Moving Forward - 36. Chapter 36 (8.4)

Marshall, Lee, and Roger weren’t the only ones heading down to the main deck. Everyone had gathered together, interested in seeing what there was to see beneath the sea. The whole bottom of the ship was now transparent, and people ringed the viewing port, watching the fascinating tableau below.

Being taller, Marshall and Lee stood behind the others, rather than obstruct the sight of those who were shorter. They still had a somewhat decent view of what was going on.

Schools of bright orange and purple fish swam in synchronized grace about the delicate coral reef which stretched below them. The turquoise water was so crystal clear and unpolluted that they had no trouble seeing everything. Everyone oohed and aahed when a large turtle swam by, oblivious to their presence.

“He looks big enough to ride!” someone exclaimed and everyone laughed.

“Can we go swimming here?” a teenaged boy asked.

“No, not here, but we’ll be stopping at the beach next, and you can swim there,” the tour guide explained.

Marshall thought that sounded great, but he was really looking forward to the private beach Lee had mentioned. Making love with Lee outdoors was always amazing; he couldn’t wait to try it under Caribbean skies.

As Marshall watched, the fish suddenly darted away, out of view. The reason became evident moments later when a shark swam beneath them, evoking exclamations of both surprise and alarm from the observers on the boat. Some edged away from the viewing port, as if they were afraid the shark might attack them.

“Do not be alarmed,” the guide hastened to assure them. “He has no way of joining us.”

The tourists laughed and relaxed a little.

“I wonder what kind of fish those are,” Marshall speculated. They were pretty, but not near big enough to catch and eat. Assuming anyone would want to eat something so pretty. Much as he enjoyed fishing, he’d rather look at these than try to hook them.

“No clue,” Lee said, “but they sure look nice.” He put his arm around Marshall’s waist. Marshall stepped closer to his warmth, never losing track of what was going on just below them.

They kept the viewport open for awhile, and Marshall saw a few animals he couldn’t even name, as well as more fish. A couple of jelly fish glided by, their translucent bodies expanding and contracting as they moved. None of the denizens of the deep seemed to mind the presence of the humans, going about their business as if the boat was a normal part of their world.

All too soon, they closed the viewing port and continued. The guide announced they would be at Honeymoon Beach shortly, so Marshall and Lee didn’t bother to head back up top. The passengers were all let off at the dock, and the guide said they would return for them in an hour to an hour and a half. “Don’t forget to have fun!” were his parting words.

The day was bright and sunny, the sand was warm, and although they were far from alone, Marshall thought it could have been worse. They bought fruity drinks at a concession stand, and something to eat, and found a spot to call their own on the beach.

“You going to make me wait half an hour to swim?” Marshall asked mischievously as he finished off his loaded hot dog and licked the spicy sauce from his fingers.

“I should, but then you’d miss all the fun,” Lee teased. “You’re a grown man. I think you can handle it.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?” Lee asked.

“I mean, you wanna come swimming with me?”

“I kinda thought I might.” Lee grinned. “Unless you think I’m getting too old for that?” As he spoke, Lee stood and toed off his beach sandals, then began to remove his clothes. He slid his jeans slowly down his legs, his swim suit visible beneath that. Then he took off his shirt and placed his garments in the bag they’d brought with them.

Marshall whistled at the sight. No one could ever call Lee old. He had a fantastic body, well-defined without being overly sculpted. Hard in all the right places, and yet silky soft in others. He had plenty of hair without being a grizzly bear. And he was all Marshall’s.

In response, Marshall stood and stripped down to his own low-cut blue swim suit, which he knew showed off his own figure pretty well. He was no slouch in the body department, and he knew it, but he hoped he’d look half as good as Lee when he was Lee’s age.

They’d both forgotten Roger, who was sitting with them, finishing his own meal.

“You two belong on the cover of a magazine,” he complimented them. He quickly stripped down to his own swim suit. “You guys can stand there and look pretty, I’m getting wet.” Without looking back, he threw up his arms, gave a wild cry, and raced toward the ocean.

Marshall and Lee looked at one another and began to laugh, just before they followed him into the water.