Cruising Love

by Lexy Timms

  “Holy crap. I can’t believe how long we talked,” Abby said.

  “What time did you say that dance club opened again?” I asked.

  “Eight o’clock, I think,” Bernie said. “Just after dinner service.”

  “Care to do some dancing tonight, Abby?” I asked.

  “I’d love to. I haven’t gone dancing in so long.”

  We took in dinner with Bernie and Doris, then parted ways to go get changed. Abby put on this dazzling dress that fluttered around her knees, and I put on a pair of khakis and a button-down shirt. I was ready to twirl her around on the floor for hours, her beautiful hair whipping around in my face. We met Bernie and Doris just outside the doors, then the four of us walked in and made a beeline straight for the dance floor.

  I was stunned with how well Abby could dance. She twirled her body and shook her hips. She kicked up her leg and snapped her body into different positions. I found myself trying to keep up with her instead of the other way around, and when I twirled her into my body, I captured her lips with mine.

  “I had no idea you could dance like this,” I said.

  “Well, now you do,” she said.

  “We’re going dancing more often. And by the looks of it, I’m gonna need to take lessons.”

  “Bring it on, sweet cheeks.”

  She twirled back out as we continued to salsa around the floor. The songs bled into each other, from salsa to swing, to foxtrot. I carried her around the floor and she moved with a grace that silenced me. Her body pressed into mine as my leg slipped in between hers, and together we twirled around the floor while others watched us in awe. Her hair was fluttering and her dress was flaring with every turn. Her body moved every time I guided her into a free space on the floor and her hips always seemed to be pressing into mine. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was grace incarnate. The way her body moved and the way she commanded everyone’s attention.

  It was as if she was born to be shown off.

  Song after song had us entranced, and when we finally got a chance to sit down, sweat was dripping down the back of my neck. We were panting for air as Abby sank into the side of my body, and I held her close as the music rattled my ribcage.

  “You got the energy for one more song?” I asked.

  “I was actually thinking about getting a drink and heading back to the room,” Abby said.

  “We can do that, too.”

  “Could we come dancing again tomorrow night?”

  I lifted her face towards mine before my lips descended onto hers.

  “We can come back whenever you’d like,” I said.

  It seemed I could actually feel her smile as I helped her to her feet. She was limping in her heels and stopped to take them off. We made our way back to the room, her shoes slung over her shoulder, and I picked up the phone to order us drinks from the kitchen.

  But she took the phone from my hands and hung up before I could order.

  “Do you not want—?”

  Her finger pressed against my lips before a devious smile crossed her face. Her hands slid down my chest, unbuttoning my shirt as they slid down my torso. Her hands pushed my shirt away from my body before she started to undo my belt. I could feel myself swelling as her eyes locked onto mine. I lifted my hand and cupped her cheek as my belt slid from around my waist. She held it up beside her and let it go, and the metal of the belt buckle clattered to the floor with a bang.

  “The drinks can wait,” Abby said.

  Then, she went to work on the button of my pants.

  Chapter 16

  Abby

  I opened my eyes before the sun began to rise the next morning. Even considering how hard I had danced, not to mention how hard I climaxed against Colin’s body the night before, I was beyond excited. Like a child experiencing Santa for the very first time. We were going to be docking in our first destination. Forte-De-France, Martinique. I could see the port off in the distance as I got up and stood at the windows.

  “What a sight,” Colin said.

  Blushing at his words, I pulled the blanket from the bed. I wrapped it around me and continued to stare, watching the sky slowly illuminate with the sun. The closer we approached the port, the more excited I became. Colin slid from bed and wrapped his arms around me, pressing his strong chest into my back.

  “Ready for an adventure?” he asked.

  “Oh, yes,” I said breathlessly.

  “I didn’t book us for any particular cruise venture. I figured we could just enjoy the city, explore the shops, and then find the nearest beach if we wanted to snorkel or something.”

  “Sounds perfect,” I said. “What time are we docking again?”

  “The itinerary says nine thirty.”

  “Good. Then I’ve got time to get a shower.”

  “Mind if I join you?” he asked.

  The two of us slipped into the shower and we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. His lips were on my neck and breasts, sending shivers down my spine. His hands gripped my hips and my thighs. My waist and my hair. I felt him fill every part of me as we moved together in the shower, my back pressed against the tiles. My leg was hiked around his waist as his hips rolled into mine, pulling moans from my throat as he swallowed my sounds. The water dripped down our bodies as we dirtied ourselves up. Then, Colin helped me wash my body down before the two of us stepped out.

  Forte-De-France was gorgeous. A breathtaking island with crystal clear waters and luscious green trees. The sand was like powder and the rolling hills in the distance back dropped the small towns that were dotted around the islands. Colin’s hand was planted into the small of my back as we disembarked from the boat, then opted to wave off the bus in order to walk around and take in the island ourselves.

  Unfortunately, we didn’t even get into our first shop before I saw someone taking pictures.

  I tried not to let it bother me since it was just a local. Someone wanting to get a picture of someone they were probably seeing on the news. We walked in and out of the local shops and I tried to distract myself with the trinkets and handmade gifts. But every time we walked out of the shop there seemed to be more people taking pictures on their phones.

  Then, I heard it.

  The unmistakable sound of a shutter clicking.

  Colin’s head whipped around as I tried to locate the sound. There were two people standing at the end of the sidewalk, snapping pictures of us as we walked around. Colin held me closer to his side, trying his best to get his body in front of mine. He knew what was going on.

  He knew there were paparazzi on the island that had discovered us.

  “Colin?” I asked.

  “I’m sorry, Abby. Come with me,” he said.

  He grabbed my hand and we darted in between two shops. We scurried down the alleyway before we were dumped out onto another street. Colin’s head was on a swivel as we dashed across the road, running into a shop that looked like it specialized in more handmade goods.

  If I wasn’t so disappointed at what we were having to do, I would’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.

  We peered out the window and saw the two individuals come emerging from the alleyway we’d just run down. Their heads were turning every which direction, looking for us as we stood in the window. The shop owner came over to the window and pulled the blinds, then locked the door before he turned to us.

  “Stay as long as wish,” he said.

  “Thank you,” Colin said.

  “How did they find us?” I asked. “We’re in the fucking Caribbean.”

  “There are always paparazzi on islands like this,” he said. “These places are popular for filming movies and such. But with so many actors and actresses coming and going, I didn’t think they’d recognize me.

  “Can we go back to the ship?” I asked.

  “There’s a bus that’s supposed to come through in a few minutes,” Colin said. “It can take us to the other side of the island for the day. I’m sure there’s no one over there to take pictures.�
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  “Please? They won’t be allowed onto the boat. The boat still has things going on, right?”

  I could see the anger and disappointment boiling behind Colin’s eyes as he sighed heavily.

  “But the island is gorgeous,” he said. “I wanted to experience it with you.”

  “Not like this,” I said. “Not with people constantly taking pictures of us. It won’t matter, Colin.”

  “It’ll always matter to me. I can block them out. They won’t distract me,” he said.

  “They’ll distract me.”

  “But they won’t if we can just get out among them. That is how you’ll get used to them. Please don’t let them spoil this for us,” he said.

  “I’m not letting them spoil anything, Colin. Now take me back to the ship.”

  I stared up at him and he finally relented. The shopkeeper unlocked the door for us and we made a mad dash back for the boat. We ran through the sand and up the bridge to board the ship again, but we were stopped right at the top by a random family.

  “Oh my gosh, we thought that was you,” the man said.

  “I told you it was Colin Murphy!” the woman exclaimed.

  “Could we get a picture?” the man asked.

  I took Colin’s hand and pulled him in between the family. I wasn’t going to let this spoil everything. I wasn’t going to allow people recognizing him to put a damper on our time together. This was supposed to be time for us. Time for us to get to know each other and understand one another better. I tugged him along as we made our way into the ship, but every time we turned around someone was stopping him.

  “It’s Colin Murphy!”

  “Did you know he was on the ship?”

  “Look! It’s the same man in the picture! It’s him, Mom!”

  “Mr. Murphy, how’s all that shit with your company coming along?”

  “Mr. Murphy, could we get a picture with you?”

  The crowd quickly became so thick I could no longer pull him through it. I felt his arm snake around my waist, but he made no effort to push through them. He was answering questions as quickly as he could and posing for pictures with people, and all the while trying to keep his grasp on me.

  To keep me there underneath their gazes.

  It was an endless sea of people. There were people actually walking back onto the ship from the island just to come get a picture of him. Flashes were going off everywhere and people were calling out his name. His hand was keeping a tight grip on mine so he didn’t lose me, but all I wanted to do was get back to the room.

  I was uncomfortable, I was exposed, and Colin was no longer mine to enjoy.

  Slipping my hand from his, I slid effortlessly through the crowd. They parted for me, almost wanting me to get away from him. Just as quickly as they stood off to the side, they closed him in, and I could hear him calling out my name as I walked away.

  “Abby! No—no thank, you. Hold on. Abby!”

  I tried to block out his voice as tears rose to my eyes. Now, there was no one to help me. No driver to get me into a car and no security to escort me through a building. People were rushing by me trying to get to him, slamming into my shoulders and knocking me to the ground. None of them cared about me. None of them gave a shit who I was. All they wanted was him. All they wanted were pictures with him.

  They all loved him, and none of them could’ve cared less about me.

  “Abby! Abby, come back!”

  I sprinted down the hallway as I made it to the elevator. Tears were pouring down my cheeks as I slid in and pressed a random button. I didn’t care where this elevator took me and I didn’t care where it dumped me. All I wanted was to be away from the cameras and the people and the relentless flashing. I wanted to get away from the hordes of fans Colin had. People who claimed to care about him but only cared about what he could give the world. The elevator doors slid shut and I allowed my tears to fall, soaking my skin as the metal entrapment took me up.

  I slid down until my ass hit the floor, then I curled my knees up to my chest.

  They all loved him. But they didn’t love me. And every single time they gathered, it reminded me of how unwanted I was. How easy it was to cast me off to the side. It reminded me of how easy it was for Derek to reject me and how easy it had been for Popular Faces to fire me. It reminded me of how unimportant I was to this world, and how I was only as good as the people I associated with.

  I buried my face in my knees as the tears continued to flow. All I wanted to do now was go home.

  Chapter 17

  Colin

  It took me an hour to get everyone settled so I could get out from underneath their prying grasps. This was the juggling act I had done ever since Murphy, Inc. took off. It was a treacherous balancing act between living my own life and pleasing those who supported my endeavors. It wasn’t just about impressing investors and taking on new clientele. I had created an entire social media platform geared towards entrepreneurs of all ages, races, and success levels. And part of being in the social media world is being, well, sociable.

  But Abby hadn’t turned back up and I was beginning to worry about her.

  I got why she was angry. I understood that completely. But I could only do so much. I could only fend off the paparazzi to a certain degree, and the rest was a part of our life she simply had to accept. I rushed for the elevator and went up to our floor, hoping to hell she was in our room.

  That was where I found her. Curled up on the bed with red eyes and puffy cheeks.

  “Hey there,” I said.

  Her sniffle broke my heart as I settled down next to her.

  “Talk to me,” I said. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m just—disappointed,” she said.

  “About what?” I asked.

  “I thought that we could escape them for once.”

  “Who’s ‘them’?” I asked.

  “Them, Colin. Your fans. The people who want to meet you. The paparazzi. Them! I hate it. I hate every second of it. The cameras flashing in my face so much I can’t even see where I’m going. Their constant need to follow me and break down what I’m wearing. We live in Los Angeles for Christ sake, one of the freest cities on this planet. And yet I feel like a prisoner. I feel like I’m being held by my throat. We’re sailing on the open fucking sea, Colin. Yet they’ve still got us by our throats!”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t realize you felt that way. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “All of this is so overwhelming, Colin. How could you not know?”

  “Because you won’t talk to me,” I said. “I’m not a mind reader. I can’t always tell how you’re feeling simply by looking at you. You have to open up and talk to me.”

  “Well, I’m talking now. It’s stifling and overwhelming. Can’t you do something about it? Don’t you feel that way, too?”

  “It can be a bit much sometimes, but I have ways of coping. It comes with the territory I’m afraid. I am in the business of bringing people together to learn and to socialize. If I’m not a sociable person myself, no one will support my endeavors.”

  “I get that. I do. Trust me. But—how in the hell are you not pissed off by it all?” she asked.

  “It’s something you just—have to get used to. In the beginning it was a bit frustrating, but I also didn’t try to run from it. It’s also a symbol of my success in a way, so maybe I’m more patient with it. One strategy that has worked for me was that I created my own bubbles of privacy. Like my apartment and all of its lavish areas. Renting out the back sections of restaurants so I can go enjoy a good meal. Private cabanas in Bora Bora that aren’t surrounded by other bungalows. I create my own privacy. It’s one of the things my money can do for me.”

  Tears were leaking from Abby’s eyes and it broke my heart.

  “Come here,” I said.

  I reached out for her but she scooted away from me. She sat up on the bed and I watched her face slowly morph. The sadness gave way to contriteness, and that contrite e
xpression twisted itself up into anger. She was angry with this situation, and I understood. But being angry about it wasn’t going to change it.

  She would have to find a way to cope just like I had to—otherwise our relationship wasn’t going to work.

  And that thought terrified me.

  “Why are you so overwhelmed right now?” I asked. “We’re in our private room with our private balcony. There is room service and there are private hot tubs on the spa level of the building.”

  “This was supposed to be a romantic getaway, Colin. Now, everyone’s fawning over you, like you’re some superstar or something. We’re already cooped up on a boat in the middle of the sea, but now you want to confine me to a room and a private hot tub?” she asked.

  “It isn’t ruined, Abby. But your mindset will going to ruin it for us,” I said. “Look, I’m going to talk with the security team on the boat and tell them what’s going on. They’ll keep the crowds at bay and we can continue to enjoy our cruise. No one else will come up to us. Look, Bernie and Doris didn’t know who I was, and didn’t really care once they found out. Maybe they’d like to come to our room for a movie and some drinks.”

  “You can’t put a Band-Aid on this, Colin.”

  “I’m not trying to,” I said. “This trip isn’t spoiled, Abby. You just think it is.”

  “Oh, so this is all in my head now?” she asked.

  “No, it’s not. That isn’t want I said. It is definitely real and it’s here. Nobody knows that better than me, but you have to find ways to cope. You have to find ways to enjoy life despite an aspect of it that you might not like.”

  “This was supposed to be for us, Colin. And now I’m being forced by you to change the way I view it because of them. I’m having to tailor my life because of them.”

  “What do you want me to say, Abby? You were aware of the press and the fame I had before I proposed to you. Did you think that getting married would change any of that?”

  “Well, maybe we shouldn’t be getting married, Colin! Did you ever think about that!?”

  I felt the blood drain from my face as Abby tossed herself into bed. She wiggled under the covers, her shoulders heaving with silent sobs. I felt like utter shit. I knew she was struggling and upset, but she was struggling and upset over the one fucking thing I couldn’t control. I could keep her safe. I could keep her connected. I could keep her employed. I could keep her warm and loved and sexually satisfied and wanting for nothing in her life.