To Murder Matt (7 page)

***

T
hat evening, as the rapturous applause died down and the stage curtains closed, Veronique moved around to the back stage area and smiled as she passed through the hanging costumes; the show had been a complete success. She had arranged the two different crew shows and talented members from all departments of the ship took part.  The passengers always loved seeing the personnel out of their normal work roles and thrust into another. Many of the crew were aspiring actors, singers and entertainers and they used the ship’s show as a way to work around the world and hone their skills. It was not a place where talent was normally spotted. Some were doing it solely for pleasure. They had no intention of becoming performers and so they enjoyed their weekly stardom on board. Veronique saw something from the corner of her eye and turned to see whom it was. One of Peters puppets swung on its hanger as the ship moved with the roll of the sea. Everyone had already left and it was her responsibility to ensure that the backstage wardrobe was locked. She started towards the door. The flickering light from a sparkling sequin caught her eye. She looked down at the long red sequined gown lying over a wicker basket. It belonged to one of the croupiers and she wore it in her singing act. It was such a glamorous gown. She held it up to herself, pausing, she went to replace the gown, but then decided that no one would know if she were to just try it on. She went over to the door and locked it. Now no one could enter. She left her key in the door so that it could not be opened from outside. Around her, hundreds of gowns in various colours and sizes were hanging on the rails. Boxes from the magicians act were stacked in the corner. She undid her own gown and let it fall to the floor. She stepped out and lifted it up and draped it over the rail. She felt a momentary chill and as she looked around, she shivered. It was as though she was being watched. She felt her skin crawl.

Picking up Louise’s dress, she slipped it slowly over her head and let it fall about her body. The silk lining was cool against her skin. She struggled with the zip and eventually managed to fasten it. Letting her hair down she looked at herself in the full-length mirror.

“Mmm, not bad...maybe I should get myself a gown like this...”

“Yes. You should.”

Veronique froze as she heard a male voice from behind her.

“Who is it?” She moved back as she saw a rail of clothes move.

“Captain!”  He smiled sheepishly.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to talk to you about tomorrow night. I was curious when you proceeded to lock the door. I thought it best you didn’t know I was here. In fact, had you not locked the door, I had intended to leave...so you see, I was rather forced into staying.” He put his head to one side and looked at her appreciatively “and I must say, the view was well worth waiting for.”

“Huh?” Veronique was outraged “you...you!” She shook her head. “I can’t even find the words to describe what I think of you at this moment in time. You are despicable, absolutely detestable!”

“Thank you. Those are the nicest things that you have ever said to me.” He moved closer. “Flattery will get you everywhere.” She stepped back. “And you really should wear this sort of thing more often. It's most becoming.” He unlocked the door and before leaving he winked. The door shut just as a shoe flew through the air hitting the back of the door and falling to the floor. Veronique stood trembling with rage.

All that night, she tossed and turned. Every time she fell asleep, she dreamt of the captain. He was everywhere and she couldn’t escape him. She was running, running on the spot and he was gaining on her. She would look behind her to see his eyes fixed on hers, his eyes told her exactly what would happen if he caught her. Running around a corner she flattened her back against the wall, her heart hammering, her breath rasping, then when he had run passed she would double back. A few paces later, he would turn back to chase her again. One minute, it was the captain, the next, it was her brother Matt. She would try to run faster and faster, and the faster she tried to run, the heavier her legs would become, until she could hardly move. As he lunged out to catch her, she would awaken. It would take her a while to calm down, and then she would fall asleep, and it would all start over again. She would awaken again with the fear, the dread, the running, and the chase. It was exhausting.

The next morning, when the alarm clock went off, she was shattered. Her sleep had been disturbed by the dream, several times, during the night. Her limbs felt heavy and tired. Getting up, she went through to her bathroom and showered. The day went extremely slowly, she was so tempted to close her door and take a nap in her office, but she knew it was impossible. She was dreading having to attend the captain’s soiree later that evening. In fact, the whole business was starting to really annoy her. Her life was literally going around in circles, never stopping, but at the same time, never really getting anywhere. Maybe she was feeling this way because she was tired. She was normally so alert and focused on her work. 

She was relieved at the end of the day and locked her office door to go prepare for the evening’s events. All the passenger problems had been sorted. The social director was now on duty and would cover her for this evening. All she had to do now was prepare for the soiree then, as soon as that was over, she could go to bed and sleep. The thought of sleeping made her groan. If only she could go straight to bed now. She yawned and shut her eyes momentarily. Looking down at her watch, she realized she had an hour to have something to eat and get ready. She would stop off at the kitchens on the way to her cabin and grab a bite to eat, that she could eat in her cabin as she got ready.

Looking through her wardrobe was easy. She had a dozen dresses, several blouses, a few pairs of trousers and skirts and the rest was all her uniforms. The clothes were all for the evenings when she was required to dress up. Taking out a simple peach silk dress, she laid it carefully on the bed, and then went to shower and wash her hair. The water was so beautiful and so relaxing. She could have lived in her shower it was so lovely. She soaped herself and rinsed off quickly. Stepping out of the steamy shower she walked over to her dressing table and sat down. Looking in her mirror, she checked her face for blemishes, none; wrinkles, none. She smiled and started to apply her makeup, next she dried her hair, put on her thong and slipped the dress over her head.

She quickly checked her appearance in the mirror, picked up her cabin key, and left to meet Nico.

N
ico watched Veronique as she went about her duties. He had watched her since she arrived on board a few years ago. In that time, he had watched her blossom, become more confident and she had surpassed the abilities and professionalism of the previous cruise director. Over the years, his affection for her had grown. However, she was so wrapped up in her job that she was completely oblivious to his feelings for her. He had started to tell her once, but she had gotten a strange look in her eyes and he had stopped mid-sentence. It was that look that made him feel invisible, small and inconsequential. It was a look that made him only discuss matters relating to the ship and the cruise. Nico had tried to scratch the surface of her emotional security blanket and not even made a dent in it. He remembered their most recent encounters. 

Walking towards her office he could see her bent over her desk. Her hair fell in a silky golden curtain. As he moved closer, he could see her face glowing with a light satin sheen of perspiration. She looked up as he entered.

“Morning Nico,” she said sweetly. He smiled his best smile, one that he reserved for difficult cases, and one that would soften the hardest woman or so he hoped.

“Hello, my darling,” he replied in Greek. He loved the fact that she spoke his language. It aroused him to know that she understood everything. He could say anything, tell her anything and know that her comprehension was complete, fluent.

“And what can I do for you today?” He walked over to her desk. He could feel the electricity in the air, mainly from her badly hidden hostility. He looked down and was pleased to have a view down her cream blouse. She had returned to her writing and was unaware of his gaze.

“We have a problem in the engine room.” His voice was quiet and low and he had watched her, as she looked up to meet his eyes. He could see her frustration and knew that this problem was going to cause a lot of problems for her, a lot of additional work. Her desk was already piled high with papers and things to do.  She leaned back in her chair and his view down her blouse was lost, but replaced with the outline of her breasts through her blouse. He momentarily traced the outline of her nipples with his eyes. Her arm moved and effectively obscured his view. His eyes looked up and met hers.

“Anything else, Captain?” Her sapphire blue eyes were as cold as steel.

“Yes.” He continued to speak to her in Greek. He told her of the soiree he was having and he watched as she accepted his words and invitation.  Leaving her office a few moments later, a small smile played at his lips, curling the flesh at the corners. She had accepted without question, as he had known she would. Where work was concerned, she would never refuse. Her whole ambition was to be a success and work always came first.

Walking briskly to the bridge on the gently rocking ship, his mind planned the evening’s events. She would be the only person to attend. He had invited no one else. He had ordered a small buffet to be delivered to his quarters prior to her arrival. This would ensure that they were not disturbed during the evening. He hoped to lead the conversation onto a personal level, and when she had relaxed a little with some wine, perhaps a glass or two, he would tell her, once and for all, about his true feelings. How over the years, his respect had grown for her. His admiration had flourished and exploded into such proportions that he was passionately in love with her. He could not contain himself any longer. She was haunting his life and dreams, and she wasn’t even aware of it. He had to make her his, now, once and for all. When she was in his presence, his skin crackled and burned with the passion and brightness of the sun. He was sure that he was the fire that could melt the ice of her heart. His being could penetrate hers, right to the core. He was compelled to tell her, he couldn’t hide it any longer. It was interfering with his life to the point that his every thought was of her. She was his first thought when he awoke, and his last when he slept.

He stood outside the bridge on the deck and inhaled the fresh sea breeze, the warm currents of air rising from the waves ruffled his dark brown hair, and turning towards the door, he entered the controlled atmosphere of the bridge.  Nico looked at his watch and found that at last it was time for him to leave and prepare for her. Throughout the day, he had been checking his watch, glancing at it impatiently. His words to his crew were curt and blunt; the day would just not pass quickly enough and his crew was at the receiving end of his frustration. Now, with relief, he signaled his first officer that he was leaving at the bridge for the evening.

“You know where I am if you need me.” He smoothed his hair and left. In his absence, the remaining officers and crew immediately relaxed and the tension in the room lifted.

“Thank God he has gone. He’s been a grouch all day. Anyone know what the problem was?”

“Maybe the delay?”

“Nah! He needs to get laid, and soon!” There was a round of laughter from them all.

***

A
fter showering, Nico toweled himself dry. He splashed aftershave liberally on his tanned face and muscular body. His face, reflected in a small steamy mirror, smiled boyishly back at him. His attention turned to his hair and he cursed as he spotted a slim streak of white hair at his temples. He would have to do something about them, before they took over and aged him prematurely. Besides he was too young to go grey.  Leaving the bathroom, he went to his wardrobe and went through the crisp white uniforms that were hung inside, each displaying the dry cleaning ticket. Taking one out, he tore off the small piece of paper and dressed.  He had just lowered the lights and switched on some quiet background music when there was a knock at his door.

Veronique was standing outside, in a light peach colour dress that shone in the bright lights of the corridor. Her face was flushed and several long tendrils of damp hair hung loosely to her shoulders. She smiled her professional smile. Nico stood back and held his arm wide, a signal of his permission for her to enter.

“Ah, come in, my darling,” he said in Greek. He was always afraid that he would use the wrong words in English, and she would laugh at his mistakes.

She walked passed him, unaware of her animal magnetism. He guided her to a seat, his eyes never leaving her once. He wanted nothing more, at this precise moment, than to have her in his arms, pliable, warm and loving. Together they would soar higher than the clouds, through the white blinding lights of ecstasy and surpassing the brightest of the celestial stars light years away. It would be sublime.

She sat down and crossed her legs, they were slim, long and bronzed. He tried to ignore her rising breasts as she breathed. She spoke and her words melted into thin air.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I said a drink would be lovely, thank you.”

He nodded and he watched in disbelief as her dress fell away to reveal her breasts as she bent forward to adjust the ankle strap on her shoe. His mind screamed in agony and frustration and his cock throbbed suddenly in his trousers. He looked away and went to pour her a drink. His hands were trembling, and his heart beating so fast, that his mouth had gone dry. She had that affect on him. No other woman could do this to him. She left him speechless like a young schoolboy at his first dance. Turning towards her again, he handed her a drink, and for a split second, his fingers brushed against hers, as he handed her the glass. He sat next to her, his pulse throbbing passionately, both in his head and his cock. He marveled at her perfection. He watched her, wondering what to say, but he didn’t want to speak, as he felt that whatever words he said would be wasted in that moment, and so he just looked at her and drank. His eyes were starting to take on the predatory stare that a lion would have for a gazelle.  She shivered and he sensed her discomfort.