I could not help but notice how ssy everything was as Ethan led us to our table. The soft glow of the candles on each table, the rich wooden paneling, and therge windows overlooking the ocean...


    Ethan guided us to a table by the window. "Here you are," he said with a polite smile.


    We all took our seats—Charlotte and I on one side, with Robert, Sandra, and Michael on the other.


    Soon after, a waiter came over and gave us menus and poured sparkling water into our sses.


    We ced our orders—Charlotte went for the vegan stuffed squash, while I opted for the prime rib.


    The waiter brought out a basket of warm, freshly baked bread and a small tter of appetizers—shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, and a creamy artichoke dip.


    Sandra leaned in a little closer all of a sudden, her eyes curious as she tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "So... I''m sorry, but what exactly do you two do for a living?"


    ThequestionwasaimedatbothCharlotteandme.


    I gave Charlotte a quick look before answering. "I''m a market analyst and investor," I said.


    Charlotte gave my arm a light squeeze and grinned. "Jack''s done pretty well for himself," she said, then turned to Sandra with a smirk. "And I''ve been leaching off of him," she joked.


    Sandra giggled softly, her gaze lingering on me a bit longer than usual. "That must be amazing. You must get to travel a lot."


    Charlotte smiled warmly but shook her head slightly. "I mean, we''re both studying, and Jack has been quite busy, so we don''t really have that much time to travel."


    Charlotte looked at me with a tender smile. "But if there''s something I need him for, he always finds time."


    Sandra looked between us. "You''re lucky, Charlotte," she said softly, almost wistfully. "It must be nice to have someone sessful who can support your dreams. Not many guys can bnce both like that."


    Robert stayed quiet. It seemed a bit strange; like he didn''t seem to care that Sandra had forgotten about him for the moment.


    "So, Jack." Robert finally spoke up. "How did you get started with all this... investing stuff?"


    I turned to him, keeping my tone rxed. "I spent a few years learning how everything works—the trends, the risks, the rewards. Once I felt like I had a good handle on things, it was just about finding some initial funds. With a bit of luck and persistence, I managed to secure what I needed."


    I paused for a moment, noticing that Sandra was paying close attention, then continued. "Soon enough, I zeroed in on a few high-return trades, mostly in software and health. The early wins helped me build up and move into other areas."


    Robert looked a bit skeptical. "I can barely save up a few grand in a year. Your parents must do very well. Or is there another method that I am missing out on?"


    "No, actually, I didn''t get any special funding. I just got very lucky with a gamble on an NBA game. It was a fluke. So, I''m sorry, but I can''t tell you there''s an easy way to get funds."


    Our orders soon arrived.


    As we started eating, I turned to Robert and Michael. "So, what do you guys do for work?"


    Michael spoke up first. "We''re bothputer engineers, just fresh out of university. I''m in software development."


    Robert nodded. "We''re both new to the field, really. I handle server maintenance for differentpanies, but it''s been a bit rough finding a good job."


    "Yeah, it''s been crazy with how quickly things are changing." Michael added, "Landing a good position isn''t as easy as we thought. Especially with that market bubble burst, there''s way fewer jobs."


    ''The IT job market should be bouncing back by now... so these guys must not be looking hard enough, or maybe they''re not that good,'' I thought.


    I smiled. "Well, it will get better. it''s definitely a golden age to be in IT. Actually... if you''re up for it, I could set you up with a high-paying job in California."


    Michael''s eyes widened at the offer, but he quicklyposed himself. "What kind of job are you talking about?"


    "I could help you get a position at Google, if you''d like."


    Michael''s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I mean fuck, if they pay well, I''m interested."


    "How can you guarantee a job like that?" Robert gave me an odd look.


    "I''m on the board of directors, so I can just ask around and see what can be done."


    Robert and Michael stared at me nkly.


    Sandra, observing the conversation, looked puzzled. "What''s Google?" she asked, turning to Robert.


    Robert nced at Sandra and smiled. "It''s arge softwarepany."


    We ate and chatted a bit more. The two guys looked like they were interested in my proposition.


    For some reason, I had a strange feeling about Sandra''s and Robert''s rtionship; they didn''t exactly look like a pair; Sandra seemed more like a friend or someone who was simply there with them.


    Besides that, when we were done eating, Sandra could not take her eyes off of me. Softly brushing her fingers along the edge of her te.


    I think Charlotte noticed the shift in Sandra''s attitude because she was looking at me knowingly but she didn''t say anything.


    ...


    After dinner, Charlotte and I headed back to our room and we took a shower together.


    Afterward, I pulled on a pair of shorts and put the Hawaiian shirt back on.


    Charlotte slipped into a baby blue cropped top and some tight and bright jean shorts.


    After putting on somefy shoes, we went to the club.


    When we got to the club, we were greeted by the mellow strains of ssic tunes from a bygone era, but all of them danceable.


    The music was targeted at the older passengers on the cruise, which were the majority. I think we were the youngest pair on the dancefloor by 20 years.


    I heardments about how ''cute'' we were.


    I danced with Charlotte and I spent an inordinate amount of time swimming in her sexy eyes and trying to read her mind.


    I got her closer in my arms and told her that this was where she belonged. She nodded and then kissed me on the lips.


    I slow danced with her for an hour or so.


    Around 10 p.m., the music changed. Fast beats reced the slow, old-fashioned songs, and younger people starteding into the club. They must have known the schedule.


    We stayed on the floor.


    Charlotte kicked off a teasing Mexican danceI watched her make those sexy dance moves.


    I spun her around, drawing her close, then letting her glide away before pulling her back. She would then spring into my arms, her hands boldlynding on my butt.


    As we danced, I saw Robert and Sandra somewhere in the crowd, dancing. It was obvious to me that Sandra was taking the lead in the dance. Robert looked a little overwhelmed but he was enjoying himself.


    At some point, we decided to take a break and headed to the bar. Charlotte was 20, so we couldn''t get alcohol, but I got us some Coke.


    As we sipped our drinks, Sandra appeared, sat down next to me, and looked over at Charlotte.


    "Hey, Charlotte," she said. "Mind if I borrow your guy for a dance?"


    "Go on! Have fun." Charlotte grinned and gave a nod of approval.


    I turned to Sandra. "Shouldn''t you ask me first?"


    Sandra chuckled. "Want to dance?"


    I shed a smile. "Don''t you think Rob might get a little jealous?"


    "Oh, please..." Sandra let out a dramatic sigh, downing her drink all at once. "Rob isn''t my boyfriend. He just paid me to be here." She rolled her eyes, a hint of exasperation in her tone.


    Iughed, then held out my hand to Sandra. "Well, in that case, let''s dance. Charlotte,e join us once you finish your drink."


    As the night wore on, I danced closely with bothdies, our bodies brushing and rubbing against each other. I was practicing my ability to keep my g at half-mastfordanceafterdance.


    ...


    After getting out of bed the next morning, I ordered coffee service to our room. The coffee service came and I had him put it on the balcony.


    I poured myself a cup and grabbed a warm croissant from the tray, when Charlotte came out. I poured her a cup and added the cream she requested.


    "This is so nice," she said, taking a sip. "Thank you for making mee with you on this trip. I''m not used to vacations like this—or having the money for them in the first ce."


    "You really looked like you were having fun yesterday," I said. "I like to see you happy like that. We should go on vacations like these together again."


    Charlotte sipped her coffee, still in her white pajamas. She stared at me with a yful smile. "That girl Sandra... she seemed to have been really interested in you."


    I cupped my fingers around my chin, feeling a bit smug. "Well, it''s not strange, since I''m such a nice guy…"


    "Oh,e on!" Charlotte rolled her eyes.


    After breakfast, I changed into my gym clothes.


    Charlotte was still lounging on the balcony, enjoying her coffee, as I headed out to the onboard gym.


    Once there, I got into my workout, pushing through reps and feeling the sweat pour down my back. By the time I hit the bench press, I was drenched. I stripped off my shirt and continued my set.


    "Hey Jack, you look even better without your shirt." Just as I finished a set, I heard a voice.


    I quickly set the weights down and looked up.


    It was Sandra, in a clean white t-shirt and a tight pair of ck gym shorts with a tie string.


    "Hey, Sandra."


    "Sandra? Really?" She put on a wounded look. "Please, just call me Sandy."