Chapter 24 Aged to Perfection
AGED TO PERFECTION
The following morning, back aboard The Celestine Queen, Bayard and Exandra sat together at a corner table in the ship’s dining room.
Minerva spied them immediately. She could tell something had fundamentally changed between them.
So why did everything about their posture and body language still scream uncertainty?
They were sitting much closer than they used to.
But they were not touching. They kept glancing at each other and then looking away, mirroring each other awkwardly.
When Bayard reached out for the coffee pot, Exandra did the same.
Their hands nearly collided, and they both jerked back like they’d been burned.
“Well,” Zephyr murmured to Minerva as they collected their breakfast from the buffet, “ I’m guessing something happened.”
“Something…” Minerva agreed. “Though they look more miserable than I’d expect for two people who finally confessed their feelings.”
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of getting involved again, Minnie,” Zephyr warned.
Minerva bit her lip.
“We need to let them work things out on their own.”
“I know, I know…” Minerva sighed.
At the table beside Bayard and Exandra’s, Jasper and Wren presented a stark contrast. They sat pressed up so closely against each other that they practically formed a seal.
Jasper’s arm was draped around Wren’s shoulders.
Her hand seemed glued to his knee. They shared a plate of pastries, feeding each other bites and laughing at private jokes.
Wren had her camera out, taking selfies together, completely unconcerned with who might see or judge them.
“Would you look at the two of them?” Exandra muttered to Bayard, watching the young couple with envy. “Not a care in the world. No thought about what happens when this cruise ends. No worries about jobs or logistics or—”
“Reality,” Bayard finished. “Yes. It must be nice to be so young and optimistic.”
“Reckless,” Exandra said halfheartedly.
Bayard watched Jasper kiss Wren’s temple, watched the way she closed her eyes and melted into him, completely comfortable with their public display of affection. “Maybe,” he said. “Or maybe they just know something that we’ve forgotten in our old age.”
Exandra opened her mouth to say something, but Minerva and Zephyr chose that moment to approach.
“Good morning!” Minerva said brightly. “May we join you?”
“Actually—” Exandra started.
“That would be lovely,” Bayard said at the same time.
They looked at each other awkwardly.
Minerva and Zephyr sat down anyway, pretending not to notice the tension.
“Did you two enjoy the canyoning activity yesterday?” Zephyr asked innocently.
“It was fine,” Exandra said quickly.
“Very educational,” Bayard added. “That gorge is a geological marvel.”
“Mmm hmmmm.” Minerva sipped her tea, her expression carefully neutral. “And did you ever have that talk we suggested?”
Both of them suddenly found their breakfast plates riveting.
“We discussed some things,” Bayard said carefully.
“Cleared up a few misunderstandings,” Exandra added.
“I see.” Minerva exchanged a look with Zephyr. “And are you both feeling... clearer about things now?”
“Crystal clear,” Exandra said, her voice tight.
“Absolutely,” Bayard agreed, sounding miserable.
Fred, who’d been dozing in his carrier beside Bayard’s chair, opened one eye, and quacked skeptically.
“Well,” Zephyr said, standing up abruptly and pulling Minerva by the sleeve, “we really should let you two finish breakfast and prep. I can’t believe we’re already arriving in Italy this morning for the final stop on our tour!”
“The Parma region should be spectacular!” Minerva reluctantly followed Zephyr’s lead, pushing back her chair with a scrape. She collected her dishes as he pointed to a free table in the corner, away from the group.
“We’ll see you two later,” Zephyr said.
After they left, Bayard and Exandra sat in silence for a long moment.
“We really need to talk about what happened,” Bayard said.
“I know.” Exandra sighed.
“But not here.” Bayard used his thumb to wipe some jam off Exandra’s chin and she shivered, biting her lip and closing her eyes.
“No. Not here.” she agreed. “Maybe… somewhere more private?”
“Great. Shall we go now?”
“Yes,” Exandra nodded. “We should go. Immediately.”
They stacked their plates quickly, hyperaware of every accidental touch, every loaded glance. When they stood to leave, they moved toward the exit separately, careful to maintain distance.
But at the doorway, Exandra’s hand brushed against Bayard’s, and the contact sent electricity through both of them.
Their eyes met.
“Storage closet,” Exandra whispered in Bayard’s ear, sending a thrill straight through him, down to the soles of his feet. “Third deck. Near the library.”
Bayard nodded, his heart hammering. “Five minutes.”
They heard a plaintive quack from back at the table.
“Ruffled truffles! I almost forgot Fred!” Bayard exclaimed. He smacked his forehead and rushed back for the duck.
The storage closet was small and cramped, filled with extra linens and cleaning supplies. It smelled of lavender and soap. It was possibly the least romantic location on the entire ship.
None of that mattered the moment the door closed behind them.
Bayard barely had time to set Fred down outside with whispered instructions to “stand guard” before Exandra pulled him into her arms. They kissed desperately, making up for the past hour of sitting together and not touching, and for years of wanting and not having.
“Ye Gods,” Exandra breathed against his mouth. “I’ve been dying all morning. Sitting there, not being able to touch you, pretending everything was normal—”
“I know,” Bayard gasped. His hands found her face, her hair, her shoulders, like he needed to confirm she was real. “Me, too. I kept thinking about yesterday. About the canyon. About—”
She kissed him again, and for several minutes, there was nothing but the raspberry jam and chocolate croissant taste of her, the feel of her strong arms around him and the overwhelming rightness of finally being allowed to hold her as well.
But eventually, reality intruded.
“Bayard,” Exandra said, pulling back slightly, her forehead still pressed to his. “We do need to talk about this new development.”
“I know.”
“Really talk. Not just—” She gestured at the small space. “Not just hide in closets and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist.”
He took her hands in his. “All right. Let’s talk.”
They stood there, limbs entwined, hands clasped, and suddenly neither of them knew where to start.
“I guess what I need to know is… Is this just a vacation thing?” Exandra asked after some hesitation. “A moment of madness because we’re away from our normal lives? Because if that’s all it is for you, you have to tell me now. Before I—” Her voice cracked. “Before I fall any further.”
“Exxie! You think I could ever see this as just a vacation fling?” Bayard’s voice was raw. “I’ve been in love with you for nearly a century. My entire adult life! Yesterday wasn’t a moment of retiree madness. It was ninety years of pressure finally reaching the breaking point.”
“Then what happens now?” She pulled her hands free. “You’re contracted with the cruise line. This is your dream retirement job. And I’m still with the Society. I have cases, responsibilities, a career—”
“That you hate.”
“I don’t hate it—”
“Don’t you?” Bayard challenged gently. “Exandra, I know you’ve mentioned you’re not sure how you might be anything else beside an active duty agent for the Society. That’s not the same thing as saying you love what you do.”
She tapped her foot, turning slightly away from him. “What else would I do? The Society is my life. It’s all I’ve ever known.”
“You could find something new. We could—”
“Could what?” She tilted her head back down to face him. “I quit my job and follow you around on a cruise ship? Become a tag-along spouse, wandering the decks while you work? That’s not a partnership, Bayard. That’s me giving up my entire identity.”
“Or…I could quit, then,” he offered. “Come back to land. We could open a—I don’t know, a crystal shop or a pet store or—”
“Right. And you’d resent me for the rest of your life for taking away this opportunity you’ve been so excited about.”
“I wouldn’t—”
“You would. Eventually. Maybe not tomorrow or next year, but someday you’d look at me and think about what you gave up.”
They stared at each other, the impossibility of their situation settling like a weight between them.
“So what are you saying?” Bayard’s voice was barely a whisper. “That yesterday was a mistake? That we should just... pretend it didn’t happen?”
“I don’t know what I’m saying!” Exandra pressed her hands to her face.
“I just know that I’m one hundred and eight years old.
I’ve spent my entire adult life building a career with the Society.
I’ve never lived in one place for more than a year.
I don’t know how to do domestic. I don’t know how to just..
. be still. And you—” She looked at him.
“You’ve built this beautiful new life. Teaching, traveling, sharing your knowledge with people who appreciate it.
You’re finally doing exactly what you want to do. I can’t ask you to give that up.”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.”
“It’s the same thing.”
“It’s not!” Bayard moved closer, taking her hands again. “Exandra, listen to me. I’ve spent ninety years being afraid. Yesterday, in that canyon, I stopped being afraid. And I’m not going to start again now just because the logistics are complicated.”
“The logistics aren’t just complicated, they’re impossible.”
“Nothing’s impossible if we want it badly enough. We are two incredibly smart, resourceful, and determined magical adults. We can do anything!”
“That’s naive,” she said, half joking but her eyes were filling with real tears now. “Bayard, we’re not kids any more. We can’t just run away together and make it up as we go. We have responsibilities. Obligations. We’re too old to—”
He kissed her again, cutting off her protests.
“We are not too old,” he said firmly when they broke apart.
“Yesterday you watched me climb through a gorge that was eerily similar to the one that nearly killed me ninety years ago. You saw me rappel down waterfalls and navigate slot canyons. Does that seem like someone who’s too old for adventure? ”
“That’s different—”
“Is it? You’re the one who’s been working dangerous cases for decades. Facing down vampires and dark wizards and who knows what else. And you’re telling me you’re too old to take a risk on us?”
She laughed through her tears. “When you put it that way—”
“We’ll be fine,” Bayard said. “I don’t know how yet. But we will. Because what’s the alternative? Going back to the way things were, pretending yesterday didn’t happen, spending another ninety years apart? That’s not acceptable. Not anymore.”
Outside the closet, Fred quacked urgently.
“Someone’s coming,” Exandra whispered.
They listened as footsteps approached, paused, and then moved on. Fred quacked again, softer this time, giving them the all clear signal.
“We should go,” Bayard said. “We’re docking in Italy soon. The tour…”
“Right. The tour.” Exandra wiped her eyes. “Bay, I—”
“We don’t have to figure everything out today,” he said gently. “Let’s just take it one step at a time. Okay?”