Hey everyone! It's finally time for our fabulous Wednesday Briefs crew to get together for a chat on Beth Wylde's yahoo group. We'll be talking about many different topics, answering questions, and doing some giveaways!
The first posts will probably be up by 6am in LA, 8am in Chicago, 9am in New York, 2pm in London, and 11pm in Sydney.
And now for the Cruise Flash! The concept: writers are given certain guidelines to follow for their short stories (5-15K words). We've been given some of the background characters on the ship, the itinerary, the layout, etc., and we've all built up amazingly diverse stories around that information. My story is as yet untitled, so we'll stick with that for now. Enjoy, and please stop by the chat if you can!
The first posts will probably be up by 6am in LA, 8am in Chicago, 9am in New York, 2pm in London, and 11pm in Sydney.
And now for the Cruise Flash! The concept: writers are given certain guidelines to follow for their short stories (5-15K words). We've been given some of the background characters on the ship, the itinerary, the layout, etc., and we've all built up amazingly diverse stories around that information. My story is as yet untitled, so we'll stick with that for now. Enjoy, and please stop by the chat if you can!
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LIFE SAVER
CHAPTER ONE
The alarm blared, and I realized no matter how many times I smacked the snooze button, it would keep on blaring every five minutes until I hauled my ass out of bed. I rubbed my hands over my face and opened my eyes. When I saw I’d overslept by thirty minutes, I bolted to my feet.
"Oh fuck!" I yelled.
"Hm?" mumbled the blanket-covered lump on the bed.
The sound startled me. Truthfully, I'd forgotten that Alex had come home with me the night before. No wonder I was tired. The boy was unbelievably flexible, and he had the stamina of the Energizer bunny. Add in the bubble butt and cute face, and you had one hell of a temptation, especially after such a lengthy dry spell as I'd suffered through. Alex's reputation as the village bicycle, however, rendered him non-boyfriend material—okay for an occasional fuck, but nothing serious. He was irritated that I made him use a condom for oral sex, but no way was I taking such a stupid risk as that.
I shook his shoulder. "Hey, Alex? Time to get up, bud. I have to go."
"Hm?" he repeated. Slowly, he uncovered his head and blinked at me. "What time is it?"
"Five. I'll be late for work, so you really have to go. I'll pay for a cab if you want."
"Five?" he asked indignantly. "What type of job requires someone functioning at five in the morning?"
"The kind I'm gonna lose if I'm late again. So I'm sorry, you gotta leave."
"All right, I'm up." He fell back down onto the bed and groaned. "I swear, I'm up."
"I'm taking a shower, can you call a cab?" He waved me away and I ran into the bathroom. A check in the mirror made me wince. Would my boss be able to tell that I'd been up all night, fucking Alex every which way to Sunday?
Probably. Shit.
After the world's quickest shower and shave, I threw on my uniform. The apartment door closed and I thanked God that Alex had left with no drama. With five minutes to spare, I grabbed my bags—which I had packed the night before—and hurried out the door.
"Oh fuck!" I yelled.
"Hm?" mumbled the blanket-covered lump on the bed.
The sound startled me. Truthfully, I'd forgotten that Alex had come home with me the night before. No wonder I was tired. The boy was unbelievably flexible, and he had the stamina of the Energizer bunny. Add in the bubble butt and cute face, and you had one hell of a temptation, especially after such a lengthy dry spell as I'd suffered through. Alex's reputation as the village bicycle, however, rendered him non-boyfriend material—okay for an occasional fuck, but nothing serious. He was irritated that I made him use a condom for oral sex, but no way was I taking such a stupid risk as that.
I shook his shoulder. "Hey, Alex? Time to get up, bud. I have to go."
"Hm?" he repeated. Slowly, he uncovered his head and blinked at me. "What time is it?"
"Five. I'll be late for work, so you really have to go. I'll pay for a cab if you want."
"Five?" he asked indignantly. "What type of job requires someone functioning at five in the morning?"
"The kind I'm gonna lose if I'm late again. So I'm sorry, you gotta leave."
"All right, I'm up." He fell back down onto the bed and groaned. "I swear, I'm up."
"I'm taking a shower, can you call a cab?" He waved me away and I ran into the bathroom. A check in the mirror made me wince. Would my boss be able to tell that I'd been up all night, fucking Alex every which way to Sunday?
Probably. Shit.
After the world's quickest shower and shave, I threw on my uniform. The apartment door closed and I thanked God that Alex had left with no drama. With five minutes to spare, I grabbed my bags—which I had packed the night before—and hurried out the door.
********************
The chief steward, Nathan, stood with a clipboard, ticking names off the roster as the crew boarded. I pulled my hat down and tried to hide my yawn as I passed.
"Mr. Yates," he said haughtily. "Are we keeping you up?"
What should have been "No, sir," sounded like "'O 'ir." I yawned again and hitched my enormous duffle bag higher on my shoulder.
My boss rolled his eyes and checked my name off. He handed me a stack of papers. "You're in C-12. Stow your shit and get some frigging coffee. We have six hours 'til show time, so I need you on your A game. Got it?"
"'Es, 'ir."
Down at the far end of the crew quarters, I opened the door and heard a muffled oath from inside the cabin. "Shut the damn door!" someone snapped.
Thinking nothing of the feminine tone of the voice, I pushed in and tossed my bag onto the lower bunk.
"That bed's taken."
I whirled around to see a very petite woman, struggling to get a Caraway Cruise Line polo shirt down over her head. I turned back around, facing the wall and inquired, "Um… who are you?"
"Stacey," she huffed. "Okay, you can turn around now."
Facing her, I explained, "I'm Isaac. Sorry, but you're in the wrong cabin."
"C-12, right?" She shuffled her papers and pointed at the cabin assignment. It indicated C-12.
"But… I'm C-12, too."
We stared at each other in disbelief before I caught sight of Nathan passing. "Hey Nate!" I called. He stuck his head in the door and raised an eyebrow. I corrected myself. "Nathan."
He moved into the room and barked, "You need something, Yates?"
"He certainly does," Stacey said. "Another cabin."
"Why?" Nathan asked.
I pointed at Stacey. "'Cause she's a she—I mean a girl… woman."
"Oh crap. Didn't you know?" His mouth turned down even further than usual. "We're a little full up right now, because the powers that be decided to bring some trainees on board. Every crew cabin is filled for the trip out, and you two seemed like… a good match."
"Why?" Stacey and I both asked slowly.
For the first time since I'd known him, Nathan blushed and appeared unsure of himself. "Well, you're both of a similar nature."
I didn't get it. My new roommate did, though. "You mean we're both gay."
"Yeah," Nathan admitted. "You're both homosexual, so the director hoped you'd be agreeable. You should have received a letter explaining."
"We didn't," I replied.
Nathan sighed. "Look, if you can just work with me on this, I'll owe you one. These trainees are already grinding my gears and we haven't even left port. Okay?"
Stacey eyed me with her hands on her hips. "Fine with me, I guess. You?"
I shrugged and nodded. "Should make for an interesting trip."
"Mr. Yates," he said haughtily. "Are we keeping you up?"
What should have been "No, sir," sounded like "'O 'ir." I yawned again and hitched my enormous duffle bag higher on my shoulder.
My boss rolled his eyes and checked my name off. He handed me a stack of papers. "You're in C-12. Stow your shit and get some frigging coffee. We have six hours 'til show time, so I need you on your A game. Got it?"
"'Es, 'ir."
Down at the far end of the crew quarters, I opened the door and heard a muffled oath from inside the cabin. "Shut the damn door!" someone snapped.
Thinking nothing of the feminine tone of the voice, I pushed in and tossed my bag onto the lower bunk.
"That bed's taken."
I whirled around to see a very petite woman, struggling to get a Caraway Cruise Line polo shirt down over her head. I turned back around, facing the wall and inquired, "Um… who are you?"
"Stacey," she huffed. "Okay, you can turn around now."
Facing her, I explained, "I'm Isaac. Sorry, but you're in the wrong cabin."
"C-12, right?" She shuffled her papers and pointed at the cabin assignment. It indicated C-12.
"But… I'm C-12, too."
We stared at each other in disbelief before I caught sight of Nathan passing. "Hey Nate!" I called. He stuck his head in the door and raised an eyebrow. I corrected myself. "Nathan."
He moved into the room and barked, "You need something, Yates?"
"He certainly does," Stacey said. "Another cabin."
"Why?" Nathan asked.
I pointed at Stacey. "'Cause she's a she—I mean a girl… woman."
"Oh crap. Didn't you know?" His mouth turned down even further than usual. "We're a little full up right now, because the powers that be decided to bring some trainees on board. Every crew cabin is filled for the trip out, and you two seemed like… a good match."
"Why?" Stacey and I both asked slowly.
For the first time since I'd known him, Nathan blushed and appeared unsure of himself. "Well, you're both of a similar nature."
I didn't get it. My new roommate did, though. "You mean we're both gay."
"Yeah," Nathan admitted. "You're both homosexual, so the director hoped you'd be agreeable. You should have received a letter explaining."
"We didn't," I replied.
Nathan sighed. "Look, if you can just work with me on this, I'll owe you one. These trainees are already grinding my gears and we haven't even left port. Okay?"
Stacey eyed me with her hands on her hips. "Fine with me, I guess. You?"
I shrugged and nodded. "Should make for an interesting trip."
********************
"That is some bullshit right there," my friend Leo said. I was sitting down to lunch with him and a few other guys that I'd worked with before. Leo was a six-year veteran of the "Frisco-Lulu" run and had been my roommate for the past three years. He shook his head. "What on earth are they thinking? You're both of the same 'nature'? Don't they know that ninety percent of the men on this ship are gay? Why couldn't she have roomed with one of the newbies?"
"She could room with me," offered Martin, a doe-eyed blond. He grimaced and explained, "They stuck me with Andy again."
"Aren't you good friends with Andy?" Leo asked.
"Well, sure," Martin replied.
I set my fork down. "Then what's the problem?"
"His cologne and mine just don't mix." We all groaned, but he ignored us. "It might be fun to room with a girl."
Leo chuckled. "Wouldn't work, Martin. She wouldn't have enough space for her makeup, cause all of yours takes up the whole damn cabin."
Martin narrowed his eyes, and then produced scented lip gloss from his pocket. "I will have you know that this shit is what gets me the best tips."
I grabbed the tube from him and read the label. "Raspberry mint. Damn, Martin, you are so gay, I bet you shit glitter."
The table cracked up and I said my goodbyes to head up to the office.
"She could room with me," offered Martin, a doe-eyed blond. He grimaced and explained, "They stuck me with Andy again."
"Aren't you good friends with Andy?" Leo asked.
"Well, sure," Martin replied.
I set my fork down. "Then what's the problem?"
"His cologne and mine just don't mix." We all groaned, but he ignored us. "It might be fun to room with a girl."
Leo chuckled. "Wouldn't work, Martin. She wouldn't have enough space for her makeup, cause all of yours takes up the whole damn cabin."
Martin narrowed his eyes, and then produced scented lip gloss from his pocket. "I will have you know that this shit is what gets me the best tips."
I grabbed the tube from him and read the label. "Raspberry mint. Damn, Martin, you are so gay, I bet you shit glitter."
The table cracked up and I said my goodbyes to head up to the office.
To be continued...
Thanks for reading! Don't forget to stop by the chat today! Click here for the link. Thanks for reading.
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