The Gift

The lack of sex would never be the end of my marriage. I still have the memories of our earlier sexcapades so I never felt deprived. I just miss the closeness and Mary's touch. I could and will survive without the sex. I didn't want to push the issue with Mary anymore. I felt that further discussions would seem more like pressure and could only lead to bad feelings. I would just wait for her, and I would wait forever.

I hopped in the shower to prepare for the boat. Six hours of expo kind of leaves your body in a funk that only warm water will wash off. I knew it wasn't a date, but I was kind of excited to think there was a pretty woman waiting for me tonight. I remembered dating Mary, before we were married, and the anticipation it generated. I wasn't sure about her feelings then so everything was a risk. Now we take each other's love for granted. There is a comfort in that, but I do miss the excitement.

I toweled off and donned some jeans and a rust colored collared shirt. I pulled out my comfort shoes which were more like upgraded moccasins. I wasn't sure how they fit in the fashion world, but they sure made my feet happy. I was glad it was warm out so I could ignore hauling a jacket around. Free food, free drink and pretty girl at my side; that's how you make an old man happy.

I arrived at the pier a little later than I expected. I initially went the wrong way and had to backtrack along the river. By the time I arrived, everyone was loading and I didn't see Cathy. I was a bit disappointed with myself for not meeting her on the dock. The boat wasn't that large. I could explore some and find her that way.

I didn't even make it down the first gangway before I had a drink in my hand. A scotch and water was my poison of choice. I find I drink them a bit slower and am able to pace myself a bit better. There was a small table with a bartender every fifty feet or so. I laughed inwardly thinking about transit and booze mixing so well. Here's hoping the crew isn't touching the stuff.

I followed the sound of a light jazz band to the interior of the vessel. It was pleasant music and fit the riverboat theme. Off to the side of the band was another small bar and that's where I spotted Cathy. She was wearing a very nice green skirt with an off white blouse. She had replaced her heels with some sort of deck shoes. Two younger men were chatting her up, and she seemed to be enjoying herself. I was a bit disappointed knowing I was no longer needed. Then I smiled thinking back to my dating days. I left her there and went up to the top deck to watch the shoreline go by.

It was a very nice night for river cruise. The lights of the city always seem more distant when you can't hear the sounds of the city. Even though there were a couple of hundred people aboard, I felt strangely alone with my thoughts as we headed up river. I leaned over railing content to watch the sun try to set over the water.

"I am so glad you came." Cathy snuck up behind me and joined me on the rail. "It is such a beautiful night." She was nursing what looked like and iced tea.

"I saw you downstairs and you looked like you were having fun." I smiled at her and received one in return. "Figured I would catch up with you a bit later." I was lying. I didn't want to be that annoying third wheel while she socialized with people more her age.

"Those two, Please Doug. They just wanted to talk about urea exhaust systems." She shrugged her shoulders. "No offense, but everyone here is way too excited about transit stuff." I was a little surprised, she sounded more like an outsider than an actual transit employee. What would she expect coming here? I was about to ask her where she worked when it struck me that I didn't really care. She pretty much just told me she wasn't interested in talking about work right now.

"Well the drinks are free, the jazz is good and the company is fabulous." I held out my drink in the standard toast position. She laughed and clinked her class to mine and took a sip. I couldn't believe she would rather hang out with me than those two six footers downstairs. Maybe she just wanted to feel safe and comfortable tonight. That is something I could provide. "Mary told me to protect you from all the liquored up leeches tonight." I felt better mentioning Mary again. I don't know why, but I needed Cathy to know that I loved my wife.

"Well I feel safer already." She smiled at me again and tucked her free arm through mine. "Shall we get these drinks refreshed?" Cathy wasn't really waiting for an answer as she escorted me to the nearest mini bar. She refreshed her long island iced tea, and I had the bartender add some more scotch since a lot of my ice was still there.

Arm in arm we toured the boat. I was getting my share of stares as people I knew from business saw me with this beautiful girl. I was enjoying the thought of the rumors that would follow. Most knew I was married. All knew I wasn't capable of endearing myself to such a lovely creature. I was going to leave it a mystery. It pleased me to have people think that I was more masculine than I let on.

I felt a pull on my shoulder and turned to see my boss. "Doug, glad to see your getting out." He had a really slanted grin on his face. Obviously, he got started drinking a bit earlier than the rest of the attendees.

"Cathy, this is my supervisor Frank." I was a bit embarrassed introducing Cathy to him. I had only seen Frank sloshed once before and it wasn't pretty. He has been in transit for almost forty years. I guess that takes a toll on a guy.

"Hello Frank." Cathy held out her hand and Frank shook it. "So nice to meet you." Frank wasn't letting go.

"Cathy, I am so glad you got this old stick in the mud out of his hotel room." Frank was almost slurring his words. Luckily he was still standing tall. "He usually just hides away during the night." Sometime friends aren't really friends. He was still holding onto Cathy' s hand. I was trying to figure out a good way to extradite ourselves from this situation without becoming a prick to my boss.

"Frank, Doug and I are heading to the buffet." Cathy wasn't yanking her hand back. She was looking directly into his eyes. "Would you like to join us?"

"Oh no, you two have fun." He finally let go of Cathy's hand and used his to shoo us along. "I going to stay out here in the fresh air." He gave me a smile and a wink. I guess he thought it was some kind of male bonding thing. In his drunken state it came off a bit weak.

Cathy smiled and pulled me out of his conversation zone. "He is going to need a designated walker if he doesn't slow down." She was giggling to me as she said it. Cathy was a pretty smart girl getting us out of there without causing a fuss. I was impressed.

"He's usually not like that." I found myself protecting my boss for some reason. "I guess everyone lets loose once in awhile." After two scotches, I wasn't feeling any pain either. Maybe we should get something to eat to slow the pace. "The buffet does sound like a good idea." We headed into the boat following the arrows on the buffet signs.

As expected, the buffet was wonderful. They had a little bit of everything so no one would leave hungry. Most of the food had Creole flare to its design which suited me just fine. I filled a plate with too much food and laughed when I saw Cathy had done the same. She wanted to eat on the top deck which was more than alright with me. I loved watching the shore as the boat inched its way along. I followed Cathy up the tiny stairwell and found myself staring at her butt swaying back and forth as she took the steps. It was really cute in that green skirt and I had had enough to drink to not feel guilty for looking. I was proud of myself for making it to the top without losing my plate or drink.

Cathy, somehow, found a secluded and empty spot on the corner of the deck. It had two patio chairs and a very small table for our food. This would be the exact spot Mary I would have chosen to enjoy each other's company. I was surprised that a girl like Cathy would want to hide away from the party, especially with an old fart like me. We ate together quietly, occasionally pointing out things on shore as the sun dropped to the horizon. It wasn't long before an attendant stopped by and asked if we wanted refills. Cathy answered in the affirmative before I had to chance to consider. The attendant went away with our plates and soon returned with fresh drinks.

Cathy raised her feet onto a cross beam on the railing and relaxed. Her skirt slide down her thigh just a bit and I enjoyed the view. Her legs were well toned. My mind wondered if they felt as smooth as they looked. Her arm reached over the small table between us and her hand landed softly on my arm. "I'm glad you came with me Doug." She wasn't looking at me. It seemed innocent enough so I allowed it to stay. The booze was getting to me.

We sat there watching the sun disappear talking about nothing important. She liked some of the same TV shows I did. We had very little in common in politics so we stayed off the subject. It was just relaxing conversation with a few chuckles thrown in. We went through two more rounds of drinks. The last arrived before I even knew I ordered it. I was at my limit, but I kept sipping on the new one anyway. Life felt good and there was no real reason to change it up now.

The band moved away from easy listening jazz to a dance beat with jazz overtones. Cathy smiled and grabbed my hand. "Come dance with me." She rose out of her chair not leaving me with time to respond. I rose with her, to buzzed to feel self conscious about my lack of dance skills.

"I kind of suck at dancing." I laughed as I followed her down the stairs. I was feeling no pain as we entered the band room. There were about a dozen other couples tripping the light fantastic. Cathy pulled me onto the floor and started moving her hips while holding on to my hands. She looked phenomenally sexy. I don't think I ever had a woman that close move her body like Cathy was doing. It was intoxicating watching the waves she put her body through.

Cathy laughed at my staring and lifted my chin up with her hand. Once I was looking at her face again, she dropped her hands to my hips and made me move with the music. She became incredibly happy when I began to move so I relaxed my muscles and let her hands move me with the beat. After a song, the booze took control and I let loose enough to allow her to let go, and become more flamboyant. Cathy was a treasure to watch. I was dancing with the best looking girl in the place, and I was having a ball doing it. Her fun became my fun as she used me rub against and bounce off of.

I knew I was getting slightly aroused, but it was just dancing. I bet half the men in the room felt the same way watching this girl twirl and gyrate. There is something about a happy woman that turns on a man. When the woman looks like Cathy, it becomes very hard to control the physical manifestations of that attraction. We took a break after the next song for a glass of water. My guess was that Cathy went dancing a lot, and knew that the body needed more than booze to fuel it. The water picked me up, but didn't lesson the buzz.

Cathy had me be back out on the floor the very next song. God, she looked good. I noticed a few jealous stares among the men at the edge of the floor. 'Losers' was all my drunken brain could come up with to describe them. At least for tonight, I was a stud. I may not look like one but the proof was dancing with me.

The bands next song was a slow dance. I smiled at Cathy and started to lead her off the floor. She was having none of it. She wrapped her hands around my neck and pulled me close. She caught me by surprise and I had no idea where to put my hands. In my drunken state, every part of her body was an erogenous zone. She pulled me closer. Her head was on my shoulder, she pressed her chest into mine, and began to slowly rock her hips. It had been almost thirty years since a woman besides my wife had held me like this. I circled her waist with my arms and tried not to get a hard-on.

Her breasts felt wonderful smashed into my chest. I felt every movement of her hips radiate up my arms and back down my spine. Her hands were softly caressing the back of my neck. I couldn't tell if was intentional and unintentional. It was only the booze I told myself. We're just a bit drunk and it's only a dance. The feeling was incredible, and since I was drunk, I just went with it.

When the song ended she tilted her head and kissed my cheek lightly. "Thanks Doug, that was nice." She separated from me with a small smile. I was sure I was five shades of red. The kiss was nicer than the dance. For some reason, I felt like I had just cheated on Mary. It was just one dance and an innocent kiss. I was feeling a guilty anyway.

"I have to sit down for a bit." I told Cathy. Old men could always rely on their lack of endurance as a good excuse.

"Why don't see if you can get our chairs upstairs back." Cathy caressed my arm. "I need to stop in the little girl's room and I will catch up." She headed off to the restrooms. The term "our chairs" scared me a bit. I knew it was foolish to think she was sexually interested in me. The dance, the kiss and "our chairs" was just a bit much for my mind.

When I got to the top deck, I chose some chairs closer to other people. It no longer felt prudent to be alone with Cathy. I was afraid I would misread the signs and embarrass myself and her. She was young, and the young are just more used to touching. It felt better to be in a more public area.

I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. "You know I will never tell Mary." It was Frank and he was three sheets to the wind. I chuckled.

"Mary is the one who told me to take Cathy out." I responded trying to be nonchalant. "She's just a friend Frank."

"After that dance I just saw, you'll be lucky she isn't pregnant." He thought his joke was extra funny. I was concerned that someone else thought the dance was more than just a dance.

"That's just how kids dance these days, Frank." I was getting worried that my imagination was being sparked by a drunk. "Nothing but a dance." I didn't sound as confident as I should have.

Frank patted my shoulder. "That ain't no kid, Doug." He sounded serious as he staggered off, probably seeking another drink. I was glad I found a more public set of chairs. I saw Cathy coming up the stairs with two drinks. It looked like the booze was catching up with her also. I rushed over to grab the drinks before she and they were all over the deck.

"They were closing the bars." She said as she followed me over to the new seats. "Captain said we will be docking soon." She sat down and pulled one of the small tables between us. I set the drinks down and got in my chair. The table seemed like a nice barrier. Sort of line neither would cross enlarging my personal space. I knew I was imagining the affection. I felt much better and took a sip of my drink. The bartender forgot the ice. I was too buzzed to care.

We talked and laughed during the docking. I could tell that Cathy was a bit drunk. That was a good thing because it meant my brain was still functional even though I was bombed. The last drink put me way over my limit. I knew my morning was going to be hell so I decided to enjoy the night and ignore the impending doom. They announced the disembarking and we didn't move. We were having too much fun discussing 'Game of Thrones'. It wasn't until the threatening third call for disembarking did we move. A sober crew can be such party poopers.

We helped each other down the stairs and across the gangplank. I had a two block walk back to the hotel and was suddenly concerned about Cathy. There was no way I was going let her walk down the streets this late alone. "Where are you staying." I think I may have slurred 'staying' into 'swaying'. She didn't seem to notice.

"The Biltmore." She started walking toward the hotel.

"Me too, I'm on the eighth floor." I guess it shouldn't have been surprised. It was the main expo hotel.

"I'm in 834." She said and grabbed my hand to steady her steps. Cathy was only about five doors down from my room.

"Well, then it will be easy to be a gentleman and see you safely to your door." I gave her half a bow to emphasis the formality. She laughed. We were bombed. It took us the better part of thirty minutes to make it to the eighth floor. We kept stopping to tell each other something we thought was important. Of course, it was trivial crap that only drunks would think important. All in all, it was a fun walk back.

We reached 834 and I waited to make sure she still had her key card. "I had a really good time tonight, Cathy." I stammered as I started to say goodbye. She opened the door and turned to me.

"So did I, Doug." Her smile was deadly. She encircled my hand in hers. "You are a really nice guy." She started moving forward and I thought she was trying to move in for a kiss. I stumbled back a step, but she held onto my hand.

"I've got to get some sleep." I looked back to the door of my room. I smiled when I looked back at her. "It's going to be a tough morning." I figured a bit of levity would get me out this awkward situation. There was already too much kissing for one night. She pulled my hand up to her chest.

"Spend the night with me." Her eyes were locked on mine. The words didn't sound drunk, but I knew that they were. I wanted my hand back. but it was pressed between her breasts and it loved it there. My first instinct was to yell "yes". I let it pass with visions of Mary packing up and moving out of the house. I was too drunk to think straight. I didn't understand why a woman like her would even give me the time of day. What the hell had happened to fuck up the world so much? I knew I wasn't misinterpreting her now. I snapped my hand back and raised both my hands level with my shoulders, palms out in surrender.

"I could never do that Mary." I knew my eyes were watering as I turned and fled to my room. What the hell did I almost do? I inwardly vowed to never come to another expo without Mary.

"Shit!" Cathy exclaimed. It didn't sound drunk, just pissed. My shoulder slammed into the door frame. I was pretty drunk and steering was an issue. I fumbled for my key card. "Doug wait, there is something I need to tell you." I didn't really want to hear anything else. I got my card in the slot and it flashed green. I opened the door and shut it behind me quickly. I braced myself against the door for a few deep breaths. What the hell just happened?

I went into the bathroom and splashed water on my face. When I looked in the mirror I was dumbfounded. I am, at best, an average looking guy. I'm not saying I couldn't grow on someone in time, but there was no reason why Cathy should have bonded with me in half a day. Something didn't smell right. I was too drunk to think straight. I needed to sleep it off and think about it in the morning.

There was a soft knock at the door. I knew who it was and I didn't want to answer. I was considering if an early flight home was it order. It could cost me a bit, but it would be worth it to not run into Cathy tomorrow. The knock was repeated just as soft as the first set. I called through the door. "We're just too drunk Cathy. I shouldn't have let it get that far." I tried to sound reasonable and give her an out. "We'll feel better in the morning."

"I only had one drink tonight Doug." She sounded sober. I watched her drink all those long island ice teas. I realized I only saw one made for her. "We need to talk." Now I was really out on a limb. Insane crazy woman came to mind. Maybe a thief or a sick pervert. None of those scenarios leaned toward me opening the door.

"Not tonight Cathy." I was drunk but firm. I was definitely getting an early flight home. I could go straight to the airport and take the first available in the morning.