by Rye Hart
She was making something of herself.
I couldn’t have been prouder of her. Even in my darkest moments in combat, her happiness was the only thing prayed for. She was better off without me.
Who the hell was I? Rhett Smith. A fucking jock from the wrong side of town, dating the best thing to happen to him and kidding himself all along.
“Earth to Rhett. You there, man?”
“Sorry. What was that?” I asked.
“Holy fuck, really? I’ve been rambling on for the last ten minutes, and you weren’t even listening?” Tommy asked.
“Let me guess. You were talking about all the pussy you’re gonna eat on this cruise,” I said.
“Well, that wasn’t all of it. I was also asking you about all those island excursions. You picked yours yet?” he asked.
“I thought that shit didn’t happen until we got on the ship.”
“Well, not officially, but I figured you would’ve at least looked this shit up to figure out where on the islands you want to tap some ass,” he said.
“Nope. Haven’t done any intense research on this trip. Honestly? It’s a great deal on a fresh start for me. I’m out of the SEALs. I’m trying to figure out what my next fucking move is. A booze cruise with nothing on but my bathing suit for a whole week sounds nice,” I said.
“Oh, dude. I didn’t even think about that. Yes. Fresh start. Oh, shit. You know what we could do?” he asked.
“What?”
“Get you laid,” he said.
“Was that not already on the agenda?” I asked with a grin.
“And he’s back, ladies and gentlemen! Another round of drinks for my friend here. We’re celebrating the next leg of our adventure together.”
The bar couldn’t have cared less, but I was excited. I didn’t know what seeing Chanel was going to bring, but I knew one thing for sure.
This would be the perfect way to clean my slate and start all over.
Chapter 3
Chanel
Ana and I drove to the port and stayed over-night in a hotel near the site. I wanted to get there a day early, so I could get some pictures. I wasn’t a professional photographer by any means, but Ana did have a fun idea for my blog. I could take pictures and document the cruise with everyone from my high school years. I could make it an opinion piece on the psychological dichotomy people experience in high school when they feel like those are the best years of their lives. I was going to give my own testimony of high school, complete with Rhett’s and my disaster story, and then juxtapose it with pictures of how everyone was doing.
With their permission, of course.
I was going to title it “When You Think the Best Is Over.” The moral of this week-long saga would be living proof that high school doesn’t always harbor the best. I was going to make a point that it was easy to glamorize it when looking back on it, but that doesn’t mean it was the best. I wanted to show people that life could be enjoyed during all stages, even when getting together only to reminisce about the past.
I announced it on my blog to get a feel for its audience, and I had thousands of people flood my comments section saying they couldn’t wait.
But now, I was nervous. Friday had come around, and we were preparing to board, and my eyes couldn’t stop scanning the crowd. I saw a lot of people I remembered. Our class president and the captain of the cheerleading squad stood near the ship. I followed her line of sight and saw the quarterback of our football team already grinding up on someone. Ana’s arm was linked with mine as my camera hung around my neck, ready to snap pictures.
“ID and tickets, please.”
Ana and I pulled out everything we needed before we could board. We were handed a sheet of paper of the island excursions we could take once we docked at all the ports we were set to dock at. Ana was giggling and squealing, ready for a good time as we wheeled our shit behind us.
But my eyes were still scanning the crowd, looking for Rhett.
“Come on. Let’s get to our rooms,” Ana said.
Before we could get to our rooms, we were stopped by Connie, the class president.
“Oh, my gosh. I am so glad you guys are here.”
“Hey there, Connie,” Ana said. “How are you?”
“I am so good. I’m shocked at the turnout for this cruise! Are you guys? Anyway, Chanel. You are, like, royalty to our class right now. I follow your blog like crazy! I’m so excited you’re doing a piece on the cruise.”
“I announced that last night,” I said.
“Oh, I subscribe. I know when you post.”
“Creepy,” Ana said, under her breath.
“Anyway, I sent out a little blast to the RSVP list online. I told everyone about the fun little thing you’re doing, and most of them are up for it. A few haven’t responded, but you can take pictures whenever you want and check it against that list for permission. I thought that might make it a little easier,” Connie said.
“Thanks. I think,” I said.
“So, here are your itineraries,” Connie said.
“We have schedules?” Ana asked.
“Oh, yes. It’s not a hard schedule, but we have certain meetups throughout the week for all of us to get together. Isn’t that fun? Tonight there’s a dinner for all of us to hang out and talk and catch up. I rented us out one of the entire ballrooms. You’re welcome,” Connie said.
“Uh-huh,” Ana said.
“We travel two days to get to the first port,” I said.
“We do. And it’s going to be so. Much. Fun. Anyway, make sure you’re there for all the get-togethers, Chanel. It’ll make for some wonderful pictures!”
“Yay,” I said, my sarcasm completely lost on Connie.
I watched Connie bound away as Ana dragged me down the hallway. We slid into the elevator with our stuff and went to find our room. I was nervous as fuck. I knew Rhett was going to be here any moment, if he wasn’t already on the ship. I was wondering when I would run into him. Would he be at the dinner tonight? Surely not all this get-together shit was mandatory, but maybe he would go?
“Okay, I think this is our floor,” Ana said.
We stepped off the elevator and started filtering through numbers. We were standing in front of room 626, so we took a right and started walking. We were moving toward the back of the ship where all the activities were and the balcony that overlooked the open expanse of the floor-level deck.
But when I looked down the hallway to continue searching, I saw him.
Rhett.
Standing right in front of me.
His eyes lifted toward mine, and I froze. My blood was boiling as he stood there in shock. He was beautiful, more beautiful than I remembered him. His arms were strong, and his shoulders were wide. They held a breadth of strength I knew was pulsing underneath his shirt. His jaw was sharp, and his cheeks were high. His skin was tan, glistening with life and hope and sexual energy. His lips were wet and pink, and his brooding brown eyes were gazing right into mine.
I watched him put his hand on the handle of his door as he walked into his room.
I watched him disappear into his room as I let out the breath I was holding. I was shaking, raging at the memory of him. Suddenly, all I wanted to do was slap him. I thought I’d left the hurt and anger behind me but, apparently, I was wrong. One look at him and the humiliation came flooding back to me. But, unexpectedly, so did the love I’d once felt for him. And, damn it, if he wasn’t still beautiful.
“Well, that was palpable.”
I jumped at the sound of Ana’s voice as I whipped around.
“Wanna know the bad news?” she asked.
“What?”
She nodded her head to the door right beside Rhett’s.
“Found our room,” Ana said.
I looked up and saw the number 602 hanging off the door. I groaned as Ana giggled, her hand reaching for the handle. She opened the door and revealed a room much grander than I would’ve expected, and it soon washed away the anger that w
as seeping into my bones.
“This room is fantastic,” Ana said with a giggle. “Holy hell, I didn’t realize we were purchasing this kind of shit.”
“How much you want to bet Connie upgraded all of us? You’re welcome,” I said mockingly.
“I don’t care,” Ana said as she flopped down on the couch. “I’ll kiss her ass if it means this view for the next week. I mean, look at that balcony.”
I shut the door behind me, leaving all thoughts of Rhett out in the hallway.
“I could feel the heat between you two, you know,” Ana said. “It’s obviously still there.”
“Seriously? You wanted me to forget about him, and now you’re talking about him?” I asked.
“That was before he was our neighbor. And girl, I’m sorry, but that man is fine as hell.”
“I know,” I said, groaning. “He’s hotter than ever, but he’s trouble. And I’ve got no intention of getting involved with him on this cruise.”
“Trouble? You were defending his honor yesterday,” she said.
“Yes, because he was my high school sweetheart. Because he had a great impact on me and the person I turned out to be. But I never said he wasn’t trouble. He is. With those eyes and those arms and those shoulders.”
“And that dick,” Ana said with a grin.
“When do dicks mature?” I asked.
“Are we talking men or cocks?”
I laughed as I dropped my suitcase and flopped onto the couch next to her.
“This is a beautiful view,” I said.
“We’ve got to instill a rule, though.”
“What rule?” I asked.
“If my hair tie is on the doorknob, don’t come in unless you want an eyeful.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. There are two beds but nothing separating them. Unless you wanna see me riding Tommy’s cock into the ocean sunset, I suggest you look for a hair tie first.”
“That might be a good picture for my blog.”
“Don’t you dare,” she said. “And were you serious?”
“About what?”
“Not getting involved with Rhett? Even though he’s right over there and hot as fuck?”
“Yes, I meant it. He broke my heart. Even though he’s still good looking, my blood was boiling just looking at him. I wanted to smack him across his chiseled cheek.”
“Not even a bit of hate sex? You could get on top and punch him as he’s about to come,” she said.
“What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
“I’m good at this shit! What can I say?”
“You’re a crazy bitch,” I said, laughing.
“And you’re not crazy enough. Just make sure he knows you’re not playing around. You might’ve gotten lost in his eyes, but I saw the way his eyes raked down your body.”
“No, they didn’t,” I said, a sharp tinge of electricity in my chest.
“Yep, they did. So, don’t go around saying I never told you anything. He might be guarded, but you left that man breathless. He’ll go after you the moment he thinks your guard is down.”
“What should I do?” I asked.
“Depends. What kind of fun do you want to have?”
“The kind that doesn’t involve me breaking his nose,” I said.
“Bummer. Okay, then. You dig through that suitcase for tonight, pull out the dress I packed you along with the matching heels, you get into my makeup, and you go to that dinner with me tonight and show him what the fuck he lost,” she said.
“Now that is a plan I can get behind.”
Chapter 4
Rhett
“I still can’t believe they’re our fucking neighbors! Oh shit. Did you get a good look at Ana?” Tommy asked.
“Not really,” I said.
“Don’t tell me your eyes were only for Chanel,” he said. “Dude. Don’t fucking get involved.”
“I told you. I’m not,” I said. “It was just a shock, seeing that they have the room next to us.”
“That means two things. One, it’ll be fucking easy as pie to slip into Ana’s pussy.”
“That’s only one thing,” I said.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. Lost myself in the thought. The other thing is you need to have some seriously fucking loud sex. Make Chanel jealous as hell.”
“That should be her move. I’m the one who broke her heart, remember?” I asked.
“Who the fuck cares? Show her you moved on.”
Tommy and I were in the dining room, lounging by the bar. The two of us ordered whiskey on the rocks, and then we went to find an empty table. This room was full of people I had no intention of mingling with. They sucked ass in high school and they looked like they sucked ass now. Either people were huddled in their old groups reliving their glory days, or people were reintroducing themselves to old flames, trying to look like they’d made something of themselves in the past ten years. It was pathetic, and the fact that we had an itinerary made this even more idiotic.
I wasn’t going to be spending any more time with these people than I had to.
Tommy and I found an empty table and took a seat. I could see my friend scanning the crowd, looking for his first lay of the week. I sipped on my drink as I lounged back, my button-down shirt pulling against my muscles. It had been ages since I’d bought new clothes for myself, and if it wasn’t a T-shirt, it was being stretched to its limits.
“I think I found my woman for the night,” Tommy said.
“Who are you preying on tonight?” I asked.
“Ana just walked in.”
I whipped my gaze up to the main doorway and watched the two of them walk in. I saw Ana for a moment, looking no different than she did in high school. She still wore heels she couldn't walk in, she was still plastered with makeup, and she was still wearing clothes that were way too tight for her body.
But Chanel was a different story.
Chanel looked beautiful. Her long brown hair was down, cascading between her shoulder blades. Her light blue eyes were accentuated with the slightest hint of makeup. Her black heels flexed her toned calves and rounded out her ass nicely, and the dress she had fluttering over her body tugged at my cock. It was a simple yellow sundress with turquoise accents that matched the jewelry she was wearing.
Holy fuck, she looked amazing.
The tables were filling up quickly, and I saw the two of them walk over to the bar. Ana was ordering something massive that came in a colorful plastic cup while Chanel held a glass of wine. That was something I had always loved about her. Everything she did was so tasteful and full of grace. From the way she would glide across the floor in her heels to the way her dress swished against her luxurious curves, there wasn’t a thing about her that wasn’t perfect in my eyes.
“I’ll be right back,” Tommy said.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“Just hold on,” he said.
I watched him walk over to Chanel and Ana, and I groaned. He was fucking inviting them over to our damn table. Of course, he would pull something like this. He was thinking with his cock and not with his brain. He was all about me not falling into Chanel’s web again or whatever the fuck he called it, but he didn’t think twice before leading them over here to sit with us.
I watched as Ana giggled with Tommy. Chanel’s eyes were darting around the room, her hand gripping onto her wine glass. She was nervous, which was odd for her. I had experienced many things with her while we were dating, but none of them included any sort of anxiety or nervousness.
But she was full of it, especially when her eyes landed on mine.
The way she moved across the floor was mesmerizing, like she was floating instead of walking. Ana’s arm was linked with Tommy’s as the three of them headed back to the table. If this was going to happen, and if Tommy was going to orchestrate this, then the least I could do was make this as bearable for Chanel as I could.
So, I stood up and pulled out her chair for her to sit in.
�
��Chanel,” I said.
“Rhett,” she responded.
I sat back down in my seat, but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was snapping pictures of the room, getting candid shots whenever people ventured over to our table. Her lips curled over the rim of her wine glass as heat trickled up my back. I could remember the first time she ever wrapped those lips around my cock and how eager my body had been to blow its load right then and there. I spent the first half of that blowjob trying to contain myself, so she couldn’t choke on my cum.
“So, Rhett,” Ana said. “Broken any hearts lately?”
“Enough, Ana,” Chanel said. “Don’t make this more awkward than it needs to be.”
“Couldn’t have put it better myself,” I said, as I glanced over at Tommy.
“Miss Ana, you look gorgeous tonight,” Tommy said.
“She does,” Chanel said. “And she’s not wearing any panties, if you’re curious.”
“Chanel, are you serious?” Ana asked.
“Just trying to help my best friend out,” Chanel said.
I chuckled into my whiskey as I took another sip of my drink.
“How have you been, Rhett?” Chanel asked.
Her voice caught me off guard as I lifted my eyes to meet hers again.
“Good. I’ve been good. Yourself?” I asked.
“Good,” she said. “Things have been good.”
“Well, glad to clear the air on that one,” Tommy said.
Chanel shot him a look that had me chuckling again as I watched Connie approach something akin to a stage.
“Oh, wonderful. I bet she’s going to tell us what we have to eat,” I said.
Chanel grinned at me, and I felt my heart skip a beat.
“Hello, everyone!” Connie said. “Is this thing on? Can you guys hear me?”
“We can always hear you, Connie!” Tommy said.
“You’re so bad,” Ana said with a grin.
“Match made in heaven,” Chanel said.
“All right. Wonderful. So! I want to thank you all for coming out to our first dinner. Oh, how exciting! Is everyone excited? Okay. So, I wanted to give a fun little welcome speech, but I’ll make it quick, I promise. If you haven’t gotten an itinerary for the cruise, there are some splashed around the room. Grab one, because that’s the boat schedule for the ports as well as our fun little meet-ups like this one.”
