Rivers Run Deep

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Cliff shrugged, sipping his coffee. "I don't know either. I stopped trying to figure that out, I just need to remember that some will. But then, there's just as many, even more, who will do the opposite and help a guy out. Keeps me looking on the bright side of things. On the whole, I have to say I'm really lucky. I can live openly, my family accepts and supports me, and I have plenty of good friends and teammates. Makes up for all the shit that the others try to throw at me."
 
"Well, I'm glad to hear it." he said before taking another big drink of his coffee. "I've had a couple guys on the boats I've been on swing that way." He shrugged. "Only problem with it is that any relationship between them can cause a conflict of interests or a distraction. Generally an unsafe working environment. There was a guy one the last boat I was on, couple of guys I should say. One was an officer and the other was enlisted. The officer was giving the enlisted special treatment, it went to his head, and he almost got killed because of it. Wasn't paying attention when part of an engine blew, too busy yelling at someone else about being important. Other'n that, so long as I'm not seein' it on my nice clean decks, I really don't care what the boys are up to. As long as they aren't getting into trouble and bothering me about it, I don't care."
 
"Good to hear. Any kind of relationship can cause problems on the job, I think. If you take it too far. I try to stay out of them for the most part," Cliff agreed, taking a bite of one of his pastries. "Also glad your first reaction wasn't to ask me if I was going to try hitting on you. That question gets old pretty quick."
 
Joshua laughed. "Only because I know it's inevitable. I'm very attractive." He rolled his eyes as he said it. "No, Cliff, I'm smarter than that....both to know better than to say it, and to know better than to think I'm attractive enough to gain that sort of attention from anyone." He laughed and shook his head. "I'm 37. I'm old." He smirked, tail thumping idly against his seat. "Divorced with three kids." He shook his head. "No one wants to get into the middle of that...though....the range of colors it would turn my wife when she found out would be worth the lie..."
 
Now Cliff really did laugh. "Now that would be something I wouldn't mind getting in the middle of! I do love a good joke." He continued chuckling for another minute or so before he settled down again. "But honestly, you're not bad looking, and you keep yourself fit. Just not my style of fit. I much prefer the slim build myself, not the built up muscle. But I would not be so blind to think you escape attention." He nodded his head over to a trio of giggling university-age young ladies, who were miming the size of Joshua's arms as they chatted about him excitedly and snuck glances at him.
 
Joshua looked over at the girls and raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Guess I just don't notice..." he gave the girls a smile and a nod and looked down at his coffee before his thoughts could run away from him. He laughed a little and shook his head. "Well, sorry I'm not your type, Cliff. And I'm pretty sure I'm too old for those girls over there. What do you think? Age matter after...say....god, they only look about 22..."
 
"I think, as long as someone's legal age, age only matters if either of you care. I've seen plenty of wide differences in age, especially in some of the circles I run in. It's usually an older man with a young woman, or young man, but occasionally you get an older lady with a younger companion. That's when it gets scandalous and fun," he explained with a wicked grin. It was clear that Cliff definitely played, and enjoyed, the social game.
 
The chief laughed and shook his head. "That's fair." he said, looking over at the young women again before looking back at his partner. "An older woman with a younger man? Well, that's certainly interesting. I guess the higher up you go in the social food chain, the more interesting things get."
 
"They do indeed. It's not for the faint of heart, believe me. It's one reason dad hates the pleasure boats. He doesn't like dealing with all the wild requests we get. He says he wasn't born in the right century for it," Cliff laughed at the common phrase his father liked to use. "I, on the other hand, like to use them as gossip bait."
 
Joshua smirked. "So, you're the evil twisted one in the business. Every business needs one, you know." he said, thinking about the mystery books that kept him entertained during the rare times he wasn't working. He was joking, of course. He didn't actually believe half of what he read, but it passed the time. He set his now-empty coffee cup down and sighed. "It's good to get off the boat for a little while...I should probably do it more often..."
 
"Yeah, remember we talked about going golfing? We should do that sometime," Cliff agreed, encouraging him. "Too much work's not good for you, you need someone to get you away from it every now and then. I say, if you can't have a partner to do it, have a friend." He finished off his last bite of pastry before picking up his coffee cup to drain the rest of that as well.
 
"I'd have to agree with that." he said with a soft laugh. He stood up and picked up his hat off the table. "Well, we'll definitely have to go golfing. I'm off all next weekend." he said, looking over. "If the weather holds out, and if you aren't working, I could definitely stand to get away from the boat for a bit."
 
"Sounds good," Cliff agreed, pulling his appointment book out of the inside pocket of his jacket. He flipped through it to find the correct date and penciled something in. "So far I'm all clear, I'll call the club and book a time to tee off. Do you have your own clubs?"
 
"No, but I've got an officer who owes me a favor and he has his own clubs." He laughed. "I got rid of mine about two moves after the divorce when I stopped getting myself an apartment." He shrugged. "But I can get a hold of some." he pulled out a small notebook and wrote down a reminder for himself as well.
 
"Sounds good. You can always rent some from the club if you find yourself without," he informed him, getting up from the seat. "I should get going. Do you need a ride back to the ship?"
 
"I do, yeah. If you don't mind." he said, getting up. He stretched and walked over to get the door, holding it open for his friend.
 
"Not at all," he answered, leading the way back to the car. "Any excuse for a drive, and I'll check in with dad at the office before I head home." He hopped into the seat over the door with a practiced move and slid the key into the ignition. The engine turned over with a roar and a purr.
 
The chief, not to be outdone by someone younger, entered the car in much the same fashion. He grinned when it worked and he settled in, holding onto his hat so he wouldn't lose it. "Any excuse for a drive!"
 
Cliff laughed eagerly. "Good to see you can keep up old man!" he teased Joshua as he pulled out into the road and motored down the street, picking up speed as they headed back to the docks.

Once back at the ship, Cliff waved goodbye as he turned the car and headed off towards his company's berth, leaving the Chief heading up the ramp back onto the ship.
 
On the day they had decided to go golfing, Joshua walked down the plank of the ship wearing some slacks, a button-up shirt, and a sweater vest. He laughed as his crew members teased him, shouldering a borrowed golf bag. He headed down the docks to Cliff's office, specifically to his friend's car to wait for him.
 
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