Friends Wanting Benefits (8 page)

"You can wear my long robe. Worst case is you sneak out of there all covered up. It's basically foolproof."

"Really?"

"Yep, I guarantee it. And if this doesn't put the magic back in your relationship then nothing will."

"Well, we do need to do something." Jillian frowned. "Last night, I slept naked and he didn't even notice."

"That stinks."

"Yeah, he was snoring ten seconds after his head hit the pillow."

"Hey, I even sent the robe out to be cleaned today. Let's just say it needed it." Victoria chuckled. "So, what do you say? We can do it tomorrow."

"I, uh—"

"It'll make a great chapter for your next book." Smiling, Victoria widened her eyes.

"I could use some inspiration there as well." Jillian shrugged. "But, I'm not about to commit a felony in international waters."

"A felony?" She scoffed.

"I'm sure public sex is some kind of felony."

"What are they going to do, toss you in the brig? Do they even still have those?"

"I… I really don't—"

"Come on. You guys need this…" Victoria rolled her eyes, "… desperately."

After pausing to mull it over, Jillian shrugged. "All right, I'll do it."

"Great, let me talk to Ethan and we'll finalize all the details. Remember not a word to George— keep it a surprise."

"Okay." Looking out to the ocean, Jillian fantasized about how sexy and exciting it just might be.

At 10:55 a.m. the next day, after yet another sexless night in the luxurious Grayson cabin, Jillian was more than ready to put Victoria's plan into action. Even after living through the struggle of almost two decades of marriage, which had transformed both their relationship and their bodies, and not in a good way, she found that she still wanted him— she still found him attractive. And she was horny— especially now after the few clandestine minutes she spent watching the young and impressively physically fit and otherwise extraordinary Ethan flop around naked on the beach. She was quite anxious for her man's affection.

The night before, the three schemers held a secret meeting where details of code-named
Operation Steam Dream
were finalized.

At breakfast, Jillian sold her husband on the benefits of relaxing in the steam room before joining her for a swim in the pool. His back had been bothering him a bit recently, and she told him she thought this would help. The plan was for her to take a steam in the women's locker room while he did the same in the men's. Then afterward they would meet at the pool.

Victoria and Ethan sat on the deck outside the entrance to the fitness center as George and Jillian walked past them. Turning back, Jillian made eye contact with her female co-conspirator and Victoria gave her a nod— the signal indicating that Ethan had pre-checked the locker room, and the mission was still a go. The two experienced members of
Team Steam Dream
rose from their chairs and at the same moment pressed the start button on their iPhone stopwatch application. Once the married couple walked through the door, they followed behind. As instructed, Ethan hung back outside the hallway pretending to read through the spa's pamphlets as Victoria slipped into the women's locker room with her gym bag containing the newly laundered full length robe.

Inside the empty locker room, George belched loudly, made a sour face and put his hand to his slightly upset stomach. Shrugging it off, he pulled down his swimsuit, wrapped a towel around his waist and made his way to the steam room. He plopped down on the bench and sighed.

In the hallway, Ethan's phone showed ninety seconds had elapsed, so he sprang into action, walking through the bathroom area of the locker room, past the lockers and spotting George's swimsuit on the bench. Next he made his way to the shower room and peered through the glass to find the shadow of a lone man sitting inside the steam room. He smiled and retraced his steps.

Suddenly, George's eyes shot wide open with that horrendous feeling that something just wasn't right inside his bowels and that something demanded immediate attention.

Rising to his feet, he rushed out to the shower area and looked for the toilets but could not find them. He moved quickly to the locker room and spotted two urinals and two stalls in the outer area and headed for one of the stalls. Then a door opened on his left and an elderly man with a towel wrapped around his waist and carrying a newspaper stepped out from a small room, and they exchanged polite nods before the man turned toward the shower area.

As the door slowly closed, George spotted the toilet located inside the room labeled Family Changing Area and his eyes widened. Quickly turning on his heels, he waddled into the room clenching his ass cheeks together. If ever a moment demanded privacy, this was it.

In the hallway, Ethan glanced first to the front desk of the spa then moved to the door of the women's locker room and knocked twice. The door opened and Jillian emerged wearing the robe with the hood covering her head. Victoria followed behind her smiling.

Ethan said, "You're set. He's in there all alone."

Jillian took a deep breath, gathered her courage and headed into the men's locker room.

She made her way through the locker area to the shower room then turned right and found the steam room exactly where she was told it would be. Pushing the door open, she felt the warm humid air kiss her skin. She smiled, the excitement of it all was sending tingles up and down her spine.

A lone man sat on the bench across the room with one towel covering his lap, another draped over his head, and his chin resting on his chest as he leaned forward. She heard snoring and giggled, whispering, "that's my George."

Slipping down to her knees before him, she wiped the sweat from her eyes then slid her hands under the towel and ran them slowly up his legs toward his groin. The man moaned softly and his head moved a little from side to side. She pulled the towel from his lap and then saw it— the age spotted wrinkly skin of an elderly overweight man with his scrotum hanging at least ten inches below the edge of the bench. She recoiled in horror.

The man woke suddenly and screamed as he stared directly into the eyes of the hooded figure.

"Who the hell are you!" the man growled.

Falling backwards to the wet floor, she scrambled toward the door then got to her feet, yanked it open and scurried away.

Ethan and Victoria waited in the lobby area of the fitness center. Suddenly, they spotted Jillian as she burst from the door and turned left then disappeared inside the women's locker room.

"What the hell?" Victoria muttered as they shared a look before each taking off toward their respective locker rooms.

As Ethan entered the men's room he came upon the frazzled older man screaming, "Did you see him?"

"Who?"

"The hooded man!"

"What?"

"A man with a hood tried to rape me."

"Um, no…" Ethan's eyes bugged out of his head. "I didn't, um, see anyone."

Rushing past him, the man headed out to the hallway just as a door to Ethan's right opened up and George emerged waving his hand in front of his grimacing face.

"Hey Ethan."

"Hey," Stunned, Ethan replied softly.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you." George widened his eyes. "I don't know what I ate last night, but geez..."

Two security offers entered the room followed by the old man. One officer asked, "Where did it happen?"

The other officer stopped in front of Ethan and George. "Did you see the man?"

"What man?" George asked.

"A hooded man."

"I was in there." George pointed to the door.

The officer stepped toward the room and pushed open the door.

"Don't do it," George warned.

The officer's eyes closed and his nose crinkled as he turned back away from the small room.

"Told you." George shook his head then turning his attention to Ethan, he said, "The food on these ships has really gone downhill hasn't it?"

Ethan shrugged.

Holding the bundled up hooded robe in her hand, Victoria looked at Jillian with deadly concern. "Would you just take a deep breath and tell me what happened?"

Jillian pulled her bikini bottoms over her hips, then covered her face with her hands panting like a lunatic. "You want to know what happened? Do you?"

"Yes, tell me."

"He wasn't there and—"

Suddenly the door flew open and a uniformed man burst into the room. Upon seeing Jillian's naked breasts, the man's eyes widened and he quickly turned to face the wall. "Sorry! Sorry! I just—"

"Get out!" Jillian folded her arms across her chest and screamed.

Victoria moved in front of her friend to shield his view. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"Sorry, just wanted to be sure everyone in here was okay?"

"We're fine!" Victoria shot back.

Staring at the wall, the man continued, "Um, okay, but did you guys see anyone?"

"What are you talking about?"

"A man was attacked in the men's locker room by a hooded man. We thought he might have come in here."

Jillian and Victoria shared a panicked look as they gazed down to the robe in Victoria's hand.

"He was wearing a white long robe with a hood."

Tearing it from Victoria's clutches, Jillian turned away holding it with her eyes darting around the room searching out a place to hide it. Victoria pointed to the dirty towel bin then shook her head no.

"Did you see anyone like that?" The man asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"Turn around! She's still naked!" Victoria loudly said.

"Sorry, I, um..." Placing his hands up as blinders on either side of his face, he moved closer to the wall.

Victoria moved to the man, put her hand on his shoulder and directed him to the door. "Just let her finish getting dressed and we'll come right out to talk to you."

"Okay."

When he was out the door, Victoria turned to face Jillian and held the door closed with one hand as she whispered, "What the hell did you do over there?"

"Just shut up. I knew this was a stupid idea." Glaring at her, Jillian shook the robe violently in the air and whispered in an angry tone, "What the hell do we do with this thing?"

"Put it in my bag."

"No way, what if they search the bag?"

"They won't search it."

Scanning the room again, Jillian spotted a trash can. "The trash."

"Don't you dare. That's my favorite robe."

"Here you take it then." Jillian tossed it to her then grabbed her bikini top. "I'm getting out of here."

"Shit!" Victoria moved to the center of the room and shook her head.

There was a knock on the door and a loud voice called out, "Ladies we really need to search this room."

"Just one minute." Jillian yelled back then she pointed to Victoria and growled, "Do something with it now!"

"Okay, okay. I'm putting it in my bag." She shoved the bundle into her bag, covered it with a towel then zipped it up. "It'll be fine."

After she slipped her cover up over her shoulders, Jillian frowned. "Whatever, but if they find it I'm rolling over on you. This was all your idea. You were the hooded man not me."

"All right. All right. Are you ready?"

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Jillian cringed. "I look guilty. I can't do this. I'm no good at lying."

There was another knock at the door.

"Hold on!" Victoria called back before turning to Jillian. "Relax. It's going to be fine. Let me do all the talking."

"Okay." Closing her eyes, Jillian took a deep breath.

They headed for the door then entered the hall. Outside there was a crowd of passengers standing around and eight members of the security team.

"Search it now." The security officer they met in the locker room pointed to a team of two guards who sprang into action and entered the women's locker room. He turned his attention to Victoria and Jillian. "I'm security officer Branson. Are you sure that you didn't see a man slip past you?"

"No, we didn't see anyone," Victoria replied.

Jillian looked around nervously and spotted the elderly man from the steam room rubbing his forehead and giving a statement to security personnel. Gasping, she turned away and stood with her back facing the victim.

Branson looked at her with concern. "Are you okay ma'am?"

"What?"