Perfect Timing (Closed for NewGame8)

[NewGame8]

After walking back to his cabin, Steven took a bottle of water out of the mini-fridge and walked out onto his balcony. He sat down and looked out over the ocean. He watched as they pulled away and headed off into the darkness. His mind wandered over the day. He couldn't remember having such a nice day in a long time.

He thought about Pamela. She had been a lifesaver for this cruise. Without her, he probably would have just sat around on the ship. Today she had him out doing tourist stuff, and tomorrow she had him going to the beach. In addition to her being so kind and helpful, she was incredibly beautiful and so sexy, which, once again, brought an image into his head of Pamela in a bikini. He had no idea what type of bathing suit she would wear, but the image in the bikini was a hot one.

As the ship continued on its journey to Nassau, Steven looked out into the distance. There was nothing to be seen beyond the light from the ship, but he was mesmerized just staring off into the distance. He had no idea how long he sat there, but he knew it was quite a while.

Deciding that he should get some sleep, because he knew Pamela would have a full itinerary tomorrow, Steven got up and went inside. He didn't know what Pamela was thinking about after they spent the day on the beach. Hell, he didn't know if she would even include him in her plans. He started to think he was being selfish to even think that she would.

As soon as he hit the pillow, Steven was out. Fortunately, he set his alarm for 7 am, because when it went off, he was still in a sound sleep. He got up from the bed, showered, and dressed. He put on a bathing suit and a form-fitting t-shirt, and headed to the cafe. Yes, he would be there before 8, but he was really looking forward to the day with Pamela.

 

[Girly_girl]

Pam set her bag down and started to take the braid out of her hair, it was a mass of wild curls. Shaking it free with her fingers and grabbed a bottle of water and sat down. The events of the last 2 days played out in her head and brought a big smile to her face, the past few years had been tough on her emotionally. Pam had thrown herself into her work and not really allowing herself much time for anything else, not including time spent with her closest girlfriends or going on cruises with her sister. The time she's been able to spend with Steven was amazing, being in his presence put her at ease and enjoyed his company immensely.

As Pam undressed for bed, she looked forward to spending a whole day on a beautiful, quiet beach with Steven. She was wondering if Steven would want to join her for dinner on the ship tomorrow evening after their beach day, part of her scolded herself for being selfish. Sleep quickly took over and Pam fell into a deep peaceful sleep, which was a rare thing for her. Before she knew it, her alarm was going off, after shutting it off, she stretched and hopped in the shower. Toweling off, she applied some sunscreen and put her hair in a braid.

Pam chose her white lacy cover up and her dark green bikini for today, it was her favorite one to wear. By the time she had dressed it was time to head down and meet Steven at the Cafe, she grabbed her beach bag and headed down, feeling excited about their day, she had no doubt it would be a wonderful day. Getting off the elevator, she stepped into the Cafe and saw Steven sitting at a high top table, "Good morning, ready for some relaxation in the sunshine today?"

 

[NewGame8]

Sitting at the table drinking coffee, Steven once again was feeling on top of the world. It had been a long time since he felt like this. He was relaxed. He was having fun. Dare he say that he was enjoying the company of a beautiful woman despite the fact that there really was not anything going on between them. Or was there? Was there something right there under the surface that was waiting to come out?

When he saw Pamela approach, his jaw dropped. She looked absolutely stunning. Fortunately, he was wearing sunglasses and he had seen her as soon as she got off the elevator, so Pamela could not see Steven's eyes roaming over her body, and he had time to close his mouth and try to recover.

"Good morning Pamela. Care to join me for a cup of coffee before we head out on our beach day. Oh, and yes, I am definitely ready for some relaxation in the sunshine." After Pamela took her seat, Steven got up to get Pamela a cup of coffee. While he was there he got a second cup for himself.

Returning to the table, he placed Pamela's cup in front of her. After sitting down across from her, he looked directly into her eyes. He didn't want to take any chance that she could see his eyes through his shades from this close. "If today is half as good as yesterday, it will be a wonderful day Pamela."

They made small talk as they drank their coffee. He really found her easy to talk to, which was not the norm for Steven. It had been quite a while since he had a comfortable conversation with a woman. His recovery hadn't been going well... until now. In more ways than one, Pamela was the right person at the right time for Steven.

 

[Girly_girl]

Pam watched as Steven walked up to get her coffee and another coffee for himself. Behind her sunglasses she could see the he must take very good care of himself and make frequent trips to the gym, his form fitting tee showed off flat abs and nice biceps. Having spent the last 2 days together, she could sense how relaxed and content he had become around her, it made her happy to have that effect on him.

Though Steven was wearing sunglasses, Pam could feel his eyes grazing over her, she was the type of woman who, for the most part considered herself pretty but never truly saw how beautiful she truly was. Her inner scars took that away from her a long time ago and she was hoping maybe someday she’d meet someone who would help her see that again. Was she wrong thinking this was just a new friendship and nothing more, or was this the start of something wonderful?

Steven returned to the table with 2 iced coffees, perfect start to her day with the beautiful weather. “Oh thank you, this is perfect.” Taking a sip and giving him that smile. “I think wonderful is an understatement of how today will go, but I’ve no doubt! All I have to do is go get our picnic lunch at the counter and we can be on our way.” Pam excused herself and walked up to the counter and gave her name. The girl behind the counter went in the back and returned with a picnic basket filled with food.

Pam smiled as she approached the table and set the basket down. “Shall we start our day? She gathered up her beach bag and the picnic basket and iced coffee and smiled at Steven, her excitement showing at the beautiful day ahead of them.

 

[NewGame8]

Reaching for the picnic basket, Steven took it from Pamela. "Let me get this. You already have a beach bag, and here I am with nothing but my sunglasses. I guess it shows just how much of a rookie I am at this cruising stuff. Let's get our day started Pamela."

Steven followed Pamela as she took the lead in making their way off the ship. As much as he tried, he couldn't help but letting his eyes wander over her. He shook his head. "Stop that," he said to himself. When there was an opportunity to finally walk next to Pamela, he took it.

Once they were off the ship, Steven followed Pamela as she lead him to the quiet side of the island. Steven was certain that he was going to enjoy the day on the beach; after all, he was with the perfect person. Pamela was the perfect one to show him around on the cruise. She was experienced with the cruise and she had the personality to make sure that he was comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings.

Pamela found the place on the beach where they were going to set up. He watched as she laid out a towel and put her bag down. Kevin put the picnic basket down next to Pamela's towel and took his shirt off. "Should we dip our toes in the water just to see how warm it is?"

 

[Girly_girl]

Pam smiled when Steven took over the picnic basket, it was packed with food for the day. “Well thank you, kind sir. Just think, by the next time you take another cruise, you’ll know all the ins and outs. Yes, let’s start this beautiful day.” She found the perfect spot for them, there were very few people on the quiet side, so Steven laid down their towels and set the picnic basket down.

She had thought she had heard Steven say something as they were on the path to the beach, but not being entirely sure she decided not to say anything, as it would’ve been embarrassing if it had turned out he hadn’t said anything. “I thought you’d never ask, I’ve been looking forward to dip my toes in this beautiful water all week.” Pam smiled and took the sunblock out of her bag and started applying some to her arms and legs. “Safety first, the sun down here is a lot stronger.”

It had made Pam feel incredibly good the past few days to show Steven around the islands, she had really seen him become content and relaxed around her with each passing moment. Then again, she had noticed the same about herself being in his company. There were still one more port tomorrow and then 2 days at sea before arriving back at Port Canaveral, Pam was looking forward to spending more time with Steven before parting ways.

 

[NewGame8]

Steven watched as Pamela applied sunblock to her arms and legs. He almost offered to apply it to her back, but then thought better of it. He didn't want Pamela to think he was getting inappropriate. If she asked, that would be a different story.

After Pamela had applied the sunblock, Steven walked with her to the edge of the water. He was going to have to put some on at some point, but he wanted to get some red first. It had been a while since he had spent any time in the sun, so, he thought he would take a chance... for a short while.

Once at the water's edge, Steven walked into the water and could not believe how warm it was. Despite it being warm, it would be refreshing because of how hot the air temperature was. He was not ready to go all the way in, but enjoyed standing ankle deep as the waves rolled up onto the beach.

"What a perfect day Pamela. This was such a great idea. This side of the island is perfect; not very crowded, but the beach is beautiful." Steven looked out into the ocean. He liked the view out onto the horizon, and it also kept him from staring at Pamela in her bikini.

 

[Girly_girl]

After applying sunscreen on her arms, legs, stomach and face, Pam knew she would have to ask Steven to put some on her back. “Would you mind putting some lotion on my shoulders and back, I would but, I don’t think my arms are that long.” Pam laughed nervously, as it had been awhile she’d had to ask a man to rub sunscreen on her.

They walked quietly side by side down to the edge of the water, it was warm yet refreshing. Pam put her hands on her hips, just enjoying the water, the sound of the waves and most of all Steven’s company. “Have you ever seen such a beautiful sight? I could stay here forever.” Pam stepped back on the sand and put a handful in her hand. Walking back over to Steven, “Hold out your hand.” Pam smiled and put some sand in Steven’s palm. This is not like sand back home, it’s soft and powdery and doesn’t stick to you.”

“It really is a beautiful day, I’m glad you’re here with me. I love that there’s no crowds, it’s definitely a little piece of paradise.” Pam could hear some Jimmy Buffett being played from the tiki bar in the near distance which added to the ambiance.

 

[NewGame8]

Steven held out his hand for Pamela. She placed some sand in his hand. She was right. The sand was not the same as the beaches back home. There was not as much grit to the sand. It was soft and powdery.

"Thank you for inviting me to be here with you Pamela. I think it is going to be a wonderful day... beautiful beach, beautiful weather, beautiful woman accompanying me.. what more could I ask for?" He gave Pamela a little smile. "I have you to thank for opening me up to experiencing this."

After only a few minutes of standing there, Steven could feel the start of his skin burning. Pamela was right; the sun was much more intense here than at home. "Pamela, would you mind if I used some of your sunscreen. Just another rookie mistake. I left sunscreen in my cabin." When she told him he was more than welcome to use her sunscreen, Steven walked back to where their towels were and applied the sunscreen to his face, torso and legs. "Would you mind doing my back, please Pamela."

 

[Girly_girl]

“It’s my pleasure, Steven. It makes me happy to see you enjoying yourself.” Pam blushed at his words and gave him a soft smile. “I had a feeling and I may be completely off on this, something tells me that if I hadn’t extended the offer you wouldn’t have spent much time exploring the islands and culture that we’ve explored this week. I’ve really loved being your tour guide.”

Pam walked down to the waters edge and sat down on the sand, she could feel the strong sun on her back and knew she was probably turning into a lobster. After a few minutes she walked back up and Steven asked to use her sunscreen, she smiled and handed it to him.

“Of course.” She stood behind him and massaged the sunscreen into his back and shoulders paying close attention to not miss one spot of skin. Pam looked over him and smiled. “Perfect, you are now protected from the rays of sun, you were definitely starting to burn, you asked at the perfect time.”

 

[NewGame8]

"Thank you for that Pamela. I have not spent any time in the sun so far, so, my pale skin is ripe for burning. I appreciate you helping me make sure that my back doesn't get any worse than it already is."

Walking back to the edge of the water with Pamela, Steven though about how much he was enjoying himself. "You are correct when you say that if you didn't extend the offer that I would not have spent much time exploring the islands. In fact, I probably would not have spent any time exploring the islands. I really owe it to you Pamela. It is because of you that I am enjoying myself on this cruise."

As they stood at the water's edge, Steven reached for Pamela's hand. He looked down at her and smiled. "I can't thank you enough for all you have done to help make this cruise fun for me."

 

[Girly_girl]

“You are quite welcome, we can’t have you burn, and trust me, you would’ve. Well then, that makes 2 of us, I haven’t spent much time in the sun either, work has been keeping me busy.”

Pam listened to Steven tell her she was right about him not spending time enjoying what the cruise had to offer, had it not been for her. The thought of him spending the whole cruise cooped up in his cabin saddened her. “I can’t tell you how happy hearing how much you’re enjoying yourself makes me, it truly does.” She stood facing Steven at the water’s edge smiling at him.

When he reached for her hand, she was amazed at how right it felt, her hand in his, being in his company and how comfortable she felt around him. “It’s my pleasure and very happy to have done this for and with you. Now going forward, whenever you cruise again you’ll think of the wonderful tour guide that got you through your first cruise.”

 

[NewGame8]

Steven held onto Pamela's hand longer than he intended to. It felt good to have her hand in his. They fit almost perfectly. "I have a feeling that if I ever cruise again that I will remember my beautiful tour guide who has taught me that I have to get off the ship and explore in order to make sure that the cruise even comes close to being as enjoyable as this cruise has been so far."

Unsure of just what came over him, Steven leaned down and kissed Pamela lightly on the lips. It was just a small kiss, but there were definitely sparks that shot through him when their lips met. Just as quickly as he had leaned down to kiss Pamela, he pulled back; not sure that it was something that Pamela was comfortable with.

For a moment he thought that he should apologize to Pamela, but then he decided against it. Why should he apologize for something that felt so good? Then, the second guessing kicked in. Maybe it felt good for him, but not for Pamela. He definitely started to overthink it. Or was he overthinking it? He had kissed Pamela without any indication that it was something that she was interested in.

"Pamela, umm, I am sorry. I should not have done that."

 

[Girly_girl]

Standing there holding hands with Steven and hearing him talk about how he would always remember his beautiful tour guide on future cruises made her feel sad, she had been enjoying his company so much. Pam knew it was foolish to feel that way and selfish, she didn’t even know what he thought about her and more than likely they’d never cross paths again. “Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to take your knowledge and do the same for someone someday.”

Before Pam even knew what was happening, Steven leaned down and kissed her ever so softly. Pam was at a loss for words, but not because she was angry, it was because it gave her goosebumps and her knees weak. She wasn’t sure what to say, she was searching for her words, hoping to not say the wrong thing.

Judging by the look on his face, she could see he was overthinking what he just did. Did he feel the spark that she did when their lips touched, she certainly hoped so. Pam placed her other hand in his and looked up at him and smiled softly. “Steven, please….don’t apologize, that was a wonderful kiss. Honestly that’s the first kiss I’ve had in years and I’d forgotten what it felt like.” She squeezed his hands and smiled.

 

[NewGame8]

"Thank you Pamela. I just wasn't sure that you were okay with it. I kissed you without taking your feelings into consideration. I should have been more thoughtful; that's all." Steven was happy that Pamela was not upset with him. It could have made the remainder of the cruise very awkward. Either that, or she would not have wanted to spend time with him anymore.

Fortunately, Pamela was okay with the kiss. He wasn't sure what it meant. Steven had no idea whether there would be any contact between them once the cruise was over. Hell, he had no idea where Pamela lived. They could be from opposite sides of the country for all he knew. Well, the remainder of the cruise might provide some answers.

One thing he did know, however, was that Pamela's lips were soft, and sweet, and felt really good against his. He was a little shocked when Pamela said that it was the first kiss she had in years. Despite what she said, Steven had a hard time grasping the fact that it was possible that someone so beautiful and sexy had not been kissed by someone in that long.

 

[Girly_girl]

“Of course, I was very okay with it. Steven, I’ve only known you a few days but you’re one of the thoughtful men I’ve ever met.” Pam made sure Steven saw in her eyes that she was truly okay with the kiss. His lips were warm and soft, it was a wonderful first kiss for them.

Pam was hoping today could be a time for them to get to know more about each other, she was quite intrigued about him. The thought of keeping in touch after the cruise crossed her mind, she loved the idea of possibly seeing him again, but she had no idea how close he lived to her. Hopefully with the remaining days, would answer some of the questions she had, she loved spending time with him and hated the thought the cruise was coming to an end in a few days.

The kiss kept flashing through her mind, it had been perfect, although it was just a moment that their lips had touched it had made her knees feel weak and fireworks ignited inside her. Pam could see a look of shock on Steven’s face when he heard her mention it had been quite awhile since her last kiss.

 

[NewGame8]

They walked back to where their towels were and sat down; both of them looking out at the ocean. "This really is a great spot. It isn't too crowded an d it is beautiful and relaxing. Thank you for inviting me. If I had chosen to go to the beach today on my own, and that is highly doubtful, I probably would have chosen the other side and would not have liked the crowd and the loud music. So, you saved me again."

They sat quietly for a while. It seemed that Pamela was enjoying her day at the beach, which made Steven happy. She deserved it, after all, because she had spent so much time so far trying to make sure that he had fun on the cruise.

He was tempted to ask her some personal questions like why she was still single and why it had been so long since she had been kissed, but decided against it. He didn't want to say anything to offend her, so, he just remained quiet and let her enjoy the view.

 

[Girly_girl]

After returning to their towels, they both sat and watched the waves, enjoying the warm sun. “It really is, how I wish my beach had spots like this, they’re always so crowded unless I go later in the day. You’re very welcome, I’m glad you accepted my invite. I saved you?” Pam gave Steven a warm smile, “Saving people is a huge part of who I am and I know this may sound weird, but I love that part of who I am.”

They sat quietly enjoying the morning sun, occasionally chatting idly, from what she could see, Steven was enjoying their day at the beach and that made her happy. Something had told her he needed this vacation desperately, perhaps it was perfect timing that brought them together on this cruise. Being able to see that he was enjoying himself thanks to her, brought her great joy.

Pam had been meaning to get to know more about Steven the past few days, she didn’t want to intrude but she wanted to know more about the attractive, kind man she’d been spending time with. “Steven…I noticed the look on your face when I blurted out it had been awhile since I’ve had someone kiss me….” She removed her sunglasses to show him she was not mad or upset at his reaction.

 

[NewGame8]

"Pamela, I hope you don't think I am judging you or anything like that. I was just surprised that someone as attractive as you has gone that long without being kissed. It was nothing other than surprise. If the look on my face said something else, I apologize."

He watched as she removed her sunglasses. She had mesmerizing hazel eyes. "Pamela, I am having an incredible time with you. When I kissed you it was just a sign of how much I appreciate everything that you have done for me. The look on my face might have been the fact that I took liberty to kiss you without having any idea whether or not you wanted to be kissed."

They sat quietly for a few minutes. Steven hoped that he hadn't made things awkward between them. He was really enjoying his time with Pamela and hoped they would spend more time together on the cruise.

 

[Girly_girl]

“No Steven, I don’t think that at all. Honestly, it’s a long story.” Pam gave Steven a warm smile and gave his hand a squeeze, “There is nothing to apologize for, really, it was a wonderful kiss.” Upon hearing her words, he seemed to relax.

“I’m so glad you’re having an incredible time, and it just so happens that I’m enjoying myself more than I can put into words.” They sat quietly for a few minutes in a comfortable silence, Pam could not stop thinking about the soft kiss he had given her. His lips were soft and warm and it had send tingles throughout her body, she was wondering if the kiss had the same effect on Steven.

After a few minutes of quiet, Pam took out her phone and moved next to Steven and extended her arm, leaning her head against his, “Say cheese!” When she saw that he leaned into her and gave an amazing smile, she snapped a photo of the 2 of them. Noticing it was close to lunchtime, Pam opened up the picnic basket. “I hope you’re hungry, I ordered a picnic lunch for us, grilled jerk chicken, spinach salad with some type of citrusy vinaigrette, roasted potatoes and a variety of fresh fruit.” Pam took out 2 cold bottles of water and handed one to Steven,”So tell me, Steven, what kind of work do you do?”

 

[NewGame8]

Surprised when Pamela pulled out her phone and moved closer to him. When she extended the phone to take a selfie, Steven leaned into Pamela a little. He didn't need to say cheese, because the smile on his face came naturally. He was having such a good time with Pamela that he didn't need to say something to give the appearance of a smile.

"Wow, Pamela, that is a lot of food for a beach day, but it certainly sounds delicious." Steven opened his water bottle and took a drink before helping Pamela unpack the food and dip it up onto plates.

"I usually don't talk about my work with people because when I tell them what I do, they tend to look at me differently. However, after everything you have done to make this cruise a special one, I can't hold back from telling you. I am an attorney for a large firm. I am in Mergers and Acquisitions. So, I spend my time dealing with corporate officers who are either looking to buy another company or who are looking to merge their corporation with another. What most people tend to find boring, even a lot of lawyers, I find to be very interesting. I like the back and forth, the negotiation, and I like the challenge of coming up with a solution to get a deal done. Most lawyers want to be battling in the courtroom. I am just as happy working in corporate boardrooms."

 

[Girly_girl]

“Would you like a copy of this? This picture speaks a thousand words judging by our smiles alone.” Perhaps a little reminder of me after our time together comes to an end.” Pam was sure that Steven could hear the sadness in her voice, why was she feeling that way? Hell, for all she knew he lived on the other side of the country from her, she had only known him for a few days but had been enjoying her time with him immensely and didn’t want it to end. There was just something about him.

“It certainly is, with the description of the contents when I ordered it, I wasn’t aware it was enough to feed a small army.” She smiled at Steven as the began plating all the food. “This looks and smells absolutely delicious.”

Pam listened to Steven tell her about his work and how he thought he might be judged or looked at differently, but what he didn’t know was that she came from a family of lawyers, her father had worked in a large firm in Mergers and Acquisitions also. He had retired 2 years ago after 30 years, he had been both respected and feared by many. A memory flashed into her head of a photo that her father had in his office, it was of him and her mom with a striking younger couple on her father’s yacht a few years ago. The man in the photo had worked with her father. “Wait a minute….your last name wouldn’t happen to be Trumble, would it?”

 

[NewGame8]

"I would love a copy of that picture Pamela. It will remind me of the great time I had on this cruise and the wonderful woman that I got to spend a lot of time with." He still had no idea where she was from, and was still hesitant to ask, because of the way she might interpret the question.

"All of the food looks delicious. The way I am eating on this cruise, I am afraid I am going to gain ten pounds." He took another drink of water as he looked at the food as Pamela laid it out. It was certainly an incredible spread.

Steven looked at Pamela in shock when she asked about his name. He was speechless for a moment. How is it possible that she knew his last name. He was positive he had not shared it; not because he was hiding anything, but simply because the two of them were strictly on a first name only basis up to this point.

"As a matter of fact, yes it is, My last name is Trumble, but I have to ask how you knew that."

 

[Girly_girl]

A huge smile came across Pam’s lips when Steven told her that he’d love a copy of their selfie. “How would you like me to send it to you, I don’t have your number or email.” She could feel her whole body blush when she asked him. She wanted so bad to know more about him, but since they only knew each other a few days, she was afraid of him not being comfortable doing so…but there was only one way and someone had to take the first step.

“Don’t you know that cruise calories don’t count?” She looked at him and grinned accompanied by a wink. “Well you won’t be alone, I probably gained 10 pounds with you.” This is absolutely delicious, I am glad I thought of this.”

“My father always spoke very highly of you, he said you were a wonderful asset to the firm and would definitely thrive. As a matter of fact he has a bunch of framed photos in his office and one of them has a few of the partners aboard my father’s yacht for some kind of party and I just now made the connection.” My father didn’t give out compliments very often so you must’ve made quite the impression on him. Look, I hope this is not weird, I very rarely remember details like this but I had helped my mom clean out his office a few months ago and came across the photo and asked her who they were.”

 

[NewGame8]

Steven gave Pamela his cell phone number. "Put it in your phone. It is okay. Maybe next time you are planning a cruise and need someone to go with, you will give me a call." He actually hoped that they talked before Pamela needed a cruise partner.

"I probably should have made better use of the jogging track than I already have. Of course, I only think I have missed one day, but with all of the food we have consumed, I feel like a blob."

He listened to Pamela talk about her father and the pictures in his office from a party on his yacht. He remembered being invited to that party. He was surprised to get the invitation. It was a fancy party, and there were quite a few of the senior partners who were surprised that he had been invited. Of course, today, those senior partners are happy that Steven is on their team because there is nobody that produces like he does.

Remembering posing for the picture with his wife, Steven tried to make sure not to show any emotion. Thinking of his wife made him sad, but he did not want to ruin the good time he was having with Pamela. "I can't believe that your father even mentioned me. I find it harder to believe that you remember that. He must have liked me a lot more than I thought. Of course, I know that he really liked the work that I did.