The Pleasure Cruise Ch. 05

And, with that, I was in the final, where the crowd voted on the winner of the trophy. For the first time, I honestly thought I might have a chance at winning, but at this point Trevor really played up the fact it was the Hairiest Man competition, and my co-finalist, the old guy, had a shag carpet on his chest and another on his back, plus his dancing had been shamelessly hilarious and his Tarzan yell had been second best to mine. The winner was determined by crowd noise, and to be honest, I'd have even voted for him. I wasn't shocked when Gary from Tucson was announced as the winner. I shook his hand graciously as he held his trophy aloft.

Lauren was waiting for me first when I got back to the girls.

"I have literally never been more attracted to you than I am right now," she said sarcastically.

Ordinarily I'd have brushed it off, but Lena's observation earlier was still at the forefront of my mind, and I said nothing.

"Sean?" She looked at me oddly. "It was a joke."

"I know," I lied. "Sorry. I was thinking of something else."

"You're going to be a celebrity tonight on the ship," Andie said brightly, patting me on the back. "You did amazingly up there."

"Ugh."

"Let me buy you a drink." She headed off to the bar as I turned to Lena.

"This is the first time Andie's been nice to me," I observed. "Apparently second prize in the Hairiest Man competition is what it took to earn her respect."

Lena giggled. "You keep revealing all these hidden talents. Where did you learn to Tarzan yell like that?"

"I did voice-overs years ago for radio commercials."

"I'd believe that," she cooed admiringly. "You've got such a masculine voice."

Andie returned with my drink. "So, do you want some company tonight, Sean?"

"Excuse me?" I was taken aback. I noticed Lena also glaring at her in surprise.

"I've heard all about your... considerable talents from my Alpha sisters here," she continued. "I feel like it's only fair that the bride-to-be has her turn."

"I'm not a ride at the fair," I insisted, offended. "Plus, doesn't 'bride-to-be' imply that you're taken?"

Andie shrugged. "I'm not married yet. My bachelorette's the last chance I've got to really let loose. And the princess gets what she wants."

Her entitled attitude finally made me snap, and I got in her face, looking her right in the eye. "I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last woman on this ship! You've been nothing but a bitch to me since first meeting me, and now that you're finally desperate enough for one good fuck you think I'll just go along with it?"

Andie's face showed rising offense, and she started to say something, but I cut her off.

"I'm not fucking finished. I don't know what deep-rooted issues you and Allison have with each other, but I've gotten to know her over the past few days, and she's a lovely, caring, thoughtful person, unlike you. You treat the rest of your wedding party like they're your servants, not your friends. But really, none of that is any of my business. The only thing that's my business is that I'm not required to pretend to like you, and I'm not required to give you a good fuck just because your fiancé isn't capable of it. Though judging by your attitude, you sure could use one."

Andie reared back and slapped me. Her mouth was open in shocked indignation. Before I could react, Lauren was immediately in her face.

"Back off, you bitch," she fumed. "Touch him again and you'll have two black eyes in all your wedding photos."

Andie clearly thought about fighting for a moment before backing down.

"You're not worth the effort," she dismissed us. "Come on, girls. We're leaving."

The group quickly started packing up, and Andie and Olivia stormed away, Hannah following close behind.

"Nice meeting you," Brianna said, apologetically, as she turned to follow.

"I guess I've gotta go," Lena added regretfully, watching her sisters depart the pool. "It's been a long time since someone's put Andie in her place. Hopefully something you said got through to her. I'll message you later." She quickly kissed me on the lips, and then hurried after her sorority sisters.

"Nice one, Tarzan," a random guy nearby called out to me.

"What a cunt," Lauren said, still seething with anger. "I don't use that word lightly. But that cunt deserves it. No one treats my Sean like that."

We sat down in the vacated chaises longues, both cooling off for a few minutes.

"Thanks," I finally said. "I wasn't about to hit a girl."

"I would have. It's been years since I've been in a real fight," Lauren said wistfully. "I could have taken her."

"No doubt," I agreed.

"Did she hurt you?" Lauren regarded my cheek with concern.

"I'm fine," I said honestly. "It stings a little, but she didn't hit that hard."

"I'm guessing that's the last we'll see of them," Lauren mused.

"Probably," I agreed. "Were you hitting it off with Brianna?"

"Meh. She's nice, she's pretty, but there was no spark." Lauren stretched out on the chaise longue, adjusting her sunglasses. "Do you want to stay here for a bit? We seem to have found a seat."

"Sure."

For the next couple of hours, we tanned and occasionally swam in the pool, enjoying the sun, the drinks, the music, and for me, the newfound fame. Women kept approaching me for selfies, to talk to me about the competition, and so on. I saw Gary, the champion, similarly fending off attention from Hairiest Men groupies across the pool deck, and I reflected on how weird and unlikely this entire situation was.

Late in the afternoon, Lauren and I retired to our cabin for a rest before dinner. She showered first, then me, and I emerged into the room to find her nude, laying in bed, on her phone. I'd gotten so used to her being naked that it barely registered.

"I have to ask if you'd like to deal with your mental state now," I said cautiously.

"Not yet," she said definitively.

"When should I stop taking no for an answer?" I asked.

"Tonight. I'll deal with it before bed." She turned her attention back to her phone.

I picked up my phone and saw there were a couple of notifications. The first was from Lena:

You've pissed Andie pissed off pretty good, stranger. She's forbidden any of us from seeing you again. I'm a grown woman, and she can't tell me what to do, but I can't let this turn into a major fight this close to the wedding, so I have to go along with it to keep the peace. I'm really disappointed I won't get to see you again later, but hey, your fantasy was sex with a total stranger. I guess it wouldn't count as satisfying your fantasy if we hooked up again tonight, much as I'd still like to.

I guess not, I responded. But I would have happily done it anyway. it would have been fun. I understand though. Hoes before bros.

Exactly, she responded immediately. The wedding is this weekend, and then I'm flying back to Palo Alto on Monday. I probably won't ever see you again, and it's not like I have a place in my busy law student life for a boyfriend anyway, but since you've got my number, you're welcome to sext me sometime if you want. Orgasms are a great study break.

I laughed. You've got a deal, stranger. I'd love to help you relieve some of that stress. It was a pleasure, and it'll be a pleasure again soon.

"Andie's not letting her flock see us again," I told Lauren. "I'm honestly okay with that, because I wouldn't have known how to let Lena down gently if Danielle still wants to hook up."

"Have you heard from her?" Lauren asked.

I looked back at my phone. There was a recent message from Emily: Danielle wants to talk to you before dinner. Can you meet her in the Serenity Lounge at 7:45?

Sure, I wrote back. Is she okay?

I think so, Emily wrote. It's not a shoo-in, but I think if you can have a good conversation with her, and if you don't say anything stupid, you'll be good.

I really appreciate all your help, I wrote.

I'm not helping you, I'm helping her, Emily responded. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think that deep down, this was still what she wanted. Plus, I've never seen her acting horny like she has been this week. She needs to get laid so badly, and I've heard you're pretty good at it.

Where did you hear that? I asked, immediately wondering what she knew about my shipboard adventures.

Lauren told me a few things, she responded. Not that she's ever had the pleasure, but she said she overheard you having sex many times when you lived together, and she can tell when a girl isn't faking it.

She had nothing but good things to say about you in bed too, I responded.

I'm really surprised and happy to hear that, she answered. I wouldn't have expected to be any good my first two times with a girl. I'm glad she was satisfied. If I ever sleep with another girl someday, she'll have to be pretty good to top my first time. Lauren knows her way around a vagina.

We both do, I wrote back before I could stop myself.

Good. Take your vagina-pleasing skills and go use them on Danielle. I hope she gets out of her own way enough to let you.

Thank you so much, I wrote.

Emily messaged back a little pink heart.

"I think it's on with Danielle," I announced, and I briefly recounted the conversation to Lauren.

"Yay!" she answered, smiling. "I know how much you wanted this. It'll be good for you to have sex that's a little more meaningful. Not that that's any disrespect to Lena."

Just then, another message came in, from Allison:

First you introduced me to Oliver, and now I hear you put my sister in her place! You're my hero.

I laughed and showed the message to Lauren, who cackled.

I turned back to my phone. Someone had to, I wrote. It's good for her to have someone call her out.

I call her out all the time, Allison responded, but she doesn't listen to me. Maybe you'll get through to her.

I hope so, I said. I should warn you, too. I heard Hannah is going to try to seduce Oliver.

I know what she's like, Allison responded. Besides, she's already tried. I'll spare you the details, but suffice to say, he turned her down.

OK, good, I responded.

I'm not sure he could get it up again even if he was into that skank, Allison continued. I've kind of worn him out!

I'm happy for you both, I wrote. How's the world record attempt going?

We beat it about an hour ago! she wrote. He's taking a nap before dinner and then we'll try for number eight. I might have to do all the work, though. The poor varsity athlete is all tuckered out because he couldn't keep up with a chubby girl from Baltimore.

I've never managed eight times in a day, I wrote. I think my record is six. Men have refractory periods after we cum. A woman in heat is insatiable when she really gets going.

I know, she answered. Such a shame. And insatiable is a good way to describe how I'm feeling. All the stress and frustration over the wedding is being fucked out of me.

It's nice hearing you talk more openly about it, considering how hard you said that was for you, I observed.

It's still hard for me. But I'm trying, she responded. It's easier over text than in person. I want to be more open and less walled-off. Starting to talk frankly to people like you and Lauren is a good start. I don't think you'll judge me, and even if you do, I'll never see you again after tomorrow anyway.

"Are you messaging Allison right now?" I asked Lauren, who was engrossed in her phone.

"Yep," she answered without looking up. "From her descriptions, I'm really starting to be regretful I didn't hook up with Oliver when I might have had the chance." She fanned her brow ostentatiously. "Remind me in the future not to judge a book by its cover. Just because he's young and hot and doesn't have to work for female attention apparently doesn't mean he's never learned how a clitoris works."

"I'm not getting that level of detail," I complained.

"She's reserved, Sean. You're not going to get her to girl talk with a guy she just met." Lauren leaned in. "Besides, do you really need to know what sucking his dick is like?"

"Probably not," I laughed. "Do you?"

"It's fun hearing about it. I want to hear all the details about Danielle tonight, too. My favourite thing on this whole cruise has been cuddling naked in that wonderful post-orgasmic glow before falling asleep in your arms. I'm not giving that up on the last night. Not when I've missed out the last two nights in a row, and not when we're splitting up again tomorrow."

I felt momentary panic hearing her verbalize it in those terms, but I swallowed hard and let it pass. I'll deal with that later, I thought. We're not going to bed tonight until we get to the bottom of this.

"OK, I'm heading up to meet Danielle," I said, ignoring Lauren. "See you at dinner."

"I'm going to get dressed and go to the bar," she answered. "I could use a little time to myself." She rolled into me and wrapped me in a deep, long, skin-on-skin hug, which I returned without enthusiasm.

I got up and got dressed in my second-to-last clean remaining outfit, a bright purple polo shirt with khaki shorts, combed my hair, brushed my teeth, and then headed out.

The Serenity Lounge was the adults-only section of the ship where we'd flirted as a foursome the night before. I arrived a little early, checking the private loungers until I found a free one. I then pulled out my phone and messaged Danielle, I'm here. Lounger in the starboard corner by the railing.

A few minutes passed, and then, suddenly, there she was. She looked so beautiful, her brown hair pulled back in a simple ponytail, her face radiant in the late evening sunset. Her eyes weren't angry or upset, but rather guarded. She was dressed in ultra-short jean cut-offs and a sheer black blouse through which you could almost, just, maybe make out the hint of her nipples unrestrained by a bra. She climbed into the lounger where I lay, but sat, cross-legged, far enough away from me that we were still physically distant.

"I'm sorry," I began.

"You don't have to be," she answered quietly.

"Will you talk to me?" I asked.

She nodded. "Last night, when I left your cabin, I was so upset. With you, with myself, with the situation. I felt hurt, betrayed, angry. I knew Lauren and Emily were hooking up in our cabin, so I just went down to the third deck, the outside part where all the lifeboats are stored. It's always really quiet down there, so I just sat there on the deck by myself for over an hour. I cried a little. I was trying to sort through what I was feeling, and where I ended up was that I never wanted to see you again."

"I'm glad that you didn't hold to that," I interrupted.

She ignored me and continued. "Then, I got the all clear from Emily, and as soon as I told her and Lauren what happened, they both started trying to talk some sense into me. Emily's always been good at keeping her head while I'm losing mine, and she told me that it was stupid to be upset over you. Whether or not I ever saw you again didn't matter, but you're not worth being upset over, because this was never going to be more than a vacation fling. If it didn't work out, just forget it and move on."

"You're still entitled to your feelings, even if they're irrational, and I'm not saying yours were," I commented.

"Thanks, and I know," she answered. "But I figured out laying awake last night what it was I was really upset with. It was half with you, and half with me."

"Which half do you want to talk about first?" I asked.

"Me," she responded. "It's my guilt complex. When I saw those scratches on your back, it felt like you had cheated on me. But, of course, that's ridiculous. We aren't in a relationship, and we're never going to be. This is casual. I know what casual means, even if I've never had it. You didn't break any rules. But, the repressed guilt over my cheating, the guilt which I've been holding back since I met you, it all blew up while I was standing naked on your balcony. It was projected on you last night, but deep down, it was about me.

"This cruise, already, I've flirted with a couple of other boys. I've made out with you. I've seen you naked, and I let you see me naked. I let you touch my pussy. I had an orgasm on the beach at Half Moon Cay while staring at your dick. All of that while Andre and I are still technically together. You can reassure me all you like that it's not cheating when I'm planning to break up with him. I don't care, it's still cheating. He's still my boyfriend."

"I wasn't going to try to convince you otherwise," I said. "It's technically true."

"Emily said the same. She said it didn't matter."

"Does it?" I asked.

Danielle sighed again. "I don't know, Sean. I'm still so confused."

"Are you still planning to break up with Andre?" I asked.

"100%, yes," she said with certainty.

"Then I don't think it matters either," I said. "If you cheat on someone you love and are planning to stay with, that's one thing. But you've already mentally ended things, you just haven't had the opportunity to tell him. Even if you could get a cell signal, it's not fair to do that to him by distance. You need a face-to-face."

"Of course. I wouldn't dare do it any other way but in person. I owe that to him after all the time we've been together," she agreed quickly.

"And would you have broken up with him already if you were home?" I pressed.

"I think so," she responded. "I wouldn't have rushed into it, and I wouldn't have done it if there was any other major thing going on in his life, but otherwise, yeah, I would have."

"Then you're already broken up. He just doesn't know it yet."

"I guess." Danielle was unconvinced.

"You told me in the hot tub on the first night that you want to have some time for you. You want to discover yourself. You want to figure out who you are as an independent woman. And you want to have a bunch of sex," I pointed out.

"Yeah, that's true. I want to figure out who I am before I settle down."

"You can't do any of that and stay with Andre, so what does it matter if you start the process a week before you make it official?"

"Emily said the same thing," Danielle grumbled. "You're probably both right."

"Not only that, but you already have started the process," I pushed. "You're doing things that the old Danielle never would have done. Think back to all that's happened this week. You're living more independently than you were even a week ago. I can see it clearly, so I'm sure you can. Your decision was made in the hot tub, and you've already moved forward."

Danielle stayed silent for a long time. "You're right," she finally said. "I'm feeling guilty over living the life I've been wanting to live, over putting myself first. I've never put myself or my own needs first. It's always been about what others want or expect from me.

"This week, for the first time ever, I've put myself first, the way I always should have been. The guilt is something inside me trying to tell myself I'm wrong for doing that. I still can't believe you're not a therapist."

I extended my arms to her, and she thought for a moment, then tentatively curled up, snuggling into me and finally squeezing me tightly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"My pleasure," I responded, breathing in deeply. We lay together for a few minutes, where all I was conscious of was the warmth of her body, her intoxicating scent, her shallow breathing.

"Shall we talk about the half of it that's about me?" I finally asked.