Eight

JJ

Today had started out as one more adventure, but right now I was regretting every fucking minute of it. "So, since you stowed away on board, we'll take you to the next stop and leave you. You'll be responsible to pay for the time you've spent on board, and you'll also be responsible for yourself once you're off the ship," the ship's officer said to me, I wasn't sure what exactly he was, only that he was in charge of what happened to me next.

"The guys I came on board with said it was okay for me to go with them." It sounded just as weak to my ears as I'm sure it did to theirs.

"Look, I'm not really interested in what made you come to this decision to even try to sneak on board a cruise ship. But you will be removed as soon as possible. The next stop is the day after tomorrow. Until then you'll be staying with one of the crew who doesn't have a roommate. We very easily could just throw you in the brig, but upon speaking to your father we decided you were no danger to anyone."

"Did you say you talked to my father?" I asked, and that shock almost sobered me up completely.

"Standard protocol, and you gave us his number. You two know what to do. Carry on," he said, before walking away leaving me with the two security guards. I didn't remember that part at all, but it sounded like me. As soon as I was in trouble, I'd try to get him to bail me out.

"Can I make a phone call?" This felt very much like I was being arrested, which I guess in a way I was. But I'd lost my phone along with my wallet and had no way of buying a ticket home or even calling to ask for help without some assistance.

"Sure, you can use mine," one said after a look passed between the two of them, and I guess they came to a silent agreement that it was okay for me to use his phone. He handed it to me, and he stayed with me while the other man walked a few doors down. They still had not let me into the room they said I'd be staying in, and even though I was still pretty fucked up, there was no way I was pushing for privacy.

I struggled to remember Bobby's number since I had it saved on my phone and hadn't had to think about it in years. I considered calling home but there was no way I was asking my parents for help again when it was completely my fuck up. "Bobby, I'm in a little bit of trouble."

"JJ? Whose phone are you using? No, never mind, it doesn't matter. I can't speak right now, we're headed back to Florida, and I have a lot to do before work tomorrow," he said as soon as he picked up.

"They're holding me on the ship for sneaking on. I don't have any cash, or my phone, and they're putting me off on the next stop. I'm sorry to call but I didn't know who else to call, and I barely remembered your number let alone someone else's."

He was silent so long I thought he'd hung up.

"I'm sorry that happened, but I tried to get you to go back to the hotel and you refused. You were so into those two guys that's all you could see. I think this is it for me, JJ."

"What do you mean?"

"You're going to have to figure it out yourself. You're almost thirty, it's time to grow up." He hung up and this time I did look to see if he really had before handing it back to the security guard.

"Is there anyone else you want to call?"

"No, thank you," I said, and leaned against the door we'd stopped in front of.

"One minute, I'm going to go alert the crewmember that he'll be sharing his quarters," the other security guard said, before walking down the hall.

He returned a few minutes later and I couldn't believe my eyes. The same guy I'd just flirted with who was also the guy from the beach restaurant earlier. I was pretty sure he hated me. "Uh, I—"

"Crewmember Wynn has agreed to allow you to use the extra bed in his room. There's a lost and found by the laundry that he'll show you later. You can find some clothes to wear until we arrive at the next port, which will be the day after tomorrow," the security guard said, while the guy who was getting stuck sharing his room with me crossed his arms and dared me to say something.

"Can I pay for a room?" I asked and hoped if I did call my parents, they'd help me one more time.

"The ship is fully booked. This is the only room we have open. Except for the brig." He had yet to uncross his arms and even though I was still drunk, there was no mistaking that he meant every word.

I was afraid to even look at the poor guy who had been unlucky enough to get a room of his own, and when I finally did get the courage up, or maybe I really was still that drunk, he looked away and shook his head.

"This way," he said and opened his door. "You can take that bed. I'll take you to the commissary so you can get a toothbrush, I'm not loaning you mine."

I held my hands up in surrender. "I wasn't going to ask." The other security guard who I'd forgotten about, snickered before wiping his mouth.

"Are you okay, Cory?" the other guy asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'll get him set up then I need to get to work."

"Just a reminder, Jackson Carrington, you are under house arrest, and you are not allowed to leave this room without being accompanied either by security or Cory. And he's only got permission to take you to get food and necessities. Is that clear?" the first security guard asked.

"Yes, sir." I wasn't about to test either of them. The fact they brought me down here in the first place told me how serious it all was. And fucking Bobby! Actually, fucking me. Bobby had a life and was doing great; he was right, it was time for me to grow up. "I'd like to volunteer to help in any way I can to pay for staying here."

Both of them looked at each other before one walked away while speaking on his handheld radio. Cory was looking anywhere but at me until finally walking over to his bed and sitting down. Then I remembered, he'd been working all day while I'd been drinking and partying. His day still wasn't over, he'd said he worked later. I tried to think of a time I'd worked that hard and couldn't come up with even one day. I groaned in shame and tried to cover it with a cough, but the look Cory gave me told me it hadn't worked. Not even close.