Chapter 3
Chanel
Ana and I drove to the port and stayed over-night in a hotel near the site. I wanted to get there a day early, so I could get some pictures. I wasn’t a professional photographer by any means, but Ana did have a fun idea for my blog. I could take pictures and document the cruise with everyone from my high school years. I could make it an opinion piece on the psychological dichotomy people experience in high school when they feel like those are the best years of their lives. I was going to give my own testimony of high school, complete with Rhett’s and my disaster story, and then juxtapose it with pictures of how everyone was doing.
With their permission, of course.
I was going to title it “When You Think the Best Is Over.” The moral of this week-long saga would be living proof that high school doesn’t always harbor the best. I was going to make a point that it was easy to glamorize it when looking back on it, but that doesn’t mean it was the best. I wanted to show people that life could be enjoyed during all stages, even when getting together only to reminisce about the past.
I announced it on my blog to get a feel for its audience, and I had thousands of people flood my comments section saying they couldn’t wait.
But now, I was nervous. Friday had come around, and we were preparing to board, and my eyes couldn’t stop scanning the crowd. I saw a lot of people I remembered. Our class president and the captain of the cheerleading squad stood near the ship. I followed her line of sight and saw the quarterback of our football team already grinding up on someone. Ana’s arm was linked with mine as my camera hung around my neck, ready to snap pictures.
“ID and tickets, please.”
Ana and I pulled out everything we needed before we could board. We were handed a sheet of paper of the island excursions we could take once we docked at all the ports we were set to dock at. Ana was giggling and squealing, ready for a good time as we wheeled our shit behind us.
But my eyes were still scanning the crowd, looking for Rhett.
“Come on. Let’s get to our rooms,” Ana said.
Before we could get to our rooms, we were stopped by Connie, the class president.
“Oh, my gosh. I am so glad you guys are here.”
“Hey there, Connie,” Ana said. “How are you?”
“I am so good. I’m shocked at the turnout for this cruise! Are you guys? Anyway, Chanel. You are, like, royalty to our class right now. I follow your blog like crazy! I’m so excited you’re doing a piece on the cruise.”
“I announced that last night,” I said.
“Oh, I subscribe. I know when you post.”
“Creepy,” Ana said, under her breath.
“Anyway, I sent out a little blast to the RSVP list online. I told everyone about the fun little thing you’re doing, and most of them are up for it. A few haven’t responded, but you can take pictures whenever you want and check it against that list for permission. I thought that might make it a little easier,” Connie said.
“Thanks. I think,” I said.
“So, here are your itineraries,” Connie said.
“We have schedules?” Ana asked.
“Oh, yes. It’s not a hard schedule, but we have certain meetups throughout the week for all of us to get together. Isn’t that fun? Tonight there’s a dinner for all of us to hang out and talk and catch up. I rented us out one of the entire ballrooms. You’re welcome,” Connie said.
“Uh-huh,” Ana said.
“We travel two days to get to the first port,” I said.
“We do. And it’s going to be so. Much. Fun. Anyway, make sure you’re there for all the get-togethers, Chanel. It’ll make for some wonderful pictures!”
“Yay,” I said, my sarcasm completely lost on Connie.
I watched Connie bound away as Ana dragged me down the hallway. We slid into the elevator with our stuff and went to find our room. I was nervous as fuck. I knew Rhett was going to be here any moment, if he wasn’t already on the ship. I was wondering when I would run into him. Would he be at the dinner tonight? Surely not all this get-together shit was mandatory, but maybe he would go?
“Okay, I think this is our floor,” Ana said.
We stepped off the elevator and started filtering through numbers. We were standing in front of room 626, so we took a right and started walking. We were moving toward the back of the ship where all the activities were and the balcony that overlooked the open expanse of the floor-level deck.
But when I looked down the hallway to continue searching, I saw him.
Rhett.
Standing right in front of me.
His eyes lifted toward mine, and I froze. My blood was boiling as he stood there in shock. He was beautiful, more beautiful than I remembered him. His arms were strong, and his shoulders were wide. They held a breadth of strength I knew was pulsing underneath his shirt. His jaw was sharp, and his cheeks were high. His skin was tan, glistening with life and hope and sexual energy. His lips were wet and pink, and his brooding brown eyes were gazing right into mine.
I watched him put his hand on the handle of his door as he walked into his room.
I watched him disappear into his room as I let out the breath I was holding. I was shaking, raging at the memory of him. Suddenly, all I wanted to do was slap him. I thought I’d left the hurt and anger behind me but, apparently, I was wrong. One look at him and the humiliation came flooding back to me. But, unexpectedly, so did the love I’d once felt for him. And, damn it, if he wasn’t still beautiful.
“Well, that was palpable.”
I jumped at the sound of Ana’s voice as I whipped around.
“Wanna know the bad news?” she asked.
“What?”
She nodded her head to the door right beside Rhett’s.
“Found our room,” Ana said.
I looked up and saw the number 602 hanging off the door. I groaned as Ana giggled, her hand reaching for the handle. She opened the door and revealed a room much grander than I would’ve expected, and it soon washed away the anger that was seeping into my bones.
“This room is fantastic,” Ana said with a giggle. “Holy hell, I didn’t realize we were purchasing this kind of shit.”
“How much you want to bet Connie upgraded all of us? You’re welcome,” I said mockingly.
“I don’t care,” Ana said as she flopped down on the couch. “I’ll kiss her ass if it means this view for the next week. I mean, look at that balcony.”
I shut the door behind me, leaving all thoughts of Rhett out in the hallway.
“I could feel the heat between you two, you know,” Ana said. “It’s obviously still there.”
“Seriously? You wanted me to forget about him, and now you’re talking about him?” I asked.
“That was before he was our neighbor. And girl, I’m sorry, but that man is fine as hell.”
“I know,” I said, groaning. “He’s hotter than ever, but he’s trouble. And I’ve got no intention of getting involved with him on this cruise.”
“Trouble? You were defending his honor yesterday,” she said.
“Yes, because he was my high school sweetheart. Because he had a great impact on me and the person I turned out to be. But I never said he wasn’t trouble. He is. With those eyes and those arms and those shoulders.”
“And that dick,” Ana said with a grin.
“When do dicks mature?” I asked.
“Are we talking men or cocks?”
I laughed as I dropped my suitcase and flopped onto the couch next to her.
“This is a beautiful view,” I said.
“We’ve got to instill a rule, though.”
“What rule?” I asked.
“If my hair tie is on the doorknob, don’t come in unless you want an eyeful.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. There are two beds but nothing separating them. Unless you wanna see me riding Tommy’s cock into the ocean sunset, I suggest you look for a hair tie first.”
“That might be a good picture for my blog.”
“Don’t you dare,” she said. “And were you serious?”
“About what?”
“Not getting involved with Rhett? Even though he’s right over there and hot as fuck?”
“Yes, I meant it. He broke my heart. Even though he’s still good looking, my blood was boiling just looking at him. I wanted to smack him across his chiseled cheek.”
“Not even a bit of hate sex? You could get on top and punch him as he’s about to come,” she said.
“What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
“I’m good at this shit! What can I say?”
“You’re a crazy bitch,” I said, laughing.
“And you’re not crazy enough. Just make sure he knows you’re not playing around. You might’ve gotten lost in his eyes, but I saw the way his eyes raked down your body.”
“No, they didn’t,” I said, a sharp tinge of electricity in my chest.
“Yep, they did. So, don’t go around saying I never told you anything. He might be guarded, but you left that man breathless. He’ll go after you the moment he thinks your guard is down.”
“What should I do?” I asked.
“Depends. What kind of fun do you want to have?”
“The kind that doesn’t involve me breaking his nose,” I said.
“Bummer. Okay, then. You dig through that suitcase for tonight, pull out the dress I packed you along with the matching heels, you get into my makeup, and you go to that dinner with me tonight and show him what the fuck he lost,” she said.
“Now that is a plan I can get behind.”