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

I don’t even need to repeat any of it; most of it was swear words. Eventually, the bartender and a bystander decided to step in between them, but not before she was able to wallop him a swat that would have knocked out a boxer. He hissed a few curses, and they left by separate doors before security or whatever they have on board could show up. I was shaken and embarrassed and left right after they did, and didn’t realize I’d left my notebook behind.


I saw Savin and his parents heading toward the art auction and waved. Savin nodded, watching me come out of the Crow’s Nest just as two burly crew members entered. I followed them to the art auction. They sat near the front, and I grabbed a seat in the back, willing my blood pressure to drop to where it belonged.


Chapter 12