Secrets Aboard!, page 4
“You did it!” Charlie hugged him.
“I didn’t want to miss the street light party.”
“Did you bring your bracelet?” Charlie asked.
“Shit! I forgot it.”
“What color do you want?” Brent asked.
“Red.”
Brent handed him a red bracelet. Both Brent and Charlie wore red bracelets, too.
Luka sagged against the wall, his legs trembling. He had broken the rules, defied the captain, and risked his freedom. But as the elevator doors slid shut, carrying him towards the laughter and music of the party, he knew some risks were worth taking.
They walked to the pool party and the first place they stopped was the open bar. Charlie, Brent, and Luka each ordered a frozen Piña Colada.
“Tastes awesome,” Charlie said.
“This is damn good,” Luka added, looking over his shoulder at all the men around the pool. He hadn’t ever seen this many gay men in one place. Laughter and music swirled around him, mixing with the salty tang of the ocean air. He wondered why he hadn’t ever thought about going on a gay cruise when he was free. He could get used to all this partying every night. Luka scanned the scene, his eyes landing on a group of boisterous young men splashing each other in the pool.
Brent left them to talk to a man who had been eyeing him while they were in line ordering their drinks. Brent was in his twenties, with spiky blond hair and blue eyes. He could be a brother to Charlie, who had blond spiky hair with the same color eyes, but Charlie was stockier and taller than Brent.
“How long have you known Brent?” Luka asked.
“Forever. We’re cousins.”
“I have lots of cousins in Brazil, but I haven’t seen them in years.”
“So, what’s the deal with you and the captain locking you in?”
“I can’t discuss the details, or I’ll be off the ship at the next dock.”
“Is he your boyfriend or Dom?”
“No, he’s nothing to me. Just my employer.”
“I saw the way he looked at you. I don’t think he sees you as just a crewmember.”
“I’m not saying I wouldn’t want him to fuck me, but he has too much power over me, and it scares me.”
“Big John from lunch has been working here for two years. He said the captain shows no interest in anyone, male or female, on the ship. He didn’t know if he was gay. No one does.”
“I don’t know what he’s into. I think he gets off on controlling people. Definite top.”
“Are you sure you’re not interested in him?”
“I’m afraid of him. I had a boyfriend in California and things didn’t end well, so I’m cautious.”
“Maybe if you offered to service the captain, he might stop locking you up.” Charlie laughed.
“That won’t happen. When I told him he looked hot, he said it was inappropriate. I’m not coming on to him. But he saw me in my G-string.”
“And?”
“He said I was indecent.”
“I guess he doesn’t knock, does he?”
“Nope. Don’t ask me anymore questions about him. I’m getting nervous.” Luka needed another drink. “I’m getting another drink. Do you want another one?”
“No, I’m heading over there to that hot guy in the red trunks with pink hair.”
As he turned around, he bumped into a uniformed man. At first, he thought it was Captain Clarke, but he had seen this officer on the bridge. He was the officer who’d winked at him.
“Hey, I’d like to talk to you,” the officer said. His tone was like Captain Clarke’s. Luka didn’t know if he had any authority over him, but he figured he’d better listen to what he had to say. With all the lights blinking, it was difficult to make out the officer’s features, but his light hair and gray eyes stood out. He was handsome, but not as good-looking as the captain.
“I was just getting a drink,” Luka said as he swiped his hair away from his eyes. He also checked to see what color bracelet he wore, but he only wore a black watch on his wrist. So, he wasn’t part of the party, or not yet.
“Let’s get drinks and talk.”
Luka couldn’t help but wonder why he was wearing a uniform during a lively party. Maybe he had to welcome the passengers at the parties, too. Luka followed him to the bar, but there were so many men to push through that he grabbed Luka’s hand and pulled them through the crowd.
“What are you drinking?”
“Frozen Pina Colada.”
The officer ordered two of them, then he handed Luka one when the bartender set them on the bar.
“Let’s talk over there. It’s too loud and too many guys.” He pointed to two chairs away from the pool area. The music continued to blare loudly, but the air was filled with the chatter and laughter of countless men.
They sat down facing each other at a small umbrella-covered table.
“So, Luka, why are you working under Captain Clarke?” The lights blinking from the umbrella above them projected colored dots dancing on the officer’s face.
“Why don’t you ask him?” Luka sipped his drink.
“He mentioned you needed a better direction and expressed his intention to show that to you.”
“He gave me a job. I didn’t have one.”
“Are you and he seeing each other?”
“I’m single. I’m not seeing anyone right now. Why do you want to know?”
“I’m interested, that’s why, but the captain and I are best friends, and I wouldn’t want to make a move on someone he was interested in.”
“Will you do me a favor?” Luka asked.
“What’s that?” The officer placed his hand on Luka’s.
“Don’t mention you saw me here.”
The officer grinned as he looked up. “Too late.”
Curious, Luka turned his head to see what the officer was smiling at, and his eyes met Captain Clarke’s familiar face.
“I should have known you would be here.” The captain glared at Luka, but his voice was calm.
The other officer stood up. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
“Thanks, Brock.”
The captain took Brock’s seat as he left. “Explain what you’re doing and how the hell you got here?” He raised his voice.
“I never went to a party like this, and I wanted to check it out. I climbed across the balcony to the elevator and jumped.”
“The door to the balcony was locked.”
“I unlocked it.”
“You hung from the balcony railing?”
“That’s what I did.”
“Do you realize how dangerous that is?”
“Less dangerous than going to war?”
“How did you unlock the balcony door without a key?”
“I was just lucky, I guess. I played around with something I had, and it worked.”
“You’re going right back to your cabin and we’re going to have a private talk. I see Charlie and his cousin Brent are here.”
“I’d like to finish my drink first, sir.” Luka knew he was pushing his luck, but he hadn’t had a good drink like this since his arrest. He had hopes of hooking up with someone to help him forget Maleko. That was obviously not going to happen.
“Get up now!” Captain Clarke shouted over the loud music.
“Yes, sir.” Luka carried his drink as he stood up. The last thing he’d wanted was for Captain Clarke to catch him at the party. From the sour expression on the captain’s face, this would not end well. He hoped he wasn’t too angry.
“Leave your drink on the table!”
Chapter 7 Captain Clarke
Westly was furious with Luka. How could he risk his life hanging from the railing and moving along with one arm at a time? He’s a damn daredevil. He put everything out there to reach his goals. Too bad he didn’t have better goals, but then those were what his father had asked him to help his son find.
They plowed through a bunch of sweaty men dancing. Suddenly, the music seemed louder, the colors brighter. He took Luka’s hand, his heart pounding a wild rhythm against his ribs. They moved together as one. Westly took a direct, unhurried path to the elevator and stepped onto it when the doors opened.
“How could you take a chance like that?” Westly asked him again when they stood inside the elevator alone.
“I get off on taking risks.”
“You’re just an asshole. You’re going to see how much of one you are by what’s going to happen as punishment for taking that risk.”
“Are you threatening me again?”
“I don’t threaten. I act against stupidity by dishing out consequences. If you had fallen into the ocean, others would have had to risk their lives rescuing you.” What really irritated Westly was the boy acted like he was a hero for escaping his room to attend a party. He was a spoiled rich boy who had never paid the price for his actions…until now.
When the elevator stopped at their floor, they walked down the long corridor to Luka’s cabin. Westly unlocked the cabin door, which creaked open, revealing total chaos. Westly motioned for Luka to precede him and he inched inside as if he didn’t care to rush on anyone’s account. Crumpled towels and clothes littered the floor and empty soda cans perched precariously on the nightstand. The air hung thick with the aroma of stale sweat, sea salt, and something Captain Clarke couldn’t quite identify.
Luka stood sheepishly in the middle of the room.
Westly stepped carefully so as not to disturb the discarded socks and crumpled papers. “What the hell happened to this cabin?”
Luka flushed a deep red. “Yeah, sorry about that, Captain. I rushed out of here to go to the party.”
Westly raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never seen a cabin in such a disarray!”
He surveyed the room again, his gaze lingering on a stack of luggage threatening to topple onto the bed. Clothes were draped over every available surface—chairs, the bed, even the porthole, effectively blocking any chance of a glimpse of the sea. “Luka,” he said, his tone firm but kind, “this ship is our home for the next year. We all have a responsibility to maintain it. Before our conversation, pick up this room.”
Luka’s shoulders slumped. “Do you have me confused with one of your marine recruits?”
“No, smart ass. Just clean up this room.” He loved the way Luka took a serious situation and turned it into a lighter one. He had a way of disarming Westly’s anger.
Luka took his sweet time picking up all the clothes from the floor. Every time he bent over to pick up something, he made sure his ass pointed at Westly. It was almost comical, but there was a sense Luka was trying to tease him. The body of this young man was enough to get Westly hard. It wasn’t just his body though; it was him. He wanted Luka to be his.
“Unpack every single item in your suitcase and put it in its proper place.”
“Proper place? And how would I know that?”
“Figure it out.”
This time, he moved faster, tossing things into drawers.
“I’ll be checking your drawers. Fold everything properly.”
He folded his clothes, then hung up his jeans and shirts. He put everything away. As Westly scanned the room, he saw the contraption he must have used to open the door.
“I’m done, sir.”
“Put your suitcase inside the closet.” Westly made his way to the makeshift lockpick and stuffed it into his uniform pocket.
“Yes, sir.” He hurried as he put it inside and slid the door closed.
“Sit down and we’ll talk.”
Westly grabbed two waters from the refrigerator and handed one to Luka.
“I’m not happy with your disrespectful and risky behavior. I have one rule on my ship. Respect me or you’re off. You not only disrespected my rules, but you also flaunted your disrespect in my face. Give me one reason I shouldn’t notify the authorities and drop you off at the next stop.” He didn’t mean to raise his voice.
“I promise to follow the rules and accept the consequences. I won’t ever ignore your rules or disrespect you again.”
“Treat me and your cabin with respect and be grateful you’re not in prison.”
“Are you going to let me stay on the ship, sir?”
“Stand up and face me.”
Luka jumped out of his chair in an instant and made direct eye-contact.
Westly stood face to face as close as he could get to Luka. “No, I’m going to give you another chance. But your shenanigans have consequences. Tomorrow morning, you will report to Mr. Griffin on deck five and he’ll put you to work scrubbing floors and toilets. When you’re done, you will return to your cabin, take a shower, and wait for me. No meals in the crew mess hall this week. You’ll be eating alone here. You will not ignore my orders again.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m sorry I disrespected you. I wasn’t thinking. This was my first chance to go to a gay party, but it’s not an excuse for my behavior.”
“There’s plenty of time for you to go to gay parties, but this year you’re doing time for a crime. It’s as simple as that.” Westly saw the look in Luka’s eyes and either he was a good actor, or he was genuinely sorry for committing a crime and had to do time for it. But mostly he was sorry he got caught at the party. He wanted to hook up with someone. Westly wanted to hook up with him, but it wasn’t the right thing to do. His feelings grew stronger even when Luka pissed him off, like tonight.
“I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Why haven’t you gone to a gay party before?”
“I was afraid someone would see me and out me.”
“Why were you afraid to come out?”
“My father is about as macho as you can get, and my mother thought I was a saint and could do no wrong. I didn’t want them rejecting me.”
“What happened when they found out?”
“My mother said she already knew, and it didn’t matter, but she argued with me over Maleko. I was never sure if she hated me for being gay or if she hated Maleko. My father told me to be who I was and whatever I was, he loved me. And so, I did.”
“How did you meet Maleko?”
“Surfing. He was the first boyfriend I had. So, I don’t have a lot of experience. You said you would talk about you, not just me.”
“Let’s sit on my balcony with a drink and talk.”
“I’d love to, sir. I want to get to know you better.”
As soon as they entered the other side of the cabin, Westly made them two frozen Pina Coladas. Luka beamed at him, which made Westly feel like a hero. The poor boy had little to smile about these days, but then he should have thought about that before doing what he had done.
“I don’t have lots of experience either, as far as relationships go. I see tons of gay men on the gay cruises, but I’m too busy to get to know anyone. It’s never a good idea to mix business and play.”
Chapter 8 Luka
Luka wished he hadn’t disrespected Captain Clarke. He would make the perfect boyfriend, strong, sexy, and concerned about his success. Giving the captain a second chance made Luka take a second look and see him in a new light. Luka had wanted to hook up with a guy at the party, but now he wanted more than a hookup with the captain.
“You looked like you were enjoying your Pina Colada, so I thought you’d like another one you can finish.”
“Thanks.” Luka was confused by the captain’s kindness after he had ignored his rules about staying in his cabin and not entering passage areas.
Captain Clarke handed him his drink with an umbrella on it just like the one he’d had at the traffic light pool party. “Wow! You’re a good bartender too. Thanks.” He followed the captain to the balcony.
“You can learn how to make drinks if you want, but I don’t think it should be your final goal. Follow up on cybersecurity. I think that’s a worthy profession.” He stood beside the railing and looked down. “I can’t believe you hung from here and made it to the other end.”
“It’s a mindset. For a few minutes, I thought I might fall into the ocean.”
The captain turned and sat beside Luka.
“Despite your behavior tonight, I enjoy your company. You’re fun to be around.”
“I feel safe around you. As much as I fuc…mess up, you stop me and steer me in the right direction. I think I missed having that growing up. My mother worked long hours and gave me all the freedom I could want. My father was absent. So, if I messed up, they never heard about it. None of my mistakes mattered until my last big mess with the law.”
“You lack self-discipline. I taught young men self-discipline in the Marines. It’s my specialty.”
“Do you get off on control?”
“I do. I’m a control freak.”
“Do you get off on controlling me?”
“I don’t know how to answer that question without overstepping boundaries.”
“If you mean my boundaries, you can say what you feel. You always do, sir.”
“I suppose controlling you for a year is a turn-on, but not for the reasons you may think. You’re completely the opposite of me. Yet, I’m very attracted to you, not just your appearance. I’ve said too much.”
“Do you think I’m ugly?”
“I said not just your appearance, which includes your looks, but it’s more than that. It’s deeper.”
“You’re going to make me scrub toilets, and then say you like me? What would you do if you didn’t like me?”
“You broke the rules and you’re going to accept the consequences just like anyone else. I wish you hadn’t left. Then we wouldn’t be having this conversation. My liking you has nothing to do with your consequences for breaking rules. I don’t show favoritism.”
“No one else has the rules I have.”
“Luka, do you have a handbook for crewmembers?”
“Yes, sir.”
“If you read it, no crewmember is allowed to take part in any activities with passengers. Crew areas are for crewmembers and passenger areas are for passengers. Charlie and Brent are in trouble too. They will scrub toilets and decks all day for one week. They will be given a choice. Either do the week or I’ll fire them.”
There was a loud knock on the cabin door.
“Let me get that. Don’t move!” Captain Clarke said. “Second thought, follow me.”
