Me and My Merchant Marine: Is it Over?

Note: This series is written two months after-the-fact. Currently, Troy is somewhere out there on the vast blue-green seas, not due to return until late September at the earliest. Is it over between Robyn and Troy? You be the judge…

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Fri 4/25/14 

"Thank you for the best two minutes of my life!" Troy jests, the morning after the granny panties debacle.

 She smiles and asks, "When do you leave?"

"I won’t know until right before, but this could be it. Maybe Friday." Troy looks serious.

Shit, Robyn says to herself. Stay calm. "Can I see you one more time before you go?"

Troy takes out his pocket calendar, flips the pages, and they decide on a Wed night rendezvous.

Mon 4/28 Troy tells Robyn that his relatives are coming to town Wed. to surprise him. His Mom told him, knowing that Troy has been spending time with Robyn. Does Troy's Mom know that their time has involved having… a look at Matt’s Mom’s granny panties? She wonders. 

   Troy promises to see Robyn this eve. “Matt’s having a big shindig at the condo. Some of them might spend the night. It’s not going to work at my place.” Robyn tells Troy they will have to be quiet at her place, because she has roommates. "You can't be your loud and naughty self," he teases. "Oh, another thing, I can't stay the night. I have too much to take care of tomorrow morning." 

   Disappointments piled on, Robyn shakes it off, because she wants a few more minutes. And he's handsome. And she wants a few more minutes, but we already mentioned that.

   Troy arrives. He wants to go for drinks. He always does. They’re different that way. Robyn agrees, since it increases her odds of getting a few more minutes in. And by “in,” she means that literally.

At Park Avenue Pub, a dive bar half a mile from Robyn's:

   "Since this is my last chance before you leave, tell me that story again about when you jumped ship and survived. I have to write about it." 

   “That’s so lame,” he scoffs. “Alright, but if you’re going to write about it, you have to get it right.” Troy proceeds to expel details. A wide eyed, enthusiastic Robyn scribbles notes on the backs of business cards that she pulls out of her purse. Her scribblings include: “For $100, totally hammered, he jumped ship, anchored in Caribb. Alarm soundd ‘Man overboard!’ Strong winds pushd him 2 anchor chain. Lucky bastard! Climbed chain ladder, 2 lower levels, 2 room waist high in grease, ran thru ship tracking grease, took rm key outta pocket & tossed clothes in trash, ran naked in circles so they wouldnt trail him. Found rm. Showered, dressed in tux 4 job as waiter on ship, Captain’s men knocked on door. ‘Are you Troy Alvarado?’ He said ‘yes.’ ‘Did you just jump overbrd?’ ‘No, I dont kno what youre talking abt. I was showering 4 work.’ They believd him & left. Capt called 4 him days later. Asked how he did it. Capt said, ‘For the pure audacity, u can keep job. Don’t let it happen again.”

  

Sex scene: Hey, where's the sex? You blinked in the last four minutes, didn't you? Sorry you missed it! She almost did too, if it's any consolation.

  Robyn and Troy lay in her bed, comforter pulled up to hide nakedness from viewers. She rests her head on his chest, as he strokes her back.

  "I'd say that was a good four minutes," Troy remarks.

  "I was thinking the same. Yeah, twice as good as last time." She lifts her head and smiles at him. Troy reciprocates.

   "I'll double the staying power every time."

   "Promises, promises," Robyn chides. There's a pause before she says, "I'll miss you."

   "I'll miss you too."

Stay tuned for one more segment, the "goodbye." Is it over??