by Pepper Pace
“Assistant, play Nightmares on Wax,” She commanded. And the music changed to the chill, down-tempo beats of her favorite DJ.
The butler’s brow lifted. “Nice. Nightmares on Wax? I do not know this group.”
“It’s not a group. He’s a DJ from England. He makes electronic music. He’s my favorite artist.”
He nodded as if storing that information away. He demonstrated the many ways that the Assistant could be used from turning on and off lights, to providing useful information concerning her itinerary. “This assistant has been programmed with your shipboard information.”
“I am impressed. So, I guess I don’t need a butler, then.” She joked.
He chuckled. “Well the Assistant cannot make you a drink or unpack your bags.”
“What?” She asked in surprise. “You’re going to unpack for me?”
He inclined his head. “It is one of my services. Shall we continue?” She followed him as she contemplated him handling her intimates. Luckily it was all new stuff that she’d purchased with He Who Shall Not be Named in mind. She shrugged inwardly as she considered that the butler was the only male likely to see her new undies on this trip.
As they moved from room to room, Sidney was left even more impressed. Her butler showed her a small office where there was a laptop computer and cellphone on the desk. He picked up the phone and showed it to her.
“You may use this to contact me or any of the other ship services.” He showed her the buttons for the spa, gym, and room service among others. “I can be reached by pressing the middle button. I am at your disposal morning noon and night.”
She gave him a dubious look. “Morning, noon and night?”
“Yes,” he said as if it was no big deal. “In the event that I am not available there will be a substitute. So, do not hesitate to reach out if there is anything that you need.” She thought in amusement about the many times her grandfather would call them into the room just to turn the channel on the television when she was a kid. She decided that he would not enjoy being a butler for her grandfather.
Next, they went up to an upper level where she had a grand loft with a walk-in closet. The bathroom contained a two-person jetted tub and a shower large enough for a party, with shower heads that would hit her from no less than five different directions. She shooed him out briefly so that she could take advantage of the toilet.
She was then shown three balcony decks that overlooked not only the ocean but a large outdoor screen.
“There are nightly movies. Your speakers can be tuned so that you can hear the movie in surround stereo. Or, if you choose, you won’t be disturbed by its sounds.”
Sidney leaned against the railing and looked at the deck below. It was decorated like an old-fashioned carnival boardwalk. There was even a carousel and outdoor restaurants. The large screen was situated before a large swimming pool and she imagined that people would recline in floats as they enjoyed the movie. It would be nice to watch from here, but more fun to watch from the pool with everyone else.
She turned to the butler and found him watching her.
“I like it.”
Chapter Four
Gio had almost offered again to give his guest a tour of the ship. He rarely offered to do this, especially for lone travelers. He would not want to give the impression that he was an escort; sexual or non-sexual. His training had instilled in him a need to keep a certain amount of aloofness. But he was finding it difficult to do so with this new guest.
There was something refreshing about her, and not just her gorgeous shape and color. He did not find either to be a stigma the way that many American men did. It was the open honesty that she could not conceal that really caught his attention. Even when she tried not to show her excitement at the expensive accommodations, he could see in the way that her eyes would widen and her lips would part that she was not accustomed to such finery. It didn’t make sense that someone wealthy enough to afford an exclusive penthouse suite would not be accustomed to being surrounded by riches.
Gio could not count the number of times that he’d met guests that criticized the smallest details such as the laptop not being a brand that they preferred, or the fixtures being stainless steel instead of gold, all the while standing next to a crystal vase that cost a fortune or in a room decorated by a world-renowned designer.
This guest did not take the details for granted. She even ran her fingers along the small trinkets in the kitchen as he explained the functions of the appliances. She picked up a bottle of olive oil and examined the label, her lips trying to sound out the Italian writing. Of course, he read it to her and she gave him an impressed smile.
He liked when she smiled at him for just being able to read the label on a bottle of olive oil.
When she told him that she was excited to explore the ship, the first thing that came to Gio’s mind is that he wanted to see her expressions of excitement. He wanted to know how she would react when she saw the gardens and the lounge that moved from one deck to another. He wanted her to smell the aroma of the many restaurants and exclaim that she wanted to try the food.
He would see the excitement of families and couples as they toured the ship but had long ago stopped longing for that same connection with someone. No, that wasn’t true, he had just buried it or sought a replacement in empty sexual encounters with women at the various ports. After a while the ship became just a place to work. It was only through the eyes of someone like his guest that he could feel the experience renew itself.
“There will be a muster drill at four p.m.,” he reminded her as she prepared to explore on her own.
Sidney paused, “Should I come back here?”
“Yes. I will escort you. That is one of my services,” he quickly added. He looked forward to seeing her expression as she was shown the behind the scenes areas of the ship by the Captain and his crew.
“Okay. See ya in a bit.” She left the room wondering if she was supposed to say that to her butler. This butler etiquette was mystifying. But she had to admit that she didn’t hate the experience of being around a sexy Italian man.
After leaving the room she decided to utilize a different set of elevators closer to her room. She went one deck lower and ended up at the outdoor fairgrounds.
She saw several people with tall glasses of fruity iced drinks. It was a hot day and she decided to get one and be damned if she had to pay out of pocket for it.
“Your card, ma’am?” The young brown skinned man asked her. She dug through her purse and came up with the black card that the butler had given her. Gio—not the butler.
When the young man saw the card his brow shot upward and then his eyes moved over her as if to appraise her. Did he think that a black woman couldn’t have a black card?
“How much is the drink?” She asked to get him moving.
“No charge ma’am. Drinks are part of your VIP package.”
She nodded, remembering that it had been one of the small details that she had wanted when selecting this ship. Back then it had been important, now it didn’t matter. She didn’t enjoy drinking alone.
After she received her drink, she continued her exploration hitting several other decks on the large ship. A buffet was set up in one of the dining rooms and Sidney’s stomach began to grumble as she checked out all the different types of food from all over the world. She couldn’t help herself and ended up loading up on a plate full of food.
After the strong fruity drink, the plate of exotic food and the impromptu walking tour of the ship, Sidney felt ready for a nap. She sat among the crowd of happy, excited families and stared out the large picture window at the pier and the sea beyond. She wondered what her life could have been if only…
Gio checked the time. It was after 3:30 and while he had a lot of control over things, he could not allow his guest to be excused from the muster drill. He was just preparing to give her a call when the door opened.
He looked over the balcony of the loft and saw her d
rop down onto the nearest sofa.
He came down the stairs. Sidney’s head was thrown back and her eyes were closed. She looked thoroughly exhausted.
“Did you enjoy your tour, ma’am?”
She looked at him with hooded eyes. “It was wonderful. This has to be the most beautiful ship in the world.”
He suppressed a grin. “It’s actually ranked in the top ten for beauty and food.”
She yawned into her fist. “Sorry. I’m beat.”
He checked his time. “We should get to the muster drill. We wouldn’t want to keep the Captain and his crew waiting.”
Sidney pulled herself to her feet. “The Captain is taking us on a behind the scenes tour? How long is that going to take?”
“Allow for approximately one hour.” he replied. “It’s considered a high point of your cruise package.”
“Pshaw,” she said dismissively, surprising him. He suppressed his grin. “I don’t really care about all that. How long is the drill for everyone else on the ship?”
“Maybe fifteen minutes—but everyone must attend the drill because we also go over what to do in the event of an emergency-”
“Oh, I understand,” she interrupted, “but can’t I just go to the one given for the other cruise members? If there really is an emergency I can still report to the lounge, right?”
Her big brown eyes seemed to appeal to him. And if it had been anyone else he would have cocked his brow up at them in disapproval for even suggesting such a thing. But once he missed a beat with his response, he knew that he would do as she asked. After-all, it wasn’t as if she was begging to skip it.
He gave her a serious look and she began to look disappointed. “I’ll call down to the Captain’s crew and indicate that you will be joining the muster drill for the Fairgrounds deck.”
She suddenly smiled, and he was happy for his decision to bend the rules. He excused himself to make the call from the kitchen and Sidney announced that she was going to change her shoes. Wedged heels were not optimum for a casual stroll on a cruise ship.
When she got to her room she hurried to the closet for her suitcase before remembering that Gio had already unpacked for her. Her dresses were hanging neatly, and her shoes had been placed in the shoe bin.
Okay, I can get used to this.
She grabbed a pair of flats and before dashing back downstairs she opened the drawers to see if her underwear had been neatly folded—which would have been a bit on the creepy side. Instead, her small carry-on bag containing her intimates and make-up were sitting untouched next to the dresser.
“Are you ready ma’am?” she heard Gio call.
“Coming.” She hurried down the stairs and noted the way that he followed her with his eyes as if he was her man. Maybe for a little while it would be okay to pretend that he was, she thought.
As they headed to the door she saw a bowl of perfect strawberries and a chilled bottle of sparkling water on the table at the entrance of the room. She must have really been tired not to have seen that.
“Mmm,” she said after taking a bite of the most perfect strawberry. “That’s sweet,” she commented, mostly to herself.
The butler held out a small plate for her to place the strawberry stem.
“Are you sure you do not want to muster in the VIP lounge? They will be serving caviar crackers and champagne, while there is no food or beverages allowed during the basic muster.”
Sidney opened the bottled water and took a quick swig. “Ahhh. We’re going to the basic muster. I will return for this.” She continued to the door and Gio smiled. He opened the door for her and was pleased that she didn’t reach for it herself. Some people had to learn to allow themselves to be served. His beautiful guest was one of those people and it would be his pleasure to teach her.
Chapter Five
The basic muster drill was crowded and noisy, but Sidney enjoyed it. She liked to people watch. Gio had led her to a table and when he tried to leave her to stand with the other crew members, she asked him to sit with her. He inclined his head and did. Now when she looked about the large dining room at the other couples she didn’t feel like a misfit sitting by herself.
Since the drill change he needed to get her menu selected for tonight’s dinner. Also, she didn’t confirm her evening’s activities. He ran down the options for tonight’s dinner. He hated not having a menu to offer her, but this is what it meant to be a butler that sometimes had to fly by the seat of his pants. Luckily, he had the menu already memorized and she selected chef’s choice in all categories.
“You have a standing appointment at the spa. Shall I confirm a visit for you?”
“Spa. Yeah that sounds nice. But I might fall asleep if I get a massage.”
“There are extended hours for the elite guests. Perhaps after you have rested? But there is also a sail-away party on decks three and four after the drill.”
Her brow perked. What the hell! She wasn’t here to sleep. “Yes, make an appointment for the spa after the sail-away party. The party is for everyone, right? The basic cruisers?”
He nodded. “Yes, for everyone.”
“Good,” she replied, remembering the way that she had been gawked at by the older guy and his young wife while in the VIP lounge. It was one thing to be gawked at when you were in a crowd of hundreds, and totally another when you were sitting alone in a VIP lounge with a handful of rich and snooty people.
As the crew began explaining what to do in case of an emergency, Gio made a mental note of his guest’s apparent likes and dislikes. She wasn’t here to relax, she was here to have fun. She trusted the recommendations of the crew. She liked the strawberries that he had handpicked for her. She liked him—well at least enough to ask him to sit with her.
After the drill they parted ways so that she could attend that over-crowded sail-away party. Maybe she would like such things, he thought. While she was gone he needed to make her appointment for the spa, supervise the evening turndown service and then if there was a spare minute he wanted to hit the gym. The gym was recreation time for him.
Later, after he completed his tasks he sent Paolo a quick text stating that he was on his way to the gym.
The Superior Genies were given greater privileges on the ship than other crew-members. They got use of the gym, as well as other areas designated for the guests. They had the choice of either eating with the rest of the crew, or eating the food that was served to the guests. Their rooms were also similar to those of the guests, albeit not anything like the VIP rooms.
He was just warming up on the treadmill when Paolo appeared dressed in workout shorts and a t-shirt.
“So, you chose the gym over the party.” Gio stated a little surprised. There was a separate party underway on the lower decks just for the crew. The crew parties were much crazier, and filled with more debauchery as the tour progressed.
Paolo got on the treadmill next to him. “Yeah. There will be plenty of parties. No one’s going to seriously hook up after the first one.” He flexed his biceps and placed a loving kiss on each of them. “My priority right now is to keep this body in shape for the ladies.”
Gio grinned at his friend. Paolo didn’t have to work hard for the ladies. He was handsome with a good disposition, and having a toned, muscular body was just the icing on the cake.
It was Gio that had to keep up with the exercise. He was big and naturally thick. He could easily lose his six-pack abs due to his love of cooking…and then eating what he cooked. His big arms would probably never leave him, even if he decided to become a couch potato in his retirement. But he rather preferred the hard lines and definition that his body showcased due to his love of the gym.
Gio was the very definition of the dark-skinned Sicilian that was showcased in every mob movie ever made. He had a deep olive complexion, silky dark hair that tended to curl unless he slapped it with pomade to keep his waves in place. He kept his face clean-shaven but was prone to a five o’clock shadow and he therefore carried an electric
shaver in his daily pack. Without a shirt, some would refer to him as a bear, but his body hair wasn’t so thick, it was just dark.
At 6’3 he created a pretty impressive image. But he knew it was his eyes that held people’s attention. They were amber like warm honey and made a striking contrast against his dark complexion. No, Gio did not hurt for attention. But loyalty and trust were a different matter.
“I heard that your guest is a black woman.” Paolo said. “I heard she’s good-looking, too.”
“She is. And she’s not a brat.”
Paolo glanced at him and then nodded. “Well my guest is a single American traveler and I can already tell he’s a pain in the ass. He sat in the VIP lounge after embarkation for damn near an hour doing nothing more than texting on his phone. I couldn’t do anything but stand there with him because I hadn’t gotten a chance to give him his room tour so he could call me on the cell. Ugh. Americans!”
“Oh, come on. You’ve had bad guests from all over the world. Remember the Brit that pissed the bathroom floor every night? Or the Kiwi that propped the balcony doors open but then complained about the humidity, but he still wanted the ocean breeze?”
“People are impossible!” Paolo huffed.
“Speaking of people being impossible, heard anything about Nicco’s guests?”
“No but I saw the wife arguing with her husband. He looked like he wanted to trade up for a newer model.”
“That’s why people shouldn’t chose their partner based on looks alone.”
“No. Not alone. They also have to be good in bed and know how to cook a proper feijoada.”
Gio shook his head in amusement. “Gotta have priorities.”
The music at the sail-away party was good. They played all the new hits from the states as well as some of the classics. A cruise director had everyone doing line dances even though people were crowded together practically hip to hip. At first Sidney had fun until she felt a hand on her ass. When she turned swiftly to catch the culprit, everyone was staring innocently forward.