London Harmony: Minuette by Erik Schubach

settled on a large houseboat at the end of the dock, with the best view of the river and city skyline.  In bold black swoopy letters, it declared itself the Water Witch. I smiled and pointed.
    She arched an eyebrow.  It was as long as most of the yachts and had two floors and people were milling about on what was apparently a deck on the top of the vessel.  We got to the end of the dock and looked back at the little marina office, done up to look like something from the fifties or sixties.
    We stood at the base of an aluminum gangway from the dock to the deck of the ship.  There was a wooden signpost with a Victorian looking wooden sign that had the slip number, 7A, carved into it and Water Witch carved just below it.  We could hear the murmurs of conversation drifting down from the upper deck.
    Did we just walk on?  We looked at each other and I shrugged and reached over to the sign and rapped loudly on it three times and called out in a cracking voice, “Ahoy?”  Could I be more of a muppet?
    A gorgeous woman with middle eastern features popped her smiling head over the upper rail, looking down at us, and asked in an amused voice, “Ahoy?”
    Fran's head popped over the edge too and she rolled her eyes and shoved the other woman away.  She half smirked down at us. “Ahoy.  Come on aboard ladies, I'll meet you down there.”
    We made our way onto the boat, there was glass everywhere, I was convinced the views from inside were spectacular wherever you looked, that was most likely the point.  We saw Fran come down some stairs inside and hustle over to open one of the huge windows, she nudged it and it slid easily off to the side.
    She again said, “Ahoy.”
    I blushed and defended, “I didn't know what I was supposed to say.  You're a mean, mean woman.”
    She chuckled and said, “At least you didn't say 'permission to come aboard' like most people their first time here.”
    Her eyes flicked between me and Mind, who was still plastered to my arm, spreading warmth through my entire being.  Before I could make the introductions, Fran had her hand out as she looked at my best mate.  “You must be Mindy.  I'm glad you could make it.  Nett gushes about you all the time.  You're just as cute as she described.  Fran, Fran Brighton, but you can just call me Small Fry.”
    Bloody hell!  I was ready to die just then, I could feel the intense blush burning across my cheeks and down my neck.
    Mindy looked like the cat who swallowed the canary and just added to my embarrassment by grinning at me as she shook Fran's hand.  “The pleasure is mine.”
    I rolled with the punches and squeaked as I pointed at Francine, “One morning you're going to wake up to find I had tracked you down and shaved your head in your sleep.”
    The two women had a good laugh at my expense.  What?  Wasn't I threatening enough?  I looked down when a weight slammed into my leg.  A golden retriever with a lolling tongue and wagging tail.  I squatted and rubbed his ears.  I'm sure my smile threatened to split my face.  “Who's this handsome boy?”
    I looked up at Fran, who grinned at the dog.  “That's Percy, Abi's service dog.”
    I heard a gurgled squeak from Mind as she just stared at Percy and asked, “Abi, as in Abigail Addison?”
    My eyes snapped wide, I was so slow at times.  This was Abigail Addison's dog?  The one woman band?  This was Sir Percival!  I heard that he saved Abi's life once.
    As soon as I stood back up, Mindy grabbed my hand and squeezed it in excitement.  I recovered first as Fran nodded.  “Good lord, Mind is going to be fangirling out in there.”  I was shut up when her fingers somehow found their way between mine, lacing together.
    Fran looked down at our hands then got an evil grin on her face and said, “Come on in, let's grab some refreshments and join everyone topside.”  She leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Breathe.”
    Oh yeah, sure, umm... how does that work again?  I exhaled