I was on the boat before I really thought about why I was doing it. My secretary talked me into it. She went on a cruise with her family and gushed about it for weeks afterward, and then started hounding me to do it. Taking a break sounded pretty good-I'd been putting in a lot of hours since the divorce. So when Brianna, that's my secretary, brought in the brochures and broke it down to baby steps for me I never really had to say "yes." I picked Western Caribbean over Eastern. Six days over five days. Grand Cayman over Ochos Rios.

A lot of things in life, large and small, work out that way. Even really big decisions that change your life. I couldn't remember making a conscious decision to get married. I remember deciding to ask Julie out the first time, but after that things just sort of blurred. Living together made sense because we were spending all of our time together anyway, with double expenses. Getting engaged seemed unavoidable because that's what people expected and after I agreed to go into the first jewelry store to "see what they've got in a nice solitaire setting" the rest just happened.

My marriage was an expensive lesson, but I applied what I learned to my job with impressive results. I was part owner of a venture capital firm that specialized in turnarounds of failing companies. That meant I earned my living by getting people to do things they probably shouldn't do on a regular basis. I firmly believe that you could convince a normal, rational person to jump off the John Hancock Building as long as you broke the decision down into small enough steps and made each one sound logical.

I boarded the boat in Miami, feeling like I was being processed at Ellis Island. For a fairly expensive vacation, cruises seemed to attract an unimpressive crowd. You'd think they backed the damned thing up to a Wal-Mart and started loading people on at random.

My cabin was nice, though calling it a "suite" was a stretch. One decent sized room with sleeping and sitting areas, a small walk-in closet, and full bath, but it had its own balcony and a big window. After I peeked into a few of the regular cabins from the hallway I started to appreciate my own-they looked like sleeper compartments on a train. The service was great, though. You couldn't walk three feet without tripping over a crewmember wanting to help you, usually with something to eat or drink.

The first couple of days I slept a lot, ate a lot, and caught up on my reading. I skipped the shore excursions in Grand Cayman because I'd been there recently and the effort required to sign up for a jeep tour or snorkeling trip didn't seem worth it.

By the third night I was getting restless, so after dinner I wandered up to the casino. It looked like casinos everywhere and it was packed. That felt good because of the familiarity and the artificial camaraderie so I stayed. I ended up at a $25 blackjack table and after four hours I had a very pleasant beer-induced buzz and was maybe a couple of hundred dollars ahead. The other six spots at the table churned, with someone new joining every half-hour or so-a stream of faces studying cards, laughing, and drinking. Only a few registered with me, one in particular.

About ten o'clock a woman took the seat two to my left. She seemed out of place, particularly given the table stakes. Long, dark brown hair, late twenties, wearing a "Maryland is for Crabs" sweatshirt and a nice pair of jeans. Even with no makeup her eyes were striking-they were an odd shade of blue-gray with long lashes. Despite the bulky sweatshirt you could tell she had an impressive rack.

She was wearing a wedding band and matching engagement ring with a tiny diamond but wasn't with a guy as far as I could tell. She seemed distracted, glancing around the casino, and it showed in her play. She lost steadily for nearly two hours before she finally pushed away from the table. She left the casino with another woman, and they made for an odd couple. The best-looking woman I'd seen on the boat, slim and leggy, paired with a short, fat, waddling, frizzy-haired gnome of a female.

I quit gambling about the same time and went up to the Lido deck for the midnight buffet. I concentrated mainly on the enticing array of desserts and tried to keep it light. Sleeping on a rocking boat with a full stomach worried me. I wandered toward the back of the dining area looking for a table and on the way passed my beautiful former blackjack companion and her fat friend. The gnome had two plates piled with enough quesadillas and tacos to feed at least three normal people. The cute one seemed to agree with me-she was eating a small portion of bread pudding. She looked sad.

The next day I got up around nine and went to the health club. It was great not having to rush through my workout. I spent a good two hours in an impressive gym that looked out over the bow of the boat and the rolling chop of the western Caribbean sea, then another hour in the steam room and Jacuzzi. They had a full service health spa too, and I thought about a massage but decided to pass.

I showered, changed, and went to the Internet café to check my messages. Across from the café was a row of large picture windows, each with a padded viewing bench built in. In one of them I spotted the "Maryland is for Crabs" woman from the night before. She was sitting with her back to the wall, feet up, staring out the window. She looked even unhappier now.

I rushed through my messages and logged off, then walked over.

"Can I help?" I asked. She glanced up.

"No, I don't need anythi..." she stopped, apparently expecting a crewmember. She looked at me, confused and wary.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," I said. "You looked troubled. I was wondering if there was something I could do to help."

She opened her mouth a little but didn't say anything, looking even more confused and thrown off balance by my offer. Her eyes were gorgeous, especially in the sunlight. She had great cheekbones, a nice nose-narrow and delicate-and a long, slender neck. Her clothes clashed with her physical perfection-a striped sweater and slacks that looked like they'd been tailored for someone else. The sweater was too big at the shoulders and waist, but in between it confirmed my theory about the woman's tits. They were bodacious, straining the fabric of the sweater, and from the way they rode on her chest they looked natural. I smiled at her.

"You sat at my blackjack table for two hours last night. That creates an unbreakable bond-I'm obligated to look after you for the rest of our natural lives."

She squinted at me, then smiled. "Oh, right. You're the guy who was winning." Then she laughed-a beautiful, clear musical laugh that suited her.

"That's pretty funny. Thanks, I needed a laugh. But it's nothing, really."

I gave her a skeptical frown. "I bet it would feel good to talk about it and I'm a great listener. Why don't we go have lunch? I'll buy."

I nodded toward the dining area, where the free buffet was underway.

She laughed again, but looked unsure. I reached out my hand.

"I'm Andy."

She took it. Her hand felt terrific, warm and soft with long, slender fingers.

"I'm Beth." She bit her lower lip, still deciding. I made it easier for her-I kept my grip on Beth's hand and gently pulled her to her feet.

"Come on, Beth. What's the worst that could happen?"

She smiled and nodded. Like I said, the first decision is the hardest.

We got lunch, both taking soup and the Creole chicken and shrimp with rice. After we sat down I kept the conversation on small talk for a while-unthreatening and light, mainly about the cruise. Beth was a little shy, unsure of herself socially, which seemed strange for someone so striking.

"So, what had you so troubled earlier?" I finally asked. "Is it the money you lost last night?"

She blushed. "That's part of it. I shouldn't have been gambling so much. But I was kind of depressed anyway and I thought that might help. It didn't."

"So why is that so bad?"

"Ronnie-he's my husband-is going to be mad when I get home. I put it on our credit card and I lost almost five hundred dollars." Saying the amount out loud seemed to upset her. She looked like she might cry.

I reached over and took her hand.

"Hey, it's okay. Your husband isn't on the boat?"

She shook her head. "That's part of why I was depressed." She paused, taking a deep breath to stay in control. Her hand was shaking.

"Tell me about it, Beth."

"Well, we were going to come together. It was kind of a big deal, at least for me. A chance for us to spend time together, you know, and be close again. But a couple of weeks ago these buddies of his asked him to go ice fishing up in Canada and he said he would. He said it would be more fun than some dumb cruise."

Now Beth was crying, quiet tears rolling down her cheeks, shoulders shaking. I was dumbstruck. This loser would rather sleep in a freezing cabin or tent with some beer-soaked, unshaven buddies than be here banging the daylights out of a babe like Beth. There was no accounting for taste.

"So you decided to come with your twin, huh?" I asked, keeping a straight face.

"What?" she asked, wiping her cheek with her other hand. She was making no effort to reclaim the hand I was holding. Then she made a little snorting noise and started to laugh.

"You're horrible. That's my friend Emma. She's nice!" Beth said, smiling through her tears.

"I'm sure she is," I said, shrugging. Beth seemed calmer now, the laughter had helped. So I asked her to tell me about herself, how she met her husband-the story of her life. It took about an hour. She met Ronnie in college, when they were both sophomores. He was her first serious boyfriend. She turned up pregnant and quit school after they got married. Then she miscarried and never went back to college, though Ronnie finished. He was some kind of auditor for a restaurant supply company, and Beth worked as a supervisor at Target. She seemed to like her job and made a point of telling me that her grades had been a lot better than Ronnie's before she quit.

It sounded as if Ronnie felt like he got tricked into getting married and cheated out of his youth. And that he'd been making Beth feel guilty about it every day for the last seven years. I didn't ask her why they never had another child. I just listened, prodding her occasionally.

I noticed that Beth got these great little dimples in her cheeks when she laughed. And I loved her voice, soft and warm. It flowed over you like velvet. I was still holding her hand, giving the palm a little massage with my thumb. She stopped talking and we just looked at each other for a minute before she blushed and seemed to notice what I was doing with her hand. She finally pulled it away.

"This has been fantastic, Andy. I can't thank you enough. You were right You're a great listener and I do feel better."

"Then why stop?"

"Huh?"

"Have dinner with me. I've got the late serving in the main dining room, table 43. There's an open spot at my table. We could talk some more. Come on, it'll do you good," I said. Beth frowned.

"What about Emma?"

"She's on her own-she's a big girl. Is she a really good friend?"

Beth shook her head. "I've barely seen her since college, but she lives in Miami and she was available to fill in at the last minute."

"So what's the problem?" I asked.

"None, I guess. Okay, I'll do it!" Beth said, smiling. She started to stand up but I reached for her hand again. It felt natural sliding back into mine.

"One more thing. How about if after dinner we hit the casino?" I asked.

Beth looked horrified. "I can't afford to lose any more money, Andy."

"You won't. You can gamble with my money."

Now Beth looked hurt. She pulled her hand away. "I couldn't take your money," she said. She looked like she was going to leave. I kicked myself mentally-I'd pushed Beth too far, too fast. I shouldn't have said anything about the gambling until after dinner, when she'd had a few drinks.

"I wouldn't really be giving it to you, Beth. It would still be mine. I'd just split the winnings with you," I said, scrambling.

"What if I lost?" she asked, still looking wary but less upset.

"You won't, believe me. I'll be with you, making sure you play the percentages. You've got to stop doing stuff like taking a hit on sixteen when the dealer has a five showing."

Beth smiled. "Was I doing that?" I nodded vigorously. She sighed, staring at her hand in mine for a long moment. She finally looked up.

"That sounds like fun but... it'd be wrong. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me, Andy. Ronnie may be a jerk, but I don't... well, do stuff like..."

Beth stopped talking, flustered.

"I know that, Beth! I'm not trying to get you to do anything you don't want to do." I paused. What I said was true. It was just a matter of getting her to admit what she wanted.

"I like you, Beth. I could use a friend on this cruise and I think you could, too. Come on, we'll have fun. And believe me, no pressure." I made eye contact with her and held it for a long moment. "Friends, okay?"

She bit her lip, brow furrowed. Then she sighed, and smiled.

"I guess that would be okay. It does sound like fun," she said. Another decision made, a line crossed.

She extracted her hand and backed away a couple of steps. I was afraid to say anything, for fear of messing things up again.

"Well then, I guess I'll see you at eight o'clock. Table 43?" she asked.

I nodded. "Table 43. I'll be wearing a jacket, no tie."

"I've got a dress I can wear," Beth replied, then turned toward the exit, acting self-conscious. Her butt looked fantastic as she walked. At the door she gave me a little wave and a cute smile.

As I talked to Beth, through the awkward first moments and the effort it took to get her to begin to trust me, I'd flashed back to a similar experience in college. I shared an apartment with five guys my senior year. To liven up a dreary spring semester we decided to throw a formal dinner party with some unusual rules to make it challenging.

We went to the lobby of a women's dormitory and each drew a number between one and ten out of a hat. If you drew a three, then you were assigned the third woman who got off the elevators as your date for the party. There were points awarded for difficulty-if the woman was dating someone or engaged for example, and for how far you got your date to go the night of the party. There was a separate prize for the guy who got his date to wear the most audacious dress to the event.

What I was doing with Beth was different-I would be the only guy playing the game. But I still loved a challenge and it would certainly make the cruise more interesting.

Anything worth doing is worth doing right, so I did some research. I stopped by the health spa and beauty salon and spoke to the manager about a special package of services I might want. The boat had a nice woman's clothing shop, and I went there next to see what they had and to get acquainted with the woman in charge. It pays to be prepared.

I went to the dining room early and spoke to the maitre d'. I moved Beth to my table for the rest of the cruise, which wasn't easy given that she wasn't present. Money talks, especially on a cruise ship, and a sizable tip got the job done.

At eight o'clock sharp Beth arrived. The dress she was wearing was hideous. Black and white geometric shapes, with a modest squared-off collar and puffy three-quarter length sleeves. It was all wrong for Beth-for her age, her coloring and her body type. The skirt looked designed to cover up matronly hips, something Beth clearly didn't need.

Still, it was hard for Beth to look bad in anything. The dress was gathered enough at the waist to show just how long and slender Beth's was. While it was probably supposed to be loose across the chest it wasn't on Beth, who had a set of tits on her that wouldn't quit.

I got up as Beth approached and gave her a polite hug. She looked nervous.

"You look fabulous, Beth."

She brushed a hand across the skirt of her dress. "I'm glad you like it. Ronnie picked it out for me and I wasn't sure."

"I love it. And I love how you look in it," I said, wondering if this Ronnie paid any attention to his wife at all. He could just as easily have picked the dress for his grandmother.

"Do you want to sit down?" I pulled out Beth's chair and held it.

She moved hesitantly in front of it, obviously not used to the courtesy. I waved to our waiter and ordered a bottle of wine we could start on while we waited for the rest of our table to arrive.

Dinner went well. Beth was a big hit with the two elderly guys across from us, less so with their wives. By the time we finished dessert she'd had the better part of a bottle of Chardonnay and was anxious to start gambling.

We sat at the $25 blackjack table, and I moved my stool close to Beth's, so I could help her with her hand. It also made it easier for me to slide my arm around her shoulders when I whispered suggestions to her, and to leave it there for most of the last hour we were playing. I didn't really need to whisper, but I liked having my lips that close to her ear.

I played Beth's hand conservatively, except when I had an opportunity to double or split a hand when the odds were good. Splitting a pair of tens when the dealer has a six showing is as close to a sure thing as you find in a casino. By the end of the evening Beth was up almost three hundred dollars. She was thrilled, and also pretty drunk. As we walked to her cabin, I kept an arm draped around her waist and her body tucked close to mine. At her door she turned to me.

"I can't thank you enough, Andy. This was one of the best days I've had in years." In her heels Beth was only a few inches shorter than me. She looked into my eyes for a moment, then leaned and kissed me on the cheek. Her breasts pressed deliciously against my chest, most definitely natural. Before she could pull away I slid my hands to her shoulders and turned my head until my lips met hers. Beth tensed but didn't balk, and I let the kiss go on for a full fifteen seconds. No tongue, but not platonic either-warm and active with our bodies pressed together hard.

I pulled back, looking into her eyes for a reaction, my hands still on Beth's shoulders. She was panting a little and in her eyes I saw confusion, a little fear, and hunger for more.

"That was nice," I said softly.

"Yeah, nice," she replied. She'd crossed another line, and the decisions were getting easier.

"I had a great time today, too. And I'd like to see you tomorrow. Do you have plans?" I asked. Beth shook her head.

"We're in port, right?" she asked. I nodded.

"Cozumel. Not much there but I've got some ideas. Meet me for breakfast and I'll share them. Eight o'clock, where we had lunch?"

"Okay, Andy. Eight is fine," Beth said, nodding. I released her and she put her card key into the lock, then pushed her cabin door open. The cabin was dark-Emma was no doubt asleep. Beth slipped inside and mouthed a silent "bye" as the door closed.

I whistled softly as I walked to my suite, very pleased with the evening. I could have pushed Beth farther, maybe even a lot farther. But I would win a lot of points with her for showing restraint, and I wasn't in a hurry. I still had two days and two nights.

Beth was already in the dining room when I got there at eight, sitting at "our table" with two full mugs of coffee. She looked great in a snug pair of white shorts and a pink short-sleeved top. Her face lit up when she saw me. She stood up looking like she didn't know what to do with her hands.

"I got you coffee. You take it black, right?" she said, waving a hand toward the table. I picked the mug up and took a sip. It wasn't very hot.

"It's perfect! Thanks, Beth." I gave her a restrained hug, letting one hand drop to the small of her back. It felt wonderful, smooth and toned.

"Do you want to get breakfast now?" I asked. She nodded. I got a full breakfast, with an omelet, ham, potatoes, and a bagel. Beth got half a grapefruit and some yogurt. She still seemed a little nervous when we got back to our table.

"Andy, I wanted to thank you. I drank a lot last night and I got a little carried away there at the end. You were... nice about it."

I gave her a combination smile/frown, shaking my head.

"I don't know, Beth. I'd say everything was pretty mutual, and I thought it was great. I had a fantastic time."

Beth smiled. "Me too."

We chatted happily through breakfast. Beth seemed relaxed and I decided it was safe to push her a bit more when she asked about my plans for the day.

"Well, from what I understand there isn't much in Cozumel, but there's a park that has botanical gardens and some neat ruins. And they have dolphins. You don't get in the water with them but you can pet them. And I thought it would be fun to get out in the fresh air and walk a little," I began.

"That sounds great. I love dolphins!"

"And I heard about a halfway decent place for lunch-local stuff, very casual. I thought we could ask Emma if she wanted to come."

"Oh, Andy! Could we really? It would mean so much to her. She's been feeling sort of left out," Beth said, clearly pleased. Five points for Andy. I took a deep breath. This was the dangerous part.

"For the afternoon I was going to ask you for a favor."

Beth's face clouded a bit. "Sure, Andy. With what?"

"I'm in a suite, and it came with a complimentary package from the health spa. One of those 'pamper yourself' things?" I paused. Beth was nodding but seemed confused. "Well, it's really a woman thing. I guess mostly couples book the suites, but it seems like a shame to waste it. I made an appointment for you, Beth. I hope that's all right."

"It's free?" she asked. I nodded, figuring it was a white lie.

"I think you'll enjoy it. They do a massage, facial, mud wrap, manicure, pedicure-all that stuff," I explained. "The guy said it would take four or five hours, so we'd have to come back to the boat after lunch."

Still looking uncertain, Beth finally nodded. "Okay. It sounds fantastic."

The park was a good time. Emma was ecstatic about being invited along. The gardens were beautiful, lush and natural, and there was a little lagoon that looked like a movie set. We all had fun at the dolphin encounter-lots of contact with the animals but the trainers were protective and caring so you didn't feel guilty being there. At lunch Emma seemed to be trying hard to curb her appetite and I enjoyed getting to know her a little. She was nice-smart and funny. I was expecting Emma to be protective of Beth. It couldn't be too hard to tell that I was interested in her romantically, or to be more honest, sexually. But Emma was great. When Beth mentioned Ronnie for the second time in ten minutes at lunch, I'm almost positive that Emma kicked her under the table.

When we got back to the boat I walked Beth to the health spa. While we were waiting for the manager I asked Beth to join me for dinner again. That night was the formal Captain's dinner, and I would be wearing a tux.

"I'd love to go, Andy. But I haven't got anything to wear. That dress I wore last night was the only fancy thing I brought."

"Tell you what. There's a woman's clothing place on the boat. While you're busy here I'll stop in and see if I can find you a dress. It'll be like a contest. If you don't love the dress you don't have to wear it."

I could tell that Beth was wavering. She was proud and still viewed gifts from me as charity. I reached for her hand and squeezed it, then looked her in the eye and held her gaze.

"Okay, Andy. Thanks. I'm a size 6," Beth said finally.

The manager of the spa came out and introduced Beth to Rachel, the woman who would be in charge of her for the afternoon. After Rachel herded Beth away I turned to the manager, a guy from Hungary named Jean.

"Rachel is clear on what I want?" I asked. Jean nodded enthusiastically.

"Good. There's one more thing. When they do the bikini wax or whatever you call it there might be sort of a thatch problem... in the nether regions. I want them to trim her up a bit, if you catch my drift?"

Jean frowned. "I understand sir, but if the lady isn't agreeable this could become, how shall I say-uncomfortable?"

I handed Jean a hundred-dollar bill. "I'm sure you can find a way. You're a persuasive guy."

"Very good sir!" Jean pocketed the bill and scurried off to brief Rachel.

Finding a dress was easy. I gave the sales woman a description of Beth and explained the look I wanted. She sold me a cute cocktail dress in a soft aqua-blue pastel that was perfect. It was low-cut, with thin little shoulder straps covered with rhinestones. The skirt was shorter on one side, barely past the hip, and it cascaded down to about mid thigh on the other side. It cost almost nine hundred dollars. I bought a matching pair of thong panties, and since I didn't know Beth's shoe size I got three pair, black with about a four-inch heel, with instructions to stop by Beth's cabin later and pick up the two pair she didn't need. The sales woman offered to deliver my purchases to Beth's cabin personally.

My preparations complete, I headed for the gym for another unhurried workout. I had plenty of time before Rachel and Jean would be finished with Beth.

I was in for a surprise when Beth was escorted out of the women's area of the spa by Rachel and two other female employees. All were laughing and fussing over Beth, who was wearing a terrycloth robe-one of those the cruise line provided to wear to the pool area.

When they saw me the group got quiet. Beth got a serious look on her face and studied me for a reaction.

"What do you think?" she asked. This triggered the trio of spa women, who started chattering again.

"Isn't Madame beautiful?" Rachel said, sounding sincere.

Indeed she was. They had changed her hair-it was shorter, just a few inches past her shoulders. It had more body, sort of wavy, and was pulled back from her forehead. Beth had makeup on too, and her skin glowed with health everywhere it was visible.

"You look... spectacular. Amazing." That was all I could manage. I realized that my mouth was hanging open. Beth walked over to me.

"Thanks. And thanks for all this," she said, waving toward the spa women. "I'd kiss you but I don't want to mess up my makeup."

Beth was holding a clear bag of beauty supplies, apparently everything it would take to recreate her current look. I gave her a quick hug, watching out for her hair and face. Something else was different about Beth. She was friendly, but there was a hint of tension.

"I guess we're ready to go," Beth said, then turned. "Thanks a million, Rach. And Maria and Anna-you guys are great!"

We walked out of the spa, but when we got to the elevators I stopped.

"Just a second, Beth. I forgot something."

Rachel, Anna and Maria were still standing in the little lobby of the spa. I gave each of them a tip that seemed to make their day nearly as much as Beth had made mine so far.

I left Beth at her cabin, agreeing that I'd return to collect her for dinner in an hour. As I headed toward my suite I wasn't whistling happily like the night before. I was hoping that my tuxedo still fit me perfectly, and wondering if I could get my shirt pressed before dinner.

Feeling like a high school kid picking up his date to the prom, I straightened my tie and knocked on Beth's cabin door. She answered, still in the terrycloth robe. I checked my watch-we were due at dinner in twenty minutes.

"Andy. Come on in, I've got a problem," Beth said. I entered the tiny cabin. Emma was elsewhere.

"The dress doesn't fit?" I asked. Beth nodded.

"It fits. Like a glove. That's not the problem." The dress was lying on the bed-Beth picked it up and held it by the sparkling shoulder straps.

"The straps are so narrow. My bra shows, and I haven't got a strapless one." Beth looked down at her chest. The robe was open enough to reveal a bounty of cleavage. I had anticipated this problem-it was the main reason I'd chosen the dress. I put a hand on Beth's arm.

"Beth. You don't need a bra-you've got an incredible figure. Show it off, the dress will look fantastic on you," I said. She looked shocked.

"But Andy, it's so loose in the front."

"It'll be fine. Just try it on," I urged. Beth blinked, then took a deep breath.

"If you say so. I'll try it." She took the dress into the miniature bathroom and closed the door. I waited for five minutes that seemed longer. The cabin had two twin beds that pulled down from the wall. I sat on the one I guessed was Beth's-the pink top and white shorts she wore that morning were in a pile at the foot, along with three bras. Beth must have been trying them on with the dress. I picked one up and studied it-lacy flesh-tone with a front clasp. The tag said 34 DD. I heard the bathroom latch disengage and dropped the bra.