Voyage To Submission

by Mlyn Hurn

  Suddenly, an arm appeared in front of her, blocking her vision as its palm rested on the wall beside her. In her ear, she heard Jack’s voice whispering, “When it comes to that level, sweetheart, it’s against the law to even mention the word ‘cabin’. I’ve heard the Captain has the Queen’s approval to dump them in the brig to await transport to the Tower of London.”

  Andy glanced sideways, met Jack’s piercing green gaze, and looked away just as quickly. “There haven’t been any prisoners kept there for a very long time, not to mention how silly it would be to put thieves in the place you keep the Crown Jewels.”

  “I thought you ladies were sharing two cabins.”

  “Yes, well…an opportunity came up and I took it.” Andy breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator doors opened. She took advantage of Jack turning to duck beneath his arm and walk into the entranceway for the restaurant.

  “It’s about time!”

  Andy and Jack both turned at hearing a voice they recognized.

  Gayle came towards them, smiling. “Andy, you just have to visit the little girls’ room later. Just follow me, and I’ll lead the way to our table. Can you believe this place? I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

  “I should be wearing a long designer satin gown, glittering jewels dangling from my ears, draping along my neck, and elbow-length white gloves. In the background is the sound of a string quartet playing beautiful chamber music.” Andy stopped and found both Jack and Gayle staring. Laughing quickly, she shrugged. “Silly me, rambling on there. Let’s get seated. I’m getting hungry.”

  Gayle nodded and started leading the way to the table.

  Andy took a step forward to follow when Jack stopped her by curving his hand around her elbow, the same way Ethan had with Margrit.

  “I can imagine you’d look quite spectacular, and I wouldn’t mind putting on a white tie and tails to accompany you.”

  Andy pressed her free hand to her stomach. It didn’t do any good because her stomach had already jumped into her throat! To discover Jack still had such an effect over her was daunting. She needed to say something to break the spell he seemed to have over her.

  “I can’t wait to see what you come up for the Disguise Party in a couple of days.” Jack interjected quickly. “We better go or Gayle will be coming back to find us.”

  * * * * *

  If she had hoped her appearance change might have already been dismissed as a topic, she was quickly dissuaded as Tony, seated across the table, commented, “Damn Andy, you look hot!”

  Liz must have kicked him because a second later he said ouch and shot her a dirty look. But she was undaunted, smiling at Andy. “You look really wonderful, Andy. Now answer the important question. Why aren’t you sharing the cabins with us?”

  Danny Fishbein, the accountant, cut in before Andy could reply. “Do the girls have to pay for the single supplement on the one cabin?”

  Tony grinned, leaning forward to look at Gayle, Liz and then Ruthie. “Well, ladies, since we have five guys in our two adjoining cabins, I’d be happy to move in with you, just to even things up and all.”

  Ruthie was vigorously shaking her head. “Maybe one of us will get lucky and finally trip over Mr. Right. This gives us a room to…well, I remember how you guys would always act on spring breaks.”

  Liz laughed and patted Tony’s hand. “That’s right, and now we have reached our sexual peaks—”

  Gayle, the doctor, interrupted the others to interject. “We’re at the beginning of our peak. The best is still to come…in more ways than one, for us.”

  Ray shifted in his chair to look at Gayle. “Uh, honey…I thought—”

  Gayle leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I was talking about the other girls, sweetheart. I’ve found my slave in you.”

  Danny flushed as he spoke. “Don’t you mean Master, Gayle?”

  Andy spoke without thinking, her hours of Internet research revealing itself. “Not all tops are male, Danny.”

  Immediately, she was aware of her friends all turning to look. She started to speak when a handsome young waiter interrupted them by clearing his throat. He looked at her, rather than at the whole table.

  “Excuse me, ma’am. Are you Ms. Andrea Bond, from the Balmoral Suite?”

  Andy nodded, embarrassed at being singled out like this, before she’d gotten a chance to explain about her accommodations.

  “We have champagne reserved for you, ma’am, compliments of Mr. Edwards. Shall I serve it now, or perhaps later in your suite? Your butler informed us he missed your arrival and sends his apology.”

  Andy had thought she was embarrassed, now she had no doubt she was! Nodding, she spoke quickly. “I’m not sure how large the bottle is, but perhaps we could share it and just pass it until all the glasses are filled.”

  The waiter nodded and departed immediately. Andy wished she could do the same until Danny broke the silence.

  “Hot damn, Andy! What have you been up to since college? Here I thought Jack was the successful one amongst this crowd of lay-abouts. Or at least that is what my dad used to call us all when I went home over the holidays.”

  Andy listened as the others laughed, but she was intensely aware of Jack, who was still staring at her. When more conversation broke out, he leaned closer to whisper. “Who is Mr. Edwards? I assume he isn’t your talking horse.”

  Andy couldn’t help but laugh. Unfortunately the sweet and elderly Emerson Edwards had a long face. “He is my next-door neighbor. I will need to make a note.” She paused to open her purse and pull out her PDA. “I will email him a quick thank you before I go to bed tonight.”

  Jack watched as Andy wrote the message on the small screen. The flush on her cheeks made him want to caress her skin and see if it was warmer there, or on the paler skin of her upper arms. He was intensely aware that very little other skin was available due to the discreet cheongsam she’d chosen to wear. At this point he wasn’t sure if her choice was deliberate, but it was directly opposite to the outfits the other women had worn tonight. None of them had been naked, or dressed inappropriately, yet the dresses had been short and showed cleavage. Andy’s cleavage was something he’d definitely looked forward to seeing.

  Her hair fell forward, and just as she had many times before Jack watched as she artlessly tucked it behind her ear without more than a second’s pause. Suddenly he recalled the way he’d begun to stare at her after their last spring break, scrutinizing and studying her every move. Instead of trying to sit beside her, as he had in the past, he now deliberately sat away, so he could see her face.

  Like now, he realized, as she caught her lower lip with her teeth. At first he had thought it was a cute, most likely nervous gesture she had when she was thinking and didn’t want to be distracted. But then he saw her tongue come out, and slowly rub across the spot for a moment or two, almost but not every single time after biting her lip. That was the day he discovered gut-wrenching desire.

  Sure he’d been attracted to women, and began his sexual life in high school. He’d never lacked for dates throughout college, but since senior spring break, things had been different, at least for him. For a long time he’d thought the change had been inside, and happened suddenly. No longer did he find himself feeling the same pull and attraction to every attractive woman he passed on campus. Now he compared them to Andy. Finally, he acknowledged he only wanted Andy’s kisses. If her tongue was to lick anything, it should be him!

  As graduation neared, with everyone talking about where they were going after college, either for the summer, more school or just life, Andy never volunteered what she was doing. Jack found his need to get close to her growing, but his every advance was met with her erecting more barriers and retreating.

  At first, he’d prodded her with teasing questions with the others around. But nothing would drag the answer out of her. Finally, the night before their graduation ceremony, he’d cornered her at the party they were having at the double apartment the guys had been
sharing their senior year. Without undue effort, he maneuvered her into his bedroom, closing the door. He’d switched her iced tea with a Long Island Iced Tea.

  “I feel dizzy, Jack,” Andy murmured moments later.

  “Just sit for a couple of minutes,” he told her quickly, surprised at how quickly the liquor had taken effect. “I’m sure you’ll feel better. Maybe if you drink the rest, it would help. You could be dehydrated,” he added, appealing to her logical side.

  “Thank you, Jack.” She drank down the rest of the potent disguised liquid.

  “Tomorrow’s the big day for us all, Andy. You haven’t said if your parents are coming.” He realized in their entire group, she never complained about her folks, or any sibling problems. Now he wondered why. “Mine are arriving early tomorrow morning and staying at the airport Hilton. Ray’s are flying in with them.”

  Jack waited, watching Andy, but she didn’t answer him. He considered asking her more directly again, but decided to change tactics. “What are your plans, Andy? Everyone else has talked like crazy about their future. I can’t remember hearing you say where you head from here?”

  Andy nodded and turned to look at him. “That’s right.” A second later she flopped back onto the bed, grinning up at him. “You’re going to Harvard for your Master’s in business.”

  Jack smiled, speaking quickly. “So, what will you be doing? Gayle said something about getting accepted several places, didn’t she?” He stretched out along side her, lying on his side.

  “It doesn’t matter,” she muttered.

  “Of course it matters, Andy.” While it hadn’t been his intention, he couldn’t resist the need. Reaching out, he lightly touched the side of her face, curving his hand to her neck and caressing his way down onto her shoulder. He rubbed lightly. “Are you still dizzy? Does it help, lying back?” he added. His good intentions were finding it hard to resist the desire he felt.

  Andy melted under his hand and wriggled around on the bed, smiling. “Jack,” she murmured softly.

  Jack’s argument over why this was a bad idea got lost in his need. Leaning over her, he lightly caressed her shoulder, moving down, just a little. “God! I wish I had more time,” he muttered even as he lowered his hand towards his goal.

  “Time?” Andy asked. “I’m hot!” A second later, she tried to tug off her sweatshirt. Since she was lying on it, all she managed was to tug up the front part.

  Jack groaned. He realized he’d given her too much to drink, and way too fast. Her one arm was tangled in the sweatshirt, while the other had shimmied free to reach up towards him. Knowing he needed to be careful how he handled the situation, he couldn’t resist the temptation. His hand curved over her large breast, savoring the feel of her hard nipple. He moved his palm back and forth, so the firm, rubbery tip dragged against it.

  It must have worked because Andy groaned and Jack knew he was dead meat if he didn’t stop right now! “I’m interested and I want to know what will you be doing while I’m in boring classes all day,” he asked her quickly.

  Looking into her eyes, Jack had seen something change.

  Her eyes had filled with tears.

  The door to his room banged open and Gayle had stormed in. Without asking, she came over and took the empty glass that had rolled from Andy’s hand to the floor.

  Sniffing it, Gayle glared at Jack, ignoring Ray, who had followed her into the room. “What the hell do you think you are doing? You know Andy doesn’t drink? Is this some kind of sick ‘last hurrah’ joke you guys are playing?” That’s when she noticed her friend’s state of partial undress. Gayle jerked down Andy’s shirt even as she shoved Jack away.

  Unresisting, he fell back on the bed and looked to Ray, who flushed a guilty red color. He didn’t know for sure what Gayle talked about, but she had acted quickly, pulling Andy off the bed.

  “Ray!” Gayle had practically shouted at his friend. “Help me get her home. I will talk to you later, Riley!” At the door, Gayle had turned to glare at him. “Of all the guys, Jack, I had really thought you were better than this.”

  Jack had sat back down on the bed as Andy was helped out of his room. Her step was a little unsteady. He was angry at being interrupted. He’d been positive Andy had been only seconds away from telling him something about her past, or even her future.

  A little less than twenty minutes later, Ray had returned alone. Not looking the least bit happy, Ray sat on the sofa next to Jack, leaving the end cushion free.

  “What’s wrong, Ray?” he asked after a few moments of silence.

  Ray groaned before he answered. “Gayle’s pissed at me because of you. The last thing she said to me was Jack just ruined your chance of a graduation fuck. She said she probably wasn’t come back here tonight.”

  “I wasn’t doing anything to Andy. Gayle has no reason to be upset.”

  “You gave her the drink!”

  “I wanted to loosen her tongue up so she’d talk to me.”

  “She was on your bed,” Ray pointed out instantly.

  “Sitting, since I don’t have decent chairs in here.”

  “Andy was lying down and you were leaning over her.” Ray countered once more.

  “Look, pseudo-Gayle, I’ve been trying to get out of her what her graduation plans are. It’s harder than pulling teeth to get information out of Andy.”

  “Damn it, Jack! Who cares what she’ll be doing? You’re heading to Harvard, man! With a Harvard MBA you can go anywhere!”

  Jack had to hold back his anger at Ray for the offhand way he was dealing with a friend’s future. Hell! They’d known the girls for close to four years. Of course he cared what they’d be doing. Before he could yell at Ray, Gayle reentered the living room, calling out his name.

  Jack remembered the look of happiness on his friend’s face at Gayle’s appearance and Ray had run across the room to meet her. Glancing at Gayle, he recalled she never had talked to him that night, or the next day. Of course, it wasn’t until after graduation, with everyone milling around before he could get close enough to her to ask where Andy was. They had skipped her name during the callout for diplomas. He’d been watching for her quite closely.

  “She left this morning, before the rest of us got up.” Anger blazed in Gayle’s gaze. “All she left was a short note saying she didn’t like ceremonies or long goodbyes.” Her voice had cracked for a moment, but she’d straightened her back. “She also wrote it had nothing to do with you or last night. I didn’t believe it until now.”

  Hearing Ray and Gayle laughing over something, usually a medical joke, drew him back to the present. Every time he thought about that brief conversation, he recalled he had not asked why she changed her mind. Somehow he was pretty sure her answer would have been it was look on his face. Abruptly, he felt the need for some space and stood. Realizing he’d drawn almost everyone’s attention, he muttered briefly. “Just heading to the gents’ and you can start the champagne without me.”

  Jack ignored the sign directing to the right for the men’s restroom and kept on walking. Seeing the sign for the Golden Lion Pub on the right, he entered the darkened room. It was partially filled and he easily found a seat at the bar. As the bartender wiped off the gleaming bar top in front of him, Jack noticed the guy was in his early twenties, tanned and obviously worked out, when he wasn’t tending bar. For the first time in his life, he questioned his own appeal to a woman. He wasn’t in his twenties anymore.

  It had begun with the comment about sexual peak for a woman starting now. He’d noticed the way the swarthy waiter’s eyes had lit up when Andy replied she was the lady he’d sought. Then there had the extra glances Tony kept shooting towards her. He’d not once considered facing competition on this cruise for Andy’s attention. Not that he couldn’t face it because he could, he argued silently. If she rejected him—

  “What would you like to drink tonight, sir?”

  Jack looked at the younger man, shrugging. “Whisky on the rocks.”

  “Ma
ke that two,” Ray said as he sat beside him. “Thanks to you I’ve just embarrassed myself in the men’s room.” Quickly he held his hand up. “No, I won’t tell you how. Just tell me why you are holed up in here instead of drinking the included booze at the table and enjoying all those lovely ladies.”

  “I was coming straight back. I just needed to get away for a second.”

  “Then tell me why you were staring at Gayle so hard.”

  Jack glanced at his friend. “Relax, Ray, I’m not going to put the moves on your lovely lady.”

  “I wasn’t thinking that at all.” Ray accepted the drink and passed the barkeeper his keycard for charging the drinks. Sipping his drink, he turned slightly to look at Jack. “Not that you could,” he chuckled. “Instead I wondered how you were going to tell Tony he’s out of the running.”

  Jack took a long swallow of whiskey before he glanced at Ray. “Are you turning into the man with a riddle for every occasion?”

  Ray shook his head, drained his glass and stood up. “Keep on lying to yourself, buddy, but I know what you’re denying.”

  Jack pushed his glass away and stood as well. “Let’s go before Gayle comes looking for you.”

  * * * * *

  Returning to the table, the first thing Jack noticed was Gayle had moved into his seat. The second was that she was determined to stay in this particular chair.

  “I switched chairs so I can catch up with Andy. Jack, you and Ray can sit together and talk sports or whatever,” Gayle said without a smile.

  Jack glanced from the set look upon the dark-haired emergency room resident’s face to Ray. Obviously, his friend had gotten some unspoken message because he was already walking to his chair. Before stepping away, he glanced at Andy, but she had her face down. He’d forgotten the trait she did whenever she chose to opt out of a decision-making process. It was clear she accepted Gayle’s action.