Monday, October 7 - Genoa, aboardOcean Wanderer
Ben rolled over and opened his eyes. The bedside clock read eight-twelve. He felt warmth behind him, it took a moment for him to remember that Rob was there.
Dinner had been nice. Just casual and relaxed while they chatted about a lot of different things: movies, TV shows, books. It had been sweet and comfortable.
And they drank wine. Lots of wine. When the first bottle was empty, Ben opened the second and they’d ended up drinking most of that. At one point, Ben played some music on his phone and they had danced around the living room a bit.
And they kissed.
Then they’d kissed some more. But it hadn’t gone any further than that. Well, okay, theyhadmade out for a while and they’d both gotten hard, but they stopped before things got out of hand. It had been a very emotional day for Rob; Ben hadn’t wanted to overstep.
When Rob had gotten up to leave, he’d been a bit unsteady on his feet. Ben was about to offer to walk him back to his suite when Rob asked if he could stay. He’d explained that he wasn’t looking for anything other than maybe a cuddle. He just didn’t think he could be alone.
Ben had readily agreed, wanting nothing more than to make Rob feel cared for.
They had taken turns in the bathroom, with Rob using his finger to brush his teeth. Then they undressed, being sure to keep their underwear on, and slid under the covers.
They hugged, then Rob had turned over and offered himself as the little spoon. They fell asleep quickly.
Rob turned to look at the back of Ben’s head. “Are you awake?” he whispered.
“Yeah,” Ben replied sleepily. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Great. I slept so well. Thanks for letting me stay. I feel much better this morning.”
Ben twisted to face him, “I’m glad. Do you want breakfast? We could order more room service.”
“I do want breakfast and lots of coffee. But how about we go somewhere? I’ll go back to my cabin so I can shower and change and then we can grab a bite somewhere.”
“Okay,” Ben leaned forward and kissed him. “I’ll pick you up at your place in thirty minutes. Is that good?”
“Sure.” Rob got up and reached for his jeans on the chair next to the bed. Ben couldn’t help but admire the way his ass filled out his tight, black boxer briefs. Rob pulled his Henley over his head and sat down, slipping on his socks and sneakers.
As he walked to the door, Ben got up and headed into the bathroom. “See you shortly.”
* * *
Ben stood at the door to Rob’s suite and rang the doorbell. After a couple of moments, Rob opened the door and invited Ben in, planting a quick peck on his cheek, then asked, “Have you heard of the Bluefin Bistro? It’s a suite-only restaurant on Deck 15.”
“No, I haven’t. Is that where you want to go for breakfast?”
“Yeah, I called and they had space, so I made a reservation for us if that’s okay? I thought it might be less hectic than the buffet or the Cove Café.”
“That sounds great. Are you ready to go?”
“One sec. I gotta put on my wristband and grab my phone.” Rob turned and went into the bedroom.
As they made their way to the restaurant, Ben said, “The ship seems quiet today. Did everyone sleep in or something?”
“Actually, we docked in Genoa a couple of hours ago. Most folks were probably up early and are already off on shore excursions or something.”
“Ah, that’s right. But you’re not planning on going anyway, right?”
“No. I actually love staying on the ship when we’re in port somewhere. There are hardly any people around and it kind of feels like the ship is mine to enjoy. Besides, I’ve been to Genoa before and while I enjoyed it, I didn’t feel the need to go back this time.”
They arrived at the bistro and were seated near a window overlooking the dock area. It was a beautiful sunny day, and they could see people walking about in the city. There were a few other occupied tables in the restaurant, but it wasn’t crowded at all.
The restaurant was bright and airy, with sleek wood accents. The walls were off-white, and the linens were pale sage and cream. A small silver vase with orange flowers sat in the center of each table. It was a beautiful space that once again reflected a calm serenity that could be felt in many parts of the ship.
