The Empty Nest(closed)

[cnuveau]

When Declan turned from the bar back toward where Brenda was sitting he was disappointed to find her gone. He'd hoped that perhaps she'd find an excuse to come over and at least say hi to him. He understood why she might not have been comfortable taking that kind of risk but it still stung his ego a little.

​

Bill had been watching the interaction between the two with keen interest. When Brenda exited the pool he noted Mike staying behind and the expression on his face. Brenda packing up and leaving only seemed to further confirm his suspicions so when Mike emerged from the pool and started to pick up his things Bill decided it was time to intervene. "Hey Mike, come grab a drink with me at the bar." he said, pushing up from his lounge.

Mike really had no idea where it was that he was going when he began to pick up his things so a drink with Bill didn't seem all that terrible of an idea. "Sure, sounds good." he replied before following Bill over.

They took a seat at the two available stools with Declan still seated just to the left of the stool Mike and settled into. "Two Woodford's on the rocks." Bill said to the bartender, taking the liberty to order for both of them. Though the fruity drinks were fine earlier, he sensed they probably needed something stronger for this. "I know it's none of my business but I couldn't help noticing. You two alright?" Bill asked, keeping his voice down but paying little attention to those around them.

Mike let out a sigh and his shoulders slumped. "I don't know. Nothing is really working out like I'd hoped on this trip." Mike admitted before falling silent for a moment. He wasn't eager to talk about it because he knew that he only had himself to blame for what was going on. Still, Bill's seemingly genuine concern seemed to spur him on. "I'd hope that being here would rekindle the flame but all it's seemed to do is highlight the fact that the fire has long been out."

Declan had been paying little attention to the two when they arrived at the bar but when he overheard the conversation he glanced over and was stunned to see it was the husband. The irony of the situation crashed into him like a truck but he sat silently, listening in as the two continued their conversation.

"Yeah, I can't say it's really the same thing exactly but we've been there." Bill disclosed, empathizing with the situation the man found himself in.

"You two??" Mike replied shocked. "You two seem rock solid. I have trouble believing that."

"Well, we found our way out of it but it wasn't exactly easy or intuitive how we did it. If you love each other though, you'll find the way. Don't worry."

Mike knew that he was far from alone in the situation he found himself in. He'd seen it countless times with his friends and colleagues. What he'd seen less often was couples actually able to pull themselves out of the death spiral. Hearing that Bill and Cara seemed to have was encouraging. "So what was your secret?" he asked.

Bill wasn't quite sure he wanted to share the full details with Mike or whether what worked for he and Cara would work for them but he didn't see the harm in sharing some of it at least in abstract terms. "For us, it was giving each other the space to pursue what it was that made us happy. Sometimes that was together. Sometimes it wasn't."

Mike thought for a moment about what Bill said but it didn't seem all that different than what he'd already been doing. "I think our problem is different. I give her all the space she needs but she's still not happy." he replied feeling less optimistic that Bill was going to be of any help.

"Maybe so but have you given her permission to pursue what makes her happy?" Bill said, pausing for a moment before flashing a grin and continuing "Whatever that may be?" His words were less direct than he probably could have been but he hoped that Mike would find his way to the meaning beneath them.

Given Mike's conversation with Brenda just moments ago the connection he made to Bill's words was instantaneous. "Funny." Mike said, seemingly lost in thought before taking a long sip of his drink. "I think I just tried to do that in the pool just now. It didn't go over so well."

"Well, it's not something that immediately jumps out to you as the solution to anything so that's no real surprise."

Mike was quiet for a few moments as Bill's words rolled around in his mind. "So you let Cara?" he asked, cutting himself off before allowing himself to be too blunt.

"I do." Bill replied with a broad grin. "And she lets me. What you don't expect is how sharing something like that can help recreate the connection you've lost."

"I don't know. When we were talking earlier I was just talking about flirting. I don't know how I'd feel about going that far."

"Flirting is probably a good place to start. I'm not sure I'd advocate for jumping right into the deep end."

"Yeah, I'm not sure exactly how we get there but I'd be willing to give anything a try right now." Mike replied before losing himself in thought again.

Declan slid off the barstool then went to pack up his gear. He was due in the lounge in a couple hours and he wanted some downtime before he had to go on again. What he'd heard though was shocking to say the least and he wasn't quite sure how to process it all. It was by far the oddest conversation he'd overheard at a bar but it did give him some ideas.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Brenda showered and got dressed. She still wasn’t sure where she was headed. It was a large ship with much to offer, so she set out to explore. Bren wandered the shops, not really buying anything, just looking. Before she realized it, it was lunch time and she was found herself being rather hungry. Using the informal dining room, Bren found herself shown a table for two and sat down. She was soon brought a menu and ordered her lunch. While she waited for it to be brought to her, she stared out over the vast ocean, thinking.

Did she truly want to fix her marriage or was it simply a routine thought? They had been together and been through a lot for so long now. She thought about Mike’s words and the man didn’t see anything wrong with his thought process but their marriage wasn’t like his work situation. It had stung, no, it had hurt her to the core when he compared their life together like his work life. How was that okay? In her mind, it wasn’t.

Before her thoughts went any further, her lunch arrived. It felt strange to eating by herself. It felt wrong, but was it really? There were people in this world that found themselves eating alone all the time. She shuffled her food around on her plate.

“Excuse me, Ma’am.”

Bren looked up at the wait staff member.

“Is everything okay? Is the food to your liking? I can bring you something else if you prefer.”

Bren shook her head.

“No. No, everything’s fine. I just have a lot on my mind, but thank you for asking.”

The man smiled.

“Anytime. I’ll leave you to it then.”

He wandered off to see to another table and Bren made an effort to actually eat. The food was good.

 

[cnuveau]

After napping in his room for a couple hours Declan made his way up to the lounge where he was scheduled to perform in the evening to setup. Unlike his stint by the pool, his lounge sets were complete with backing tracks and accompaniment that required a good bit of time to setup and sequence. Though he was used to a more organic performance the lounge required something suitable for dancing with a more upbeat vibe. For the next couple of hours he sequenced his set list and performed his sound checks until everything was perfect.

​

Mike left the pool and returned to the room. He'd hoped to find Brenda there so he could have another chance to try to set them on a better path. What he found though was an empty room. Her bikini hanging in the bathroom told him she'd at least been there since but there was no sign of her now.

Mike showered and got dressed for the evening hoping that Brenda should return but she hadn't. After waiting on the balcony for another our he penned a note to leave for her.

"I know you'd rather not see me but I really think we need to try to work this out. I'll grab dinner somewhere but please consider meeting me in the lounge later. I know you'd rather not but we can't avoid each other for the entire trip.

Love Mike"

Mike left the note on the bed then wandered out to find somewhere quiet to eat.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

After getting something to eat, Bren wandered back to the cabin and found an evening dress to wear. Rummaging around in the small closet space, she located her heels to match. Transferring her items from her daytime purse to an ev3eing bag, she glanced in the mirror and decided her hair and face was just fine. That was when she spotted the note.

"I know you'd rather not see me but I really think we need to try to work this out. I'll grab dinner somewhere but please consider meeting me in the lounge later. I know you'd rather not but we can't avoid each other for the entire trip.

Reading it through, she crumbled it up on her hand and tossed it in the trash. Work things out? Bren was beyond that. Mike always wanted to work things out when Bren pushed him to it. It had always been the same old story. He would promise to do better and, to his credit, for a while he did, but eventually things returned to the way they had always been and Brenda was utterly tired of it.

She gave a quick glance around the cabin before closing the door. Tonight, Mike was on his own. She made her way to one of the lounges, sat down and asked for a drink when a waitress came by. The live music poured over her as she tried to relax and enjoy her evening. Tonight, she was open to anything. Well, almost anything.

 

[cnuveau]

From the stage Declan saw Brenda walk into the lounge than make her way to the bar. It was early in the evening and the post dinner crowd had yet to start filtering in. After what he'd heard at the pool bar earlier in the day it wasn't all that surprising to find her on her own again this evening. Though it was obvious after the previous night that her and her husband had problems, hearing the extent of them made it that much clearer why she'd allowed herself to end up with him.

Declan continued with his set, keeping an eye on Brenda as she sat by herself at the bar, until the time came for his 30 minute break. "I'm going to take a break now but I'll be back in no time and we're going to kick things up a notch." he said into the microphone before climbing off the stool and setting his guitar down on the stand.

For a moment he considered giving Brenda her space the way he had earlier in the day but eventually decided against it. Walking up to the stool next to her Declan placed his hand softly on the center of her back then leaned in close to her ear. "Is this seat available or are you waiting for someone?" he asked, letting his touch linger on her back for a moment as he took in the scent of her perfume.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She had hardly realized that this was the bar Declan played in until she heard him singing. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself as she didn’t want to get Declan into any trouble with her presence. Why she had wandered into his bar, she wasn’t sure of. She had promised him she would come hear him sing, that was true. The bartender brought her the drink she ordered and she had taken just a sip when she felt his hand on her back and felt the electricity of his touch.

"Is this seat available or are you waiting for someone?"

His voice flowed over her ear and made her shiver. She wasn’t sure what it was about him that attracted her so. Was she so starved for affection that she had latched onto the first person who had come along and showed her some? She gave a very slight turn of her head and nuzzled her cheek against his, smiling. She whispered back.

“No. No, not waiting for someone, except you.”

And it was true. Once she realized that this was the lounge Declan worked in, she had secretly hoped he would seek her out. She wasn’t sure about it though. He had been poolside and seen her and Mike there. She had felt Declan’s eyes on her and knew he had heard what she and Mike were talking about. Maybe the whole pool area had. Mike certainly hadn’t kept his voice down. It had been another show of how Michael went after something he wanted. Unfortunately, she no longer wanted him. She had given Mike her lifetime and now, she wanted something for herself. Michael was and would be her past. She had a whole future to look forward to.

 

[cnuveau]

Declan felt her hair brush across his ear and her warm, soft cheek nuzzle against his and it sent a ripple of warmth through him. Brenda was so unlike anyone he'd ever pursued before. Mature, sophisticated and centered. It was a contrast to the young women he'd been with that seemed content to work just enough to sustain their ability to party in the evenings with no cares about the future.

Declan slipped into the stool next to Branda leaving his hand resting on the small of her back. "Well I'm glad I stopped by then. I have to admit, you were quite the distraction at the pool earlier today. That bikini. mmmmmm" he said as he lifted a hand to the bartender to let him know he wanted his usual.

Though there were obviously limits to how overt Declan could be about his fraternization with customers in the lounge, the primary concern of management was that of of unwelcomed attention. With that concern now largely resolved Declan was more free to act as he naturally would. Turning his stool toward Branda, Declan's left hand came to rest on her thigh as he leaned once again close to her ear. "Tell me, was me being there a distraction for you as well." Declan let his warm breath wash over Brenda's neck as he spoke then stayed close, even as he finished speaking letting her feel the closeness of his lips.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

"Tell me, was me being there a distraction for you as well."

His closeness made her heart beat furiously in her chest. His warm breath on her skin made the blood in her veins, race. How long had it been since she had felt this way? Too damn long.

“Oh, you were quite the distraction, Declan.”

She turned her head slightly in his direction and found her eyes fastened on his lips.

“I’m sure you saw me with that man and would correctly assume it was my husband,” she gave a little shake of her head.

“Once again, he’s not listening to me when I said it was over but let’s not talk about that, alright? I came to listen to you play as I said I would.”

The chemistry between them was so easy. When she was with Declan, there was no age gap. They were simply two people enjoying each other’s company.

“By the way, I’m sorry about the awkwardness of earlier, in the elevator. I didn’t know how to act when I saw you again. I wasn’t even sure if you wanted to have any interaction with me. After last night, I wasn’t sure of anything anymore. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make you feel like what we shared was nothing. I just… “

The sound of Mike’s voice interrupted her as he came towards her on her other side.

“There you are, Brenda. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Her back stiffened. She didn’t want Mike making a scene.

“We don’t have anything to talk about, Mike.”

 

[cnuveau]

The last thing Declan wanted to do was drag Brenda into explaining her marriage and its problems. When she mentioned it he just nodded understandingly as his fingers rubbed absentmindedly against her back.

“No need to apologize at all. I recognize the complexities you’re dealing with. It was fine.” He reassured her about earlier in the morning. He had the least encumbrances and he wasn’t quite sure how to handle seeing her. He could only assume that it was far more difficult to navigate for her.

The sound of her husband’s voice caught Declan’s attention and he looked up to see the man standing there. From the first time Declan had seen him he judged the man a douche but hearing him talk to his friend further cemented the impression. Declan knew the type well. He was the kind of guy that acted like he was a master of the universe but desperately avoided confrontations that would test his belief. It was the smug arrogance of those types that often drove Declan to make a point of testing them.

Standing up from his chair Declan stood and placed his hand on Mike’s chest. “Look, the lady clearly doesn’t want to talk to you right now. Now I can call the manager over and ruin everyone’s night or you can give her some space.” He said making it clear that it wasn’t a direct physical threat.

“But that’s my wife.” Mike protested becoming mor flustered by the second.

“I’m not sure what rights you think that gives you but right now your wife is talking to me. You’re welcome to wait somewhere else in case she decides she does want to talk to you but right now, your presence isn’t welcome.” Declan said taking a step closer to Mike, encroaching on his personal space and letting him know it wasn’t a joke.

Mike’s face reddened as he thought through his options. He clearly wasn’t interested in starting a fight or getting himself kicked out. “Fine!” He shot out before storming away to find a seat on the other side of the bar.

Declan slid back into his stool then gave Brenda a reassuring smile as his fingers brushed lightly across her thigh.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Bren gave Declan a small smile.

“Thank you for that. You didn’t need to step in, I don’t want there to be an y kind of trouble for you, Declan.”

She glanced down the bar to find Mike sulking. As far as she was concerned, he could sulk all he wanted. His wife? Did he even understand what that meant? Granted each couple worked to figure out their life together and what the other meant to them, but according to Mike, she was some sort of achievement to accomplish and once he had done that, he moved on to other things. Bren was adamant in finding out if there were any spare cabins on ship and if so, she was going to purchase one. Their ship had sailed not that long ago and there was no way she could sleep in the same room as Mike.

She turned her attention back to Declan.

“When is your break over and are you working all night tonight?”

She didn’t want Declan to think that just because they had had one intimate moment together that she had any claim on him at all. She did want to get to know him better. She enjoyed being around him but then, so did a half dozen young ladies aboard this cruise ship.

 

[cnuveau]

Though Declan was a little nervous in confronting her husband he had a pretty good sense that he wasn't going to run into much resistance. Had he, it certainly could have created problems with his bosses on the ship. Now that the man had given up the ground that he had, Declan had no doubts that he'd give up much more. "Don't worry about it. I don't think he'll be any trouble." Declan replied.

"I've got another 10 minutes before I have to go back on but I'm done at around 11:00. You think you'll be staying around until then?" Declan replied giving Brenda a flirty grin as he draped his arm across the back of her barstool then let his fingers trace along the bare skin of the back of her arm.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

"Don't worry about it. I don't think he'll be any trouble.”

She glanced down the bar to where Mike was sulking and nursing a drink. Now and then, he would through a look their way, glaring at Declan. Turning her attention back to the younger man.

“I hope you’re right. I’m not worried about me, Declan. It’s you I’m concerned with. What if he files a complaint with your boss? I don’t want that to happen. I’ll have a talk with him later.”

"I've got another 10 minutes before I have to go back on but I'm done at around 11:00. You think you'll be staying around until then?"

She grinned back at him, a flirty gleam in her eyes.

“I can be.”

For her, nothing had changed from the night before. Declan’s touch left trails of fire along her skin. Her heart’s rhythm accelerated. She glanced down at his fingers on her arm and wished his touch was elsewhere on her body. She took a quick, deep, intake of breath. How in the world had this happened?

“Declan,” she whispered, “do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?”

She didn’t want to play any kind of game with him. She had little reason to, even if she was so inclined. It just wasn’t who she was. She just wanted to live in the moment and right now, that moment was Declan.

 

[cnuveau]

Declan could feel the goosebumps forming on Brenda's skin on the back of her arm and knew it wasn't from the temperature of the room. "Who me?" he replied innocently when when she asked if he knew what he was doing to her. Declan knew exactly what he was doing to her and from the way she was responding he had plans to do a whole lot more.

The high slit of Brenda's evening dress gave Declan just the opportunity that he was looking for. His fingers trailed along Brenda's exposed skin high up her thigh just before he slipped his hand beneath it and encircled her thigh with the expanse of his hand. "What's this doing to you?" he asked before sliding his hand up higher until he felt his fingers press against the delicate fabric of her panties.

A casual glance over his shoulder at Mike revealed the man still staring at them from across the bar. "Do you think he'd mind what I'm doing to you?" he whispered as his fingers stroked along the soft fabric. "I bet you'd like to make him watch how you should be treated by a man wouldn't you?" he continued before working his fingers beneath her panties.

​

With Declan's back blocking most of Mike's view he couldn't see exactly what was going on but the flushed look of Brenda's face told him it wasn't just a casual conversation. This was exactly the scenario that he and Bill had discussed though it wasn't playing out nearly as he'd imagined. Far from allowing it to happen, Mike had been pushed to the sidelines and excluded from any part in it and even though the thought itself angered him, he still couldn't help but feeling the sense of arousal and desire for Brenda that he'd anticipated.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

The softest of moans left Bren’s lips. Her pulse accelerated as Declan’s hand moved teasingly higher up her thigh. His warm breath whispered over her skin, as her eyes closed briefly before she opened them to glance down the bar at a sullen Mike.

“Oh, he would mind,” she managed to whisper back.

Some part of her, deep in her mind, wanted to agree with Declan. She wanted Mike tied to chair and forced to watch her and Declan together, to let Declan show Mike that she was still sexually attractive to another man. No, it was more than that. Mike usually made sure she had an orgasm when they had sex, but lately, it wasn’t the same and the sex had been getting further and further apart. She would turn toward him and he would pretend he didn’t see, rolling to his side away from her. It made Brenda want to cry.

“Some part of me does,” Bren continued to whisper back to Declan, “Some other part of me says, why bother. Mike doesn’t care. Not really. Right now, he probably does because another man is paying attention to his wife, but when this cruise is over, he won’t give a damn again,” she turned her head until her eyes met Declan’s. There was resignation in hers.

“Mike always wants what’s out of his reach.”

 

[cnuveau]

“Hmmmm, that’s too bad because I want what’s within my reach right now and I intend to take it.” Declan whispered as his fingers stroked Brenda through her panties.

It was getting to be close to the end of his break and Declan hated the idea of having to leave her alone there with him just down the bar. He was absolutely sure that he wasn’t going to leave her alone and on stage there wasn’t much he’d be able to do to intervene. She seemed more than capable of handling herself though. Declan leaned in brushing his lips softly against her neck. “I’ve to go get back. Are you going come dance for me?” He asked before slowly withdrawing his hand from beneath her dress.

Declan barely had time to make it to the stage before Mike was sliding into the stool that he’d just vacated. “You’ve made your point, I get it. Can we talk now?” He asked, flustered by what he’d watched going on between them.

When Declan took his seat back on the stool he shook his head when he noticed that Mike had already moved in. “Alright, let’s get you people out onto the dance floor and let’s have some fun.” He said into the mic before kicking off the backing track and launching into a song that usually drew people to the dance floor.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

“Hmmmm, that’s too bad because I want what’s within my reach right now and I intend to take it.”

Declan’s words filled her, making a thrill slide down her spine as she briefly remembered just how he could take her. His fingers pressed against her already moist panties made her clamp her thighs together briefly. So, when he whispered that he had to get back and withdrew his fingers, she felt momentary disappointment before remembering where she was.

“I’ll come dance for you, Declan,” she murmured just before she felt his lips against her neck, making her nipples harden into tight buds that craved his touch, but not nearly as much as her core did.

Declan had no sooner left her and returned to the stage and she felt someone slide into his vacated spot. Mike. She didn’t have to even look. She glanced over at him briefly before dismissing him.

“No, I’m done talking to you. I’m going down to the office and see if they have an empty room. I’ll be damned if I am going to do this cruise with you, Mike. I’m so done with you. Period. I don’t have a damn thing to prove to you or to make a point. Even if I did, it might sink into your thick skull for a while but sooner or later, you’ll go back to the way you always have been and nothing is going to prove otherwise to me.”

She was about to say more when she heard Declan’s voice calling for everyone to come dance. Picking up her drink, she polished it off and set the glass on the bar top. Sliding off her bar stool, she headed for the dance floor and wove her way through the growing crowd until she stood in front of the stage, grinning at Declan and her body starting to catch the beat of the music.

 

[cnuveau]

Mike watched, stunned as Brenda slipped off the barstool then made her way to the dance floor. They’d been through this before and she’d been mad before but this time definitely seemed different. Her talk of finding her own room seemed to take everything to a whole new level. Right now though he knew that continuing to try to engage her was only going to make matters worse so he returned to his seat to keep an eye on her.

Declan looked down at Brenda and blew her a kiss when she pushed her way to the front of the dance floor. He looked on with enthusiastic approval of the way her body moved as she danced.

“Um, um, um. I’m being driven to distraction up here ya’ll. Let’s get this place jumping.” He said before he started his next song and a few more people moved onto the dance floor.

He didn’t suspect Brenda would be dancing by herself for long and a moment later he was proven write when a good looking guy, a little older than him, danced his way over toward her and started to casually engage her. He’d seen his share of pushy guys being problematic on the dance floor but this guy didn’t seem to be one of them. He seemed to be respecting her space so Declan let his attention drift back to his playing.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She couldn’t believe Mike. Well, actually, she could. He was always like this and he thought this time was just going to be like all the rest, but it wasn’t and he was soon going to learn that.

Declan’s words made her laugh. She knew he had been talking about her, since his eyes were on her when he had spoken. The dance floor became crowded. So it wasn’t surprising that some guy tried to dance with her. She shot Declan a quick glance but her look wasn’t panicked or anything. Bren was just having a good time. She wasn’t trying to start up anything with this stranger. They simply danced to the music that Declan was putting out there.

At some point, Bren slipped away and out of the lounge. She went looking for the Guest Services desk to inquire if there were any vacant cabins. She was gone for about a half hour before she returned to the lounge where Declan was playing. Bren had gotten lucky and had obtained an empty cabin one floor up from where she and Mike had a cabin. Without too many details she had explained why she wanted to move and the personnel were quite understanding and helpful. The cabin was already ready. All she had to do was move her belongings. At least she’d have some peace for the remainder of the cruise.

The dance floor was still hopping when Bren got back. She stopped at the bar to retrieve her drink and took it with her to an empty table close to the dance floor. She caught Declan’s eye and smiled before she got back onto the dance floor and began dancing again. This cruise was definitely starting to show some promise now.

 

[cnuveau]

Declan watched Brenda dance for a while enjoying watching her have a good time. It seemed like exactly what she needed with everything going on in her life and he like the fact that, at least in the moment, she seemed to be able to leave it all behind and lose herself in the moment. It was one of the things he enjoyed most about being a musician. For just a short period of time, he had the ability to transport people to somewhere they can forget all their problems and it made it all seem worth it.

When she disappeared into the crowd he grew concerned that her husband was causing her problems but he wasn’t in a position to help her if his was. It left him feeling worried and regretting confronting him earlier but there was little he could do about it.

Most of his set had passed before she reappeared looking far more loose and relaxed than she had earlier. Declan wondered for a moment if she’d snuck off with the man she’d been dancing with for a little release but her eyes on him told him that she hadn’t been too distracted. He watched her moving on the dance floor again, somehow far more sultry then when she had left and he couldn’t wait for his set to end.

When his set finally ended Declan stowed away his gear then walked over to the table Brenda had staked out. “What have you been up to?” He asked noting her still very relaxed look.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Brenda smiled at his question, reaching for her drink and taking a sip before answering him, gesturing to him to join her.

“Declan,” she began, “I don’t want you to think any of this was your doing, because it wasn’t. Mike and I have been heading down this path for some time now. In fact, this cruise was his idea. It was simply another way to pacify me and to be truthful, I had hoped this trip could save our marriage but I see now, that’s not going to happen. Mike is always going to be Mike. He may switch up what he does for a time but soon or later, he slinks back into his old ways and I’m just…. well, just back to the way I have always been. Maybe this is largely my fault. I just kept waiting for him to change. To really see and hear me, but it isn’t until he’s ready to lose everything, that he comes to me, wanting to fix this, but it’s too late. I’ve had more than enough.”

She took another sip of her drink.

“I went to go talk to Guest Services to see if there were any empty cabins on this cruise and I got lucky. They had two. So, I took one. I’ll move all my things over by tomorrow. By the way, you sounded really good up there.”

 

[cnuveau]

Declan could hear the anger and hurt in Brenda's voice. He knew that it had to be a difficult decision to end a relationship of that length but she sounded resolved and comfortable with the conclusion she'd come to. When she mentioned that she'd managed to secure a room of her own his brow raised a little as he pondered the opportunity that presented. It had been something he'd puzzled over most of the evening since the crew staff were often assigned roommates to their cabins. His had been relatively absent most of the time when he was in there but it did present a roadblock to him being able to use his own room should they decided a more intimate setting was needed.

"Thanks but I should be thanking you. I always find I perform better when I have someone I'm playing for." he said, reaching over and touching her arm. "You know, you never know what kind of state you'll find vacant rooms like that in do you? You could have vagrants camped out in there or god knows what else. I hate the idea of you going into the room alone for the first time and being surprised. You should let me go with you to check it out. You know, just to make sure everything is in order." he said as a cheeky grin crept across his face.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

"You know, you never know what kind of state you'll find vacant rooms like that in do you? You could have vagrants camped out in there or god knows what else. I hate the idea of you going into the room alone for the first time and being surprised. You should let me go with you to check it out. You know, just to make sure everything is in order."

That cheeky grin of his got to her. Bren laughed and touched his arm.

“Declan, you’re incorrigible. I’m sure the cabin’s fine but I could use some help moving my things over, if you don’t mind.”

Brenda hadn’t come in the turnip truck. She knew what Declan was hinting at and she wasn’t opposed. She was just appreciative of the fact he wanted to spend more time with her. She would always be thankful for that one night under the stars she had spent with him, but she never thought he would like to be with her again. After all, he was a young enough and handsome enough, to have his pick of any of the younger female crowd. Heaven only knew that they were willing enough to be with him. It wasn’t the case of Declan being a rebound sort of thing. Considering she had thought it was just going to be a one-nighter, she was surprised to learn he wanted to be around her. He was fun to be around and he would certainly make this cruise into something she would cherish, that was for sure. Besides, Declan was a wonderful lover and Bren wouldn’t mind sharing that with him again.

 

[cnuveau]

Declan had expected Brenda to go along with his ruse and when she didn’t he felt the sting of her rejection. He wasn’t being very clever in his attempt to lure her there so she obviously knew what his intentions were. Helping her move her things wasn’t exactly what he had in mind for the evening. He wasn’t opposed to it of course, it just wasn’t where he thought the evening was going.

Declan traced his finger seductively up and down her thigh. “So what’s in it for me if I do?” Declan asked playfully, undaunted by her initial rejection. “Because for manual labor my price is usually pretty high. You sure you’re up for paying that kind of price?”

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She watched Declan’s face fall and silently giggled. It was hard to keep a straight face as she asked him to help her move her things.

“So what’s in it for me if I do? Because for manual labor my price is usually pretty high. You sure you’re up for paying that kind of price?”

Brenda leaned close to his ear until she could feel it with her lips as she whispered.

“I’ll make it worth your while and I’m more than ready to pay your price.”

Her tone was teasing with a lilt of seductiveness. In fact, she had him in mind when she got her own stateroom, if he was interested, which it appeared he was. Brenda hadn’t even been thinking about anything long term where Declan was concerned. They had just met, after all. However, she wasn’t opposed to getting to know him better so long as she didn’t get him into any trouble with his boss on the cruise ship. She had a good many loose ends she needed to tie up where Mike was concerned as well. It wasn’t that she was using Declan for sure but it was nice to have someone to share the cruise with.

 

[cnuveau]

As Brenda spoke Declan noticed Mike walk back into the lounge, locate them then make his way to the end of the bar where he'd have a vantage point to watch them. With her back toward the entrance he was sure that Brenda didn't notice his return. Seeing this, Declan was inclined to get them out of there and away from him where they could be alone but before he did, Mike's conversation earlier in the day at the bar came to mind.

Declan could only assume that if Mike was intent on making trouble for him he would have after their earlier confrontation. The fact that nobody from management had come to see him told him that wasn't the case. Hearing the way Brenda spoke of the way he'd treated her didn't sit well with Declan so he decided to make a point.

"Hmmm, I guess I'll have to make sure it's well worth your while then." Declan said then leaned in to kiss her.

When their lips met Declan brought his hand to the back of Brenda's neck, gripping a fistful of her hair as his tongue parted her lips and they kissed passionately. A quick peak back in Mike's direction told him he'd captured Mike's attention as his hand landed on her thigh, visible beneath the table, then slipped beneath the slit of her dress.

​

Mike sat dumbfounded watching as the young guy kissed his wife. Though his mind screamed that he should get up and put a stop to it, the reaction of his body was sending him a different message. The way his hand gripped her hair spoke of a control that Mike had never taken of her and the way she appeared to be melting into kiss told him everything he needed to know about how she felt about it.

"Fuuuuck" Mike breathed out to himself as he adjusted his position to hide the erection that bulged at the front of his pants. Nothing about this made any sense to him. Here he was watching his wife with another man and all he could bring himself to do was watch.

Mike's eyes were drawn to the shift of Brenda's leg as Declan seemingly pulled it toward him, opening her more to him then the rise of her chest from a quick intake of breath that told him exactly where his hand had traveled to. Mike swallowed hard as he watched and his breath quickened.