The sun was high over the ocean. A few fluffy clouds covered the sky. White caps could be seen in the distance on the calm water. There was a mild breeze from the east. The 41' x 14' motor yacht cruised at moderate speed off Florida, its fiberglass hull cutting through the water.
My husband Alan and I along with our longtime friends Barbara and Ted Maxwell had planned this trip weeks ago. It had just been a question of when we could all get together.
At age 46 I keep myself in good physical shape by devoting time every day to my elliptical. At just 125 pounds I still have the same elegant vase-shape. At 5' 6" tall my green eyes are 3 inches below my husband's eyes.
Though not a bodybuilder by any stretch, my husband does have good muscle tone. His light brown hair frames a diamond-shaped face. Blue eyes and full lips and a wavy nose give him handsome features.
Though she still looks decent, Barbara has gained about 20 pounds since college days. She wears her auburn hair shoulder length, much shorter than in her college days.
Ted, like Alan, has decent muscle tone. The two men have been gym rats together for years.
The guys chatted at length about a variety of topics: fishing, baseball, boats. Barbara engaged me in girl talk. Meanwhile Alan kept the boat on a northeasterly course at a leisurely ten knots.
The notion to go on a nude cruise had occurred to me more than a year ago. Believing that no one else would go naked in public, I kept the idea to myself. Someone else proposing the idea was the last thing I expected.
"Has anyone ever heard of the cruise line 'Bare Necessities'," Barbara asked.
"No, never heard of them," I lied.
She spoke freely.
"They're a big boat that takes passengers on a cruise to the edge of the Caribbean. Everyone on board is nude. They have private beaches where they stop."
"Barb are you telling us you've been on a nude cruise?"
"Heavens No, They're way too expensive!"
"Why did you ask that? None of us here are millionaires."
We are, in fact, very well off financially speaking. Barb and I are RNs. Our husbands are corporate execs.
Our husbands cut their conversation short and gave us a look.
Ted spoke freely.