* * *
Back in his room, Ben hung his bathing suit over the shower rod in the bathroom to dry, then put his Kindle on the nightstand. He undressed, set an alarm on his phone for five-thirty and got into bed. He decided to read for a bit and powered up his Kindle. He was about halfway into the latest book in his favorite cozy mystery series, and he was desperately trying to figure out who the killer was.
He’d only read for a few minutes when his eyes started to close.No point in fighting it.He shut off the Kindle, turned on his side, and fell asleep thinking about how much he enjoyed Rob’s company.
* * *
Rob hung up his swimsuit as soon as he got back to his room. It would dry in plenty of time for him to repack it before leaving for the cruise terminal in the morning, but if not, well that’s why he carried ziplock bags with him when he traveled.
He sat on the loveseat in the corner. Looking around the room, he was glad they’d picked this hotel when they made plans for this trip. While the other L17 hotels he and Alan had stayed at were all nice, this was the best so far. With its wood-laminate floors and sleek, modern king-sized bed topped off with a snowy white duvet, it was modern and stylish, but the teal upholstered loveseat with bright orange and lime pillows made it feel warm and comfortable.
He checked his phone and saw that Sam had texted him several times, not happy that he hadn’t responded to her endless questions about Ben.
He smiled and shook his head.She’s relentless, but I love her. I know she just wants me to be happy, but she doesn’t have to get all mama bear on me all the time,he thought as he called her by tapping her name in his favorites list.
“Finally,” Sam said when she answered the phone. “I’m dying here. How the hell did you meet Ben Rockingham?”
“It was totally by accident, Sam. I spent a good part of yesterday walking around the neighborhood near the hotel. It’s really a nice area with lots of little shops and restaurants.
“After lunch, I came back to the hotel and was in my room thinking about either reading or taking a nap and I thought, ‘If Sam were here, she’d tell me to go to the bar, have a drink, and live a little.’ So I took that advice and went down to the hotel bar. Lo and behold, Ben was sitting there having a glass of wine. We started chatting and that turned into having dinner together.”
“First of all,” Sam said, “You bet your ass I would tell you to go to the bar and have some fun. That’s what this trip is about, right?”
Without giving him a chance to respond, she barreled on, “And exactly who are you and what have you done with the real Rob Asher? ’Cause the guy I know wouldn’t be chatting up a hot actor in a bar in Barcelona.” She laughed and went on, “Seriously though, I’m super proud of you for doing what you did, sweetie. I know it wasn’t easy.”
Rob chuckled at what he thought of as Sam’s reply behavior. Make a joke and then let him know that she cared. “No, it wasn’t easy, but it felt good, Sam. Really good.”
“Oh Rob, I’m really happy for you. So, drinks and dinner last night and now lunch today with him. I don’t recall ever reading anything about him being into guys, so I’m not gonna assume that you’re thinking about dating or anything, so what’s going on?”
“Damned if I know Sam,” Rob replied. “I’m not getting any kind of vibe from him, but maybe my gaydar is on the fritz. He’s very nice and easy to talk to. He’s not all‘I’m a famous actor and you should be in awe of me.’He’s just a regular guy and I really enjoy hanging out with him. We went to a really nice tapas place a few blocks from here last night and in the course of conversation he mentioned he was going to a spa this morning for a massage and to soak in their mineral pools. I was feeling a bit braver than usual, so I asked him if I could go with him since I could really use a massage.”
Rob paused for a moment, remembering what a nice day he’d had and how accommodating Ben had been.
“He said sure and even offered to call the spa this morning to see if I could get an appointment. Plus, he’s fluent in Spanish so that was a huge help to me. Anyway, the massage was amazing, and we had just arrived at a café near the spa when I saw your message. It would have been rude to call you at that moment, so I made you wait.”
“Okay, since you were having lunch with Ben Rockingham, I forgive you,” Sam proclaimed, dramatically. Rob laughed. He knew she was just giving him a hard time and really wasn’t upset that she had to wait to hear from him. “And he speaks Spanish fluently? How sexy is that? But seriously,” she continued, “I just want you to be happy. Damn, if I were there, I’d be able to figure him out in a heartbeat.”
“You sure as hell would,” Rob agreed. “And yes, I know you want me to be happy.”
Rob paused and took a deep breath, “Okay, I’m feeling something for sure, I’m just not sure what yet. He knows I’m gay, but maybe he’s just not feeling what I’m feeling, even though I have no idea what I’m feeling.” He paused, then added, chagrined, “Oh my God, I’m rambling, aren’t I Sam? Besides, it’s too soon. Alan hasn’t been gone that long and I shouldn’t be looking at other guys and thinking…” he trailed off guiltily.
“Yes, you’re rambling, and Alan would be the first one to kick your ass and tell you to go for it and... wait, whatareyou thinking?”
Rob shook his head, smiling—of course Sam picked up on the fact he was thinking something…
“You’re gonna think I’m silly, but I’m thinking that I might wanna kiss him and I wouldn’t mind if he maybe kissed me back,” he replied, his tone softening. Sam could probably tell that he was blushing a bit as he said it.
“I don’t think you’re silly, Rob. I think that’s fantastic! But you get on the ship tomorrow so you only have today. Why are you talking to me when you could be kissing that hunk?”
“Actually,” Rob confessed, “we’re having dinner tonight. Not that I have the guts to actually kiss the guy when I don’t even know if he likes guys. But I haven’t told you the best part yet.”
“Tell me the hotel gave away his room by mistake and he’s gonna have to bunk with you tonight?” Sam asked expectantly.
A bark of laughter burst from Rob’s lips. “Don’t be ridiculous, Sam. What I haven’t told you yet is that Ben is gonna be on the cruise for the first week, so we’ll spend a bit more time together.”
“Get the fuck outta here, Rob!” Sam exclaimed, “That’s awesome. You’ll have a week to make your move, but don’t wait too long. I know they sell condoms in the gift shop on the ship, lube too, I bet. Be sure to pick some up as soon as it opens the first day. That way you’ll be prepared.”
Rob knew it was just best to agree with her at times like this. “Sure, Sam. Fine, Sam. Will do, Sam.” But he had no plans of walking into the ship’s gift shop to buy condoms or lube.
