“I take it you’re the youngest boy?”
“The only boy,” Bryce said. “My sister is two years older than me.”
“What terrible things did you do to make your mother regret the day you were born?”
Bryce snorted. “Turned out gay.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake.”
Bryce couldn’t believe she’d dropped the F bomb. Jeannie’s Grace Kelly serenity belied the harsh sentiment, and it took him a second to process. “Wow, you really go for the jugular.”
Jeannie looked him in the eyes. “Maybe it’s because that’s the most ignorant thing I’ve ever heard.”
Bryce nodded. “I know it, but she took it as a personal failure when I told her I was gay.”
“That’s preposterous,” Jeannie said, voice rising.
“My parents were convinced something happened in utero, some mutated gene like Down’s, but in my case, it made me queer.”
Jeannie began to laugh. It started with the giggles again but graduated into a belly-deep guffaw that couldn’t stop. Bryce got caught up in the hilarity, and soon everyone at the table stopped talking and gawked at them.
“What’s so funny?” Andrew asked when Jeannie finally took a breath. She reached for her glass of water, and it slipped out of her hand, saturating the while linen tablecloth.
“Shit,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”
“No problem,” Bryce said, sopping up the water with his napkin. Andrew threw his into the mix, and they had the deluge contained. Within minutes, waiters came and quickly picked up the plates and cutlery before replacing the tablecloth with a fresh one. Fortunately, the meal hadn’t started yet, and the quick change was accomplished before anyone had a chance to complain.
“Thank you,” Jeannie said to everyone at the table. “I’m not usually this clumsy.”
“No harm done,” Andrew said gently. “What were you two laughing about before the spill?”
Jeannie looked at Bryce, silently asking permission to share their private conversation.
“Go ahead,” Bryce said. “Tell him.”
She smiled and slowly recounted the entire conversation. When she finished, she queried her husband. “Can you imagine what John would say if we told him he had a genetic defect?”
Andrew grimaced. “No wonder you were laughing. What a crock of shit.”
She turned to Bryce and pointed at her husband. “See? Straight talk runs in the family.”
“Can I just say I love you guys?”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” she said, leaning toward him. “Now, tell me about Seth. Is he as wicked in real life as his characters are in his novels?”
Bryce looked over at Seth, who was engaged in a conversation with the passenger to his right. He had no idea what they were discussing and thought it would be rude to interrupt, even though the attention would shift to his writing.
Instead, he turned back to Jeannie. “I don’t know, Jeannie. Why don’t you ask him another time?”
“Surely you can answer my question. After all, aren’t you friends?”
“Actually, I was his partner’s friend long before Seth and I met. When Mark passed away suddenly, I volunteered to come on the cruise so Seth wouldn’t have to cancel.”
“That’s too bad,” Jeannie said. “When did Mark die?”
“Almost three weeks ago.”
Jeannie’s eyes flicked over to Seth, and when she turned her gaze back to Bryce, he was surprised to see they were shiny with sympathetic tears. “I’m sorry to hear that. Was it sudden?”
Bryce looked at Seth who was still facing away. In a low voice, he said, “Very.”
“May I ask how he died?”
“It’s really not my story to tell.”
“I understand,” she said, sounding rather despondent.
Rethinking his response, Bryce shared. “He was ill, Jeannie. Seth can tell you the story if he chooses.”
She let out a long sigh. “This must be some kind of cosmic joke.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly in the peak of health. This vacation is my last hurrah.”
Bryce didn’t know how to respond, but his distress must have shown on his face because Jeannie followed through with a reassuring pat on his hand.
“Don’t fret, kiddo. Andrew and I plan on having the time of our lives for the next twelve days, and then we’ll go home and deal with the grim reaper.”
“You did not just say that.”
“Promise me you won’t say anything to Seth,” Jeannie pleaded.
“I have no desire to rip off that scab.”
“Good. If he asks why I keep falling and dropping stuff, which I will, tell him I’m a klutz.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
Jeannie shook her head. “Unfortunately not. Treat me like I’m healthy and keep me entertained during dinner.”
Bryce thought about his earlier rant over dining arrangements and decided there was a reason he’d been put in this spot. If he could provide Jeannie with a few minutes of levity each evening, then he’d be paying karma forward.
“We’ll be here for dinner, but lunch is off the table because of the land tours.”
“Us too,” she said easily. “We’re set up for a few as well.”
“That’s great,” Bryce said. His mood had plummeted when he thought of what lay ahead for his vivacious dinner companion. Although she hadn’t revealed the details of her illness, he assumed it was fatal, and it reminded him once more that each healthy day was a gift.
Intuitively, Jeannie added, “I’ve made peace with this, Bryce. Don’t feel sorry for me.”
“Do your children know?”
“Of course.”
He nodded and watched silently as the waiters plated their first dish—seafood chowder with freshly baked biscuits. Smiling at Jeannie, he toasted her with a spoonful. “Bon appétit.”
SETH WISHED
he could concentrate on the conversation to his right, but after catching Bryce glancing his way a couple of times and then laughing with Jeannie, the soft Irish brogue flowing out of Mr. Donovan faded into the background. Nodding whenever appropriate, Seth was more interested in learning what his roommate and new BFF found so amusing. For one awful moment, he wondered if the joke was on him, but he immediately pushed the thought aside, feeling a little guilty for even thinking Bryce would stoop so low. The guy might be a lot of things, but a gossipy queen wasn’t one of them.
As the meal progressed, fellow diners introduced themselves one by one. Ian and Fiona Donovan were from central Ireland, newly retired, and enjoying the first of many trips they planned to take before their good health or savings ran out. Judging by their trim physiques, Seth was sure they were health nuts and fitness fanatics and would probably circle the world several times before hanging up their running shoes.
Beside them were Steve and Heidi Granger from Miami, Florida. Steve had been a mechanic on this very cruise line for twenty years and had met Heidi in Amsterdam during one of his shore leaves. He drank too much, in Seth’s opinion, and was loud and borderline abusive when Heidi tried to cut back the flow of alcohol. An unpleasant exchange between husband and wife followed, causing tension for everyone at the table, until Heidi signaled for the waiter to refill Steve’s glass. She looked mortified, and Seth could tell this wasn’t the first time Steve had embarrassed her, nor would it be the last. He felt sorry for her and wondered what would make a person stay in such an abusive relationship.
The remaining pair, Matt and Glynis Crawford, showed up ten minutes late. Soup had already been served, and no one but Seth paid much attention when they were seated and offered up a lame excuse for their tardiness. Glynis was older than her husband by a decade or so. Seth guessed she was in her late forties, but she dressed and appeared rather matronly in a pale green cashmere twinset and pearls the size of cocktail onions with her faded blond hair pulled back in a severe bun. She sounded like a Brit, although she claimed to be a longtime resident of Cape Cod, where she and Matt ran a B and B. They’d just closed their place for the season, which remained open from April to the end of August, and were taking a much-needed vacation after their busy spring and summer. There was an air of entitlement about her that was off-putting to Seth. She studied everyone at the table intently, probably hoping there was someone rich or famous in the group she could lure to the Cape next year. She seemed like the type who had business on her mind at all times. Unfortunately, the Crawfords had arrived after the formal intros, and no one seemed eager to repeat the process, so Glynis was in the dark as far as last names went. She had no idea she was sitting with a very successful published author.
Matt, who looked and acted like her boy toy, was instantly likable. He reminded Seth of the young hunks who worked the summers at P-town, doing whatever menial job they could get their hands on to save money for the next school year. He smiled a lot, which explained the tiny lines in the corners of his hazel eyes, and the perfectly trimmed beard was the exact same color as his thick auburn hair. He was attentive to Glynis’s needs, passing the breadbasket before she could ask for it and ordering a bottle of merlot they could share. There was definitely more to him than met the eye, and Seth was a little sorry he wouldn’t get a chance to figure it out, as Bryce was being so willful with regards to early dining. The likelihood of being seated with the Crawfords again to study them was remote. Seth knew he’d escaped into writerly mode again, conjuring up a story based on the couple’s appearance. It was something he did quite often, and he had to catch himself from staring so he didn’t offend anyone.
After the last beverages and artery-clogging desserts were consumed, the group parted ways. It was early still, barely eight o’clock, and there was plenty of time to avail of the ship’s evening entertainment. On their way out, Seth stopped at the headwaiter’s section, having every intention of requesting open seating for future meals, but Bryce stopped him.
“Don’t change our dinner arrangements,” he said.
Surprised, Seth asked, “Why not?”
“I promised Jeannie Callahan we’d see her again tomorrow evening.”
Pouting, Seth remarked, “You’ll do it for her but not for me?”
“Don’t be bitchy,” Bryce said. “She’s a nice lady, and we connected.”
“You were certainly cozy,” Seth observed. “Being curious doesn’t make me a bitch. What’s her story?”
“She’s a retired school teacher and has three grown children. Her oldest son is gay and in a committed relationship. Actually, they just had a kid. The other two, a boy and a girl, are also married but childless.”
“Wow, she spilled her guts, didn’t she?”
“We were just making conversation,” Bryce remarked.
“So you’re content to sit here each evening and eat with the geezers?” Seth asked, surprised by this sudden shift in attitude.
“Sure. What the hell? It won’t kill me.”
“Good,” Seth said. “One of the advantages to early dining is having several hours after dinner to partake of the nightlife.”
“Like what?”
“There’s a live show in the theater, and the boutiques stay open until ten o’clock if shopping is your thing. We should check them out and see if we can find you another leather jacket.”
“No hurry on the jacket,” Bryce said. “Let’s go to the casino.”
“I don’t gamble,” Seth said.
“We’ll do a walk through and see what’s cooking.”
“Promise me you won’t play anything tonight. I’d really like to have a look at all the shops and bars before we go to bed. Let’s call it a night by ten since we have to be up early for our tour.”
Bryce frowned. “Are you going to monitor my activities the entire trip?”
Seth’s eyes widened. “Of course not. I thought you might have forgotten about tomorrow’s itinerary.”
“I haven’t forgotten, and I’m capable of going to bed past ten and getting up at seven if that’s what you’re so worried about. I do it all the time back home.”
“Sorry,” Seth murmured. “Mark always went to bed at ten during the week because he opened the pharmacy at nine.”
“Dammit, Seth, I’m not Mark!” Bryce snapped.
Seth was blindsided by the reprimand, although he shouldn’t have been. He was all too aware that Bryce wasn’t his partner. They’d managed a tentative truce in the last few hours, and he had no right to expect Bryce to stick to his side like some fucking puppy. If the man wanted to go to the casino and blow a fortune until the wee hours, Seth should have no say in the matter. That didn’t take away the hurt, though. For some stupid reason, Seth was hoping they’d wander around the ship together, at least tonight.
Pushing his feelings aside, he turned to go, but not before acknowledging Bryce’s observation. “Rest assured. I would never mistake you for Mark. He wouldn’t desert me to reconnoiter on his own. I’ll see you back in the cabin.”
“Hey,” Bryce said, reaching for Seth’s hand. When they were only a few feet apart, he admitted, “I don’t want you to go.”
Seth bit his lower lip and ducked his head. He was determined to keep a poker face instead of reverting to the emotional wreck Bryce had dealt with when they’d first boarded. Apparently it would take more than several pep talks to get through his grief. Another crying jag sounded really good at the moment, and that’s exactly what Seth planned to do: barricade himself in the tiny bathroom and have a good old pity party.
Wrenching his hand away, he stepped back. “I’ll see you later.”
“Seth,” Bryce said in a low voice. “I’m sorry for being such an ass. Please stay.”
“Are you sure I won’t spoil your evening?”
“You will if you leave.”
Seth took a deep breath and gathered up his last bit of reserve. He could, and should, stay now that Bryce had apologized. There was no sense being miserable if Bryce was showing signs of remorse.
“Okay,” Seth said. “What would you like to see first?”
“Why not hit a few boutiques before we check out the casino?” Bryce asked.
Seth nodded and didn’t pull his hand back as Bryce reached for it again and meshed their fingers together. Obviously, he was doing his best to undo the damage, and Seth had to admit it was working. It felt good to be walking hand in hand with such an attractive man, and he was even more surprised (and a little shocked) when Bryce took it a step further and put his arm on Seth’s shoulders, drawing him close.