most often found in. It was no small matter how one looked at it a trip to the suburbs for the weekend. The Husker on the other hand had packed everything he needed in an oversized gym bag. A pair of gabradene khaki’s, a pair of jeans, three shirts, sandals, running shoes and the all too typical assortment of common boring and purely functional undergarments. The trademark of which was his traditional cotton blue boxers. He was steady, reliable and functional, more of a Volvo station wagon than a high performance sports car.

So as the overly practical man who had grown moderately more daring recently with each passing day rolled up in front of Donna’s to pick her up popped the trunk and loaded the modern equivalent of steamer trunks into the car. Off the pair went into the misery and insanity that constitutes Friday afternoon traffic in DC. When the wheels of bureaucracy where in full motion 28 miles takes 90 minutes due to gridlock and traffic. Finally, the couple arrived at the Hyatt in Reston, and for a place so close to the city it had a distinctly different feel. The hotel bellman unloaded the suitcases and the valet cheerfully whisked away the old man mobile they had arrived in.

Standing at the front desk Donna said quietly, “I’ll be at the bar.”

Robert not at all a controlling man responded “OK but why?” as he was handed the key to their suite.

“What if somebody sees us?”

“So what? After last weekend at brunch people know we’re dating.”

As Donna considered his point added “You usually watch the shadows just in case”. “Yes, just in case Christy was lurking around the corner.” They began to follow the bellman towing a luggage cart toward the elevators. “Now she knows, she may not like it but she knows. Besides she is in Nebraska for a series of meetings for elected official’s support staff.”

As the pair settled into the suite, he immediately found the coffee maker and dug through his bag to find his precious pre-ground coffee hidden at the bottom, not because he was hiding it, but because it was the first thing he had packed. Donna stood in front of the closet and dresser unpacking. The Husker watched in amazement sipping his thick black brew as Donna placed outfit after outfit into the closet and dresser.

“That’s a lot of stuff” Robert stated sitting on the bench at the foot of the bed clutching his mug.

“I didn’t know what you had planned” Donna replied.

“Well none of it involves a lot of clothes” he said playfully.

Had they really escaped merely for carnal purposes, a change of venue, it would have been something more likely if she had planned the weekend.

“Since you’re dressed lets go to dinner.”

Reston is a peculiar mix of businesses and overpriced housing littered amidst the non- descript government agency buildings. The Hyatt is situated on a corner along a street to the side that is lined with brand name retailers and eating establishments. Appealing and clean those few blocks were a modern ode to small town life and sense of community that had been long since lost in the crime riddled masses of the larger metro area’s.

Dinner was filled with wine and pleasant conversation of a mostly trivial nature, nothing all that uncommon to most courtships. Words carefully selected to ensure the proper interpretations. As the evening progressed, they took their time progressing from drinks to dinner, moving along from each course at a leisurely pace until the meal ended with them sharing a piece of flourless dark chocolate cake, the inevitable cappuccino and ultimately to the same homogenized lit street leading to the hotel that they had traversed on the way to dinner. The shops were all closed as Donna peered into the windows here and there as they passed. After a long week accentuated by a long meal, the pair finally retired to their suite for the remainder of the evening to enjoy each others company.

Again night turned into day as it so often does and with the warm soft sun came two fruit plates and an over abundance of coffee. The causally dressed Husker toting his gym bag with a pair of jeans, a polo, sandals and a collection of towels in it.

“What’s the plan for the day?” Donna asked not knowing if there was one.

“Sailing lessons.”

Donna just looked at him not quite certain if he was at all kidding.

“All those ropes last Friday made me want to go sailing.”

“Why so you could learn to tie me up?” Donna inquired knowing damn well that it was most likely not the case.

“No, I could do that just fine” he said blushing, uncomfortable with the frank nature of what he believed was becoming a deviant conversation. Then adding “I was a boy scout you know.”

“What if I asked you to?” she pressed, it was a routine she had played countless times before with others who might have been enticed by the idea.

“Never mind” she added after a few seconds of silence.

“So tell me again why we are going sailing.”

“Have you ever been?” the Husker questioned back.

“No” was the only truthful answer she could give.

“Then that’s why. Besides my phones won’t work after we get a little bit off shore, so there won’t be any interruptions.”

Donna proceeded to pack her BeBe jeans, a g-string and bra, a semi dressy blouse from all places Charlotte Russ and a playful pair of heels. The outfit was a stark contrast to the utilitarian one piece swim suit she decided to wear covering it with black nylon hiking shorts that were meant for the gym that day, an old gray t-shirt and running shoes. Her hair drawn back placed through the Husker’s favorite red cap that she had recently commandeered.

So the drive began from Reston to a quiet harbor in Baltimore winding around the beltway on a lazy Saturday morning, one coffee stop and 76 minutes later they arrived at the marina. No sooner than they were walking toward the docks the Husker began vigorously reapplying SPF 60 sun block to his face and arms, a routine he was reenacting that he had not done so long ago before leaving the hotel. Donna just smeared on a little extra Carmex to her lips so the wind wouldn’t chap them too severely as she just went along quietly with his plan. What was it that made him want to take sailing lessons with her? Had she inadvertently made a comment that his usually keen senses had misinterpreted?

Donna imagined the day would consist of a ramshackle old boat and the added company of a weathered old sea captain. She stopped just sort of giggling at the idea of an incarnate version of the Morton’s fisherman being their instructor. So as they approached the docks her eye was drawn to a small single hull, a tired green and white vessel that had to be no more than a 16 foot boat. At times she had forgotten that she was no longer a poor country girl and as the pair walked past the boat she let out an audible sigh of relief. The Husker hadn’t noticed, he just continued down the docks finally stopping at a 120 foot sailing yacht.

“Isn’t she beautiful?”

“Yes, it’s very nice.”

“Boats are a she” he gently corrected as he removed his shoes and stepped aboard “Stiff Shirts”.

“Well are you coming?”

“This is the boat we’re learning to sail?” She asked not realizing that it wasn’t sailing lessons that they were going to be taking. The day would not be filled with rout instruction with this rope and that thingy goes there.

The Husker laughed “I said you were taking sailing lessons. For me we’re running her one last time before she heads south for the winter.”

Stiff Shirts was owned by an old college friend of the Husker’s who had made his fortune in the less than glamorous world of dry cleaning by opening up a series of at home pick up and delivery dry cleaning services that eventually also grew to include a chain of high end brushless car washes from North Carolina to Maryland. The Husker had sailed before, one of his many secrets was he had his open water Capitan’s license allowing him to command a ship out on the open sea.

So shortly after a peaceful troll out of the harbor during which “Captain Stiffy” (as the Husker called his friend by the amusing nick name) provided Donna with a nauseating discourse on the history of man and sailing, of wind and water and this and that mind numbing fact. Finally with sails raised into place the ship went barreling out into the glistening waters, soon after loosing sight of land, later loosing sight of birds overhead as well. A few hours later they stopped, lowering the sails to the deck and floating with the rise and fall of the waves out at sea. While every one gathered on the aft deck for a truly gourmet lunch, the Husker, Donna, Captain Richard, his Misses, and daughters sat around the tables and benches tending to this and that, Richard’s oldest son was below deck ignoring all of the day’s beauty. He did however emerge with hand wrapped proscuitto around fresh bite sized balls of Mozzarella for appetizers, four on each plate, a plate for each guest that was garnished with a sour cream sauce. His longish bleached blonde hair flowed in the ocean breeze. The cheese was followed by a baby greens salad dressed with fresh strawberries and a sweet dressing to offset the bitterness of the lettuce choice. As he and his friend emerged to clear the dishes from the first two courses, Donna began to question his orientation, after all here was a teenage boy obsessed with food and presentation, well built and so was his “friend”. Only moments later he reemerged again with braised lamb, grilled asparagus and brown organic rice.

“Did he really make all of this?” She asked.

“Yes.” his father said proudly “he’s 16 now but started cooking when he was 12.”

He lowered “We were worried for a while… he always fussed about his hair and clothes, our décor, even the quality of the towels and linens when we traveled.”

The captain continued until his wife added, “Yes, he’s just like your mother.” The Missus added as the pair of boys came above deck again this time trailed by two teenage girls. “He uses the cooking to get girlfriends” his father added boastfully. “I see” Donna said observing the two model type females who ate the veggies, and pushed the lamb around the plate occasionally picking at it.

The afternoon consisted of strong winds and more open seas. Despite her initial trepidation Donna had enjoyed the day immensely. Her final lesson was on tying off onto a cleat on the dock, learning to wrap and weave the ropes so as the ship moved it would tighten rather than loosen, a concept that her lifestyle had long ago made her aware of.

After a long day in the sun and a few hours of conversation once again at the dock the Husker and Donna bid “Stiff Shirts” adieu before winding back around the beltway and stopping at Tyson’s Corner for a little shopping. The pair adorned since before leaving the ship in their jeans, the American made car stuck out at the mall from all of the other German numbers and high end rice burners at the valet stand. After an aimless hour where the only purchase was “sport boxers” for the Husker they departed retreating back to their suite where Donna joined the Husker who was soaking his tired weary muscles and tight chaffed hands in the bath.

Sunday morning began lazy and late, there was no where to be and no brunch to attend. Instead they worked out in the fitness center and engaged in leisurely packing of the abundance of unworn outfits before a walk to Starbucks and heading out for the day to the Air and Space museum next to Dulles where the Husker would while away the hours looking at planes and spaceships that to Donna might as well have been tractors and muscle cars from the boys back home, it was not her thing and she simply didn’t care.

They were standing in the lobby as the bags were loaded into the car by the bell man. The Husker spotted a colleague, as he began to approach stopped cold.

“What’s up?” Donna asked after he stopped thinking perhaps he realized he had forgotten something.

“I know him.”

“So say hi.” Wondering why a man who asks strangers and enemies for their support on a regular basis as he roamed the halls of power with world leaders would suddenly seem so awkward and shy.

“I don’t know her.”

“So?”

“That’s not his wife.”

“I’m not your wife would that stop him?” Donna replied annoyed at the thought that such a thing might matter.

“No. But then again I don’t have one. He does and I know her, she’s a friend of mine.”

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