Truth or Dare

Upon waking, Ethan looked over the ship’s itinerary for the day. “Pool party, Rock climbing, Truth or Dare, Fishing, Skeet shooting, Rave in the Boiler Room,” he mumbled wondering where Brit was as she usually was waiting for him when he woke from his slumber. He was about to cast it aside when he saw “Maritime astronomy.” He read the description as Brit bounced in the door announcing that her swimsuit looked most different from everyone else. He grinned as he admired her bare ankles. “Indeed. You look charming and the others look…” His voice trailed off as he struggled for a word other than ‘cheap.’ “Ready for sunshine,” he said finishing the sentence.

Brit twirled while shrugging and flopped next to him playing with the frills on her swimming suit. She handed him a large bag that she had obtained on her earlier shopping trip. Looking within, he found flip flops, Bermuda swimwear, and a few summertime shirts with a white jacket all - in his size. “Thank you, Brit.” He freshened up and dressed wearing the casual white jacket and one of the shirts with a pair of gabardine pants. The flip flops and shorts would be discretely returned. After cuddling for a short time, Ethan marveled that he no longer found the ship’s insipid itinerary unbearable.

Omega watched with amusement as Ethan patiently coaxed Brit up the climbing wall. She also noticed that he clearly enjoyed watching Brit from below. Both were pleased to see that Brit seemed not to find the task overly difficult, although she fell several times only to be caught by the safety harness. The two kindred reminisced about the cruises of yesteryear and both conceded that Brit might have found the kind of cruises they missed less amusing. The fishing looked like so much fun that Omega joined Brit as she reeled in a fish with huge eyes and seemed so delighted that the purser ensured she was served it with fresh cut chips and malt vinegar. Omega and Brit watched as Ethan kept fingering his thigh where his pistols usually were found during the skeet shooting competition and consoled him later when he found that Ray was fine shot even though he very drunk. Tracy excitedly posed for the picture and Ethan silently noticed that not a hair on Tracy’s head moved in the breeze.

Brit and Ethan sat on the fringe of the group as the ship’s officer pointed out constellations of stars and told myths about each one. Ethan cuddled Brit to him and told him all about Hercules and his life-long nemesis Hera, and the trials Hercules endured because of it. He pointed out the constellation for the crab which was granted a place in the sky for trying to distract Hercules while he fought the hydra. In a low, sweet voice, Ethan whispered the story between kisses on her neck as her head was angled perfectly for such due to the position of the stars.

They watched people play truth or dare. Knowing Brit’s inability to be less than honest, Ethan steered her away from the game by promising a private game in their room. Brit fell asleep before the sun rose. She smelled of cocoa-butter, sea breeze, and mint tea mingled with the light scent of vanilla. It was not the ship of days gone by but, truthfully, Ethan had to admit that he was having fun. And he marveled with a hint of a smile that the simple ship’s game had let him learn things about his baby beloved that he had not known before.