The Cruise - Teaser 1 (Patreon)

So, I have written enough to post the first teaser now :)

Let me know what you all think, and I hope you enjoy! :D

The story has quite a way to go now.

~Shadow~

***

The Cruise

By The_Shadow_Rising

*Disclaimer: This story is long, and it is about a cheating fiancée who doesn’t get caught or have anything bad happen to her. There is repetition due to artistic choice. If none of this is your thing, please don’t read the story. If you like the sound of it, enjoy.

This story is also the result of a reader’s suggested idea, though it is my interpretation of that idea. So thank you for that. I can’t recall the name, nor would I want to dox you without your permission, but you know who you are if you still read my stories.

***

Sex and taboo dreams, that was what Shorehaven promised. People visited the supreme jewel of the West for its stunning beaches, verdant hills and swathes of fields, the crystal blue waters of the Pacific, the sun and heat, the teeming nightlife, and the money rolling in Downtown and Shorevale Heights. But it was the sex and the liberation that were remembered and that the city earned its moniker from.

            Even as Shorehaven was the City of Taboo Dreams, its people were its heart, blood, and soul, and wherever they travelled they took a little piece of the City’s spirit with them. Which was why not only the houses, workplaces, nightclubs, bars, apartments, hotels, and various other locations creaked, banged, and screamed with lustful goings on, but so did the planes, the trains, the coaches, and the ships that all came and went from the mighty metropolis.

            That spirit lifted everyone up and brought smiles to faces – whether they be girlfriends, fiancées, wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, or in-laws, or whether they be unaware boyfriends, fiancés, husbands, or fathers…the life of the great City of Shorehaven pulsed through every vein.

            It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon in the City of Taboo Dreams and that life pumped through the veins of one Rylee Hughes as she sat upstairs in her and her fiancé’s bedroom, laughing on the phone with her friend.

            The City was toasty, but not scorching, seeing as it was late Spring, but there was a lovely cool breeze drifting in through the open windows of Rylee and Ezra’s house in Havendale. That was why Rylee was wearing a tight, low-cut t-shirt and a pair of worn cut-off denim shorts. Oh, and a pair of sandals, but they were half hanging off her feet as she tapped her foot and grinned at what her friend, Sally, was saying.

            Rylee was twenty-eight years old, and she and Ezra had been together for six years, two of which were them being engaged. The wedding was right around the corner for the perfect pair – it was set for early Fall – and neither of them could wait.

            They both had good jobs, very good in fact, and they already owned their own house in Havendale which was a sought-after area within the megalopolis. It was a cute detached house, with a front and back garden, pool, two-storeys and quite spacious. Rylee and Ezra had thought of moving to Shorevale Heights if they could afford it, but it was a couple of years off before they could sell their house for a new one. What with the wedding coming up and all.

            That was what Rylee and Sally were talking about on the phone…well, it had turned to talk about sex, as it usually did around each other, and that was why Rylee was laughing so much. Not about Ezra, of course, she loved him with all of her heart, but about Sally’s one-night stands and all of the ways guys hit on her.

            Rylee was thankfully free of all of that, having settled down with the love of her life a few years ago. Ezra had proposed to her in the most romantic way, with rose petals leading to the bedroom where the ring lay in a velvet basket. And, boy, what a rock! The ring, that was. Though they did rock the bed later that night for sure…

“I can’t believe he said that!” Rylee burst out laughing.

“I know! Tell me about it. I was like, ‘Am I dead or something?’.” Sally said in her amusedly outraged voice.

Rylee laughed again, and then her crystal blue eyes lit up playfully.

“Well, talking about dying and going to heaven,” Rylee quoted with anticipation, “Ezra and I booked the cruise last night!”

Sally screamed down the phone at Rylee before rambling on.

“You did!? How much was it?” Rylee’s friend asked excitedly.

“Too much. But we haven’t paid for it yet. We just set down the deposit and confirmed the booking. Our last great getaway before the wedding.” The pretty red-gold haired fiancée answered with a beautiful smile on her face.

“So when do you go?” Sally asked with genuine curiosity.

“In a few weeks. Ezra has gone down to the bank so he can pay the rest this morning.” Rylee said, barely containing her excitement. “I can’t wait to go, Sal. It’s going to be just what we need. A break from everything and time to get fully refreshed.”

“You won’t be the same afterwards, I bet.” Sally joked and Rylee laughed softly. “How long are you going for?”

“Three weeks.” Rylee answered with a happy sigh, “And there is going to be so much to do on there. “I wish it could have been longer, but we had to get back for the wedding.”

“Well, you don’t want to miss that!” Sally laughed, and Rylee joined in with her. “Does that mean I have to get planning the bachelorette party before you go?”

“Oh, you know, we’re not going to do anything special…” Rylee began before Sally interrupted.

“Oh yes you are! If my friend is getting married, we are living it up.” Sally burst out, and Rylee chuckled lightly. Her friend would always be the same.

“I think I’ll have enough with the cruise and the wedding, Sal…but if you insist.” Rylee conceded, knowing she would never change her friend’s mind.

And so the conversation turned to the bachelorette night, which Rylee assured Sally WOULD be tame, no matter what the other woman was thinking.

            The afternoon drifted on lazily and happily with the conversation going on for at least another hour. Rylee was happy and excited, both because of speaking to her friend and because of seeing her fiancé again when he got back with the news about the cruise.

            God, Rylee couldn’t wait to go. She had never been on a cruise in her life, so finally getting away for three weeks with Ezra was going to be bliss. She couldn’t describe how excited she was.

            Nothing was going to get in the way of this. Little did the pretty fiancée know just how true that was.

***

Ezra King cheered as the horse crossed the finish line by a nose. Holy fuck, he didn’t think the old girl was going to do it then, but she managed to claw back in that final stretch. Standing next to him, his best friend, Cameron Dante, looked down at his ticket and grinned. Ezra did the same before his smile disappeared as he looked at the little piece of paper.

“Ah, shit!” He swore, causing Cameron to look up at him. “I only bet twenty-five on that old nag.” He added, feeling downbeat.

Cameron laughed at him at that and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Better luck next time, ah? And try one who isn’t a sure winner, you’ll make a bigger score if she wins!” Ezra’s best man-to-be tried to cheer him up before heading away to go to the cashier with his winning ticket.

Ezra looked back at his piece of paper again and muttered to himself. The old girl hadn’t been a sure thing, whatever Cameron had to say, but she sure wasn’t going to bring home the bread with her odds.

            Looking over at Cameron as he made his way to another Cashier, Ezra frowned as he handed over his ticket. Cameron and he were the gambling kind, enough said. Well, Cameron was a gambler by nature – on everything. Women, horses, dice, cards, anything that had odds or a chance. And he was a lucky son of a bitch. Ezra, on the other hand, was the kind of gambler bookies loved. The kind who won, but never big, despite trying to all the time.

            Ok, so that was really short for he lost most of the time and when he did win, he never won anything like Cameron did. The guy didn’t even need to work he was so lucky! His ‘work’ was fed by his gambling nature – flipping houses, cars, stocks, and so on. Anything that had odds, like Ezra would always say. The guy had his own house and lived comfortably despite not working a traditional job in his life!

            Ezra, alternatively, had to work. Ok, so he had a good job, which was just as well considering he gambled a lot and lost. And that he had a cruise AND a wedding to pay for. And Rylee wasn’t going for anything small either on both of those! Not to mention that they had a house and lifestyle to pay for. It really was a good job Rylee had a good career as well.

            That said, Ezra was doing remarkably well today. He had won all but two of his plays today, though he had played it conservatively with each bet as he didn’t really have the money to spare this month. And he wouldn’t for the upcoming months with the wedding payments and such.

            Fortunately, he had the money for the cruise in his account today – and what Rylee didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her – so he had been skimming a little off the top of it today to make a few bets. It was what he did. And he was up, albeit by only a couple hundred despite his two losses. So she really had no reason to be mad about him gambling.

            Handing over the ticket to the cashier, Ezra took his money and looked at it forlornly.

“Are you done for the day?” Cameron said across the way from him as HE handed over a HUNDRED dollar bill to the cashier as a ‘bonus’ before making another bet. Ezra felt really envious of his best friend at that.

Looking at the clock behind the cashier, Ezra gave it some thought.

“You staying for one more?” He asked, nodding towards the cashier.

Cameron grinned and slid his folded over cash into his back pocket.

“Nah, this one’s for someone special.” He answered mysteriously before he took his ticket from the cashier and walked over to Ezra, leaning against the counter suavely as he did. “You’re up today, right? Perfect time to call it quits.”

Ezra nodded and looked down at the small cash roll in his hand. He should be happy with his winnings today, meagre as they were, but something about that wad that Cameron had put into his pants made Ezra’s gambling need kick in.

            He had pretty much been on a winning streak today, minus those two minor losses. And he had such a large amount of money in his bank for the cruise. One more bet with that could land him with the jackpot! He could walk out of here with twice…three times…more!...as much as he had now.

“I’m thinking about one more.” Ezra said a little nervously, though he felt that rush flooding through him that he got when he was winning. And just gambling in general. But winning mostly.

“Well, you’ve got a couple hundred to play with. You could always break even.” Cameron replied, obviously not believing in his friend’s good fortune.

That got Ezra’s back up a little. His friend WAS lucky with everything, but so was Ezra. He had a beautiful house, a great job, a fantastic fiancée, two cars, everything he had ever asked for. AND he had won most of today. Plus Ezra knew what he was doing.

            Nodding at his friend, with maybe a little tightening around his eyes, Ezra turned back to the cashier.

“What’s the next race?” Ezra asked with high spirits.

Just knowing what he was about to do sent a rush through him like nothing else, not even sex!

            The bookie read off the next race’s horses and their odds and Ezra glanced at Cameron, who was twirling his ticket around his fingers, before he looked back at the cashier. Some of the horses had lame odds, like 300/1 or even 70/1. But some were sure things, like 5/1 – the best odds in that race. Ezra had that tingling feeling within his stomach of a ‘what if’ of a sure win.

            He had only made a couple hundred from safe bets, but he wasn’t stupid enough to risk everything on a 300/1 bet. But a 5/1, and the favourite to win? That would quintuple his and Rylee’s savings! And it was as sure a thing as any of the bets he’d made today. AND he’d won more often than not by far on those bets. He was on a roll!

            Glancing at Cameron again, Ezra bit his lip.

“I want to be all in on the 5/1.” He said to the cashier finally and felt his head go light with excitement.

“All in? Are you sure about this, Ezra?” Cameron asked, shaking his head and placing his hand on Ezra’s shoulder.

Ezra was too high on emotions to think straight. Not to mention envious of his friend and put out by what Cameron obviously believed.

“It’s a sure thing.” Ezra said with a grin as he pinned his card into the cashier’s machine. “And I’m hot today.”

Cameron eyed him doubtfully, doubling that nagging feeling within Ezra and further stoking his stubbornness.

“Are you sure, sir? This is a lot of money.” The cashier asked, obviously concerned by such a large bet all at once. As they had a responsibility to be…at least in lip service.

“Oh yes! And I’m coming straight back to YOU to pay it out when I win!” Ezra grinned at both the cashier and his best friend.

The cashier raised his eyebrows but completed the ticket before handing it over to Ezra. Ezra looked gleefully at it. 5/1…Rylee couldn’t be mad at his gamble if he came back with FIVE TIMES the amount of money! Plus, what she didn’t know and all that…

            Stepping away from the counter, Ezra walked back over towards the screens and looked for the one that had his race on it. They were still setting up, so it would take a little time.

“Are you really sure about this?” Cameron asked again as he walked by Ezra’s side.

“You worry too much.” Ezra laughed, feeling the win already in his bones. “It’s 5/1! I’ve been winning on odds worse than that all day. Aren’t you going to join in?”

Cameron laughed lightly at that last, obviously thinking that Ezra was a grown man…and maybe that he had some logic.

“I’m done for the day. I’ve already won ten grand today. Know your limits is the first rule, remember that.” Ezra’s friend said confidently and smugly, and Ezra grinned back at him.

“Always go for a sure thing, is my rule.” Ezra replied humorously, and Cameron shook his head with a smile.

“You’ll never learn.” His friend said and Ezra gave him more of a smirk. Cameron would learn when Ezra won this bet and had a small fortune. It would make his ten grand look infinitesimal!

Turning back to the screen, Ezra watched the preparations for the race begin.

            It wasn’t even close. At first the horse Ezra had backed ran super quick and was in the lead, looking like she would finish first easily. But then the 300/1 horse and the others caught up as Ezra’s horse fell back. They streamed ahead with the 300/1 horse surging forward and taking the win by a head.

            Everyone looked dumbfounded, but Ezra most of all.

“What!?” He exclaimed, goggling at the screen.

“I told you that you should have bet on one who wasn’t a sure winner.” Cameron said as he looked at the results, then he looked to Ezra, “And I did ask you if you were sure you wanted to bet.”

Ezra’s face went from shock to drained as he realised that he had lost and not just lost a little but the whole funds for the cruise.

“Holy fuck!” Ezra swore as he looked down at his ticket and then over at the cashier.

The bookie gave him a pitying expression before they closed the till and walked off into the back room.

            Ezra looked at Cameron dumbfounded and wain as Cameron turned him around and walked Ezra out of the betting shop.

“How did I lose that?” Ezra asked rhetorically as he walked out of the shop and headed along the street with Cameron by his side.

“Not all sure things are sure things. Sometimes you have to go for the long odds.” Cameron tried to console him as they walked on.

“Rylee’s going to kill me!” Ezra groaned, running his hands through his hair, and Cameron gave him an apologetic look. “Stupid horse! How can a 5/1 come in LAST!?”

Cameron just let Ezra rant a little before they headed towards the car. There was no point in going to the travel agent now with no money.

“You have to come with me, explain it to her!?” Ezra asked his friend and Cameron held up his hands.

“I’m not having her blame me for your betting!” Cameron defended himself.

“You won’t have to…just be there for moral support. And explain that it WAS a sure thing.” Ezra pleaded, and Cameron eyed him sideways.

“I don’t think she’s going to care that it was a sure thing when you lost, Ezra.” Cameron said concernedly, and Ezra looked forlornly at the car as they approached it.

“She won’t be as bad if you’re there. Please, man?” Ezra asked and Cameron sighed.

“Fine. But if she turns on me, I’m out of there.” Ezra’s best friend said warily, and Ezra shook his head as he climbed into the car.

“That’s the last time I gamble.” He said for the millionth time in his life. Cameron didn’t even answer. He knew Ezra well.

Cameron climbed into the car beside him and looked at his friend.

“You want me to lend you some money? Pretend you’ve paid it?” Cameron asked as they closed the doors and Ezra started the car.

Ezra thought about it for a second and then shook his head.

“You’re going to lend me enough for a three-week Shorehaven cruise?” He asked doubtfully and Cameron gave him a frown.

“I can manage it…” Cameron responded, but Ezra cut him off.

“No way. I’m not owing you all that money. Plus when would I pay you back?” He replied stubbornly. “Maybe I can just save up over the coming months.”

“Wasn’t the whole point that you had to save up for the wedding after this?” Cameron asked and Ezra muttered to himself.

“Let’s just see what Rylee says.” Ezra replied, sounding like he wanted to do anything but that.

With that they started the car off and headed back through the City for Havendale.

***

Rylee finished her workout and threw the towel around her shoulders. It was blazing hot now that the sun had come out full strength and she was sweating profusely. Heading into the en-suite of the bedroom, she stripped off her workout clothes and jumped into a nice cold shower.

            Washing herself clean, Rylee could feel her muscles ache from the workout, but, boy, did she feel good. She felt even better as the cool water ran down over her and not only washed her clean but refreshed her as well.

            Before long she was washing her hair and then stepping out of the shower, dripping wet and naked as she looked at herself in the mirror. Grabbing a towel, she padded through into the bedroom, not worried about the curtains being open as she was on the second floor anyway.

            Drying herself slowly, she sat down on the edge of the bed and ran the towel through her hair. She liked the feel of the breeze coming through the windows on her naked skin as she sat there with the towel around her head.

“What to wear today?” She asked herself out loud and looked around at the wardrobe, dresser, and her clothes she had discarded for her workout attire.

Standing up, she headed over to the wardrobe and started looking through it. She settled on another pair of denim shorts and another t-shirt. But first she pulled on a mismatched bra and underwear set for underneath.

            Once she was dressed, she let her hair down and tossed the towel into the wash bin along with her other clothes and workout wear. With that she left her red-gold hair down to dry naturally. It had a rugged look while it was still damp, but it made Rylee look even prettier than she ordinarily was anyway.

            Jumping on the bed, she picked up a book and began reading, enjoying the warmth of the day and the relaxation.

            A short while later she heard the front door open and close, and she realised that Ezra was back. Breaking out into a smile, she placed the book down on the bed and bounced out to go and meet him, jumping downstairs as she was excited.

            As she came down into the lounge – the stairs led directly into it, opposite the front door – Riley was ready to bounce into her fiancé’s arms when she saw Cameron was with him and stopped herself.