Chapter 17 #3
“Oh. Nice.” He drank a little bit more of his drink.
“You know, this isn’t what I ever wanted.
Being with Vince, I mean. But sometimes life gives you something different.
Not good or bad but maybe what you need rather than what you thought you wanted.
I know that was my situation. And it’s really all about your attitude and not what the thing is.
But Vince has turned out to be the best.”
“Warner’s the best for me, too.”
“Why are you having such a hard time with this, then?”
“I’m just afraid of it. And what if we do have kids and something happens? And I think right now I don’t want to share Warner with kids. Maybe I won’t ever want that.”
“I don’t think he cares about that.”
I put my drink down and rubbed my face. “Of course he does. He’d probably say he doesn’t. And he’d probably give up that dream if I asked him to. That’s not fair, though. But I had enough competition growing up. I don’t want that in my family now.”
“Competition growing up? What was that about? I mean, I have a brother and cousins, so I know about some of that. But it never got out of hand.”
“It did in my house. I was always stuck in the middle. My older brother and sister fought a lot, but if I was involved, they ganged up on me. My older brother is a himbo-gym rat. Always has to be the best at everything, especially if it’s physical.
My sister is finishing college, and I haven’t heard from her in a while.
Hell, I probably won’t. I’d bet she even forgets to invite me to her graduation. ”
“That’s a lot.”
“Yeah, but then I have the younger two. Dena still lives at home with our parents. She has a retail job, but she’s always trying to start her own business, which takes money, no matter what you do, and she changes her mind a lot.
Sometimes, I think that’s just an excuse to stay home.
But whatever, Mom and Dad dote on her. She can do no wrong. ”
Joey slurped the bottom of his drink. “Mmm…so good.”
“Right.” I picked mine back up and sucked the juices that had started melting off the top.
“What about your youngest brother?”
“Yeah, Kirby was the surprise of surprises. He’s barely twenty-one now, and he’s into clubbing. About twice a month, I have to go pick him up because he drank too much.” I shook my head. Kirby was probably the most like me out of everyone in the family, but it didn’t make us close.
“My brother’s kind of a douche canoe most of the time, and the rest of my family doesn’t really get me. They think all the social media stuff is a game. Or they did until I started making money with the marketing. Honestly, I’m good at it, but I like social media better.”
“Don’t you use social media in marketing?”
“Yep. That’s what makes it a good fit for me.”
“I see that.”
Joey set his empty cup on the table between the chairs. “So what now?”
“We could swim or just splash around.”
“No, I meant for you and Warner.”
“Oh. I don’t know.” I still had to really think about all of this, but talking about it helped.
“Last year’s pride trip and watching Crow and Skyler get together made Warner start talking more seriously.
It’s like he saw his friend getting serious and well, I was right there.
But I don’t know if I’m ready. I’m having fun, and I’m falling for Warner for sure, but…
I don’t know, half the time I think I’m being a brat. ”
“Well. Weigh the pros and cons and the consequences.”
“Relationships shouldn't have consequences.”
“Yeah, sure. But that’s not real life. Everything does. Whatever you do or don’t do, there’s some kind of reaction. By the people around you, or within yourself.”
“How’d you get so smart?”
“Probably rubbed off from Vince.” He cracked up laughing at that, but I didn’t think it was far from the mark. Before Vince, Joey was a club kid with a reputation for sleeping around and with the wrong people, but he’d cleaned that up. Now he was committed to his daddy. And he was a sweet friend.
“Okay. Forget all this serious talk. Let’s get in the pool.”
“Race you.”
“You’re on.” We jumped into the pool and splashed each other. Then we actually raced.
Day 3 of The Cruise
“Wakey-wakey…Daddy has the coffee…” Warner woke me up early and handed me a big cup of coffee.
“Oh…” I stretched and sat up before taking the coffee from him and getting a few sips in. “Mmm…yummy coffee.”
“Are you ready for the day?”
Remembering we were going to swim in the ocean, plus the coffee, had my eyes open faster. “Yay! We get to swim.”
“Don’t bounce with your coffee, you’ll spill.”
“Oh, right. Sorry, Daddy.”
“Here, give it to me so you can get up and get moving.”
I handed him the coffee, then jumped up, clapped, and darted to the bathroom, where my swim trunks hung on a hook in the shower. They were dry enough, so I pulled them on and stuffed my feet into well-worn flip-flops.
When we headed out, Daddy went up instead of down at the stairs. “Where are we going?”
“Breakfast first, silly.”
“Oh. Right.” I was so excited about swimming that I forgot about food, but that wouldn’t have lasted too long because my tummy would have reminded me eventually. We went up to the dining hall, where a buffet was set up. Of course, I made a beeline for the panny-cakes.
“Eat some fruit, too, Cody. I’ll get you a bowl.” He pointed to the sausage links, so I grabbed a few of those, too.
“Yummy-yummy.” I got a coffee refill. Joey and Danny were sitting together, so I headed there.
Warner followed me and set my bowl of fruit beside my place. “I’m going to sit with Vince and Lee. Be good, okay?”
“Yes, Daddy.” I turned my face up for a kiss, and Warner smiled sweetly before giving me a peck and going to sit with his daddy friends a few tables over.
We didn’t talk much during breakfast since we were too busy stuffing our faces. The food on the cruise was so good. When we finished, we put our plates on the clean-up table and headed over to our daddies. It was kind of neat that they were all at the same table.
“Ick. Joey, you’re all sticky.” Vince opened a wet napkin and wiped his face with it.
“I sticky too.” I held up one of my hands, which still had syrup residue.
“Come here.” Daddy Warner opened his wet napkin. I hadn’t even noticed those, but that’s what daddies were for. “Give me your hands.” He wiped all my fingers and around my mouth until I was nice and clean.
When he finished, I bounced up and down. “Can we go now?”
“It hasn’t started yet. Why don’t you hang out with us while we finish eating?”
I groaned. “When is it starting? I’m dying to get in the water.”
Joey bumped his shoulder into me. “Drama much?”
“Shut up. It’s going to be so fun.” I gave him a playful shove.
“Settle down, boys. It’ll start when Jax makes the announcement.” Daddy Warner shoved a chair out. “Sit.”
I sat where he wanted me, but I crossed my arms over my chest and pouted, which made Daddy roll his eyes.
“They stopped the ship, so it shouldn’t be too much longer. Okay? Can you be patient?” Daddy Warner asked.
I wasn’t good at patient. Hell, I hadn’t even noticed the ship had stopped, but now that he mentioned it, I could tell the difference.
Joey climbed up in Daddy Vince’s lap and put his head on Vince’s shoulder, closing his eyes.
“Are you going to take a nap?” I asked him, not knowing how he could possibly sleep when I was so excited.
“Shush, you.” Joey waved a hand at me. Danny snickered from across the table.
I hated waiting. “I’m going to dunk you in the water when we get there, Joey.”
“Uh-uh. You better not.” He turned his head and stuck his tongue out at me.
Danny tried to hide his laugh behind a napkin, while Daddy Warner shook his head. “What has gotten into you two? Apologize to Joey.”
Daddy Vince squeezed Joey. “Settle down.”
I huffed. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too. Please don’t dunk me.”
“I won’t. I’m just bored and I want to swim.”
“Cody—” Before Daddy Warner could say anything else, the overhead speaker came on.
“Good morning, cruisers.” It was Jax. I sat up straighter to listen.
“Hope everyone is enjoying the Pride cruise. Today’s activity will be held off the stern.
That’s the back for those of you who don’t know ship directions.
Access is behind the pool deck. There are three main platforms, including a trampoline.
There will be two lifeguards on duty. One on the Starboard side for swimmers, stationed on the pool deck.
The other will be on the lifeguard’s floating deck.
Please do not hang on the deck. On the other side of it is the slide's landing. Access to the slide is off the dining room portside balcony.”
I turned around to see if I could see the slide. I couldn’t, but there were people in uniform out on that balcony, and some roped-off areas that weren’t there before. Wow-wee…that was going to be a long slide off the dining room level.
Jax’s announcement continued, “Please do not run around the pool deck. Only use the portside stairs to reach the slide. Obey the lifeguards on duty at all times. And have fun!”
“Yay!” I clapped and bounced, and Joey and Danny were clapping too.
Danny threw an arm in the air. “The slide is so awesome. We had that last time. Wanna go?”
“Yes-yes-yes! Daddy, can I go?” I grabbed Warner’s arm.
“It does sound like fun. Let’s clean this table up and get out there.” Daddy Warner started stacking his plates and bowls.
I grabbed his coffee. “I’ll help.”
“I see, you’ll jump in when you want to hurry me along, huh?” He winked at me to let me know he was teasing.
I grinned like a loon, because he wasn’t wrong.
Quickly, everyone pitched in and put everything on the dirty dish table for cleanup or in the trash, then headed out to the balcony, where a line was already forming.
That’s what the ropes were for: keeping everyone in line and making sure people went down one at a time.
Daddy Warner went in front of me, so he could be at the bottom when I came down. He was always careful about things like that, but I was a good swimmer.
Down-down-down, Daddy went. I waved, then the helper had me sit on the edge. “Ready? Okay? Go!”
I pushed my butt off, and the flowing water pulled at me.
Wee! My breath caught and my tummy flipped and then splash!
I was at the bottom, underwater. Daddy hauled me up, and we swam to the edge of the platform.
The only way to get out of the water was to climb up the side of one of the floating platforms. The one attached to the ship stretched across its length, with inflatable couches facing each other at either end, where people were already congregating.
Attached to that platform was a second one, where most of the people were climbing up and then jumping off the other side.
But at the very end of the platform chain was a trampoline.
“Oh, Daddy. I want to go on the trampoline.”
“Let’s go then.”
“Where’s Joey and Daddy Vince?” I looked around, wanting my friend to join in on the fun.
“Uh…” Daddy looked around, but then they were there, splashing up beside us.
“We’re going on the trampoline. You coming?” I asked Joey.
He nodded, head bobbing furiously. “Yes. I want to jump!”
“Jump-jump-jump. I do too. Let’s go.” We climbed up onto the platform.
Daddy shoved my rear to get me up quicker before following.
Then all four of us climbed up on the trampoline.
There were a few other people there too, and we all bounce-bounce-bounced until I bounced super high and right off the side and into the water.
I tucked my knees up, making a cannonball.
I bobbed up and looked around. Daddy Warner swam up beside me. “You okay?”
I hung on to Warner in the water. Thankfully, Daddy had strong arms and long legs for kicking. “I am. That was so fun. Let’s do it again.”
Back on the platform, Daddy Crow and Skyler were there. “Cody, I saw you jump off the trampoline. That looked like fun.” Skyler’s eyes were so big that I could tell he was eager to try it.
“So fun. Come on. Let’s do it.”
After we jumped a few more times, Jax brought out a bunch of floaties for everyone to use. While we were floating around, Skyler started a splash war. Splash-splash, splash-splash. Danny and Joey joined in.
Daddy Warner made me take a break and drink water, which was probably a good thing. But since I’d gotten out, we decided to go on the slide again, and that’s how the day went.
Splash and play, drink the water, slide down the slide. Jump off the trampoline. Swim and splash. Rinse and repeat.
Until lunch time.
Jax announced lunch would be in the dining room, but we didn’t all have to stop playing; we could take a break and eat whenever we wanted. I was already hungry, so we went up to eat.
Fancy sandwiches and stuff were spread out on the buffet table where the breakfast had been earlier. “All the food has been so good.” I looked over at everything. “But I don’t know what to get.”
Jax walked up beside me. “I have an incredible chef.”
“It’s impressive for sure but I’d be happy with PB&J.”
“Oh well, try this one. It’s fig jam and almond butter on cinnamon wheat bread. If you like the jam, we have one at the end, combined with goat cheese.”
“I’ll try this one.” I stacked two on my plate and tried one. It was pretty good, but the sandwich was kind of small, so I took two more.
Joey had one with some kind of fancy cheese on a hard roll. I didn’t know why he didn’t try mine. But he simply shrugged and said he liked cheese.
Some of the daddies drank wine, but I only liked the sweet fruity drinkies. Then Daddy gave me a glass anyway. “Just try it. If you don’t like this, I’ll drink it.”
I was skeptical, but I tried it, and it was sweet. “This is good.”
“It’s Muscato.”
“Why don’t we have this at home?”
Dady Warner’s eyes went wide. What did I say?
Oh. Home.
How about that? When I thought about Warner’s house, I immediately thought of it as home. And maybe vice versa, so what was my apartment now? I smiled. Well, that solved that. The next step was happening, but I still didn’t know about anything else.
Daddy didn’t say anything about my slip. He kissed the side of my head. “We can buy Muscato anytime you want.”