Next time, Ko took Af sailing. They preened a little beforehand, in the anteroom, modeling mauve bermuda shorts. “Which do you think?” They held up a polka dotted ascot and a bolo tie with a shiny black opal.
Af fidgeted self-consciously with their own white-trimmed navy scarf. “Neither?”
Ko frowned, mock-stern, then laughed. “All right, love.” They tossed the offending accessories into the air, and they dissolved into sparkling mist. Ko made an ironic half-bow. “After you!”
They stepped through the doorway and found themselves in a port town, on a pier set at an acute angle from the sandy shore, a handful of sloops bobbing on either side. The tide was high, the water nearly slopping onto the boards. The setting was low-tech: wood, brass, glass, cloth, no fiberglass or electricity in sight.
“A charming era,” Ko remarked, leaping into the starboard side of the nearest vessel.
Af could certainly gainsay that – but instead they smiled, and let themself be handed into the boat.
phrases: bolo, love, tide, port, acute, era, bermuda, ascot, stern, scarf, tie, starboard, bow, all, right, gain