"Meeting someone?" Fernando asked as he handed Todd his drink at the pool bar.
It was a bright sunny day, with calm seas and just enough heat to keep people in the pool and Fernando pouring ice cold drinks at the bar.
"When ain't I meeting someone?" Todd laughed. He had known Fernando for years, and considered him a friend.
"Anyone interesting?" Fernando asked, a small smile coming to his face.
"She definitely held my interest last night," Todd smiled as he took a sip of his beer, then looked at his watch.
Fernando smiled back, and winked at Todd before moving on to the next customer.
Sara's fingers toyed with the bottom of the sky blue cover up she was wearing over her black one-piece swimsuit as the elevator made it's way to the pool deck. It was the same elevator she had been in with Phil the night before. She found her nerves fraying quickly. She and Matt had just gotten into a fight. Not because he accused of her of liking what Phil was doing (he hadn't). And not because Sara accused Matt of liking seeing what Phil had done to her, as evidenced by the erection he had during it. She had thought it best to pretend like she hadn't noticed.
Instead, their argument stemmed from Matt wanting to report Phil to the ship's security. Sara believed Phil when he said that doing so would only cause her and Matt more trouble. And she didn't want to test him. Matt thought Phil was full of shit and was ready to report him and hopefully have him and Todd arrested at the next port. Sara had tried desperately to get Matt to promise that he would leave it alone. She didn't want to chance making things worse for herself or for him. But he would make no such promise and left their cabin in a huff while she was still changing into her bathing suit.
As their fight played over in her head on repeat, Sara made her way from the elevator to the pool bar. She recognized Todd by the back of his head, his messy salt and pepper hair giving him away. He was wearing a similar Hawaiian shirt to the one he had been the night before. This one red with different types of old cars on it instead of the blue one with parrots he had been wearing the last time she saw him.
Sara felt her heart pounding in her chest as she took the seat Todd had been saving for her. She couldn't find her voice enough to say anything, even if she had been able to she didn't know what she would say.
"Right on time," Todd said. "I like that. Did you have fun this morning?"
Sara looked at him and shook her head, no. Even if she had, she wasn't ready to admit it.
"That ain't what Phil told me," Todd chuckled. "But if you don't want to admit it yet, that's fine. I'll tell you one thing for sure, I had fun last night."
Sara didn't say anything, she just looked down at the bar in front of her. She didn't quite understand why Phil wanted her to meet Todd somewhere so public. And she really didn't understand why she felt so compelled to listen to either of them.
"Phil's a good guy, really," Todd said. "If you stay on his good side."
"What do you guys want from me?" Sara asked, a sudden burst of anger shooting through her veins at hearing Phil being called a good guy.
"Well, I thought that'd be clear by now, honey," Todd said, as he looked at Sara with a crooked smile that made her stomach turn. "You seem like a smart one."
"But you got that already," Sara said. "Can't you just leave me, leave us alone now?"
"Oh honey, you don't know us," Todd said as he shook his head. "No, we only got a piece of what we wanted. We're just starting."
"What else is left?" Sara asked as tears began to roll out from under her sunglasses and down her cheeks.
Todd looked at Sara for a moment without saying anything. He saw her tears rolling down her cheeks, and he smiled at her before leaning over and whispering in her ear.
"Honey, I haven't felt a cunt as wet as yours in years. And Phil told me the same thing about you this morning. You ain't foolin' me with those tears. If you don't want to admit you like this, then that's fine. Maybe it makes you feel like you ain't cheating on your husband. Whatever it takes to help you sleep at night."
Before Sara could respond, Fernando came over and handed a folded paper napkin to Todd, who quickly unfolded the napkin. Sara could see that Fernando had written something on it but she could not read what it said.
"Come with me," Todd said, as he stood from his stool after reading the note.
"Where? Why?" Sara asked, confused.
"Come, with me honey," Todd said as he calmly took Sara's hand in his.
Before Sara could think of another question to ask she found herself being led back towards the elevators. Sara looked around her as Todd held her hand firmly. People laying on pool chairs, taking naps, reading books, talking. People all around her. It would be so simple for her to yell for help. She could put a stop to all of this with one loudly spoken word, Why wasn't the word coming out? Certainly her and Todd didn't look like a couple. Maybe someone would notice her distress without her having to say anything. She looked around frantically. Everyone was in their own worlds. Even with all of the people around, she was alone.
"Where are we going?" she finally asked Todd loudly enough, she hoped, that someone would hear.
"Back to the room, honey," Todd said, calmly, as they entered the elevator bank and he pressed one of the buttons. "We have some business we need to take care of."
As the elevator doors opened, Sara promised herself if anybody else was in the elevator she was going to say something, She would beg them for help. Much to her dismay the elevator was empty. Todd pulled her in quickly and pressed for Deck 11. They were on Deck 16, she had five decks for someone to get on. Certainly it would stop between. Todd held her hand tightly in his as the elevator doors closed.
"Didn't Phil warn you guys about going to security?" Todd asked.
Sara's heart sunk. Matt had gone to security.
"I told him not to," Sara said, as she could feel panic build in her chest. "Please..don't."
"We'll talk about it in the room," Todd said, calmly as the elevator stopped on Deck 14 and the doors opened.
A man about Sara's age stepped on the elevator. He was reading something on his phone and barely even looked up long enough to push the button for the deck he needed.