Chapter 3
In truth, Trey had popped awake just before 5:00, pretty similar to his normal wake up time. He’d briefly checked his phone for the time then rolled over and attempted to go back to sleep, but in the end, his circadian rhythm won out. He pushed himself out of bed, drew on some shorts, a T-shirt, socks and some worn cross trainers, and let himself out into the hallway, holding his wallet with his key card in his mouth while he drew his hair into a tight bun on the back of his head, securing it with the elastic he always wore around his wrist for this purpose.
Walking down the nearly empty halls, the few people he passed were mostly staff members already bustling throughout the ship, quietly keeping everything running smoothly while the passengers slept on, blissfully unaware of the effort needed to support the decadent and indulgent activities they enjoyed.
Trey made a point of making eye contact with each and every one who would on his way to the exercise room, nodding and smiling warmly. They deserved to know their labor was seen and appreciated. Many simply wouldn’t meet his eyes, choosing to feign invisibility rather than risk the ire of a potentially upset guest.
When he reached the exercise room, Trey quickly ran through his normal routine of 45 minutes on a worn-out old rowing machine that wheezed with every stroke. He finished quickly and made his way back to his room, two doors down and across the hall from Jenn’s. He thought briefly about knocking on the door and checking on her but ultimately decided that rest was the best thing for her after seeing how she was last night.
He showered and dressed, then headed up to the observation deck to take in the sunrise.
As an early morning person, Trey had seen his share of sunrises. But as an early morning person, only infrequently did he ever share that sunrise with another person. But he had a good feeling about this week. Who knew? Maybe before the week was through, he could share a sunrise with Jenn.
He glanced around the observation deck, suddenly curious. There weren’t many people there right now. How many people were around at 5:30? He turned and leaned against the rail, scanning the walls of the ship, looking for cameras. Who would be watching this part of the ship at 5:30AM? The answer was, too many. He spied one camera high on a wall, another couple on a light pole in the center of the deck. Far too many eyes for what he had planned. His plans required a semi-public space, room enough to work, while also enough seclusion and privacy that the likelihood of interruptions wasn’t very high. There could be no witnesses.
He mentally crossed the observation deck off his list. The cruise was young. He had nearly a full week to solidify his plans. He could afford to take his time.
He spent the rest of the hours waiting for Jenn to message him wandering the ship, looking for a spot that met his requirements.
It took him a few hours of fast walking (he didn’t mind the extra cardio) to decide that none of the truly public, open access areas of the ship would do. They were simply too exposed, too open, too easy.
That was all right. He hadn’t booked this trip with the assumption that carrying out his intention would be simple. He’d planned on it requiring a little leg work and research. He’d already put in months of research and careful watching. What were a few extra hours broken up by nothing but uninterrupted time with Jenn? It was all he’d been thinking about for months.
After a quick trip back to his room, he caught the steward for their bank of cabins in the process of restocking a supply closet with linens and towels. The man smiled eagerly. “Mr. Trey,” the man greeted him.
“Hey, good morning, Ricardo,” Trey returned his eager grin. “How go things this morning?”
“Very good, very good,” the Filipino’s head bobbed. “And how you sleep?”
“Like a rock,” Trey replied.
Ricardo’s smile wavered for a moment, uncertain. “Is good, yes?”
Trey nodded enthusiastically. “Very,” he confirmed. “Thank you.”
“Oh, wonderful, wonderful.” Ricardo’s grin returned. “Can I get you anything, Mr. Trey? You need something?”
“I think I’m good, Ricardo, thanks.”
Ricardo gave him a thumbs up. “Okay, Mr. Trey. Let me know you need anything.”
Trey returned the sign. “You bet.”
Trey put his hand on the door, but then stopped, his keycard in his hand.
“Everything okay? Your keycard not working?” Ricardo’s face was the picture of concern.
“No, I’m sure it’s fine.” Trey turned to Ricardo, an idea forming in his mind. “Are you married, Ricardo?”
The man blinked in surprise. “Yes, why?” He laughed uncomfortably.
Trey smiled. This could be the solution to his problem. He pointed across the hall with his thumb. “You know the lady in 12359?”
Ricardo glanced at the door and nodded. “Ms. Jenn? Yes. What about her?”
Trey smiled. “We’re actually married.”
Ricardo looked doubtfully between the two rooms, pointing out the distance between them. “Two rooms?” he asked.
Trey shrugged, smiling. “It’s a long story. I won’t bore you with the details. Anyway, I’ve been working on this surprise for her for months now, and I just need somewhere to… pull it off.”
Ricardo’s eyes narrowed slightly. Trey could see he was losing him.
“How long you been married?”
Trey exhaled. “Fifteen years, if you can believe it. This is actually our anniversary trip.”
Ricardo’s face, try as he might, couldn’t hide his suspicion. “Separate rooms?” he asked again.
Trey pushed harder. “Look, I’ve been planning this for months, but I just don’t have a place where I can carry it out.”
Ricardo once more pointed at the rooms. “Rooms not okay?”
“They’re great, just… not enough space for what I have in mind,” Trey said.
“What you have in mind?” Ricardo’s voice was terse, quick. Trey could see he was pushing too hard.
“What I have planned is… fairly private. I just want to be able to do something for her that she’s had coming for a long time. It’s something she’s really wanted.”
Ricardo went back to putting away linens. “Rooms are good, Mr. Trey.”
Trey sighed. He’d clearly lost him. He tried a different tactic.
“How long have you been married, Ricardo?”
“Eight years,” Ricardo said proudly, still tidying.
“Any kids?”
Ricardo nodded. “Our son, Nathaniel.”
“How old is he?”
“Two,” Ricardo said.
“Two?” Trey laughed. “Oh, man. I remember when our son was two. What a little terror he was!”
Ricardo smiled, but didn’t say anything.
Trey played his last card. “Ricardo, if you help me, I’ll give you a thousand dollars.”
Ricardo looked up, his mouth hanging open.
Trey nodded. “If you help me find a secluded place, no cameras, no people around, a big open space where Ms. Jenn and I can be alone, I’ll pay you a thousand dollars. Think of what your family could do with a thousand dollars.”
Ricardo stared at him, his eyes narrowed again. “What you have planned, Mr. Trey?”
Trey shook his head. “I can’t tell you that, Ricardo. It’s private. You’ll just have to trust me. I promise you, no one will be hurt.”
Ricardo was shaking his head. “No. I don’t know you. This is not normal thing. Leave, please.” He waved Trey off.
Trey panicked. “Look Ricardo, I’m sorry. I know it sounds strange. I’m just trying to do something nice for my wife, okay? You have to promise me that you won’t say anything to her, please? Not even that I told you we’re married. Has she told you her rule?”
Ricardo nodded gently. “No talking about her life outside cruise.”
Trey nodded solemnly. “Right. Promise me you won’t say anything to her?”
Ricardo made a face. He looked between Jenn’s door and Trey’s face, obviously undecided.
Finally, he threw up his hands and stepped out of the supply closet, pulling it closed behind him. “I don’t want in the middle of this. You keep me out.” Grumbling in a language Trey didn’t recognize, Ricardo walked away, pushing the cart full of textiles and glancing angrily back every so often.
Trey sighed. That had not gone well.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled it out and checked the message from Jenn:
I’m up.
Trey glanced across the hall in panic. Shit. How long had she been up? Had she heard him and Ricardo?
Cursing his stupidity, he made his way upward toward the buffet, his stomach twisting in knots.
“You promise?” Jenn pressed.
“Yeah, it’s fine. Honest, I don’t mind.” Trey smiled warmly. “You’re worth the wait.”
“Aww!” Jenn simpered. “You’re so schmaltzy.”
Trey laughed, a full-bellied, genuine, booming sound. Jenn smiled.
“That… is very true.”
Jenn turned her attention to the two plates of food, picking up a fork in eager anticipation. She pushed through to the bottom of the plate with the hot items and gasped. “Are those hash browns? Oh, god bless you, Trey.”
Trey smiled as he watched her dig in. She pretended to ignore him, but really he was the focus of every cell in her body. Especially after her good night’s sleep, her long, luxurious shower, and the two-days-in-a-row of freshly shaved legs, she was positively brimming with pent up sexual appetite. It had been way too long since her last session between the sheets with a partner other than her vibrator, and she found herself growing extremely impatient.
If Trey had been willing, Jenn was pretty sure she would have taken him right then and there. Well, probably not. But the idea certainly made her smile.
“What’s so funny?” Trey asked.
Jenn, her mouth full, only smiled and shook her head.
“Fine. Keep your secrets.” He paused.
Jenn smiled and chuckled lightly to show she understood the reference. Trey smiled.
“All right, so if we can’t talk about life off the boat…” Trey paused, clearly thinking. “What would you like to do today?”
Honestly? Just you. Jenn swallowed both the mouthful of fried potato and her gut response. She sat back, looking up into the bright blue sky, and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She sat for a moment, feeling the warm late spring sun soak into her outstretched legs, her arms, and her upturned face. When she opened them, Trey was sitting quietly, a half smile on his lips, simply watching her.
Jenn became suddenly self-conscious. “What?”
Trey smiled and looked down, rubbing his palms together. “Nothing.”
“No, really! Come on, what are you looking at? Do I have food on my face? A pimple?” Jenn ran her fingers over her face.
“There’s nothing. I’m just—,” Trey broke off, staring at the ground again. “Just you. I’m just watching you. I’ve always liked watching you.”
Jenn blinked. “Always?”
Trey fumbled, pointing with his finger. “Yeah, you know, always since yesterday. You know; it feels like forever.”
Jenn narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Okay, weirdo.” She took another bite of hash brown and bacon, holding up her hand to talk around the food. “What do you want to do today?”
Trey blew a loud raspberry, leaning back on his lounger and turning to look around them. He held out his arms as if to take in the whole ship. “Well, I believe it’s a sea day, so the entirety of the Duchess of the Waves is our oyster.” He smiled. “We can go anywhere and do anything you want, as long as it’s on this ship.”
“Really?” Jenn asked, smiling into the plate of food. “Anything I want?”
“I mean, anything within reason. I’m pretty sure we’re in international waters at this point, so felonies are definitely out…” He grinned at her, that smile she’d fallen so heavily for. “But other than that, I’m down for whatever.”
“In that case…” Jenn stood up, gripping Trey’s hand. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to try with you.”
“I’m flying, Jack!” Jenn stood with both pumps perched precariously atop the second rail from the bottom of the guardrail at the forward most point they could access on the boat, both arms outstretched, one hand clasping her hat, the other fully like a wing.
Trey pressed against her back, supporting her weight with one arm wrapped just below her belly, the other pressing tenderly against her lower ribs, high on her waist. His face pressed into her neck, and she smiled, closing her eyes as he placed a tender kiss there, sliding his lips along her neck both before and after the kiss. She shuddered involuntarily.
“Now who’s the schmaltzy one?” he whispered.
She didn’t answer, only dropped her free hand to his flexed forearm and gave a gentle squeeze.
She wasn’t sure whether it was the wind or something else that squeezed a tear from the corner of her eye.
“Well, I’m glad you got that out of your system,” Trey said as they walked, arm in arm, across the observation deck, Jenn still needing to hold onto her hat with one hand.
Looking down at their shadows, she smiled. They cut quite a pair, at least in silhouette.
“You’ve been waiting to do that from the moment we boarded, haven’t you?”
“God, yes!” Jenn groaned. “I can’t believe they still don’t charge for that. Can you imagine? Oh, they could make a killing!”
Trey’s beard shifted. She could tell he was fighting the urge to smile. “At least for another couple years, until all the Gen Xers and Millennials who were traumatized in their teens and preteens by that movie are too old to safely get up on the bars. Then they’ll have to make wheelchair ramps.” He mock-gasped, whipping his head to look at her. “Or a chair lift!”
She whacked his forearm affectionately. “Keep it up. I dare you.”
He only smiled in response.
A warmth began to spread in her belly that she hadn’t felt in months. God, it’s been forever since I’ve felt this light. She stole a glance at Trey. He was staring out across the ocean. The smile on her face wavered. What was he thinking about? I remember this feeling , she thought pensively.