Stefan tried calling Marie’s cell phone again. It rang a couple times and then went to voicemail. He had already left four messages, so he just hung up.

Marie looked at the screen on her phone when it rang again and just pushed the red button to send Stefan to the voicemail.

“Was that him again?” Sheila asked.

“Yes, I don’t want to talk to him right now. He’ll beg to come up here and it’s just so nice and quiet right now,” Marie said with her feet propped up on the side railing of the crab boat.

****

Marie was working at the Lake Union Cafe and saw Sheila pull up to the intersection in her Duck earlier in the day. The ‘cafe’ was actually just a little espresso stand that was attached to the end of a wine shop. It had one inside table and a deck with tables and chairs for a few people to sit at. The light was red and Marie knew it was at least a four minute red light at the six way intersection so she ran out to say hello.

“Hey stranger!” she yelled up at the side of the rolling boat.

Sheila leaned over the edge and saw Marie. She smiled and held up one finger for her to wait. “Hey everybody! Who wants some coffee? Real Seattle espresso made by my friend Marie?” she said over the loudspeaker.

The group of japanese tourists all shouted at the question and Sheila decided that it was a yes, whether it was a yes or not. She pulled the Duck halfway up onto the sidewalk in front of the cafe and marched everyone off the boat.

“Coffee break! The boat leaves in ten minutes!” Sheila shouted as Marie ran back into the cafe.
Almost everyone on board ordered a small shot of espresso and the deck was full of people. Some of them were able to sit, but many stood and drank out of the little white cups. At first Marie was kind of perturbed at the sudden rush of people, but when saw how much the tourists were leaving in the tip jar, she gave Sheila a big thumb’s up.

Sheila kept tabs on everyone and tried to help clean up the mess as they were finishing their coffee. When Marie had pulled the last shot for the end of the line of tourists, she waved for Sheila to come behind the bar.

“Wow, there’s at least sixty dollars in the tip jar. You should come by more often!” she said to Sheila, dumping the tips into a drawer.

“I’ll see if I can spread the word down at the station. You’re only three blocks from the boat ramp that puts you in near the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat. A lot of the foreign tour groups want us to drive by that,” Sheila said.

“Well, you just made my shift totally worthwhile. Thanks!”

“If you’re not busy a little later, come up to Fisherman’s Terminal. My brothers and I are going to have a little thing on our boat,” Sheila said, searching her pockets for a card.

“When? I close down at six.”

“That sounds about right. Here’s the map to the boat,” Sheila said, handing her a card.

Marie read the card which had a picture of a huge ship on the front and and map of the marina on the back. The Carrie Beverly was moored on dock 8 in Fisherman’s Terminal in Salmon Bay.

“Wow, that is a big boat!”, Marie said, looking up at Sheila.

“If you can’t make it, no big deal. It’s just a mellow thing, but it will be fun,” Sheila said as she turned to walk back to the Duck. “Everyone back on board! It’s time to see the Sleepless in Seattle houseboat! Come on let’s go!”

The passengers shouted their approval and queued up to shuffle back on board the boat. Marie collected the cups and saucers that were still strewn about the deck and waved goodbye when Sheila gunned the engine to get the Duck going down the road. She washed up the aftermath and then counted out the tip jar. Somehow she ended up with one hundred and three dollars in tips from the tsunami of tourists.

***

“You should at least tell him that you’re OK, he must be worried or he wouldn’t keep calling,” Sheila said, watching sun start to set above the Olympic mountains.

“I will in a bit. It’s just so relaxing here on the water,” Marie said handing the bong back to Sheila.

“You don’t want to talk to him while you’re stoned, do you?” Sheila said laughing.

“Well, there is that,” Marie said, smiling.