CRUISE TO ROMANCE (18 page)

“Ryan told me,” she answered.  “Ryan
tells me everything.”

“Everything?” Jennifer gasped,
silently questioning just what “everything” meant.

The woman smiled and nodded. 
“Everything.”

Jennifer didn’t answer.  The
subject was entirely too broad for her own comfort.  She just looked at the
woman and wondered why the woman had gone out of her way to find her.

“First let me introduce myself. 
My name is Diane Wilde and I’m Ryan’s fiancée.  When Ryan gets back to the
Mainland, we’re going to set a date.”

“Set a date?”  Good grief, she
couldn’t seem to stop repeating Diane’s words.  “You’re planning on getting
married?”

“Yes.  He knew I would be looking
at rings at H. Stern.”   She paused.  “The rings have to be really special.”

Questions raced through
Jennifer’s mind.  Who was this woman?  What was going on here?  Where was Ryan? 
Why wasn’t she with him even now?  “But you’re his ex-fiancée.  I don’t
understand any of this.”

“I know you don’t.  Ryan and I
had a misunderstanding, so I flew here to St. Thomas to discuss it with him. 
None of this misunderstanding is your fault.  However, I must warn you.  Ryan’s
biggest account is with my father’s company.  It would only take one word from
me for my father to withdraw his orders and his support.  It could devastate Ryan
financially.  If you care anything at all about him, you will leave him alone. 
Otherwise, I will have no choice but to tell my father that Ryan has been
cheating on me.”

“You would do that?” Jennifer was
surprised at the woman’s willingness to destroy the man she loved.  Could she
really love him?  Did her jealousy really run that deep?

“In a heartbeat,” Diane
answered.  “So you see, Jennifer, I’m allowing him to be foolish just this once,
but now it’s over.  Don’t cross me.  Stay away from Ryan and his sweet talk. 
You’ll be much better off without his two-timing.”  Diane didn’t wait for a reply;
she turned and headed toward the International Plaza.

Jennifer reached the taxi stand,
still numb from the conversation with Diane.  “To the
Ocean Goddess
,
please,” Jennifer requested.  The driver smiled and opened the door for her. 
“Yes, lady,” he said, “it’s a beautiful day.  But you’re going back to the ship
too soon.  I don’t see any packages with you.”

“What I really want are some
Caribbean recipes.  Something unique to the Virgin Islands.  Do you have any
ideas?”  If she could concentrate on her work, she would survive this.  Somehow
she would stop herself from thinking about Ryan, his passionate kisses, his
whispered sweet-nothings, and his warm embraces.  Tears behind her eyes
threatened to overflow, but she managed to hold them back.

“Yes, Miss.  I certainly do.  Do
you feel adventurous?”  The cabby laughed.  “I know a place not too far from
here where the food will please you.”

“Then let’s go.  I don’t have to
be back to the ship until 5:00 this afternoon.”

*    
*     *

“
Mama Mia
!  No. No. No. 
The invitations have already been sent.  The Captain has made plans and is
looking forward to the delicious dinner
you
promised to prepare.  You
cannot back away now!”  Chef Ruscelli grasped the front of his white tunic. 
“My heart is racing.  What sort of madness do you suffer from?”

“But Chef Ruscelli, I’m sure the
Captain can make other arrangements, or you can cook the dinner.  I just won’t
be there.”  Jennifer didn’t want to share her culinary talent with her friends
and the Captain.  Why should she slave away in a hot kitchen when she didn’t
want to?  The dinner had been Ryan’s idea anyway.  What a manipulator!  What if
Diane was now aboard, sharing his suite?  Ryan would surely bring her to dinner
and Jennifer certainly didn’t intend to cook for her.

“What has happened to change your
mind?  There is no way I can prepare the meal, even with your recipes and
directions, and serve it with a smile.”  Chef Ruscelli frowned.  “
Il mio
piccolo capo
, what is troubling you?  Perhaps your feet grow cold?  Perhaps
you are afraid that no one will find your menu to their liking?”

“Absolutely not!” Jennifer
protested.  “That’s not it at all.”  Jennifer felt like screaming.  He wasn’t
budging an inch.  Instead he was insisting she oversee the meal.  Granted, he
was being very nice about it, but she didn’t want to prepare a meal for Ryan
and his fiancée.

“Tell me, Chef Jennifer, what has
you so upset that you don’t want your friends to enjoy your cooking?”  Chef
Ruscelli asked gently.  “Surely there must be some misunderstanding between you
and your friends. 
Si
.  I remember---your boyfriend.  It is always a man
that is the root of every woman’s problem.  He is the one who has you so
upset!”

“Upset?  No. Chef Ruscelli, I am
not upset,” she lied.  “I have too many things that I would like to do on this
cruise.  Cooking is not one of them.”  Now Jennifer felt terrible.  He was
being so nice to her and she was creating a difficult situation for him.  But
she intended to hold her ground.  She was not going to cook for Ryan or his
fiancée.  That was that!  Decision made!  Finished! 
Rifinito
!

“What of your boyfriend, Chef
Jennifer?”  Chef Ruscelli asked innocently.  “Will this not upset him greatly? 
This dinner.  It was his idea, yes?”

Jennifer groaned inwardly.  The
man was entirely too astute.  “Yes, it was his idea.  However, I have found out
that I am not his girlfriend by any stretch of the imagination.  In fact, I met
his fiancée today while I was in St. Thomas.  She may now be aboard ship, even
as we speak.  I do not intend to cook for either one of them.”

“Hmm.  I do see your problem.” 
Chef Ruscelli studied Jennifer and then continued.  “However, the Captain will
not allow anyone to join the cruise after we board in the port of embarkation. 
So,
Il mio piccolo capo
, I would suggest that you do cook.  The young
man will be feeling quite guilty.  Just think, you would be torturing him with
your tantalizing meal and he would be thinking of you the whole time, not the
other woman.”  He smiled confidently.  “Surely, the fiancée cannot have your
talent.  She cannot cook as you do.  Look what the young man will be giving
up.”  Chef Ruscelli leaned close to her.  “Trust me when I say, he will be
regretting that he no longer has you.”

Jennifer thought about what Chef
Ruscelli told her.  He could be right.  After all, he was a man who loved
women.  He was Italian.  If he didn’t understand how men reacted, no one
would.  Perhaps she should rethink her decision.  “I might be willing to
prepare the dinner, but I want to make some changes to the menu.”

“Such as?”

“Dessert.  It could be made a day
in advance.  Possibly some of the other courses as well.”

“
Buon
.”  Chef Ruscelli
smiled broadly.  “It would be my pleasure to help.”

Jennifer returned his smile. 
Maybe she could plan a few surprises for Mr. Gorgeous.  There was no way that
his bride-to-be would be able to top Jennifer’s cooking—not in her wildest
dreams.

*    
*     *

The early morning sun was barely
above the horizon when Jennifer and Helga slipped into the secluded hot tub
tucked away in the solarium.

“Don’t worry, Helga.  It’s not
your fault that Ryan has been playing games with me.  Even if you had reached
me two days ago, the outcome would be the same.  I would be hurt and
disillusioned.”  Jennifer sighed and slipped deeper into the hot tub she shared
with her friend.  “I have to take responsibility for my own actions.”

“Yes.  You do.  However, I
believe that you are placing too much responsibility on yourself and not enough
on Ryan.”  Helga sipped her pineapple juice.  “I wish that I could say the
words that would help you to stop blaming yourself.”

“Look, Helga.  You know about the
bet.  Even though Sheila egged me on when I wanted to back off, I persisted.  I
persisted when the man made it clear that he didn’t want to make love to me.  I
chased him.  I seduced him when his defenses were down.  So, I can hardly lay
all the blame on him for making love to me.”

“In that respect, I think you’re
wrong.”  Helga replied taking another sip of her drink.

Jennifer emptied her glass and
signaled the waiter to renew their juice.  “Care to explain that one?”

“Ryan is a strong man.  If he
didn’t want to be seduced, he wouldn’t let himself be, regardless of the
attraction.  There’s one thing in life I have learned well and it’s that men
don’t need excuses, because women are only too happy to make excuses for them. 
You can bet that he’s not blaming you for this little episode.”

“Are you serious?”  Jennifer
thought about what Helga said.  Instinctively, she knew Ryan wouldn’t be
blaming her.  Why?  Because of the kind of man he was.  Strong, loyal,
generous, kind, and responsible.  She suspected Helga was right.  Ryan wanted her;
at least he wanted her in bed.  That’s why he’d made love to her.

“Oh, yes.  I’m quite serious.” 
Helga smiled at the waiter when he came and placed their drinks on the coping. 
“I didn’t think he was the type of man to commit to one and play with another,
but perhaps I’ve been wrong.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter.  From
what you and his fiancée, Diane, told me, they are all but married.  He gave me
some happy memories, and for that I should be grateful.”  Jennifer refused to
let the tears escape their watery bed.  Thank goodness they were in the hot
tub.  Who would know if a few tears managed to find their way down her cheeks? 
They would just blend in with the rest of the bubbles and spray from the hot
tub.  “I wish that I hadn’t fallen in love with him in the process.”

“It’s not over Jennifer,” Helga
warned.

“Oh, yes, it is.  I don’t want to
see him again.”  Jennifer had never been more certain of anything in her life. 
Being an innocent virgin was one thing.  Now that she knew how wonderful love
could be she didn’t want to waste her time or emotions on a lover who could
never be hers.

“Mark my words, beautiful
Jennifer.  He will have to choose between the two of you.  Don’t give him a
reason to choose her.”

“Helga, I know that you have
always given me good advice and I treasure you as a dear friend.  In this
instance, however, I’m going to follow my heart.  Whatever choices he makes,
will be his own, without interference from me.”  Jennifer sipped her orange
juice and shook her head.  “The truth is, Helga, I don’t know if I want him
anymore, under any circumstances.”

Helga finished her juice and rose
from the hot tub.  “I hate to leave, but I have an early morning exercise class
to conduct.  Take care, Jenny.”

“You too, Helga, and thanks.”

*    
*     *

“If you don’t get out of that hot
tub soon, you’re going to shrivel up to nothing,” Ryan’s rich, masculine voice
penetrated the relaxed haze that Jennifer was enjoying.  “Mind if I join you?”

“I mind,” she answered when he
sat down in the hot tub next to her.  “Just keep your hands off of me.”  Ryan
winced and looked absolutely thunderous when she slipped over to the other side
of the tub and positioned herself directly across from him.

“Why did you run off yesterday?” 
Ryan asked.  “I would have explained.”

“You know why I left, so please
don’t play clueless and innocent with me.  There was really nothing you could
have said to make me feel any better about finding a woman in your arms,
kissing you for all she was worth.”

“You just said the operative
words, Jennifer.  She was kissing me.”  Ryan explained patiently.

“Oh, pul-leeze!”   Jennifer
watched as he smiled that thousand-watt smile of his.  Well it wasn’t going to
melt her this time.  The pain of knowing that he loved another woman while he
made love to her went much too deep.  “Please go back to Diane and leave me
alone.”

“As far as I know, she’s still in
St. Thomas.”  Ryan watched her irritated reaction with something akin to
humor.  “I tried to find you yesterday afternoon and last night.  Where were
you?”

“Up until the ship sailed, I was
scouring St. Thomas for recipes, which I did find, thank you very much.”  Jennifer
answered.

“I came by your cabin, but you
weren’t there,” he said.  “As a matter of fact, I tried all night to find you.”

“I don’t care,” she stated
flatly.

“Forget Diane.”  Ryan slid around
to her and leaned in to kiss her.  At her surprised gasp, he gently kissed
her.  “Let me show you how much I want you.  Come on, Jenn.  Let’s have
breakfast, then we’ll go back to my cabin.  We need to talk.”

Jennifer looked up at him.  “You
must be out of your ever loving mind!”

Ryan laughed.  “I admit I’m
crazy.  Crazy for you.”

Jennifer couldn’t believe her
ears.  She may be innocent, but she knew a line when she heard one.  “You’re
good.  I really mean that.  You have an incredible line.”  She watched as color
crept up his neck to his face.  His smile was now gone, replaced by annoyance. 
A thrill went through her as she realized she could pierce that unbelievable
arrogance.  How dare he try to sweet-talk her?  Forget?  Not likely?  So far,
she’d heard nothing of consequence.  No words of love or commitment, just an
invitation to go to his cabin.