[Chapter One was submitted as Scorpio44 some time ago (years). An email or twenty prompted my rereading it and my notes. Chapters 2, 3 and 4 are the result. There are some surprises for those familiar with my mind through reading Scorpio44 (120 submissions) and Scorpio 44A (100+). Chapter 5 is the final chapter (I think). I don't plan to add to it from here. Complaints about where the story is placed can be saved. When the story began it belonged in Romance. I think it still does, although Melissa thinks it could move to Sci-Fi for chapter 5.]
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Melissa and I fell into bed as soon as we were undressed and slept.
The sun was up and the breeze warm when I opened my eyes. Standing a few feet away were Barb and Jo, holding trays full of food and coffee.
"Wake up! We have so much to tell you!" Barb said.
We sat up, took coffee and they sat on the bed with us. Barb wanted to tell us "what we missed." She told of being at one of the dance venues and around midnight they stopped playing the wild, jump music. The band played a love song and everyone danced. There were unattached women and male crewmembers danced with them and some of the women danced with other women. Song after song was slow, romantic music. No one asked for a fast song. No one complained. They saw dancers going far beyond what is normal groping on the dance floor.
Jo took over the story and told how they left that dance spot and went to another, only to find the same thing. Crowded dance floor and people kissing and loving. Then she said, "We were dancing together and I felt an orgasm building. I knew I was going to have a huge orgasm and I wasn't touching myself or really being physically stimulated directly. We didn't say anything, we just ran back to the cabin!"
Barb said, "Emma was on the bed when we opened the door! She was naked and doing herself. We stripped and joined her on the bed! When we came together we heard screams from all over the ship! The door out to our balcony was open! It was incredible!"
Melissa looked at me and didn't say anything. Her eyes acknowledged that she knew the six of us had sourced that experience.
Jo asked, "We looked for you and for Walt and Brenda but we couldn't find you. Where were you?"
I said, "Meditating."
Barb asked, "Are you leading another meditation today?"
I smiled and answered, "Maybe. We'll see if anyone shows up."
We heard the rap of knuckles on our cabin door. I said, "Let Jose' in, would you please?"
Barb opened the door and Jose', in starched whites, entered the cabin. He smiled and said, "We have had four hundred requests already this morning for more meditation classes. The Captain wants me to beg you to lead them. He is willing to pay you and your family. Two weeks aboard any of our ships and a thousand dollars for each of you. Please?"
I knew he knew I'd do it for free.
"Where do you want the classes?"
He named the room and said the crew was cleaning it at that very moment, to get ready. The first class would start at eleven o'clock. That gave us an hour to prepare. I agreed and so did Melissa. Jose' asked Barb and Jo if they would help. They agreed and Jose' used our phone. Right after he hung up we heard an announcement over the loud speakers: "There will be an unscheduled series of meditation classes held today in the Starlight Lounge on deck eight. First class will begin at eleven."
I said, "Walt and Brenda can lead too. If the crowd is too big for the Starlight Lounge maybe you can find another room and we can have two classes going?"
"I'll get on it. And, Thank you both for last night! It was incredible!"
Melissa asked, "Tonight?"
"Yes!" And, he was gone. We ate and got ready to go. Jo knew where the Starlight Lounge was so she led the way. A crewmember was stationed at the doors to the lounge. He asked, "When do we let them in?"
"At a quarter to eleven open the doors. Let in no more that two hundred and then check with me to see how many more. Ok?"
"We'll only open one set of doors so we get a good count." He said. It was ten-thirty. There were already thirty-five or more people waiting to get in. We went into the room and saw it had been pretty well emptied. All the chairs normally in place were gone. The little tables that normally held drinks and snacks were gone. A small raised platform with a sound system sat at the center of the far wall. There were four chairs on the platform.
I had Barb, Melissa, Jo and myself. A crewmember had confirmed to us that Brenda, Emma and Walt were in the other room that would be used. I told my crew what I wanted them to do as people came in. I went to the door and told the crewman at the door no children allowed. Children could go to the other room.
We opened the doors. The crewman said, "When you enter, please follow the instructions you are given. Remain quiet. If you are with a partner and wish to stay with them, hold hands."
They came in and took seats on the floor as Barb and Jo placed them. Melissa aimed some people to the right and to Jo and some to the left and to Barb for seating. The room filled quickly and quietly. I went to the platform and sat down cross-legged. I closed my eyes. Melissa came to the microphone and whispered, "This is Nick. Breathe like him, sit quietly like him."
The already quiet room got even quieter, more focused. I heard the doors close and I knew we were full. I opened my eyes and Melissa handed me the mike.
"Meditation is a gift we can give ourselves. You can sit in your car, with the motor off, and benefit from meditation. You can sit with someone and multiply your energy together. You can sit in a room like this with hundreds of people all meditating and the energy will amaze us all."
"If you have been on a cruise before this one please raise your hand." Almost half raised their hands. "Usually the first night aboard is a bit wild and chaotic. Last night was different, I'm told. If you felt something different last night, raise your hand."
Almost every hand was up. "Thank you." The hands went down. "Would you like more of whatever you felt last night?" I asked. The hands were back up.
"Thank you."
