Chapter Five

Ella felt a little better after using her wand, but her sex still ached between her legs as images of Dr. Kirk flashed across her mind.

She tried to ignore it and focus on the computer screen in front of her, but it was difficult. Being in the presence of that man always left her in a tizzy. It would take the better part of the day before she calmed down.

How pathetic is that, Ella? Visiting your doctor is the most exciting part of your life. You need to live a little!

Forgetting about him for a moment—or trying her hardest to—she got busy typing on the keyboard.

Dr. Kirk was right. She needed to invest in herself. Take some time and travel. When the kids were at home, she always focused on taking them places they were interested in. Now, she could go anywhere she wanted, doing anything she felt like.

And she felt like going somewhere…Little.

Hmm.

The internet search yielded some of the usual results. Of course, there was Mountainville. She’d seen enough videos to know the special town would be a blast. But the middle-of-nowhere West Texas wasn’t really the vibe she was going for right now.

There was The Crosslands in Oklahoma City. But again—the Heartland wasn’t exactly calling her name.

The third option she saw was.

A Littles’ cruise.

She clicked on the link and was taken to a professional, colorful website. A video instantly played, showing a luxury ocean liner sailing over deep blue waters. It cut to a scene of a woman—probably about 35—dressed in a pink, frilly swimsuit, riding a twisting waterslide.

The next shot showed a man—probably over 30, as well—running and jumping into a ball pit. The camera panned out to reveal that ball pit was sunken into the deck of the ship, and beyond the nearby railing was nothing but miles of picturesque ocean.

Okay, so this looks fun. And the people aren’t all super young. That was one thing that scared Ella. She didn’t want to go somewhere to find she was the only forty-plus Little there. She’d stand out like a sore thumb in a crowd of youthful twenty-somethings.

While the folks in the video weren’t quite as old as her, they weren’t mid-twenties, either.

The highlight reel kept going and there were a few younger folks. No big deal. It wasn’t that she minded them. She just didn’t want to crash their party.

Then she saw a couple that was even older than her.

By the time the video ended, she’d seen a wide variety of ages—all adults, of course. And a wide variety of Age Players.

Some were Adult Babies. Others were Littles but identified a bit older. Then there were Middles. The ship catered to them all, having enough activities to ensure everyone had fun.

She was so engrossed in what she saw that it took her a moment to realize her cell was buzzing loudly atop the desk. She didn’t recognize the number, but that wasn’t unusual in her line of work. As an interior designer, she received calls from prospective clients all the time.

She accepted the call.

“Good evening. This is Ella Grant.”

“Good evening, Ella.”

She nearly gasped as she instantly recognized the voice of Dr. Kirk.

Her excitement quickly wore off as she realized what an after-hours call from the physician might mean.

“Is there bad news about my test results?”

“Oh, no! I’m so sorry to startle you. I, uh, should have thought about that before I called.”

“No big deal. I guess I’m just kind of jumpy,” she said with a laugh.

“Hey, this is on me. I should have realized how it would seem with me calling you. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“No. Actually, I’m just looking online, thinking about that vacation idea you floated earlier.”

Floated was the right word, she thought to herself, as she kept her eyes on the image of the cruise ship. She kept that lame joke to herself, though. Along with what kind of cruise she was looking into. She sure wasn’t going to tell him that!

“Good. That’s actually why I was calling. I wanted to make sure you’re taking care of yourself. For whatever reason, I…couldn’t stop thinking about you today.” A moment ticked off the clock before he added, “And your situation. Just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

Ella forgot all about the website. She gripped her phone tighter. There was something more to Dr. Kirk’s words. Something they both understood but weren’t acknowledging. Not aloud, at least.

Should she pursue it? Was this the perfect opening to get a date?

He doesn’t want the chubby middle-aged woman, Ella. He’s a wealthy, handsome doctor. He wants a young skinny thing. A trophy hanging on his arm.

Besides, she thought, are doctors even allowed to date patients? Not that it mattered. He wasn’t interested in her. He was just being a good practitioner, going above and beyond to check on his patient. She was probably just one of many on the list of calls he’d make tonight.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Thak you so much for checking.”

“You’re going to take my advice and do something for yourself?”

“I am,” she said.

“Good. As I mentioned, I’m leaving town. But feel free to call me if you need me. Anytime. About anything. This is my personal number. I hope you’ll save it in your phone and don’t hesitate to use it.”

That sent an excited chill down her spine as her lips curled in a devilish smile. But she quickly reminded herself that he was just being a good doctor once again.

“Thank you so much. I hope you have a great trip,” she said.

“And I hope whatever you do is great—and relaxing—as well. Take care, Ella.”

She at least waited until the call had ended before she giggled. She would definitely be making use of her magic wand again later. But that could wait. Right now, she wanted to see about this cruise.

The Little Star, as the ship was called.

She continued to scope out the site. A few minutes later, she saw something that caused her heart rate to increase. Excitement started in her core and spread throughout her entire body, causing even her fingers to tingle.

Bigs were encouraged to attend. They could bring their Littles. Or single Mommies and Daddies could book a cruise, hoping to meet their forever cutie. The cruise even had special events for single Bigs and Littles, such as dances and mixers.

This is too good to be true. Surely they’re full. You probably have to book this trip years in advance.

She went to the right page, plucked in the dates, and was shocked when it came back that they still had slots open for their departure two days from now.

She didn’t think anymore about it. She booked as fast as possible.

She squealed in excitement the moment the confirmation appeared on screen.

But that excitement quickly faded, leaving a sense of sheer dread in its wake.

Being a Little was a source of anxiety for her. She always felt so self-conscious about it. She’d never been able to share that side of herself with anyone! Could she let all those inhibitions go and just enjoy this magical cruise? Could she go from hiding in secret to being out and proud about her unique nature?

The dread continued to wash over her. She hurried from her home office to the bathroom, fearing she might get sick. She hunched over the toilet and took big, long breaths.

This isn’t a bad thing, Ella. It’s a dream come true. Go. Enjoy the trip. Who knows what the future holds? This might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Life’s too short not to have a little fun.

And remember, he ordered it.

Dr. Kirk told you to do this.

The nausea passed and she slowly stood upright. She walked to the mirror and studied herself. Finally, a smile began to spread across her lips.

She was going to go on that cruise. It might be terrifying. She might consider backing out a dozen times before she actually boarded that ship.

But she was going.

And she would have a blast.