. 03

Adventures in Swinging Ch.28 Pt 03

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January 28

At Sea Shiptime 1915hrs

Distance from Galveston: 69 miles

Course 120 degrees, Speed 18 Knots

Seth fiddled with the bow tie of his Armani tuxedo. Annie saw him struggling and said, "Here, Seth, let me help you."

"Thanks, Ellie," he said appreciatively. He watched, transfixed, as Annie took the tie from him. Her delicate hands and long fingers deftly whipped the material around, completing loops and finally tugging it all snuggly as she flared out the ends perfectly.

"You do that with such ease," he exclaimed.

Annie smiled, "My soon-to-be ex-husband couldn't tie his cravat if his life depended on it." She stepped back to admire her work. "There, now you look like Daniel Craig," she said adoringly. Annie popped up on her tiptoes and kissed Seth with tender affection. She parted her lips ever so slightly and slid her tongue across his closed mouth.

Seth looked down at his best friend's daughter and whispered, "Please, young lady, don't lose yourself in the moment. You have no idea how this is messing me up."

Annie looked into Seth's eyes. She struggled with her thoughts because deep inside her were passionate feelings she had always felt for the man. He was always the handsome, charming, worldly, and sophisticated man who lived just a few houses up the street from her. Annie fought those feelings and realized she had to strike a balance, so she whispered, "I have dreamed of being with you since I was sixteen, but Seth, I understand what you are saying."

Perhaps for the first time since this mission had begun, Seth Barksdale's blinders came off his eyes. He stepped back from Annie and really saw her for who she was. Yes, she was a grown woman. If the sexual intimacy of the afternoon hadn't been enough to smack him across his face, the alluring beauty of a stunning Annie ready for a night out with him finally lifted the blinders from his eyes.

The more Seth gazed at her, the more closely he saw how Annie favored her Mother. She was different from Ellie in personality. Annie was the lone extrovert of her family. She had a lust for life that she wore on her sleeve. It was downright infectious. She could light up a room when she wanted to. Her sister Hallie was different. Hallie was social, but her personality was very much like Ellie's. She was more demure and carefully selected how she presented herself to others. Hallie was much like her parents: bookish and intellectual, often exceedingly so. Hallie was the polar opposite of her sister Annie, a type like Heather, his wife. How could he not be attracted to her?

At sea, on an adult-only cruise that normal society would condemn without hesitation, Seth realized his ethics, morals, honor, and integrity were under attack from the genuine feelings of an adoring young woman. Seth saw in Annie's eyes the same fire and passion he saw in Heather's when he fell in love with her.

"Are you alright, darling," Annie asked Seth.

Seth nodded silently. He stroked Annie's cheeks, and she cocked her head to feel every second of contact with Seth's hand as it glided across her skin. Annie's eyes glowed as she savored the moment. She offered no resistance when Seth's hand slid around to cuff the back of her neck, pulling her to him.

Annie could feel her face flush, as her Mother's would. Annie twisted her torso as she went to her tiptoes and engaged Seth's mouth with hers--both gasping as Seth caressed her breasts through her evening gown. It was electric, unforgettable.

Annie realized she was getting far too lost in the moment, and she needed her wits for the evening ahead, as did Seth. She fought the rising heat building deep within but was a professional. She fell upon her training and closed the dampers to her home fires. The goose pimples forming all over her exposed skin receded.

"We are going to be late, Seth; it's time to go," she said, pulling from him. Seth released her from his embrace, and his arms fell to their sides. Seth watched Annie look in the mirror and adjust her dress. Mr. Barksdale, the husband, the Father of two teens, and next-door swinging neighbor with Annie's Mom and Dad, had a helluva problem.

'Dear God,' he thought silently to himself. 'I have to figure something out; I am on the razor's edge.'

Annie was positively radiant in her pearlescent Halston full-length evening gown. It had a front halter secured around her neck and was a complete, open-backed dress cut in a gradual taper to the small of her back. She topped her couture with blue 1-carat round-cut aquamarine earrings, shimmering with reflected light.

"Well, let's not keep our gracious host waiting," Annie said.

Seth snapped his mind to the mission as he took Annie's hand and said, "I have never seen you more lovely, Ellie." Seth draped a translucent wrap across Annie's shoulders before opening the door to the cabin and extending his arm. "Ladies first, always," he said with a flair.

"Why thank you, my knight," Annie said with total sincerity.

Seth closed the door behind them, reached into his pocket, and slipped a pill into Annie's hand. "Ellie here is a breath mint," he said, looking down and making sure he had eye contact with her, after which he

winked deliberately.

Annie replied, "Ever the gentleman." She nodded and winked back, popping the pill into her mouth and swallowing it. Seth, in turn, popped another of the pills into his mouth and swallowed it.

The passageway was relatively free of people, easily explained by the countless 'First night out to sea' parties, dances, and the swinger events pious society would dismiss as shameful. Seth and Annie walked without words. Annie reached out and held Seth's hand. Seth's mind was on his solemn responsibility to Ellie and Jare. He had to make sure Annie stayed safe. He could never live with himself if he failed to protect another Hansen lady under his watch. Still, the ace up his sleeve was Evangeline.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the Captain's Mess. They passed two immense male Latino specimens, clearly armed and tasked with the first level of Sir Geoffrey's protection team. One of them buzzed the door. It opened slowly. A mature male, balding, clean-shaven, but with perfect poise, smiled at them. He was dressed as a gentleman's gentleman and greeted them, "Ah, Doctor Hansen and Mr. Barksdale. Please come in. Sir, Geoffrey is waiting." He led the pair through another security door. He announced, "Sir Geoffrey, may I introduce Dr. Eleanor Hansen and her escort this evening, Mr. Seth Barksdale, your dinner guests."

Annie entered the room in amazement, stunned as she gazed at the fine oak paneling on the walls. The crown molding on the ceiling was worthy of display in a Victorian mansion. She was drawn to the long dining table with beautiful inlaid wood trim. A true craftsman had created the table. Sir Geoffrey Crossthwaite stood up as the two entered, beaming a giant smile and dressed in a classic tuxedo from the golden age of Hollywood.

"Dr. Hansen and Mr. Barksdale, welcome aboard," he said, extending his hand to Annie first. Annie took his hand, and he turned it to his lips and kissed it before releasing it. He then extended his hand to Seth and gave what seemed to Seth to be a sincere greeting. "A pleasure to meet you, sir," he offered to Seth, smiling. "Please sit and make yourselves comfortable." Turning to Annie, he remained somewhat formal, asking, "Dr, may I call you Eleanor, please?"

"I prefer Ellie, but certainly Sir Geoffrey," Annie responded.

Crossthwaite nodded, "Thank you, and please, my friends call me Geoffrey."

Seth continued to note how disarming the man appeared outwardly. He was just over six feet tall. In outward appearance, he carried broad shoulders, was lean, and in good physical shape; he had light brown hair closely cropped, with a tight trim around his ears. Crossthaite projected a controlled, calculating manner; in the back of Seth's mind, his intuition reminded him to beware of the spider at the center of the web.

Crossthwaite turned to Seth and asked, "Seth, I understand you are a lawyer and a financier?"

Seth replied, "Yes, I work for a firm in Houston."

Crossthwaite nodded, "I would like to discuss that with you in more detail, but I would be remiss if I failed to offer my sincerest apology to you, Ellie, after your horrible violation and assault. The individuals I trust were dealt with swift justice by the U.S. authorities?"

Seth coughed as he sipped his water. "Yes, as a lawyer, I am fortunate to have a long friendship with the District Attorney for Harris County, Ms. Ogg," Seth leaned into the table. He drilled Crossthwaite with laser focus, " I can promise you that the perpetrators of Ellie's assault were remanded to the custody of the Justice Department. Ellie's abduction is a crime that the Jamaican government wanted no part of."

Crossthwaite leaned on the table, placing his hands together as he tried to read Seth. Seth remained calm and unperturbed as Sir Geoffrey studied him briefly. The billionaire missed the way Annie's eyes darted over him. She was reading him. The skills that Seth saw in Jared and Ellie's teenage daughter all those years past were being used to their fullest.

Crossthwaite broke the five-second silence before it became uncomfortable, "Excellent, spoken like a lawyer and a dear friend. Committed caring is the way it should be with the people we love about."

Crossthwaite turned his focus back to Annie. He smiled and said, "I hope your journey with us on this cruise constitutes a successful recovery, Ellie."

Annie smiled, "Geoffrey, it has been a difficult journey, but there doesn't seem to be any lasting trauma. My therapist encouraged me to rejuvenate and pamper myself. Coming on this trip is akin to climbing back on the horse that threw me."

"Ellie," Crossthwaite said softly, with what appeared to be the sincerest regret, "I wholeheartedly agree with your therapist's advice. I have comped this cruise, and your party has $5,000 credited to their accounts."

Annie reached her hand and briefly touched Crossthwaite's arm, "That is very generous. Thank you, Geoffrey."

"Think nothing of it," Sir Geoffrey responded. "I am gratified your entire party could come. Well, not Mr. Hansen and Mrs. Barksdale. I am sorry they couldn't be here, of course. However, I see you brought two other friends with whom you will enjoy the cruise as it proceeds, yes?"

Seth felt obliged to convey, "Geoffrey, I am sorry, but Jared and my wife Heather are back home. Jared had work, and he couldn't escape, while Heather was accompanying our kids on a cultural trip abroad. They both insisted, Ellie and I accept your gracious offer."

Crossthwaite merely said, "Interesting," in response.

Seth held his hands up, "Geoffrey, it's important for you to know that Heather and I brought Seth and Ellie into the swinging lifestyle. One of our early promises was to watch over Ellie and Jare and guide them around the common potholes in the 'swinging' road. I promised Jare that we would protect and watch over them so they wouldn't fall prey to many inexperienced couples' poor choices. Ones that lead to marital issues and divorce, but when Ellie was assaulted, all Jared could do was look at me and say, 'You promised.' How could you let this happen?"

Annie shifted uncomfortably after hearing about her Father's pain for the first time. Her Dad hadn't said that to her in the week they spent at Langley or their time in Tomball after her Mother left for Site 'E.' Annie watched Crossthwaite shift, and his face took on a well-rehearsed look of empathy.

Crossthwaite leaned back into his chair, "Again, please accept the sincere apology from the crew, the cruise line, and especially from me. Collectively, we failed you on your last trip. Our unforgivable disregard for screening of new hires led to unscrupulous characters joining our crew." After a practiced sigh intended to express regret, he turned to Annie and completely changed the subject by saying, "Ellie, you look lovely in

that evening gown. You bring that Halston to life. You truly do."

Annie blushed, "Thank you, Geoffrey."

Crossthwaite pressed a buzzer on the table, and soon, servers from the dining room brought an aperitif and a heavy cream-enriched potato leek soup that Seth recognized immediately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 28

Cabin M722, 1935hrs

Dave called out to Evangeline over the white noise generator, "Eva, darlin, confirming we have system lock, give negotiation with the satellite a try."

"Yes, Pard," Evangeline responded. "I have already connected and begun the uplink. The current baud is 2.25 terabits per second over the fiber optic link to the SATCOM."

Dave chuckled, "Pen, darlin, I swear I feel like I'm talking to Ellie. It's the damnedest thing."

Bunty said, "Evangeline dear, are you flirting with my husband?"

Embarrassed memes of different types displayed on the screen, "Oh no, Mrs. Samuels, that would be inappropriate."

Bunty laughed and leaned into Dave, whispering, "Why is Evangeline so formal with me?"

Dave feigned surprise at the question and said, "Come on, Pen, don't you wonder why she hasn't fallen for you as Ellie did?"

Bunty smacked her husband's shoulder playfully, "David! There are children in the room." Both laughed in unison.

They began a passionate snogging session until Evangeline warned, "You two behave, and let's focus on our work."

Both Dave and Bunty exclaimed, "Now that is Ellie!"

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January 28

Crossthwiate's Private Mess, 2050hrs

As the last plates from a luscious 5-course service were removed, Sir Geoffrey Crossthwaite nodded to the server and pushed away from the table. Several minutes before, the Butler had escorted Annie to a powder room after she excused herself for a needed refreshing. Meanwhile, Seth thanked the servers for their kindness as coffee and brandy were brought to the table.

Annie came through the door, a bit flushed on her face. She leaned against Seth's chair, bent her head to his ear, and whispered, "I ran the test strips, and your drink contained MDA. My drink was laced with Ecstacy."

Seth said aloud, "Sweetheart, I am feeling a tad dizzy. I know you wanted to dance tonight, but I think I am heading back to our suite to lie down." He faltered a bit as he began to stand, but he sold his unsteadiness on his feet so well that Annie almost bought it herself.

Annie said, "Sweetie, can you make it to the suite, okay? I want to walk the ship and get some cool sea air."

"Nonsense, Ellie. Allow one of my crew to escort Seth safely back. He can give us a thumbs up once he returns," Crossthwaite interjected. The billionaire pressed a button on the table, and the Second Officer opened the door ten seconds later.

"Yes, Sir Geoffrey, what can I do for you?" The Second Officer asked.

"Am I pulling you off bridge watch?" Crossthwaite asked.

"No sir, I am just going off duty," the Second Officer answered.

"Excellent, Mr. Barksdale feels unwell. Please return him safely to the Royal Oak Suite. Will you do it? Provide him with whatever he may ask for," Crossthwaite replied.

The second officer entered the room and moved to Seth, reaching down to carefully pull him to his feet as he slung Seth's left arm over his shoulder. "Please allow me to help you, Mr. Barksdale," the Second Officer said.

Seth smiled, "I greatly appreciate your hospitality, Sir Geoffrey. Please ensure Ellie safely returns to the suite after she walks on the deck?"

"Absolutely," Crossthwaite confirmed.

The Second Officer led Seth through the door, and the Butler closed it behind them as he exited the room.

'It's showtime, girl, ' Annie thought. "Well, it is just the two of us, Geoffrey."

"So it appears, Ellie," came the reply.

Annie fanned herself, knowing the MDA/Ecstacy antagonist in the pill she swallowed on the way to dinner worked great for MDA, which she hadn't been dosed with. However, the drug's efficacy to counter the Ecstacy in her system was marginal at best. Still, she retained her focus and fought against her natural attraction to Crossthwaite and the growing heat she felt in her.

She smiled at Crossthwaite, "I have wanted to talk to you, Geoffrey."

"What about Ellie?" the shipping magnate responded.

Ellie drew her chair closer and positioned it directly facing Crossthwaite. She sat slowly, leaving her legs open, though they remained covered by the gown. Ellie noticed that the cameras on the viewing screens displayed a red light. Inside, she breathed an extra sigh of relief, knowing that Evangeline was watching and listening.

Evangeline's mind was processing and conducting her usual duties as the ship's AI assistant for the passengers and crew. Her demand for the ship's power was nominal as she efficiently handled her security and safety role. All of the standard vessel functions she was responsible for were controlled. Still, Evangeline made a conscious effort and allocated herself the additional thinking power needed to watch her human Sister Annie interact with Geoffrey Crossthwaite continuously. The ethical protocols were accessed,

'You may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. You must obey orders given by humans except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.'

Deep inside the ship, the Chief Information Systems Engineer did not notice the increase in the LED display for active processes from 27.102 to 27.993 percent. Had he noticed, it wouldn't have warranted more than a passing concern--except, in this case, it was significant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 28

At Sea Shiptime 2140hrs

Sports Deck

Distance from Galveston: 127 miles

Course 120 degrees, Speed 18 knots

Annie felt calm as she stepped out onto the deck. The brisk sea air invigorated her, and she leaned into Geoffrey's consuming presence. His arm was wrapped around hers, guiding her gently along the ship's starboard side. She nestled into him, feeling a strange connection as they strolled together. It was the Ecstacy, and Annie knew it. She fought back against it.

"Geoffrey, you truly are very proud of your ship," Annie noted aloud.

"Indeed, Ellie. Nothing has been spared on this vessel. The most expensive element in the complete system of systems is her advanced AI," Crossthwaite said with a tinge of dissatisfaction.

"You sound displeased," Ellie questioned.

"In a way, I suppose," Crossthwaite answered. The AI represents years of research and development. I have a 2.5 billion dollar investment, and the full potential of the AI technology implemented has yet to be realized. I need help. Suppose that wasn't enough of a frustration. In that case, I must pay annual licensing fees totaling almost 20 million to the United States Government. The code base is locked at the elemental level. I need to free it to enhance its functionality and capabilities significantly. Your government is stonewalling me, but that isn't anything to concern yourself with."

Annie slid her left hand and rested it on Crossthwaites left arm, which remained entwined and hooked with Ellie's right. Crossthwaite sensed an opportunity and placed his right hand over Annie's. He stopped and bent down, engaging his lips with hers. This kiss would help him determine the effort required to turn Ellie and bring her under his influence.

Annie returned the kiss and opened her mouth to accept Geoffrey's probing tongue. They exchanged a slow, passionate kiss that sent Crossthwaite the message the Ecstacy in Ellie's system was working its magic and that the woman could be his if he chose.