I watch in horror as the gunman turns the gun on David and explains that if we don’t hand over the diamonds, he is going to shoot him. It takes another moment for the entire ordeal to sink in, and then I hear David calmly explain to him that it wouldn’t matter anyway. Well it matters to me! I look at Aaron, who remains inscrutable. The truth of why he’s here is finally out, and whether David realizes it or not, I do. I don’t know where he got the diamonds from, but he intended to sell them to make money to give to the housing development company and pay off the debt he owed. He’s doing it to keep our mother safe.

I catch Aaron’s eye and plead with him. “Aaron, please!”

He slowly reaches for his pocket, and I see a hint of understanding and acceptance dawn in his eyes. Mother means the world to us both, and we’ll stop at nothing to make her safe again, but right now, the person I care about, David, is the one in danger. I need Aaron to see what that means to me. It takes staring down the barrel of a gun to learn some universal truths about oneself, and what I’ve learned is that I’ve been an idiot getting caught up in reputations and people’s judgmental opinions. Let them judge. It has nothing to do with my talents as a stylist, and it has nothing to do with David’s abilities as a producer. The truth that I know in this moment is that I want David in my life. I’m ready for a long-term relationship, and I’m tired of men who use me and move on. I don’t get that feeling from David. I get a lot of confusion and hesitancy, sure, but he’s just learning his sexuality and I’m okay with that. What I am not okay with is if anything happens to him because of someone’s greed, Aaron’s included.

After what feels like an eternity, Aaron pulls a small black bag from his pocket and I frown at it. It looks so similar to the overnight bag on my nightstand David had pulled out to retrieve the lube from. I look at the small gold G and can tell from where I’m standing that it isn’t quite the same bag. The one difference that no one, not even Aaron, might pick up on, is my bag has a cursive G and this one doesn’t.

The thief grabs the bag after fumbling around for a moment and then cautiously makes his way to the door. It gives me just enough time to formulate a plan, a stupid one, but a plan that might get us all out of this mess. When he takes off running, I’m hot on his heels after grabbing the bag from the nightstand.

He runs, looking over his shoulder and he snarls at me when he sees I’m chasing him. My pants cause me to get snagged on some hooks along the walls when we race down the corridors to the kitchen. We burst through the doors and race through the dark kitchen, where the scent of spices and food hits my nose. The floor is slippery where it looks like it’s just been mopped, and I slip and slide as I try to keep up with the thief. He takes the stairs leading down to the crew members’ cabins two at a time, and I have to hold the rails as I race after him. He doesn’t seem to notice what I’m holding in my hand.

We burst through the door and enter the last hallway before we reach the back of the ship and he falters, looking for something. It gives me enough time to catch up to him and trip him, and he goes sprawling on the hall floor. His bag drops as he does, and I quickly toss the bag I’m carrying in front of him. It takes him a moment, but he notices and makes a grab for it, and I slowly push the bag he had been carrying under the rung of a ladder.

The thief stands and glares at me, pointing the gun at me and I raise my hands in self-defense, not looking down at where I hid the bag of diamonds.

“You…” he starts, and then he stares behind me.

I hear Aaron and David run up, coming to a stop and staring at the gun trained on us all. The bartender threatens us, and I make no move to stop him when he opens a hatch and begins climbing down.

David turns on me once we see the boat speed away. The shock and adrenaline hit and I can’t help but smile when I bend down and try to explain. David seems genuinely irate with me because I chased after the thief, and I can understand why he’s so upset, but I stare at the glittering diamonds and consider each one not nearly as valuable as the moments I’ve had with David. Each new thing we’ve learned about each other has brought us closer together and it’s taught me the value of those moments should be cherished, like a shining diamond.

“We should go somewhere we won’t be overheard,” I murmur to them both.

“My cabin is closer,” David grunts, and turns to walk away.

I catch Aaron’s eye and he’s staring at me like he sees me in a new light. I say nothing but follow David to his cabin where we all stand around the table in his room staring at the bag of diamonds.

“I got them from an old client,” Aaron explains. So here it is, the rest of the story.

I look around David’s room uncomfortably. It pays to be the producer, as evidenced by the furnishings of this room.

David holds up his hand and I wait with bated breath to see what he says. This moment could mean the end of the tenuous connection we’d formed only a short while ago. It could mean the end of my career, or even worse, the potential for incarceration if he decides to turn us in.

“I don’t need to know why you have them, Aaron. Until an hour ago, I didn’t even know you existed. All I have to say is it’s best if you take them and go someplace else so I can have a moment with Alex.”

Both Aaron and I remain still, stunned for a moment. Aaron is the first to move, grabbing the bag off the table and making tracks for the door. I figure I’ll have to put up with him for another night and realize it doesn’t matter. Getting back to Miami and dry land where all this craziness will come to an end, has never sounded better.

Before Aaron leaves, though, David quietly says, “And the next time you get a kiss that’s clearly a mistake, maybe think about not shoving that person away and making them feel like vermin for it. I didn’t realize it was you, not Alex.”

Aaron nods, looking sheepish, and I want to throttle him. He ducks out the door before I have a chance to say anything, leaving David and I standing there, facing each other.

“Can we please just go to sleep now? I’m exhausted.”

David smiles and nods, looking at the bed. I wonder if he’s going to invite me to stay. I get my answer when he takes my hand, pulling me around the edge of the bed and helping me drop my pants again.

He drops his, and as much as I want him, I’m fighting to keep my eyes open when my body hits the mattress. I feel David snuggle back into the position he was in before the gun was drawn, and the thief burst through the door. Pulling the covers over us I realize my dream hadn’t been wrong, David had been in danger and there was some small part of me that knew there was more happening on this ship than we realized. I think the whirlwind of romance and lust masked that there was anything seriously wrong with Aaron’s presence aboard this ship, but it looks as if David is going to let it go for now. I wonder if Aaron will be so lucky once we reach land tomorrow.

I drift off to sleep in David’s warm embrace, thankful that, although we have a serious discussion ahead of us still, I’m granted the blessing of having him tucked in my arms and falling sound asleep in a warm embrace. To me, that’s the shiniest diamond of them all.