After dinner, the four friends joined one of the loud and jubilant parties that seemed to be taking place on every deck. Dozens of men, many clad only in scanty Speedos, undulated with a partner—or, in some cases,manypartners—as the music pounded out a furious beat. David located a table at the outer edge of the dance floor and flagged a waiter.
“Hennessy,” he half yelled to the steward, hoping to be heard over the din of the music. “Am I getting old?” he asked his friends after they had ordered drinks. “Because this is too damned loud and boisterous for my taste.”
“Youknowhow I feel,” Joshua replied, laughing. But David pointed at Nate, who faced the dancers and was bouncing in his chair in time with the music.
“Get out there, Davy,” Colin said, gesturing toward the dance floor. “Let your husband show off his moves.”
David shot him a scowl, and then his eyes returned to Nate, who was now clapping his hands in time with the music. David’s face twisted in a thoughtful frown.
“He’sthinkingabout it,” Joshua whispered into Colin’s ear. “Is it evenpossiblethat…”
David took a long swallow of the potent cognac, then sat it down and stood. “C’mon,” he said to Nate, then took his hand and drew him to the center of the dance area.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Colin muttered, clearly surprised.
David’s age and more sedate attire set them apart from most of the youthful merrymakers, but from the moment he and Nate began to move with the music, it was clear that what they lacked in appropriate clothing, they more than made up for in their enthusiastic love for dancing. They threw themselves into the joyous mood of the cruise, tossing caution to the wind as the pulsating rhythm of the music flowed through them. Their entrance sent a ripple of surprise through the vibrant sea of half-naked revelers, replaced after a few moments by murmurs of surprised admiration.
Amid the kaleidoscope of colorful lights, the couple moved with an unexpected grace. As they began to dance in time with the music, their movements blended together seamlessly, setting them free from the assumed constraints of David’s conservative dress. It became clear to the watching revelers that these two men knew each other on deep and intimate levels. Their bodies whirled in perfect sync with the pounding beat and with each other, moving in a rhythm that was as filled with joyous abandon as the celebration all around them. They seemed to sense each other’s dance steps, moving almost as one, and their dance became a focal point for the entire crowd, a symbol of unity and joyous, loving connection.
The other dancers—initially focused on the more daring outfits and provocative dance moves—couldn't help but be captivated by their performance. The contrast between their low-key attire and the uninhibited energy of their movements only added to the delight felt by their audience. Whispers and murmurs of amazement echoed through the deck as the duo made the dance floor their own. Their dance moves were not the most expert, but the obvious joy they felt both in the dance and in each other captured the hearts of all who watched.
Colin and Joshua moved to the crowd’s edge, cheering and clapping, enjoying their friends’ unexpected performance. “You GO, Professor!” Colin yelled, pumping his fist in the air. “Kick ass!”
As the song drew to a close, David threw his arms around Nate and spun him in a circle, both men laughing with the kind of uninhibited delight that rarely surfaced in David’s more restrained personality. Their fellow dancers applauded as they moved back to their table, and Colin and Joshua cheered and patted their backs, congratulating them repeatedly.
Still laughing, David collapsed into his chair with Nate in his lap. He tossed back the rest of his cognac in one long swallow and gazed at his friends, his hazel eyes glowing. “I bet you didn’t expectthat!” He exclaimed, then kissed Nate with a passionate hunger.
“What other secrets are you hiding, Professor?” Colin asked, grinning broadly.
“Yeah,” Joshua echoed, signaling the steward for another round. “You’ve been holding out on us!”
“I’ve always known he had the moves,” Nate told them. “He’s just shy about showing them in public.” He leaned toward Joshua. “He’s a fire devil inprivate,” he told them in a pretend whisper.
“Wait!” Colin said. “They’re making some kind of announcement.”
“The last dance has been declared a couples contest,” the loudspeaker announced. “Is there a pair you’d like to nominate?”
The revelers erupted in applause and cheers, and at least a dozen passengers rushed from the dance floor to grab David and Nate and drag them to the bandstand. In shocked disbelief, they locked eyes as they were propelled toward the stage. “Are theykiddingwith this?” David asked, looking back at Colin, who was doubled over with laughter.
“And is this our winning couple?” the announcer asked, and the audience cheered and applauded in response, making it clear that David and Nate were their chosen winners.
“Colin!” David yelled as he and Nate were urged up the stairs to the stage. “Get over here!”
“We’re right here, buddy,” Colin called from the dance floor. He and Joshua stood next to the stage, applauding as their friends were led forward.
The warm light that bathed the stage now shone on the duo, who had inadvertently become the stars of the evening. The atmosphere crackled with joy, celebrating the unscripted magic of love, friendship, and dance that had captivated everyone present.
“I give you the lords of the dance!” The announcer exclaimed, moving David and Nate to center stage.
David looked down at Colin and Joshua, eyes wide with amazement, but was drawn back to the stage by Nate, who leaped into his arms, whooping with joy.
“We’re the lords of the dance!”
“Weare?” David queried, peering into Nate’s shining blue eyes.
Nate laughed out loud and kissed David again and again. Next to the stage, Joshua cheered while Colin pierced the air with whistles.
David grabbed both of Nate’s shoulders. “Is there a cashprize?”
