Amanda's radiance in her excitement was something Jake was enjoying seeing. She was practically glowing as she kept glancing at the clock in anticipation of making their way to the cruise terminal.
She'd spent an hour in the bathroom teasing and primping her hair, parting it in the middle rather than the side. Her make-up was flawless, her blood red finger and toenails were even somehow sexier now. She'd kept her feet bedazzled and a gold bracelet gleamed in her ankle. The realm rings rested between her breasts, right over her heart on the fine chain.
While she was dressed as she often was in the realm, somehow it was even more exciting in the real world. She'd worn Jake's favorite color of cropped tank tops, a deep purple. Her narrow waist and flat tummy shined deeply gold in the sunlight of the restaurant. Her denim cutoffs exposed her tanned, perfect legs and she'd paired purple flip flops with her tank.
Every man in the room stole glances at his wife, and he couldn't help but feel pride as she often moved in the chair to let him look at her body. What was more was that she was completely oblivious to the men around them. The way she stretched her body to show off her tummy and the way she crossed and uncrossed her slender legs was purely for him. She was HIS show.
He was so focused on that he didn't pay attention to the fact that he, in a tight fitting pale blue t-shirt and khaki shorts, was drawing many looks from the ladies as well.
Naturally, they weren't eating. Jake had tipped the server $20 and said they just wanted to hang out until the cab arrived.
It was almost 10. "Come, dangerous girl. We've got a ship to catch." He rose and took her by her hand, and they stepped out, much to the chagrin of the other breakfast diners.
With their bags loaded in the taxi, The driver took the happy Jake and extremely eager Amanda the seven miles to the Starlight Cruise Lines cruise terminal for the Ocean Princess. Even though the distance was short, there were a number of jigs and jogs the driver had to take in order to get them there.
They walked with their bags, and Jake noted that Amanda's included what was practically a steamer trunk. Their bags were collected by porters, who assured them they would be checked through security and would be waiting for them in their cabin after they boarded.
"I wonder what security is going to make of the three bars of hotel soap you have tucked away in there, Bonnie?"
Amanda smiled darkly. "Have the tommy guns ready in case we need to shoot out way out of here, Clyde."
At the entrance, Amanda and Jake showed their passports, driver's licenses, and the printed copies Jake had made of their boarding passes and they were allowed inside among the throng of other eager passengers. They passed through security. Jake had no carry-on bags and Amanda was carrying only her purse, which Jake had once claimed was simply a leather duffle bag. After security failed to find a bomb or a tommy gun in Amanda's purse, they headed for the check-in area.
And that's where Jake's choice of suites had come in handy. They weren't loyalty members, but the couple HAD booked the most expensive suite on the ship, and thus were shown to the much shorter line for check-in. After showing the same IDs and documents they used to enter the terminal, they were one step closer. Jake's highest limit credit card was already registered and he was told if they purchased any necessary additional amenities, it would just be put on his account. They were passed a bundle, including keys to their stateroom, and Jake marveled at the fact they were actual keys.
Their photos were taken for their cruise line IDs, and then they were given a boarding group number. And surprise, surprise, it was the first group in line. He heard a couple of voices whispering if that was Jackson Park's son, and a couple more asking who the hot chick in the shorts was with him. Then they seemed to notice the rings on their fingers and the whispers indicated they hadn't realized he was married.
Their group number was called and then they were headed up the boarding escalator. In minutes, Jake and Amanda Park stepped onto the majestic Ocean Princess.
And God, it was majestic. And huge. There were a number of crew in gleaming white uniforms that began to assist the VIPs. Amanda said, "Boooooring. Come on, high roller. We got this."
They checked the stateroom number and it indicated they were on deck eight. They'd boarded on deck six. Amanda declined a couple of offers for assistance as they took the steps to the upper deck. "Best to figure it out ourselves, they aren't going to be around to point us the right direction the entire cruise."
He was so happy to see her badass determination he smiled and let her take charge. But when they got to deck eight, Amanda got lost in the corridors and admitted she'd made a fucking mistake.
"If my eyes do not deceive me, I'm looking at two people who might be in need of assistance." The man's accent was English, and Jake thought specifically it was maybe Welsh.
Amanda turned sheepishly and Jake turned with her. Standing before them was a very tall man, taller than Jake by maybe two inches. Dark brown hair parted to the side, with green eyes and a mustache. Not everyone could pull off a mustache, but the man before them fit it so well that Jake couldn't imagine what his face looked like without it.
"Brian Shaw. I manage the shore excursions aboard the ship. But, especially on boarding day, they station us all over the ship to assist anyone who might be a bit overeager and try to find everything themselves." He grinned mischievously.
"Guilty as charged," Amanda said, holding up her hand. "I bet we would have found the Owner's Suite eventually...By the third day of the cruise for sure."
Shaw let out a roaring deep laugh. "Ahhh, so you're the occupants of the grandest suite on the ship. Excellent, you're in for quite a treat. And it's a good thing I found you, because if it had gotten out that the crew assistants had let you slip through the cracks instead of leading you here, there might have been bloody Hell to pay. Please, follow me."
As they let Shaw lead them, Jake said, "How long have you been here?"
"This is my fifth year. I served on a couple of other cruise ships in different capacities, was even a junior officer in my younger days. But I prefer the hospitality aspect of the cruise line. It's definitely a lot less stress coordinating tours of Argentina than dealing with the happenings on the bridge of a ship. I've no regrets. And what about yourselves?"
"I'm Jackson Park's son actually. Park Industries. I'm Jake, this is my wife, Amanda."
"I've heard the name. And if I may say, you carry yourself much better than the children of some of the other wealthy individuals who have graced these staterooms. That's a lovely ring you're wearing, Mrs. Park."
Amanda giggled. His accent was so urbane. If the Entity had a human voice, she could easily imagine it sounding like Shaw's. "Oh, Amanda, please. Yes, we kind of live off the grid, we like the quiet life. We've become quite the survivalists. Plus, when you're in a cabin, it leaves plenty of time for learning intimacies while in nature."
Shaw laughed again. "Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you that money can buy a lot of things, but it can't buy a filter for my wife," Jake told him.
Shaw chuckled. "She's a firebrand, much like my wife, Pamela. And you married well. Firebrands are the perfect woman to marry, they keep you on your toes and make every day interesting."
"I really like this man," Amanda said honestly. "Would you stay in the cabin with us during the cruise and continue to remind him of how awesome I am and how lucky he is to have me?"
Shaw leaned towards her conspiratorially, "That might get in the way of the pair of you learning new intimacies in the privacy of the owners suite."
Amanda shrugged. "I've never been bashful," She flashed Shaw a wicked smile.
He roared. "We've had hundreds of guests in this suite, but by God, you are the most interesting and unstuffy pair I've ever encountered. While I appreciate the offer, I'm bashful, and besides, if I left my assistant alone in my offices for the next nine days, it may end in a ship consumed with fire. Ah, here we are."
Jake stepped forward and slid the old fashioned key into the lock. "I couldn't believe that the cabins and staterooms actually have a locking system like this."
Shaw told him, "The owner of the line, Mr. Oliver Seccombe, grew up fascinated by the famous classic ocean liners. You may have already deduced that he wanted the Starlight Cruise Line to be a little unique to the interchangeable cruise ships of lines such as Royal Carribean or Carnival. When someone say his ships in the water, he wanted them to know exactly who they belonged to by design alone, so I've been told. He's never been remotely happy with the shape and structure of the modern cruise liner with its sometimes boxy stern. He loved for the interior to be the height of modern design as well, but he's never enjoyed key cards, and felt there was nothing like being able to turn a large key in the door lock, rather than swipe a keycard."
Jake nodded. "That's honestly kind of what I was thinking when I did the virtual tour. Like a modern ship that was a hybrid of the lower hull of a ship like the Queen Mary." He turned the key and swung the door open and stepped back to allow Shaw to lead them into their temporary home away from home for the next nine days.
Jake didn't need to see it. Instead, he watched Amanda's shocked face as she slowly walked around the massive suite, which Jake knew was the largest on the ship. Shaw noticed him and said quietly, "Is this her first cruise?"
Jake nodded and smiled. Shaw smiled in return. It was obvious that the two were deeply in love and Jake had decided that if she was going on a ship for the first time, his wife was going to enjoy the finest offerings available. He'd helped people to their cabins many times over his tenure with the ship, but there was always something special about being able to see the joy and excitement of the face of a person, or persons, who were aboard a ship for the very first time. It was the same pleasure no matter the suite, but when he saw first timers in the Owner's Suite, it was slightly more satisfying to see their wonder and joy at spending their vacation in the best the ship had to offer.
Amanda spun in a circle and stared, wide-eyed. "All this is ours?" Jake nodded, smiling.
She wasn't sure if it was quite as big as the Manhattan apartment, but it was definitely bigger than the cabin in the realm, maybe two times as big. Instead of one massive room, it was broken up into a bedroom, a living room, and a bathroom. She glanced inside and saw the walk-in shower and a large whirlpool bathtub for two.
Instead of portholes, every window looking out from the room was floor-to-ceiling, and she opened the door leading out to the private terrace and saw that the enclosed space that allowed them a quiet, and perfect view of the sea below came with a massive daybed allowing them to sleep there instead of in the stateroom, and a large, private hot tub that Amanda already had designs to passionately fuck Jake in.
As she stepped back inside she moved into the living room. She couldn't believe the suite had a living room all to itself. The couch was large and comfortable as well as the two loveseats on either side, and all were facing the floor to ceiling windows that again offered a view of the sea. Behind them was a gorgeous table that had chairs for six, allowing the occupants of the stateroom to dine-in the room privately with four guests.
Further behind the table was a matching sofa facing away from the sea, and instead pointed to a wall where a massive flat-screen TV was mounted. Underneath was a Blu-ray disc player that Amanda had seen advertised while watching TV with Jake shortly after they had moved in together. His DVD selection was massive and he'd scoffed at the idea of making a transfer to the brand-new system at that time, having already converted a massive VHS collection to DVD. The Blu-ray was on a stand, and underneath was a wide variety of Blu-ray discs with movies of all genres. Later they would discover that the Starlight Cruise Line offered television programming including several channels including ESPN and BBC.
She walked towards the bedroom, passing a small table that included two champagne glasses and a bottle of the expensive bubbly on ice in a bucket. Jake and Shaw were wandering around the stateroom, laughing and chatting. The bedroom contained a massive bed that was easily as big as the one in their Miami hotel room. She touched the bedding and could tell it was top-of-the line. Two nightstands graced either side of the bed along with two large, expensive lamps. Against the wall opposite the foot of the bed was a table with a Pandora music player, and while not in the room, the massive bathroom was right next to it, and could be reached in two left turns.
Amanda was shell shocked by all of it. She walked back into the main portion of the stateroom where Jake and Shaw stood smiling. "Are there going to be people who come in and fan me and feed me grapes?"
Both Jake and Shaw laughed loudly at that. "I think your room selection was a hit, Jake." Shaw winked at him.
Then he rattled off the unseen amenities. "Complimentary water, soda, and alcohol is restocked for you daily, and you have unlimited meals in every specialty restaurant in the ship, as well as complimentary laundry service two times during the voyage, and streaming internet service if you've packed along a laptop or two."
"What else...Oh yes, you'll have a shore excursion credit, which I will further share details of when you make your planned trips from the shore to the ports we visit in South America, and if you choose, the stateroom comes with a dedicated butler. You might be able to convince him to fan you and feed you grapes, but I'm sure that will be a gratuity above and beyond the prepaid ones."
Amanda blushed, then howled with laughter. Shaw continued, "There are in-suite specialty coffees, and fresh fruit will also be delivered daily upon request. You'll be paired with an on-board concierge who will take care of scheduling any of the ship-board services you request. The Ocean Princess has a small casino on deck six, and you'll be extended a $25,000 credit limit as well as VIP access. Also, you'll have priority departure when we land at any port, and on my end, all of your requests for shore excursions will be given top priority by myself and the overwhelmed assistant who works for me. We're located down below, deck three. Oh, and you'll have exclusive seating in the ship's movie theater."
Amanda looked at him, wide-eyed. "There's a fucking movie theater? On a boat?"
"A woman who knows how to effortlessly swear. Reminds me of my Pamela. There is just something about a woman who does not hesitate to deliver a proper expletive when the situation calls for it. There is indeed, Amanda, and it accommodates many. It's so large it stretches between decks four and five. The movies shown are recent-releases and perennial favorites, and we also have access to one world-premiere showing. If memory serves, we're in possession of the newest James Bond film, "Casino Royale," and we'll show it tomorrow. Actually, you're getting a sneak preview. It opens in America on November 17th, but we're going to show it the same day it releases in London, on the 14th."
He crossed to the sofa and picked up a thick booklet shaped like a magazine. "Since it's clear upon our first meeting that Amanda has a taste for adventure, this contains the floor plans of every section of the ship available to passengers, along with a description of all of the restaurants and services, such as the spa. Tonight you are VIP guests of a party in the Constellation Lounge. I've never been to one of them, but I understand they are quite a shindig."
"Why haven't you been invited?" Amanda looked at Shaw.
"The party is limited to an appearance by the captain and a few of the senior officers. What crew are in attendance are usually part of the deck crew."
Amanda was looking at him, thoughtfully. "Ever wanted to go to it?"
Shaw laughed. "I may be 53, but I still know how to have a good time at a party, VIP or otherwise."
Amanda was looking at Jake. "Since we have the Owner's Suite and all this VIP treatment, we can kind of ask for anything right?" Jake was smiling at her and could sense where she was going.
"Yes, you've paid for the best and therefore, you will receive it, of course."
Amanda did her best impression of someone vain and hoity-toity. "Well, we shall be happy to grace the party as VIP guests as long as it includes the attendance of the delightful Mr. Shaw, who regaled us on our arrival and was the first to welcome us aboard. I suppose I shall relay the message through our on-board concierge. Bring yourself a date and be sure to wear your fucking dancing shoes." She grinned.
"Oh, that's really quite unnecessary, Amanda..." Jake held up a hand. "Firebrand, Mr. Shaw. She's set her mind to it and it's going to happen. See you tonight, and thank you. It's the least we can do. She's right, you've gone above and beyond. You could have led us to the door and called it good. Besides, something tells me you'll have some interesting stories to share in a party setting."
"Very well. You've already moved very highly up my list of favorite passengers I've met on a cruise. It's slightly too early to put you at the top, but I can assure you no one else has chosen to extend an invite to the VIP party. It begins at 8, and I'll see you there."
After Shaw departed Amanda rushed Jake and kissed him. "My God, it's beautiful and fantastic and amazing and I absolutely do feel like a fucking princess and I fucking love you so much, damnit."
"Well I fucking love you more, Princess Bonnie." Amanda grinned. "I feel more like Jennifer Hart than Bonnie right now." Jake looked at her. "Don't tell me you haven't heard of Hart to Hart. Robert Wagner? Stefanie Powers? They were a rich couple that were kind of private eyes?"
Jake nodded suddenly, "Oh yeah, I saw a few episodes of that."
"It was mom's favorite. You're an even sexier Jonathan Hart than Robert Wagner. I could easily imagine them booking this suite if they were going to take a vacation. And...Every episode basically ended with them having sex, and man if that doesn't sound like us every night, I don't know what does." She grinned at him, the smile full of mischief. "We're going to be here for awhile aren't we?"
Jake shrugged. "I imagine it will take time to board everybody."
Amanda gestured to the booklet which gave the ship's layout. "I wanna go explore. Pleeeeeease?"
Jake laughed and extended his arm. They pocketed their keys and left the cabin to explore.