Chapter 4 New Cruise Friends
Author's Note:
My special thanks to The Soulful Bard for reviewing and improving my story.
All errors are strictly mine.
* * *
A year passed. The first anniversary of their first and only cruise was approaching.
Although the sex between them had been hot for several months after the cruise, in time it tapered off to pre-cruise levels. As much as they loved their family and their jobs, they recognized that the humdrum of normal living was once again having a dampening effect on their sex life.
"You know, hon," Gerald suddenly announced, "I think it's time for a vacation. How about Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, wherever or whatever you like. And if you don't care for Southeast Asia, I'm open to suggestions."
After some discussion, they decided to spend a week in Japan to visit Aiko's relatives and then board a flight to Hanoi for a 10-day tour of the country from north to south, ending in Ho Chi Minh City. From there they would take a flight to Tokyo to board a cruise that would take them across the North Pacific to Vancouver.
Because Aiko knew the language and the culture, Gerald let Aiko set the agenda for their stay in Japan. They visited various tourist attractions, including Mount Fuji, but mainly they visited Aiko's aunts, uncles and cousins.
Vietnam was quite different. Its cities were hot and sticky, crowded and polluted by what seemed to be millions of motorcycles. Nevertheless, they enjoyed themselves. Each city had its own character. Hanoi, for example, was drab in comparison to the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon. They spent a romantic night on a boat in Halong Bay where they saw its famous and very spectacular karst islands. Other sites such as in Saba, the old imperial city of Hué, Da Nang, An Hoi, Nha Trang, My Tho each had their special charm. The people were always very friendly.
Ho Chi Minh City was their last stop. After taking a tour of the city itself, they explored the several of the city's markets. Bargaining was normal and expected in most of them. Curiously, the open-air market near their hotel didn't allow bargaining. With no air-conditioning, ceiling fans were going full blast.
Gerald noticed the signs in English which said 'fixed price'. "I think they meant to say 'set price'," Gerald commented.
"Don't be picky Gerald. There's not much practical difference, is there? The guide told me you can buy souvenirs and arts and crafts just down the street in the air-conditioned department store. And you can bargain too!"
While walking through the side streets surrounding the open market, Aiko and Gerald noticed several massage establishments. One offering Thai massage intrigued them. They had heard of Thai massage but had never experienced it.
They looked at each other. The same question was in their eyes.
"Doesn't hurt to ask," Gerald said before Aiko had the chance to ask her question.
Although the lady at the front desk spoke very little English, Aiko and Gerald managed to negotiate a one-hour massage, with a combination of gestures and pen-and-paper, for the equivalent of about $30 US. That was cheap by North American standards but a lot of money in Vietnam.
Having agreed on the price, a young women gestured them to come inside. They were taken to a change room with lockers. Another woman entered, providing them some light cotton clothes. Her gestures clearly indicated they were to change their clothes and put their belongings into a locker. Each locker had its own key which was to be hung around their necks.
A few minutes later, two masseuses entered the locker room. Leading the couple to the massage room, they gestured to Aiko and Gerald to sit on a bench next to the massage tables. They brought in two tubs of hot water filled with aromatic herbs and then left. About 10 minutes later, they returned. They massaged their feet, gradually working their way up to their knees and thighs. The vacationing couple was particularly intrigued by the way the young women used their knuckles on the soles of their feet. It hurt but it was a pleasant hurt.
After a while, their masseuses pointed toward the massage tables. They lay facedown, putting their faces into an opening at one end of the table. The masseuses massaged then from their necks down to their waists. It was so relaxing that Aiko and Gerald almost fell asleep.
Suddenly it was over. An entire hour had passed by as if in a flash. Although they disappointed their time was up, they felt so good. They showed their appreciation to the two masseuses by offering them a generous tip, a tip they accepted gratefully.
"What did you like best about the massage?" Aiko asked back in the hotel room.
"The feel of her soft silken thighs against my sides," he replied.
"Gerald! Did she give you a hard-on?" she demanded.
"No, I didn't get the chance," he chuckled. "As soon as I felt those soft silky thighs press against me, she started using those strong hands to probe and prod my muscles. What she did felt really good. It was sensuous but not sensual. It was a real massage, all business to them, and all relaxation for us. Still, it was very enjoyable. I would love to it again some day."
* * *
From Ho Chi Minh City, they took a flight to Tokyo and then a local train to nearby Yokohama, where they would stay overnight before boarding a ship whose cruise itinerary included several stops northward on Japan's east coast then across to Alaska to several more ports and finally down the British Colombia Coast to Vancouver to pick up a flight home.
When they boarded the cruise ship, they had every intention of enjoying life on board the ship. Many onboard activities were similar to those on their first cruise but, this time, they decided to take an early sitting in the main restaurant.
The maitre d' offered them a choice of either a table for two or a larger table with other couples. They chose the latter. They were curious to hear about other passenger's travels and adventures. The maitre d' took them to a table located in a relatively isolated corner of the restaurant. Two couples were already there.
"May we join you?" Gerald asked.
The two couples glanced to each other questioningly.
"Of course, please sit down." One of the men said. "My name is Bill. This is my wife Wei-ling and these are our friends, Emma and Norman."
Aiko and Gerald exchanged handshakes and greetings with their new tablemates. They soon learned that the two couples, or at least the men, had been friends for a long time. In fact, they had organized their vacation together. The two couples lived in Markham but since most people on the ship had no idea where Markham was located, they usually told everyone they were from Toronto.
"We live in Mississauga," Aiko piped up. "We do the same. We tell people we come from Toronto too because everybody has heard of Toronto. But Mississauga? By cruise standards that makes us neighbours, roughly an hour-and-a-half's drive I would think."
Aiko and Gerald couldn't help but notice that one couple had an interracial marriage just as they did. Bill's wife, Wei-ling, was of Chinese descent and spoke both Cantonese and Mandarin. They soon found that they had many interests in common. Aiko's and Wei-ling got along almost instantaneously. Within minutes they talked to each other like long-time friends.
Gerald's roving eye noticed Weil-ling had unusually wide hips for an Oriental woman. He found such hips to be very attractive.
Aiko noticed his look. Unseen by the other two couples, she poked Gerald's thigh underneath the table to remind him that staring was rude.
Wei-Ling was almost 44 and her husband, Bill, was 48. He once ran a home construction company but sold it about two years ago because he couldn't take the stress and the long hours any more. Both had adult children from previous marriages.
"I paid too much attention to making money," Bill explained, "and neglected my first wife and family. So I lost them. I don't want to lose Wei-ling. I've got enough in savings and from the sale of my business to live my remaining years in relative ease."
Wei-ling's biography was dramatic in a different way than Bill's. Her first husband had died in a car accident while their two children were still young. His life insurance enabled her to get by for a few years but it was always a struggle. As soon as both kids were in school, she went back to work, eventually finding a job as part-time physiotherapist, a profession she had given up after she married her first husband and started a family. It helped make ends meet but it was still a struggle.
She met Bill met at a restaurant in a mall while they both shopped. Bill took an instant liking to her. So when he discovered was a single mother with no current attachment, he walked over to her and introduced himself.
"I felt an instant rapport with him," Wei-ling explained. "And it has felt right ever since. We became friends, then lovers and finally spouses."
Bill was as average-looking guy but he had a very charming personality and some very interesting stories. You could tell that he was used to taking the lead. Wei-ling seemed to like his take-charge attitude. It was obvious to Aiko and Gerald that they were very happy and comfortable with each other.
The other couple revealed they had known Bill for most of their adult lives. Norman and Bill became best buddies in their college days. He was the same age as Bill but bigger, hirsute, almost bear-like. He had a laid-back personality that oozed ease and confidence. He came across as being very protective of his wife but not in a possessive way.
Norman married Emma, who was two years younger, at about the same time as Bill married his first wife. They met in a teacher's college. After graduation both became teachers in a high school. Bill and his first wife attended Emma and Norman's wedding. Emma and Bill attended both of Bill's weddings. The couple had a son who also was currently in college.
Emma was petite and cute in bubbly sort of way. She was shorter than either Aiko or Wei-ling. Norman was the distinctly larger than either Gerald or Bill. It made for a very sharp contrast in the physical appearance between husband and wife. Emma more than made up for her small stature with a lively personality that betokened a person who was not in the least bit intimidated by her husband's large size. She sometimes jumped in when he husband was talking only to continue the story he was already telling. Norman never seemed to mind the interruption.
Gerald thought of her as a human firecracker. 'Not like my Aiko,' he thought. "Aiko tends to be reserved in public but she's much livelier in the privacy of our home."
Aiko was amused by the interplay between the little brunette and her huge hairy husband. Their dynamic between the two was quite different from the calmer relationship Weil-ling and Bill and Bill seemed to enjoy. In some ways, they reminded her of the relationship she had with Gerald. It didn't take long for Aiko to connect with Emma too.
The dinner conversation among the six was interesting and sometimes even animated. Clearly the six got along well together. Time passed quickly. It took a reminder from the waiter that the sitting for the next group of passengers was about to begin. They need a few minutes to prepare the table for the next group.
As they all stood to leave, Bill spoke. "Aiko and Gerald, we really enjoyed your company. Would you like to join our table every evening?"
"Absolutely," Aiko said. "We'd love to."
"Good, I'll arrange with the maitre d' to make sure we have the same table at the same time every evening. Okay?"
"That's fine by us," Gerald said as they went off to the theatre to watch the early show.
* * *
Now that Aiko and Gerald had become friends with the two couples, they inevitably noticed them about the ship, participating in the ship's activities. Sometimes, the two couples would sit in the lounges either reading or listening to the music.
While Aiko and Gerald both danced, they noticed their male friends were not keen on dancing. Lacking willing spouses, Wei-ling and Emma danced with each other.
