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

We laughed as we lurched our way down to the dining room. Indeed, the ship really was all over the place.


The Lido is almost like a high school cafeteria, only with old people, but, hey, they were all in high school at some time, right? The dining room almost needs capital letters to show its pride. White linen cloths, the best china, and don’t turn it so it’s not facing you, either. Six glasses for each person…forks and spoons out either side so far, they could fall off the edge and never be missed. And the waiters have napkins folded over their forearms, as they should. After all, the queen or somebody important might dine here, or at least, a lot of people who think they are important, and then, there’s us.


Chapter 34