Ben removed his hand. “Okay, wine. Do you want to stick with a Tempranillo, or try something different?”
“I’ll let you decide. I’m definitely having seafood so perhaps a white would be better, but honestly, I have no problem drinking red wine with fish.”
“White sounds good to me, actually. They have several Albariños on the wine list. I’ll choose one of them,” Ben offered.
The waiter approached and Ben ordered a bottle of the Albariño. As the waiter left to get the wine, they picked up their menus and thought about food. They decided onjamónand grilled shrimp to start and then, after some deliberation, agreed on thezarzuela de mariscosfor two.
The pace was very leisurely, and as they ate and drank, they talked more about the upcoming cruise.
“What type of cabin do you have on the ship, Ben?”
“I’m in a penthouse suite. My assistant Julie made all the arrangements for me, but she said that I deserved a suite. She also said that she knew I might end up just hanging around in my cabin all the time, so I should have something large with a nice balcony. She knows me too well.”
“Ha,” Rob responded. “I think she and Sam would get along really well. She sounds just as controlling as Sam.”
“Oh, you have no freakin’ idea, Rob.” agreed Ben, chuckling.
“I’m in a suite too,” Rob admitted. “I’m in one of two Celestial Suites on the ship. They’re up on Deck 18, part of the balcony overlooks the pool area.”
“Wow! That sounds amazing. Any chance I could get a tour sometime?” Ben asked.
Abso-fucking-lutely! Rob thought, but he said, “Certainly. You’re welcome any time.
“I must admit, even though Alan and I have stayed in suites a few times in the past, I’ve never had a suite quite this large before. When the cruise line announced this class of ship and we first saw the cabin floor plans and then photos, we decided to splurge. I’m really looking forward to seeing it in person.
“Okay,” Rob continued, after taking a breath, “But now I’ve gotten off track, which always happens when I start talking about cruises. What I wanted to say is that there’s a special line at the pier for suite passengers. It’s usually shorter and we should be able to board the ship faster. You’ll drop off your luggage with one of the stevedores that handle getting all the luggage on board, then head into the terminal to check-in. There'll be lots of staff around, just show one of them your boarding pass and they’ll direct you to the right line.”
“Which reminds me,” Ben interrupted. “Do you want to get a cab together tomorrow? It makes sense as we’re both going to the same place.”
“That’s perfect,” Rob agreed. “We can have breakfast and then head to the pier around eleven. Does that sound okay?”
“Yeah, that sounds great.” Ben glanced at his watch. “Holy shit, we’ve been here over two hours! I had no idea.”
“Me neither. Good food and great conversation, the time just flew by,” said Rob.
He looked around for the waiter and when he saw him, signaled for the check. When the waiter brought it over, Rob handed him his credit card. After the waiter ran it through the portable card reader, he handed the terminal to Rob, who added a tip and signed the screen.
The waiter handed Rob a receipt and his card, saying “Gracias.Buenas noches, señores.”
As they exited the restaurant, Ben looked around for a taxi. He was just explaining to Rob that it might be a few minutes before a taxi showed up, when a cab pulled into the restaurant parking area, dropping off a couple of passengers.
Ben asked the driver if he was available and when the driver nodded, they climbed in the back seat. While they rode quietly back to the hotel, Ben was trying to think of how he could tell Rob that he was feeling something for him, without making it sound awkward. Unfortunately, he hadn’t come up with anything that sounded right in his head by the time they reached the hotel.
Ben paid the driver. They got out of the taxi and entered the hotel. As they rode the elevator up to their floor, Ben had an idea. When the doors opened, Ben said, “Rob, can I walk you to your room? There’s something I’d like to tell you.”
“Sure,” replied Rob. He used his key card to unlock his door and they both stepped in. Rob flipped the switch to turn on the light, then turned to Ben and said, “So…what did you want to tell me?”
Ben hesitated for a moment, then looking into Rob’s eyes said, “Fuck, I didn’t think this would be so difficult.”
Rob sighed, “It's okay, I understand, just say it.”
Ben said, “Rob, may I kiss you?”
“I...um, what?” Rob looked stunned. His eyes locked with Ben’s.
Ben said, “I really want to kiss you.”
Rob nodded and their lips met. The kiss was sweet and soft and tender and felt oh, so right.
