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Chapter Six

Jack

"I'm sorry, Monkey. Every pet must have a handler or a Daddy to escort them into the play area. No unattended playmates." I walked into one of the staff addressing a new…

Wait a second.

"Sorry, I'm late, Little Monkey." Calling Vale by name wouldn't do. Not only would it risk his job, but it wasn't a suitable pet name. Not that Little Monkey was, though it did fit him to a tee.

"Do you two know each other?" the attendant asked Vale and he nodded. Taking that response to be acceptable, the attendant moved on.

"Working late cleaning storage rooms, huh?" I whispered once the guy was out of earshot.

"We were but then afterward I worked on the suit. I found it in a box in one of the rooms we cleaned out. It was going into the trash pile when it hit me to make a costume from it. Be honest, how bad is it?" I glanced down at the ensemble he'd prepared. I had no idea what he'd used for the pieces. It reminded me of a raggedy old bear I'd had as a child paired with a bathroom rug, but I wasn't going to embarrass him by saying that. He'd obviously worked very hard on it.

"It'll do, Cheeky Monkey, and it covers the important parts. Now, is there another name you'd like to go by while here? Or what would you like me to call you?" Pet names were important. Some named themselves after pets they'd once had while others merely winged it.

"I like Little Monkey."

"Little Monkey it is then. Now, where would you like to start? Climb the wall, or the obstacle course, or do you want to swing along the oversized cat towers?" Hopefully they were secured in place to handle human weight. Vale glanced around the area, mentally calculating his plan of attack. Every space except for the climbing wall was occupied.

"Can I try the wall? We had these in PE class, and I always had fun on them."

I pictured Vale racing to the top while the others in class stared in awe at his abilities.

"Rock wall it is then, Little Monkey. Let's get you fitted in a harness." It took a few minutes for the attendant to get him situated. In his excitement, Vale had a bit of trouble standing still, but finally managed to long enough to get him clipped in. I stood back and assessed everything and double-checked the carabiners. Granted, he wouldn't fall to the ground the way this was set up. I'd have hold of the other end of the rope, and I'd see to it that didn't happen. But still, safety first.

"All right, Little Monkey, climb until your limbs are weary." Excitedly, Vale hopped up and down and tried his luck at making monkey sounds. I. wasn't quite sure it was a success, but either way, he was happy and that's what mattered. Plus, he made me smile. Every move he made I had an eye on. Whether it be placing his hand or foot to a rock or glancing up to pick his next move, I tracked them all. I appreciated how he calculated each move and didn't just wildly jump around without considering where he'd land. When Vale reached the top he proudly rang the bell, his eyes danced as he mentally clapped for himself. Thank the rock wall gods he didn't physically do it.

Vale rappelled down and once both feet touched the ground he jumped just as excitedly as he had before he went up.

"Good job, Little Monkey. Where to next?" He was in character, so he didn't use his words, though I wasn't sure he'd completely immersed into subspace. But at least he'd tried and let go enough to feel a touch of the freedom associated with it. It'd likely take a few play sessions before he'd achieve it, considering how new this was to him.

He wandered toward the obstacle course and stood back and watched the pups and ferret run through it. I did appreciate the fact that the costume he made wasn't too revealing and he could easily move around in it. As much as I would have loved a sexier outfit in another setting, it probably wouldn't have gone over well here. Thankfully the shorts he made fell below his hips in lieu of the booty shorts most pet play outfits came with and he dressed it up with a cute furry vest. The monkey face was a basic mask with the eyes and mouth cut out, but the ears brought it together, and the tail was attached to his shorts. I appreciated that rather than having him wear an internal one. I was in no way against those and looked forward to being the lucky man who got to insert Vale's some hopeful day.

He made it through the maze and only fell once. Then he was up and over to the cat towers, nimbly maneuvering them. All the pets watched him, oohing and aahing. I thought for sure they'd clap at the end but they'd already re-emersed themselves in their pursuits. This little monkey was agile for sure and put on quite the show, and through it all his smile never faltered. He was so free and uninhibited having found his niche. I was correct in thinking pet play would be a welcome outlet for him. He hit the rock wall one more time before he planted himself on my lap in a bold, new move.

"Are you worn out, Little Monkey?" He nodded. "Would you like a bottle of water or a juice box?" My question was answered with another nod. I slid him onto the empty chair beside me and retrieved a juice box and a bottle of water from the nearby fridge. Figured whichever one he didn't drink I would.

"Which one, juice or water?" His eyes bobbed between the two before he finally pointed at the juice box. I popped a straw in and handed it over, seconds later he'd sucked it dry. "Would you like the water now?" Still in character, he shook his head no. "Let's sit for a few more minutes so you can unwind and relax." I slid my arm around the back of his chair, and he laid his head on my shoulder. I enjoyed this new layer of Vale. He hadn't been this open around me yet and I loved the personal touches, from sitting on my lap to laying his head against me.

I'd have offered to walk him back to his room but if I went anywhere near the staff quarters the cameras would likely catch me and then he'd be in trouble. Not worth the risk. Our time would come once we were both in Seattle.

When the seventh yawn rolled from him, it was time to bring our night to an end. "Sleepy Little Monkey, it's bedtime."

"But I'm comfy." He snuggled in deeper, nearly on my lap again.

"Me, too, and as much as I'd like to tuck you in, we both know that's not possible." How I wished he wasn't an employee of the cruise line right now. We'd return to my room and cuddle as we stared out at the moonlit night. Maybe we'd make love, maybe we wouldn't, but either way we'd be curled up together. This was harder than I thought it would be, and feelings were getting involved. I had it in my mind that casual dates while I was a passenger would be just fine and now here I was bidding him a reluctant goodnight.

"Sweet dreams, my cheeky little monkey." He'd taken my suggestion and created this adorable creature, and I was ever so proud of him. And happy to report the yawns meant good things, restful things. Likely a combination of all the hours he'd worked in conjunction with playtime. But I'd like to think that the playtime was most of it and would assist in his having a decent night's sleep.

We held hands as we strolled through the various rooms on our way to the main hallway.

"I'm this way," Vale hooked a thumb in the opposite direction from where my room was.

"Then this is where we say goodnight, my sweet boy." I gave him a brief kiss, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention. "I look forward to tomorrow's lunch date."

"Me, too. Goodnight, Jack."

"Goodnight, Monkey."

On the way back to my room, I wandered through the promenade deck window shopping. As I came upon a toy shop, an adorable monkey stuffie caught my eye and I knew it was meant for my boy. My boy worked hard, and he deserved a special treat. I envisioned him curled up with the little fluff ball in bed at night. But of course, being the nurturing Daddy I was, that wasn't all I walked out of the store with.

It was ridiculous how excited I was to share these gifts with Vale. I'd set one out each day at lunch for him to take back to his room. I made sure nothing was too big and unable to be hidden on his cleaning cart. I just wanted him to have some things to remind him of me once the cruise was over.

When I was back in my cabin I showered, ordered room service and settled in for a night of binge television. Being a workaholic definitely had its pros, but it came with a list of cons, too. Like the huge reality check I got when it hit me that I'd never given my past boys the attention that I was giving Vale and even in times like now when I sat down to start watching shows that I'd been meaning to watch for years. Now I actually had the time, though I'd still take on a new project here or there. Having a future with Vale slowly worked its way to the top of my list of importance.

As had catching up with my parents, too.

I was lucky in so many aspects. The fact that I was still able to do this at such a young age—semi-retire or vacation when I wanted. Things most people worked their entire lives, literally, for until the day they died while others dreamed of doing so when they reached retirement age. Then how many years did you have left after you retired? While I wasn't technically retired, being in my thirties with the ability to start living life the way it was meant to be was indeed a blessing.

One more day at sea then we would dock at our first stop on the island of Oahu. A day on the beach should help me relax. Maybe do some light shopping. Speaking of which, I logged onto the familiar pet site I'd purchased items from before and searched their gear. While the show I thought I wanted to watch played in the background, I laughed at the realization I wasn't one to sit still either. I shopped for a proper monkey suit for Vale. A boy with a vast amount of energy seemed to be just what I needed to pull me out of my slump.

Somewhere along the line, I lost myself while riding wave after wave of wrong boys. Something deep down inside me had awoken and I had Vale to thank for that. Though none of my relationships had ended in heartbreak, at least not by me, and I didn't remember any real tears from the boys that I'd spent any time with, they'd still ended. Granted, they weren't always meant to be relationships, just more playmates with benefits. I couldn't help but wonder if I had been selfish just by living my life my way I had.

It"s funny how I came on board with the thought I'd work the entire time but since the moment Vale stormed into my room, he'd been my every waking thought. The list of places to take him and things to do had grown exponentially. It's crazy, these sudden changes in me and for all I knew Vale didn't even like any of the items I'd mentally listed for us to do. Or maybe he wouldn't want to spend that much time with me once he was home. But it was like my brain just couldn't stop.

On a bright note, I found the perfect outfit for him and had it shipped to my place. It would be waiting for him when he finally got back.

What if he signed another four-month contract? Would I be able to continually be apart from him for months on end?

My father always told me for him it was love at first sight the day he spotted my mother across the crowded room that fateful night. They both attended their senior prom but with other dates. They'd never really talked outside of class but knew who the other was. Their dates had wandered off and they took a chance and danced. From that moment forward they were inseparable.

While Dad attended college at UDub, Mom worked by choice. Mom wasn't inspired in a professional capacity. From a young age she'd dreamed of a family of her own and a house filled with children's laughter. So as soon as Dad graduated, they were married and moved into their first place together. Sadly, Mom suffered four miscarriages before finally carrying me, her fifth pregnancy, to term. She wanted more but her doctor warned her against it and even recommended a full hysterectomy before she left the hospital due to the damages caused from carrying me and during childbirth.

It broke her heart to know that she couldn't have any more, but she said the first time she held me and gazed into my eyes, all the pain was forgotten. At least in those moments. She called me her light, the one that brought her back from the dark and filled her days with joy. The one who made her whole again. I really had the best childhood. Yes, my father worked a lot, but again, I went with him once I was old enough to. What little bit of time he may have spent at home, he did everything in his power to ensure Mother and I always knew we were loved. We had everything we needed and honestly, I didn't remember my parents ever having had a single argument.

To this day, they still looked at each other like they hung the moon. Being married for more than forty years was amazing. I used to tease them when I was younger about being mushy and kissing and how gross it was but then as an adult, I grew to envy it. I never met two people more in love than my parents. Someday, I hoped to have a love that strong. One that stood the test of time through the good and the bad. Knowing that the one person who held your heart was always there for you, and you for them.

I placed an order with catering for tomorrow's lunch to arrive promptly at noon, shut the computer down and ended up falling asleep with the TV on. Hadn't done that in forever, at home I barely turned the thing on.

Rejuvenated and ready for another day was how I woke up the next morning. Giddy to the point of having butterflies over seeing Vale again. Even though it had been less than twelve hours since we parted, it was far too long for me.

Meeting up twice a day, at least on the days that we weren't docked made the trip all that much better. I probably wouldn't get off at each island outside of Oahu because I'd previously been to them. But I knew Vale hadn't. During one of our conversations, he had mentioned he'd never been out of Washington, and I hoped to whisk him away on an island vacation someday.

So many plans, so little time.

Wasn't that the way it always went?

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