The Empty Nest(closed)

[DarkWarrioress]

Her world turned dark and she saw pinpoints of lights behind her closed lids. Her back arched off the lounger as her whole body tightened while her body pulsed hard. Slowly, she came back to earth and relaxed.

"God that was intense."

Her voice was breathless as she whispered against the side of his neck.

“It was. Thank you, Declan. I needed that.”

"I'm sure you probably need to get back. Come by and see me play though, you promise?"

When he got up, Bren adjusted her panties and pulled down her dress as she sat up, brushing a shaky hand through her hair. She smiled softly.

“I will. I promise.”

Brenda got to her feet, embraced and kissed him one final time before she made her way back inside. She could go back to her stateroom or she could go find a drink in one of the many bars on the ship. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back to the stateroom just yet. Mike was probably still asleep and for the moment, she didn’t want to just crawl into bed beside him. So, she opted for one the lounges, ordered a drink and found a seat by the fireplace. Sitting down, with her back to the room, she crossed her legs and stared into the flames, letting the heat warm her skin as she slowly enjoyed her drink.

What had she just done? She had never cheated on Mike before and the time with Declan had just… happened. She hadn’t meant it to, but did she feel bad about it? No. In just that amount of time with Declan, she had never felt more alive. It also told her that with Mike, their marriage had some problems. The question was, what was she going to do about it?

 

[cnuveau]

Mike awoke to find the bed next to him still empty. When she'd left he assumed that Brenda was just taking a walk to blow off steam but now it was well past midnight and the relief of her absence had been replace with a worry about where she was. Climbing out of bed, Mike tugged on a pair of jeans then slipped into his shoes to see if he can find her.

He wandered the largely vacant halls as he made his way to the lower decks. It seemed likely that, if anywhere, he might find her peering over a railing wallowing in self pity and thinking about how much of a disappointment he was to her. Based on the way she always seemed to act towards him he presumed she spent most of her time thinking about that very thing.

After wandering outside for a while the cool night air sent him back into the warmth of the ship to continue the search. As he passed one of the many lounges he glanced inside and found her seated by the fire sipping her drink. As he looked at her face there was a solemnness to it that seemed far more troubled than she usually was. It was a look that unnerved him and made him wonder if somehow his attempt to appease her with this trip had somehow backfired and made things worse.

Mike approached as his nervousness settled into his belly in a way he hadn't felt since he was a child. "There you are." he said softly as he stopped in front of the seat next to her. "I was getting worried about you. You've been here the whole time?" he asked as he slowly lowered himself into the seat next to her.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Bren came out her thoughts with a start and looked up.

“Mike!”

She softly smiled and sat up straighter in her chair, setting her drink on a nearby table and pulled her shawl up around her shoulders.

“Would you care to join me for a drink?”

She wasn’t sure how to start a conversation with him and that was funny really. They had been married long enough and at the start, they always could talk to each other. She more or else simply skipped over his question because she was sure he really didn’t want to know if she had had been here the whole time. He didn’t want to know where she had been or what she had been doing or with whom. Turning her head, she met his eyes.

“I’ve been thinking. Why did you marry me, Mike?”

 

[cnuveau]

Mike was about to go order himself a drink to join her but Brenda's next question made him think he should probably pass on it. It was no secret between them that they were having more than their share of troubles but her question cut right to the heart of the very foundation of their marriage and had his full attention.

Mike reached over and placed his hand on her knee then looked up into her eyes. "Why did I marry you? Because I loved you more than anything else in the world and I couldn't imagine my life without you." he said, giving her knee a gentle squeeze trying to emphasize the point. Regardless of whatever else was happening between them, he knew that much to be true. Perhaps he'd taken her for granted for far too long, didn't find her as physically appealing as he once had and found the demands she placed on him more of a burden than he had the patience for but underneath it all, he still loved her.

"Why would you ask me something like that?" he asked, though he knew full well the litany of reasons he'd given her to question him on it.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

"Why would you ask me something like that?"

She shrugged, “Because I needed to know. You don’t find me attractive anymore, that much is clear.”

She wanted to tell him that someone, in just the course of the night, had not only found her attractive but his pleasure was leaking from between her thighs right this moment. However, that would solve little between her and Mike.

“When did it all start to fall apart, Mike? And how do we fix it, that is, if we can fix it or even want to. I know why you booked this cruise for us and that solves nothing. I’m not some child you can just give a toy or surprise to and think it will placate me and make me think all our troubles will simply vanish. It doesn’t absolve you of your responsibilities. I’m tired of asking you how to fix our marriage and you find a way to avoid that conversation. We either find a way to fix it or we dissolve it.”

Her voice was low so only he could hear. Her eyes fell to his hand on her knee \. She had heard his words and for a brief moment, they had thrilled her but it was what he wasn’t saying that tore that all away. Bren glanced into the fireplace and let the heat from it seep into her bones, yet nothing seemed to warm her. Declan had. Bren put the brakes on that dangerous thought. Declan had been a one-night stand. A brief encounter that had been glorious and had made her feel……. beautiful, something that Mike hadn’t done in a long time. Brenda was also fully aware that she couldn’t lay the lone blame on Mike. She had a part in this misery as well. The more important question was, were they going to fix it or go their separate ways?

When she had first marriage Mike, she had loved him beyond anything but over the years, she had taken a backseat to his career and she had remained silent, for a while, on the issue, not wanting to rock the boat and had silently supported him as a good wife should. That had been part of her fault. She should have spoken up and said something back then. Maybe they wouldn’t find themselves at this particular impasse now. She wanted to ask him if he had ever cheated on her but she wasn’t ready to answer the same question if he asked her.

 

[cnuveau]

Mike wanted to deny everything she was saying but denials like that were what brought them here. It was clear their relationship was at the brink. A crossroads between ending and something else. The status quo didn’t seem to be an option that was on the table.

With nothing left to lose, truth seemed to be the only path forward but he wasn’t sure that he even knew what truth was. “It’s not that I don’t find you attractive. Anyone would tell you that you’re a beautiful woman. It’s just that….” His voice trailed off as he searched for the words and the resolve to say them. “It’s just that I have trouble wanting what I already have. Our life has been built on me identifying what I want, pursuing it relentlessly until I have it then starting the cycle over. It’s served me well in my career but it’s made a disaster of us. I just don’t know how to change that about myself. I love you more than anything else in the world. I just wish that was enough.”

Mike fell silent waiting for the eruption that was sure to follow. He knew what he said would hurt her to the core but there was also a sense of relief that it was out there.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Bren spoke softly.

“So, as much as you claim to love me, I’m not enough for you.”

She leaned back in her chair, her fingers laced together and stared off into space as she thought. The silence between them grew and at this moment in time, Bren wasn’t sure how she felt exactly. Not about Mike, that is. her voice, when it came again was again, soft with a trace, no, not just a trace, but definitely could be heard. Her voice was laced with hurt.

“So, now that you’ve “conquered”, established or any other damn word you want to quantify it with, marriage and by default me, I’m not enough for you anymore. All this damn time of asking and asking you what was wrong, making me feel like it’s me, you have somehow found the balls to tell me this? Don’t you dare sit there and tell me I’m beautiful when you’ve done nothing for so long to make me feel like it. The equation you’ve used to make you successful in work does not stretch to our marriage by any means. What you want. Have you ever thought about what I want? What I need, Mike? It’s always been about you. What you want. What you need and do you even want to change? Because let me tell you something, you better figure it out and damn quick or when we get off this ship when we get back to our port? I’m leaving you. I can’t stay married to a selfish son of a bitch. You figure this out, then you let me know what you want to do.”

Bren tipped back the rest of her drink, set the empty glass on the table and stood up. She drew her shawl up over her shoulders and walked away. She was going back to their stateroom and separate their beds. There was no way she was sleeping next to him. Not now. Not like this.

 

[cnuveau]

Mike knew that everything Brenda was saying to him was right and she had every right to feel the way she did about it. He could hear the hurt in her voice and it killed him to be the cause of that hurt. It was why he'd tried to paper over the way he'd felt for so long, not wanting to admit the way he truly felt. He knew that it was unfair to her but knowing that didn't change the reality of what he felt. He'd tried in the past to force himself to feel what it was that he knew she needed but it just never worked.

He watched as she stood from her chair then pulled her shawl tighter around her then walked away. He desperately searched for the words that would somehow make this better but nothing came. When she disappeared down the hall Mike stared into the flickering light of the fireplace then lost himself in thought.

Mike had no idea how long he'd been sitting there when the bartender finally tapped him on the shoulder and informed him they were closing for the night. He nodded absentmindedly then stood from the chair and silently walked out, making his way back down to the stateroom then quietly slipping inside.

When his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room he could see that Brenda had separated the beds and was curled up on hers. In all their years of marriage they'd never slept in separate beds and it felt like an emphatic statement to him. Unless he was able to figure out some way to fix this soon, he was going to lose her and he couldn't bare the thought of it. Though some might find their happiness with someone new, Mike knew all he would find was more of the same.

Climbing into his bed, Mike pulled the sheets up tight against his chin then stared across the darkness at Brenda until he finally drifted off to sleep.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Wasn’t asleep by the time Mike had returned to their stateroom. However, she kept her back to him and her eyes shut. She was beyond hurt. Had she always been just a prize to him? How could she believe him when he claimed to love her after everything he had confessed? How many years had she spent thinking about how to make their marriage better? How many years had she spent blaming herself for everything that had gone wrong? Deep down, she knew that it wasn’t her fault alone, but it was hard to believe that. Especially when she felt like that once he had her and marriage, he was what? Bored? His attitude worked fine for work, but their marriage was supposed to be something beyond that. Something personal. She just didn’t understand him and couldn’t wrap her head around everything he had confessed in the lounge. Her heart hurt and now her head was starting too as well. Pulling the comforter up over her shoulders she willed herself to relax (though that was a mega chore in and of itself) and drift off to sleep. She’d think long and hard about this tomorrow.

​

Cara was snuggled into Bill. She could feel his breath on her shoulder as he slept. Their stateroom was a wreck. Maybe not as wrecked as she felt and desperately held in the giggle that wanted to explode. This cruise had been a good idea for both of them. Her arm that had been lying on top of her side, slid down between their bodies. Her fingers felt for and found his flaccid cock as her palm cradled it and his balls in her hand. Giving a soft yawn, she snuggled down and let sleep take her.

 

[cnuveau]

Bill woke when daylight began to steam through the large glass door leading out to their balcony. Rolling onto his side, he cuddled into Cara's back, feeling the warmth of her skin against his body. When they decided to plan the vacation things at home had started to spin out of control but here, everything seemed to be returning to normal. Perhaps it was just the close quarters that made him feel like there were no secrets between them but he hoped that it was because they'd gotten past the initial growing pains of their new lifestyle. It felt like they were settling in nicely to their new normal and he wasn't going to let secrets between them risk it ever again.

"Morning my love." he whispered sweetly as his fingers traced through the small patch of closely cropped curls just below her waist. "We should grab a quick breakfast and spend the day by the pool. I think we could both use some sun and umbrella drinks."

​

Mike woke to a sickening feeling in his stomach that instantly reminded him of the events of the night before. He still didn't quite know what to say but he knew that saying nothing was no longer an option. Standing up from his separated bed he walked over then sat at the edge of Brenda's and gently stroked her hair. The slight stir of her body told him she'd awakened. "I'm sorry. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make things better." he said though he had no real idea what that might be. He could, of course, fake it but he suspected that she'd like see through the transparent attempt. Even the thought of losing her couldn't seem to rock him out of the complacence he'd fallen into when it came to her.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Her fingers reluctantly left his cock and balls, raising her arms to stretch as she leaned over to kiss his chin.

“Morning, darlin’. The pool, you and drinks sound like a great way to relax and spend the afternoon.”

Cara basked in their closeness at the moment. Their chosen lifestyle was interesting to say the least, but it was moments like these, the intimacy with Bill, that she found she was enjoying the most.

​

Bren felt the side of her bed dip as Mike sat beside her. She wasn’t ready to open her eyes yet, she was still angry with him.

"I'm sorry. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make things better.”

That made her roll over onto her back and look at him. her eyes were guarded.

“I don’t believe you, Mike. As much as I want to, I can’t. You’ve either apologized for months now or simply ignored me. Us.”

She threw back the covers and swung her legs out of bed.

“You need to figure out how to fix yourself. Then maybe, if it’s not too late, we can fix us.”

Bren got up and threw on her robe before heading for the small bathroom. She paused in the doorway and looked back at him.

“I’m going to shower, get dressed and go get breakfast.”

Brenda closed the bathroom door behind her and turned on the shower, staring at herself in the wall mirror over the sink as she removed her robe and nightgown. She turned slightly one way then the other, looking at her naked body before she ran her hands downs down over her curves. Cupping her breasts, she thought she didn’t look bad for her age and last night….. last night Declan had shown her that she was still a desirable woman.

 

[cnuveau]

"Great, let's get cleaned up and get some breakfast. We can take our things with us and just go right after." Bill suggested as he pulled Cara tighter to him, letting his hands work across her soft stomach and breasts. The days leading up to the trip then the travel there had been hectic and Bill was looking forward to the entire day with Cara with nothing to do.

It took a while for both of them to muster the motivation to get out of bed and get bathed but eventually they managed it. Bill gripped their pool bag in one hand while the other held Cara's as they walked toward the dining room. "Feels like Bloody Mary's this morning." Bill mused as the entered the dining room to find Brenda at the table by herself.

"Morning Brenda." Bill said as he pulled out Cara's seat for her. "We're going to the pool after if you'd like to join."

​

Mike laid in bed, staying out of Brenda's way while she got showered and dressed. He knew now wasn't the time to try to fix anything and Brenda was right that the fix started with him. He just didn't know how.

The door slammed behind her leaving Mike alone in the room again. Though he wanted to give Brenda her space he didn't expect that avoiding each other the entire day was going to be the answer. Slowly he got out of bed then made his way to the shower to get cleaned up and join her for breakfast.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Brenda was deep in her own thoughts and didn’t hear Bill come up to her table, let alone address her.

"Morning Brenda. We're going to the pool after if you'd like to join."

Startled, she glanced up at Bill and Cara. She forced a smile to her lips.

“Oh! Good Morning, Bill. Cara. Um, that sounds like fun. I could use some sunshine.”

The pool. Oh my god, the same pool where she had Declan---.

“Um, why don’t I meet you there. I need to change into my bathing suit and cover-up. I should probably grab a hat too.”

Bren hastily got to her feet, tossed them both a nervous smile and scurried off to change and pray she didn’t meet Mike along the way. He was the one person who could put her in a bad mood and right now, being around people who were having fun sounded like something the doctor would order.

Using her room card, Bren let herself in and found that Mike wasn’t in their room. Thank god. She quickly found her bikini, towel, sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. She tucked everything except the hat and sunglasses into a small bag. Slipping her feet into a pair of flip flops, she left the room and was making her way down to the open deck. When the elevator doors opened, Bren found herself looking directly at Declan. Quickly lowering her eyes, she slid into the descending elevator and started to silently count the floors.

 

[cnuveau]

When the doors slid open Declan was surprised to see Brenda standing there just on the other side of them. The way she quickly lowered her eyes told him everything he needed to know about how he should play the encounter so he refrained from acknowledging her as she turned her back to him then and the elevator doors slid closed. From the beginning he knew the score and where he stood with her so the way she was acting wasn't all that surprising to him. For all he knew any one of the others on the elevator might have known her and any sort of interaction might raise a red flag that would come back to bite them both. Though she clearly had more at stake he was sure that that his employer wouldn't be thrilled about him fucking one of the married passengers and creating drama.

When the doors slid open Brenda stepped out of the elevator followed by the rest of the passengers. When they'd all exited, Declan followed closely behind watching the mesmerizing sway of Brenda's hips as she walked down the corridor.

​

Out at the pool Bill pulled a few of the lounges together then spread his and Cara's towels over the two on the end, leaving the other two for Mike and Brenda. It wasn't entirely clear if Mike would be joining them or not. The fact that he wasn't at breakfast with her raised a few suspicions in Bill's mind.

"You get the sense that Mike and Brenda are kind of where we were before?" he asked Cara as she was settling into her own lounge. "Something is definitely off there."

Bill knew that the fix they found for their marriage wasn't the silver bullet that would work on everyone's marital problems. The train of thought, however, led him down the path of imagining the prospect of swapping with them. Brenda was an attractive woman after all though he wasn't entirely sure Cara would feel the same level of attraction to Mike. He seemed a bit up tight and not the typical dominant type that she tended to gravitate towards. Still, the thought was intriguing.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

As she walked away from the elevator, Bren felt bad. What was Declan thinking? She didn’t want him to feel bad because she sure didn’t. However, she didn’t want to get Declan in trouble for fraternizing with the female passengers. Of course, Declan was a grown man and no doubt able to take care of himself but that didn’t stop Bren from worrying. She had no clue how to handle the situation. She had never done this type of thing before. She could feel Declan’s eyes on her back or at least, she thought so. Something inside her wanted to stop and turn around and talk to him. but she didn’t. She couldn’t. She wanted to.

Brenda found Bill and Cara easily enough. She threw her bag and towel down on a lounger nest to Cara before she took off her cover-up.

“Hi Bill. Hi Cara. Thank you for asking me to join you. How many drinks do I need to catch up on?” She teased as she eased herself into the lounger.

 

[cnuveau]

By the time Brenda turned toward the pool it was clear to Declan that she wasn't going to acknowledge him. It was understandable but what surprised him was the sting it caused him to feel. He was used to the women he'd met after his shows that always seemed to want more from him so having someone so entirely set on not interacting with him the next day was entirely new. Shaking it off, he continued on his way to the entertainment director's office to get the details of his sets for the day.

"Think we're going to have you playing by the pool until around 4:00 then have you move to the lounge for the evening." The entertainment director told him when he entered the office.

"Sure, no problem." Declan replied eagerly, remembering that Brenda appeared to be heading in that very direction herself.

"Great, the PA should already be setup for you out there when you're ready." he said, before turning his attention back to the paperwork strewn across his desk.

Declan quickly made his way up to the lounge to grab his guitar from the storage room then made his way down to the pool. As he walked across the pool deck he spotted Brenda laying on the lounge with another couple. He wondered for a minute if the man she was with was her husband but the proximity seemed to indicate he might be with the other woman.

After a few moments of setting up Declan took his seat on the stool and launched into an elaborate finger picking prelude while he introduced himself to the audience around the pool. As he spoke his, eyes remained fixed on Brenda who's lounge was pointed in his direction.

"I'm Declan Martin and I'm here to play for you all for a couple hours. If you have any requests, feel free to come up and all see what I can do. If not, relax and enjoy the show. I'm going to start off with a classic that maybe some of you might recognize." Declan said, in his smoothest performer voice before smoothly transitioning into his first song.

"Dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee

And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know
Whoa, whoa, whoa"

"Oh wow, this guy sounds great!" Bill said as he listened to Declan start off his song. "Guess if there's music, it's time to get those drinks. What can I get you ladies"

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Oh, dear god, what were the odds that Declan would be playing at the pool? Bren wasn’t sure what she was thinking or feeling today but she felt Declan’s presence and she was willing to bet that if she looked his way, she’d find his eyes on her. She wasn’t being conceited, far from. Mike had done a right fine job of tearing her down all these years. No, it was just that… she could not only sense his eyes on her but also could feel someone’s eyes watching her and she was sure it was Declan.

Reclining on the lounger in her bikini with her sunglasses hiding her eyes, Bren startled to hear Bill’s voice addressing her and Cara.

"Guess if there's music, it's time to get those drinks. What can I get you ladies?"

Bren was feeling reckless today.

“I’ll take a Sex on the Beach, please Bill.”

“Ooooo, I’ll have one of those too, Bill. They sound yummy,” Cara chimed in.

If Bren remembered right, the drink contained vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice and orange juice. It had everything she liked and everything she craved, well, aside from the man across the way playing on his guitar. She lay there and let his voice wash over her. That song! Bren could feel her cheeks flushing.

Not long after Bill left to get drinks, Mike joined them and Bren could feel her insides freeze up. She didn’t want to deal with him today. After what he told her last night, she didn’t see any way of making her marriage work. Maybe he’d try for a while but then he’d go back to being Mike and she’d be no better off than she was before.

 

[cnuveau]

When Bill got to the bar he cringed a little then ordered the girl’s drinks then a margarita for himself. He was far more used to ordering simple drinks and the process of just saying he wanted a couple of sex on the beaches made him uncomfortable. Fortunately the bartender didn’t seem phased at all and quickly go to work on the drinks.

“Hey Mike. Sorry, if I knew you were coming I’d have gotten you one.” Bill said when he retuned and noticed Mike had joined them.

After passing out the drinks Bills settled into his lounge to enjoy the music. Throughout the next couple of sons Bill noticed Declan’s gaze falling in their direction. Glancing over at Cara he noticed her eyes on the young man too and it made him grin.

“Hey Mike, I think if we aren’t careful that guys going to end up banging our wives.” Bill said with a laugh before following up with a reference to an old Eddie Murphy comedy bit. “Why you cryin girl?” He continued in a Jamaican accent while twirling his hand in front of him like he was swinging a giant cock.

From the moment he sat down Mike could feel the tension coming from Brenda. It was something he expected but that didn’t make it any more comfortable. After his confession the night before he knew there was a lot that needed to be figured out by him but also between the two of them. Isolating himself from her didn’t seem to be the answer either though.

Bill’s joke landed with Mike like a dagger to his chest. Whether he knew it or not, it hit far too close of home for Mike’s liking. As the thought of Brenda with someone else resonated in his mind the pang of excitement that he felt caught him by surprise. Without much thought he reached over and placed his hand on Brenda’s as it sat beside her on the lounge.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“Hey Mike, I think if we aren’t careful that guys going to end up banging our wives.”

Cara lifted her head from her lounger as she stared at Declan a moment. The tip of her tongue rounded the outside of her lips.

“I wouldn’t mind,” she teased, “what do you think, Brenda?”

Brenda, who was very much aware of her husband’s presence, slipped her hand out from under Mike’s on the pretense of reaching for her drink and taking a sip. Her heart was thumping in her chest. From the corner of her eye, she looked at Mike, wondering if he could hear it. She wasn’t about to say she knew what it was like to “bang” Declan, because she already had. Instead, she sipped her drink. Her eyes meandered over the singer, wishing she could do so again and how could she arrange it.

“Hm? Oh. He’s pretty easy on the eyes, for sure.”

It hadn’t exactly answered Cara’s question, but it was the best the other woman was going to get out of her and why did Bren feel this pang of something when Cara admitted that she could fuck Declan so easily in front of her husband and Bren’s. She didn’t belong to Declan. They had had a random hook-up, that was all.

 

[cnuveau]

“I bet you wouldn’t. You’re such a cougar.” Bill continued to tease even as he looked over and noted the odd look on Mike’s face. Based on their interactions the night before he would have expected to see something resembling discomfort but it didn’t seem to be that. It was almost…. Curiousity.

Mike was actually shocked to hear Brenda openly admit that she thought the man was attractive. She’d never done something like that before just as he’d never acknowledged the attractiveness of women. To him, it seemed like a common courtesy he extended to her because he never imagined that she’d allow her own eye to wander in that way. The pang of jealousy he felt seemed to be accompanied by another emotion though. Attraction??

Mike sat silently, blocking out the rest of the noise around them as he analyzed what exactly it was that he was feeling. The realization that he was beginning to come to seemed so absurd and counter intuitive that at first he dismissed it but after a few more moments of reflection he seemed more sure.

The revelation hit Mike hard and fast and even though it sounded absolutely absurd he couldn’t help but feel like it was at least part of the answer he was searching for. He wasn’t exactly eager to try to explain it to Brenda but he also knew the longer he waited, the worse things were going to get with her. Mike glanced over at the relatively empty pool then back at Brenda. At least in a public space like this there wouldn’t be yelling he thought. “Hey. Will you get in the pool with me?” Mike asked, his eyes pleading hoping that she’d indulge him.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“I bet you wouldn’t. You’re such a cougar.”

Cara made a face at him.

“Not either.”

She sipped her drink continuing to watch the singer by the pool. He was cute. Brenda snuck a glance at Cara and followed her look. She was watching Declan. Bren felt a pang of something. This must be how it was with all the women around him. In fact, she watched as some young women swam to the edge of the pool and halfway levered themselves up so he could admire their assets. They were all trying to draw his attention. In the meanwhile, she was very conscious of the fact that Mike was sitting quietly beside her.

“Hey. Will you get in the pool with me?”

Bren turned her head as he spoke to her. She really didn’t want to get into the pool with him. Right now, she wanted nothing to do with him, but he was her husband and his request seemed harmless enough. Silently she swung her legs over the side of the lounge and stood up. It took her a moment or so to untie her cover-up and let it fall to the lounger. She was very aware of herself in her bikini. Bren shot a small, stealthy glance in Declan’s direction before she headed for the pool.

 

[cnuveau]

“What a fucking dork. She could do so much better than that.” Declan thought as he watched Brenda and what he expected was her husband walk toward them into the pool. The dude looked like a typical corporate douche who flashed his money around and thought he owned the world.

For a minute he toyed with the image of the guys expression if he ever found out Declan had fucked her.

​

Once in the pool Mike led Brenda over to one of the less crowded areas. As they walked he was trying to figure out just how to explain the revelation that came to him without sounding weird. In the end he hadn’t come up with any great ideas so he just started to talk and hoped that it came out right.

“What you said about him being easy on the eyes made me uncomfortable.” Mike started out, noticing the instant change in Brenda’s expression telling him it wasn’t going as well as he’d hoped so he tried to recover. “What I mean is, I don’t really see that as a bad thing. Look, I know this isn’t your problem to solve and I’m not trying to make it your problem. When I say it made me uncomfortable what I meant is it sparked a little something inside me. Maybe it was jealous or possessiveness or both but it was there and it made me feel things that haven’t been there in a while.”

Mike paused trying to figure out how to make his point in a more succinct way. “I think putting me on less stable ground and reminding me that you have desires and others can just as easily fill them might be at least part of the answer we’re looking for.”

Having actually said it out loud Mike could hear how absurd it sounded. In his mind, the answer seemed so crisp but he couldn’t quite bring himself to the level of bluntness that he could share with himself. Would Brenda even dare to intentionally try to make him jealous? Even if she would, he wondered if she’d go far enough to really move the needle with him. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just being stupid again.” He conceded, losing his nerve to pursue the idea any further.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“What you said about him being easy on the eyes made me uncomfortable. What I mean is, I don’t really see that as a bad thing. Look, I know this isn’t your problem to solve and I’m not trying to make it your problem. When I say it made me uncomfortable what I meant is it sparked a little something inside me. Maybe it was jealous or possessiveness or both but it was there and it made me feel things that haven’t been there in a while.”

Mike’s statement just solidified Brenda’s thinking.

“So, when I just happen to notice some other guy, you finally felt something? Mike, you’re messed up and I’m not sure we can save this marriage. Not anymore. Do you even realize how you’ve made me feel over the years? I’ve felt like you haven’t seen me in a long time. Oh sure, I was good enough to bed so you could have children but after that? You never even tried to make me feel… beautiful. Listen, I know I’m not beautiful but it would be nice to have someone who always saw me that way. I’m not something to be won or conquered, but accordingly, that’s how you’ve felt about us. Once you got me, it was time to move onto your next goal. I’m not a business deal, Mike. I’m a person with feelings and needs. Maybe I’ll just go find someone on this cruise ship that can help me with that.”

If there was any one thing Bren had learned from last night with Declan it was that someone out there in the world, would see her as viable and desirable. She turned and started wading back toward her lounger. She couldn’t resist throwing Declan a quick look and gave him a small smile. With his voice crooning in her ears, Brenda hoisted herself out of the pool, took up her towel to dry off before she stretched out again. She was thoroughly upset with Mike and this was no time to try and be reasonable. She didn’t want to be reasonable. She was tired of being reasonable. All these years later and she excuses for Mike’s behavior and up until she finally got upset with him, he acted like she didn’t really exist. He really didn’t see her. Putting on her sunglasses again, she settled in and let Declan’s voice flow over her.

 

[cnuveau]

Out of the corner of his eye Bill had been watching the interaction between Mike and Brenda in the pool. From the body language and the look on Brenda's face it was obvious to him that his previous observation was correct. Things were definitely not right between them. Though he knew the point of the trip was to allow he and Cara to reconnect a part of him wanted to help them as well. It wasn't that he considered himself some relationship guru or anything. He just knew that, having navigated their own set of difficult challenges, he and Cara might have insights that the couple might find helpful.

Declan watched as Brenda waded away, leaving her husband behind with a look of despair. In their conversation the previous evening she seemed to be hinting at troubles between them and seeing it now, it was obvious that wasn’t an exaggeration. He didn’t really feel any remorse for what had happened but knowing that he hadn’t stepped into an otherwise happy marriage made him feel a little better about the whole situation.

He continued to exchange glances with her throughout his set, wondering what it was that she was thinking or feeling. When it was time for a break Declan sat his guitar on the stand by his stool then made his way to the bar for a drink.

“You’re wonderful.” On of the girls said as he waited at the bar.

“Thanks.” Declan replied with a grin before turning his attention away from her. Under normal circumstances Declan might have tried to work the gIrl but it didn’t sit right with him doing that in front of Brenda. When the bartender returned with his drink Declan settled into the barstool to relax for a while before going back on.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

From behind her sunglasses, she watched Declan head to the outdoor bar. Two young, lovely girls were also at the bar. One of which was trying to claim Declan’s attention. Bren felt a little pang in her heart but swallowed and shoved it down. She had no claim to Declan whatsoever. Reaching for her glass, she finished her drink and stood up, drawing her cover-up on. Her eyes flashed to Mike and her lips drew a straight, taut line across her face.

“Cara, Bill, thank you for inviting me to join you. I’m off to explore the ship. Have a great day you two.”

With a quick wave, Brenda left them to enjoy their day by the pool. She was going to head back to her cabin, shower and do exactly what she had told those two she was going to do. Explore the ship. Declan was working, which was fine. Just because they had had some pretty great sex, in her book, didn’t mean she needed to depend on him, as much as she would have liked to spend more time with him. Obviously, it was not to be. Especially, not with Mike seemingly determined to track her down and there was only so much space on the ship to run to.

Brenda quickly unlocked the cabin door and slipped inside. She headed for the bathroom, stripping off her clothing as she went. The water pressure of the shower was weak at best, but the hot water seemed to help ease the tension in her body.

What was she going to do about Mike? How did she feel about giving him a hall pass and letting him find someone else to fuck? Hm. Her first thought was she didn’t like the idea at all. In all fairness, however, she had sex with Declan last night. As she scrubbed down her body with soap, she gave it serious thought. Maybe it was just what they needed. As far as she knew, Mike had always been faithful to her. They had to do something; their marriage was rapidly falling apart. If she was honest with herself, she didn’t know how she felt about them. Not anymore. She wasn’t some damn trophy or goal for Mike to achieve. Standing under the hot spray as the soap bubbles streamed down her body, Brenda still wasn’t clear on anything, least of all, her feelings and she didn’t have a plan. About anything. At least, not yet.