Bon Voyage

“So why are you on this boat alone?” I asked.

“You first,” Jean Pierre said.

“My mother is celebrating her fiftieth birthday and made us all join this stupid trip,” I replied.

“And you aren’t with them?” he asked with a frown.

“Fuck no!”

“This really isn’t my place, but family doesn’t grow on trees. I’d cherish the time you get together,” he said.

“My family is different. My mother has always made everything in my life about her. I can’t even be myself in my own home because it doesn’t fit within her narrative of perfection.”

Fuck! Not a moment ago, this gorgeous dude was openly hitting on me and now we were once again talking about my mother!

“Come, have a drink with me,” Jean Pierre said, offering his hand to help me to my feet.

“Why should I do that?” I asked, taking his hand anyway.

“Because you’re curious where this will lead,” he said, coyly.

I had a sudden flash of those strong, tattooed arms pinning me up against…

“One drink,” I said, holding up a finger. I’d never done anything like this before. I was an economics sophomore with a sex life that could be considered anemic at best.

Jean Pierre was staying in the Presidential Suite. This morning, I’d seen him on his private balcony which was more or less the size of my entire room.

The drink he promised was served from a fully stocked bar, together with oysters brought up by his personal butler.

“Who are you?” I asked, taking a tour of the space without asking.

“If I decide to answer, would you consider keeping an open mind?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you some kind of crime lord?”

“Worse,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m the heir apparent to the throne of Anchy, a principality bordering France and Belgium.”

“You’re a prince?!”

“Guilty as charged,” he said, holding up both hands.

“But…I thought…I’m… How do you know I’m not a threat?” What an absurd question to ask. What the fuck was wrong with me?

“A thorough background check has been run on every passenger and member of staff,” he answered slowly. “Even then, there is a guard at the door, and no one can get on or off this ship whilst at sea.”

A background check? Did he know more about me than he should? Did he seek me out, because…

“I’m not onboard entertainment,” I barked before leaving his room and slamming the door.

***

Despite my dramatic departure, I was now curious about Jean Pierre’s claims. A quick online search revealed that he was telling the truth.

His father was the Sovereign Prince of Anchy and his mother was the daughter of Lionel Marco, an ex-president of France. His brother’s twin had died in a plane crash six years ago. It was surely the reason why he told me to cherish my family.

There was no mention of him being in any kind of relationship and definitely no reference to him being gay. It immediately occurred to me that he was even more trapped than I was.

My mind started an argument with itself as I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. Even if he did know more about me than I did about him, he was a prince for fucks sake.

Was I supposed to be a potential hookup for the duration of the trip? What made him so confident that I would be up for that? Was he just used to getting what he wanted, like all people of privilege?

On the other hand, why was I resisting his advances? Out of principle? If he hadn’t told me who he was, I would probably have ended up in his bed.

***

“Why me?” I asked, taking a seat at Jean Pierre’s table in the fine dining restaurant.

Only a handful of passengers had access to the exclusive area and if Jean Pierre’s butler hadn’t recognized me, I’d never have managed to get past the host.

He took a sip of his wine and looked at me intensely. He clearly hadn’t expected me back after my earlier performance.

“Because you showed interest in me without knowing who I was,” he said matter-of-factly. “You didn’t think that I planned our encounter in advance, did you?”

I let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding.

“Let’s start over,” I said, extending my hand. “Killian, nice to meet you.”

“Jean Pierre. A pleasure,” he said, smiling. With an almost imperceptible gesture, he indicated to his butler to serve me a glass of wine.

“Why are you on this cruise by yourself?” I asked, taking a sip from my glass. Holy fuck that was smooth!

“I was in the US shopping for a university to continue my studies.”

I frowned at his answer and said, “And you are going back by boat?”

“This is the fastest Atlantic crossover that doesn’t involve air travel. I lost my brother in a plane crash and now Papa doesn’t allow any of us to fly.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” I breathed.

“Merci,” he said, taking a sip of wine.

“Can I ask you another question?”

“You already did,” he said with a lopsided grin.

“Does your family know that you’re…?” I didn’t want to say it in public for some bizarre reason.

“Those that matter know that I’m gay,” he replied.

“Why do I sense a ‘but’?”

“There’s always a ‘but,’ isn’t there?” he said.

His butler brought him a shrimp cocktail and apparently assumed that I wanted one too. He wasn’t wrong, it looked delicious.

“There is a plan in place that when my father passes, I automatically abdicate so my brother can take over.”

“Why?” I asked, before popping a shrimp into my mouth.

He looked at me in what seemed like confusion before saying, “Well, for starters I can’t produce an heir. It’s kind of crucial for hereditary titles.”

“You can adopt or have a kid via surrogacy,” I said, not seeing the issue.

“If only European nobility could see the world the way you do,” he said with a sigh.

“Actually, I’m being a bit of a hypocrite. I’ve never brought a guy home because I’m afraid of how my mother will punish my dad for it.”

“She doesn’t know you’re gay?” he asked, his interest piqued.

“Oh, she knows. It just can’t affect her perfect reality,” I replied. “My mother suffers from narcissistic personality disorder. Everything is always about her.”

“Is she being treated by a psychotherapist?” Jean Pierre asked, suddenly serious.

“She doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with her and my dad enables it.”

“It must be hard for you to navigate around that your whole life. I’m sure it takes a lot of strength and resilience,” he said sincerely.

His words had such a profound effect on me that I almost started to cry.

“No one has ever acknowledged how hard it is,” I said quietly.

“I know how a little empathy can go a long way. I’m very lucky to have my brother, we can discuss literally everything.”

“Even the guys you like?” I asked.

“Okay, maybe not everything,” Jean Pierre said, laughing his warm laugh.

That was when my phone rang.

“Where are you?” Dad demanded. “We’re at the dinner table and your mother is worried about you.”

“When has Mom ever been worried about anyone?” I said out of habit.

“Are you coming or not?!” Dad said, clearly having lost his patience.

Jean Pierre mouthed, “Go, go.”

I hung up and told him, “Thank you for this, all of it.”

“Will you join me for a drink later? You never finished the first one.”

Where would that drink lead to? Was a prince someone who expected it all straight away? Was I ready for that?

“I’ll see you in an hour or so,” I said. “Will they let me up to your suite?”

“I’ll leave instructions to give you full access,” he said with a naughty smirk.

“Looking forward to it,” I said, trying to mimic his casual innuendo.