Suddenly, the words “frequent” and “opportunity” no longer ruled. There was a new sheriff in town, and his name was “lifetime.” Like Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven, “lifetime” stood tall. Brave. Mighty. Fearless. Standing frozen in the moment, the word “lifetime” kept echoing through my mind, washing over the negative haze of improbabilities infiltrating my bones, giving clarity to the entire evening. I exhaled. Finally, my maiden voyage had reached its Plymouth Rock.

The chef returned with a plate of warm and succulent appetizers. It was calamari sautéed in a lemony sauce. After one bite, my senses were again aroused. He fed me, I fed him, and we fed each other. After several moments I couldn’t tell whose hand was whose. Drunk with desire, I was intoxicated by the moment.

Toasts were made and dinner was served under an amazingly clear sky full of bright glistening stars. Underneath the platinum-covered serving trays were heaping portions of white fish covered with a lobster glaze. Strips of tender bacon covered what had to be the Guinness Book of World Records’ biggest lobster. There were crab cakes stuffed with shrimp, and a dark sauce with just enough bite to let you know it was there. More drinks were poured and more dinner was served.

“Have a good evening, Mr. Jackson.” The chef’s words faded more quickly than he himself had as again the word “lifetime” repeated over and over in my mind like a broken record.

Graham and I were suddenly and completely alone. The captain and his east coast stowaway. No cleverly crafted, adjective-filled, lust-induced daydream would compare to the taming my body surely awaited. Placing my hand in his, Graham slowly lured me into the den of his passion’s iniquity.

Sharp winding stairs descended lower and lower until we reached his underground cavern: a dimly lit room no less than twelve feet underwater, walls moist from engine heat. In the center of the room, obviously bolted to the floor, was a brushed steel bed covered in pillows, fit for a king. To my right, I noticed a portal in the wall that revealed a glimpse of the mystical underwater world that lay just beyond. Damn, Graham was good.