I Thought It Was You (Oceanic Dreams #4)

by Kirsty McManus

  “That sounds great!” Jamila said at the same time I said “Thanks for the offer, but…”

  Jamila shot me a look. “We can go, can’t we?”

  “I’m not sure that’s such a great idea,” I said regretfully. “I promised the clinic that if we did go ashore, we wouldn’t stray too far from the ship.”

  I wasn’t happy with the way Jamila had suddenly decided to befriend Wells because of his family connections. It wasn’t fair to him.

  She looked very unimpressed, and I knew she was going to tell me off as soon as Wells was out of earshot.

  “It’s okay,” Wells said easily. “We can catch up onboard another time.”

  “Thank you,” I said gratefully. “That would be nice.”

  He took a last sip of his soda water and stood up. “Have a great day.”

  When he was gone, Jamila turned on me. “What the hell was that about? You promised the clinic we wouldn’t stray too far from the ship?”

  “I just didn’t want to make things more complicated. And it’s not cool that you only wanted to talk to Wells because of his mom.”

  “That’s not true!”

  “Come on, Jamila…”

  “Okay, it’s partially true. But I thought you would have been into the idea of spending a day with the guy. And you know what? I’ve changed my mind about you not hooking up with him. You two should totally have a fling.”

  I gaped at her. “That is a terrible idea. No.”

  “As long as you stay in character as Nina, what’s the problem?”

  “I can’t have a relationship with someone while pretending to be someone else!”

  “Who said anything about a relationship? I just think it would be a shame if neither of us got lucky while we were on this ship. And because you so plainly reminded me I can’t sleep with a crew member, you should at least have some fun.”

  “No! The only reason I came on this cruise was to get away from a crappy ex. Besides, I’m having fun with you and you’re paying me to do a job. Anyway, what do you hope to achieve by having me sleep with him?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I figured you might be able to put in a good word for me or something.”

  “Jamila!”

  “Okay, okay. Sorry. Forget I said anything. You do whatever you want. But seriously, no one will get hurt here.”

  “Except Wells when he finds out I’m not Nina, and I was only hooking up with him to get you a meeting with his mom.”

  “But he won’t find out. Unless you tell him.”

  “The answer is still no. And please don’t ask me again. Also, what about Zara? What if she found out?”

  “I’m sure we’d be able to figure out a way around that.”

  I shook my head. It was not happening.

  She threw up her hands in surrender. “Okay, but just remember, I’m giving you permission to sleep with him if you decide you want to.”

  I let out a deep breath. I was not going to imagine a naked Wells lying in his suite, awaiting my arrival.

  Jamila laughed. “Your cheeks are flushed. You’re totally thinking about him, aren’t you?”

  “No, I’m not. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go on that waterslide.”

  She winked. “Have fun. I hope the water’s cold enough for you.”

  I ignored her. I was not going to dignify that comment with a response.

  Even if I was thinking the same thing.

  Chapter Eleven

  Later that evening, back in the suite, Jamila skimmed through a brochure that outlined all the eateries on the ship. “It looks like they’re doing Japanese in one of the dining rooms tonight,” she said. “You wanna go?”

  “I guess so.”

  “It says we have to dress up.” She looked me up and down. “I think you’re a little short to fit into my stuff, so I’ll ask the butler to send up some gowns from one of the boutiques.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that. Besides, won’t it look weird, me wearing something fancy when I’m supposed to be your nurse?”

  “The only person who would care is Zara, and on the off-chance we happen to run into her, you can say you got a bargain at a vintage shop or something. Or that you’re friends with a designer. Come on, babe. Use your imagination! What am I paying you for?”

  “Yes, but we don’t have to make it harder for ourselves than it already is. I have a feeling Zara will be looking for you after her phone and purse went missing this morning.”

  “Don’t stress about it. I did a lot of improv back in my early days. It’s easy. You just need to pay attention and take your cues from the immediate situation.”

  “If you say so.”

  “I do say so. Now let’s call the butler so we can get you a dress.”

  Two hours later, Jamila and I entered the Mount Othrys dining room, dressed to the nines in our finery. Jamila was wearing a slinky black gown with a plunging neckline and a gold choker, while I had picked a navy-blue lace dress with a sheer lining and capped sleeves. It was way fancier than anything I’d ever worn before, but Jamila had insisted on buying it. We’d also visited the salon, where we’d had our makeup done properly. It was a lot more tasteful than what I’d had for the photo shoot.

  “People are staring at us,” I said out of the corner of my mouth as we were seated.

  “Of course they are. Because we look amazing.”

  “But aren’t we supposed to be keeping a low profile?”

  “You know why I convinced you to wear that dress?”

  “Because you like to make me feel uncomfortable?”

  “Ha, no. Because you look so hot in it that no one is going to give me a second glance.”

  I snorted. “Yeah, right.”

  A maître d’ handed us menus. “Would you like a drink to start?” he asked.

  “Just sparkling mineral water for the two of us,” Jamila said sweetly.

  “Certainly.”

  “I’ll order us some wine back in the room later,” Jamila whispered to me.

  We were just browsing through the appetizers when I sensed a presence behind me. I looked around and grimaced.

  Zara.

  Naturally.

  “Hi! I saw you both here on your own and was wondering if you’d like to join me and some friends for dinner?” she asked brightly.

  “No, thank you,” Jamila replied, equally brightly before going back to scanning her menu.

  “I insist,” Zara said more firmly.

  “You do know I don’t have to do something, just because you want me to?”

  “Actually, I think you might. My friends are eager to find out more about your program.”

  Jamila wrinkled her nose. “What are you talking about?”

  “I just happened to meet a couple of doctors who work in treatment centers in LA. They’re interested in understanding the logistics of your rehabilitation so they can roll it out in their own clinics.”

  I glanced at Jamila. This was not going to end well.

  “Sure,” Jamila said breezily. “Lead the way.”

  Zara looked a little disconcerted at how easily Jamila agreed. To be honest, I probably had the same facial expression. I tried to get her attention with some very specific eye gestures, but she either didn’t notice, or purposely ignored me.

  Jamila stood and picked up her glass. With a barely imperceptible nod of her head, she motioned for me to follow. I wondered if doctors counted as the authorities. Could I get into trouble for lying to one? And then I considered the fact we were at sea. Were we in international waters? What did that mean in terms of the law?

  There were two men seated at a table on the other side of the room. They were in their mid-forties and moderately good-looking.

  Jamila sat down beside one of them and encouraged me to sit next to her. At least she provided a small amount of physical space as a buffer for me. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to pull this off.

  Zara sat beside the other doctor and started to make in
troductions as if she was already great friends with everyone.

  “Harry, Carlisle, please meet Jamila Castro and Nina…” She looked at me pointedly.

  “Turner,” I said quietly.

  “Nina Turner,” Zara said, and then stopped for a second. “Nina Turner? Does anyone ever call you Tina?”

  I smiled faintly. “Gosh, I haven’t heard that one before.”

  The two doctors look at Jamila curiously. “We’re intrigued by this treatment plan of yours. Please indulge us,” Harry said.

  “Oh, you know. It’s basically the same as on land,” she said airily. “Only I can’t run away.” She laughed in an exaggerated fashion. I felt for sure they’d know something was up, but the only one who seemed skeptical was Zara.

  “Yes, it’s a fascinating prospect,” Harry said. “And Zara explained that the bar staff onboard have been briefed on the situation?”

  “That’s right. No alcohol for me.”

  “But Jamila isn’t an alcoholic anyway,” I piped up. I felt the need to defend her.

  She shot me an exasperated look. Harry looked at me, surprised.

  “Yes, of course. But as you know, it’s important to restrict temptation while someone is in the early stages of recovery. How do you ensure she doesn’t bribe someone to purchase alcohol while you’re not watching?”

  “Well, I keep a close eye on her at all times, and on the rare occasion I do need to be elsewhere, I lock her in her room.”

  Harry’s eyes widened. “You lock her in a room without supervision? What about risk management for self-harm?”

  God, this was hard. I could see Jamila was starting to look a little nervous, but I remembered what she said about improv. I just needed to go with it.

  “Gentlemen, the system isn’t perfect. We are still in the early stages of development, and I’m putting together a case file for future healthcare professionals. One of my recommendations is to have an additional nurse accompany the patient as backup. Obviously, that will be dependent on the patient’s budget, but then this is a luxury treatment option.”

  They nodded as if what I said actually made sense.

  “And while I’m not at liberty to divulge the specific details of Jamila’s case, I can assure you, we undertook a thorough assessment of her physical and mental wellbeing before allowing her to leave our rehabilitation facility. As you know, one size does not fit all, and we believed Jamila would benefit from a little time at sea.”

  Harry nodded, impressed. “That makes sense. Like in the old days, when they used to send people to coastal areas to recover from an illness.”

  “Exactly. And I must say, there’s been an unexpected bonus of limited phone reception out here, so Jamila has been unable to stay in contact with those who may not have her best interests at heart.”

  I held my breath to see if I’d pulled it off.

  Harry turned to Carlisle. “What do you think? Something worth exploring further?”

  “Maybe for you, with your high-earning Hollywood patients. Probably not for me, though.” He turned to us. “I work at the other end of the spectrum. A lot of my patients can barely afford healthcare.”

  “Actually, we were talking with another passenger earlier, who works for a charitable organization, and he offered his expertise in building a program that would help fund those who weren’t able to afford it themselves,” I explained.

  I was so caught up in the scenario, I almost forgot it wasn’t real. Jamila shot me a warning look.

  But Carlisle appeared to warm to the concept. “That’s a great idea.” He pulled a card out from his shirt pocket and handed it over. “Here are my details. Please contact me once it’s established and we’ll talk further.”

  I’d been too afraid to check Zara’s expression this whole time, but I ventured a glance now. She did not look happy. I guessed that was both good and bad.

  She turned to the men. “Harry, what are your thoughts on patients leaving the ship during their treatment? Say, if they wanted to visit, oh, I don’t know, Margaritaville while in Jamaica?”

  Harry laughed. “I suppose the risk would be slightly higher, and staff wouldn’t have been briefed on not serving the patient alcohol, but as long as they were accompanied, I can’t see the harm. One of the problems of traditional rehabilitation is that patients are in a sterile environment with zero temptation. And while that’s a good thing, exposing them in small doses to a controlled situation that may contain substances they’ll need to avoid once they leave might actually be helpful.”

  I wanted to high-five Harry, but knew that would be highly inappropriate.

  Jamila pretended to look bored. “Well, gentlemen, if you don’t mind, we’d like to go have dinner now. It was lovely talking with you…”

  “Wait, stay and eat with us,” Zara said desperately, clearly annoyed she was losing control of the discussion.

  “That’s a lovely offer, but I just realized how late it is and Nina needs to run her hourly medical check on me. I think we’ll get our food to go, so it’s not embarrassing having her measure my blood pressure in front of everyone.”

  Harry and Carlisle stood up as Jamila and I did. Zara stayed seated, sulking. “It was a pleasure meeting you both,” Harry said. “I hope the rest of the cruise goes smoothly.”

  “Thank you,” Jamila said demurely. “Now, if you’ll excuse us.”

  I tried to walk as casually as possible out of the dining room, but could feel my legs shaking with the effort.

  Once we were back in the hall, Jamila grabbed my arm and cackled.

  “Oh my God, that was insane!”

  “At least one of us had fun,” I said grumpily.

  “Oh, come on. Wasn’t that exciting? You had them eating out of the palm of your hand! And Zara didn’t even ask whether I was involved in her possessions going missing this morning!”

  “It was a close call,” I said. “I don’t want to do anything like that again.”

  “I’m pretty sure you won’t have to. God, I wonder how long it took Zara to find two doctors who would actually have the knowledge to understand a rehab program?” She stopped for a second. “Hmm…”

  “What?”

  “I wonder if they were paid actors?”

  “But surely she would have instructed them to ask more difficult questions?”

  “I don’t know. She probably didn’t think we’d call her bluff. Or she’d assume we’d try and escape as quickly as possible, which would prove our guilt.”

  “Either way, it wasn’t fun for me.”

  “Suck it up, Turner. This is what I’m paying you for.”

  I stayed quiet. She was right. I couldn’t expect to earn twenty-thousand dollars just to wander around the ship with her all day and indulge in massages and facials.

  “I just didn’t expect it to be so intense.”

  “You did great. At first, I was a bit worried, but you totally saved the situation.” She wrapped me up in a hug. “I almost believed you really were a nurse!”

  A tiny part of me was pleased. “Okay, well, let’s get you back to the suite so I can check your blood pressure.”

  Jamila laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Day Four: Grand Cayman

  Jamila and I decided to stay in the suite for the rest of the evening. I didn’t want to push our luck any further than we already had. But Jamila certainly made up for it, ordering a feast of sushi and tempura to be delivered to our room, along with a bottle of sake.

  We watched The Holiday on the in-room entertainment system and crashed into bed around midnight.

  And then suddenly we were at Grand Cayman. It was strange having a few days at sea, and then visiting two amazing destinations one after the other.

  Jamila seemed to have woken up in a weird mood and didn’t want to be around anyone.

  “Are you okay?” I asked cautiously.

  “Not really. But it’s nothing to do with you. I just need some time alone. Do you min
d if I go to the spa on my own for a while?”

  “Of course. What do you want me to do?”

  “I don’t mind. Just lay low as usual.”

  “That goes without saying. I’m sorry you’re not having a good morning. If you want to talk, let me know.”

  “Thanks.”

  She donned her wig and glasses and quietly left the suite. That was weird. Jamila was normally quite upbeat. I wondered what had happened to make her mood drop like that.

  I figured I would just bum around the ship. Going ashore, as much as I would have loved to, seemed a little risky and self-indulgent. Besides, I wanted to be around in case Jamila came back early.

  I grabbed the romance novel I had been reading and headed towards the library.

  Only to find Wells there already. I squeaked with surprise.

  He looked up and smiled warmly. “Hey. Were you looking for me?”

  “Oh, uh, actually…”

  “It’s okay. Don’t answer that. I’ll just pretend you were.” He looked at the book in my hand. “What are you reading?”

  “Oh, nothing interesting. It was just amongst the books Jamila had sent to our room.”

  “Where is Jamila?”

  “At the spa. I assume she can’t get into much trouble there.”

  “You trust her?”

  “Of course.” I so badly wanted to tell him about how she had been framed, and more importantly, who I really was, but I couldn’t. That wasn’t my choice to make. I changed the subject. “You’re not going ashore?”

  “I’m just finishing up a report I need to write before we get to Cozumel, but I’m almost done. So, yeah, I was thinking of going ashore soon. What about you? What are you up to?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I suppose I’ll wait until Jamila is finished at the spa and then see what she wants to do.”

  “Do you think you could convince her to come on a bit of an excursion? I could be your tour guide? I promise that we won’t stray too far from the ship.”

  Damn it. He was way too nice. And he looked particularly sexy this morning, sitting there with a pair of cute square-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.