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On Deck for Love (Reunion Romance 03) DuBon Publishing Rebecca Talley Rok: 2018 Język: english Plik: MOBI , 1.06 MB Twoje tagi: 0 / 0

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My Story Caroline Cossey Caroline Cossey [Cossey, Caroline] Rok: 2015 Język: english Plik: EPUB, 3.28 MB Twoje tagi: 0 / 0

Table of Contents


TITLE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

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About the Author





DuBon Publishing

Copyright 2018 Rebecca Talley All rights reserved This is a work of fiction. All the characters, situations, dialogue, names, and places are fictional and from the author's imagination. They are not to be construed as real and any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. The opinions and views contained herein are the author's and do not necessarily represent the views of DuBon Publishing.

Except in the case of brief passages contained in critical reviews and/or articles, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, whether that be print, electronic, film, microfilm, or by any other means, without prior written, dated, and signed permission from the author.

Thank you for purchasing this book and respecting the work of this author by not participating in piracy.





When the knock sounded, Meg Summers glanced from her laptop screen to her watch. Was it time already? "Why did I let her talk me into this?" she muttered under her breath as she trudged to the front door of her sparsely decorated condo.

Shayla, her best friend since high school, stood there with a much too big smile and wide, excited eyes. "Do you have all your stuff?"

"I guess."

Shayla stepped inside, then brushed her naturally red curly hair off her shoulders. "It is one hot, humid day. Even for Houston." She fanned herself with her hand. "This is going to be the best vacation of all vacations. Ever."

While shaking her head, Meg shut the front door. Shayla had always been the perky, upbeat part of;  their duo. Sometimes it was more annoying than others. "If you say so."

Shayla pointed at Meg. With a serious expression she said, "You may not be Debbie Downer about this. I forbid it. We are going to have a blast."

"Because going on a singles cruise screams blast." Meg couldn’t think of a worse way to spend the next week. All she could envision was a bunch of loser guys trying to hit on her. Not what I want or need right now.

"This is going to be super fun!" Shayla’s green eyes danced.

Meg walked into the small kitchen and Shayla followed closely behind her. "I should've said no when you first brought up this crazy idea," Meg said, reaching for a glass. She filled it with some ice.

"It isn't crazy!” Shayla perched her hands on her hips. “People meet their significant others on cruises all the time."

"They do?" Meg gave her too-enthusiastic BFF a look of disbelief.

"Eighty-two percent of all those who go on singles cruises leave with the beginning of a relationship." Shayla said it with such conviction, Meg almost believed her. Almost.

"You just pulled that stat out of your—"

"I did not. It's totally true. And even if it isn't, why not take a chance?" Shayla grabbed the glass from Meg and added some water to it.

"For one, I have a ton of work to do if I want to launch my online business in less than three weeks." There was still so much to do before her website would be ready. Then there was all the social media marketing to schedule. And editing all the videos. She’d invested too much money to not meet her deadline.

Shayla waved her hand. "You can leave that for a week."

"Uh, uh. I'm taking my laptop with me and working. I need to upload my meal plans and exercise videos to my website, integrate the software so customers can sign up for my weight training program, and I have to test it to make sure there aren’t any bugs." Shayla didn’t understand all the work it entailed to get this business going. Sure, she was supportive, and had even encouraged Meg to pursue it last year when it was only a kernel of an idea, but there was a long list of tasks that had to be completed if Meg wanted this to be successful.

Shayla drew in a deep breath. "Meg!"

"What?"

"You promised you'd go on the cruise with a good attitude." Shayla wagged her finger at Meg.

Meg leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "No, no. I said I'd come because you said it was all you wanted for your birthday—your birthday wish—last month. I never agreed to have a good attitude about a bunch of weirdos who have no concept of a real relationship." A vision of some old, bald guy with a hairy back and leering eyes popped into her head and she shuddered.

"Okay. Then for my next birthday wish,” Shayla raised her eyebrows, “I want you to be open to meeting someone."

"Uhh, that's blackmail." Meg wasn’t about to be manipulated.

"Come on.” Shayla gave a dramatic sigh. “You never know what might happen."

Meg stepped past Shayla and flopped on the couch. "Based alone on my last four first dates, I'm pretty sure I have an idea. Dating and relationships are totally overrated.”

Shayla sat next to Meg. "Well, maybe your soul mate will be on this cruise."

Meg started laughing. "Actually, you're right."

"I am?" Shayla blinked.

Meg picked up her romance novel from the table and said, "Yep, here he is. I'll bring him with me. His name is Rolf."

Shayla threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know what to do with you.”

“Let me work while we’re on the cruise. You go meet people and I work. Win-win.” Seemed to make perfect sense to Meg.

“No way. You are going to be social. And you’re going to like it.” Shayla stood, then walked over to her bag and pulled something out. “And to make that happen, I bought you this.”

“Bought me what?” Meg was afraid to ask.

Shayla held a blue dress in her hands. “Isn’t it adorable? And you will be stunning. It’ll totally bring out the blue in your eyes. And you can wear your hair up in a twist.”

“Uhh, I’m not sure. It seems a little too much for me.” Meg eyed it. “Make that a little too little for me.” The dress would show way more of Meg than she wanted.

“You’ve worked so hard and for so long for your rockin’ hot body, and you need to show it off.”

It was true that Meg had transformed her body. Once she was a chubby kid with lots of extra padding and rolls. Now she had well-defined, lean muscles, and less than 18% body fat. Still, it was hard to ignore the nickname that still rang in her ears. Megaton, Megaton, Megaton. It had been coined by AJ, a rude, obnoxious boy she knew in middle school. It was hard to forget about all the body shaming she endured through the years for being overweight. “I don’t know.”

“My third birthday wish is that you wear this dress on the cruise and you like it. You’ll look amazing. I promise.” Shayla held the dress out to Meg.

Meg snatched it. Maybe Shayla was right. “Fine. But only because you’re my bestie.”

“Admit it. You think the dress is cute.”

Meg held up the dress. “In an over-the-top kind of way, sure.”

“You need to loosen up and have some fun.” Shayla did some dance moves to an imaginary song.

Meg couldn’t help but smile at Shayla’s excitement. Maybe this cruise wouldn’t be as bad as she thought. Maybe.

“You’re all packed, right? Where are your bags?” Shayla glanced around the room.

“I’ll get them.”

“Well, get to it.” Shayla tapped her wrist. “Time is wasting. And we need to be there early to board the ship.”

“Galveston is a little over an hour from here. We have plenty of time.” Meg grabbed her laptop so she could log out and shut it down.

“Nope. We want to be there so we can find the hottest men first.”

Meg let out a long breath. They had plenty of time, but she knew Shayla would continue to badger her, so she gave in and went back to her bedroom to get her suitcases. “I think we’re leaving way too early. We can’t even get on the boat until after two o’clock,” she said while she rolled her suitcase into the living room.

“Better early than late.” Shayla clapped her hands. “This is going to be so awesome.”

Meg hefted her suitcase and a couple smaller bags into the back of Shayla’s silver Toyota, then took her seat in the front.

Shayla blasted some music and they joined in the chorus of Katy Perry’s “Firework” while they mounted the 45 Freeway headed south to Galveston. Over the music Shayla shouted, “Within a few hours, we might meet our Mr. Rights.”

Meg was certain that if she met anyone, it’d be Mr. Wrong, but she didn’t want to keep raining on Shayla’s parade by saying it out loud. Humoring her BFF was a better choice. Besides, going on a singles cruise wouldn’t kill her. She’d have plenty to eat, lots of sunshine, and if she was lucky, Shayla would meet someone and leave Meg alone to focus on her business.

***

“I think the shuttle will meet us over here,” Shayla said, pointing to an area next to the parking lot.

Meg rolled her suitcase behind her. Perspiration formed around her hairline and at the back of her neck, making her wish she’d put her hair in a ponytail instead of leaving it down. Mid-July in southern Texas was typically hot and humid—emphasis on humid. She tried to fan herself with her hand once they reached the shuttle stop, but it didn’t matter. “I’m planning to jump in the pool before we even get to our room.”

“In your clothes?” Shayla said, crinkling her nose.

“Would it matter?” Meg pulled at her damp shirt and looked forward to some air conditioning on the shuttle bus.

They boarded the bus and headed down the street. As they neared the pristine white, several-story ship, Meg was struck by how immense it was. “Wow, that is one big boat.”

“Isn’t it awesome? There’s like eleven decks or something. And a couple of pools, a waterslide, a casino, restaurants, dance clubs. This is going to be the best ever.” Shayla nodded and her hoop earrings swayed.

Despite her vow to not enjoy this cruise, Meg’s excitement coursed through her. Maybe it would actually be fun to go on a cruise.

“Oh, did I tell you I saw Kirsten Shupe?” Shayla said as they walked into the check-in area.

Meg pulled her wallet out of her purse and fished her driver’s license out of it. “Where did you see her?”

“I was coming out of Jimmy Choo at The Galleria.”

“You and your shoe obsession.”

“A girl can never have too many shoes.” Shayla waved her hand. “Anyway, I almost walked right into Kirsten. I haven’t seen her since high school.”

Meg handed her ID to the Hispanic woman at the counter who looked it over, then tapped some keys on her computer.

“That’s good, I guess.” Kirsten Shupe was not someone Meg ever wanted to see again.

Shayla arched an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you still hate her.”

Meg blew out a breath. The agony of being in class with Kirsten was still seared into her memory. “She was totally rude to me in our yearbook class.”

The woman at the counter handed Meg back her ID. “Here is your cruise card. It will allow you to board the ship at the ports. Please hang onto it. You can now walk over there.” The woman pointed to her left.

“Thank you,” Meg said and collected her card. She started walking toward a long hallway tugging her suitcase behind her.

“I can’t remember what Kirsten even did,” Shayla said as she came up behind Meg.

“Oh, I remember it vividly.” The memories heated Meg’s cheeks. “It started when she read my copy for the theater department out loud and made fun of it. She told me I should never write anything, even a grocery list. Everyone thought she was so hilarious. Then she made snide remarks to me for the rest of the year.”

“But that was a long time ago.” Shayla shrugged. “I’m sure we’ve all changed since then.”

“Some people never change. And Kirsten Shupe is one of them.” Meg had plenty of proof to back up her claim.

“Are you going to carry your grudge against her forever?”

The way Shayla said it, it sounded foolish to still hang onto the memories, but Meg remembered how Kirsten made her feel. Why should she forget that? “Maybe.”





Drew McDermott hoisted his suitcase from the shuttle bus, then handed his younger brother, Joey, the other suitcase.

Joey took it and said, “Aubrey wanted to go on a cruise.”

Drew held up his hand. “No talking about your ex. This cruise is to help you forget all about her.”

“I wanted to marry her. We talked about it and everything.”

Joey sounded so defeated, and his brown eyes seemed so sad, but Drew was determined to help his brother meet someone new. “I know, but it’s been three months since she married that dude. You have to move on, bro.” Drew didn’t want to be harsh with his brother, but Joey had wallowed long enough.

Joey let out a breath.

“This singles cruise will be a great way to meet other women.” Drew had booked this cruise for the both of them a few months ago, then surprised Joey with it, hoping to get his younger brother out of the funk he was in.

Joey shrugged. “If you say so.”

“We’ll have a good time, you’ll see.” Drew had to do all in his power to make this cruise memorable and help Joey realize he could be happy with another woman.

“I don’t know about that.” Joey slouched.

Drew set his suitcase down and grabbed his brother by the shoulders. “Look, I know having your girlfriend run off with one of your college buddies was rough. But what’s done is done. You have to let go of it and move forward.”

Joey met Drew’s gaze. “What about you?”

“This isn’t about me.” Drew wasn’t going to let Joey turn this back on him.

“But you haven’t had a girlfriend since college.”

Drew shifted his weight. “I haven’t had time. I’ve been busy building my career.”

“Me too.”

Drew gave Joey a skeptical look. If Drew didn’t take the lead, Joey would mope around and end up not meeting anyone on this cruise. Even though Drew wasn’t interested in a relationship with a woman right now—he didn’t need, or want, any complications in his life—he had to do something, or Joey would spend all week sulking. “All right. I’ll make you a deal. Are you game?”

“I guess.”

“We’ll both be open to meeting women on this cruise. And we’ll both make an effort.” He stuck out his hand. “You in?”

“Sure.” Joey gave Drew’s hand a weak shake.

Drew clapped Joey on the shoulder. “Let’s go meet some women then.”

***

As Meg and Shayla entered the boat, they were shuffled into the large theater to listen to safety procedures should there be any problems at sea. Meg gazed around. To her right was a group of men who were obviously friends. She assumed they were some frat pack coming to hook up with women. She spotted a large group of women who appeared to be college-aged. They were giggling and pushing each other. A few of them were waving at the guys from that group of men. Typical. This is so not want I want to do.

“Ooo, look at the guy over there?” Shayla inclined her head to her left. “He is so hot.”

Meg scanned the crowd. “The one with the long beard?”

“No, the one wearing the white baseball hat.”

“I guess.” Meg felt much more like she was in a meat market than a cruise ship. Everyone seemed to be eyeing each other up and down to see who was the best specimen. It made Meg want to sprint out of there, but she couldn’t. So, she told herself to suck it up to appease her best friend.

After the petite blond woman finished her speech on the safety aspects, she excused them to go find their staterooms.

Meg walked in front of Shayla, lugging her suitcase behind her. She turned to say something over her shoulder and didn’t notice the crowd had stopped moving ahead of her. She felt the impact of running into someone and turned in enough time to step right on his foot. “I’m so sorry,” she said, her face warming.

“No problem. I have another foot. I can hop on that one to get to my room.” A man with thick dark hair and mesmerizing brown eyes said.

Meg forgot to breathe for a moment. She blinked, then cleared her throat. “I should’ve been paying better attention. I hope I didn’t hurt your foot too much.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” He smiled and it made her heartbeat slip into her stomach.

“Again, I’m so sorry. I really am. I’m sorry. I’ll try to . . . keep my foot out of the way of your foot . . . so that they don’t . . . collide. Again. Because . . . that would, maybe, hurt your foot.” Please stop talking. Right now. Don’t say another word. “Yeah, so anyway. . . Uh . . . Sorry.”

Someone squeezed between them, followed by several other people, as everyone began to move out of the theater. Before she knew it, he was gone in a sea of strangers.

When Shayla caught up with Meg near the elevator, she said, “What were you saying to that devastatingly handsome guy in front of us?”

“I was making a fool out of myself.” Meg wished she could call back all the nonsensical things she’d said to him. “I babbled some kind of apology.”

“For staring at his gorgeousness?” Shayla said with wide eyes.

Meg shook her head. “No. I stepped on his foot in that crowd. And then I over apologized because, for some reason, my mouth wasn’t working right.”

Shayla giggled.

“What?” Meg gave her a sharp look. They walked into the elevator and Meg pushed the button next to the number two.

“It’s called love at first sight.” Shayla said it in a sing-songy voice.

“Hardly.” Meg rolled her eyes. “I was flustered because I’d stepped on his foot.” Sounded like a plausible explanation. Much more plausible than she was instantly attracted to some man she’d never met before.

“Hopefully you’ll see him again.” Shayla smiled. “And maybe he’ll have a hot friend for me.”

Meg shrugged on the outside. On the inside, she was freaking out. She’d just met probably the most handsome man she’d ever seen. And what did she do? Stepped right on his foot and then sounded like a total imbecile who couldn’t construct a decent sentence. How embarrassing. Of course, she reminded herself, it didn’t matter. On a ship this size, she’d probably never see him again, and even if she did, she wasn’t here to meet men like Shayla was. Meg was here to work, not get sidetracked by a man. Or get involved with a man. Any man. Even one that made her heart do somersaults.

Except a teeny, tiny, miniscule part of her fantasized what it might be like to be distracted by a man like that.

“Meg? Meg? Meeeeggg?” Shayla said.

“What?” Why was Shayla acting so impatient?

“I’ve been trying to get your attention but you were somewhere else.” Shayla elbowed her. “You were thinking about that guy.”

“Uh, no,” she lied. Shayla did not need to think Meg was at all interested in him. Or any other man on the boat. If Shayla even had an inkling that Meg thought he was attractive, she’d be relentless. “I was thinking I should change the colors on my website. Maybe stick with neutral colors, like beige with some brown details. Yes, a chocolate brown would be a better color.” Like the inviting brown depths of that man’s eyes. Stop it! Get a hold of yourself.

The elevator doors opened to deck two. “This is where our room is,” Shayla said.

They walked down the hallway until they found room 2307.

Shayla grinned. “This is going to be so fantastical.”

“That isn’t even a word,” Meg said, trying to reign in Shayla’s enthusiasm.

“Sure it is. It’s a cross between fantastic and magical. Fantastical.” She laughed.

Meg rolled her eyes.

Inside the brightly colored room, Meg hung up a few items in the small closet, then put her suitcase at the bottom.

“What should we do now?” Shayla flopped on the bed. “We have a little while before dinner. Our assigned table is in The Reef restaurant.”

Meg grabbed her laptop, but Shayla stood quickly and took it from her. “No work tonight.”

“But—”

Shayla pointed at Meg. “Tonight is about loosening up and enjoying ourselves. We are going to mingle and meet men.”

“I need—”

Shayla held up four fingers and wiggled them. “For my fourth birthday wish, I want you to forget about work, and everything else, and meet men.”

Meg drew in a breath. “Exactly how many birthday wishes do you think you get?”

“Twenty-eight. That’s the rule.” Shayla set the laptop on the bed, just out of Meg’s reach. “You get as many birthday wishes as your age.”

Meg placed her hands on her hips. “Who made that rule?”

“The birthday gods.” Shayla gave Meg an incredulous look. “Everyone knows this rule.”

Meg rubbed her temples. “I feel like this birthday wish thing is going to haunt me during the whole cruise.”

Shayla looped her arm through Meg’s. “My dear Meg, this cruise is all about meeting men and having a good time. You agreed to celebrate my birthday here with me. On this cruise. It follows that you would do what I want to do. Right?” Shayla patted Meg’s hand. “So, dinner?”

Knowing she was beat, Meg said. “Fine. I’ll go do dinner.”

“And the mix and mingle.”

An image of the man with the magnetic brown eyes flashed through her mind, but she shooed it out. “Okay. And the mix and mingle thing. But tomorrow you have to let me do some work or I’ll never make my launch deadline. I have all sorts of social media scheduled, and that I’ve paid for, and if I don’t have a website to launch that will be a problem.”

“All right, all right. You can have some work time tomorrow.” Shayla held up her hand. “Promise. But tonight, we have fun.”

Shayla stepped over to her closet and pulled out a flowery dress. “Wear this.”

“Why? I have plenty of clothes to wear.” Shayla could be annoying at times, especially when it came to Meg’s wardrobe.

“I know. And they’re kinda cute. But you’ll look irresistible in this.” Shayla held the dress out to Meg.

“You already gave me that blue one.”

“That’s for one of the special, dressy nights. I think it’s called the captains dinner or something. I brought this one for you to wear for our first night.” Shayla held the dress up to Meg.

“You think I can’t dress myself?” It was true that Meg’s style wasn’t as showy as Shayla’s, but it wasn’t like she dressed like a grandma or something.

“I think you can dress yourself.”

Meg gave Shayla a questioning look.

“You need a little help to add some flair to your wardrobe. That’s all.”

“I give up.” Meg took the dress from Shayla.

***

Drew and Joey followed the crowd toward the elevators after being shuffled out of the theater where they’d learned about safety procedures.

“There are so many people here,” Joey said, gazing around.

“A whole boatload of single women. Maybe you could meet that blond woman who gave the safety presentation. She was pretty cute.”

“Not my type,” Joey said.

The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. As they rode the elevator, Drew’s thoughts shot back to the woman with stunning blue eyes and silky, long dark hair. His gaze was immediately drawn to her full lips as she tried to apologize for stepping on his foot. He had to smile at the way she stumbled over her words. Without warning, and before he could ask her name, he was swallowed up in the crowd. He tried to keep his eyes on her, but she disappeared somewhere behind him.

They exited the elevator and walked down the long hall toward their stateroom. Drew opened the door and stepped inside.

“Hey,” Joey said, pulling Drew from his thoughts of the mysterious, tongue-tied, foot-stomping woman.

“Huh?”

“Which bed do you want?” Joey brushed past him.

Drew shrugged. “I don’t care.”

Joey planted himself on the bed to their left. “I’ll take this one then.”

“Whatever.”

“What’s with you?” Joey asked, studying Drew with a discerning look.

“Nothing.” Drew wasn’t about to tell his brother that a woman had already caught his attention. This cruise was about Joey, not him. And sure, he’d made a deal with his brother, but honestly, Drew didn’t have time for a woman. His last relationship ended because he never spent time with . . . her. He couldn’t remember much about his last relationship, which was reason enough not to get involved. An image of the woman popped into his head again.

“Why are you smiling?”

Drew wiped at his mouth. “I’m not.”

Joey perched on the edge of the bed. “You seem preoccupied or something.”

“Nah. Let’s get settled, then go up to the deck with the pool. I think we can get something to eat there.” Food would certainly distract him from thoughts of the beautiful woman.





“Are you ready to go? You’re taking forever,” Shayla said in her trademark I’m trying not to get irritated way.

Unruffled, Meg finished brushing her hair then fashioned it into a messy bun.

“You should wear your hair down,” Shayla said, sitting on the bed. She adjusted the straps on her wedges.

“Why?” Meg wasn’t there to impress anyone, and her hairstyle proved it.

“Because it’s so long and luxurious. All us mere mortals would kill for hair like yours.”

Meg waved her hand to dismiss the compliment.

“I know what you’re doing.” Shayla fluffed her hair, then stood.

Meg looked at herself in the mirror, ignoring the insinuation.

“You’re trying to be unattractive to repel the men.”

“That’s ridiculous. What woman tries to be unattractive?” Meg hated that Shayla read her so well.

“It won’t work, you know.” Shayla applied some lip gloss. “You’re still beautiful.”

Meg shrugged a shoulder in reply.

Shayla raised her eyebrows and looked directly at Meg. “Birthday wish, remember?”

Meg closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. She could fight Shayla all week or give in and play along. She opened her eyes. “Fine.” She let down her hair, shook her head a few times, then flashed her biggest smile. “Better?”

“Much.” Shayla gave Meg some perfume. “You can wear this.”

Meg didn’t want to argue, so she spritzed her neck with the light, floral scent.

Shayla opened the door. “Let’s go walk around the deck and see who we can meet.”

***

After taking the elevator from the second floor up to the Lido Deck, they walked over to the pool. People were already sitting on the lounge chairs and talking. A warm breeze laced with salty, sea air fanned Meg’s face.

“Looks like we can get a drink over there.” Shayla pointed toward The Red Iguana Cantina.

Meg followed Shayla to a counter. While standing in line, Shayla whispered, “Hot guy alert. Over there.” She inclined her head to the left.

There were at least five men in that vicinity. “Which one?”

“Tall, blond hair, red t-shirt, huge biceps.”

“Oh, yeah. I see him.” He was semi-attractive, but not Meg’s type. Meg wasn’t sure if her type existed except in the romance novels she read.

“Let’s go talk to him.” Shayla smiled.

“Sure.” If Shayla met someone right away, she’d leave Meg alone to work.

They made their way over to the guy, who grinned when he saw them approaching.

“Hi. My name is Shayla and this is Meg.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Greg. Would you like to join me for some drinks?” His smile exposed crooked teeth.

“That sounds great,” Shayla said in her sweetest voice.

Shayla and Greg started talking while Meg’s gaze roamed the deck. It wasn’t that she was specifically looking for the man she’d seen earlier—the one she’d stepped on—but if she happened to see him, she wouldn’t look away.

A guy with too-short shorts, too-much chest hair peeking out of his polo shirt, and wearing a gold chain sat at the table. He spoke in an accent Meg couldn’t place. “Hello.”

“Hi.” She wasn’t at all interested in this guy. He must’ve bathed in the cheapest cologne money could buy.

“My name is Eduardo.” He leaned in. “I don’t suppose you have a map?”

Meg gave him a confused look. “Uh, no. Why?”

“Because I keep getting lost in your eyes.”

Seriously? He just said that? I wanna throw up. Meg gave him a courtesy laugh.

With a leer, he said, “Would you like to go dancing with me tonight?”

I’d rather sacrifice myself to a starving tiger. “Actually, I’m not a dancer. At all.”

He ogled her, making her skin feel like it had spiders running all over it. “We could spend the night doing something else.” He licked his lips and smirked. She resisted the urge to slap that slimy smile off his face.

Pulling her phone from her pocket, Meg said, “I’m so sorry, but I have to answer this.” She pretended to answer her phone. “Oh, yeah. I’ll be there in a second.” She looked at the smarmy man and said, “Nice to meet you, but I have to go.”

She stood quickly and tapped Shayla on the shoulder. “I’ll meet you later.” With that, she left.

This cruise was starting out exactly as she’d thought. A bunch of loser men trying to score. They’d barely left the dock and she already wanted to throw herself overboard. This week was going to feel more like a month. Maybe even a year.

She walked along the deck and gazed out over the ocean. An idea for her website popped into her head, and she rushed to the elevators. She went down to the second floor and hurried into her room. Inside, she pulled out her laptop and began writing some copy that she wanted to include on her website, 4FHealth.com. She wanted to incorporate her tagline: Food + Fitness + Fun = Fabulous. She played with a few color variations and the placement of some of the photos, then reread her copy.

The door flung open and Meg’s head popped up.

“There you are,” Shayla said. “You totally disappeared on me.”

“I didn’t think you’d notice with Mr. Muscles.”

“Yeah, he couldn’t stop talking about the weight he can lift. Bo-ring.” Shayla shook her head. “Never even asked anything about me. He went on and on and on about himself. But I met this other guy, Sean. He seemed pretty nice, but he wasn’t very cute. His face seemed too small for his head.”

“Sounds like you’re making the rounds.” Nothing about that was at all appealing to Meg.

“You’re supposed to be up there with me. Not down here on your computer. Remember?” Shayla frowned.

“I had this idea and had to come down here to write it down before I forgot.” It was true. It also happened to be the perfect excuse to hide out in the room and avoid any and all social activities.

“Come on, Meg. You promised.” Shayla put her hand on her hip. She tapped her phone screen then showed it to Meg. “See what time it is?”

“Yeah.”

“That means it’s dinner time and we are supposed to be in The Reef Restaurant for our seating. Right now.” Shayla gave Meg an expectant look.

“Can I finish this?” Meg only needed a few minutes to proofread her work and save it.

“I guess.” Shayla sat on the bed and tapped her fingernails on the side table.

Meg stared at her. “Do you have to do that?”

“Oh, sorry.” Shayla patted her thighs instead.

After several tappity-tap-taps, Meg said, “Not any better. I can still hear you.”

Shayla stood. “Are you almost done?”

Meg pushed out a strong breath. “I can see you aren’t going to let me finish this.”

“Okay, good. Let’s go.”

Meg shut her laptop, then followed Shayla down the hall to the elevators. They rode up to the seventh floor where their dining assignment was.

“Looks like a nice restaurant,” Shayla said over her shoulder as the short Asian hostess lead them to their table.

Meg hoped there would be delicious food and no weird guys at their table. She wanted to enjoy a nice meal without any awkward conversation.

The hostess took them to a large circular table near the windows. At least I’ll have a nice view.

Five men and three other women filled the seats, leaving two for Meg and Shayla.

“Hi, I’m Shayla and this is my best friend, Meg.”

Meg gave a small wave, then sat next to Shayla.

Everyone took turns introducing themselves. Meg sat next to a guy with a shaved head and a tattoo on his neck under his left ear. She didn’t want to stare, but the tattoo looked a bit ominous with a snake and a sword.

“Name’s Dwayne,” he said with a deep voice.

“Hi.” Meg wasn’t sure what else to say.

“I’m from San Antonio. You?” He sat back.

“I live in Houston.” Small talk was always the worst.

“This is my third cruise. Good place to hook-up. Know what I mean?” He eyed her up and down, then sat up and sipped his drink.

If I yelled fire would I be arrested on the spot and sent to jail? Because that’d be better than sitting next to this loser tonight.

“We can get together after dinner.” He moved in closer to her, the stench of alcohol on his breath.

Meg swallowed back the bile that rose up her throat, then said, “Sorry, we’ve already signed up for an activity.

“I don’t mind doing that first.” He took another sip of his drink.

Meg elbowed Shayla.

“Ow,” Shayla said.

Meg turned to her and made big eyes, then mouthed, “Help.”

Shayla leaned across Meg and said to Dwayne, “You’ll have to excuse my friend, she hasn’t been herself since her outbreak.”

“Outbreak?” He wrinkled his nose.

“Very contagious skin fungus. You probably don’t want to get too close to her.” Shayla made a face, and Meg bit her lip to keep from smiling.

“Oh. Yeah.” Dwayne scooted away.

Meg stood and said, “Excuse me. I need to use the restroom.” She scurried out of the dining room as quickly as possible.

Inside the dimly lit restroom, she tried to convince herself to go back out there, but all she could think about was escaping, even if that meant diving into shark-infested waters and swimming back to Galveston. She stared at herself in the mirror. Why, oh why, did I ever listen to Shayla. She is so fired as my BFF.

The door opened. “There you are,” Shayla said. “Come back to dinner.”

“Are you kidding me? With that Dwayne guy? No way. I’d rather give up eating for the rest of my life. Even longer.” A shudder of disgust raced down her back.

“We don’t have to go back to the dining room. We could go to one of the other places to eat,” Shayla offered.

Meg let out a breath. She didn’t want to completely discount going back if Shayla was set on it. “Well, did you see any interesting men at our table?”

“Ew, no.” Shayla made a face. “Let’s go somewhere else and see if the choices are better.”

Meg relaxed, then laughed. “Thank you. I was afraid you’d drag me back in there.”

They left the small bathroom and took an elevator to the Lido Deck. Several places to eat surrounded a large pool.

“Looks like we can get a taco bar there,” Shayla pointed. “Or pizza over here.”

“And seafood across the deck,” Meg said.

“I think I’d like a taco salad.” Shayla turned toward the taco bar.

“Sounds good.”

After getting their salads, they found a table and sat. A din of conversation floated above them. Men and women of all shapes and sizes milled about the deck. Some laughed, others obviously flirted, while others seemed to be deep in conversation.

Meg took a bite of her salad. She sat back, then noticed the guy whose foot she’d stepped on was standing in a small group with another guy and three women. Meg swallowed hard and tried to avert her eyes.

Shayla immediately noticed. “What?” Shayla glanced around. “Ohh, that guy is super attractive.”

“I know.”

“You’ve seen him?” Shayla studied her with eager eyes.

“Uh, yeah. That’s the guy whose foot I stepped on.” The memory sent a rush of heat across Meg’s cheeks.

Shayla giggled. “That guy with the light brown hair in the blue shirt?”

“No, the taller one standing next to him.” She’d notice his good looks even if he were seated across the Astro’s baseball field at Minute Maid Park.

“Oh. Well, he’s cute too.” Shayla smiled in their direction.

“Stop.” Meg scooted away from Shayla and covered her face with her hand.

“What?”

Meg positioned herself so her backside faced the men. “Don’t get their attention.”

“Why not? They’re some of the most attractive men on this ship.” Shayla kept gazing in their direction.

“Because. I’m way too embarrassed to see him again.”

“Come on.” Shayla shrugged. “It was an accident. You stepped on his foot. So not a big deal.”

“Not to you.” Meg kept her head down.

Shayla waved her hand. “As usual, you’re making a big thing out of nothing.”

“Hey, I resent that.” Meg never made a big deal out of anything. Ever. She didn’t know what Shayla meant by that remark. Stepping on that guy’s foot was akin to going to a job interview only to find out afterwards that you had a big booger hanging out of your nose. Didn’t Shayla understand that? She acted like it was nothing at all.

Shayla perched on the edge of her chair and even more obviously stared in their direction. “Sorry. I just want to meet that guy.”

***

After the group of women they were talking to moved on, Drew sidled up next to his brother. “Did you like any of those women?”

Joey shook his head.

Drew wanted to encourage Joey to find someone to take his mind off Aubrey, but Joey was making that impossible. “Have you seen any interesting women yet?”

Joey shifted his weight. “I don’t know.”

“What about that blond over there?” Drew slyly glanced in the direction of a woman in black shorts.

Joey shrugged. He glanced around the Lido Deck. “That one over there is cute.” He tilted his head to the right.

Drew scanned the area to see which one Joey was referring to and when his gaze settled on two women at a table, he smiled. It was the woman who’d stepped on his foot. “You mean at that table?” Drew pointed indiscreetly.

Joey nodded.

“Which one?” It would be awkward if Joey was attracted to Toe-Stomper. Not that Drew was attracted to her. Well, maybe he was. A little. Okay, maybe more than a little.

“The one with red hair.”

Drew let out a small puff of breath. “What about the brunette?” With the amazing eyes and beautiful smile.

“You know I’m not into brunettes anymore.”

Drew nodded. A redhead might be exactly what Joey needed. “Go over and talk to her.”

Joey kicked at the ground.

“Look, man, we’re here for you to get back in the game.”

“See, that’s the thing.” Joey held out his hand. “I don’t really want to be in the game.”

“I brought you here to meet women so you can stop moping.” Drew wanted to be patient with his brother, but enough time had passed, and Joey needed to move on with his life.

Joey glanced around. “I know. I don’t think I’ll ever meet anyone as awesome as Aubrey.”

“You won’t know that unless you try. Right?” Drew was certain Joey would find another woman to love, though he wasn’t so sure he’d ever find that himself.

Joey scratched his head. “If you say so.”

“Let’s go over there.” Drew started to walk toward the two women.

***

Meg took another bite of her salad. At least the food was good, even if the men they’d met so far ranked lower than the creeper that lived down the street from her condo. He always seemed to stare at her with an unnerving expression when she passed him. She shuddered.

“There’s a good-looking guy over there. The one with a beard.” Shayla gave a jerk of her chin.

Meg sipped her water. “You should go talk to him.”

“I meant for you.” Shayla sat back in her chair.

“You don’t need to find me a man.” Shayla seemed to be on a crusade, but she needed to focus on finding herself a man, because Meg didn’t need or want one.

“If I don’t, you won’t,” Shayla said.

“I’m here on this singles cruise, aren’t I?” What else did Shayla want from her?

With an arched eyebrow, Shayla said, “Against your will.”

“No.” She pointed at Shayla with her fork. “Not against my will.”

Shayla leaned in. “Please, try to enjoy yourself.”

“I told you I will.” She shoved another bite into her mouth, the spicy salsa tingling on her tongue.

“Excuse me, ladies,” a deep voice behind them said.

Meg twisted to see who it was and as soon as her gaze met his, her heart squeezed tight. The guy that I stepped on.

“Hi,” Shayla said enthusiastically.

“I’m Drew and this is my brother, Joey.”

“Nice to meet you,” Shayla said in her trademark flirty voice. “This is Meg and I’m Shayla.”

“We’ve already met,” Drew said, gesturing to Meg.

Meg nodded, her cheeks warm. “Yes. We kind of met.”

Shayla started laughing. “Because you’re the guy she plowed into?”

“Yes, yes I am.” He smiled and it made Meg’s stomach flip-flop.

“Do you want to sit down and join us?” Shayla asked.

“Sure.” Drew sat in a chair next to Meg. “Nice to officially meet you.”

“You too.” This guy was handsome enough to make her swoon. She could lose herself in his eyes for days. Make that weeks.

Joey sat next to Shayla and they began a conversation.

“Do you make it a habit of stepping on men’s toes?” He smiled and the skin around his dark chocolate eyes crinkled.

“Uh, not usually.” Meg cleared her throat. “I really am sorry about that. I hope your foot is okay.”

“I think it’ll be fine,” he said in a voice that was smooth and deep.

Meg pushed her plate away from her.

“We didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner,” he said in an apologetic tone.

“I was done.” Meg’s stomach was too quivery to allow her to eat anything else. Why was this guy having such an effect on her?

He leaned back in his chair and smiled. “We ate at the buffet.”

“How was the smile?” Oh no! Did I just say smile? Kill me now.

“Smile?” His grin grew wide.

Meg wanted to crawl under the table. She sucked in a breath and said, “I meant food. How was the food?” This guy made her into a babbling idiot.

“Delicious.”

Hoping to sound like a normal human, she said, “We tried the dining room, but that didn’t work out very well.” An image of the Dwayne dude flashed in her mind and gave her a shudder.

“The food wasn’t good?”

She raised her eyebrows. “We didn’t actually stay long enough.”

“Ah, I see.” He nodded. “Was it the company at the table?”

Meg let out a laugh. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not really into this singles cruise scene.”

“You’re not?” He almost sounded surprised. Was that good or bad?

Meg shook her head. She hoped he wasn’t into it either, but if he was, this conversation would be very short. “I came with Shayla to celebrate her birthday. We’ve been friends since high school and she’s always wanted to go on a cruise.”

“And you’re the dutiful friend who came along to support her?”

Meg nodded. “Something like that.”

“I’m here with my younger brother.”

Meg glanced at Shayla and Joey who were both animated as they spoke. “They seem to be hitting it off.”

“They do.” Drew wore a smile that seemed satisfied. “Tell me about yourself, Meg, who isn’t interested in a singles cruise.”

She winced. “I guess I sounded a little harsh?”

Drew shrugged, then smiled.

She wanted to make it clear she wasn’t here to have some shipboard one-night stand. “This kind of thing seems like such a meat market. Everyone is out for a fling.”

“And you aren’t into that?” Again, he seemed surprised. This man intrigued her.

“No.” She studied him. “Are you?”

“If I said I wasn’t, would you believe me?”

She arched an eyebrow. “I’m not sure.”

He grinned. “I guess I have my work cut out for me.”

What does he mean by that?

“Joey and I are thinking about checking out the karaoke lounge later,” Shayla said, interrupting their conversation.

“I thought you wanted to do the activity on deck?” Meg said, still trying to figure out Drew.

Shayla turned to Joey. “Let’s do that first?”

“Yeah. What do you say, bro?” Joey said to Drew.

“Sure. Sounds like the activity and the karaoke lounge would be great.” He gazed at Meg with his hypnotic eyes. “What about you?”

Meg smoothed her hair. She didn’t want to seem too eager to spend the evening with him. “Okay,” she said casually.

They stood and walked over to the area behind the pool where a crowd was already congregating. When they stopped, a raven-haired woman with voluptuous assets turned to Drew. “Well, hello there. I’m Rhianna.” She swung her arm around him. Meg tried to tamp down the flare of jealousy. After all, she’d only met this man and he was free to flirt with whomever he pleased.

“Hi, Rhianna. Nice to meet you.” He turned toward Meg. “This is Meg.”

Rhianna unwrapped her arm. “Oh. Sorry, honey. Didn’t know he was taken already. You’re a fast worker.”

Taken? Fast worker? Hardly. A derisive laugh fell from Meg’s mouth.

“I hope you enjoy your cruise,” Drew said to the woman. He moved closer to Meg.

“Welcome to our Get-To-Know-You Activity here on the Lido Deck,” a tall guy with short-cropped black hair said. “I am Matteo, your cruise director. My job is to make sure you have the best time of your life on this cruise.” He fanned his arm out. “This is my crew and we’re here to help you.” He went on to introduce his crew of three women and another man. “Let’s get started.”

The crowd clapped and a guy in the back whistled.

“I want you to turn to your right and kiss that person.” He let out a loud laugh. “Just kidding. Actually, turn to the people on either side of you and introduce yourself.”

“Hi, I’m Drew. You are?” He looked at Meg and smiled.

“My name is Meg. Nice to meet you, Drew.” She stuck out her hand.

“Very nice to meet you.” He took her hand in his and a sizzle of energy ran up her arm. When their gazes locked, her heartbeat tripled. What is happening?

Without warning, Meg felt someone grab her around the waist and twirl her around. “Hello, my name is Alonso. I live in Louisiana and I’d like to get to know you.” He planted a kiss on Meg’s lips.

Drew pushed him off before Meg could react. “That’s no way to treat a lady.”

“Hey, man, I’m only doing what the director said.” He raised his hands as if innocent of any wrong-doing. “Didn’t know she was with you.”

Drew stepped back and Alonso disappeared into the crowd. “On behalf of decent men, I’d like to apologize,” Drew said.

Meg wiped her mouth and wished she had some Germ-X to gargle with. “Thanks.”

"I don't know what got into that guy."

"Seems to be the vibe of this singles cruise." Meg grimaced.

"How about we go sit down somewhere?" He looked at her. "Unless you want to meet some more guys like that,” he said in a teasing manner.

"I'll pass." Meg wanted to unmeet, unsee, and definitely unkiss all the men she’d run into so far—except for one.

They walked inside and found a table next to the window.

Meg looked at Drew. “If a singles cruise isn’t your thing, why did you come?” She was eager to hear his answer.

“Joey was about to propose to this woman he'd been dating for over a year. The day before he planned to ask her, she told him she had fallen in love with one of their mutual friends and they were getting married."

Meg covered her mouth. “A friend did that to your brother? Wow. Must’ve hit him pretty hard.”

"Yeah, he was devastated. He found out about six months ago, and he's been brooding about it ever since. I told him he needed to snap out of it and meet someone new. Then I booked this cruise for the both of us."

"You're a nice brother." She still wanted to know how he felt about being on the cruise with all these available women. "There are lots of single women here. For him. And for you."

He gave her a quick glance. "This cruise is for him. Not me."

"Because you aren't single?" It sounded like she was prying. Because, well, she was.

He laughed. "Oh, I’m very single. Have been for quite a while.”

“Is that so?” Why would such a good-looking guy be single? And for quite a while.

“It’s a long story.”

Meg leaned in and rested her elbows on the table. “I love long stories.”

“How about I give you the short version?” He leaned in toward her and she could feel the electricity pass between them.

“I’d like that.” She couldn’t wait to hear what he’d say.

“My parents are very driven. My father has his own law practice and my mother is a motivational speaker. They’re a power couple.” He paused and glanced out the window for a moment. “They wanted me to marry the daughter of one of my dad’s colleagues.”

“And that was bad?” Meg found herself fascinated by this story. And by this man.

“Candace was beautiful. Poised. Well-educated. A perfect match for an up-and-coming attorney like me. That’s what my parents kept telling me anyway.” Drew cleared his throat, then lowered his voice. “Drew, my boy, this is the woman for you. It doesn’t matter if you love her or not. Marriage isn’t about love. It’s about prestige and social success.” Drew leaned back.

“Wow. Your dad said that?” Sounded like his father was a harsh man.

“He’d always been hard on me. Even from elementary school he expected me to excel at everything. He told me that second was not good enough. I had to be first or I was a loser. He was pretty hardcore.” A sad expression flashed across his face.

“That must’ve been difficult growing up.” She wanted to touch his hand to comfort him, but she resisted.

Drew shrugged. “Candace and I dated for several months before we both realized we didn’t want to marry each other. It took another few to break-up so our parents wouldn’t be so mad. Since then, I’ve steered clear of relationships and focused on building my career.”

“As an attorney?” She wanted to know as many details about this man as possible.

“Yes.”

Meg peered at him. “And you like being a lawyer?”

Drew let out a long breath, then laced his fingers and put his hands behind his head. After a few moments, he said, “If I had it to do over again, I wouldn’t have chosen this career.” He leaned forward. “My dad pressured me into it. As in, he pretty much said if I didn’t follow in his footsteps, he’d disown me.”

“Pretty intense.” Meg couldn’t imagine being in that position.

“That’s a good word for both my parents. Intense.”

“What would you have chosen to do?” She was almost breathless as she waited for his response.

After a minute or so, he said, “My dream would be . . . Nah, it’ll sound ridiculous.” He glanced at her as if waiting for her to prod him on.

“No way. Dreams are never ridiculous. Eleanor Roosevelt said, ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.’ I’ve repeated that to myself at least a million times,” she said with as much encouragement as she could.

“Great quote.” He nodded. “Sounds like you have some dreams too.”

“I do.”

He peered at her. “How about you share them?”

“Maybe I will.” She smiled. “After you share yours.” She hadn’t been this interested in listening to a man in, well, a long time—a very long time.

He fumbled with the napkin dispense, then drummed his fingers on the table. Finally, he said, “I’d like to be a chef. Open my own restaurant.”

“Really?” She hadn’t expected him to say he wanted to be a chef. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but that wasn’t it.

He sat back. “See, it sounds foolish.”

Worried that her expression had betrayed her surprise, she rushed to say, “Not at all. Owning your own restaurant and being a chef sounds awesome.”

With a look of satisfaction, he said, “I’ve developed some of my own recipes.”

Her eyes grew wide. “Seriously?” What else could this guy say?

He nodded. “I started cooking in college when I moved out on my own and was hooked. Started experimenting with different dishes and ingredients. I even took a couple culinary classes, but had to do it secretly.”

“Why?” Meg had never met anyone like Drew.

“My dad is old school. Cooking isn’t very masculine. You know, women cook. Men don’t.” He cleared his throat. “No son of mine is going to spend his time in the kitchen. That’s women’s work.”

Meg had to laugh at the way Drew portrayed his father. “I’m sure he isn’t that bad.”

Drew raised his eyebrows.

“Have you cooked for anyone before?”

He shook his head. “Nope.”

“Why not?” If he loved to cook, she had to wonder why he hadn’t shared it with anyone before.

“Fear of rejection, I suppose.” He blew out a breath. “As long as I keep my cooking to myself, I can think about someday being a chef and owning a restaurant. Once it’s out there, I either have to change my life drastically and take a risk, or give up on my dream. I know that probably doesn’t make much sense.”

“It makes total sense to me.” She’d often felt the same way before making the plunge into her own fitness business. “If you ever need a taste tester, I volunteer.” The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. Now he was going to think she wanted to see him after this cruise. Which she didn’t. Or did she?

“I may take you up on that.” He smiled and it grabbed at her stomach. Somehow, he reminded her of someone, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Shayla asked from behind, interrupting their intimate conversation. She sat in a chair next to Meg.

"Talking.” Meg scooted back from the table and turned toward her BFF. “Are you done with the get-to-know you stuff?"

Joey sat on the other side of Shayla. "We decided we were done. Too many weirdos."

"Has it occurred to you that there are some very strange people on this ship?" Shayla asked Meg.

Meg rolled her eyes. Besides Drew, all the men she’d met were nothing but bizarre.

"This one guy came up and started kissing her," Joey pointed at Shayla. “I wanted to teach him some manners.”

"Was his name Alonso?" Meg asked, recalling the slimy guy who assaulted her with his lips.

"Yeah " Shayla made a face like she was nauseated.

"Kissed me too." A shudder ran up Meg’s back.

"So ew." Shayla wiped at her mouth.

“I thought you were enjoying the games." Drew snickered. "Did you happen to meet Rhianna?"

Joey scratched his head. "No."

"Be grateful. Mother would not approve."

Joey and Drew started laughing.

Shayla looked over at Meg, who shrugged.

“Should we go check out the karaoke bar?” Shayla asked.

Meg didn’t want to encourage her, so she said nothing. Singing, dancing, or anything related to performing in front of a crowd wasn’t her favorite thing.

“Drew and I have been known to do a little karaoke in our time,” Joey said. “Like at Shaun’s wedding.”

Drew shook his head.

“This sounds like an interesting story,” Shayla said.

“Yeah, tell us what happened.” Meg glanced between the two brothers.

“Suffice it to say, our cousin, Shaun, nor anyone else we know, has ever asked us to sing again.” Drew shrugged.

“He said we sounded like, what was it?” Joey tapped his forehead.

“Moose during mating season,” Drew said. “But we had a great time. Right, bro?”

Drew and Joey pounded each other’s knuckles. “They didn’t recognize our talent,” Joey said.

“Moose? During mating season?” Meg started laughing.

“Everyone knows karaoke isn’t about talent, it’s about entertainment,” Shayla said.

“We were definitely entertaining that night,” Joey said.

Shayla clasped her hands together. “I know, I know, let’s do a group performance. It’ll be epic.”

“Uh, uh.” Meg held her hands up. “No way.”

“Oh, come on. Remember when we did that dance for our talent show in high school?”

“Uh, yeah. The memory is seared into my brain, and that’s why I refuse to let you rope me into something like that again.” Meg knew much better than to trust Shayla when it came to performing. Shayla was a little crazy and way too eager to take risks.

“I still think our modern, interpretive dance to that Britney song was amazing.” Shayla started singing, “Oops! . . I Did It Again.”

“I think I’d use another word to describe it. Especially because we weren’t dancers. At all. I still don’t know why I let you talk me into it.” Meg wanted to forget that performance ever took place.

“Because you love me. And it was fun.”

“Was it?” Meg wouldn’t use the word fun to describe that experience. Humiliating was a much better word. Meg went from her Megaton nickname—a name she despised—to her new one, Britney Wannabe, which she hated equally as much. Sure, that was years ago—even a lifetime ago—but the memory still stung.

“Come on. It’s about having a good time. Letting loose.” Shayla made big eyes at Meg. “Please? I promise it won’t be embarrassing. We’re all adults now, so it’ll be great. Please?”

Joey joined in and said, “Please?”

Then it was Drew’s turn. “Please?”

“No. I’ll watch you three do it. And cheer you on from the audience.” She absolutely did not want to get up on any stage.

In unison, they all said, “Please.”

Meg looked at them with their cheesy smiles. “You’re ganging up on me.”

“Is it working?” Shayla asked. “We’ll do something super easy. This is a cruise and it’s all about enjoying ourselves.”

“But I won’t enjoy it.” Meg didn’t want to be a downer or look like she was no fun, but she also didn’t want to humiliate herself again, especially in front of Drew. When she glanced at him with his encouraging expression, she softened. Maybe she was being too stiff and serious. “I’m going to regret this.”

“That’s a yes.” Shayla threw her arms around Meg, then said, “What should we sing?”

“We could do ‘She’s Lost that Loving Feeling,’” Joey said.

“I hate it when she does that,” Shayla said, then started laughing.

“Top Gun fan?” Joey asked.

“Oh yeah. It’s a classic.” If Shayla smiled any bigger her face would crack.

Drew said, “What about ‘Bohemian Rhapsody?’”

“Seriously?” Meg gave him a quick look. “How would we ever lip synch to that song? It’s so weird.”

“You’re probably right.” Drew nodded.

“Let’s do something from the 80s,” Shayla said. “Or the 70s. Something upbeat.”

Meg tried to think of a song. She needed to redeem herself, but also find an easy song. “I got it. YMCA.”

They all looked at each other and shrugged.

“Okay, let’s do that one,” Shayla said. “We all know the moves, right? And we’ll get the audience to do it with us. We’ll be the coolest contestants of the night.”

Even though Meg was out of her element, she felt a certain sense of satisfaction that she’d suggested the song. As they talked about it, went over the arm movements, and decided Joey would sing most of the song while the other three sang back up, she began to loosen up and almost enjoy the idea.

This cruise might not be so bad after all.

***

They all walked into the cozy lounge for the karaoke night. Tables and chairs surrounded a stage and a bar was situated toward the back. Dim lighting and deep red colors added to the ambience. Though Meg felt uncomfortable, the rest of the group’s energy was contagious, and she figured she might as well join in. Why not?

A man and woman got up and sang some country song together. They weren’t that bad as far as terrible singers went, which made Meg feel more confident about their number.

That couple was followed by three women who sang “Mean” by Taylor Swift. Meg couldn’t help but reflect on her own life during the song and how she’d been hurt by other people. But, she reminded herself, she was stronger because of it and, like the girl in the song, she was living her life on her own terms now. She was on the cusp of launching a successful online business that would change the direction of her life.

Drew nudged her. “You seem to be deep in thought. Or do you just really like this song?”

Meg smiled at his perception. “I was thinking about my business.”

“I don’t think you’ve told me about it.” He sounded genuinely interested.

“I’m certified as a personal trainer and I currently work as a nutritionist at Better Life, a wellness center in Houston, but I’ve been working on an online fitness and health website. 4FHealth.com. It stands for food plus fitness plus fun equals fabulous. I’m planning to launch it in three weeks. It’ll be a subscription site with workouts, meal plans, motivational videos. I’m super excited.”

“I hope you’ll tell me all about it,” Drew said. Meg was touched that he wanted to know more.

“Let’s hear it for Shayla, Meg, Drew, and Joey,” the enthusiastic DJ with black hair said. Meg turned to look at the DJ, who motioned for them to come forward. The audience gave them courtesy applause as they all strode up to the stage.

Meg instantly regretted her decision to perform. Every muscle in her body tensed as she looked out over the unfamiliar faces that all stared at her. I can’t do this.

As if reading her thoughts, Drew leaned over and whispered, “You’re going to do great. Let yourself feel the music and go with it.”

When the music started, people began clapping to the beat. Meg’s heart thudded against her ribs, but as the song continued, her body started to relax. She didn’t sing too loudly, the other three had that covered. Then it came time to mark out the Y, M, C, then A. Meg was hesitant at first, but when she looked over at Drew and saw his encouraging smile, she put her hands above her head, let the music resonate through her body, and started jamming to the beat.

Through the next verse, she swiveled her hips, shook her shoulders and snapped her fingers while she tried to keep up with the words. This performing thing isn’t so bad after all. Actually, it’s kinda fun. She glanced at Shayla, who was really getting into the song. Joey and Drew were pointing at the audience, then shaking their hips. People were clapping and whistling.

The chorus started up again and Meg was ready to put her all into it. She threw her arms into the poses for Y, M, C, and A and shouted out the letters. The audience was singing along and Meg was feeling every note of the song.

She edged closer to the stage and during the last poses, she misjudged where she stood and stumbled. As she fell to the ground, her shoulder hit a table, knocking a drink over and splattering it across herself. She landed in a heap of arms and legs, liquid dripping down her forehead. There was an audible gasp and the music stopped.

Her face immediately lit on fire. Just as she was getting into this song and letting go of her inhibitions, she had to fall off the stage. And not simply fall, but her dress got twisted and exposed much more of herself than she wanted. There was little left to anyone’s imagination.

Jumping to her feet, Meg ran from the room and kept running down the stairs. She didn’t stop until she found her stateroom. She opened the door, slammed it behind her, then collapsed, face first, onto her bed. I’m going to stay here for the rest of the cruise. I will not leave this room until we dock in Galveston.

A few minutes later, the door flew open and Shayla said breathlessly, “Are you okay?”

Meg rolled over. “I’m fine.” Physically, she had no injury, but her pride was critically—even mortally—wounded.

“I was so worried. It looked like you might have hurt yourself when you . . .”

“Say it! When I fell. Right. Off. The. Stage. Like the biggest klutz in the entire world.” She wished the floor had opened up and swallowed her right there in that lounge.

Shayla sat on the edge of the bed. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

“My shoulder is sore, but mostly my dignity is damaged. That’s what I get for doing some stupid karaoke song. I knew better. I shouldn’t have done it.” Regret coursed through her.

“Well, the guys are waiting for us up on the Lido Deck.”

Meg stared at Shayla. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No. I told them I’d come down and get you. Drew was worried—”

“I’m not going up there. No way.” She couldn’t face anyone after that spectacle, most of all, Drew.

Shayla crinkled her nose. “Why not?”

“Because I just humiliated myself.” Did Shayla not get that?

“It’s not that bad.” Shayla waved her hand. “Really.”

Meg sat up. “Not that bad? I totally fell off that stage. In front of everyone. Including Drew.”

Shayla reached out and touched Meg on the arm. “He doesn’t care.”

“I do.” Meg wiped at her hair, still damp from the drink she spilled. “I’m going to take a shower.”

Shayla made a pouty face. “But my birthday wish.”

“I need to recover from what happened. Physically and mentally.” Meg stood, her shoulder more painful now. “And I need to get some work done anyway. I should’ve stayed here in the first place and done that, like I planned.” She could have avoided the whole mortifying incident if only she’d stayed in her room.

“Please come with me,” Shayla begged.

Meg shook her head.

Shayla stood and set her hands on her hips. “You are so stubborn sometimes.” She turned and trudged out the door.

A part of Meg felt bad for staying in the room, but a bigger part of her felt such disgrace that she couldn’t face anyone right now. She let out a long breath, then headed to the bathroom for a hot shower.





When Meg awoke the next morning, her shoulder was still sore. Her right ankle and both wrists hurt a little as well. When I bang myself up, I do a fantastic job.

She looked around the dark room. I wonder what time it is. Was she alone in her room? Had Shayla left without her? That wouldn’t be such a bad thing. It would allow Meg to get a lot of uninterrupted time in on her website. She’d been so tired last night, she’d only worked on it for about thirty minutes before she fell asleep. “Shayla?”

Shayla opened the bathroom door and peeked out. “Hurry and get ready.”

Meg sat up carefully in bed. “For what?”

Shayla stepped out into the room and flicked on the light. She was dressed in white shorts and a pink lace top. “We’re meeting the guys and going with them to see Key West.”

“What?” Meg rubbed her tender shoulder.

“Yeah. They want us to go with them and see the sights. Hemingway’s house, the White House, the beach, shops. It’ll be awesome.”

“Uhhh, I’m not sure—”

“Don’t use that excuse about last night.” Shayla pointed at her. “And no working today.”

“Hey, it was super embarrassing. And I could use the time to work out some kinks on my landing page. I think I’ll stay here.” That seemed to make the most sense.

“Oh, no. Uh, uh. You are not staying on this ship today. You are going with us into Key West,” Shayla said with authority.

“But—”

“Nope.” Shayla held her hand up. “I know you came at gun point. I know you don’t want to be here and only came to be with me. But I’m going to make you enjoy it and be glad you came.”

Shayla was nothing if not bossy—a quality Meg had learned to love over the years. “I do need to work on my website and getting everything ready for my big launch. If it isn’t all ready by the end of next week, then my launch in three weeks will be a disaster.”

“Okay, I’ll make you a deal. You enjoy this cruise—with me—and I’ll promise to be your slave and help you get ready for your launch when we get back. I’ll do whatever you need me to.” Shayla over-smiled.

Having some help after the cruise might make this deal worth it. And she had to admit, even though her dignity was bruised after the performance fiasco, she wanted to see Drew again. “Really?”

“Absolutely. Pinky promise.” Shayla held out her finger.

“But you’ll let me work on it a little on the cruise? Because I have so much to do and I’m getting stressed about it.” A thread of anxiety rushed through her.

“Fine. But not today.” Shayla motioned for Meg to get up. “Today, we go to Key West.”

Meg reluctantly stood. “I must’ve been asleep when you got back last night.”

“Totally snoring when I came in the door.” Shayla did an unflattering reenactment.

“I don’t snore that loud.”

Shayla started laughing, then sobered. “But I am sorry you fell and hurt yourself. I hope you feel better.”

“I’m sure I will. At least physically.” Meg ran her fingers through her tangled hair. “Did Drew say anything about it?”

“He was very disappointed you didn’t join us last night. He was quite concerned and wanted to come check on you, but I told him to let you rest.”

Maybe Meg was overreacting to what happened. “He seems like a pretty nice guy.”

“A really nice guy,” Shayla said as she nodded.

Meg opened her closet and found a pair of black shorts and a coral tank top. Going to Key West might be just what she needed. She turned and looked at her friend. “And what about his brother?”

“Well . . . he’s super nice. Easy to talk to. A gentleman. And he’s hot.” Shayla giggled and fanned herself.

Meg grabbed brush and dragged it through her hair. “Are you falling for him?”

Shayla shrugged. “Maybe.”

“You fall in love so fast.” Meg shook her head. “And often.”

Shayla lifted an eyebrow. “And you never fall in love.”

“Not true. I was in love with Jensen.” The memory of him still popped up now and again.

“That was how many years ago?” Shayla acted like she was counting her fingers. “And he’s married now.”

“Thanks for reminding me.” Meg picked up her swimsuit. “We’re going to the beach?”

Shayla nodded, then said, “And all you’ve done lately, is go on one date with a guy and that’s it.”

“I know what I want. Why waste time going out with guys that aren’t what I want?” Meg went into the bathroom and changed into her swimsuit, then put her shorts and tank top on over her suit.

When Meg walked out into the room, Shayla said, “Dang, you look so good.”

“Thanks.” Meg was apprehensive about facing Drew. What if he said something about her fall? If he’s a gentleman, he won’t say anything to embarrass me.

Shayla checked her phone. “Uh, oh. We need to be on the Promenade Deck right now.”

They rushed out of the room and took the elevator.





Drew stood on the Promenade Deck, his hands in his pockets. He hadn’t seen Meg since she hurried away after she fell off the stage. Part of him had wanted to chase after her to make sure she wasn’t seriously injured, but Shayla had convinced him to let her go instead. Shayla insisted she’d bring Meg back and they could forget about karaoke and go to the casino or look at the shops. He’d been disappointed when Shayla returned alone.

Actually, he was more than disappointed. He spent the rest of the night in his cabin thinking about Meg. He shook his head. How did a woman he’d barely met affect him like that? He hadn’t thought so much about a woman since . . . he couldn’t recall. But it had been a long time. He hoped Meg was coming today. Key West wouldn’t be as enjoyable without her. In fact, he wasn’t sure he’d want to leave the ship unless she was coming too.

“Hi there,” a feminine voice said behind him. He turned to see a woman with long red hair.

“Hello,” he said politely.

“I think you owe me a drink,” she said, then ran her fingers through her hair.

“I do?” He didn’t remember ever meeting this woman. How could he owe her a drink? “Why is that?”

She leaned in toward him. “Because when I saw you, I dropped mine.” She fluttered her eye lids.

A pick-up line? Really? Is this what men do to women? He laughed because he wasn’t sure what else to do.

“There are some great places to visit today,” Joey said as he walked up to them with a brochure in his hand.

“Hi,” the woman said to Joey.

Joey dipped his head.

“So, how about that drink?” she said to Drew.

Joey gave Drew a shrewd look.

“It’s early in the morning,” Drew said with a smile.

“We could meet later tonight,” she said as she ran her finger along his shoulder.

Drew shifted his weight. He wasn’t interested in this woman at all. And he didn’t want Meg to see him talking to her and get the wrong idea. It wasn’t that he was ready to run off with Meg or anything like that, but he was interested in getting to know her better and spending time with her. He wasn’t even sure Meg would show up, but he didn’t want to risk anything by talking to this woman.

“What do you say?” she said expectantly.

Drew smiled again and said, “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think so.”

***

When the elevator doors opened, Meg spotted Drew right away. He was wearing khaki shorts and a blue t-shirt that hugged his biceps and showed his trim mid-section. A woman with long red hair stood next to him. He smiled as he spoke to her. I want to turn around and go back to my room.

“He’s being polite to her. That’s all,” Shayla whispered as they walked out of the elevator.

“Huh?” Meg tried to act as though she had no idea what Shayla was referring to.

“I know you’re watching Drew and that woman.”

“Oh, is Drew over there?” Meg pretended to search the crowd.

“Please.” Shayla rolled her eyes, then waved at Joey.

As soon as Drew saw Meg, he moved toward her. “Hey. Good to see you.”

“Hi,” Meg said, worried he’d mention something about last night, but hoping he wouldn’t.

“Glad you’re going to join us.” His face lit up.

A wave of nerves rushed through Meg.

“We’re both super excited to see Key West,” Shayla said.

“We can go to the Hemingway House first,” Joey said.

“Oh, yeah. I love his books, especially A Farewell to Arms. But I also loved The Sun Also Rises. Oh, and his masterpiece, For Whom the Bell Tolls, although the violence in it is a little hard for me to read.”

“My favorite Hemingway book is The Old Man and the Sea.” Joey smiled.

Joey and Shayla continued to talk about Hemingway.

“What about you? Are you a big Hemingway fan?” Drew asked.

Meg relaxed a bit since Drew didn’t say anything about last night. “No. Hemingway is too heavy for me.” She preferred the happily-ever-afters.

“I’m not much for reading. I’d rather experience life than read about it.” He gazed at her with his magnetic eyes, and she swallowed the nervous energy that rose from her stomach.

At this moment, real life is way better than any romance novel. And you are way more handsome than any hero in my books.

They walked out of the ship and down the narrow street. They stopped at a large building with a statue of a sailor kissing a woman in a nurse’s uniform.

“Wow, that’s a huge statue,” Joey said as he looked up, shading his eyes from the morning sun.

“I think it’s romantic,” Shayla said.

Meg had to agree. She gazed at the tender moment caught in the sculpture.

“Looks like it’s a representation of that photo taken in Times Square when the Japanese surrendered after World War II,” Drew said.

Meg gazed at him.

“We did a project on World War II in high school.” He shrugged.

Meg took a photo of the statue. Deep down she hoped someday she’d be swept up in a romantic moment like that. Maybe even with . . . She didn’t want to finish her thought.

“I think we need to take this road to the Hemingway House,” Shayla said as she pointed.

They walked along the sidewalk. The warm air was thick and full of moisture as they moved with the throng of people.

They stopped in front of a large white house with palm trees and other vegetation surrounding it. “This is the Harry S. Truman Little White House,” Shayla said.

Drew tapped on his phone. “Apparently, President Truman was one of several presidents who stayed here. Truman came to recuperate after being in office about nineteen months.”

“I bet that house is filled with history. What stories the walls could tell.” Meg laughed.

“No kidding,” Drew said.

They stood and looked at the house for several minutes.

Shayla and Joey began walking. “We want to go to the Hemingway house next.”

They walked a bit farther. A long line formed outside the house.

“Do you want to go inside and see it?” Drew asked.

Meg shrugged. She wasn’t a Hemingway fan and the line was long.

“Why don’t we let those two go to the house and we’ll keep exploring?” Drew motioned with his hand.

That was a much better option than standing in line to see that house. “Sounds good.”

They separated from Shayla and Joey and walked further down the road. “How about we get something to drink?” Drew offered.

“Sure.” Meg was certain a cold bottle of water would quench her thirst.

They stopped at a shop. When they got to the front, Drew asked for coconut milk. The young man at the counter handed each of them a whole coconut with a hole drilled in it and a straw sticking out.

Meg was intrigued by Drew’s choice. She held the coconut and said, “Let’s go outside and sit down. We can enjoy the scenery.”

“I’m enjoying the scenery in here.” Drew grinned, exposing his brilliant white teeth.

He’s flirting with me. Meg’s heartbeat sped up.

Drew led the way outside where they found a couple of chairs on the porch and sat.

“When you said we’d get a drink, I envisioned something else.” Meg laughed. She’d never drunk from a whole coconut before. “This is as authentic as you get.” She took a swig of the sweet milk. “Tastes coconutty.”

They both laughed.

“Nothing like enjoying the island feeling.” Drew sat back and crossed his ankles.

“It’s nice to take some time to relax.” Meg hadn’t felt so at ease in a long time. Warm sunshine, music playing in the distance, and the sound of laughter floating in the air all added to the tropical feel. She could stay here all day. And with Drew at her side, maybe even longer.

“Are you a work-a-holic?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.

Meg had to think about his question. It was true she spent more time working than anything else. It was also true that she’d put her social life on hold and focused most of her energy lately on her new business. Work-a-holic seemed to have a negative connotation, though. “I wouldn’t say that. I’m just motivated.” Motivated was a better word.

“Have you always been into fitness?”

She couldn’t resist the opportunity to pose this question. “Do you think I have been?” She was pretty sure he’d think she had since most people assumed, based on how she looked now, that she’d been thin and fit her whole life.

He nodded. “Yeah. I’d guess you were into sports. Maybe running.” That was a typical answer.

“Why do you think that?”

He seemed a little hesitant. “You look very fit.”

She leaned in. “Would it surprise you to know that I was overweight all growing up? So overweight, in fact, that kids used to make fun of me and call me names.”

He pulled his brows together. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah. I can still hear the teasing to this day.” She tamped those memories back down, putting them in the place where she kept them most of the time. “It made me get myself into shape and eat better and motivated me to get into nutrition and fitness. I’ve worked hard to get into shape and be healthy.”

Drew gave her a smile. “It shows.”

Though the outside temperature was rising, the warmth she felt didn’t come from the sun. “Thanks. Now I want to help others on their journey to better health.” Enthusiasm welled up inside.

Drew peered at her.

She suddenly felt shy. “What?”

“I’m impressed, that’s all.”

She bit her lip, then said. “Thanks.”

Drew inclined his head toward the sidewalk. “Should we make our way to the beach?”

“Sure.”

Drew didn’t say anything for a few minutes as they walked along underneath a canopy of leaves and vegetation. When they neared the beach, he finally said, “I really think that’s amazing. To have such a strong drive to accomplish a dream is admirable.”

“Thank you.” She liked how Drew made her feel empowered because she was pursuing her dream.

“And to be so passionate about it.”

She didn’t want all the focus on her, so she said, “Sounds like you’re passionate about being a chef.”

He waved his hand. “I need to concentrate on my law career.”

“Even if you aren’t passionate about it?” She wanted him to inspire him to follow his dream.

He nodded. “My parents still have high expectations and are pretty hard on me and Joe-Joe.”

“Joe-Joe?” Meg tried to stifle a laugh.

Drew did a face palm. “He’s gonna hate that I let that slip out.”

“It’ll be our secret,” Meg said with a mischievous smile.

They arrived at the small beach. The aqua water stretched out ahead of them to the horizon. A crowd spread out on the white sand and many were in the water, including lots of kids.

“Looks like everyone had the same idea,” Meg said, a little disappointed she and Drew would have to share the beach with so many other people.

Drew removed his shirt and Meg’s heartbeat increased at the sight of his sculpted abs and toned chest. She mentally swooned.

“Let’s go for a swim,” he said.

Meg took off her shorts and tank top and they made their way to the ocean. Warm water lapped at their feet as they stood on the soft, wet sand. Children splashed around them and a few couples swam out past the small waves.

The summer sun washed over them while birds flew above and laughter sounded around them. They waded out deeper and deeper. Without warning, a teenage boy ran right into Meg and nearly knocked her over. Drew caught her right before she hit the water.

“Sorry about that. I was trying to catch this Frisbee. Are you okay?” The young man with curly brown hair asked.

“I’m fine,” Meg said, still in Drew’s arms.

“Are you sure you’re okay?’ Drew asked.

Being that close to him made Meg’s skin prickle and her mouth went dry. “Uh, yeah.”

They stood there in each other’s arms for a moment until Meg backed away. “Thanks for catching me.”

“Any time.” The way he said it made Meg’s heart thud. She quickly reminded herself that it would be foolish to get involved with him. Sure, he was handsome, easy to talk to, and his arms were strong and sturdy as they held her, but this was a singles cruise. And singles cruises were notorious for flings that lasted only as long as the cruise. She needed to remember that. Even if she didn’t want to.

“Let’s swim out to that buoy,” Meg said, trying to distract herself from her silly thoughts about Drew.

“You’re on.” Drew took several steps, then started swimming.

They reached the buoy about the same time and both of them started to tread water.

“It’s great out here,” Drew said.

“It is. The water is a perfect temperature.” She could get use to swimming in the ocean on a regular basis.

“Glad you came after all?”

Meg gave him a look of surprise.

“Shayla said you’d need convincing.”

Of course she did. Meg glanced up at the cloudless sky. “Because I was such a klutz and fell off the stage. There I said it.” At least it was out in the open now.

“I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“I appreciate that.” She started to swim back to shore because she didn’t want to talk about it.

Drew swam up next to her. “It could’ve happened to anyone.”

“But it happened to me.” She didn’t want to go back over it, so she kept swimming.

“I felt bad. I was worried you’d hurt yourself,” he said over the splashing of the water as they swam.

“Can we forget it ever happened?” She wished she could go back in time and skip the whole embarrassing thing.

“It’s forgotten.”

As they continued swimming toward shore, Meg spotted Shayla and Joey on the beach and she reached up and waved.

It didn’t take long for Shayla and Joey to meet up with them in the water. As Meg was talking to Shayla, all of a sudden Shayla’s eyes grew three times their normal size. “What?” Meg said.

Shayla kept staring over Meg’s shoulder.

Meg turned and saw a man, probably in his early eighties, with tanned skin wading in the water. He was wearing the tiniest Speedo she’d ever seen. But that wasn’t what caught her eye. It was the set of pink fairy wings and what looked like blue evening gloves. She wanted to avert her eyes, but she couldn’t.

“Have you ever seen anything like this?” Shayla asked.

“Dude, that old man,” Joey said, pointing to the gentleman.

“Shhh,” Shayla said.

“What? You don’t think he noticed when he put on those wings and gloves?” Joey laughed.

“Don’t make a scene.” Shayla put her fingers up to Joey’s lips.

“The things you see in Florida,” Drew said.

“I think we should give him credit for feeling so comfortable in his skin,” Meg said.

“Because there’s so much of his skin to see. He should cover some of that up,” Joey said. “I don’t think that thing even qualifies as a swimsuit. It’s more like a sock.”

“But if he feels comfortable in it, why should we be rude about it?" Meg said. She disliked how people made others feel bad about their bodies. She'd experienced enough of that to last her the rest of her life.

“We shouldn’t,” Drew said with conviction.

"I know, let’s go explore more of the island,” Shayla said. She gave them all a cheesy smile and motioned with her head.

Meg nodded. Anything related to body shaming was definitely her hot button, but this wasn’t the time or place to get into that.

They made their way to the beach, dried off, and put their clothes back on while the summer sun bathed them in heat.

"Should we get something to eat and get into some air conditioning?" Drew said.

"We could go back to the ship and eat, then go swimming," Shayla said.

"That sounds good to me." Meg hoped they'd go back and then she could get a little time in on her website, even if her desire to work was waning.

As they walked back to the ship they made small talk about the shops and what it might be like to live on an island like this.

"Before we get back on, I'd like to go to a gift shop," Drew said.

"Me too," Shayla added. She tugged Joey with her and they disappeared into a t-shirt store.

Meg looked at Drew.

"Let’s go into that one." Drew pointed to a small storefront.

Inside there were island-themed gifts, t-shirts, jewelry, and some refrigerator magnets. Meg handled a silver bracelet with a dangly charm. She considered buying it as a memento of the day, but decided against it. She continued to look at several other items in the store, including some water bottles with a Key West insignia printed on them and a baseball cap with a sparkly palm tree.

After a few minutes, Drew walked up to the cashier. Meg couldn't see what he purchased but figured it wasn't any of her business. She continued to look around without purchasing anything.

Since Shayla and Joey were nowhere in sight, Drew said, "Let’s go back to the ship."

As they walked back toward the ocean liner, Drew cleared his throat and said, “You seemed pretty bothered by Joey’s remarks.”

Meg didn’t say anything for almost a minute. “Yeah. I wish people weren’t so into body shaming others. We should be focused on health.”

“I agree with you.”

“Like I said before, I was the target of a lot of teasing about my weight, so I was never comfortable in my own skin. Then I lost weight, but it was for the wrong reasons. It was pure vanity. After I started studying nutrition and understanding health, I realized that being thin isn’t the goal, being healthy is. Exercising and eating a balanced diet are what’s important, not necessarily the number on the scale.” She liked sharing her feelings about weight and health with Drew.

“And you feel much better about yourself now?” Drew studied her.

“Usually. I mean, sometimes those feelings I had as a kid resurface, like when someone is being ridiculed about their body, but most of the time, I feel like I’m doing my best to take care of myself. And that’s what I want to bring to others—feeling good about taking care of their bodies.” She could go on and on about this subject for hours.

“You’ve got me sold.” Drew smiled.

Meg wasn’t sure if he was serious or simply placating her. “Really?” She eyed him.

“Yeah. I think taking care of ourselves is important. And your passion for it is contagious,” he said with conviction.

“It is?” Warmth surrounded her heart.

“Absolutely. I predict your business will be a hit.” He said it with so much enthusiasm, Meg had no problem believing him.

Once they were onboard, Meg said, "I guess I'll see you later."

"I'm counting on it." Drew's gaze caught hers.

Meg swallowed hard.

"Can we meet in an hour?" he asked, his brown eyes pulling her in.

Meg considered his request. She wanted to spend more time with him, but hesitated. After all, what was the point? Leaving this cruise with a broken heart didn’t sound very appealing.

"We can eat, then go to the 80s party next to the pool." Drew tried to moonwalk, but failed miserably.

Meg bit her lip to keep from laughing. It sounded tempting—maybe too tempting. "I really need to get some work done on my website." She didn’t add that her feelings for him were growing in ways she hadn’t anticipated, and she wasn’t sure how to deal with them.

"How about this?” His eyes lit up. “You come party with me and then I'll help you with your website."

"I'm not sure there's much you can do."

"I can give you some feedback. And you can bounce ideas off me." Drew reached out and grabbed her hand, sending a surge of tingles up her arm. "How can you resist an 80s party?" he said. “I’ll even do my best Michael Jackson impression.” He let go of her hand, kicked out his foot, then whirled around. He struck a typical MJ pose.

Meg laughed. "How could I possibly say no?"

"I promise you'll have time to work. In fact, I'll help you get it all ready to launch so when you leave this cruise you're ready." He took her hand again and squeezed it. "Deal?"

A smile enveloped her face. "Deal."

***

Meg rifled through her clothes looking for something perfect to wear. Despite her reservations, she was excited to spend more time with Drew.

"Hey, we looked for you guys," Shayla said as she flung the door open.

"Sorry. We didn't see you so we came back to the ship."

Shayla fell across her bed dramatically. "Joey is so awesome. I think I'm in love." She let out a long mournful breath.

"You fall in love all the time." Meg had lost count of how many times Shayla had made this same confession.

Shayla sat up on her elbow. "I just love love. There's nothing wrong with that."

"How will you know when it's the real thing?” Meg looked directly at Shayla. “You know, the ‘last a lifetime’ kind of thing."

"Maybe I’ve found it with Joey."

“Really?” Meg didn’t want to be cynical, but Shayla had made such a habit out of falling in love how would she know when true love hit her?

"It could be. Besides, I'd rather fall in love too much than hardly ever." Shayla sat up and stared at Meg.

"Meaning me?"

Shayla tilted her head and shrugged.

Meg let out a laugh. "I guess we're quite a pair.” She sat next to Shayla on the bed. “We’ll probably both end up unmarried and sharing an apartment with a bunch of cats forever." Meg winced at the idea of being an old cat lady.

Shayla poked her in the arm. "Or we could both find love on this cruise."

"You are such a hopeless romantic.” Meg shook her head. “Totally hopeless."

Shayla pointed at the lump of clothing on the floor by Meg’s closet. "What are you doing?"

“I'm trying to find something to wear." She stood and walked over to the pile.

“Because?” Shayla said it with an expectant tone.

“I don’t want to go to dinner naked,” she said, being purposely evasive.

Shayla let out a frustrated sigh. “Come on.”

“What?” Meg said coyly.

“Admit it.” Shayla pointed at her.

“Fine. Drew invited me to dinner and some 80s party tonight.” She gave Shayla a pained look. “Satisfied?”

“Ohhh," Shayla sang out.

Meg rolled her eyes, then asked, "What are you doing tonight?"

“Joey wants to check out the show in the theater.”

“Sounds fun.” Meg picked through her clothes, then paused and stared up at the ceiling. “What am I doing?”

“Meg?” Shayla studied her.

Meg turned and leaned back against the closet door. "I'm not sure this is a great idea.”

Shayla stood and stepped over to Meg. “To go with Drew?”

Meg nodded.

“Why not?” Shayla held out her hands.

“First of all, I have so much work to do on my website. And, secondly, I don’t need any complications right now.”

“Drew’s a complication?” A smile engulfed Shayla’s face. She clasped her hands together. “Finally!”

“Finally?” Meg repeated.

"You're interested—really interested—in Drew." Shayla did a few dance moves.

"I never said that.” Meg wanted to deny it.

Shayla pushed Meg’s shoulder. “Your whole body said it.”

Meg held her hand up. “Okay, okay, okay. You’re right.” She sat on the floor and crisscrossed her legs. “But I’m worried.”

“About what?” Shayla sat on the floor next to Meg.

“What if he doesn’t feel the same way?” Doubt swelled inside her like a balloon.

Shayla jerked her head back. “Are you kidding me? He’s totally into you.”

“You think so?” She hoped Shayla was right.

“Yes!” Shayla emphasized her one-word answer.

“We had a great time today.” The memory of their day together sent a ripple of warmth through her. “He’s so easy to talk to and I feel a connection to him.” A smile played at the edges of her mouth.

“This. Is. Awesome.” Shayla’s enthusiasm filled the room.

“But I don’t want to get hurt.” It’d been years since Meg had put her heart out there, but she remembered vividly the anguish she felt when Jensen left her. She wasn’t anxious to repeat that.

“But if you don’t take a risk, you might miss out on something spectacular,” Shayla said.

“I don’t know.” Her heart wanted to take the chance, but her head kept getting in the way with thoughts like, After this is over, you’ll never see him again, or You can’t fall for a guy after a few days, or This isn’t real life, everything will be different back in the real world after the cruise.

“You should go for it. Let yourself feel whatever you do for him. You’ll never know what could happen unless you try. Right?”

Shayla had a point, but worries still floated through Meg’s mind. “What happens after the cruise?”

“Don’t think about that right now. Enjoy the moment. You know, smell the flowers and all that,” Shayla said with fervor.

Meg chewed on her thumbnail. Perhaps Shayla was right. “It seems silly, though, that I only met him and I’m already . . .”

“What?” Shayla’s eyes were as wide as the Gulf of Mexico.

“Nothing.” She didn’t want to admit out loud that she was falling for him—really falling—because that’s exactly what was happening.

Shayla nodded with a knowing grin. “You should wear your black lace shorts.”

“That’s not very 80s.”

“But they’ll make you irresistible.” Shayla raised her eyebrows.

Irresistible. That’s what she wanted to be. Throwing caution to the wind, she grabbed her lace shorts and a turquoise shirt. “Here’s to irresistible.”





"You look . . . great," Drew said as Meg approached him in black shorts that showcased her shapely legs. No doubt, she was a beautiful woman, but that wasn’t all that attracted him to her. Or made him think about her when they weren’t together. There was more to her than her beauty, but he couldn’t deny the strong physical attraction between them.

"Thanks." Meg tugged at her side ponytail. "This is as 80s as I get."

"I like it." Actually, he liked her. A lot.

"I was hoping you'd be wearing some neon-colored shirt and a mullet." She laughed.

He hadn't expected to find a woman like Meg on this cruise. He'd been focused on Joey finding someone, but Meg reminded him that he still wanted a relationship with the right woman. And maybe now was the right time.

They walked over to The Red Iguana Cantina and stood in line to order dinner. They chatted about the weather while they waited for their orders. When their food was ready, they found a small table and sat.

“I could live on Mexican food,” Meg said. “And the spicier, the better.”

Drew studied her. She kept surprising him. In good ways. “Women don’t generally enjoy spicy food.”

“I love it.”

Drew took a bite of his enchiladas. After he swallowed he said, “These are good. How about your burritos?”

“Excellent. The food on this ship is delicious.”

“Where are Joey and Shayla?” he asked more as a courtesy, because he wasn’t eager to share Meg with anyone else.

"She said they were going to catch the show in the theater, then they’d come to the party."

"They seem to be getting along well.” He took another bite.

Meg nodded, her silky ponytail falling across her shoulders.

Drew couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to run his fingers through her long hair. He let himself hold that thought for a moment before shaking it loose. He cleared his throat and said, “Joey hasn’t been this interested in a woman since his almost-fiancée walked out on him.”

"He hasn’t dated anyone?” Meg looked at him, her brilliant blue eyes framed by dark lashes. Drew was having a hard time focusing on her words.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” he said as casually as possible.

Meg gave him a slight smile, as if she knew what he was thinking. “I asked if Joey has dated anyone.”

Drew shook his head. "Uh, no. He’s just moped around. Until now. He seems to really like Shayla."

"He should. She’s awesome.” Meg smiled, drawing Drew’s gaze to her full lips. Stop being so distracted!

Drew took in a quick breath. “You’ve been friends for a long time?” He sincerely wanted to know more about Shayla because Joey seemed to like her. And he wanted to learn more about Meg. He silently pledged to pay more attention to the conversation than Meg’s obvious beauty that had some kind of crazy strong pull—like a magnet. He’d never met a woman like her.

“We met in high school. She moved into my neighborhood in Dallas right before our freshman year.” Meg sipped her water.

Childhood memories swirled around Drew’s mind. “I used to live in Dallas when I was a kid. Then my dad moved us to Austin.”

Meg wiped at her mouth. “Why did you move to Austin?”

Drew tore his gaze from her lips and said, “My dad. He opened a law practice in Austin.”

“You graduated from high school in Austin?”

“Yeah, then went to A&M for my undergraduate and for law school. I was offered a job in Dallas, and since Joey had already moved back, I did too.” He took another bite.

“How does your dad feel about that?” Meg asked, her gaze intent on him.

“He keeps trying to get both of us to come back to Austin, but I think we all have a much better relationship now.” Drew wanted a better relationship with his dad, but he didn’t want the constant nit-picking and intense pressure that came when he lived in Austin. He’d never discussed his relationship with his dad with anyone before, but he liked being able to talk to Meg about it.

“If you stay in Dallas, you can open a restaurant there, right?” Meg smiled and Drew’s stomach instantly reacted. This woman was really getting to him.

“I don’t know about that,” he said. Opening a restaurant would be a giant risk.

“Well, I think you should.” Meg leaned in and a whiff of her warm, spicy perfume tickled his nose. “And I’ll be the first in line to try it.”

He leaned in closer to her, his pulse racing. “I’d like that.” He’d been hesitant to share his dream with anyone, but, somehow, Meg made him feel not only comfortable enough to share his dream with her, but the way she reacted made him feel like it wasn’t so impossible after all. Meg made him feel like he could do anything.

“I’d like that too,” she said softly.

For a moment, their gazes connected and all he could think about was tugging her close, cupping her chin in his hand, then laying his lips across hers and kissing her until they docked again in Galveston.

"There you guys are," Shayla said, interrupting the moment.

Meg sat back, exhaling an almost imperceptible breath, but Drew saw it. "I thought you were going to the show," she said.

Shayla looked between the two of them. “Did I interrupt something?”

Drew wanted to shout that, yes, she’d interrupted something and could she please go away. Instead he kept his gaze on Meg.

Meg cleared her throat, then waved her hand. “No. Nothing.” She flicked a quick glance at Drew.

“Well, we decided we were hungry and an 80s party sounded better than the Musical Revue,” Shayla said. She and Joey sat at the table.

***

While they ate dinner, everyone chatted, but Meg kept thinking back to her conversation with Drew right before Shayla and Joey arrived. Had she sounded too forward? Or like she expected to see him after the cruise? Because she didn’t want him to think that. Unless he thought the same thing. But if he didn’t, she didn’t want to sound presumptuous. Because they might not ever see each other again. Except, she wanted to see him. Did he want to see her? Wow. I’m a hot mess.

There was a moment when it almost seemed like Drew was going to kiss her. How did she feel about that? As she snuck a glance at him across the table while he spoke to his brother, she was pretty sure she’d kiss him back. Meeting someone she was interested in, was the last thing she expected to happen on this cruise.

“What do you think, Meg?” Shayla said, tapping Meg on the arm.

“Uh, what?”

“I asked if you wanted me to get you a drink.” Shayla gave her big eyes.

“No, thanks. I’m fine.” Meg snuck another glance at Drew. He was animated as he talked with Joey, then the two of them laughed. She admired the closeness they seemed to share as brothers.

After they finished eating, Joey suggested they take a stroll around the Lido Deck. It was a perfect night for a walk under the twinkling stars, especially with Drew.

“Let’s go toward the front of the ship,” Drew said. He extended his hand for Meg and she slipped hers inside. When his fingers gently closed around hers, a ripple of electricity traveled up her arm.

“What’s the front of the ship called again?” Shayla asked.

“The aft?” Joey said.

“Nah. I think it’s the bow,” Drew said.

“What’s the starboard side?” Shayla asked. “That sounds kind of romantic.”

Joey pointed to their left.

Meg looked at Drew. “Is he right?”

Drew shrugged. “I only know the front and back.” He laughed and it made Meg want to laugh as well.

When they reached an area near the front, they stopped next to the railing. The moon’s reflection bounced across the water and the salty, sea breeze blew through Meg’s hair.

“This is great, isn’t it?” Shayla asked. “Aren’t you glad you came?” She elbowed Meg.

Meg turned to her and said, “Yes. You win. I’m glad I came.”

“I’m glad you came too,” Drew said.

A shiver ran down Meg’s back and it wasn’t from the gentle wind.

“What about tomorrow?” Joey asked. “We’re going to Freeport. Something like that.” He slung his arm around Shayla’s shoulders. “We should go to the beach.”

“Ooo. Yeah, let’s go snorkeling.” Shayla smiled.

“We could book one of the shore excursions. I saw one with snorkeling,” Drew said. “You in?” He gazed at Meg.

Going to a beach with a handsome man that made her heart flutter sounded fantastic, but she didn’t want to sound too eager. “A beach? In the Bahamas? Hmm. I’m not sure.”

Drew studied her.

Meg playfully tapped him on the arm. “Kidding, of course. I’d love to go with you.” She knew she should be spending time working on her website, but being with Drew made that fall right out of her head.

Drew pointed to a constellation above them. “Orion.”

Meg searched the sky and squinted at the stars above them. “I can’t see it.”

Drew moved behind Meg, his warm breath on her neck making her skin prickle. He gently lifted her hand and pointed it toward the night sky. “See those three stars in a row?”

Meg narrowed her eyes. “Those right there?”

“Yes. That’s his belt.” He took her hand and drew an outline of Orion.

“I’m not very good at finding any of these. I can never find the Big or Little Dipper,” she said apologetically.

Meg leaned her head back against Drew’s solid shoulder. Drew wrapped his arms around her as she gazed up at the black velvet sky. They stood there in silence, immersed in the moment. Everything, and everyone, around them seemed to disappear and she didn’t want to move any time soon. Actually, she didn’t want to move from that spot. Ever.

Is it possible I’ve met someone I could possibly see a future with? On a singles cruise. Never thought that would happen.

Over the sound system a deep voice interrupted Meg’s reverie. “It’s me, Matteo. Are you guys ready for a gnarly good time? We’re starting our 80s Funtastic Party right now, next to the pool on the Lido Deck. Come join us for some radical and tubular fun.”

Shayla sidled up to Meg and said, “Let’s go to the party!”