James Rockton is ready to die. In fact, he plans on it. Having lost his life partner to AIDS, he books the South Pacific cruise Richard didn't live to share. James will spread Richard's ashes at sea, and then slip overboard to join him forever. He’s too old and too heartbroken to continue on alone.<br><br>But James doesn’t count on meeting a young man whose parents constantly put him down. Then there’s the obviously gay young art dealer who ogles a crazy young photographer traveling with an older gay man about James’s own age.<br><br>James and Herb begin spending time together, trying not to laugh too hard or get too involved with these young men, who circle each other in rapidly shrinking orbits. After all, James and Herb are old, with gray hair and less stamina. With time, talk, and martinis, will love manage to find them, too?

Fade to Gray

Eric went babbling on, “Guessguessguess! Maybe it’s not even a country! Maybe it’s a planet!”


Snob said quietly, “Eric, stop harassing people. Now.” Well, it was more of a hiss than a statement.


“Ur…” Eric started, but Snob cleared his throat so forcefully, the rest of it was drowned out, but it was not hard to guess. Savin did not laugh, but Eric laughed enough for all of us.


I followed Savin out the door and heard him mutter, “Mars, right?” Although the two spots of red high on his cheekbones made it obvious he knew which planet Eric had been going to say.


I could still hear Eric’s laughter and Snob said, “You’re a little shit, you know that?”


I was selfishly glad neither of those idiots seemed to appeal to our boy. However, even a grown man my age can be mistaken, as you will see.


Chapter 5