Unexpected Gift - 5. Chapter 5: Bahamas

The bed was warm and comfortable. Josh lie there stroking Chris’s chest with his fingertips.

“You don’t get weird about talking and a little cuddling after sex, do you?”

“…No. Should I?”

“Some guys do.” Josh kissed Chris’s chest and wrapped an arm around him.

Chris smiled. “I can’t imagine why.”

“You’d be surprised. Macho types and all that. I had one ex that refused to let me touch him after we had sex.”

“I’m not surprised you dumped him.”

Chris’s skin was soft and damp. “Yeah, didn’t take long. So, tell me more about this oral sex during Songs of Praise.” He laughed. “What were you doing and how did you manage to concentrate?”

“I was playing the organ. Just one of the congregational hymns, but nonetheless. They’d taken the camera out of the organ loft, fortunately.”

Josh chuckled and inhaled the scent of Chris post-orgasm. It was a sweet, musky scent that was not unenjoyable to smell. “Daring man.”

“And my page turner was clearly bored.”

“Ah, so that’s who it was.”

Chris raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t think I was going to say a choirboy?” he asked teasingly.

“I hardly think you’re attracted to men who are under 18. Otherwise, you’d have nothing to do with me.”

Chris chuckled. “He’d been a year behind me at university. Bit a daredevil there, too.”

“I think one of the most daring thing I did at college was blew one of the seniors in the stacks one night after going over Business Law with him. He was terrible at it, but he was determined I could help. I think he mostly wanted the blowjob.”

Chris snorted. “Very likely, yes.”

“Everyone knew I was gay. Raleigh was pretty open and you didn’t have to hide. Lexington, on the other hand, was never quite as forgiving. But I think I mentioned that before.”

“Mm. University was fairly permissive, I suppose. More so than the real world.”

“Definitely. One thing I miss about it. And classes. There were others I wanted to take that I thought would help me more with business. But since I only did that for seven years, I guess it doesn’t really matter now.”

“Seven years is a long time.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t worth it. The pay was great, but the hours were hellish. I’d be on call right now if I still worked for them.”

“I can’t imagine you as a high-powered businessman.”

Josh laughed. “I was. But I’ve mellowed out since taking over the bookstore. It’s a good thing, too. I think I ran off three boyfriends when I was working there. Was such an asshole.”

“I can’t imagine that, either.”

“It’s true. Sadly. But I was just a cocky son of a bitch, and expected everything to be my way. Now, I’m grateful for a slow day or two.”

Chris smiled.

“That’s why I guess I keep getting on you about always being available for work. I did that. I didn’t like the person it made me.”

“I don’t think it has that effect on me. It just makes me… extremely busy.”

“Yeah. And forgetful. Lose track of time and have to apologize for it. One date here, another date there. Pretty soon you forget it all because you’re so busy.”

Guilt clouded Chris’s expression. Josh wasn’t trying to make him feel guilty; he just wanted to point out that staying so busy eventually wears on a person and relationships.

“I haven’t exactly been dating a great deal,” Chris said.

“I haven’t either, but that’s definitely one thing I learned about working all the time.” Josh kissed Chris’s chest again. “So, you never dated the page-turner?”

“In university, yes. That was some time ago, though.” Chris got up and went to the mini-bar to rummage through its contents.

“I can imagine. I haven’t seriously dated anyone for years. Do you want any food?”

Chris inspected the bar. “I can offer you… peanuts, crisps, or a small selection of chocolate bars.”

“Peanuts and crisps, did you say? Not going to kick me out of bed for eating in it, are you?”

“Hardly.”

“Good. What are you drinking?”

“An overpriced and slightly suspect gin and tonic. I presumed you’d want beer, but there is whiskey.”

“That works for me.”

Chris brought the bottle over to Josh, along with the crisps and peanuts.

“Thanks. So, when was the last time you dated someone?”

Chris thought for a moment. “More than once or twice? University.”

“Wow. We’re the same age, I reckon, thirty… so it’s been what, ten years?”

“And doesn’t that sound depressing?”

“Not depressing,” Josh said sympathetically. “Just wonder how you can go without for so long when you obviously enjoy sex.”

“I have two perfectly functional hands,” Chris said mildly.

“Yeah, but it’s not the same.”

“No, it isn’t, but it does the job. And ten inches of silicone can be quite satisfying in their own way.”

Josh’s eyes widened. “Please don’t tell me now that you’re a size queen. I can’t compete with ten inches.”

Chris laughed. “Josh, I think I might pass out if someone tried sticking a ten inch dildo up my arse!”

Amused, Josh grinned. “You had me worried for a moment.” He took a long swig of the whiskey and set the bottle on the nightstand.

Chris grimaced as he took a drink of his concoction. “I always find that an ounce of technique is worth a pound of raw size.”

“Well, yeah. So, you like my technique, then?” Josh grinned.

“Did you hear me complaining?”

“Not at all.”

“There you go, then.”

Chris downed his drink.

“No complaints here, either.”

“I should hope not.”

“Mm. It’s too bad we can’t take this on deck somewhere.” Josh reached for the phone and dialed room service for a few martinis, since Chris clearly hadn’t enjoyed his drink.

“I’m not sure that our fellow passengers would appreciate a live show of this nature.”

“That’s a shame.”

“Mm.”

“I bet you’d look fantastic under the stars.”

“And that’s enough booze for you.”

***

Josh looked at his phone and sighed. The screen flashed with No Caller ID. “Hello?”

“What’s happened?” Chris asked.

Relief flooded Josh. “Hey. My sister. She’s having a conniption over my parents. Dad fell down and she’s worried about mom worrying about him. If that made any sense.

“You’d be amazed by how often I hear the same sort of thing from the ladies in the village.” It sounded like Chris leaned against something. “I don’t need to point out the irony here, do I?”

“No.” Josh sighed. “Sabrina expects me to do something right now, and I can’t.”

“Of course you can’t. You’re hundreds of miles away.”

“Doesn’t stop her from expecting the impossible.” Josh sighed again.

“No more than it stops Fiona from thinking that I can miraculously correct her double-tonguing from the opposite side of the planet,” Chris said sympathetically.

“Yeah. So, you stopped and interrupted your island time to call me.”

“I was slightly alarmed when you weren’t on the boat. And then rather more alarmed when it turned out that you hadn’t been on the other one, either. So I thought I’d better make sure you were alright.”

“Yeah. Just tired, now, and realizing that home is closer than I want it to be.”

Chris made a sympathetic noise.

“It’ll be alright. Nothing I can do right now, anyway. We can talk more when you get back. I don’t want you to waste the last shore trip talking to me on a payphone.”

“Just another five minutes. Brenda may have given up hope by then.”

“Brenda?”

“The predatory widow with the oddly-colored hair. She’s hovering.”

“Oh,” Josh laughed. “I didn’t know her name. You certainly have a way with the older woman,” he teased.

“It’s not a way I want,” Chris said emphatically.

“I know. Well, maybe I can take your mind off it for a few minutes, at least. I could tell you about what I want to do to you when you get back, but I’d rather let your imagination handle that one.”

“Oh, God. It will, believe me.”

Josh chuckled. “I hate that I missed the boat. I’d rather be there with you. If I’d gotten out a few minutes sooner, my phone would’ve been here and I would’ve been there.”

“Such is life, sadly. What do you plan to do instead?”

“I thought I might go bowling. Have a few drinks.”

“Maybe you could book a couple of places for us on the sky deck to do some stargazing this evening.”

“Yeah, I can do that.” Josh smiled. “That’ll be nice.”

“I have a telescope at home. I used to enjoy a little astronomy. I did electives in astrophysics my first and second years.”

Josh laughed. “As electives? Are you crazy?”

Chris laughed, too. “I thought it sounded interesting.”

Josh liked hearing Chris laugh. It was warm and inviting. Full of life. “It’s a good thing you’re adventurous.”

And Chris gave any easy laugh in response. “Not the trait you’d expect to be dominant in a church organist, is it? I had a sheltered childhood, but a wild youth. And then the elderly ladies got their hands on me.”

“Not really, no. And you definitely had a wilder youth than I did. How’s Brenda holding up?”

“Looking fidgety. I think she thinks she’s missing something with Irene and Margaret. I give her three and a half minutes. I shall have to find you a tacky souvenir from the island. What do you most despise in gimcrackery?”

“Snow globes and magnets.”

“I’m sure I’ll be able to find a magnet.”

“One I’ll definitely keep on my fridge.”

Chris chuckled.

“What else would you like to do tonight, other than stargaze?”

“There’s a film I rather fancy watching.”

“Sounds good. As long as you’re in bed and at least somewhat naked.”

“I thought that went without saying.”

“Hey, some people have this weird idea that being in bed means more clothes.”

“I’m fairly certain I don’t want to become entangled with them.”

“No, definitely not. All kidding aside, I thought it would be nice to hold you for a bit.”

“…I wasn’t planning to shag through the film, Josh.”

“I didn’t think you did. I was just saying how… never mind. What movie is it?”

“It’s called Deadpool. I’ve been looking forward to it, and I’ve heard good things.”

“Mm. So have I.”

“Do you stock comic books?”

“And graphic novels and Manga.”

Chris sighed happily.

“A fan of all three?”

“Well, I like to know they’re there.”

“Oh, yeah. I have a gaggle of middle school girls who love the manga, the ‘geeks’ who love the graphic novels, and of course all ages buy the comics.”

“I always enjoyed Marvel.”

“I like them and Vertigo.”

“The Sandman changed my life. I can never think of Death as a skeleton, now; Death is a perky goth.”

Josh chuckled. “I liked those, too.”

Chris laughed suddenly. “I was fifteen seconds adrift.”

“Oh, has she finally gone?”

“She has. Early, no less. I shall let you get on with your day, then. The boat is back at six; shall we have an early dinner then?”

“Sounds good to me.” Josh smiled. “See you then.”

Chris hummed, and Josh listened as the receiver clicked into place. He lowered his arm and set his phone on the bed. Scratching his face, he sat back and looked around. Chris’s cell phone sat on the nightstand, off, and all alone. Josh sighed. Now, he had a day to kill alone.

***

The early screening of Deadpool on the boat turned out to be the funniest two hours Josh and Chris had spent together. Or Josh’s face when Chris had brought him back a god-awful fridge magnet that was about as bright pink as a neon sign in a gay bar and as ugly as a hobo. Josh loved it, though. It was something from Chris and that was all that mattered. Just looking at the hideous thing made him smile, which he caught himself doing a lot of during the evening after Chris had brought it back. There was, however, and ever-present tick-tock, tick-tock of the end of the cruise coming. Josh tried not to think about it as he watched Chris sleep, but it stood out like a whale in a fish tank. He wrapped his arms around Chris, inhaled the lingering scent of sweat after they’d made love. His cheeks were still slightly flushed, but Josh reckoned that was from all the sun he’d had walking around the island that day. Josh sighed happily and turned the bedside lamp off and settled down. God, how he loved this man. If he never had another chance in the world to be with him, at least he had had these moments that had taken his breath away. It was the kind of story he would be able to tell his family someday—the romance that knocked him off his feet like a child jumping rope and stumbling. He grinned and kissed Chris’s shoulder. Chris only stirred slightly, turning his head toward Josh. Seeking Josh out, he hoped. He wondered if Chris did the same thing when he was asleep: taking a moment to admire and appreciate this little bubble they had for the time being. If anything, Josh hoped he caught Chris doing it, at least once. Chris wasn’t one to linger, though, so likely not easily caught doing anything that could be taken as high regard as Chris had easily described his feelings. Whatever that meant, Josh hoped it meant he felt as strongly for him as Josh did for Chris. It had to be a British thing, either way. He wasn’t complaining. There was nothing sexier than an allusion to a thing than saying the words. Josh wasn’t as good with words as Chris, so he had to say what he meant every time or face confusion. Dancing around a subject for him had always caused more misfires than he could remember, so he’d taken to being blunt with everything. Not that it hadn’t had its disadvantages, too, but he remembered one thing: an honest man was a better man. Josh kissed Chris on the lips this time, an automatic response coming in return. He smiled. There were so many things about this man and this life he could get used to. But time wasn’t on their side. He sighed again, just as he felt the thrill of Chris’s fingers roll across his arm. An involuntary reaction, Josh was certain, but a nice one, just the same. He closed his eyes and kissed Chris again. Tomorrow was another day.

***