The First Day: Southampton, England
It was not the most logical thing we ever did. It being flying to London and starting a trip back to New York the next day.
My wife of over thirty years and I were in a cab between the Southampton Station and the dock for Cunard's Queen Mary 2. A retirement gift from our children. They were grown and our grandchildren were growing. My wife and I had retired or semi-retired a few months before.
Once in a lifetime opportunity
they kept saying, and once my wife joined the chorus I was doomed.
Who are we? I'm Jim Brady. I grew up in Brooklyn. I had taught law at a law school in New York and went into semi-retirement when I turned sixty at the end of the spring semester. I plan on doing writing and consulting work, but for all intents and purposes, I can do what I want to do when I want to do it.
My wife is Diane Brady. She, too, taught, but it was mathematics at a small liberal arts college not far from our home in a suburb just north of New York City.
For some reason, our kids decided Diane and I needed to get away, For Christmas, they gave us a joint present of a trip on the ocean-liner. I didn't particularly want to do it, but Diane confessed she'd brought the subject up with one of our daughters and that the three kids ran with it. It was only after Christmas that Diane began to work on me, and I confess that I was increasingly interested as she showed me brochures and videos. By the time we'd book all the travel details, I may have been more excited about the getting away in luxury angle than she was.
From boarding the flight at JFK to the night in London and the train and cab to the dock, I was more and more excited.
As we approached the ship, I knew Diane was right about this adventure. We'd be on board for seven days. At times, we'd be too far from land to be rescued even by helicopter. At least we weren't worried about icebergs.
So. Seven days in the North Atlantic in October. It is one of the year's final crossings. Only a few take place when the North Atlantic turns ugly as winter nears. Neither of us has been on a cruise ship before, let alone an ocean liner. The QM2 is built for ocean crossings. Stronger and more stable, according to Cunard, than a ship that plies the Ft. Lauderdale-Caribbean beat.
The cab dropped us and our baggage at the dock, Soon we were on board. Like an old, black-and-white movie. Cunard built it that way, but photos and videos don't do it justice.
The cabin. It was on the fourth deck. It wasn't large but it had a large bed and decent-sized bathroom. Best of all, a small balcony. It has boards on either side so it is private. There is a railing with a covering so people don't slip into the ocean. My mind immediately thought of how to take advantage.
The Second (First Full) Day: Somewhere in the North Atlantic
The QM2's first "formal" evening was on Monday, our first full day at sea. We'd spent the day trying to familiarize ourselves with where things were and how things worked. We both had our
sea legs
, and enjoyed afternoon tea, it being a British boat--it is the RMS, or Royal Mail Ship, Queen Mary 2 after all.
Perhaps more than anything, though, we were looking forward to formal dining. The ship's formal evenings are pretty much what they sound like. Men are expected to dress in a tux and women a gown. That's for the main dining room.
It's all meant to give a, I don't know, Roaring 20s or Elegant 30s look. We sat at a table for eight, with two couples our ages and two a decade or so younger. And we danced and we drank and we had the times of our lives. In a sense, it's the point of the whole trip.
At night's end, we returned to our cabin. We don't go formal often so this was special. I opened the sliding door to our balcony. The brisk air gave us new life. I asked Diane to keep her gown on. It was a glimmering blue. She wore matching sapphire earrings and a gold necklace, all complementing her blue, drownable eyes. Her left hand had her engagement ring and wedding band. She displayed a simple sapphire-and-diamond cluster on her right ring finger. Her hair was short, but she'd styled it nicely. She slipped easily into becoming a dream. Soon she would be my dream.
I kept my tuxedo jacket on and swapped places with her in the bathroom. When I returned, she sidled up to me in that sapphire gown and matching eyes. She put her arms around my neck and pulled my mouth to hers. Like looking at her, kissing her never gets old or tired or boring. More than anything was the moment her tongue invaded my mouth as mine tried to keep up. There was moaning, though I'm not sure whose, completely out of line for a couple married for thirty-two or so years with three kids and four grandkids. No, not appropriate at all.
Of course, one can't account for being alone with a beautiful woman in a sapphire gown while wearing a tuxedo. There are dreams. There are fantasies. But sometimes real life is far, far superior.
I felt her ass and realized she'd removed her panties. She smiled when I pulled back with that realization.
"You like?"
"Me like."
Of course, a problem with a gown is that it's long. I so much wanted to slip my hands beneath its hem so my fingers could run across her exposed pussy, but I couldn't.
She smiled again. The cabin has a curved desk near the door to the balcony. Diane turned and reached for my hand, and I took hers. She led me to the desk and turned. She again wrapped her arms around my neck and I again put my hands on her ass. She pulled me down for another kiss, before pushing my face away.
"I hope this is strong enough."
She bent down and pulled the gown up until its front was above her waist and bounced back onto the desk. There was a moment's hesitancy, but it seemed strong enough.
"Wait a sec," I called to her as I ran to the bathroom for a towel. She hopped off the desk and hopped back on once the towel was in place.
"My ass thanks you."
It was gorgeous. Her pussy. Still in my tux jacket, I knelt before her and between her open legs. It never ceases to amaze me. As with looking at her sleep, looking at
her
is transcendent. I've spent many hours exploring her, always rewarded by her increasing arousal. I ran my tongue gently up her folds. While normally she'd have her hands on my head, she needed them now to maintain her balance on the sliver of the desk that we were taking advantage of.