While Suzy and Michelle served the evening meal up on the sundeck, I ate chicken and rice in the crew lounge. Captain Samson gave me the night off to recover from my trauma, but I insisted I’d be fine to pull the evening shift and sit up late with the guests, serving drinks and nibbles as required, until the last one went to bed. Tristan was busy, and the deckhands had already eaten, so I sat and chewed by myself. It was bound to be a long night, but it could be an ideal opportunity to make sure I’d successfully hooked my target now.
I knew I wanted him to leap in and save me. I needed him to. Needed him to become invested in my life and wellbeing but, despite everything, I couldn’t help but feel comforted by what looked like genuine concern. I was flattered that he would risk his life to save mine but I wasn’t, repeat wasn’t, strangely drawn to the sexy way his wet shirt clung to his thick, muscled torso. Nope. Not one bit.
After dinner, Michelle left Suzy and I to serve the guests and retired. She had to be up early to prepare for breakfast and the next day. Suzy mixed drinks and flirted about, looking totally amazing in her evening uniform, an Asian-style black number that pulled tight across her slim waist to really make her heavenly butt and bust pop. And she was getting plenty of attention, not only from Mick, George, and Jay Money, obviously, but one or two of the girls present allowed their gaze to linger on her sexy body for a little longer than was necessary.
Seth, though, sat all night at the bar that I was working behind. Mia kept coming and sitting with him, whispering in his ear, then stalking off to go talk with one of the others, but Seth remained stoically across from me, occasionally letting me refill his glass with18-year-old Glenmorangie, and largely ignoring his girlfriend.
“Really, Seth?” I heard Mia breathe softly into his ear. “Isn’t it time we went to bed? After your heroics today, don’t you think you deserve some sort of reward? Or at least a little pampering??”
Mia’s eyes flicked quickly over me but I pretended to be not paying attention. I wanted Seth to stay at my bar, though. I wanted us to connect. And I felt sure we would, if only I could get him away from that Asian goddess.
“I’m sorry, darling,” Seth said to Mia, “I’m a little… I don’t know… something about this afternoon. I think I need to have another drink.” He tried to take her aside, “I’m sorry, baby, it just doesn’t feel right. Can we make it up tomorrow night?”
For a second, Mia looked livid, ready to curse him out. She cast such a hateful glance at me that I almost dropped the glass I was drying. How did I end up in the firing line? Then, just as quickly, she returned to calm.
“I can’t promise anything,” she said, loudly enough for everyone to hear, and walked off downstairs. Jay, Coco, and Jessica slid away swiftly after, only minutes before a loud argument broke out between Valentina and George. As far as I could tell, Valentina was berating George in Spanish, George was apologizing in English, while Mick, who knew both languages, was trying to sort it all out. Mercifully, they decided to go below, so Suzy escorted them. She fired me a saucy wink as she left Seth and me alone on deck. Like she was giving me the go-ahead now there was no one else around.
Aside from a few interruptions, Seth and I had been having a light, fun, and engaging conversation through the night. So much so that, once or twice, I’d almost forgotten my mission for revenge and nearly divulged a couple of things about my past and my family that might have upset the applecart.
This is weird, I thought as we talked, he’s not arrogant or greedy. His friends seem to really like him. I thought he would be an asshole, bragging and talking my ear off about how amazing he is, but he just isn’t.
“Why are you being so secretive?” he asked, after the third time I dodged a question. “I’ve droned on about my life and my past all night, but I still know so little about you.”
“It’s the dynamic,” I answered with a smile. “The psychiatrist doesn’t divulge anything about herself to the schizoid on her couch, does she?”
Seth thought for a second, then burst out laughing. I half expected him to attack me for implying he was anything less than perfect, but it was such a joyous, infectious laugh, I couldn’t help but start to laugh with him.
“I do know one thing about you, though,” he said, as his breathing returned to normal. I froze, my heart suddenly thumping in my chest and a horrible cold feeling running through me. Shit! Has he been playing me all along? Is that why he’s being so nice? I felt very scared, and couldn’t have been more surprised if Seth whipped out a Luger pistol and shot me in the stomach. “I’ve seen you move about this boat all day, and I don’t think there’s any way you could have accidentally fallen overboard this afternoon. You’re too much of a pro.”
I smiled and looked him deep in the eye. This was going to be a gamble. “You’ve got me.” I put my hands up. “The truth is you were ignoring me and I didn’t like it. I wanted your attention. I wanted to see if you’d save me — that’s all.”
“And what if I hadn’t?”
“I grew up around boats; I can swim like a fish.”
“And now that I have?”
I looked quickly around the deck. We were alone. Before I knew what I was doing, I leaned in and kissed him, full on the lips. I held it for as long as I dared, then stood back up straight again. Seth sat there, still and stunned.
“Okay, closing time,” I sang, not able to look him in the eye. “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. Please, leave everything, I’ll clean up in the morning.” And, with that, I trotted hastily away. I didn’t look up until I got to my cabin.