“Uh, Sheila?” Spencer finally asked, then after a moment he threw back his head and laughed again. “Yes. That’s right. You disappeared for a minute because you were looking it up, huh? ABdoesmean I’m an Able Seaman. I’m sure your sister can attest to that.” He winked at Tabitha, and she could feel the color move up into her face.
“What else do you have?” Spencer didn’t skip a beat.
Tabitha decided it was okay to finally relax.
She loosened her shoulders and listened to Spencer as he rattled off things like VPDSD, which apparently meant Vessel Personal with Designated Security Duties, DWT, which she already knew stood for Dead Weight Tonnage, and finally TWIC, Transportation Workers ID Credentials.
Sheila was really testing Spencer’s knowledge, and it was quite clear he wasn’t disappointing her.
“Sure,” Spencer finally said. “When I meet you, I’ll show you my TWIC card, and my Red Book before it goes the way of the Dodo. Did your research tell you it’s being replaced by a one page, synthetic and waterproof sheet that can be dropped in the drink, folded up, and manipulated in just about any way without being damaged?” He nodded. “I figured you might have come across that. I’ll have to get one of those new ones when my current book expires. Although…” He looked at Tabitha with something akin to hope I his eyes. “I may not be re-upping, depending upon…how things go with a new venture I have in mind.”
Clearly, Sheila was still talking, but now Tabitha could tell that Spencer’s mind wasn’t completely engaged in their conversation.
He was looking at her as if she held the keys to his future.
CHAPTER 16
Once Spencer gotoff the phone with Sheila—who had been an absolute riot to talk to—he suddenly felt at a loss. What now? How would the rest of the night pan out with Tabitha? Glancing over, he saw that she was regarding him like he’d just handed her the crown jewels. But why?
There were a few possibilities.
Was it because Spencer had treated her sister like she was the smart, engaging person that she actually was? Was Tabitha warming up to and considering his offer to take a chance on starting a business with him?
Or…perhaps it was neither of those things.
Maybe she was,gulp, thinking about jumping his bones.
Hell, yes.
That’s what he really hoped was in her mind, even though the business thing would be dope.
All Spencer could do was smile back at Tabitha, and wait to see where things led.
“So…?” he prompted.
“So, it seems like you’ve captured my sister’s regard,” she grinned.
Okay.They’d go there, first.
“I don’t think it was necessarily anything I did,” Spencer demurred. “She was the one who came armed with all the questions and information. It was easy from there. I just responded to her prompts.”
“Which a lot of people never do,” Tabitha informed him. “You can’t begin to imagine how often she’s dismissed by people with whom she tries to engage, simply because of the way she approaches things.”
That pissed Spencer off.Certainfolks could be close-minded assholes.
“That’s their loss, then,” Spencer assured her. “Sheila’s awesome. You’re lucky to have her for a sister. I bet she blows your mind every day.”
“That she does,” Tabitha admitted. “She’s scary smart sometimes.”
Sheila might have inflections and intonations that were different from what society deemed as “normal”, but it was clear to Spencer that she was bright, quick on the uptake, and oddly, not afraid to engage, which had been his assumption regarding people on the spectrum. He was glad to be proven wrong. Sheila’s “different-ness” made her damned interesting, and Spencer loved it.
He knew he’d enjoy any future talks they’d have together.
Future…
Would there be one for them? Wherewouldthings go with Tabitha from here?
For lack of something better to do with his hands, Spencer gripped the edge of the tray that held his now empty plate, and attempted to move things along again. “So, are we all finished here?” He canted his head toward her dish which had also been wiped clean.
