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I could go change, but I didn’t want to take my mistrustful eyes off of Sir Abs-a-lot. Besides, I didn’t want to give Hayes a side-by-side comparison of the perfect male form and…well, me.
“So, you said you’re from New Jersey?” Hayes asked, and the man nodded. That gave me a little relief; he lived three states away from Hayes, and I lived in the same town. This other guy may have a better body, but I had proximity, dammit. That had to count for something. “What do you do there?”
“I’m a dancer,” Six-pack replied with a seductive smile. Of course he is. He leaned in closer to Hayes and added, “I’d love to show you some of my moves.” My teeth clenched. I’ll move my foot right up your ass. “In fact, there’s an LGBTQ+ mixer tonight in the Surfside Dance Club on the main deck. Would you like to check it out?”
Hayes replied, “That sounds like fun,” and my heart sank. But I couldn’t blame him; Hayes was young and beautiful, and deserved to have a good time. Hell, maybe he deserved someone like the sculpted piece of man meat beside him instead of an old eavesdropping bastard like me.
But what could man meat really offer Hayes? He lived so far away; could they have a relationship? Did he even want a relationship? Or did he want a vacation hookup?
Realization poured over me like a truck full of bricks. For so long, I’d operated on hookups as well. There was nothing wrong with it as long as both parties were in agreement and understanding. But when it came to Hayes, that had never even crossed my mind. I asked him on a date. I wanted to get to know him. I knew he was special. He hadn’t left my mind since I met him, and neither had the possibility of having a relationship with him.
And if he didn’t want me, that was okay; it’d hurt like hell, but I wanted him to be happy. But I was going to throw my hat into the ring. I wanted to make my interest clear and if he rejected me, at least I’d know that I tried, and I’d bow out gracefully.
“Great,” Six-pack smile. “Oh, Hayes, you’re getting a little pink.” The bastard had the nerve to reach over and touch Hayes’ chest. “And warm. I better put some sunscreen on you.” Do it and I’ll break every one of your fingers. I definitely had to work on the graceful part. I had zero claim to Hayes, but I couldn’t help the anger and jealousy that ripped through me.
“Oh, that’s okay,” Hayes shrugged. “I’m actually going to head inside; I’m meeting someone for dinner and I need to get ready.” When Six-pack gave a pouty face, all I wanted to do was rub his nose in my triumph. That’s right, fucker; he’s meeting me!
But then I quickly realized that Hayes would be getting up soon, and would surely see me sitting behind him being a creep. So, I jumped up (nearly tripping over the chair in the process) and hustled (as much as a chubby old guy can hustle) across the deck and inside the ship without being spotted.
I didn’t slow down until I was back in my cabin. I was winded and sweaty, and had to splash cool water on my face to settle down. Once I was certain I wasn’t going to have a heart attack, I unzipped my suitcase and searched for something nice to wear; I wanted to make an impression on Hayes.
I only packed one suit, and it was for the “elegant night” of the cruise, when everyone had the option of dressing up in their finest clothes. So, I decided to save it, and instead settled on a pair of pleated khaki shorts and a mint green button-up shirt.
I spritzed on some cologne and took a deep breath. Let’s do this.
Chapter Three
I paced back and forth in front of the main dining room, waiting for Hayes to arrive. Negative thoughts tried to creep into my mind, like wondering if he was going to show up, or if he’d found someone better.
But then I saw him walking down the hall towards me, and all was right with the world. For the first time I could remember, butterflies danced in my stomach, and my heart beat a little faster.
“You look so nice,” Hayes told me with a smile when he reached me.
“So do you.” He was dressed in a pair of slim cut jeans and a gray polo shirt. “Are you hungry?”
“I’m starving.”
We checked in with the hostess, who led us through the dining room to a table with two chairs. I stepped ahead and pulled Hayes’ seat out for him, receiving a smile as he sat down. I barely had time to seat myself before our waiter arrived and served us water and bread. He handed us each a menu and disappeared, zooming between many other tables.
