First Class Voyage (First Class Novels – A Contemporary Romance Series) (8 page)

She shook her head.

“Do you want to watch TV?” he asked her.

She shook her head again.

“Do you want Daddy to hold you some more?”

Ella nodded and snuggled in a little closer.

Matt smiled and pulled her tight against his chest and
kissed the top of her head.

“She’ll hopefully go to sleep,” Janie smiled.

Christopher began fussing and Janie lifted her shirt.

“He’s gone almost four hours. He must be starving,” she said
as the baby latched on and immediately settled down.

Matt looked at his wife. He loved watching her nurse his
babies. It was so natural yet there was something else too. It brought out his
carnal side. He would walk through fire to protect his family. There wasn’t a
thing he wouldn’t do for them. He thought that if it was remotely possible, he
loved her a little bit more.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you.”

Ella had fallen asleep just as Janie had predicted.
Christopher was content filling his tummy. Matt put his arm around his wife and
pulled her closer.

“Perfect.”

DAY 7 – AT SEA

To Janie’s surprise, the ship had a half-court basketball
court on its top deck, the Sky deck. That is where her sons, along with some of
the other Lathem men, had been participating in the three-on-three tournament
held on the ‘at sea’ days. Janie had been asked by her sons if she would like
to watch them play in the afternoon and of course she agreed. Matt too. But the
morning was to be spent by the pool. Ella wanted to go swimming.

Janie closed her eyes as she lay on the chaise by the pool.
She could hear Ella laughing as Matt played with her in the cool water. She heard
the splashes and the giggles, both by her daughter and her husband. The warm
sun felt wonderful on her skin and she almost removed her swimsuit cover up but
decided not to. As Katy and Mark arrived at the pool, she was glad of her
decision. She wouldn’t be caught dead in a swim suit next to Katy, not with
those fifteen extra pounds sagging from her body. No way!

Katy took the chaise next to Janie and slipped off her
sandals and her dress to reveal her perfectly bronzed body in a tiny gold
bikini. She looked amazing. Her legs were long and not an inch of cellulite to
be seen. Her stomach was flat and her perfect little belly button held a gold
hoop accentuating her perfection. Her arms were toned and strong and her round
breasts sat in their original position looking positively perky. Janie
unconsciously pulled her cover up lower down her legs.

Mark sat behind Katy and rubbed the suntan lotion over her
back and then he went and sat on the edge of the pool and talked to Matt. Ella
splashed him with water and Mark splashed back.

“It is a perfect day, isn’t it?” Katy smiled over at Janie.

“It’s beautiful. I could get used to this.”

“You’ll never get a tan dressed like that,” Katy frowned.

“You know I don’t tan. I fry. I turn into a lobster and red
is not my best color.”

“The sun is good for you. Vitamin D,” Katy said.

“Well I can’t lie next to you in a swimsuit. You are simply
gorgeous.”

Katy sighed and turned to Janie. “This…again?”

“We are the same age and our bodies are completely
opposite.”

“Janie,” Katy pleaded. “
You
are gorgeous. You always
have been and you have
always
been blind to it. Your body is nothing for
you to be ashamed of. Any woman, me included, would kill for your boobs,” she
laughed.

“It’s not these that drive me crazy,” Janie said as she pointed
to her breasts. “It’s this!” she said as she put her hands on her tummy.

“YOU JUST HAD A BABY!”

“That’s what I keep telling her. Maybe she’ll listen to
you,” Matt said as he picked up his towel and sat on the chair on the other
side of Janie.

“Take off you cover up Janie,” Katy demanded.

Janie turned to look at Matt.

“Please don’t gang up on me…I’ve looked at myself in the
mirror. I can see what I look like and I just need to work harder I guess.”

“You’re nuts!” Matt said.

Janie could hear the slight irritation in his voice.

“Yes,” he continued. “There is a tiny bit of jiggle still
there but it was there after Ella too and after just a few weeks it was gone!
And in just a few more weeks this will be gone too. But let me make sure you
understand one very important thing. YOU. ARE. FABULOUSLY. BEAUTIFUL. AND.
SEXY. AND. MINE!” he growled, grinning.

“Bravo!” cheered Katy. “Well said!”

“Now, take it off,” he nodded.

Janie looked at her husband, her eyes pleading with him. He
ignored them.

“Please?” he whispered. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Oh, fine!” Janie grumbled. She sat up and undid the tie at
her waist and removed the garment from her body.

“There! Happy?” Janie wore a black one-piece halter suit
that dipped down her cleavage and really was quite sexy.

“Very.” Matt grinned and leaned over to kiss her.

Janie couldn’t help but smile at him.

“You look positively perfect,” agreed Katy.

The two women laid together on their chairs absorbing the
Vitamin D.

*****

Paul and Tim sat at the pool after a boring game of
miniature golf.

“It’s not like I get to play very often,” Paul said.

Tim snorted, “You just don’t like getting beaten. Well,
slaughtered actually,” he laughed.

Paul shook his head and ordered a coke from the waiter.

“How long do we have to sit out here?” he asked.

“I said I’d be here this morning, so hopefully she’ll come,”
Tim shrugged.

“And I have to sit here with you?”

“Well, yeah. I don’t want it to look like I’m
waiting
for her.”

Paul laughed. “But you
are
waiting for her.”

Tim didn’t respond, just sat and waited for a girl he had
met on the ship to appear at the pool.

After several minutes two women were headed their way, one
talking animatedly and the other just walking, not much of an expression on her
face.

“April!” Tim beamed, and stood.

The ‘loud’ one, Paul’s immediate impression of her, smiled
brightly and walked directly over to Tim. Paul closed his eyes and wondered
what his brother was thinking. He wasn’t overly impressed.

The other woman just stood there, looking quite lost and
uncomfortable. Paul knew how she felt. He stood and took the few steps toward
her and held out his hand.

“Hi,” he smiled. “I’m Paul, Tim’s brother.”

She took his hand and shook it quickly and replaced her hand
at her side.

“Nicole,” she said. “But everyone calls me Nic.”

Paul escorted her to the chair next to April who was in deep
conversation with Tim and not paying any attention to her friend. They sat down
and Paul asked Nic if she wanted something to drink. She shook her head and
looked all around the deck. Paul assumed she was looking everywhere but at him.
He understood how she felt. This was awkward.

“Sorry,” he said.

Nic swung her head to look at Paul.

“For what?” she asked.

“It looks like we are to be the wingmen,” he smirked. “Or,
in your case, the wing-woman.”

Nic managed a weak smile. “Guess so.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Paul watched her
face. She wasn’t giving anything away in her expression.

“So, where are you from?”

“Virginia,” she replied.

A few more minutes passed.

“And what do you do in Virginia?” he asked.

“I am a kindergarten teacher. Well, I was.”

“Was?”

“Budget cuts,” she frowned.

“Ah, sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“So what are your plans now?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Nic shrugged. “I will apply for any positions at the end of the
school year and see if I get lucky. Right now I work part-time as a waitress.”

Ouch
, thought Paul. An educated teacher working
part-time as a waitress had to be distressing.

“Where are you from?” she asked.

“New York originally.”

“And now?”

“Well, I guess still New York,” he smiled. “Although I
really don’t have a home base anymore.”

Nic raised her eyebrows, obviously confused at his
statement.

“I’m in the Navy,” Paul explained.

“Oh,” she said, disdain dripping from her tongue.

Her response surprised Paul.

“You don’t like the military?” he asked, ready to argue his
decision to join the Navy.

“Oh, I do. But I live in Virginia, close to a very large
Navy station. I’m not impressed with
Navy men
. And believe me I have had
enough experience with enough of you to say that with confidence.”

Wow!
he thought.

“With all of us?”

“Let’s just say that my personal experience with the Navy
has been less than positive. The Navy men I have known over the years have not
given the rest of you a real good reputation, and have taught me some valuable
lessons.”

Well okay then
, he thought. 

“Please don’t judge all of us harshly,” he smiled. “We
aren’t
all
bad.”

Nic didn’t respond to his comment, just looked around the
deck as more and more passengers were out enjoying the beautiful day and the
pool.

“So have you been enjoying the cruise?” Paul finally asked.

Nic turned back to him and sighed. “Look, I understand this
is an awkward situation for you. It is for me too. You don’t have to try to
make small talk. I think I’ll make it easier on both of us and just go back to
our cabin.”

Nic stood and Paul immediately stood and took a step toward
her.

“Hey, I know this is weird, a bit awkward, but you don’t
have to go. Let’s get some lunch. We don’t have to talk, just eat. It is lunchtime
and you’re hungry right?”

Paul smiled, hopeful she would accept his offer. He studied
her as she considered his offer. Nic was an attractive woman. She was
very
attractive. But she didn’t smile much, giving her an appearance that might have
been construed as stern, but he didn’t believe that. She did appear to be a
serious person. And in her defense, the recent events of her life may cause
one’s optimism to dim. Her hair was dark brown; an auburn color. Her eyes were
brown and big and when she had smiled, they had a brilliant sparkle to them.
Her long eyelashes framed them perfectly. Her nose was an average size and
shape and her lips were pink and plump. Her two front teeth were just slightly
crooked and she had a sweet smile, when she smiled. He liked her face. And he
didn’t want her to think that
all
Navy men were jerks.

“Please?” he asked again.

Nic’s expression softened. “Okay,” she smiled. “Lunch sounds
fine.”

*****

At two o’clock, the three-on-three basketball tournament
continued. The Lathem boys had fielded two teams; Tyler, Adam and Tim, and
Derek, Mark and Ben. There were a total of eight teams competing and so their
odds were good for one of them winning. And with Mark playing, a UConn champ,
those odds were improved a little more.

Most of the family arrived in support of their men. Maureen
and Peter were playing bingo and Patty stayed with the children during nap time
and Paul arrived after his lunch with Nic.

“Who was that?” asked Matt.

“Um, she is the friend of the woman Tim was attempting a
hook up with. We both kind of got dragged along so we had lunch together.”

“Oh, nice,” said Janie.

“Eh,” Paul shrugged. “She doesn’t talk much. And she doesn’t
like Navy men.”

Paul sat down next to Matt and Andrew and Rory arrived and
grabbed their chairs as the first game began. Neither of the Lathem teams was
playing but they wanted to check out their competition.

“Seems a bit rough,” Katy frowned.

Derek was sitting next to his mom and scoffed. “It’s just
the game mom. We’re men,” he grinned.

Katy wasn’t convinced. She’d watched lots of sports over the
years and this seemed rough to her.

“It’s a pissing match,” she said to Janie. “Men having to be
tougher than the others.”

“Cavemen,” Janie chuckled.

The game was soon over and there was only a little blood
spilt. Next up was Derek’s team. He had enlisted Mark and Ben who were both
more than happy to play. Derek was thrilled to have convinced Mark to play on
his team with his college experience.

“Let’s go kick some ass, shall we?” Derek grinned as the men
headed for the court.

The men played well together and won their game. It wasn’t
nearly as nasty as the previous game and Katy was relieved. She was incredibly
proud of Mark who played extremely well. He was certainly the most skilled
player on the court but maybe not the fastest.

“Well I am in my forties,” he chuckled when Katy
congratulated him. “Those young pups can run circles around me now.”

“Are you kidding?” Derek cried. “You’re still awesome! Those
three pointers won the game for us.”

Mark was happy they had won and looked forward to the
upcoming challenge the following day. Round three for them would be against the
team that had played prior to them; the team that Katy thought played rough.

“Maybe I’ll come out and practice tonight,” Ben said. “It’s
been a while since I played to win,” he said. “
Really
win.”

“Good idea,” agreed Derek. “I’ll join you. What time?”

“Let’s try after dinner. There should be lights and probably
nobody up here.”

“It’s just a game,” Mark said. “Win or lose, it’s still just
a game.”

“But it’s against
them
,” Ben disagreed with his
brother. “And I want to beat them.”

Me too
, thought Mark.
Game on.

DAY 8 – AT SEA

Maureen had asked for the family to have breakfast together.
The time was set for nine and everyone would meet in the dining room. As usual,
Peter and Maureen arrived first and sat patiently at the table waiting for the
rest of the family to arrive.