Cougar Cruise

Two women on a cruise. Sonya knows what she wants, and Tyra knows what she doesn’t want anymore. Both find more than they ever dreamed.

~~~~~ Excerpt ~~~~~

Before he’d gotten too close, she sat up and looked at him, clearly annoyed at being disturbed. “I assure you, fella, I’m not looking for any company right now,” she said with a frown.

Ray looked at his hands. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I think I can help.”

Clearly thinking he was an asshole looking for a score, she laughed brutally. “I rather doubt that.”

Ray met her eyes. They were ice blue. “Just hear me out. My companions decided at the last minute they couldn’t make it for this cruise. So, I’m stuck with a two-bedroom stateroom, all by myself. So, I’m happy to offer you one. No strings, no expectations, and no charge.”

The woman stared at Ray dubiously, not saying a word.

Shrugging, Ray held out his extra door card. “I’m going down to the jazz club for drinks and some music. Why don’t you check out the room, verify there’s nothing nefarious going on, and maybe I’ll see you later?”

Not taking her eyes off Ray’s, she took the door card. “I’m going to have ship’s security check this out with me.”

Ray smiled. “Smart lady.”

As he turned to walk away, she spoke. “Why didn’t your friends come?”

Reaching into his front pocket, Ray pulled out Missy’s goodbye letter and handed it to the beautiful woman. Then he turned and headed to the elevator with a giant exhale. It seemed to Ray that he’d been holding that breath since he’d read the note. It felt good to be rid of it.

An hour later, in the jazz club, the tall blonde slid into the curved booth with Ray. She looked at him expectantly. “This is an uncommonly … kind gesture, and I really appreciate it, but I have a question.”

The band was between sets, so they could talk easily. Ray raised his glass of beer to his lips and smiled. “Shoot.”

The woman looked him in the eye again. Ray liked her direct manner. “Why didn’t you just get a refund and not come at all?”

Ray set his glass down. “I’m an infrastructure coordinator for the port authority. The P.A. gives us these attaboy-points for outstanding performance that we can trade in for cool stuff. I traded in about six years worth for this trip. If I’d canceled the trip, I’d only get about two hundred bucks back. Alone or not, I figured it was pointless to not go.”

The woman thought about it before finally smiling. “I’m Tyra.”

Ray smiled back and introduced himself. The band came back on and played another forty-five-minute set, and the two of them sat and enjoyed it with another round of drinks. Ray couldn’t help looking over at her. Her height, light hair, and blue eyes spoke of Norwegian ancestry. She had broad shoulders for a woman, but they were offset by uncommonly beautiful facial features. Ray imagined her as the queen of some ancient Viking chieftain, capable of fighting alongside him in battle and fucking his brains out after the carnage.

She favored light makeup with shades of pink, and it suited her. Her wavy blonde hair was worn long and loose. Ray’s best guess put her somewhere around forty years old.

Later, as Ray and Tyra walked back to their room, she once again revisited the subject of their cohabitation. “Listen, I want to have a clear agreement between us. I stay in the other bedroom. No funny business, no perving, no ungentlemanly behavior.” Tyra said with a smile.

“Well, that covers me, but how do I know you won’t try to sneak into my room in the middle of the night?”

Tyra laughed.