The bar beneath a grand atrium

“Yes please! Jeffrey told me to wait here for you and that was two hours ago!” I say, venting out a bit of frustration and evidence of mild cabin fever.

Alexander gives me a face of sympathy before he stands up from his seat. He goes over to me and offers his hand, which I take. I feel him pull and singlehandedly get me to my own feet with little effort. “That won’t do, keeping you cooped up in here,” he says. He offers his arm for me to hold onto as we exit the suite and head for the elevator. When we receive a lift to head to the lower decks, he comments, “You know, Victor and I actually saw you out on the balcony. You looked stunning in that dress. Had I known you were a damsel in distress, I would’ve come sooner.”

I giggle at his word choice and the joke he weaved. “While your entrance came with some tension from your little brother, I was just glad for company,” I comment. Alexander presses a button and the lift lowers.

We arrive at the main deck where most people are congregated. At this point, we can see the initial crowds make navigation through the corridors and exterior walkways a feat in and of itself but taking Alexander’s lead, he is able to get us through the throngs of people. And he is dressed nicely so that we match the vibe. In the suite, he had taken off his blue dress jacket and now wears a white dress shirt and blue slacks. Holding onto his arm, I can already tell he’s strong enough to break me in two, but he is incredibly gentle while also being impressively cordial with anyone who gets in our way.

Before long, we get to a bank of elevators that are grander than the others we’ve seen. They are plated in gold, or appear to have the same luster and shine, and once inside the lifts, there is a window that overlooks a grand atrium. The skylight above this atrium rises several decks from the floor below, which is also filled with passengers. Like the deck above, we have to navigate through the crowds but thankfully don’t have to worry about any luggage to trip over. There is a Latin band offering a tropical vibe with their music, which has caused a number of couples to get out of their seats and dance with the tunes.

“Are you old enough to drink?” Alexander asks.

I nod, “Yes. Surprise me.” He leaves to order from the bar, seeing that all the stools are occupied by bar patrons. I look around and see that we may have to stand and drink, as most chairs are filled with people watching the festivities play out. After an amount of time, Alexander returns with a Pina Colada for me and what appears to be an Old-fashioned for him. I take his hand, allowing him to lead me to where we can find a seat. We find a lounge area that is some distance from the music, but we’d like a place where we can relax and have a chat and not have to shout over the volume.

This area seems to be mostly families with children, as there are little boys and girls running through the open space. Someone gets up from a chair, and Alexander quickens his pace to take a seat in it. He gestures for me to take a seat on his lap. Initially, I’m worried that I’d fall back, but Alexander’s hand on my hip keeps me stable. I even wrap my arm around his broad shoulders for added stability. We take sips out of our respective drinks and simply relax ourselves from our journey from the suite to here. After some moments, Alexander begins the conversation.

“So, Charlene, what did you intend to get from this cruise while on X-Change,” he asks. Observing that the space has some music that can drown out conversations, I also notice that the same music can hide a conversation as controversial as the one we are having. So, I can speak freely without anyone nearby overhearing. Plus, our conversation is easy as our mouths and ears are near each other in this intimate position on the chair.

“Well, I intend to publicly wear all the outfits and swimsuits I brought on the trip for the most part,” I say. “I also wanted to gain confidence in public, since I’ve only been Charlene in my apartment mostly.”

Alexander takes a sip from his drink before continuing the conversation. “Did you plan to mingle with anyone on board?” he asks.

“I was going to let those interactions be natural, as I expose myself more and get more confident,” I answer.

Alexander has a face that says that my answer didn’t quite give him the full picture. He clarifies, “How about with the opposite sex?”

I take my mind thinking of my answer. I take a sip of my drink while I scan the crowds. I feel the subtle rise of Alexander’s fingers up my side, his skin making contact with my exposed abdomen. “I didn’t really plan that far. I would say I wanted such interactions to be natural, but with this offer you orchestrated,” I start and pause to look at Alexander, “I don’t think I would need to worry.”

I feel his hand slid down so that it’s clearly grasping my ass cheek in full. “I’m glad you came to that conclusion, Charlene. Then, I can assume you are not opposed to me being as old as your father?”

My first impression of Alexander was not his apparent age compared to my own. I was impressed that despite his age, he had a body stronger than my male one. Thinking about the obvious age gap and how intimately we are positioned together on this chair, I inadvertently bite my lip. “I’m not opposed to it,” I simply say.

He smiles at my answer. “Well, since we’ve come down this tangent,” he starts and he leans in close to tickle my ear with his husky voice. “Let me ask this. Did you plan to have sex with any of the male passengers on this ship?” His hand raises to fully be in contact with the skin of my side, as he has pulled me close to suggest things in my ear. “Because, knowing you haven’t been in public like this, Charlene, I can assume you are a virgin. And don’t think I didn’t see you bite your lip there. I have a feeling you’d want to experience sex in full.”

Alexander leans back to take a sip of his drink. His words have left me reeling, though I’m confused whether he wanted an answer from me or not. Or maybe my body language was all he needed from me. I take full sips from my drink, feeling that his words alone have made me hot, both on my face and in places elsewhere. I feel Alexander’s hand lower to simply take a stable position on my waist. Idly, my hand also wanders to caress his back. We finish our drinks in silence, letting the vibe from the music pass the time.

We make our way back to the suite, but when we arrive, we find it eerily quiet. I spot another set of luggage and deduce that the other X-Change user had arrived when we were gone. Curious, I sneak to look into the downstairs bedroom and through the crack I see… Victor and a woman in the middle of some naughty action.