We left the store and drove down to the bay. We sat on the same dock on which I had met Sailor. There was an unusual evening breeze that allowed memories of past sailing adventures to creep into my mind. We sat, huddled against each other, listening to the water lap against the edge of the dock. Fireplace aromas riding in the wind coming from the island across the harbor combined with the freshness of her hair, making me want to suspend that moment in time forever.

"I think maybe we'd better go in," she said. I couldn't imagine how we could feel so different about the setting.

"Sure, is anything wrong?"

"Well, it's the dock. You know, it's moving. Slightly."

We walked up to the bar in The Club, ordered warm drinks and sat by the fireplace. I thought of Sailor and wondered of his loneliness, and pictured him sitting in the dark by himself. "Would you like to go see the bird?" That was a bold stroke, finding the common link that didn't sound too much like a cheap line.

I never associated personalities with birds; I thought they were all the same. Over time I found Sailor to be a sex maniac with a foot fetish. He had requirements for space, peace and cleanliness that rival my own. I didn't know his history, like if he had a wife, or if he was even a he. He must have been male, based on his insatiable sex drive. He'd land near any foot in the room and serenade it with his whistle. After determining that the foot was a suitable companion, he'd climb on and situate himself until he was in perfect position. Then he'd rhythmically wiggle his bum over the toes or shoe tip launching himself into a sexual frenzy. His wings would slowly extend, his beak moving up and down and then boom! He'd curl up, every muscle tightening. He'd pull his wings in and ah, relief! He did that two or three times a day. I half expected him to fly to the couch, lean back and light up a cigarette.

I guess if I were relegated to enclosed spaces without a mate, a rather boring diet, and few forms of entertainment, that would be the highlight of my day, too.