Chapter 49

Ed breathed in deeply and stared in wonder at the lush forest the shuttle bus drove them past. Rachel held his hand as she enjoyed his excitement. He was in a different country! It smelled different! It looked different! The air felt different! The accents were different! Most of all it was HOT!

Ed looked over at Rachel and once more admired the sundress she was wearing. She'd changed in the airport washroom while he waited and when she returned it was all he could do to keep from staring. She looked gorgeous and the cleavage on display made him think fondly of summer back home.

He was still over dressed in his jeans and long sleeve shirt which he'd rolled up at least.

The drive to their resort wasn't long and soon they were pulling up the tree lined drive to a large low rise building surrounded by tropical flowers and large trees.

Ed followed Rachel into the lobby while the driver handed over the bags to the hotel staff. Rachel walked up to the reception desk.

"Hello. Rachel Thompson and Edward Walters checking in."

The young woman smiled at Rachel and looked up her name on the computer. "Ah! Yes, welcome! We have you in one of our Prestige Suites." Rachel grinned and signed where she needed to sign. They took a credit card imprint for purchases made. The clerk held up a pretty pink band and indicated Rachel should hold out her arm. The woman wrapped the band around her wrist and when the two ends were beside each other they clicked together tightly.

"This is your room key and identity bracelet for the entire resort. If you wish to purchase anything you simply need to touch the bracelet to the payment machine." Ed stepped forward and she wrapped a larger black band around his wrist. "It's completely water proof and it won't accidentally come off."

Ed admired the bracelet. "You will need to return that once your stay is over no matter how pretty you think it looks on you," the young woman teased and both Rachel and Ed chuckled.

She then waved over a young man. "Lionel will guide you to your room. Please enjoy your stay and if you have any questions please feel free to ask any of the staff."

Rachel and Ed followed Lionel who was pushing their luggage in a trolley through the grounds. He pointed out the locations of the pools, the bars, the restaurants, the gym, the beach access and the watersport activity center where they could book everything from kayaks to jet skis.

They stopped at the end of the low rise building and climbed the stairs to the fourth (top) floor and Lionel showed Rachel how to use her bracelet to unlock her door. The room was large and nicely decorated with a large four poster bed but it was the view from the large balcony that made it special. The beach and the ocean beyond could clearly be seen and the sound of the surf could easily be heard. Each balcony was private with walls between each and there was room for two lounge chairs and two regular chairs on either side of a small table. Lionel brought up their bags and left them with a smile.

There was a sheet of paper on the desk which indicated there would be a manager's rum punch reception this evening. As it was midafternoon they still had hours until that.

"Let's go for a walk on the beach!" Rachel suggested and Ed smiled. That sounded awesome! He'd never been to the beach before.

They got changed and once more Ed was stunned by Rachel's beauty. She had on her glittery bikini with a colorful wrap around her waist. This time he was unable to stop his jaw from dropping. He'd put on his grey board shorts with the black, white, and deep grey lines. He liked how they looked on him and was getting used to wearing tighter pants though he was still self-conscious when he got excited. Like he was becoming now. He looked up into her blue eyes and he saw the happiness and satisfaction there.

Ed picked up the white, short sleeved shirt Rachel had picked up for him for the trip.

"Let me put some lotion on you before you wear that." Rachel suggested. He nodded.

She squirted some lotion on his hands and he did his front while she quickly rubbed lotion on his back. He returned the favor for her then they headed outside. As they were at the quiet end of the building, getting to the beach was just a matter of a few seconds walk. Then they were out in the sand.

The breeze coming off the sea was carrying scents Ed had never smelled before. He was enthralled. They made their way down to the water's edge and they both took off their sandals and carried them as they walked in the warm waters.

"What do you think Edward?" she smiled up at him.

"It's magical!" he said with a grin. "Thank you for bringing me here!" He struggled to keep his eyes on her face. "Sorry, but you look incredible!"

She smiled as a warmth spread through her body that had nothing to do with the tropical sun. He was so good for her!

They walked hand in hand along the water's edge for a while then turned back, facing the sun. The feel of it warming their skin while the breeze cooled them was so shocking after the freezing temperatures at home. He couldn't stop grinning. It was crazy! Just hours ago he had to be bundled up to be outside. Now he was just in his shorts and an open shirt that left his chest completely exposed in the breeze.

He stole glances at Rachel but she caught him and he blushed. His shorts were becoming tight and she stopped them to get a kiss. He tasted her mouth and succulent lips as she ground her body against his, feeling his hard cock straining to be free. She moaned with desire and pulled back from his mouth.

"If there was a way to do it without being arrested I'd take this in my mouth right now!" she growled sexily at him as she discretely rubbed his cock. She felt him throb strongly in response. Fuck, she wanted him. "Let's go back to the room!"

He nodded, not trusting himself to talk. They started walking once more but now there was a purpose to their step. They rinsed the sand off their feet and slipped their sandals on before they headed back along the path towards the building… coming face to face with Dale and Tristan. He was in one of those loud flowery shirts and black board shorts and Tristan was wearing a white bikini with a gossamer black wrap around her waist.

"What-" Rachel began in surprise.

"Hello Rachel, Edward," the man said, the Texan twang in his deep voice giving away his nervousness.

"Hello Rachel. Hello Edward." Tristan looked a little desperate.

"Did you two win a trip down here too?" Ed asked with a smile.

Dale smiled and shook his head. "No, we paid full price and then some."

"Why?" Rachel asked, her hackles coming up. This was starting to feel like an ambush and it was supposed to be a relaxing, fun getaway dammit!

"I needed to apologize. I was so incredibly rude and closed minded. We struck it off so well and then I went and destroyed that trust with my stupid pig headedness. Can you forgive me?" Tristan pleaded.

Rachel looked at Tristan with wide eyes. "You flew all the way down here to apologize? You had a week! You could have just picked up the phone!"

"Believe me I was miserable for that week but I was also out of town dealing with a family matter. When I got back I knew you'd be heading down here so it would be at least another week. I didn't know that Dale made arrangements for us to fly down here so I could apologize face to face. I can't believe how incredibly judgmental I've been especially considering what he and I have to go through."

"You may have noticed we aren't exactly the same age or even close for that matter." Dale said with a wry grin.

Rachel was feeling a little better but they'd really derailed her.

"Why does that matter?" Ed asked. "You're married. You love each other."

The older gentleman smiled gently and Tristan's eyes began to fill with tears. She stepped closer to Ed.

"Can you forgive me for judging you?"

"There's nothing to forgive," he said with a smile.

Tristan was suddenly hugging Ed and crying on his shoulder. He was still very stiff from Rachel's attentions so he tried to move his hips back. She became aware of something hot and hard pressing against her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed and pushed back, automatically looking down. "OH!!! Oh gosh! I'm sorry! We were interrupting something I think!"

Rachel smiled at Tristan's blush and nodded to the woman. Tristan gave her a quick hug then pulled her husband by the hand towards the beach. Dale wore a confused and exasperated expression.

Ed turned to Rachel who took his hand and led him back to their room. She pulled him to the bed and knelt down before him. She pulled his shorts down and his thick cock bounced out. She pushed him to a seating position on the bed with his legs wide and her between them.

"God, I've been thinking about taking you in my mouth since we kissed on the beach," she moaned and wasted no more time. She gripped his shaft and took his cock as deep in her mouth as she could manage. She pressed him firmly against the back of her throat until her gag reflex told her enough! She eased off and began to pump her mouth up and down on his cock as one hand stroked the remaining part of his cock and her other hand rubbed his balls.

"Oh Rachel! Oh my god that feels so good!" Ed moaned and ran his fingers through her soft and brilliant red hair.

She hummed happily as she kept up the motions, reveling in the heat and solidity of him in her mouth. She began to go faster and pump more aggressively.

"Rachel… Rachel… I'm going to… Rachel… you have to stop…I- I'm cumming!" he cried.

She pumped his cock with her hands as he fired his cum into her mouth. She continued until he was finished. She leaned back and showed him what she'd collected in her mouth. Then she swallowed the mouthful.

Ed picked her up and pulled her onto the bed. He pulled the ties on her bikini and uncovered her large tits. Her nipples were stiff with excitement. He immediately sucked one into his mouth and caressed the bud with his tongue. Rachel cried out and he moved to her other tit. Rachel's cries escalated and he didn't let her recover before he pushed her legs up and stroked her wet pussy with his tongue. He used more force than he normally would as he knew she wasn't as sensitive and needed the extra pressure.

"EDWARD! YES! LIKE THAT! OH GOD!"

He slurped at her pussy, sucking at the lips and strongly flicking her clit.

"FUCK! Oh god… SHIT! FUCK! YES!" Rachel was shaking with need as he used his mouth on her.

He sat up and positioned his cock over her slick opening and lowered the head down into her.

"Oh YYYYYYYEEEEEESSSSSS!" she moaned as he pushed himself deeper and deeper until his pelvis touched hers. He looked down in surprise. He'd never been this deep in Rachel before. Maybe it was the position? Whatever it was it felt incredible!

He began to drive his cock into her like a piledriver, slapping her body with his.

Rachel was going out of her mind. He had her legs pushed back and he was filling her up with his cock. More than she'd ever felt before. She was overwhelmed. It was too much but she never wanted it to stop. Her mouth opened but she couldn't speak. Her body began to shake as the impacts against her clit rocketed her towards a delicious release.

"harder," she managed to whisper and Ed took her at her word. He started to pound her pussy with quick shallow strokes which forced his cock deep inside.

"UUUHHH! FFFUUUUU!" was all she managed as her body clamped down on him and her eyes shut tightly.

Ed was only able to drive himself deep two more times before his own orgasm struck. He rocked his hips, grinding against Rachel and she squeaked. She gripped his arms digging her nails into his biceps almost painfully as she whimpered and shook.

Slowly the pleasure ebbed and Ed's cock softened within her. He allowed her legs to return to the bed and withdrew himself from her body. Rachel was breathing hard and was covered with a sheen of perspiration. He rested on his side with his head braced on his hand so he could keep an eye on her face. She wasn't coming down from this one as quickly as she normally did and he was concerned.

"Oh… my god… Ed," she finally managed to pant.

"Are you ok?" he asked gently.

Her eyes tracked over to him and she seemed to be struggling to remain awake. "Yes… it just took… more out of me… than I expected. So… powerful!" she whispered.

"Maybe you should take a nap?" he suggested.

"Yes, that would be good. Wake me an hour before the manager's party," she said looking up at him in wonder.

"What?" he asked, puzzled by her expression.

"I'm just marveling at how lucky I am to have a second chance at love." A tear beaded up on her eyelash.

"Hey! No crying after sex!" he said with a smile and her face broke into a grin as she chuckled.

"I love you, beautiful lady! I love making love with you! I love being with you! Get some rest and I'll wake you when it's time to get ready for the party. I'm going to get cleaned up and look for a snack. I'm hungry all of a sudden," he said with a smile. He leaned over and kissed her lips tenderly and she closed her eyes. She was asleep before he'd left the bed.

He took a quick shower, put his clothes back on and wandered down to the lobby. They directed him to the beach restaurant which served snacks. He walked across the grounds breathing in the warm moist air and feeling the sun on his face. He found a table overlooking the beach and placed an order for a burger and fries.

He was just enjoying the scenery when he heard someone clearing their throat. He looked away from the beach and saw Tristan was standing next to the table. He stood up and asked if she'd like to join him. She smiled and took the offered chair. Ed sat down across from her.

"It was very gracious of you to forgive my earlier behavior Ed," she said humbly.

He just shook his head but she continued on.

"When I married Dale five years ago I was twenty-five and he was fifty-five. Initially all we had in common was we were both tall… and lonely. I fell for him hard but my family didn't understand. My friends didn't understand either. It was a really hard time for me. I love him with every ounce of my being. We click. We're soul mates. I can talk with him about anything. But back then I lost all of my support group. I was basically shunned. They said some really nasty stuff. Dale almost called it off as he couldn't stand to see me suffer but I convinced him I'd suffer far worse if I lost his love. We moved away and met new people. People who weren't so quick to judge or who also have relationships outside the norm. It was good for a while though I saw a lot of pain when these new girlfriends were used and abandoned by the young men in their lives. When Dale retired some of those people no longer wanted to be our friends. I guess they weren't really friends to begin with. We moved again and met new people. These ones are worse than the last group." Her face showed her sadness but brightened when she looked across the table at Ed. "Then I met Rachel. I clicked with her. She's good people!"

Ed smiled at that. It was true. She is.

"I- I reacted badly when I saw you with her. I judged you harshly." The sad look was back.

"I'd like us to get past this. What can I do to make you believe that I forgive you?" Ed asked.

She snorted with a grin and looked at the table's surface. The waitress brought Ed's food and asked Tristan if she wanted anything. She just ordered a glass of water.

Once they were alone again Tristan looked at Ed with a mischievous smile. "You could give me some french fries. Then I'd know you've truly forgiven me."

"MY FRENCH FRIES!?! YOU ASK TOO MUCH!" Ed gasped in mock outrage.

Tristan burst into giggles and Ed pushed his plate towards her.

She took some and hummed happily as she ate the crispy fries. The waitress returned immediately with her water and Tristan thanked her.

Ed dug into the burger and smiled as his taste buds came alive. He made quick work of the burger and Tristan watched in awe.

"You must have really worked up an appetite-" she froze as she suddenly recalled what he and Rachel had been doing. "So where is Rachel?" she said then bit her traitorous tongue.

Ed blushed and looked at the woman across from him. "Taking a nap. Where is Dale?"

"Taking a nap- not because we had sex- I mean, he likes to take a nap in the afternoon. He says it helps him to be sharp at dinner." Tristan was beet red and had twisted the paper napkin into shreds.

"Not awkward. At all," Ed smiled.

Tristan burst into giggles once more and relaxed. "I'm really looking forward to meeting the rest of Rachel's friends. Can you tell me about them?"

"Sure! I think Angie is Rachel's best friend though she also hangs out with Zoe. The three of them can be pretty wild together I'm told. Angie's husband used to be a rock star but he got sick and died. She's a lovely woman. She has a daughter named Isabelle who was going to University but isn't right now. Zoe also has a daughter but she's in prison right now for kidnapping and assault & battery."

"Oh my god! Who did she kidnap?" Tristan gasped.

"Me."

"What?!?"

"It was for a sorority house or… something like that? She drugged me and put me in restraints so she could use me to frighten the new pledges. The drugs were really rough on me and I was off work for a week. I understand her father was a bad influence on her. He's serving a life sentence for murder I think. But Zoe isn't like that at all. She's… she's…" Ed's heart and mind were doing flips when he thought about Zoe. "I'm having trouble describing her but you'll like her. I hope I haven't frightened you off. Zoe's good people too!"

Tristan was staring at Ed in shock. He'd been tortured by the woman's daughter and he was still having a relationship with her. Her curiosity was going through the roof!

"Stephanie and Carolyn are best friends that live in the neighborhood and hang out with us. Stephanie has four wonderful kids but her husband cheated on her multiple times so she's divorced now. She's so full of life and fun! She really likes movies." Ed suddenly blushed as he thought he might have said too much. Tristan watched this with interest.

"Carolyn was an anthropologist and lived in the jungle with tribes when she was younger. She has an awesome tattoo on her back which is the only written record of a lost tribe's language. She writes books now. She has two kids and her husband recently died. He was badly beaten by the friends of the lady boys he was having sex with in Thailand. He died of his injuries. That means Carolyn is a widow. She's really smart and very nice because she never makes me feel dumb!"

Ed frowned in thought for a second then looked at Tristan once more. "Sometimes another neighbor hangs out with us. She owns the first home on the street. Mishka Shyamalan. She's a surgeon at the hospital. She told me she's the best one there. She's dating Grace's best friend Heather. They're a really cute couple!"

"Oh Ed, now I really want to meet them! They sound wonderful!" Tristan gushed with a big smile.

"There was another neighbor whose name is Victoria. I thought we'd be adding her to our group but her husband was a very bad man. He was a judge but he'd killed a man! He was apparently not very nice to her either. He was going to kill me as he thought I was having an affair with her. In the end Victoria shot him dead and now I think she's in prison too."

"You weren't in a relationship with her?" Tristan asked.

"No! She was married and had two daughters! I'd never break up a marriage." Ed said vehemently.

Tristan saw Ed had a strong moral compass even if it didn't always conform to societies rules. She snatched another fry from his plate and he fake scowled at her menacingly. She winked at him and thought about how he brightened up talking about the kids.

"Do you want kids of your own?" she asked.

"Yeah, one day. If Grace wants one," he answered.

"I think you'd make a great dad," she said honestly watching him accept the compliment with a shy nod and smile.

"What about you?" he asked.

Tristan winced and Ed immediately felt horrible for opening his mouth. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

"No, fair's fair. I asked you the same question," she said. "We tried a few years ago but… it didn't work."

He nodded and they both looked out at the beach.

"I've never been to a beach before today." Ed said quietly. He was thinking of Grace and wishing she was here to join them. He would have to bring her on a tropical vacation one day.

"Never?"

He shook his head. "We never had any money to travel and there are no beaches where I live. I've never flown anywhere. I've never been on an island before. This is the first time I've been away from home." Suddenly a wave of homesickness washed over him and he gasped as he gripped the edge of the table.

Tristan recognized what he was experiencing as she'd gone through the same thing when she and Dale first moved away from her friends and family. A sense of displacement. She reached across the table and took his hand. "It's OK, Ed. This feeling goes away. Home is still there and you will go back to it soon. You're just feeling a little disconnected. It happens. I've felt that way too. Listen to my voice. Concentrate on what I'm saying to you."

Ed's pale blue eyes fastened on hers and she suddenly felt his full attention locking on her. It was almost tangible. She needed him to come back to the now.

"Feel the breeze on your face. Feel the heat. The table feels smooth under your hand-"

"Your hand is strong but very soft. Your rings are hard and smooth. Your eyes are blue but flecked with gold…" he seemed to relax then he looked around like he was waking up. He glanced at his hand in hers and pulled his hand back with a blush. He looked at the time. "I think I'd better go wake up Rachel so she can get ready for the party. Are you and Dale going to be there?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, we'll be there. Don't let him trick you into drinking the hard stuff!" she teased.

He grinned. "I read they're serving punch. I should be safe with that."

"Oh boy," she thought.

They got up and went their own ways. Tristan walked slowly back to her room to give herself time to think. She really had been completely wrong about Ed. He was as innocent and genuine as Rachel said. She couldn't pin down what it was about him that made her immediately want to protect him. It was a ludicrous concept considering his size. That thought brought her back to that moment when she first hugged him by the beach. He was a large man in more than one way. Dale was also a large man so she knew what she was feeling. No doubt Rachel enjoyed his attentions. The old pang surfaced as she thought about Ed's question about children. While she kept it from her husband she really did want a child of her own. To feel it grow inside her. To bring it into the world.

She savagely pushed that thought aside. It wasn't meant to be.

The manager's rum punch party wasn't what Ed expected at all and the punch was strong! He'd had two already and his head felt funny.

He saw Dale and Tristan coming down the path and he smiled and waved, spilling some of his drink. They grinned back at him.

"I see he's found the rum punch." Tristan smiled at Rachel who was absolutely glowing tonight.

"Yes and he's stopping at two," she stated in her no-argument voice with a hint of a smile.

Ed bowed his head in fake shame. "They said it was punch!"

Tristan giggled and Rachel relaxed. Something had passed between her and Ed. The hesitation, the holding back was gone. She was open to Ed now and Rachel was able to relax. Dale was also relaxed and looked splendid in his black linen shirt and white linen pants. Very dapper for a manager's party. Ed was also very sharply dressed in his tan explorer's shirt and khaki pants. Rachel had on her gold cocktail dress which drew Ed's gaze frequently as well as other nearby eyes. Tristan looked splendid in her red cocktail dress as it showed off her shapely, long legs.

The new arrivals were handed their rum punches and Ed gracefully refused a replacement for his empty glass.

"What do people do at a Manager's Rum Punch Party?" Ed asked looking around at the other guests milling about. "Is this it?"

"It's a chance to mingle and meet new people. I believe the Manager actually makes an appearance and greets the guests." Dale replied.

Ed asked a passing waitress for a glass of water. She returned with one in moments and he thanked her.

Rachel gave him a smile and he winked back.

The Manager took that moment to arrive and he did give a short speech welcoming everyone to the resort and ran through a list of activities they would be offering. Ed perked up when they mentioned going on a cruise. There was a party boat and a catamaran cruise. Either appealed to Ed. He just liked the idea of going for a ride on a boat. Once the manager was done they decided to head over to the dining room. They got a table for four overlooking one of the pools. Very few people were in the pool at this hour. They looked over the menu and placed their orders. Ed decided to try some fish and Dale recommended the grouper.

Once the group was alone again Ed looked around the table. "Anyone interested in those cruises they offered?"

Rachel nodded as did Tristan. Rachel said the catamaran as Tristan said the party boat. They chuckled.

"OK, it's settled. We do both." Dale grinned and Ed's eyes lit up.

"Tomorrow we were thinking of renting a car and driving around to see some of the sights on the island. You're welcome to join us." Dale offered.

Rachel looked at Ed who nodded. "We'd be delighted," she said.

"I'd also like to poke around Bridgetown to do some shopping sometime this week." Tristan said.

"Ooo! Count me in!" Rachel grinned and Ed rolled his eyes.

Dale chuckled as he felt exactly how Ed did about that. He had a thought. "Maybe the ladies could go shopping and the men could try our hand at deep sea fishing."

"I've never fished before," Ed said.

Dale put on a tragic expression and looked at the ladies. "Now we have to go fishing!"

It was Tristen's turn to roll her eyes.

Dinner was delicious and Ed thanked Dale for the suggestion. He really enjoyed the grouper!

They went to the bar and ordered drinks. As it was almost time to turn in for the night Ed could have another drink. They did a little dancing and Rachel told Ed she was done after two. He went back out on the floor with Tristen as Dale wanted to sit out this one as well.

"Everything ok?" he asked when they were alone.

She glanced at his perceptive eyes and smiled. "Yes, we were just a little too enthusiastic this afternoon and I'm feeling it now."

He nodded with a sympathetic smile. Her eyebrows went up. "Oh! Not today but there have been times. They have more energy."

"Like kids." Rachel said absently.

"Do you have children?" he asked.

"No, I discovered early on that I wouldn't be able to have them. I think that's one of the reasons my ex married me. He didn't want any more kids. He had the one son. That was enough for him. I've always wanted one." Rachel said sadly.

"So does Tristan."

Rachel looked at his sad expression. "But…"

"I'm the same as you. Not able," he said looking away. "She says she is ok with it but I've seen the pain in her eyes when she thinks I'm not watching and someone walks by with a baby."

The song ended and the dancers returned to the table. Dale wiped his sad expression away and gave his wife a smile. "I'm pooped," she announced.

"Time to hit the hay?" he asked and she nodded.

"Well, we'll see you at breakfast. 8:30AM?" Dale asked and received nods.

After breakfast the following day the four sat in the lobby waiting for a man to bring them the rental car. They'd discussed what sites they'd visit and settled on a tour of the outer perimeter of the island and stopping along the way. The Animal Flower Cave was at the most northern tip of the island. The rock formations at Bathsheba were on the east coast. Harrison's cave was almost smack dab in the middle of the island so would require a diversion inwards. They just wanted to see the island and a drive through the country seemed to be the best way to do it.

A slim older man approached them with a clipboard and car keys and sat with them to fill out the paperwork. When they discovered the car was a right hand drive vehicle Dale was a little nervous so Ed offered to drive. They switched to Ed's license and Rachel's for the second day of the rental as she'd drive Tristan into Bridgetown tomorrow for their shopping day. Dale had already booked the fishing expedition the following day. The paperwork taken care of, they made their way out to see the small car they'd rented.

"It's cute." Tristan said and Dale looked at it with concern.

"I don't think I've ever been in a car this small," he grumbled.

There was a lot of glass so they'd certainly have an unobstructed view as they drove. They piled in, ladies taking the back seat to chat, and headed out. They'd agreed to avoid the larger highways as they wanted to take a slower pace and see the island more intimately.

Driving on the left felt a little weird at first but Ed was concentrating hard and it clicked into place. They used roundabouts instead of four way stops so that also took a little getting used to but once again Ed saw the pattern and slipped into it.

Dale was a nervous passenger but Ed's natural calm and lack of aggression put him at ease. Ed was a safe driver seemingly lacking the recklessness of youth. Soon Dale was able to ignore the driving entirely and just enjoy the view though he was chief navigator with a crappy map.

The resort was on the southern end of the island and they'd decided to travel clockwise so their first challenge was navigating through Bridgetown. The capital was large and busy but they made their way through it with only a few wrong turns. Ed never lost his cool when the directions he was given pointed him the wrong way and he got them back on the route smoothly each time. Everyone relaxed and there was a lot of giggling going on in the back seat.

Finally they exited out the northern side of the city and were on their way. The waters on the western side of the island were flat and calm contrasting to the waves they had on the southern edge. It looked so serene. Ed preferred the waves.

They reached the point where they had to move onto smaller side roads to make their way further north. Eventually they pulled into a large gravel parking lot. They saw the sign for the Animal Flower Cave. Getting out of the car they heard the crash of the surf against the rocks and they made their way forward to see the rough seas. Dale pointed out that heading north from here you'd only find the open waters of the Atlantic until you reached the east coast of Canada. That was a very large expanse of water. Heading straight east you wouldn't see land until you reached Africa. Barbados stood alone, well east of the curving arc of Caribbean islands.

They paid their admission and followed the guide down the steps into a cave which was open to the northern exposure. Ed helped Rachel and Dale helped his wife move around in the cave. Trish had a small camera and their guide took pictures of the group for them.

Once back up at the car they looked at the map again and worked out a way to reach Bathsheba through the smaller byways. The east coast of the island bore the brunt of the wind and waves and its rugged beauty brought smiles to their faces. They stopped along the way so Tristan could take pictures.

Bathsheba was lovely. They parked and walked along the beach and took pictures of the huge rock rising out of the surf. Everyone was feeling a little hungry by this point so it was back to the car to map out their next target. They decided to aim for Crane Beach as there was a resort nearby where they could buy lunch.

The drive was scenic and the beach was lovely but Ed's stomach was impatient for lunch. They found the restaurant and once more ordered some amazing seafood. Ed was wondering if he'd be able to make meals like this at home.

Dale and Tristan were feeling very good about the day so far. Rachel and Ed were excellent travel companions. Easy going, fun, with enough intelligence and wit to make conversations interesting. They also seemed to hold the same values as them. They were hopeful that they'd found the beginnings of a new social circle.

Harrison's Caves was going to take some serious navigating from Crane beach so they got out the map while they ate ice cream for dessert and went over possible routes. Rachel dripped ice cream on the map and Dale and Ed shrieked in mock outrage at the difficulty of reading their impossibly poor map now that it had ice cream stains on it. Much giggling ensued from the ladies. Once they settled on a few possible routes, knowing they'd get lost a few times, they headed out.

They were right. They did get lost but that only added an additional thirty minutes to the trip. They eventually found the tourist spot and parked the car. There was a fair amount of other tourists on the tour which was amazing as the caves were cool and beautifully lit. They rode in a trolley from level to level on a smooth road underground. Water dripped on them from the ceiling adding to the ambiance.

Once they were back on the surface they decided to head back to the resort. Now it was ok to take the faster highway to return but they had a drive through the scenic countryside first to reach it. It didn't take long to get back once they were on the highway and bypassing the city.

Ed parked the car and handed the keys to Rachel as she'd be the next driver. She was feeling more confident now that they'd driven through Bridgetown and she'd seen where the public parking was located.

They agreed to meet for dinner and went their separate ways. Ed told Rachel he'd meet her at the room as he wanted to check out the gym first. He gave her a kiss then made his way over to the building where the equipment was located. They had a good number of machines and he tried some of them out. Thirty minutes later he felt a little better having gotten in a workout. He was sweaty but he'd take a shower when he got to the room. He pulled off his shirt as it was clinging uncomfortably to him and walked across the property. He saw Tristan walking towards him.

"What happened to you? You're… wet? Did you go swimming?" she asked taking in his red face and wet muscles.

"I just did a little working out in the gym," he said, pointing back over his shoulder.

She saw how pumped his muscles looked and smiled. "Driving all over the island wasn't enough of a workout?"

He snorted. "Hardly! I'm going to go take a shower. See you at dinner?"

She nodded and watched him jog away. Damn!

Rachel was just stepping out of the shower when he arrived so she stepped back in to wash his back, his sides, and, oh what the hell, his cock. She stroked him skillfully as they kissed deeply until he sprayed his cum all over her stomach. He smiled at her as he panted and she rinsed off. She indicated she was good and left the shower to dry off and do her hair. Ed finished up in the shower and got dressed for dinner.

Rachel was wearing her red sun dress which accentuated her breasts and Ed froze when she came out of the washroom. She grinned. "Seriously Edward, you'd think you've never seen breasts before."

"It's- when you- the dresses you wear. They're so lovely and do such… amazing things with your…" Ed stuttered and she felt that familiar zing go through her. She prowled over to him, watching him twitch, mesmerized by the motions under the smooth fabric. She pressed her body against his and he moaned.

"We're going to be late for dinner. Let's go," she said with a grin. He whimpered just a little and she walked away with an extra spring in her step.

Their friends were already seated at the table when they entered the restaurant. Ed was walking behind Rachel and her smile was lighting up the room. Ed's face was looking a little pink and his eyes were having difficulty staying off of Rachel's ass.

Tristan smiled knowingly.

Dale had his suspicions as well but kept his off his face. "Good evening Rachel. You look very fetching in red," he said. She nodded her head towards him with a smile.

Taking his cue from Dale, Ed smiled at Tristan and saw she was wearing a daring and glittery silver dress that dipped way down in the front. She smiled at him as he swallowed. "Good- good evening Tristan! That dress looks incredible on you!" he blurted. His face went deep red from embarrassment. Not gifted with a silver tongue at all!

Tristan's surprised smile was priceless. Her cheeks bloomed red as she saw his admiring gaze and his embarrassment. Dale chuckled at her.

"If you are going to wear something which flatters you so much, you should expect to be admired!" he teased.

She gently swatted his arm and glanced at Ed who was struggling to sit with his pants being so tight. She looked over at Rachel who just smiled back and shrugged.

They decided to order a bottle of wine with dinner and this time Ed went with penne pasta with a bolognaise sauce. He was getting a little too much seafood and needed a change. Rachel switched her order to the pasta as well as it sounded so good.

The wine arrived and they toasted their successful day.

Ed really wasn't a wine drinker and spotted a couple a few tables over drinking tall, frosty white drinks with little umbrellas in them. He asked the waitress to bring him one of those and Dale shared a smile with Tristan.

When the drink arrived Ed took a sip. "Mmmm! This is really good! I can taste rum in it but it's also sweet and I taste coconut. It's like a slushy so I'll have to avoid brain freeze."

"It's a Piña Colada. Depending on how much rum they use it can be deceptively strong," Dale suggested with a smile. Ed nodded and smiled as he slurped up the sweet drink.

Dinner arrived and they talked about the sites they'd seen on their drive. Dale mentioned that he'd taken the liberty of booking them on the catamaran cruise on Tuesday, the day after tomorrow and the Party boat on Thursday which would give them Friday to recover from the party boat. That got the ladies giggling once more. Wednesday was open. Rachel immediately called it a beach day and everyone nodded.

They finished up their dinner and ordered little bowls of ice cream for dessert. Ed ordered another Piña Colada as well.

"What time do I meet you in the morning tomorrow for the fishing? It's a crack of dawn thing, right?"

"They don't do 'crack of dawn' down here." Dale smiled. "We'll get picked up in the lobby after breakfast. They drive us to the boat and we go out on the ocean with our guide. I think there are two other people signed up to go fishing with us on this charter."

Ed nodded and sipped at his drink. Damn it was good! "AAAugh! Brain freeze!" he hissed.

The following morning Dale and Ed waited in the lobby for their ride. The ladies had decided to sleep in and have a late breakfast so it had just been the two men. Earlier Ed had gotten up to go to the gym to work his muscles. When he was done he'd spotted Dale coming back from his run on the beach. They'd waved at each other and went to their rooms to get ready. Rachel insisted Ed bring along the bottle of suntan lotion as his fair skin burned easily. She got out of bed and rubbed some on his back for him, got a kiss, then she went back under the covers.

So now they waited. Ten minutes past 9AM a man walked into the lobby, spotted them and gestured for them to follow him. They walked out to the front and saw a van waiting. The side door was open and two ladies were sitting on the middle bench. Ed squeezed himself past them into the back seat and Dale followed. The driver closed the door and immediately got them on their way, making up for the lost time.

"Good morning! You the people going fishing with us?" Dale asked.

"That's right," the older of the two drawled.

Ed blinked at her thick accent. She seemed to stretch her vowels out. It was fascinating!

"I'm Dale and this is my friend Ed. Should be pretty easy to remember those."

"I'm Sydney and this is my daughter Chloe," the woman said.

"Daughter?!?" Ed blurted as he'd badly underestimated the woman's age. She dressed like her daughter. He'd noticed she had a tightly toned body like her daughter's. Both had long jet black hair. They even looked alike though Chloe had larger boobs in her bright yellow bikini top. Sydney was wearing a hot pink bikini.

"Ooo this one's flirty like me! I think I'm gonna like him!" Sydney grinned wickedly over her seat at Ed.

Dale saw Ed's blush and realized he wasn't flirting. He thought he'd better change the subject quick.

"Have either of you done deep sea fishing before?" he asked.

Chloe just shook her head but Sydney tore her eyes away from Ed to answer. "No, we're virgins to the sport," she said with a grin. Chloe rolled her eyes at her mother's innuendo.

"That makes four of us then," Dale said. The driver swung around a corner and both Dale and Ed grabbed the seat to brace themselves. Sydney caught the wedding band on Dale's finger and nothing on Ed's so she tucked that information away.

The van ground into the gravel parking lot by the dock. The driver shut off the van and hurried around to the side door and opened it. He helped the two ladies out with a big smile and walked with them over to another man, big and barrel chested, tanned and bearded, obviously waiting for them. Dale and Ed pulled themselves free of the van and joined them.

"Hello! I'm Captain Dan and out there is my lovely ship 'The Silly Fanny'. Named after my late wife, may Poseidon keep her soul," the captain said in a loud booming voice. The ladies were eating it up and Ed had a grin on his face as well.

"Come aboard. We have an hour's journey to get to our spot, an hour to fish and an hour's journey to get back!" He froze dramatically and looked each in the eye. "That's right, a three hour tour. A three hour tour," he said with a dramatic tone. Right back to a bubbly voice. "I was kidding about the three hours. We'll be out there all day. You can call me Skipper." He pointed at Ed. "You look like a Gilligan! Come on Little Buddy! All aboard!"

With that he stormed away to his boat and they all followed. He gestured to his first mate standing by the bow of the ship as they approached and the man untied them from the dock.

Once they were settled in the captain introduced his first mate as 'the Professor' and wasted no more time to get them going. Soon the boat was up to full speed, bouncing over the waves. The noise of the motor made talking difficult but not impossible. At least they were sheltered from the wind inside the cabin.

There was a small table inside the cabin with a wrap-around bench. Sydney and Chloe were sitting facing the back of the boat, Dale had slid in next with his back to the side windows and Ed was next to him.

It suddenly occurred to Dale to ask Ed if he ever got seasick but it was too late now. He watched the young man who was just taking it all in. No sign of problems yet. Dale had been on a number of boats in his life and no longer had trouble. The ladies seemed alright as well.

The Professor offered everyone a drink and Ed took a bottle of water. He promptly spilled it all over his chest when the ship bounced over a rogue wave. He pulled the shirt up and over his head to wring out the water and failed to notice the big eyes and giggling from their fishing companions.

Ed realized he was more comfortable with the shirt off so he folded it and tucked it into the small bag he had with him for carrying his suntan lotion. He smiled at Dale and nodded to the ladies who hadn't taken their eyes off of him.

"So what brings you down to Barbados?" Sydney asked Ed.

"Rachel won a week's stay at a resort here," he said something out the window dragging his attention away for a second.

"Rachel?"

"Oh! Sorry, my girlfriend," he clarified.

Mother looked at daughter. "She doesn't like fishing?" Sydney continued.

"Rachel and Tristan, Dale's wife, are shopping in Bridgetown today."

Sydney smiled wickedly. "So while the girls shop the boys play."

Dale thought he might have heard an innuendo in there but he opted not to say anything. They still had a long day ahead of them. No sense in making an issue so early on.

Sydney caught the eye of the Professor and got a beer for herself and her daughter. Dale accepted one too. With a glance at Dale Ed took one.

"Do you drink beer, Ed?" the older man asked.

Ed recalled a football party after winning the State Championships. He drank too much beer and was tricked into being exposed before some of his team mates and their girlfriends… and Rachel. It wasn't a completely bad memory he supposed. "I've had it in the past. It's ok."

Sydney raised an eyebrow hearing the exchange. It made her curious about the big man.

"Not a big drinker Ed?"

"Not really. I'm being exposed to new things on this trip though. Dale showed me good scotch which I really like. I love Piña Coladas. I don't like wine. I love grouper! I like walking on the beach."

"You've never been to a beach before?" Chloe said incredulously as her first words to them.

Ed looked at her. "No, this is the first time I've ever travelled anywhere."

"Well here's to traveling and meeting new friends!" Sydney raised a toast.

Ed lifted his beer with the others. He recalled the last time he drank beer there was a lot of toasting going on too. They drank and Ed was surprised by the taste. His eyebrows went up and he looked at Dale. "This is good!"

The older man smiled. "Yes, it's good beer. Likely much better than the beer you had at home."

Ed took another sip and savored the rich flavors.

Sydney and Chloe were smiling at him across the table. He smiled back. "So what brings you two to Barbados?" he asked.

"Fishing." Sydney said with a crooked smile looking at Ed's chest. Chloe shook her head.

"We're just taking a mother daughter vacation. I work in the travel industry so I get discount rates on flights and hotel accommodations. Home was getting- we needed to get away so we came here." Chloe sent her mother a warning glance but Sydney just waved her off and took another drink of her beer. She then began to adjust the cups of her bikini and noticed Ed's eyes catching the motion. She smiled slyly.

Dale could see the mother was going to be trouble but he wasn't going to intervene unless it looked like Ed needed assistance.

Chloe watched her mother fuss with her bikini top and saw Ed's attention. She smiled in challenge to her mother then leaned back on the bench to stretch her arms above her head. This put a considerable amount of strain on her own bikini top. Her heavier tits pressed against the fabric and her nipples stood out in relief against the taut fabric, the nipple piercings especially evident.

Dale wore a subtle smile on his lips seeing the battle waged between the two women. Mothers and daughters competing was as natural as fathers and sons he supposed. Ed was squirming as he took in the show, no longer able to tear his eyes away.

Ed couldn't bear the pressure in his shorts. They were new and had very little give. He should have worn the Lycra jammer suit though that was also just a little too revealing. He had to stand up to relieve the pressure.

"I- I'm just going to get a little air." Ed said and slid out of the bench. He braced himself and stood clinging to the wall of the boat. He needed a hand on the wall and one on the roof to hold on as the boat bounced.

And there it was.

Pressing hard against the tight fabric of his shorts was a very large, very long, and very rigid bulge. Sydney and Chloe froze and their jaws dropped. Syndey recovered first.

"Did you bring your own fishing pole or is that bait?" she growled sexily.

Ed blushed furiously and made his way to the door. He went through and they could see his back as he braced himself on the back deck.

Dale felt bad for the young man. He could sympathize somewhat with Ed though he wasn't quite in his league length wise. It was obvious that Ed was very shy and uncomfortable about his… endowment. Maybe he could convince the ladies to go easy on him.

"I think the young man is a little shy about… that," he said gently.

"Shit! He should be shouting its dimensions off the rooftops! Fuck! He's huge!" Sydney gasped.

Chloe looked troubled.

"That said, he does have a girlfriend."

"Are they serious? Because I'd let him do things to me with that which would give a Las Vegas whore a heart attack."

Dale froze in surprise. When he'd regained his equilibrium he leaned forward. "They're very serious."

"It's not real."

Sydney looked at her daughter who was still staring at Ed's back. "What?"

"It can't be real. It can't be. It's a prosthetic!" Chloe's voice was getting stronger and she was becoming irrationally angry for some reason.

"No, that's silly. Ed wouldn't do that." Dale said, then the bizarre nature of their conversation sandbagged him. What the hell was he doing talking about this? "Listen. Let's just agree to forget about all this and just enjoy our fishing trip. Ok?"

Sydney looked at him in disappointment but nodded.

Chloe nodded absently but she still hadn't taken her eyes off of Ed.

Dale gave her a worried look but there wasn't much else he could do. He looked out the window and tried to regain the peace he'd felt earlier.

Ed was reliving the humiliation of the football party. The looks on the faces of the two women inside were exactly how his 'friends' had reacted to his being completely exposed. Shock and horror. He knew Grace, Rachel, and the others said they had no issues but they loved him and cared about his feelings. They wouldn't do anything to hurt him. Like say that he was some kind of deformed monster. He suddenly wished he'd gone shopping today.

Eventually the boat began to slow and the Professor started preparing their gear to do some fishing. He ran through the basics with them. Dale, Sydney and Chloe had experience with fishing so they caught on pretty well. There wasn't a lot of room at the back so Ed said he'd give it a try after the others had. Dale watched him with concern but he smiled and stepped back.

There was a special belt harness they wore with a cup to rest the end of the fishing pole in.

Ed watched with interest as they dropped their lures in the water. Then it got dull. Ed saw this was a game of patience. He drank a cold beer. Then another. Chloe and Sydney outpaced him on the beer drinking three to one. Twenty minutes later Ed was ready to call it when Dale's pole took a sudden dip. Everyone took notice and the Professor was right there with Dale offering him advice but keeping out of his way. Sydney and Chloe reeled in their lures and stowed their rods to give Dale the space he needed. After ten minutes of fighting everyone was reaching the conclusion that Dale had something big. The man was perspiring and carefully working the reel to bring the fish to the surface without putting too much strain on the line. Ten more minutes passed and Ed sucked back another cold brew in his excitement. The ladies were cheering Dale whose concentration was completely on the rod and the line. The rod straightened out and the fish shot out of the water into the air fifty feet behind the boat. It was a blue marlin and a decent sized one! Ed was standing at the back of the boat and saw the sunlight glittering off the sides of the fish as it twisted and shook in the air. He was in awe.

Ed didn't see the two drunken conspiring women sneaking up behind him until he felt his shorts tugged down to his ankles. He spun around in shock and struck Chloe across the cheek with his flaccid cock as she was still holding his shorts down. She rocked back and fell on her ass as she stared at what had just clubbed her across the face.

"HOLY FUCK! Now THAT'S what I call a COCK!" Sydney called out drunkenly and licked her lips.

Chloe was speechless as she held her hand to her cheek. The stinging was just beginning to sink into her drunken mind. She stared at the meat hanging between Ed's legs and it just wouldn't register. It wasn't even hard but she couldn't accept what she was seeing. Again she became angry but she didn't know why.

The Professor and Dale managed to pull the Marlin onto the boat as Ed pulled his shorts up. Dale finally noticed what was happening behind him. "WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED HERE?" he bellowed seeing Ed's red face of shame and Chloe's equally red face of anger.

Captain Dan slid down the ladder with a grim look on his face. He could see Ed was really upset. "I'm sorry Mr. Walters. I didn't know what they were up to." He looked over at Dale and pointed at the women. "They pantsed him."

Dale's eyes filled with rage. He looked over at the Professor. "Toss it back in. Captain, take us back to shore please. We're done." The captain nodded to his first mate and turned to climb back up the ladder. He stopped at the bottom and turned back to Ed. "Mr. Walters, please join me up top. The view is really nice." Ed nodded and followed him up.

The first mate stowed the rods and let the captain know they were good to go. He ushered the women and Dale into the cabin then the boat began to pick up speed as it headed back to the island.

Sydney looked upset. "We didn't get to fish for very long."

Dale knew she was drunk so he didn't bother arguing with her. There was no point.

Chloe was still rubbing her cheek and her angry look hadn't gone away. "He's a freak," she growled.

Dale just couldn't let that go. His temper popped. He slammed his palm down on the table surface and both women leaned away frightened.

"That young man is a far better human being than you'll ever be. All you see is the outer shell and that's how you judge him. Pathetic!"

"Hey! We were just having a little fun! He's an adult! There's no need to be a dick about this!" Sydney barked back.

"If a strange man were to rip away your clothes in public you would be fully justified in crying rape and that man would face criminal charges. If Ed chooses to do so I will fully support his filing rape charges against the two of you. It's the same action and it should have the same punishment."

"It was a prank," she mumbled.

"Not to the victim it wasn't. Something your dim, drunk mind seems to be having trouble understanding. Now shut your mouth and think about how you are going to deal with being charged with rape." He turned his face to look out the window. He saw the worried expressions suddenly appear on their faces before he looked away.

He sighed. He knew Ed wouldn't file charges against them. He just wanted them to realize their actions had repercussions.

The rest of the trip back was done in silence. Dale's peace of mind was gone. He was worried about Ed. The look of shame on his face as he pulled up his shorts was stuck in his mind. Dale needed to talk with Rachel. He had to tell her what happened.

He wished they'd gone shopping with the ladies today.

When they reached the dock a police car was waiting with its lights going. Two officers were standing on the dock. The Professor got the ship tied up and let the police on. The ladies looked terrified.

"Come with us please," one of the officers said and the two women left the boat with the police. They were placed in the back of the cruiser and the officers got in and drove away. Dale stood on the deck of the boat watching in shock. He looked up and saw Ed descending the ladder. When Ed reached the deck Dale looked closely at him as they moved to the dock. He handed Ed his bag.

"Are you OK Ed?"

The young man just nodded. Captain Dan slid down the ladder and looked over at Dale. "The police are friends of mine. They're just taking the women back to their hotel. Ed refused to press charges." He reached up to Dale from the deck of his ship and handed Dale a small memory chip. "I film the guests fishing so I can offer a value added service. The footage on this chip is of you catching the Marlin. It also has the two women pantsing Ed. If you have any more trouble with those women you have this as evidence."

"Thank you."

"On behalf of myself and my crew, I'm terribly sorry you had to deal with that. In all my years of running these tours I've never seen anything like that behavior." The captain shook his head and looked at Ed. "Take care of yourself Ed. Remember what I said."

Ed smiled and nodded to the man.

Dale shook the man's hand as well as the Professor's then he and Ed made their way to the waiting van. The ride back to the hotel was much slower. When they arrived Ed said he was going to go take a shower.

Dale nodded and watched the man leave. He went to reception and asked if his wife and her friend had returned yet. A quick check of the computer indicated that his wife had not yet returned to their room. He decided to wait in the lobby to catch Rachel on her way by.

He must have nodded off as he jolted awake when Tristan shook his shoulder. Rachel was standing behind her with a smile on her lips. Both had shopping bags in their hands.

"How went the fishing sleepyhead?" Tristan teased.

"We had a problem. I need to talk with you Rachel."

"Where's Ed?" she said sharply, her smile disappearing.

"He's in your room. Please, let's go talk in the lounge where we have more privacy." Dale asked.

They found a quiet corner and Dale went through the events of their trip, leaving nothing out.

Rachel was obviously desperate to see Ed but she stayed to hear the details.

"I don't know what made Ed think he's some kind of monster but that self-doubt is still alive and kicking. I don't think I will ever forget that look of shame on his face."

"I want to scratch their eyes out!" Rachel growled. "Thank you Dale for being there for him. Now I have to go see him. I think we'll have dinner in the room tonight. See you at breakfast tomorrow? I'll let you know then if we'll be joining you on the catamaran trip."

The couple nodded at Rachel and she rushed off with her shopping bags clutched in her hands. She made it to their room and went inside. "Edward?" she called out.

"On the balcony," he responded. "Are you alone?"

She wondered at that question. "Yes, just me."

"Ok."

She dropped her bags on the desk and made her way out to see him. She saw the top of his head resting back against a lounge chair which had been rolled back to almost touch the glass doors. Hiding from being seen from below. She stepped through the door and came to an abrupt stop. He was naked. The towel he'd wrapped around his waist after his shower was open and hanging down on either side of the chair.

Ed turned his head to look at her. He gave her a smile and seemed to be looking for something in her eyes.

"Dale told me what those two bitches did to you today."

Ed looked away and chuckled quietly. "Bitches be crazy," he mumbled.

"What?"

"It's what Captain Dan told me on the boat. He let me ride up top with him on the way back. He told me not to care what they did or said because they were 'bitches' and 'bitches be crazy'.

Not the grandest examples of wisdom but there was compassion in the message. Rachel gave Captain Dan points for that.

"He was right. You shouldn't care about their opinions or actions. They were wrong-"

"I'm not normal." Ed interrupted her.

Rachel stopped and looked at him. "What? Of course you're normal."

"No, this part of me is abnormal. Freakish. They wouldn't react like they do otherwise."

Rachel flashed back to the night in her basement. The football party. Ed's humiliation. The screams, curses and laughter. He was still carrying the wounds of that night.

She walked over to him and knelt next to his chair. She gently turned his chin until he was looking at her. She saw the sadness in his eyes. She wished it was possible to go back in time to the party and stop him from following that cruel boy downstairs but that was just a fantasy. It happened. She was here now to help him leave that trauma in the past.

"You're big. That's just a fact. You're NOT freakishly big! You're not stepping on your penis when you walk. THAT would be freakish." Ed gave her a small smile for that. "There are many reasons which have nothing to do with you personally that might cause people to react in many different ways to seeing your size. Everyone has their own issues when it comes to sexuality. Everyone has feelings of inadequacy in some areas. There are multiple ways people can react to that insecurity; anger, fear, disgust, mocking laughter but all of these are fed from their own insecurity. Their issues. Not yours."

"Can we just stay in the room tonight?"

She smiled. "Yes. I can order room service if you like."

Ed's stomach growled loudly. He looked at her sheepishly. "We missed lunch today," he murmured.

"A big dinner then an early bedtime," she smiled.

He nodded so that's what they did.