A woman in the front row raised her hand and Petal nodded for her to speak. “What if we’re trying to walk the walk—trying to stay vegan and be as inspirational for our groups back home as you are for us here—but we’re not sure if we have what it takes? How can we make the people who attend our classes want to keep coming back week after week?”
“That’s a wonderful question, and I’m glad you asked.” Petal looked around the room, her cheerful smile still firmly in place. “I’d be willing to bet there are several other people in this room right now who were wondering the same thing. The answer is simple, though. Much simpler than you may think.”
She paused and her expression grew more serious as she walked over to the woman who had asked the question. “Give me your hand, dear. Look into my eyes. Do you see the compassion there? Do you feel the warmth and the calming, peaceful energy I’m giving you as I close my hands over yours?”
I sat up in my seat and craned my neck to see the woman’s reaction. Everyone else in the room seemed to be doing the same thing. It had suddenly gone so quiet that I could hear my own heart beating.
“I can feel it,” the woman nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t really explain it, but I can see it in your eyes. That’s the kind of warmth and compassion I want to take back home and spread in my own community.”
“Then you’re in luck.” Petal smiled again as she let go of the woman’s hand and moved back to the front of the room. “You’re all in luck because you already have that warmth and compassion inside you. You’re already open and willing to learn—and even if the knowledge isn’t completely there yet, your intentions are good. It’s those intentions and those connections you’ll make with the people who attend your classes that matter most. Do you understand? Does that make sense?”
“Perfect sense.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could even think to stop them. All around me, people were nodding and murmuring their agreement.
Sam looked over and grinned. “She’s already made a believer out of you, hm?”
I could feel my face flush as I grimaced. “I’m not a believer. I was just… You have to admit she knows what she’s talking about.”
“Oh, absolutely.” Sam nodded, still grinning. “I just can’t help but remember how hard you tried to get out of coming here tonight…”
“You’re right. You talked me into it. You get a vegan cookie.”
Sam snorted, earning us both some scolding looks from the people around us. Maybe they needed a little more warmth and light in their lives.
“I just want to thank you all again for joining us here on the cruise,” Petal continued. “I must retire to my cabin so I can meditate, but please remember that I’ll be sending all of you as much light and love as I can. Keep yourselves open to it.” She motioned toward her assistant. “Tomek will stay and answer any other questions you might have. Good night my lovelies.”
“Good night,” we all said in unison. Even Sam seemed to be watching every move Petal made until she left the room. There really was something special about the woman. I thought back to that first day on the dock where she’d seemed impatient and even a little imperious. To be fair, it had been hot and humid that morning, and boarding day could sometimes be enough to test a saint’s patience. Seeing Petal in her element here among her trainees had been a completely different experience, and I was happy I’d had the opportunity to witness the kind, almost motherly way she interacted with everyone here.
The woman next to me nudged my arm, pulling me from my thoughts. “Aren’t we so lucky to have her guidance and wisdom? I feel like this session alone was worth the cost of the cruise.”
I nodded, remembering that each of the people in this class had paid thousands of dollars to get a slice of that wisdom to take back home to their own yoga studios. For that price, I hoped Petal was sending out a whole lot of love and light from her meditation room.
“It’s a lot different from the other group,” Sam chimed in, jerking her thumb toward the room next door where the Roar Power group had been meeting. “They’re intense over there. It’s like night and day.”
The other woman made a face like she’d just eaten a lemon. “Don’t even get me started on that snake oil salesman and his groupies,” she hissed. “All they care about is making a buck. Selling water to a bunch of sheep on a cruise?” She rolled her eyes. “Give me a break.”
I looked over at Sam. She’d actually moved back to the edge of her seat and had gone wide-eyed at the woman’s outburst. “Well, you um, have a great rest of the evening,” I stammered, standing up and pulling Sam to her feet as well. “We should probably be going. It was great talking to you, though.”
I knew that Petal and her assistant didn’t seem to get along with Shakti and his group, but I hadn’t really anticipated that kind of reaction from their trainees as well.
“That was… something…” Sam whispered as we hurried to the door. “She went from peace and love to really angry without missing a beat.”
“I was just afraid we’d get thrown out for inciting a riot,” I said, looking back over my shoulder as we walked out into the corridor. “I wonder if they all feel that way about the Roar Power group.”
Sam shook her head. “I don’t know, and I’m not going to ask. I’ve learned my lesson.”
“Me, too.” I pointed toward the deck. “Come on. Let’s get some fresh air and then maybe some cheesecake on the way back to our cabin. I think we’ve earned it.”
“I know for sure we’ve earned it. All that love and light can really work up an appetite.”
We both laughed as we stepped out into the cool night air. It felt good to be finished with the last bit of work for the day—even if it was a bit of a stretch to call sitting through the Breathe Light session work.
One thing was for sure, though. I’d had more than enough yoga for one day.
6
Rock
Rock tiptoed out of his suite and closed the door behind him. He hated having to sneak around like this, but he didn’t really have a choice. Apparently, they couldn’t talk in his room, and his suggestion of going to one of the ship’s numerous bars had been flatly denied.
Top deck, ten o’clock.
Those were the instructions. And even though following instructions wasn’t really his strong point—he was much better at making demands than listening to them—the way they’d spoken let him know this was serious.
This would affect his business. His money. His investment with Roar Power.
He walked down the corridor and stepped into the elevator as he thought back to his little disagreement with Shakti earlier in the day. He’d thought they had ended up seeing eye to eye, but maybe this meeting had something to do with that. Or maybe it was something completely different, not even related to Roar Power.
Whatever it was, he’d get it settled once and for all tonight. He wasn’t about to let a little argument get in the way of making money—especially when this particular investment could yield hundreds of millions, maybe even billions if it was properly managed.
And he was just the person to manage it.
If it meant pretending to buy into all of that new age, inner strength, manifest-your-way-to-a-better-life hocus pocus to make a lot of money with this venture, then he could fake it with the best of them.
Yes, he’d get it all sorted out tonight.
The elevator door opened, and he stepped out into the observation area on the top deck. He looked around but didn’t see anyone as he walked past the windows and opened the glass door that separated the warm interior from the cool night breeze.
He checked his watch. Right on time—ten o’clock sharp—but he was still the only one here. The meeting hadn’t even started yet, and he was already running out of patience.
“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” The voice startled a noise from the back of his throat, but he played it off as a small cough. “Have you been up to the observation deck before?”
“N-No…” He paused to clear his throat and get himself together. “I prefer to stay comfortable indoors, but… this is nice, too, in its own way.” Okay, so he was completely lying. There wasn’t anything nice about a ship’s observation deck so late at night. “Not much to see, though, is there?”
“Maybe you just aren’t looking hard enough,” was the answer he received. Whatever that meant. Probably something to do with opening his third eye or cleansing his chakras or something.
He opened his mouth then closed it again, forcing himself to bite back a sarcastic response. Remember, this meeting serves a purpose. Be patient. Indulge this nonsense. It will probably be worth it in the end.
Right.
That was the kind of practical pep talk he needed. No new-age mumbo jumbo required. This was about gathering information and making money. That thought was enough to put a smile back on his face.
“Should we go back inside and talk business?” He gestured toward the enclosed section of the deck. “There isn’t anyone else around. Can’t get much more private than this.”
“Why are you in such a rush, Rock?” Even in the darkness, he could see the disapproving look and the slight motion of their head shaking. “We’re on a beautiful ship in the middle of the ocean. You can hear the waves. You can see the stars. You can smell the salty air. You can taste it. It may sound trite, but sometimes the journey really is more important than the destination.”
Yes, it did sound trite. It also sounded like a complete waste of time.
He forced a smile but couldn’t completely hide his impatience. Or his growing irritation. “In this case, I think an important part of my journey is to make sure my investment is secure. I’m prepared for hiccups and bumps in the road—those are inevitable in new startups—but I’m hoping to steer clear of as many as possible with your input and cooperation.”
There.
That was as close as he could get to the journey-and-destination stuff. Making money had always been his own personal journey. A big, fat bank account had always been the destination. Everything else?
Just a distraction.
“And you’ll have my cooperation, Rock.” Finally. Now we’re getting somewhere. “But I think we should do a heart-opening meditation first—just to make sure you’re ready to receive the news I have for you.”
He had to strain so hard not to roll his eyes that he probably pulled something. A heart-opening meditation? He was aware of the yoga vibes enough to understand that this sort of thing wasn’t on-brand for Roar Power. It was definitely the kind of nonsense Petal was constantly pushing.
But fine.
Whatever.
He’d already jumped through plenty of annoying hoops just to have this meeting. One more inconvenience wouldn’t hurt.
Much.
“Okay, sure.” He sighed. “How should we begin? You’ll have to forgive me if I’m not totally up to speed on all the methods to, uh, open my heart.”
“Of course. You’ll get there, though. And I’m happy to help.” With a motion for him to follow, they continued. “Walk with me over to the edge of the deck and we’ll look out over the water. See the line where the ocean meets the sky? Focus on that point.”
He did as he was told, but not before silently wishing a million unpleasant things on the meditation addict. “Okay.” He nodded. “I can see the spot. I’m focusing.”
He heard a soft laugh. “You aren’t focusing, Rock. There is still too much tension in your posture and too much impatience in your tone. You have to relax if this is going to work. Here, place your hands at your heart as if you’re going to do a sun salutation.”
Yes, he did need to relax before he decided to push his soft-spoken, calm-as-a-cucumber tormentor overboard.
But no.
He couldn’t think about things like that. Getting the information that he wanted apparently required relaxation, so… deep breath in, deep breath out.
“See,” the soft voice interrupted his thoughts. “I can already see that you’re starting to relax a little. Now, close your eyes and think about what we’re hoping to achieve from this meditation. Think about what we hope to achieve from this conversation. Are you focusing on those things now, Rock?”
He actually was starting to feel slightly more relaxed—no doubt from his own need to get the conversation back on track than anything to do with the actual meditation. “I am,” he answered. “I’m focusing on everything. Our conversation. The business. Life. My investment… Everything.”
“Perfect, perfect. You’re doing a wonderful job now, Rock.” He could actually hear the smile in those words. Okay, sure. He could keep doing this meditation stuff for a few more minutes. It really wasn’t that bad. “Now, just take it a little deeper. Inhale and think about your inner strength. Hold it for four counts. And exhale what we want to achieve.” They kept talking until it was like a broken record. A soft, soothing broken record. “Inhale for strength. Exhale to achieve. Inhale… and exhale…”
Inhale for patience.
Exhale for money.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
It took him a moment to realize the person had stopped speaking. All he could hear was the breeze whipping around and the distant sound of the waves crashing against the ship far below them.
He was as relaxed as he was possibly going to get and hoped that the silence that was stretching out meant that their little meditation session was almost over.
He inhaled one more time and opened his mouth to speak, ready to get the show on the road when he felt a sharp push in the middle of his back.
Whatever he was about to say turned into a gasp as he opened his eyes and saw the night sky rushing by. He was falling! He tried to yell, but the wind took his breath away.
He could finally see the water rushing up to meet him as he fell forward into the darkness.
And down.
Down.
Down.
Chapter Seven
I knew I was dreaming as I sat down at the romantic, candle-lit dinner with Ethan. For starters, everything felt a little too perfect, a little too magical. My brain knew something wasn’t quite right when we were suddenly somehow in Paris and all alone in what would have normally been a crowded restaurant, but I was determined to keep from waking up completely as the unexpectedly sweet dream continued to play out.
“You look beautiful.” Dream Ethan smiled as he pulled out the chair for me to sit down. “I’m so glad we finally have a few minutes alone together.”
Did I have a great boyfriend or what? He was just as sweet and polite in real life as he was in my dream. I returned his smile and sat down. I was really still dreaming, wasn’t I?
Yeah, I had to be. We weren’t on the ship. There weren’t any passengers or loud tourists milling around us.
Dream Ethan sat down across from me at the small table and took my hand. “Have I ever told you that—”
I winced as his voice turned into a shrill ring, jarring me from my perfect Parisian dream with a start and a grumble as I cracked an eye open.
“It isn’t even daylight yet,” I muttered as I reached for the phone. On the other side of our darkened cabin, I could see that Sam had already covered her entire head with her pillow to block out the noise. I wished I’d thought of that, but it was already too late for me. My dream was long gone, and I was already in the process of clearing my throat to answer the phone. “Hello?”
Kelly’s voice blasted through the phone. “Adrienne, thanks goodness you’re there!” As if I’d be anywhere else. “Are you busy? We have a bit of a crisis on our hands.”
I had to bite back a sarcastic response. Even though I had been busy sleeping like any normal person would have been in the pre-dawn hours, Kelly was still my bo
ss, and she really did sound distraught.
“Okay,” I did my best to shake off the sleepy cobwebs from my brain. “What… what do you need?”
“I need you and Sam up here on the observation deck as soon as possible—like, really quickly.” She paused, then added a belated, “Please.”
I could already hear a muffled but distinct “no” coming from Sam’s side of the room. What sort of crisis required both of us to be on the top deck of the ship right now? Before the sun came up?
Kelly didn’t give me time to ask any other questions, though. With another plea that we hurry up to the top deck, she hung up.
“Sam, we have to get up.” I sighed, staring up at the ceiling for a few more seconds before I swung my legs over the side of the bed. “Kelly needs us.”
“Tell her I’m sick,” Sam grumbled from under her pillow. “Make something up. Tell her I have food poisoning.”
I laughed in spite of her grumpy tone. “Believe me, I wish I could think of an excuse for both of us. But since I can’t…” I stretched and walked over to Sam’s bed to give her a little nudge. “You have to get up and come with me. Don’t make me go up there by myself, Sam.”
“Do you really think it’s something important?” She moved her pillow aside and rubbed her eyes before sitting up in bed. “What if we get all the way up there and she just wants to have a scenic staff meeting or something?”
I was already half dressed, but I stopped long enough to shake my head and give her a somewhat serious look. “Don’t even mention that idea to her. But no, I don’t think it’s anything like that. She sounded pretty distraught on the phone.” I motioned for Sam to hurry. “Come on, Sam. You know she’ll just keep calling if we don’t get up there in the next few minutes.”
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