Sin at Sea (3 page)

Boarding went so much faster than I expected. We drove through a maze of cones and showed our boarding passes and passports more times than I could count. We had our picture taken.

Then we boarded the ship, went to our room, and dolled up while we decided what to do first. I wanted to hit the bar or the buffet, or both. Jolie had other plans.

“Wait!” She exclaimed. “Look what I brought.” Then she pulled a bottle of Chateau Montelena Chardonnay out of her bag. We’re wine snobs. We can afford to be. We worked for it. We earned it. We don’t apologize for it. We have our own code of rules that we live by. To each his own. This is ours.

That’s when we called the steward and asked for glasses and a corkscrew. It made for a lovely moment when we toasted to the future and reminded each other of the rules…no settling and no settling down. Before long, on my empty stomach, I was feeling a nice warm buzz. Jolie announced that she was taking a nap. I countered with an announcement that I was going to need some food or risk a massive headache and serious hangover. That would throw a wrench in our plans.

As I left, she collapsed on the bed, sprawled out, typical Jolie style. I smiled at her, even though she wasn’t watching and would never know. For the first time since we left, I could feel myself relax and truly felt happy. It didn’t take much.

All over the ship, the party atmosphere had taken hold. The cruise was predominantly made up of adults, thank god. Nothing will ruin a good time faster than a crying baby or whiny toddler. Shoot, throw in a child with a full-blown temper tantrum and I want to put a loaded gun in my mouth. I seem to have managed to escape any hint of maternal instincts. I have yet to experience a biological clock scare. I’m probably more likely to encounter biological warfare on American soil than suffer from that ailment. Who knows? Maybe I’ll feel differently in five or ten years. At the same time, I seriously hoped not.

The aromas of the buffet on the lido deck hit me the minute I exited the elevator. Then I remembered that if I planned to enjoy the buffets and maintain my slim size six figure then I would need to start taking the stairs. I frowned. Maybe I should take the mid-morning Pilates class that seemed to be offered daily, or walk the track. I chuckled. I don’t own a pair of sneakers. Pilates it would be.

After loading a plate with salad, fruit, potato salad, and some nice southern fried chicken, I found a table for two by the windows that was vacant. Setting the plate down on the granite, I started to pull out my chair when a man came out of nowhere and did it for me. He wasn’t in uniform. This wasn’t a crew member being helpful. Nope. I had already attracted a new douche. How the hell did they always seem to find me? If this was any indication as to how the rest of the week was going to go, seven days was going to feel like a year. I’m not the kind to hibernate in the cabin to avoid problems. I find a way to make them go away.

This time would be no different. After he helped me push in the seat, I spoke. “Thank you.” Then I focused on my food and started eating my salad. Sometimes, I just can’t get enough roughage.

“You are welcome, gorgeous.” He smiled at me, a smile that clearly cost him more than most people make in six months. “So, do you have a name?”

I was chewing and didn’t rush that part to answer him. It would be good for him to wait. He needed to be as uncomfortable as he was making me feel…or would have been making me feel if I wasn’t already worn out on men at the moment. Leisurely, I swallowed.

“Yes.” Then I loaded my fork with another bite and kept on eating.

Clearly, I had flustered him…not enough for him to leave me alone, mind you, but his soft underbelly was beginning to show. It was all squishy and pink. He laughed it off. “What is it?” He asked in what was probably his most seductive tone.

“You already guessed it. Gorgeous. It’s right there on my birth certificate. Imagine how badly that could have gone had I not lived up to the hype.” I looked at him evenly, not even cracking a smile.

Would you believe he just kept talking, like we were old friends or soon to be bedroom buddies? That guy couldn’t have pried his way into my room with a crow bar. Nope. My vagina was closed to him for sure.

Finally I interrupted him, which was just as well since I had tuned out everything after his empty chuckle. “So, dude, what makes you think I was eating alone?” I asked with more than a hint of annoyance.

“Well, you walked in here alone,” he began nervously.

“Yes, well, that’s not the same thing as
being
alone.” This was the kind of moment that normally Jolie would rescue me from. She would show up and do something to ensure the guy knew we were “lovers.” Maybe this time I was on my own. Then I saw him. He had those classic good looks, pretty without looking feminine; a strong jaw, beautiful deep blue eyes, and rich brown hair that was thick and begged to be touched. More importantly, he didn't have a wedding ring. He didn't seem to be meeting anyone. Why couldn’t
that guy
have pulled out my chair?

Standing, I stepped in front of him. “Babe, did you not see me? I was right here. Did you get my Coke?” I could see that he was mildly shocked. I could fix that. In a few seconds he was going to be majorly shocked. I planned to render him speechless…and malleable. I stood on my tiptoes and planted a kiss on the tip of his nose. As I imagined, I was offered a hungrier look. That’s when I made my move. Slowly, I matched my lips to his and then shifted so that I was angled and we were kissing…really
really
kissing. He played along. Seconds later he had played right into my hand. Wow wow wow.

“Help me, please,” I breathed into his ear.

“Anything for you, sexy.” He sealed his vow with a kiss on my cheek that totally did not suck. He looked over at my intruder. “Who’s this guy?” He asked, jerking his thumb in the guy’s direction.

“I have no idea. I’m sure he was just keeping the seat warm for you though.” I smiled at him and frowned over at the guy who was keeping me from my meal.

“Uh, yeah, I was just leaving,” the man mumbled. Then he stood up as he muttered apologies and soon walked away.

The new guy sat down. I stared over at him. “Hey, don’t mind me. I just ended up getting drawn into your little charade. Hope you don’t mind if I enjoy my meal while we keep up appearances?” He smiled.

“Nope. We’re good,” I replied.

Though I was smiling at him, I had little to say. There was so much going on in my mind…and thanks to Jolie, having an orgasm wasn’t part of that. Still, I wasn’t going to turn down the possibility of some amazing guilt-free sex with a hot guy for anything. Only I wasn’t sure how to gain his attention. My smile hadn’t worked. The kiss hadn’t accomplished anything. What was it going to take to get a man like that to be interested in spending a few meaningless days on a cruise with me? Guess I’d simply have to try the direct approach.

“Are you married?” If that didn’t break the ice, nothing would.

“No,” he said, cocking his head.

I leaned in. “Really? Because you look like the marrying kind.” I took another bite of my potato salad.

Throwing his head back to laugh, he said, “I run too fast. No one can catch me, let alone keep up!”

“Thank you for saving me. I’m here with my friend. She is napping right now. I’m not used to having to fend off guys anymore,” I admitted as I kept on eating. Isn’t it nice when you don’t want anything from someone and you can just be yourself? That was the freedom I felt around Mr. Bedroom Eyes.

He smiled and I saw he started to extend his hand. I knew he was about to introduce himself, so I stopped him. “Listen, you can tell me your name, but I’m just going to forget it. I’m lousy with names.”

“Okay, so we’re not exchanging names? Is there anything you would like to exchange?” He smirked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. How about bodily fluids?” I smiled and stared at him with a suggestive look.

He…choked on his Coke. When he finally stopped coughing, I was about finished eating. I don’t let much come between my food and me even if I don’t look like it.

“Sorry, I’m not used to women being so direct,” he said with a smile as he wiped his face.

“I don’t play,” I said honestly. Then I stood. I am known for my exits. As I turned, giving him full view of what I considered my best feature, I shot over my shoulder, “Think about it.” Then I walked away. Always…and I mean
always
leave them wanting more. I didn’t have to look back to know that he was staring at me. Let him stare. With my head up and shoulders back, I headed to the elevator.

When I returned to the room, Jolie was awake and getting ready in the bathroom. Apparently it was time to put on our best face before meeting and greeting the rest of the ship. She walked out wearing a short black sundress.

“Did I miss anything?” She asked with a big smile. I know why she smiled. It seemed like I always had some story to tell. There was always something happening to me, around me, with me. I like my life. Through the years, I have come to discover that life is what you make it. So, I make mine fun and exciting, even unintentionally.

“The usual,” I announced. “I was hit on by some skeevy guy, and rescued by a hot one.” I smirked.

“Awesome,” she said with a laugh. “So, who’s the guy and what took you so long?” She joked.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged.

“No name?” She looked at me suspiciously.

“I told him not to bother. We’re on this ship for a week. I’m sure we’ll bump into each other once or twice.” I smirked as I imagined it.

Jolie laughed. She knows me too well. “Is that the same number of times you expect to be bumping uglies?” She asked.

“Hey, mine is very pretty,” I argued playfully. “You should know that after last night.”

“Yours is beautiful and sexy,” she agreed, walking over to plant a kiss on my cheek. “Let’s go. Time to mingle.”

“Ugh,” I joked, “I hate mingling.”

The party atmosphere was contagious. It was difficult to focus on anything. So, we agreed to take the day off. I pulled out my laptop and settled in at the Serenity adult hot tub area on the back of the boat. Jolie headed off on her own to do some exploring. Since the cruise was new to so many people, few had discovered this secret little cozy quiet spot. My lounger was the perfect blend of sun and shade, so that I could get some color, but not risk burning.

I was lying on my belly, searching places to move. There were certain criteria, our move rules. We never lived in the same state twice, so we had to pick our city carefully. We had to move at least 500 miles from the last location. There were states that we had ruled out before we ever visited…like Iowa, and Kansas, even West Virginia. There were states that were ranked higher…since we loved the sun. Currently, the debate was between Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Las Vegas, Nevada. In my mind, Vegas was winning. With some research, I could cinch that all up.

“Whoa, I better get those shoulders,” a seductive male voice said.

Because I was so engrossed in my research, I didn’t pay much attention. Then two strong hands gripped my shoulders, and I could feel warm lotion being rubbed into my skin. Naturally, I jumped. Who the hell would touch some woman he didn’t know? I shot up in the seat only to come face to face with Mr. Bedroom Eyes himself. Damn, he was good looking, especially with that playful sparkle in his eyes.