I'm Yours
Chapter 10: Won't You Let Me Take You on a Dinner Cruise?
The next morning, they got to sleep in a bit. They had a wine testing excursion later in the day, but that wasn't until one-thirty.
"Good morning, Beautiful," Rufus said to his wife as her eyes fluttered open. He gently stroked her cheek. He had been awake about five minutes before her, and was just enjoying watching her sleep.
"Good morning, my Darling." Lily pulled him close and kissed him, and for a few moments, they just enjoyed being in each other's arms, kissing the one they loved more than life itself.
"It's nice to be able to sleep in for once, isn't it?" Rufus asked with a grin, breaking the kiss, and resting on his side, facing Lily.
Lily nodded, then stretched and yawned. "Yeah, it sure was." She moaned, then propped herself up on her elbow, and lay facing Rufus. "The thing is, it's only ten o'clock now, and I'm not really tired."
"That's funny, because I was just thinking how I'm not really tired anymore either. Our wine tasting doesn't start until one-thirty. What ever should we do to pass the time?" Rufus asked, trying to play it innocent, but in a very obvious that he meant something else kind of way.
Lily smirked, and gently stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. "Well, we could get ready, then go get breakfast. By the time breakfast is over, we won't have that much time left to play with."
Rufus narrowed his eyes at her.
She grinned. "But of course not until I devour you as my appetizer." She winked.
He grinned. "That's better!" He got on top of her then, and pinned her down by the wrists. "Tell me how much you want me," he ordered, his eyes already dark and lusted over.
"I want you so badly," she said, kissing down the side of his neck.
"Tell me how much you need me," he then said.
She groaned. "I need you so badly that, if you don't take off these, I'm going to burst," she said, her hands already pulling at the bands of the briefs under boxer shorts he liked to wear to bed.
He let her slip them off him and drop them to the floor.
"Well, then you have to get rid of this," he said, tugging at her nightgown. She liked to wear her underwear, and a blue cotton nightgown to bed. She claimed it was more comfortable than sleeping in the other lingerie she had picked out. Also, she felt it was more comfortable than sleeping naked.
"Done." Lily said, sitting up and holding up her arms.
Rufus pulled the nightgown up over her head, and tossed it to the floor with his nighttime attire.
He then pounced on her, sucking her breasts, and letting his hands roam all over her body.
She then took his face between her hands, and forced him to look her in the eyes. "Kiss me," she whispered.
He did just that, and then he was making love to her, not able to resist his beautiful wife any longer.
"Mm, Rufus," she moaned, her eyes closed as she wrapped her legs tightly around her husband, wanting to be as close to him as she possibly could.
By the time they were ready for the day, they had made love twice. Once was in their bed of course, and then they made love again in the shower.
It took a while, what with them being distracted by each other's body, but, eventually, they got showered, dressed, and ready for the day.
By the time they were ready, it was noon, so they decided to just get a quick lunch, since it was past breakfast time. They also didn't want to drink all that wine on an empty stomach.
"I still don't know about this place," Lily said after they had sat down at their table and ordered their drinks. They were at a Mexican place that Rufus had insisted on trying. To Lily, it just looked dirty, and she didn't know if she really wanted to eat something in a place like this. She bet there were probably rats in the kitchen.
"Oh, come on, Lil! Where's your sense of adventure? I think it's a cute little place! I know it doesn't live up to your usual standards, but it's not that bad, is it?" Rufus asked her.
Lily sighed. "It's not about my standards, Rufus, it's about cleanliness. It's normal for a person to not want to eat at a place that doesn't look clean."
"They wouldn't let this place be open if it didn't pass health inspection," Rufus stated.
"Yeah, well, who knows the last time a health inspector came by," Lily muttered, looking over her menu.
"Well, we're here now, so let's just eat, all right?" Rufus asked.
Lily sighed. "Fine. But only because we don't have time to eat anywhere else, and I don't want to drink on a full stomach."
Rufus shrugged. "Whatever works!" He grinned.
Lily rolled her eyes.
After a bit, the waiter came over with their drinks. Rufus had ordered a Pepsi, and Lily had ordered a raspberry ice tea. Neither one had wanted to drink any alcohol just yet. They figured there was no use in getting tipsy before the tour even started.
Rufus ordered a salad with Italian dressing, and a cheddar and bean burrito with white rice.
Lily ordered a salad with Italian dressing, and some chicken quesadillas.
"Coming right up!" the waiter said. He winked at Lily, then took off to put their order in.
"I don't like the way he winked at me. It seems pervy," Lily grumbled.
Rufus laughed. "Since when does Lily Humphrey use words like 'pervy'?"
"Since I encountered a pervert," she said dryly.
"He was just being nice. Trust me—I'm very aware of it when a man tries to hit on my wife. This time was not the case," Rufus insisted.
"Whatever," Lily mumbled.
Rufus reached across the table, and took her hand in his. He gently squeezed it. "I'm surprised you're in such a bad mood after all that incredible sex we had this morning." He grinned at her, and mischievously wriggled his eyebrows up and down at her.
She rolled her eyes, and pulled her hand away from him. "It wasn't all that incredible," she said dryly.
Rufus knew she was only teasing him, and decided that he could play that game as well. "True, you could use some work, but you're getting a lot better than you were when we met."
Lily gasped, and slammed her napkin down on the table. "Rufus, Humphrey, you take that back this instant!"
Rufus shook his head and smiled, his arms crossed over his chest. "Not until you admit that our love making was incredible."
Lily sighed. "Fine. It was incredible. It always is with you. Are you happy?"
Rufus grinned, and grabbed both her hands this time. He kissed them. "Extremely. Every second I get to spend with you and look at your beautiful face makes me happy. Then, when I get to make love to you? I can't imagine in a greater happiness because you're amazing in bed, and it's an honor to even make love to you because you're such a beautiful, incredible, sexy woman, whom I'm lucky enough to have as my wife!"
Lily rolled her eyes. "You're laying it on pretty thickly."
Rufus nodded.
Lily broke into a grin. "But I like it laid on thickly. It's no fair though. I can never stay angry with you because you're such a charmer! You have been ever since the day we met and you wrote me that song after only a half hour of knowing me."
Rufus kissed her hands again. "If I was an expert charmer, I would have been able to write it within the first five minutes of meeting you. I wanted to, but I'm not that great of a song writer."
"There's no need for the emphasis on the word 'that'," Lily said simply.
Rufus stuck his tongue out at her.
Lily giggled. "You know I'm teasing. I love the song you wrote for me. It reminds me of how much you love me."
"That I do," Rufus said, reaching across the table, and gently stroking her cheek.
Lily smiled, and nuzzled her cheek against his hand.
"All right, your lunch has arrived!" the waiter said.
"That was quick!" Rufus said, sitting back in his seat.
"Yeah, our cooks are pretty quick with preparing meals," the waiter said. He set down their food in front of them. "Do you guys need anything else?"
"We're good for now, thank you," Rufus told him.
"I'll leave you to your meal then, and I'll be back in a bit to check on you." The waiter smiled.
"Thank you," Rufus said.
The waiter then left.
"You should have asked him for a barf bag. Did you hear him when he said the cooks are pretty quick in cooking the meals?" Lily asked.
Rufus nodded. "And is that a bad thing?" He picked up his burrito, and took a big bite.
Lily nodded. "It is if they rush the cooking and don't make sure it's cooked well enough."
Rufus rolled his eyes. "Stop worrying, and enjoy your lunch! You're so paranoid sometimes."
Lily glared at him, but was too hungry to argue with him anymore. So, with a sigh, she picked up one of her chicken quesadillas, and ate it. It was pretty good, so her fear resolved a bit. She supposed Rufus was right once in a while. Once in a rare while that was.
One thirty had arrived, and so had Rufus and Lily at their destination. There was only a handful of people on the tour with them. Their tour guide had just introduced herself as Aliya. She was a pretty Hawaiian girl that had Rufus smiling.
Lily gently smacked his chest with the back of her hand. "Stop gawking at her."
Rufus looked at her in surprise. "I'm not gawking at her." He tried to look innocent.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh, please! She has a tube top on that looks two times two small for that big chest of hers. Also, she is a beautiful girl. You're gawking."
"Well, you gawk at all the good looking male tour guides," Rufus said, crossing his arms over his chest, and no longer trying to cover up the fact that he was indeed gawking.
Lily pointed her nose to the air. "That's different. Women don't perv over the opposite sex like men do."
Rufus snorted. "Yeah, right!"
"Well, I don't anyway," she said.
Rufus laughed. "And I do? You think I'm a pervert?"
Lily tried not to smile, but she couldn't help it. "Maybe not all the time, but, when it comes to a hot woman, your are. Your a man. It's built in."
Rufus grinned. "Well, then, I guess I'm just going to have to stick to being pervy with just you," he murmured in her ear as he placed his hand over her left breast with his right hand.
Lily laughed. "Rufus, not here!" She pushed his hand away from her breast. "People will see."
"I don't know. I think that's kind of a turn on," Rufus joked.
Lily laughed, and pushed him away. "Stop!"
He laughed too. "All right, all right!" He brushed his lips against her left ear. "But, tonight, you're all mine."
Lily shivered. "I'm already yours."
Rufus licked his lips, and looked at her like a hungry tiger looking at a fresh piece of meat. However, before he could respond, Aliya clapped her hands, wanting them too to give her their attention, so he did.
"All right, everyone! Now that we're all here, I'd like to introduce myself again for those of you who missed it the first time. "My name is Aliya, and I will be your tour guide for today. First, I will take you into the wine tasting room where you will be able to taste four different wines all complimentary. After that, we will have wine available for purchase in both glasses and bottles. We have not only our traditional grape wines, but some really good pineapple wines as well. Then, I will be taking you on a a thirty-minute tour of our vineyards. So, is everyone ready to taste some wine?"
The whole tour, including Rufus and Lily, voiced their affirmations, and then, they all headed into the wine tasting room.
"This room is formerly the guest cottage of King Kalakaua. King Kalakaua was better known as Hawaii's 'Merrie Monarch.' He frequent visited the Makee family here at Rose Ranch, and was known to host parties and poker games here, where he and is friends would enjoy the finest champagne." Aliya motioned over to the bar where the wine was. "That bar is eighteen feet long, and made of a single mango tree. Pretty incredible, huh?"
Rufus and Lily, as well as the rest of the tour nodded.
Rufus took a few pictures of the bar.
"All right! You may now enjoy your complimentary wine. "Kino here, will be more than willing to serve you." Aliya gestured over to a big Hawaiian guy, wearing a Hawaiian shit and khaki shorts behind the bar.
Kino nodded at them and waved to them. "Good after noon!"
"Your first four drinks are free samples, then you have to start paying. Sorry, guys," Aliya said.
Rufus and Lily waited patiently for their turn, then they chose their wines. They were able to try every wine the place had between the two of them since the place only had seven different wines. They shared with each other so that they could decide which one they wanted to buy a bottle of for later.
Lily took a picture of Rufus enjoying his wine, and Rufus took one of Lily enjoying her wine. Then, Lily gave Aliya her camera, and Aliya took a picture of them drinking their wines together while leaning against the mango tree bar.
Afterwards, Lily and Rufus decided on their favorite pineapple wine, and purchased a bottle.
After that, it was onto the walking tour. There, Aliya told them about the land.
The stroll through the grounds was peaceful. Aliya told them about the winery's past and present.
Aliya stopped them when they got to a certain area of the grounds. "You are now standing in a place that was once the front yard of the Rose Ranch." She motioned to the tall trees around them. "We are surrounded by towering 150-year-old trees brought back from Captain James Makee's travels around the world."
Lily was snapping pictures like crazy, but Rufus couldn't help but yawn. He felt like he was back in school.
When they visited the production area of the winery, Aliya told them and showed them how they made the pineapple and grape wines that were their specialty there at the Rose Ranch.
Rufus found himself taking pictures right along with Lily then, for he was suddenly interested. It was neat to him to see the wine actually being made. It was kind of funny to see people stepping on the grapes. He knew that was how wine was made, but to see it made it even cooler.
After the tour, they said their goodbyes to Aliya, and then headed back to their hotel.
"Are you still as in the mood for me as I am for you?" Rufus purred into Lily's ear during the cab ride back to their hotel.
Lily nodded. "You'll find out when we get back to our hotel."
Rufus grinned, knowing she wanted to remain appearing prim and proper for the cab driver's sake. "I'll take that as a yes."
After another romp in their hotel room for a while, they hung out in their room and relaxed by watching some television, and just enjoying being off of their feet for a bit. They had done a lot of walking on this vacation already, and it felt good to have some time to just relax.
Eventually though, it was time for their dinner cruise and they had to leave.
"I'm feeling a little off," Lily said once they had gotten to the Lahaina harbor, and were walking over to the yacht.
"You're probably just hungry. When did you start to feel sick?" Rufus asked.
"It came upon me all the sudden while we were watching television. It was just a slight stomach ache, so I didn't think much of it. Then, once we were in the taxi, it got stronger," Lily explained, a hand over her stomach.
"Sometimes being hungry can make your stomach hurt. I'm sure you'll feel better after you've eaten something," Rufus assured her. "You might have even just been a bit car sick if it got worse in the cab."
Lily sighed. "I hope so. I'm wondering if I should even go on this yacht. The rocking might make me sick."
"Come on, Lil! I paid a lot of money for this cruise. You'll be fine. It's going to be beautiful. We eat up on the top deck, and then we get to see the sunset. We can also dance. They have a live musician who plays contemporary music. At least, that's what the brochure said." Rufus winked at her.
Lily sighed. "Well, it does sound nice. I guess I can go. Maybe you're right. Maybe a little food is all I need."
"That's the spirit!" Rufus kissed her cheek with a loud, "Muah!"
They then boarded the yacht hand-in-hand after giving the captain their ticket vouchers.
When they got on the yacht, they found their seats.
Rufus helped Lily into her seat beside the water, and he sat across from her, also beside the water.
"At least we got great seats!" Lily said, managing a smile.
Rufus nodded. "I know, right? I'm sure this cruise will be worth every penny, or rather, dollar." He grinned.
Lily shook her head, but smirked nonetheless.
"This is your captain speaking. I want to welcome you all to the Maui Princess! I trust you all will have a wonderful evening with great food, great scenery, a fun ride, a live musician, and some great dancing! We are now about to take off for our two and a half hour trip. I hope you all have a blast! Now, let's get sailing, shall we?" came the captain's voice over the intercom.
Most of the passengers cheered. Rufus and Lily just squeezed each other's hands across the table, and smiled at each other.
The captain pulled the yacht's horn, and soon, they were off!
"This is pretty nice," Lily said as tuxedo-clad waiters came around with their appetizer right away. They placed the appetizer on the white tablecloth-covered table. The appetizer was a garden salad with papaya seed dressing. "I never heard of papaya seed dressing before. I wonder what it tastes like," Lily said, poking at her salad with her fork. "It looks good."
"Try it and find out!" Rufus said with a shrug. He already had his forkful ready. He tried the salad. "Mm, it's good!"
Lily raised an eyebrow at him. "Really?"
He nodded, then motioned to her salad. "Just try it."
So, she did. She moved it around in her mouth for a moment, getting a taste for it. She then nodded. "It's good!"
Rufus smiled. "See? I told you."
Lily ate a little bit more of her salad, then started to feel sick again. She pushed her plate away.
"What's wrong?" Rufus asked.
"I'm feeling sick again," Lily told him.
Rufus shrugged. "I'll eat it." He had finished his salad, and now moved onto Lily's.
Lily looked out at the beautiful scenery, and took a few pictures, hoping her stomach would calm down soon.
Not long after, the waiter came to take their drink and food orders.
Lily, though she wasn't really hungry, ordered the Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi Fillet With Buerre Blanc Sauce, feeling it might be the safest thing for her stomach to eat. She just hoped she was hungry by the time dinner had arrived.
Rufus ordered the prime rib.
Lily ordered a ginger ale in hopes of settling her stomach. Rufus ordered some red wine since three alcoholic drinks came with their meals before they had to start paying.
"Why didn't you order one of your alcoholic drinks?" Rufus asked her after the waiter had gone. "The first three are free, you know." He winked at her.
Lily glared at him. "I'm feeling sick, Rufus. I don't think alcohol would make it better. Ginger ale is the best thing for my stomach right now. Don't worry—sodas and juices are free too. Unlimited at that."
Rufus held his hands up in defense. "All right, all right! There's no need to get bit—" He quickly cut himself off at the nasty warning look Lily shot him. He was going to say 'bitchy,' but, judging by the look on Lily's face, 'bitter' was the better option. "Bitter about it," he finished.
Lily stared at him for a moment longer, as if she knew what he had really been going to say at first. Then, she took another sip of her ginger ale, and continued to look out to the water.
Rufus went back to finishing her salad for her. She could be in a foul mood, but he wasn't going to let it ruin his trip! He was here to have fun, and, by darn it, fun was exactly what he was going to have!
When their food came, Lily was feeling a little better, so she ate her dinner, and actually enjoyed it. It lightened her mood a bit. And, when the waiter came to ask if they wanted another drink, and Rufus practically begged her to have a drink so that he wouldn't have to drink alone, she ordered a strawberry margarita. Rufus ordered a martini, and they had a drink together with their meal. Their meal had also come with fresh dinner rolls, a vegetable Du Jour, and potatoes.
"This is all so good!" Rufus said, shoving it in like there was no tomorrow.
Lily crinkled her nose. "Darling, close your mouth when you eat. You know how I hate when you talk with your mouthful."
Rufus swallowed what was in his mouth. "Sorry," he said with a sheepish grin.
Lily ate all her meal, but then, when the cheesecake with fruit glaze came, she was only able to eat half of it before feeling sick again. She pushed the rest aside.
Rufus, who had already eaten his, grabbed hers, and started chowing.
Lily wrinkled her nose at him. "How can you eat like that?"
He shrugged. "What?" he asked, his mouth full again. He remembered himself, and quickly swallowed. "Sorry." He blushed. Then, he shrugged. "I like eating on vacation."
Lily sighed, wishing she didn't feel so sick.
Rufus finished the rest of Lily's cheesecake, then the waiter cleared all their plates. The sun started to set then.
Lily took Rufus' hands from across the table and squeezed them.
Rufus grinned at her, and kissed her hands, then they enjoyed the view.
They both took a few shots of the sunsetting, and then, the waiter came back to ask if they wanted any more to drink.
"I'll have another glass of wine, please," Rufus ordered.
Lily wrinkled her nose at him upon hearing his order. "After all the wine you already had today?"
Rufus shrugged. "I didn't have that much at the wine tasting. Those were just samples. I only had one full glass here so far," he defended himself.
Lily turned to the waiter. "I'll just have another ginger ale, please."
"Aw, come on, Lil! Just have one more drink with me. Please?" Rufus pleaded.
"Rufus, I'm not feeling well," Lily reminded him.
"At least have a little rum in Coke. Please? The Coke will help your stomach feel better even with alcohol in it. The syrup is still used as a stomach medicine, right?" Rufus offered.
Lily sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine, if it will shut you up!" She turned to the waiter. "I'll have a rum and Coke please."
The waiter smiled. "Coming right up!" He winked.
"You happy?" Lily asked, turning to face Rufus.
Rufus took her hands in his, and kissed them. "Very!" He grinned.
Lily rolled her eyes.
Their drinks came, and Lily sipped hers. She was feeling slightly better, but not by much.
"Let's go dance!" Rufus suggested to her, his eyes lighting up.
"Oh, I don't know, my stomach is still—"
Rufus cut her off. "Moving around will make you feel better," he assured her.
She sighed. "I guess I'll try it then." She took a big swig of her rum and coke, then set the rest down on the table.
Rufus polished his own drink off, then took her hand, and led her down to the first floor so that they could dance.
They danced a bit, but the more they danced, the more sick Lily began to feel.
"Rufus, I think I better go sit down," she said.
Rufus pouted. "Already? But we only danced to one song! It's a slower one now. Please stay."
Lily didn't want to disappoint her husband, so she agreed to one more dance.
Unfortunately, the swaying back and forth to the music made her incredibly nauseous. "I'm going to sit down now," she told Rufus as soon as the second song had ended.
Rufus nodded. "All right." He placed a hand over her back, and followed her back to their seats.
Lily sat down.
Rufus handed her the rest of her Coke and rum. "Finish it. The Coke will make you feel better."
"Rufus, I don't know," Lily said, feeling like she couldn't possibly put another thing into her body.
"Do it for me, please?" Rufus asked.
Lily sighed, and finished her drink.
They sat there for a few moments.
"Feeling better?" Rufus asked her.
"A little, but not too much," Lily answered.
"Wanna dance some more?" he asked.
"I don't want to go downstairs into that crowd," she said. "It's too hot."
"Well, then, we'll dance up here," Rufus told her. He stood up and offered his hand to her.
Lily looked at his offered hand and sighed. "I suppose." She knew there was no arguing with her husband when he wanted something badly enough. She took his hand, and let him help her to her feet.
They then began to dance. However, the song was fun and upbeat, and Rufus kept moving her around like she was a rag doll. Then, she felt it coming. She covered her mouth, and ran for the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Rufus asked her. He quickly followed her, and saw her run into the bathroom.
He gently knocked on the door as he heard her retching. "Lil? Are you all right in there?"
"Do I sound like I'm all right in here, Rufus?" she shot back.
"Is there anything I can do?" Rufus asked with concern.
"Yes! Let me do my retching in peace, please!" she said.
"As long as you're not 'resting' in peace," he joked.
"Shut up, Rufus!" Lily snapped.
Rufus winced. "I'll be waiting out here," he said. He knew the best thing to do when Lily was in a foul mood was to stay clear of her. He headed back out toward the dance floor.
"Hey!" said a pretty, perky, curly haired brunette. "Wanna dance?"
He grinned at her. "Sure!"
She grinned too, and offered her hand.
Rufus took it, and followed her out onto the dance floor, where he then proceeded to dance with her. He figured that, if Lily wanted to be alone, she got it! He didn't feel the slightest bit guilty either. Well, maybe a little. But his need for fun overpowered his guilt, so he kept on dancing anyway.
When Lily got out of the bathroom and saw Rufus dancing with some pretty brunette, to say she was livid was an understatement. She stomped right over to the girl. "I'll take my husband back now, thank you," she said before grabbing Rufus and yanking him away without giving him a chance to say goodbye to the brunette. Heck, the brunette hadn't even had a chance to respond.
"Hey! Sam is very nice! I told her I was married. She knew. She just wanted a dance partner since her friend ditched her to dance with a hot guy," Rufus defended himself as Lily dragged him back up the stairs to their table.
"I bet she wanted more than that! I can't believe you! Here I am, sick in the bathroom, and, instead of showing some concern, you go off and dance with the first pretty girl you find!" Lily snapped. She plopped herself down in her seat, and crossed her arms over her chest with a scowl.
Rufus sighed, and sat down across from her. "You wanted me to leave you to your 'retching in peace' as you called it," he reminded her.
"I didn't mean I wanted you to go off dancing with some slut!" Lily snapped.
"She isn't a slut! Like I said, she was just looking for someone to dance with, and I wanted to have fun. Just because you were sick, didn't mean I had to have a horrible time," Rufus stated.
Lily narrowed her eyes at him. "This is all your fault."
Rufus was shocked. "My fault? How do you figure?"
"Well, for starters, you made me go to that disgusting Mexican place. I probably have food poisoning," she stated.
"Please! I ate there too, remember? I'm not sick. Besides, if it was something you ate there, you would have been sick long before now!" Rufus insisted.
"Maybe so, but then you insisted I go on this yacht even though I told you I wasn't feeling well. Then you insisted I kept on drinking," Lily snapped.
Rufus glared at her; annoyed now. "First of all, I honestly thought you'd start to feel better after a bit. As for the drinking, Coke is supposed to help your stomach."
She raised an eyebrow. "What about the margarita you pushed me to drink? Or adding the rum to the Coke?"
Rufus rolled his eyes. "I suggested—not insisted or pushed. I didn't force you to come on the boat, and I didn't force you to drink!"
"But you pushed until I felt guilty, and that is just as bad as forcing me," Lily insisted, her arms still crossed over his chest.
Rufus sighed. "Whatever."
"You know what? Why don't you just go down and dance some more with that brunette you seem to love so much?" Lily snapped. "I'm going to stay up here and rest like I should have done from the beginning."
"And give you another reason to nag me later? I think not!" Rufus said.
"Fine, then you can just sit here in silence and be bored, because I'm not talking to you anymore," she said.
"You're not talking to me anymore? What are you, five years old?" Rufus asked her, his eyebrows scrunched together in anger.
Lily looked out at the water, and ignored him.
"Fine. See if I care," Rufus grumbled. He still didn't leave her because, despite what she had said, he knew he'd never hear the end of it if he went back down to dance with Sam. So, instead, he sat there in silence with Lily, his own arms crossed over his chest as he looked out at the water.
He glanced at his watch. They still had another hour and a half left of the cruise. He sighed. It was going to be a long night.
They finally got back to their hotel room after what felt like an eternity.
Lily ran straight to the bathroom to throw up some more.
Rufus was finally starting to feel bad. He went into the bathroom, and held her hair for her as she threw up. Surprisingly, she let him.
When she was done, he helped her up, and even flushed the toilet for her.
She headed over to the sink, and washed her mouth out with water.
"Feel better?" he asked her.
"A little," she said. She reached for her toothbrush, and put toothpaste on it. She then brushed her teeth, and, when she was done, washed her mouth out with mouth wash. She spit into the sink, then headed back into the room.
Rufus had to use the toilet, so he did. He then flushed the toilet and washed his hands, then decided to brush his teeth as well. After that, he headed back out to check on Lily. She was lying in bed on her back, on top of the covers, her feet dangling over the edge.
He sighed, and sat down beside her. He took off her red flats for her. "I'm sorry. I acted like a jerk all day today."
"I wouldn't say all day," she said, still sounding weak.
"You were right. I should have taken you right home the moment you started to feel sick. I just wanted to do a romantic dinner cruise with you so badly that I convinced myself you'd feel better once you got some food in you. As for the drinks, well, can I get a pass since I'm a man, and men are known to be idiots?" Rufus asked.
Lily actually smiled. It was just a weak little upturn of the corners of her mouth, but it was there. "It's all right. You were right. I could have said no."
"I shouldn't have pressured you. I also shouldn't have insisted we eat at that Mexican place when you didn't want to," Rufus continued.
"Again, I could have said no. Besides, you were right. If it was that place, you'd be sick, and I would have been sick earlier. The food was good. I'm glad we ate there," Lily said.
"Well, the Sam thing... It really was innocent, but I should have stayed back with you," Rufus then stated.
"I pushed you away. I still don't like that you chose to dance with her, but I believe you when you say it was innocent," Lily said.
"Good, because it was," Rufus assured her. He helped her get her shorts off and to the floor.
She sat up then, and he helped her get her blue and white stripped cami off and to the floor as well.
"So, you forgive me?" he asked.
She at up, and gently took his face between her hands. She kissed him softly on the lips. "Of course. And I'm sorry I was so nasty to you. We're even." She then got up off the bed, and headed to the bathroom.
"Are you sick again?" he asked her with worry.
"No, I just have to go to the bathroom," she said.
"Do you feel like putting on another lingerie?" Rufus asked, wriggling his eyebrows at her even though she had her back turned toward him.
"Don't push it, Rufus," she said from the bathroom.
Rufus grinned. "Can't blame a guy for trying!" He then stripped out of his day attire, and into his night attire, a smile on his face. He was glad his and Lily's fight was over. He hated fighting with her.
That night, Lily, clad in her underwear and blue nightgown, slept well except for the middle of the night when she woke up in a sweat. Rufus had gotten out of bed and got her a cold, wet, washcloth. Then, he wet her forehead with it. He also got her some Extra Strength Tylenol that they had brought with them, and gave a dose to her with some water in case she had a fever. She fell asleep a short while after taking it.
He kissed her forehead, then held her from behind. He loved her so much, he didn't want to ruin another day for her.
He kissed the back of her neck. "Tomorrow will be better, Lil," he whispered as he gently stroked her hair. "I promise." He gave the back of her neck one more kiss, then drifted off to sleep as well.