But tonight, she wasn't all there, as if she was checking off a box on a to-do list and it unnerved me.

As I lay there catching my breath afterward, I couldn't help but wonder about her intentions. I didn't get to think long as Rose quickly went down on me. Obviously, her first intent was to get me ready for round two.

"Take it easy, Babe," I playfully admonished. "We've got all night and nowhere to be."

"I know," she tried to relax. "I just want to show you how much I love you, is all."

"Well," I joked, "don't waste it all in one go. We've got fourteen nights and, besides, you can also show me during some of the days, too."

I made love with my wife twice more that night, which was more in sync with our regular routine. She cuddled me tightly as we fell asleep sated.

The second day was magical. We spent the entire morning in our first port-of-call and the afternoon enjoying several activities. Ashore, we skipped the tourist traps and shopped in the local little stores. We had lunch at an intimate roadside café.

Back on the ship, we went to the casino and I played blackjack while Rose sat nearby at a Buffalo machine. Later, we took in a comedy show before retiring to our cabin. The day was so lovely that I became the aggressor that night.

The next morning, we again found ourselves in the throes of passion. Despite my declarations the first night, I was starting to worry that we might need to take it a bit easy so I didn't end up raw.

We barely returned to our table at the breakfast buffet when Gerald strolled in, waving when his eyes found us. He came over, hugged Rose, and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into a sideways bro hug. He asked if he could join and, after Rose quickly said 'yes,' he headed to the food line.

I realized that Rose was the mortar in this odd grouping. Sure, Gerald and I knew each other but we were nothing alike; we had nothing in common. It dawned on me that Rose probably was on edge, trying to do the polite thing, even though this was supposed to be a long overdue vacation for us. She was balancing her professional and personal life and likely felt pulled in two different directions.

That didn't make me feel any better about how things turned out.

"Isn't this great?" he asked cheerfully as he sat down with a full plate. "Did you both enjoy your first two days aboard?"

Rose spoke up right away, spewing compliments and profusely thanking Gerald for everything he'd done for us.

"What are your plans for today?" he asked, looking at her first then at me.

Rose didn't answer that immediately, instead looking at me for possible guidance.

"I'm not sure yet," I answered guardingly. "I was thinking about going to the pool and relaxing." They just looked at me; it was strange. Suddenly nervous, I said in a mock female voice, "I have to get a head start on my summer tan, you know."

That fell flatly and I didn't say more.

Rose slowly removed her eyes from me and slowly looked at Gerald. "I want to do those two coasters and that bungee jump!"

Everything now felt uneasy. Gerald looked at me. "Rose mentioned you're not into that." He didn't form it as a question.

"How about you, Gerald?" she asked as if scripted. "Are you a roller coaster man?"

"I love the thrill," he immediately replied. "I'm sure you knew that already."

People say things about the little hairs on the back of your neck. Well, I was listening to them and rubbing that area with both hands. Something seemed so forced about the conversation.

"Would you mind, honey?" she asked me, why I don't know. It was clear the decision had already been made. My blood was well on the way to boiling and I didn't want to explode right there in front of all the people.

"I guess," I wasn't going to say 'sure.' "Do you want me to wait for you before I go swimming? I can find something else to do for a bit."

"No," she told me. "I'll meet you at the pool. It might be a long line and I think I'll get all three done at once since you don't like it and Gerald offered."

I wanted to point out that he hadn't really offered but again stayed silent.

After breakfast, I stood, kissed my wife on the cheek, and told them I'd see her later, not 'them' later. I hoped she got the message as I walked away.

I dove into the pool about a half hour later. The pool I chose was aft and was about half full. I swam up to the in-pool bar and ordered a Mojito. I would have loved to sample one of their Margheritas but, with Gerald clinging to my wife, I felt I needed my wits about me.

I played around on my tablet sitting on a chaise lounge, soaking up the warm sun. There was plenty of beautiful scenery to distract me. At one point, an incredible woman in a tiny bikini, probably about ten years my senior, walked by and stared at me even as she passed by.

"Damned Cougars!" I thought.

A splash from one of the few children onboard washed over me and I awoke with a start. The kids' mother scolded them and apologized to me. I looked at my tablet.

'Damn,' I said to myself. I'd been asleep for over an hour. Then I thought, "Where the hell was she?" Out of habit, I went to call her. That obviously wasn't going to work. I decided to stay put because if she weren't here now, she most likely would be on the way soon.

After another half hour, I was pissed. It was hard to believe that riding three attractions would take three hours. I left the pool and headed to the upper deck to look for them. One of the coasters and the bungee jump were up there. The second coaster's entrance was two decks below. Before heading down, I looked all around the upper deck, including the mini-golf.

Heading down is an understatement. This place was like a city all unto itself. I was putting a lot of miles on my Dockers. Feeling like a stirring volcano, I didn't find my wife there, either. I waited for two rounds of cars to return from their ride. The thought occurred to me that she may have passed me on my way out of the pool and was now searching like me.

I went back to the pool. No dice. I walked the Promenade and the shops. I doubted Gerald would want to go shopping with her but who knew? Finally, I sat down near the glass elevator that went through the entire ship's open area. A miniature replica of Big Ben showed it was 3:30 local time. Rose had been with Gerald for over six hours.

Out of my mind with anger, I went into some Asian fast-food place and had a bowl of Ramen for a late lunch, then I went back to our room. I supposed that was the place to be if she was ever going to come back. That was a big 'if' as far as I was concerned.

Another half hour later, at five-twenty, in she barged.

"Where have you been?" she looked... what? Worried, concerned, angry? I wasn't going to be deterred by any of that.

"Where have I been?" I asked incredulously. "You've got to be kidding me? I've been either looking or waiting for you all fucking day long. If I had my IWatch, I could probably show you a personal best in miles walked in twelve hours. Where in the fuck have you been?"

Spit left my lips; I was that mad. She studied me momentarily and decided to change tactics. "Honey, calm down, take a breath." That really pissed me off. "I've been searching just like you. Eventually, Gerald and I split up. I was getting worried."

"Where did you look?" I asked, challenging her.

"All over." She knew that wouldn't fly as soon as it came out of her lying mouth. "It took about one and a half hours to do the rides, then we bought an ice cream cone at that stand by the... well, you know where since you were probably up there. I didn't really feel like hanging out at the pool so I didn't come to the room. We went straight to the aft pool where you said you'd be. We looked around, and then we waited for you. I figured you were in the restroom or something. After half an hour, we started wandering the ship. I never went back to the rides because it wasn't likely you'd still be there."

"Where else?" Frustration took over her face.

"Anywhere we could think. We went to the back of the ship because one of the stewards said many people liked the view. We were on the Promenade for a while. I can see you're upset. I'm sorry, okay. This third degree isn't helpful."

"So, I'm to believe," I paused and took a deep breath. "You spent the entire day with your boss, looking for me? Did you two stop for lunch? Are you having dinner with him as well?"

There was a millisecond of panic. However, Gerald had taught her well in all those high-level meetings, and it passed so quickly that I almost didn't catch it.

"Come on, babe," she protested. "He paid for most of our trip. He's all alone here and I can't just ignore him. It wouldn't be right. And we really were looking for you... well, most of the time."

I snorted. "What do you mean 'most of the time?' I'm not happy about this, Rose. Maybe you're just trying to be nice but if that's true, then you already know this trip, for us, isn't going to go the way we had hoped or wanted. I get that you may not want to ignore him because he's all alone here, but he should understand. I'm already pissed beyond belief."

She suddenly looked sad. I had no idea what was going through her head.

"Cade, stop it," she retorted. "Okay, I admit we were having fun and I lost track of time before we realized it. Then, we started looking for you. I'm not used to seeing him in a recreational setting."

"Except when you're out of town on business and dancing. What the fuck? Having fun? What fun takes six hours?" I threw back.

Oh my god!" she said, astounded-like. "That only happened when clients or other team members surrounded us. I'm not the only one he dances with, just so you know. And the fun was the coaster. How dare you imply anything else!"

"Like I said, the coaster doesn't take six hours. Are you going to tell me?"

The conversation was going nowhere fast. My anger was swelling, not dissipating. She didn't seem to get it and certainly wasn't in a place to offer a sincere apology.

"Never mind, Rose," I said with sadness. "If you're making dinner plans or any other plans for tonight, just go ahead. I won't be very good company. I'd rather be alone."

"That's ludicrous," she scolded. "I said I'm sorry and I am sorry. Of course, I want to be with you; you're my husband. We have twelve days left of our cruise and I don't want to waste any of it arguing."

"Okay," I challenged her, "so what about tomorrow... or the next day?" When I said that, the color drained from her face. What the hell was going on? "Will you be worrying about him and trying to split up your time? I'm serious here, Rose. I don't get the impression that you even understand why I'm mad. Yeah, sure, he paid. He never said he wanted to monopolize your time in return, because if that was the deal, we'd have never come."

"Honey, I promise," she tried the soft approach. "Tonight, I'm all yours, and tomorrow..." She stopped mid-sentence and looked around the room nervously.

"Tomorrow," she started again, "after a short meeting we have, it'll be just you and me for the whole day. I want to go ashore and..."

"What the hell do you mean, a meeting?" I couldn't contain myself or the hateful tone in my voice. She actually took several steps back from where she faced me.

"We... we have a client meeting after breakfast," she said, straightening her shoulders. "It was last minute and, well, since we're both here..." She stopped speaking. I don't know if she decided I could never understand or if she realized how weak it sounded.

I turned and walked into our bathroom, closing the door. That door was the only thing keeping my wife safe at that moment. After splashing some water on my face and doing a few minutes of breathing exercises, I pondered my situation and came up with a course of action. Then I opened the door and found her in the same spot.

"All right, Rose," I said as calmly as possible. "We'll play it your way for now. Just know I'm not happy about any of this." I decided in that moment not to voice my suspicions. "I'm going to dinner soon and you're welcome to tag along."

I wanted to spell out the threats but they hardly needed to be declared. Rose was going to either fix our vacation or break our marriage. At that moment, what scared me most was that it was fifty-fifty in my mind. It was also clear that Gerald had possessed some mental hold on her over the past year; otherwise, she wouldn't be disrespecting me.

Rose acknowledged my request without a verbal reply and went to freshen up. It was already past six and, despite the late lunch, I was starving.

We ate in awkward quiet, occasionally stealing glances at each other. Obviously, she didn't know what to say or how to fix things. In my mind, that conflict was good. If she could realize that she was in the wrong, then I was sure she could take steps to correct it. There was no dancing or wandering the ship that night. We ended up back in our cabin and as large as it had seemed days earlier, it was now much smaller.

She sat by me and turned on the room's TV, checking out some ads for the next day's excursion into port. I sat there reading a book I'd started at the pool. After a good amount of uneasy silence, she sighed and announced she was going to bed. When I didn't immediately reply or get up, she took a more direct approach.

"Are you coming to bed?" she certainly didn't sound sexy or even inviting, for that matter. I knew the tone well; try to scramble the poor hubby's brain with a roll in the hay. Rose was no different from other women who hated to see their best-laid plans go up in smoke. The trouble is I couldn't fathom what those plans could be.

"No," I said without looking up. "I'm deep into this book and want to keep going. Sleep tight, I love you."

Another over-exaggerated sigh and a slight kiss on top of my head, then she said, "Goodnight. I love you, too."

It was a rough night for me. I didn't want to blow up a once-in-a-lifetime vacation that was supposed to provide us both with great memories. If I had been honest with myself, things could have happened just as Rose stated. She had a relationship with Gerald, whether I liked it or not. She spent as much time with him, or more, than she did with me, week in and week out, more if I counted the business trips.

Then a terrible thought hit me. She WAS involved with him! Karen? The six hours on the coaster? Hell, I thought, maybe he wasn't this run-around bachelor with a different woman each week. Rose could even be THAT woman! Sonofabitch, right under my nose!

As quickly as the thought surfaced, I stuffed it away. That had to be nonsense.

I needed to put my foot down. In my way of thinking, I'd allowed things to get to this point by ignoring what was obvious. It was inevitable with the stagnant living of the mundane day-to-day. Well, I was determined that was going to end and, if this trip became the catalyst, then so be it.

I woke up to daylight and a distant noise that sounded like the gangway being extended below me. The slider to our private patio was open and a warm breeze filled the room. My tablet said it was after nine a.m.

I looked into our room and, unsurprisingly, Rose was already gone. I guess she was in her meeting but I didn't know for sure. I'd decided before falling asleep not to let her and Gerald disrupt my vacation so I took a shower and headed to the buffet, thinking about breakfast.

An hour and a half later, and with a full belly, I returned to our room. No Rose or any indication she'd returned in my absence. It was time for some mini-golf. On my way to the upper deck, I passed the woman I'd seen the day before at the pool. I must have made a good impression because she stared at me as I walked by, not bothering to hide it.

After being paired up with another single, an older man likely in his sixties, I had a fair time, still trying to work through my issues with Rose. I didn't plan on avoiding her for the rest of our vacation. I wasn't avoiding her just then. She was, once more, the person missing in action.

I went to the business center after golfing. I wouldn't let Rose or Gerald play the stupid game of searching the 'big, bad boat,' endlessly running around in circles. I didn't believe it anyway. There were a few people in the center. I described Gerald and Rose and asked if anyone had seen them. No one had. I went to the concierge and asked if there were meeting rooms and he explained where they were but said they would all be reserved for companies that had booked a group cruise rate. Two people would not be allowed to use them, he claimed, regardless of how much money was offered.

I headed back to our room. This time I found a note from my wife.

My Sweet Man,

I'm sorry that our paths haven't crossed again. Unfortunately, I can't go searching for you today because our meeting went poorlyl. Gerald and I have some work to do. I'm really sorry about this and I'll do everything I can to make it up to you.

Gerald is upset, too, and promised we won't be bothered for the rest of our vacation by work or by him. In fact, he's probably leaving the ship in the next few days and heading back to the States to smooth over this situation with the client. I'll meet you here no later than 2:30 this afternoon, my love. Then we'll have all of our time to reconnect and enjoy the cruise. Tomorrow, we'll be in Portugal and I can't wait to spend the day with you ashore.

Please try not to be angry with me. I can't help the job I have but I do understand how it makes you feel. If you'll allow me, I promise to make it up to you from now on.

Love,

Rose

It was going on eleven-thirty in the morning. I was angrier than I'd ever been with my wife, yet calm and resolved at the same time. I left a note of my own.

Dear,

I'm sorry as well.

I've decided to enjoy my vacation. I've worked hard and earned it. I've paid a good amount for it too, regardless of how much your boss kicked in.

I won't be able to fit you in at 2:30 as I have other plans. You're welcome to wait for me or find something - or someone - to occupy your time. I suppose I'll see you sometime this evening. If you're here waiting, then we can have a serious talk about what the rest of our anniversary vacation looks like. If you're not, oh well. I'm pretty good at planning all by myself.

Love,

Me

In my thinking, things had already changed drastically in our marriage and the results of my next actions would determine the outcome. Paranoid thoughts had already invaded my brain: Thoughts of the two of them together on their business trips; careful or maybe careless, plans to cuckold me. Thoughts that this cruise might even be the set-up vehicle for their 'coming out' party; her leaving me for this uber-rich asshole who could spend circles around me.

Well, they'd get no such satisfaction from me. Maybe I was stuck on a floating city with them but I could make the most of things. If Rose didn't change her tune and her actions in the next few hours, then he could have her. That's how pissed I was.

In the shops, I wandered aimlessly. The only things I wanted to buy were far too expensive for me ever to consider spending my money on. I noticed that it was almost 2:30 when I craved a hot colossal pretzel at a booth in the center of the Promenade.

As distracted in thought as I was, I didn't notice until she spoke that the mystery woman was right behind me.

"Hello, handsome," she said demurely. When I turned to see who had said that, I was face-to-face with an extremely sexy woman. I mean, she exuded sex from top to bottom. Her expensive perfume was intoxicating.

"What?" was my intelligent response. She ignored my stupor.

"Buy a gal a pretzel?" she said rather than ask. "And even though I shouldn't, a diet Coke."

I didn't know how to respond. Her forwardness matched her beauty. I couldn't even think.

"Yeah, sure," I finally mustered, feeling like a fifth-grader.

"I'm Gwendoline," she announced, holding her hand out to me, palm down.

"Cade," I stated. I reached for her hand, turning it so I could shake it. That got me a frown.

"I've seen you about," she continued. "Are you on this cruise all by your lonesome?"

She was certainly forward and extremely sure of herself. It was my turn to order and pay so I didn't answer her.

After moving down the line to wait for our pretzels and soft drinks, Gwen asked again.

"So, are you on your own?"

I pondered her question for a moment. That hesitation set off a light in her head.

"Oh, my poor man," she sympathetically replied. "Can I assume there's trouble in paradise?"

I guess I didn't need to nod or answer, she was going to assume anyway. We were handed our food and drink and took a seat at a tiny table under a little garden area.

"I'm sorry," she changed direction. "I'm a bit wealthy and excentric and, I'm afraid, quite forward and bold. I really didn't mean to pry."

"That's alright," I told her. "You were partly right. Some trouble, yes." I didn't want to get into it with someone I just met, even someone as beautiful as she. For all I knew she was a Cougar, trolling for a man.

"Man or woman?" she continued her admitted boldness.

"What?" I did it again. "Oh, a woman. My wife."

That outrageous smile returned. "Good. I can compete with that."

I was suddenly nervous and no longer hungry. My watch said it was a few minutes before three. I wanted to make Rose wait but not too long. I had a plan, after all.

"Well, it was nice to meet you," I said curtly, pushing my chair back and standing.

"Oh, please," she pleadingly answered. "Don't run off, Cade. That's an interesting name, by the way, is it Welsh?"

"Irish, actually," I stammered, worried she wasn't going to give up easily. "Some claim Scottish but who knows."

"Would you like to talk about your troubles?" she asked coyly. "Perhaps I can help. At least be a good listener."

"Look," I responded nervously, "I don't know you. You don't know anything about me. I'm late meeting my wife. I appreciate the offer but I have to be going."

She seemed so hurt that I rebuked her. I hadn't but she clearly took it that way. Yeah, probably a stalker.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Cade," she said stoically, squaring her shoulders.

Turning to walk away, I caught sight of Gerald, standing behind a large banister near one of the clothing shops. A few people walked in front of him, between us and when they passed, he was gone. I don't know anyone who can move that fast so I looked again and then scanned the surrounding area. Could I have imagined it?

It took twenty minutes to get to our room. I wasn't sure what I expected but Rose wasn't there. She'd been there because she left all her work files and laptop on the bed but there was no note saying where she went. If Rose thought I was playing a game that she could one-up me at, she was sadly mistaken.

At five thirty, I went to dinner at the Brazilian steakhouse. It was something I'd always wanted to do because all the ones I'd ever been in proximity to smelled marvelous. Here, I wouldn't have to pay a dime except for a tip. I tried every item that they could drag off those two-foot skewers and left completely stuffed.

My next stop was a little cigar shop I'd seen on the Promenade. Little didn't do it justice but they did have Swisher minis, much to my delight. I decided to smoke one or two while playing slots in the casino.

I returned to our room satisfied around 8:30 and entered expecting the fallout. It was time to get this done, but, again, I was completely caught off guard.

Rose sat sadly, curled up on the sofa, hugging her gym bag, and dressed sharply in one of the two cocktail dresses she brought. She slowly looked up.

"Are you trying to hurt me, Cade?" she asked softly.

"Funny," I couldn't help it. "I've been thinking the same about you, almost from the time we boarded."

My wife sighed deeply, which concerned me very much. She stood up and placed the gym bag strap over her shoulder which looked surreal considering the sparkly cocktail dress and high heels.

"I wanted to talk about some things," she sadly responded, "but I guess that will have to wait until tomorrow."

I cut her off. "What's that supposed to mean? Where do you think you're going?"

She stood taller, resolved. "I'm spending the night with Gerald. I..."

"Like fuck you are!" I screeched. The nerve of this woman who'd been my wife of five years. "I knew it! You're with him, probably have been, and you didn't have enough respect to be honest with me. I should fucking throw you overboard just for saying it."

She looked determined as she took the full force of my vitriol. There was something else there just behind her resolute mask. Was it pity? No, that wasn't it, but for the first time, I couldn't read her and that scared the hell out of me.

"Settle down, Cade," she readjusted. "We're in international waters. Threats like that or implications of physical violence will find you in the brig, probably for the duration of the trip."

Who was this woman and where was my wife?

"Like I said," she continued but moved toward the door. I wanted to explain, but you didn't come back. I'll be back in the morning and I'll explain then. Everything's going to be all right. I love you. You'll see. Tomorrow. Everything will be explained, and it will all work out."

"I don't know what the fuck you're doing," I bitterly answered her. "Or what you could ever possibly say that would make you think I'll ever be 'alright' with this, but you're sadly mistaken. If you do this, don't bother, just stay with him, or go with him. In fact, even if you don't leave now, I'm most likely leaving you and filing for divorce."

"No... you won't," she said definitively. "You'll see. Goodnight, Cade."

I couldn't leave it like that, her giving me her back. "Explain now, Rose. Surely, he can wait two minutes for you. Go ahead, explain why I should be here in the morning?"

"I'm going," she stated with confidence, "partly because I owe him a debt of gratitude for giving this to us. Partly because I feel bad for him being here all alone, but mostly because I want to. I deserve it and so does he."

With that, she walked out the door. I was so shocked that I just sat there on the bed. After replaying the last five or so minutes over and over, something strange came to me. She'd said the words. I'd heard them loud and clear. The peculiar part was her tone and body language. I know my wife well enough or at least thought so. Everything but the words told me she didn't seem to want to go to him.

That didn't make any sense, with the rapid and cruel way she did it. The two things didn't jibe.

I sat there, basically mourning the death of our marriage for a long time. Long enough that when I snapped out of it, I realized she could already be having sex with the bastard.

That took me to a new, dark place. They were going to pay, both of them. I couldn't hurt that prick financially, because he could make up any kind of damage I could do in a month, maybe even one day. Still, he was going to pay and I'd make sure I figured out how to do it.

Without question, I wouldn't be here when she came back if she even bothered. I gathered most of my stuff and tightly packed the smallest suitcase we'd brought with us. I didn't want to look like a loser dragging it with me all over the ship so I'd leave it and come back to retrieve it in the morning when I was sure she wasn't here. Then I'd be off the ship and book a flight from Portugal home.

I headed to the bar, attached to the entrance of the casino, and ordered my preferred cocktail. I sat watching all the happy people, happy couples, wanting to puke.

After a while, I grew bored. Angry and bored. Earlier, I'd lost one hundred dollars playing sixty-cent spins. Now, it didn't seem to matter. I ordered a fresh drink, sat down at the same Buffalo machine my wife had played two days before, lit one of my last two cigars, put in two thousand dollars, and started pushing max bet.

I was down to about four hundred when I hit four coins. The free games kept racking up and I ended up getting fourteen of the fifteen buffalo heads. That earned me a lucrative hand pay of $7850.00, which would certainly help me get a hotel room and airline tickets. Maybe it was my lucky day, my sarcastic thoughts told me. Then I realized it was five past midnight, so, maybe.

I was suddenly exhausted. Heading for my favorite pool deck, I found only a few people there. At the stand where towels resided during the day, they had blankets for all the stargazers. I grabbed two and curled up in a chaise lounge, where sleep finally overtook me.

That's how I ended up awake and slightly disoriented the following morning. A few passengers were gathering for an early morning swim as the crew efficiently reset for the start of a new day.

How Rose could do this to us was completely beyond me. In my confusion, all I could think was that this had been going on for some time and was their way of bringing it out in the open. Why not be upfront that she was leaving me for the rich boss who could treat her royally in ways I could only imagine? That, to me, would be more respectful and something I could chalk up once my anger died.

Why go to all the trouble? Why have sex with me the first night? Was it some sort of sendoff? I had no answers, just plenty of questions. I hadn't had much to drink but my head still hurt. A shadow crossed off to my right.

"Well, aren't you a sight?" a feminine voice declared. I turned right into the rising sun to see who it was.

"Christ," there was a mocking giggle. "I'm guessing you and the missus are still having problems." She tried to make light of my predicament.

It was Gwen. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse. Damn, this was a small ship.

She could easily tell her presence wasn't welcome. As she sat down on the chaise next to mine she offered, "May I sit here with you?"

She removed her sarong and laid back revealing an expensive, barely-there bikini. Clearly, she wasn't asking permission.

"I..." She spoke over me at the same time.

"Before we go any further, I think we both need a drink. Hair of the dog, I think you Americans call it." She waved calmly and brazenly to a crewmember at the closest bar. He walked over immediately.

"I'd like a Mojito with your best rum, extra mint," she gave her order. "And a bloody Mary, for my friend." The man nodded and began to turn when she continued. "And please be a dear and rustle up a slice of avocado toast."

She turned to me as the barman left. "We'll get you ship-shape in no time."

I wanted to tell her to leave; that I wanted to be alone. I think, subconsciously, my mind was telling me, "Don't be stupid, she's the only other person you know on this ship."

So, I took a deep breath and tried to relax. Gwen wasn't hard on the eyes and that was a plus, although her forwardness scared me. I did have a question, as stupid as it would sound leaving my lips, and it probably had to do with my lack of trust at that moment.

"Why are you here," I said. "Are you stalking me?"

"I suppose I didn't have an opportunity yesterday to say," she turned immediately to face me. "I'm a bit of a psychic and after running into you on the Promenade, I couldn't stop thinking about you. This morning, I awakened from a dream and sensed you may be in danger."

"In danger?" I repeated, believing she was making a joke.

"Sometimes," she reached across to touch my arm, "The premonitions don't manifest or, a better way to explain would be, they don't sync up with what's really happening or about to happen. I sensed you needed my help, would be a general way to describe what I was thinking."

"Wow!" I said, "That's crazy and... weird. How long have you been able to do this?"

"All my life," she responded sincerely. "Because of that, I don't believe any meeting is by chance which is why I knew I needed to interact with you."

Before I could think to reply, a female server approached with our drinks and toast. I was stunned by the speed and efficiency. I don't think I could have found a restroom that fast.

"That looks lovely, Dear," Gwen told her as she handed me the drink. "The toast is for him. Please put this on my room tab. Gwendoline Hewitt, the Star Suite. Oh, and sweetie, please add a fifty-dollar gratuity to the bill."

I'd seen the Star Suite in the advertisements I'd viewed before the trip. It was just below the command deck at the top of the ship. The cost was three thousand per night. Gwen turned to me as I simply stared at her.

"Do I have something on my face?" she asked. I think she was trying to lighten the mood but fell short.

As I ate my toast, Gwen told me her story and quite a story it was. Her parents were killed on safari in Zimbabwe when she was eleven. When I asked if it was an accident, she told me that 'killed' was more accurate.

Gwen's parents were extremely wealthy, and her twin brother and she were awarded the mass estate in a trust. They spent the next seven years with an aunt in the USA.

"So, these days," she concluded, "I'm what is commonly known as a jetsetter. I spent my twenties working with prominent investors, so at thirty-six, I can proudly say I'd have a hard time spending the money I've accrued."

"And your twin," I inquired, "where did he end up?"

"Oh, he's all over the place," she whimsically answered. "His wealth pales compared to mine but he's done pretty well for himself. Now, let's talk about your dilemma, shall we?"

Gwen was adamant about hearing all about Rose's boss right from the beginning. At first, I was reluctant to provide the whole story due to the embarrassment that had set in over the previous few days. Saying it and hearing it aloud made things worse. It made me question how I could have been so trusting in the first place.

Eventually, though, Gwen dragged it out of me. "So, if you had to follow your gut," she queried, "without any concrete proof, would you say they had sex before this cruise?"

That was a brutal question but of the sixty-four-thousand-dollar variety. Had I been so in love that I'd missed the important things?

"No," I responded after a long pause. "I can't believe that. That's not to say that I could be dead wrong, I just can't."

"Okay," she nodded her acceptance. "Then what do you think is going on?"

"I don't know that either," I rubbed my temples. "The behavior is so foreign from what I know and have seen from my wife. Obviously, she's made it seem like she owed him some of her precious time in return for him organizing this trip. Going to his room for sex, admitting it, and being so damned cruel about how she informed me, that's not the Rose I know.

"On the flip side," I continued, "it all seems too convenient. Gerald's girlfriend being a no-show, him being around us all the time, the out-of-place business meeting. Hell, even you showing up..."

I pulled up short, not finishing the thought. She was being nice to me and there was no reason to drag her into a fictional plot my mind was weaving.

"I must admit it's an odd situation," she conjectured, ignoring my comment. "If he has some hold over her, perhaps..." She was deep in thought. "If the goal was to make you jealous and then use your jealousy against you... what do you plan to do?"

Another million-dollar question. "I'm not sure," I admitted. "I just know I want to get off this ship. I want to go home. Hopefully, to figure something out so I never have to see either one of them again."

"That seems pretty harsh," she suggested. "If you don't believe she was cheating on you before last night, it seems to me there should at least be some dialogue about what happened. If for no other reason than to gain the answers you seek, to put your mind at ease and out of respect for each other, despite her disrespect."

"Yeah," I replied. "I suppose you're right. The thing is, I don't want to hear any of her answers right now. I'm not even sure I could face her without strangling her."

Gwen raised an eyebrow to that. "We'll be docking at Leixoes shortly. I have a villa eight kilometers outside of the city of Porto. Since you have, what, eleven or twelve days of vacation left why not take the time to relax? I'd love the company to be honest and you could clear your head."

I was starting to get a bad feeling although I wasn't exactly sure why.

"You have a villa here in Portugal," I interrogated, "and yet you're on a cruise ship that spends many of its days in Portuguese waters? Why would you do that?"

Gwen lost a portion of her brilliant smile. "I already explained. I'm rich and I have little else to do. Sometimes, I cruise on the ship just to cruise for a man. Other times, I actually meet interesting people - both men and women. This would be one of those times. I live in a villa that in the US would be considered a castle and I live there alone besides the staff I employ. You would be among the dozens of interesting people I've invited to my home over the years. If you were in my shoes, you'd understand what it would mean just to have a dinner guest."

"Have they all survived?" I laughed out loud so she knew it was a joke, but I really did want to know.

"Cade," she implored. "I can understand your skepticism especially given what your wife has done. No one's forcing you. I'm offering. If it turned out you are satisfactory company, I'd even consider buying your plane ticket home. And before you ask, I've already answered that twice. A plane ticket to anywhere on the globe, for me, would be the equivalent of you throwing a penny into a wishing well."

I sat looking at her, sizing her up. What were the chances I'd meet someone like her in such a bizarre and ransom set of circumstances?

"What have you got to lose?" she asked with a visible sigh. "I've got servants, exotic food you'd never want to waste good money on, alcohol and other, well, let's say, mind-altering substances, and a hillside view of the city and the sun setting over the Atlantic." When she put it that way...

"In return," I began, "you'd want only companionship, or is it more?"

"Cade," she said. "I'd be lying if I didn't say I find you attractive. If... intimacy were to happen, I would welcome that. At the same time, I understand your head may not be in the right place for that. Let's leave that on the table as an option and only an option, for now."

Reluctantly, I agreed to join Gwendoline on the quest she generously offered. I wasn't sure why I hesitated at all. She was a strikingly beautiful woman, older than me, and clearly wiser. Being with her, in any way I could imagine would certainly be educational.

"Where are your belongings?" she asked. I'd almost forgotten them.

"Packed, in our... my room."

"I sense you don't want to run into your wife," she was right about that. "Do you want me to collect your things for you? I can pretend to work for the purser."

I told her that was a good idea, handed her my keycard, and told her my cabin number. Gwen asked me to wait for her near the gangway. As she started across the pool, she pulled out her phone and touched the screen. I assumed she was calling one of her people to pick us up.

Many passengers were going ashore. I didn't want to accidentally bump into Rose or her lover, so, I sat about fifty feet away from where the line formed in a small coffee shop, watching for Gwen.

"There you are," she said, wheeling my small bag. "You travel light."