Upper Deck

I started this story with an idea and principle characters firmly in mind. As the story developed and Gabe, the narrator, spoke to me, I realized that the story needed some context to make sense. Gabe was all too willing to provide the needed context and he droned on and on about how Celeste, his wife, and he, developed into the couple they had become. With his insistence on the details of an early event in their relationship, I further realized the tale had become too long and it was really better told as two distinct episodes with the same couple. This is the first story, Gabe's context. The second story, with the working title "Downstairs" will follow shortly (assuming the editors agree).

It's amazing how things change unexpectedly in your life and you suddenly find yourself in a place you never considered possible just a few years earlier. With Celeste and me, it started about five years ago.

First, a little background. My name is Gabriel. I prefer the nickname Gabe and most everyone, except my mother, calls me Gabe. Celeste and I have been married for eight years. She'll call me Gabriel when she's frustrated with me. We are both the products of a strict parochial education, heavily focused on faith, classical literature and practical mathematics. In my experience, children raised in that environment become conservatives or radicals. With names like Gabriel and Celeste our outcomes were preordained and we didn't disappoint.

We were married eight years ago, enduring unimaginative comments like "a match made in heaven" and "angels without wings." We spent the first three years exploring and expanding our knowledge and proficiency in all things sexual. We had no comparative data but we believed that if a ranking was created, we would rate high on the Richter scale of orgasmic outcomes.

We live in a second story garden apartment near the center of town. There's an entry on the first floor with the entrance to the ground floor apartment on the right and a flight of stairs directly ahead. The entrance to our apartment is at the top of the stairs, also on the right so our apartment is directly above the first-floor apartment. There's a young couple living downstairs so we do our best to keep the noises of our sexual encounters to a minimum.

And then we took that fateful cruise. It wasn't a cruise to nowhere although it began and ended in the same port. We booked a six-day, five-night cruise from Miami around the eastern Caribbean. It fit nicely into a vacation week we took in the late winter. Time on the ship, around the pool and hot tubs and on the warm beaches of the Caribbean was too tempting after a cold, city bound winter.

I packed mostly light weight clothes, shorts and several modest bathing suits. Celeste packed a half dozen bikini's and one I hadn't seen before.

When we checked in, we were issued elastic wrist bands that served to identify us and also opened the door to our stateroom.

At dinner, the first night, we were seated at a four-person table with Jack and Annette, an unmarried couple. Jack and Annette were a couple of years older than we were and experienced cruisers, this being their seventh cruise. Dinner was actually fun. They were an engaging couple. Jack was a natural comedian and Annette kept feeding him straight lines. As dinner drew to an end, Jack offered to show us around the ship and we accepted.

Showing us around the ship entailed a visit to the ship's theater where we watched a Disney-like musical and then to a club for drinks. The drinks were uninspiring but the music persuasive. I danced several dances with Celeste and then with Annette. Annette might have been an old hand at cruising but she was all hands when dancing. Her hands wandered all over my neck, back and derrière. She made a point of holding me tight during a slow dance. I politely held her close in return.

During a short break, Celeste admitted to me that Jack was similarly inclined, moving his hands slowly up and down her back and holding on to her ass firmly during the slow dance.

I asked her how she felt about Jack's exploration of her body and she confessed that she found it pleasant to the point of excitement.

"He's making you wet, isn't he?" I asked pointedly.

Her response was a simple, "Yes."

"Full disclosure," I told Celeste. "Annette is working similar magic with me."

"Hard?" Celeste asked.

"It's getting there," I said.

"What do we do?" asked Celeste.

"I think we go with the flow and see where it leads," I suggested.

"What if I lose control and I fuck him?" asked Celeste.

"I don't think that will happen unless I'm also fucking Annette," I said.

"I don't know if I'm okay with that," said Celeste.

"We've talked about it at home," I reminded her.

"We fantasized about it," clarified Annette. "This isn't fantasy. This is too real."

"We could just say good night and head back to our stateroom," I offered.

Celeste was silent for several moments. "I don't think I want to do that," she said.

"What happens if he wants to fuck you?" I asked.

"I'm more concerned about how you'll feel if he fucks me," said Celeste.

"I'll probably be focused on fucking Annette," I told her.

"And afterward, when were back in our stateroom again?" asked Celeste.

"We have fantasized about the possibility and, if you fuck my brains out afterward, I think I'll handle it very well," I said.

Celeste laughed. "I think we should go with the flow and see where it leads," she said.

We danced until just before the club closed. I danced every dance with Annette. She was very body conscious. Her hands on my body were never still and she encouraged me to do the same with her body. Whenever I paused my hands on her body, she reminded me, sometimes verbally. As we danced in the darkened room, I learned that her lips tasted sweet and her breasts were full and warm. Her pubic area never paused rubbing on one of my thighs and her hands wandered over my erection in my pants ceaselessly.

Late in the evening, Annette whispered in my ear, "Hold my ass."

Since I wasn't opposed to holding her ass, I did as I was told.

"Under my skirt," Annette whispered.

I used my fingers to pull up her skirt in the back one inch at a time. Annette shifted her hips to allow the front of her skirt to keep up. When I could, I reached under the hem of her skirt and continued to move both hands up the back of her thighs. When I reached the creases at the top of her thighs and the bottom of her cheeks, I spread my fingers and continued upward over her naked ass.

"Oh. No panties," I commented. "When did that happen?"

"In the ladies' room, when we took a break," said Annette.

"Where are they?" I asked.

"In my purse," answered Annette. "Do you want to see them?"

"Maybe later," I said.

I realized that in pulling up the rear of her skirt, the front had followed. If her ass was visible, so was her pussy. As I pondered my next move, Annette turned in my arms. My hands that were seconds ago palming her ass were now palming her pussy.

"Ooooh. That feels really nice," Annette cooed.

I slid a finger between her labia.

"Fuck," whispered Annette. "I'll make you a deal," she continued. "If you fuck me I'll not only let you see my panties, I'll give them to you."

I looked around for Celeste.

"Looking for Celeste?" asked Annette. "Don't worry. I'm sure she's in good hands with Jack."

"Does he get her panties?" I asked.

"Only if she wants him to have them," said Annette.

"Where's your stateroom?" I asked.

"I think that it will be a little crowded. Yours would be better," suggested Annette.

Annette and I left the club, rode the elevator and bumped along the narrow hallways until we reached Celeste's and my stateroom. We went inside the empty room. The second the door closed, Annette turned and put a very wet, very sloppy lip lock on me. Our tongues were dancing with each other and her body was urgently pressing my body against the door. One of her hands was around my neck. The other hand was working feverishly on my belt buckle. I managed to get my mouth free for a second.

"Slow down," I said.

"I don't want to lose this moment," Annette said.

"We're going to do this," I told her. "We can do it one of two ways: 'Slam Bam' or 'Thank You Ma'am.'"

Annette paused. "Thank you ma'am?" she asked.

"Good choice," I said. I picked her up and carried her to the bed.

I stood next to her sitting on the bed. I leaned over and began to unbutton her blouse. She stood up in front of me and took over the unbuttoning of her blouse. I began to unbutton my shirt. Annette's blouse and my shirt hit the floor together.

"Nice," said Annette as she ran her fingers through the curly hair on my chest. I kicked off my sandals and removed my shorts. We were standing in front of each other, Annette in a bra and skirt and me in my underwear.

Realizing the unequal status of our clothing, Annette reached behind her back, unhooked and removed her bra. Her breasts were perfect. Smaller than Celeste's with larger nipples. They sat on her chest, perfectly round and without the slightest indication of sag. She couldn't help but notice the focus of my attention.

"Like what you see?" she asked, pushing her chest up slightly to accentuate her breasts.

"More than like," I commented.

"I'm very orgasmic," said Annette, "and my nipples are directly connected to my orgasmic center. I'd love it if you were to test my assertion."

I leaned over, held her left breast in one hand and kissed the nipple. She used both hands to pull my head tighter against her breast and I sucked her nipple between my lips. Her legs faltered and I put both of my arms around her body to stabilize her. She recovered quickly without me sucking on her nipple.

She smiled at me and, before I could react, she stripped off her skirt, sat on the bed and spread her legs. Her mons was denuded, every crease and labia clearly visible. Her clitoris, like her nipples, reflected her heightened state of arousal.

"How about now?" she said.

"Is that connected to your orgasmic center?" I asked.

"You could find out easy enough," Annette challenged.

I knelt on the floor and sucked her clitoris between my lips. Her reaction was immediate and intense. I relented and waited for her breathing to return to normal.

"Give me a warning next time," begged Annette.

"Would the result have been any different?" I asked.

"Probably not but we could have found a way to delay and prolong it," she asserted.

I stood up and started to remove my briefs.

Annette slid onto the floor in front of me. "Whoa. Let me do that," she stated.

She took my briefs in both hands and pulled them down until my erection was trapped in the elastic waistband. She finished pushed by briefs down with her left hand while catching my rebounding erection with her right hand.

"Nice. Very nice," Annette commented.

She kissed the head of my erection, put her mouth over the top inch and sucked. The head of my cock was connected to my orgasmic center and it was my turn for my legs to weaken.

Annette slid back onto the bed and spread her legs. "Come and get it," she laughed.

I almost tripped when I took a step toward the bed. I kicked my briefs from around my ankles and climbed on the bed between her legs. I positioned my head between her legs.

She took my head in her hands and pulled me up. "We'll come back to that later. Now I want you to fuck me," she insisted.

I slid up her body, kissed her and entered her. She fiercely gripped me. I got the impression she was struggling to suppress an immediate orgasm. The moment passed and I began to stroke inside her. She returned each stroke enthusiastically. Only moments later, I was struggling against my own orgasm, a struggle that I lost. I released multiple pulses of semen inside her. She responded to my orgasm with an orgasm of her own.

"We lay together, panting softly and recovering. "I don't know why you create that reaction in me. Even Jack hasn't brought me to orgasm as quickly as you do."

"I don't know either," I told her. "I can only suggest that the chemistry between us is unique to us and we shouldn't expect it with others."

"You're probably right," she agreed. "I love orgasms and so many close together are a wonderful experience if a little frightening," admitted Annette. "Can you frighten me again?"

"I need some time to recharge," I said.

"Can I help to recharge you?" Annette asked.

"Anything you'd like to speed things along," I encouraged her.

Annette's recharging help started with an oral exploration of my reluctant member. Her help was effective and soon she was riding me into the orgasm sunset.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Annette got out of bed and headed for the tiny bathroom to relieve herself. Instead of coming back to bed, she gathered her clothing and headed for the stateroom door. I watched, lidded eyed, as she left the room, totally naked and shielded only by the clothing she was carrying. A few minutes later, Celeste entered the room. She was wearing only her blouse and skirt. I know that because she stripped next to the bed and treated me to her own version of recharging.

Sex with Celeste that night was amazing, well beyond anything we had attempted in the three years of our marriage until then. We slept late the next day and, to prove it wasn't a fluke, we repeated it before showers and a trip to the buffet for breakfast.

The buffet was in the process of changing over from breakfast to lunch. We managed to scrape together food, with coffee. We sat at an isolated table with an aft view and discussed the events of the previous evening. We agreed that our experiences were more than we fantasized about before the cruise. Surprisingly, neither of us had vile thoughts about the activities of each other especially after the intensity of the sex with each other afterward.

We agreed to continue to explore the opportunities on the cruise as long as we were acting in concert and ending each day in each other's arms. Having satisfied our emotional, sexual and nutritional hungers, we decided to head for the pool deck to soak our bodies in a hot tub.

We changed into swimming suits in our room. I, in modest shorts and Celeste in an immodest bikini. We grabbed towels and were wandering around the pool when someone called our names. We looked around and spotted Jack and Annette in one of the hot tubs.

"Should we join them," I asked.

"What do we have to lose?" asked Celeste.

"Just more sleep," I suggested.

Laughing, Annette climbed the half dozen steps up to the hot tub with me following her. Jack and Annette were soaking up to their necks in the swirling water. They weren't alone. They were sharing the hot tub with another couple at least twenty years older than any of us. We settled into the water and Jack introduced us to Steve and Marion. I was seated next to Marion and Celeste next to Jack.

Over the next ten minutes, Jack explained that he and Annette had met Steve and Marion on an adult's only cruise about three years earlier and had booked a number of cruises with them since.

While I contemplated the ramifications of potential activities on an adult's only cruise and the activities of last night on this family-oriented cruise and arrived at the conclusion I'm sure Jack wanted me to have, Marion put a hand on my thigh under the water. "Jack tells us you and Celeste are new at this but you've adapted quickly," she said.

I was beginning to understand the double entendre method of ship communication and reached the obvious interpretation strengthened by Jack's long introduction. Marion, a woman in her fifties, was signaling that she wanted to fuck me.

I looked up and caught Celeste's eye. She smiled, nodded and blew me a kiss. She knew exactly what Marion was up to and she approved.

The introductions complete, Jack and Annette excused themselves. On the way out of the hot tub, Annette said to no one in particular, "We've still got four more nights."

Her statement may have been delivered generally but I interpreted it as directed toward me.

Celeste took the opportunity created by the absence of Jack and Annette to slide around in the hot tub until she was seated next to Steve. I couldn't see what she did but based on the smile on Steve's face I assumed she had put her hand on his thigh.

Celeste and I spent the next hour in the hot tub with Steve and Marion. Hands on thighs invited other hands on other thighs. Hands moved up thighs until they were nearing other more personal locations. By the time Marion moved her hand to my crotch, my erection was already in progress. Marion was wearing a modest one-piece bathing suit with a high neckline. However, my hand discovered looseness in the bottom of her suit and I was able to slide my fingers through the leg opening in her suit and settle on a dense forest of curly pubic hair.

Marion seemed amenable to my intrusion. She moved subtly to improve my access and tried to slide her hand under the waistband of my suit. I assisted her in untying the drawstring of my suit around my waist and stretching the suit top allowing her similar access to my pubic hair.

I ran a finger around the nub of her clitoris while she gripped my erection and stroked it up and down. Marion had her eyes closed and she was breathing unevenly. Something similar was happening with Celeste and Steve.

Without preamble, Marion said, "I think I've had enough heat for the moment. Why don't we go to lunch?"

We scrambled around to adjust our bathing suits and left the hot tub together. We agreed to meet for lunch at one of the specialty restaurants in twenty minutes and headed for our individual staterooms to change for lunch.

In the room, Celeste asked, "Do you think Jack and Annette set us up with Steve and Marion?"

"No doubt about it," I responded. "Just the way Jack introduced us and described how they met and their continued relationship, I assumed they had a sexual relationship. Why would he do that if he wasn't offering us to each other? When Jack and Annette left so suddenly, I was sure he expected something to happen. When Marion put her hand on my thigh, any doubts I had evaporated."

"How far did she go?" asked Celeste.

"About as far as she could in a public hot tub," I told her.

"How far was that?"

"She knows that I can get an erection in a hot tub and I know she has a sensitive clitoris," I said. "How about you and Steve?"

"About the same as you and Marion," answered Celeste. "So, do you think we're going to just do lunch?"

"Not a prayer," I said. "I hope you didn't have other plans for the afternoon."

Celeste laughed. "Let's go to lunch," she said.

I noticed she left the room in a loose skirt and no panties.

Lunch was short and the four of us wandered out to the starboard railing. We had a view of the harbor the ship had docked at during the early morning hours. I had no idea what port we were at. It had little appeal to me since I was expecting things more entertaining than whatever the port provided.

When I felt Marion gently rubbing my ass, I reached over behind her and rubbed her ass. As unobtrusively and possible, Marion moved the hem of her skirt up in the back until I was rubbing her ass underneath. No panties. Did Marion and Celeste somehow coordinate a dress code?

We drifted apart and wandered in the direction of the staterooms. Marion and I ended up at her and Steve's cabin. They had a larger stateroom with a larger balcony, two double beds and a larger bathroom.

"Nice," I commented when we entered.

"It gets nicer," commented Marion.

I turned to look at her and she was already unbuttoning her blouse. I smiled as I watched her. She watched me smile at her. When the last button was undone, she pulled her blouse from the waistband of her skirt, slid it off her shoulders, down her arms and tossed it aside.