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

They’re built about the same, maybe five-eight. Devon is sturdy. Savin is, well, you’d want to buy him a sandwich. Devon is dark and has a goatee. Savin is light, and his hair goes from light brown to henna to bronze. Devon’s hair is short and neat, but Savin needs a haircut. It’s curling over his ears and falls onto his forehead, which is lovely. All right, now my imagination is running away with me, and I’ll be going to Dante’s Hell soon for my thoughts. In my totally untrained opinion, Savin has pain in his eyes, while Devon has merriment. I feel bad about my first impression. I’m very glad to have been mistaken.


Chapter 7