| The Perfect End to a Perfect Day |
| Shortly after I began writing, my husband and I were going on a vacation cruising the Carribbean. I had to take the laptop along anyway since Mr. Digital Photographer intended to fill the 10G drive. As it turned out, his back went out halfway through the cruise, so I had plenty of time to write . . . since Stef planted the idea in my head anyway. Timeline: January 2004 aboard the MV Century, Western Carribbean I had just started writing Phoenix at the time, and I imagined this to be a future installment of that series. It has since then taken some turns so that this doesn't exactly fit. So consider this and it's companion, "Trouble in Paradise" as an "Alternate Universe" for an Alternate Universe. |
| Lennie sighed contentedly. Soon, they would get up and head back to their cabin. But for now, he was content to relax in his lover�s arms, lying back on a deck chair, looking up at the stars. . . . The day had even started perfectly. Lennie awoke from a highly erotic dream to find it wasn�t a dream at all. Jack had apparently gotten tired of waiting for him to wake up and had taken matters into his own hands. Literally. �Hey there, sleepyhead. Was wondering how long you could take this before you woke up.� He leaned down to kiss his lover. . . . After a while they finally rolled out of bed. It was the first full day of their cruise, and they would be spending the entire day at sea. No airplanes, no hotels, no cabs, no running around, just pure, decadent relaxation in the Caribbean warmth. New York had been registering temperatures in the single digits the day before when they left. Today, the overnight lows were in the 60�s; it was already comfortably warm outside and heading to the low 80�s. �So what�s on the agenda today, Mr. Cruise Director?� Jack had planned the entire vacation after Lennie made the comment back in November that it was looking like a long, cold winter. New York usually didn�t get much snow until after Christmas, but this year the entire northeast got dumped on early in November. He had sprung the entire thing on Lennie as a Christmas present, even coordinating in advance with Lennie�s boss to get him the time off. It was nice having friends in high places! �The only thing with a specific time is the formal dinner at 8:30. So I figured this morning we�d head up to the breakfast buffet which is on the same deck as the pool, then grab a couple of deck chairs and soak up the sun poolside.� Lennie was a bit overwhelmed by the opulence on board. A Caribbean cruise was not something he thought he�d ever experience, especially after two divorces. The food was amazing, both in quantity and quality. He discovered that fresh pineapple not only wasn�t even slightly tart, it was so sweet it almost tasted like candy. The buffet was decorated with roses carved out of melons, lobsters carved out of butter, and beautiful ice sculptures of dolphins. They took their trays out on the back deck, with the warm sun overhead and the soft warm breeze from the ship�s forward motion. �Oh, man, I could get USED to this!� Jack chuckled at his friend�s reaction. �Yeah, it�s pretty nice. Just think, back home it�s about 15 degrees right now. And we�re sitting here in shorts and t-shirts soaking up the sun!� �Yup, I could DEFINITELY get used to this!� After breakfast, they cut back through the caf� to get to the pool. It was still early enough that they were able to find two deck chairs in the sun. Jack sat down and dug the sunscreen out of the bag he had brought. He stripped off his shirt and began applying the lotion to his face, arms, legs, and chest, then handed Lennie the bottle. �Do my back?� he asked with a devilish grin. Lennie poured some of the lotion into his hands to warm it, then began spreading it across the broad shoulders. He took his time, making sure to cover every inch, slow and sensual, enjoying every moment. When he was done, he slipped his hands around Jack�s waist and kissed his neck. It was SO nice to not have to worry about anybody seeing them. Here, they could just be lovers on vacation. He reluctantly let go of Jack and began applying the lotion to himself. �OK, your turn.� He handed the bottle back to Jack and turned around presenting his back for treatment. He practically purred as Jack warm hands caressed him. He looked so relaxed, Jack just couldn�t resist. He slid his hands down Lennie�s back, into his trunks and pinched his ass. �Hey!� came the surprised complaint. He laughed as Lennie grabbed one of the rolled-up towels and hit him with it. They both fell back into their chairs laughing. �I�ll get you for that later!� Lennie dug his sunglasses out of the bag, leaned the chair back all the way, and closed his eyes, while Jack got out a book and settled in. As Lennie settled into his nap, Jack put the book down and simply enjoyed the view of his lover basking in the warm sun. His eyes were drawn to the light glinting off the gold chain around Lennie�s neck. His fingers found their way to the matching silver one he wore, remembering their first Christmas together. Just three years ago; but in its own way, a lifetime. He still marveled at how their lives had changed, and he was eternally grateful for it. He smiled and picked up his book, settling back to read. After baking in the sun for a few hours, Jack put the book down and reached over to wake Lennie. �Hey, you want to cool off in the pool?� Lennie, who had rolled over onto his stomach to toast the other side for a while, turned his head toward Jack and opened one eye about halfway. The kids who had been hogging the pool earlier had left for lunch. And it was getting hot. �OK, ok, give me a minute,� he groaned as he lethargically climbed out of the chair. The water was cool compared to the warmth of the sun, but once you adapted, it was just perfectly comfortable. They lazed in the cool waters for a while, until a pool volleyball game broke out around them. When they got out, Lennie�s chair had been usurped since he hadn�t left anything to indicate it had been claimed. �That�s OK,� Jack said, settling back into his chair, legs straddling the sides. �We can share.� He adjusted the back of the chair to a halfway point. Lennie raised an eyebrow. A kiss was one thing; he wasn�t used to being quite so open about their relationship in such a highly public area. But there were no other chairs in the sun available, so he gave in and sat down in front of Jack, leaning back into his lover�s arms with a sigh. They baked in the sun for another hour or so, trading places once so they each had a chance to dry off. By then, the sun was getting low enough that the poolside was mostly in shade, so they put on their shirts and sandals and decided to wander around the ship a bit before showering and dressing for dinner. Even today, when the ship was at sea and all passengers were aboard, they were surprised to find there were quite a few places throughout the ship with absolutely NOBODY around. Lennie found an area of deck way up on the highest level of the ship that was designated as a jogging track, and was totally deserted. They leaned on the rail, watching the wake of the ship, enjoying the warm breeze. Jack�s arm slipped around Lennie�s back, drawing him closer. Lennie turned, reached out to caress Jack�s face and draw him into a tender kiss. �I still don�t know how to thank you for this; it really is too extravagant.� He ran his fingers through the thick silver hair. Jack tightened his hold around Lennie�s waist. �It�s something I always wanted to do for myself and never got around to. Thank YOU for giving me a reason to finally do it!� This time the kiss was long and passionate. Jack�s hands slid down to cup Lennie�s ass, pulling him so close he could feel the growing hardness pressing against his own. Lennie slipped his hand into the top of Jack�s swim trunks, wringing a moan from Jack�s throat as he found his target. �Lennie, maybe we better take this back to the room?� �Why, you afraid of getting caught?� �Well, yeah.� �Jack, there�s nobody up here but us. Who in their right mind JOGS on vacation?� �Some people do.� �But they�re not here now, are they?� �Well, no.� �So relax and enjoy.� He silenced Jack with another kiss as he picked up the pace. Doing it out here in the open was turning him on beyond belief. He pressed against Jack, the thin material of their swimsuits barely separating them. His hand played against both of them, and it wasn�t very long before they both exploded. Lennie slid his hand out of Jack�s trunks, wiping it on his own before reaching out to wrap his arms around his lover. Jack collapsed into his arms. �I just don�t believe you sometimes, Lennie!� Lennie laughed, �I said I�d get you for that pinch this morning, didn�t I?� �Have you ever heard of overkill?� �Hey, at least YOU enjoyed my fun!� Jack shook his head, still laughing. �Come on, it�s time to get dressed for dinner anyhow.� Back at their cabin they showered and dressed for the formal dinner that evening. Jack had even arranged for a rented tuxedo for Lennie to be delivered to their cabin. Around 8PM they headed toward the dining room. Since it was formal night, photographers were stationed outside the dining room to capture the guests in their finery. Lennie wanted to skip the photo line; Jack was having nothing of if. �And when was the last time you wore a tux � your last wedding, I�ll bet.� �Yeah, not something I consider a fond memory.� �All the more reason to build some new memories. And besides, you look amazing.� Lennie finally gave in; he just couldn�t say no to Jack after he set all this up. The photographer had a production line going, lady here, gentleman here, hand just there. She was momentarily flummoxed by having to pose two gentlemen, but she quickly recovered, came up with a suitable pose, and snapped off several shots. They made their way into the dining room, finding their assigned table. Last night, they had eaten at the poolside buffet, so they had not yet met their dining companions. Luckily, none of them seemed to object to the two men being together. The formal place setting nearly panicked Lennie until the lady sitting next to him gave him the key to the puzzle; just use the outermost utensil for each course. Between courses, the waiters would come and take away any unused or unneeded utensils. They enjoyed the 5-course dinner, from an appetizer of shrimp cocktail to the main course of fillet mignon and a dessert of cherries jubilee, flamb�. After dinner, they wandered back out to the deck. It was pitch dark now; they were sailing from Florida around Cuba to eventually reach Jamaica tomorrow morning. There was no land in sight, no lights except those on board. Even at night, the breeze was still warm. They wandered aimlessly, enjoying the warm tropical night. The skies were clear and the moon new; Jack looked up and saw more stars than he had since the last time he had gone camping as a youth. He grabbed a deck chair and reclined it all the way back. �Hey Lennie � you�ve lived in the city most of your life, haven�t you?� �Yeah, except for a trip to Vietnam that I�d rather forget.� �Ever see a sky like this?� Having lived so long in the city, Lennie just wasn�t used to looking up at night. But tonight, at Jack�s request, he did. �Oh . . !� was all he could say. Jack straddled the chair, making room for Lennie to join him. �Come sit with me, Lennie. I�ll give you a tour.� Jack leaned back on the deck chair, and Lennie sat in front of him as they had that afternoon, but this time laying all the way back. He pillowed his head on Jack�s stomach as they gazed up at the sky. By some miracle, the deck light nearest to them picked that minute to blink out. Jack began pointing out the constellations; Orion, master of the winter sky; Cassiopea, the queen in her chair nearby. A very bright single star � not a star, but the planet Saturn. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, Jack pointed out the Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, and they could actually make out the distinct stars instead of just a blur of light. �Hey, Jack, is it my imagination, or is the sky darker at the sides?� Jack took a few moments to answer; �My god, it is. It�s been so long since I�ve seen it �� His voice trailed off. �Seen what, Jack?� �It�s the Milky Way, Lennie. Our galaxy in cross-section. It looks brighter in the middle of the sky because it is brighter; it�s filled with more stars than you can imagine.� There was a tone of awe in his voice. He wrapped his arms around Lennie. Everything was so beautiful and peaceful as they laid there together looking up at the stars. It was the perfect end to a perfect day. 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