Chapter 8

I stop at the gift shop and am thrilled to find that they do indeed stock corsages. I pick up two. Alex and Beth were both ready and waiting when I get to the room. My only suit was laid out and pressed.

"Thanks!" I hop in the shower and wash as fast as I can. But while I'm in there, a thought occurs to me. I come out still drying. "I've been a complete dick today haven't I?"

"It's cool." Alex shrugs, "You the Dom."

"Stop that." I hate it when he says stuff like that. "Look, I was really upset about Da and Kai this morning and then I met Barb this afternoon. I don't know how tonight's gonna go but you guys don't have to do anything special, ok?" They exchange a look. "What?"

"Are you gonna fall in love with every girl on the boat?" Beth asks as Alex rolls his eyes.

"I'm not falling in love." I snap back. "I ain't even known her uh whole day."

"Oh right. That makes a difference."

"Don't sass me."

"Look, I'm not yo' sub an' you ain't Daddy. I'll sass you if I wanna." She stands and checks her hair in the mirror. "An' for the record, yes, you were uh little bitch all day. Alex been real worried 'bout you."

"Bitch." Alex mutters.

"No swearing." I remind him. "Beth, I was upset. I thought Da and Kai would, y'know, make things not so weird. I was just disappointed to learn they're married."

"You got over it fast enough."

"Barb is a very nice older woman. Nothing more." I know I'm lying.

"Older horny chick." Alex studies his nails.

"You could get suspended, y'know."

I dress and the two of them watch me. "She's nice." I search through my bags and find the one tie I brought with me. Alex and Beth exchange looks. "What? It shows respect. She's very nice." I check my hair again. I wish I had brought my silver chain with me but I wasn't expecting to attend any formal dinners in Beijing. Beth and Alex were smirking at my reflection. "OK! OK, Yes, I plan to do her but that doesn't mean I've fallen in love which is stupid. We meet on a cruise, we're just having fun, right?"

"Yes, Sir." Alex can't keep a straight face.

"Alright, up, both of you. Let's see."

"What, you're inspecting us now?"

"He the Dom."

"Alex," Beth warns, "I'm not under his little thumb. That's you."

They do stand and I do review their appearance. Beth is, as usual, stunning. She only brought one dress with her but she looked great in it. I put the corsage on her breast and kiss her cheek. "You look great."

"So do you. Peter." Her inflection tells me that's a noun not my name.

I let it go and look at Alex. He opted for a silk dress shirt and tie. Across the flawless football physique of his, it's downright hot. "Not bad." I say grinning.

"What, no kiss?" he jokes.

"What you do today?"

"Prove ta Da an' Kai we ain't had no hard feelin's 'bout that married thing."

"What?" I look from one to the next. "You both..."

"I" Beth stresses, "went shopping. "Or didn't you notice that these are new shoes."

"Uh..." Alex went back to the girls after he knew? "You spent all day, with Da and Kai?"

"Not in bed. Well, not all day at least."

"An' fact that they breakin' they marriage vows means nothin' ta you."

He shrugs, "If Ida know before, I mean, yeah of course, totally off limits. But after, I mean, damage kinda done, right?" He shrugs again. "But look, I told 'em that was one for the road 'cause married damn near got me killed."

"Since when?" Beth asks.

"Since the qualifiers." I tell her. "You gotta ask that from now on, ok? Both uh you. We already goin' ta hell, we don't need ta be on the bullet train." I remember one more detail about Kai and narrow my eyes at Alex, "You used protection, right?"

"After Angie?" he snorts, "Fuck, yeah. Kai says she on the pill but she uh little freak so I figure better safe then sorry, right?"

"Right." A precaution I hadn't taken. "Right. We need to buy some..."

"A case." Beth commented.

" ... some in the next port. Where are we tomorrow?"

"Okinawa." Alex says with some relish. I look at him in askance. "Military bases mean party town."

"Yeah, an' whores mean supplies." Beth added.

"Ok," I can't believe we're having this conversation. I wonder if all adults have lives like this. "Tomorrow, we'll pick up enough ta last til we get home. Beth, I want you ta carry 'em too. Last thing anybody want is any of us takin' somethin' home that don't come in uh bag."

"Oh yeah."

"Between us, too." Beth says solemnly.

"What?" Alex and I both look at her.

"I'm not on anythin', y'know. An' ain't no free clinics out here ta resolve any little problems."

"Yeah," Alex nodded, "ought ta be our first stop when we get home."

"Yes." I hate to admit it, but he's right. "When you get back to Reedville, soon as you can do it, both of you go get tested fo' everything."

"What about you?"

"I gotta go straight ta campus day after we get back. But they's uh clinic on campus; I'll get checked out there."

"Cool." Alex looked at the clock. "What time we meetin' yo' chick?"

I look at the clock, "SHIT! Now."

We run - well, walk very fast to the main dining hall. I don't see her. I tell the maître d' that we're waiting for someone and we hang around the door.

What if she changed her mind? Or if she been there and left already. I don't know her cabin number - I don't even know her last name.

"Oow. Nice dress." Beth comments.

"Hot Granny." Alex counters.

I turn and look. Barb was wearing a shimmering blue-ish gray-ish dress, stacked heels and a neckline that leaves me drooling. She looked fabulous - at least ten years younger than she did at the pool. I see her before she sees me and I slid my arm and the corsage around her waist.

"I wanted something lovely but I had no idea what color you were wearing."

She jumps - a nice treat with my arms around her - and turns to face me. "Peter! You nearly gave me a fright." She pulls back from me self consciously, "You look very nice."

"You look amazing." I pin the flowers to her neckline.

"How cute. I'll bet you do that for all your prom dates."

"Well, next time I skip the gentleman caller routine and take you straight to bed."

"Oh please!" Beth groans behind me. "I cannot believe you just said that."

I throw a look at her. "Quiet. Barb, I'd like you to meet my, uh, friends. Alex and Beth."

"Friends?" She says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just friends."

Alex loops an arm around Beth's waist, "Well, maybe uh bit more-n friends."

"I see." She smiles finally, "How do you do."

"Charmed." Alex takes her offered hand and kisses it. Beth rolls her eyes and gets the maître d' to seat us.

Dinner conversation centers around the spectacular view of the dance floor below us and the sumptuous meal before us. Eventually, Alex takes Beth's hand and takes her down on the floor.

"I'm always amazed watching him." I remark as he twirls Beth through a salsa number.

"They're very good together. Very cute. How long have they been dating."

My jaw drops. "Uh, couple months. I guess." Another lie I'm going to hell over. "Would, uh, you like to dance? I'm not as good as he is but I won't step on your feet."

She laughs. "Actually, I'm not much of a dancer. I wouldn't mind taking a walk on deck though."

I stand and take her hand. On deck, we walk along the rail talking about Virginia and Ohio - where she's from originally - and life in general. We stop where the moonlight was streaming across the water and shining down on us.

"Barb." I interrupt her and kiss her softly.

"Peter." She tries to say something more but I kiss her again. She tries a second protest but I again prevent it with a kiss. The fourth time, she gives in and returns the kiss.

"You still sayin' yes ta any offers?"

"Make me an offer."

"Take me back ta your room, I'll make you feel 18 again."

"That's quite a boast." Then she pulls back completely. "How old are you?"

"I'm legally able to consent to what I'm about ta do."

"How old?"

"Barbara..."

"How old?"

I sigh deeply. "I'm 18."

She laughs and begins to walk off.

"Barbara, wait." I catch her but she pulls her arm back and keeps walking.

"I knew you were young. The children are young; I thought 25, 21 maybe. High school. You're in high school." She pulls out of my grasp again. "Peter, stop. This is just silly. What, some fetish? A quest to nail a bitch in every age bracket?"

"Barbara! No! It's nothing like that. I like you; I'm attracted to you."

"Oh bullshit. A high school boy is not attracted to a Grandmother."

"Again, you haven't meet my Grandmother." I quip hoping to get a smile. She glares at me. "Bad joke. I'm sorry. Barbara..."

"Barb."

"Barb. Wait." I only get a solid hold of her because she's waiting for the elevator. "Why does my age matter?"

"Why does it matter that you are more than thirty years younger than I am?"

"Yeah, why?"

"What could we possibly have in common?"

"Well, first of all, if this is only sex, we don't need anythin' in common 'cecpt attraction, an' we got that. But since it ain't just sex, at least not for me, we just spent all afternoon agreein' about politics and clothing fashions and both of us like crab but neither too crazy 'bout shrimp."

"None of that matters."

"But we do have it in common." The elevator arrives and I get on with her. "My point is, that age don't have nothin' ta do with that. Age effects our relative experience - you got it and I ain't, now that's true..."

"How many women have you even slept with? Am I first?"

I stop, largely to count. How many? "Women? None. First? No. But the girls I been with 'til now been children. Not adults."

"Oh, please."

"Seriously. They're high school girls. There were ... enough." I chuckle. "First. You won't even be first on this cruise..."

"Oh, so the quest is to nail as many women as possible." The doors open and she rushes down the hall.

I run after her. "Barb! Barb, will you listen? I'm not tryin' ta set uh record. I'm just tryin' ta..." I finally get her arm and yank her to a stand still. "I'm just tryin' to get to you." She's only an inch shorter than I am in those heels. I hold her still and kiss her deeply. She responds at first then pushes me away. "Barb. I don't care about our age. Take the offer. Enjoy the moment. We can be rational tomorrow. Let's be ageless tonight."