“Thanks, I was really nervous at first, but it got easier the more I talked. Everything that you and I discussed kinda came back to me.”
Their luggage hadn’t arrived yet, and Kris explained that it wasn’t unusual to get it after the ship had set sail, so jeans were fine for the first night. They’d both packed an extra shirt in their carry-on bags, so they freshened up a bit before leaving.
“Oh, and thanks for telling me to pack a change of clothes in my carry-on,” Drew told him while Kris brushed his teeth. He’d left the door open, so Drew felt it was fair game to talk to him.
“No problem,” Kris replied after spitting into the sink. “I know I’m ready for a fresh shirt by dinnertime, especially after traveling for part of the day.”
He exited the bathroom shirtless, and Drew tried hard not to stare. Kris’s chest was devoid of hair, save for the trail of light-brown fuzz from his navel to his waistband. It was all Drew could do not to reach over and lick those dark-brown nipples and six-pack abs.
“Um, oh yeah,” he stammered, hoping he hadn’t missed anything else Kris had said while his mind wandered. He scooted into the bathroom to brush, wash, and comb. Donning his mint-green polo, he grabbed his phone and declared himself ready to go.
CHAPTER3
Kris
“I hopeyou didn’t mind leaving the family meet and greet,” Kris said, grinning. “That was a joke, by the way. I can only take so much of my folks, and we do have to see them again later. Kat’s cool, though. She’s rooming with my cousin Courtney. Court’s great too. I’m sure we’ll be spending more time with both of them.”
“It’s fine. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’m on a Caribbean cruise!” Drew exclaimed. “I never thought I’d be this lucky.”
“Wow, this is quite nice-looking,” Kris said when they’d reached Neptune’s Reef. It was a large piano bar that overlooked part of the atrium area of the ship. It was decked out in burgundy, mauve, and gray, and a large Christmas tree was glistening with lights in the corner. The room was divided into separate seating areas, with sofas and chairs clustered around small tables. He pointed to an unoccupied space, and they sat.
“Good evening, gentlemen, I’m Gabriel, your bar waiter, but you can call me Gabe,” a handsome server addressed them. “May I get you something to drink?” He used a small tablet to scan their OceanAccess bands, and they both ordered. “I’ll be back shortly.”
“I had no idea that cruises did these LGBTQ meetups,” Drew said. “Is that something that just Ocean Cruise Lines does, or do they all offer something like this?”
“As far as I know, they all do. I’ve only been on a couple of cruises, but I’ve heard that it’s a common thing these days. There’s nothing formal about it, just a way for folks to meet other like-minded people if they choose to.”
Gabe returned and set their drinks before them. “Please let me know if there’s anything else I can get for you.” He winked at both of them and was off to another group of patrons.
“Here’s to a fun, and hopefully uneventful, week.” Kris lifted his cosmopolitan. Drew clinked with his own, and they sipped.
“Wow, that’s good.” Drew sighed. He glanced up and pointed. “Oh, look, is that Kat?”
“Yep,” Kris said, following his gaze, “and that’s my cousin Court with her.”
“Hi, boys,” Kat greeted them. “Mind if we join you?”
“Not at all,” Kris said. “Drew, this is my cousin Courtney; Court, my boyfriend, Drew.”
“Cosmos, brother?” Kat asked.
“Of course.” Kris smiled.
When Gabe approached, Kat said, “We’ll have what they’re having.”
“Of course. I’ll be right back with them.”
“I’m glad you decided to join us,” Kris told them.
“Well, now that Mom has Auntie Di and Uncle Frank to talk to, we were able to make our escape.” Kat giggled. “You know they’re best in small doses.”
“Wow, there are lots of really good-looking guys here,” Court said to no one in particular.
“Yeah, but they’re only interested in each other,” Kat joked.
“I’m sure there’s someone for everyone here tonight,” Kris said.
“So, what do you do, Drew?” Court asked.
