Fade to Gray

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

Oh, Richard, the children!

I came back from dinner (on the Lido deck this time), and there was a dinner on the bed, with wine, and cookies. I hadn’t ordered any dinner, and it was sixteen dollars for the small carafe of wine. I immediately called room service to correct the issue.

The woman on the phone had no clue. “Perhaps your wife ordered, yes?”

Sigh. Not three minutes later, the cutest, most adorable, young, Asian, mahu-of-my-heart (or loins, whatever) shows up, takes responsibility, offers me the cookies, bows and scrapes, and all but licks my shoes.

Oh…Richard. Dear Richard. I guess my heart still beats after all. But then he took it, and himself, away, and I did not even get his name. Fat lot of good it would do me, right?

Heh heh, I said do me.

Yes, Richard, I see your eyebrow rising slowly into your hairline (and what a long way it has to go). I’m still that immature. Maybe tomorrow I should order room service?

* * * *

This old couple sat down next to me. She was wiping her eyes, and he was giggling.

She said as haughtily as she could manage, “For your information, dear, that did not work for me anyhow.” He snorted, and she tried to continue. “It served you right, walking in on me in the tub like that. It wasn’t what it looked like.”

He squeaked out, “Well, you were sitting sideways in the tub with your legs hanging over the side. I know there are water jets on both sides there, one aimed right at…hee hee snort…right at…”

“Don’t you dare say it! What will people think!” she hissed, looking around furtively.

I was, by this time, completely behind the huge potted palm, my hand over my mouth, not my ears. I wasn’t going to miss this. Already, the visual had me in stitches.

“It was not what you thought!”

“I never even thought that until you said it. This is not what it looks like! you said, just like the cartoon of the cat and the dog embracing and looking very guilty. I didn’t even know what you meant at first!” He guffawed loud and long. People looked. She reddened. His face was already red.

She tossed her head. “It didn’t do anything anyway, for your information!”

“You already said that!”

“It didn’t help my back either!”

“It didn’t help that you were stuck, and my back almost went out trying to get you out. Then along comes our steward, asking if I needed any help! I rather thought you might need his help!”

I snorted, but they didn’t hear me.

She said, “Well, he might have been even more help if you hadn’t been there.” I could hear either humor or venom in her voice. There was certainly a sparkle to it. “He is quite good-looking and so very young!”

“That’s enough now!” the husband growled, but still his voice was giving out in chuckles.

“Well, maybe not quite enough!”

And they were both off their heads, laughing again. I had to sit there until they calmed down, so that when they left, I could look like I hadn’t heard a thing. And this was just in the middle of the afternoon. Can’t wait to see what happens tonight.

Oh, I almost forgot. Savin (is he named after the long defunct amusement park in Connecticut?) appeared in the library, looking through every one of the trade-in paperbacks. I saw him take three; he must enjoy reading. I wished so badly to recommend your four novels and all the short stories and coming-of-ages and especially your A Gay Old Pirate’s Tale except, of course, it’s not age-appropriate unless he’s eighteen or older. Hmm, I wonder if there’s a way to find out without looking like the lecherous old man I might have become. Er, might be. If I stick around.

I still think you spelled Tale wrong.

Another nine minutes wasted on Internet to download email. All I got were the Safeway ads and some other junk; nothing from our “so called” friends. I miss you, and I’m lonely.