Triangles

by Kimberly Ann Miller

  I was acutely aware of the warmth and softness of his hand on mine. I was used to the mechanics and their rough hands whenever they touched my arm or hand at work. Marcus’s soft and gentle touch sent butterflies on an expedition through my stomach.

  “Hey, Autumn,” Joey yelled from across the pool.

  The butterflies scattered into the dark corners of my gut. Probably hiding from Joey.

  I whipped my head around and shot him a glare. He looked pissed. “What?” I mouthed as I raised my shoulders.

  He made it a point to stare at my hand in Marcus’s for a second, then he caught my eyes. “Me and Jessica are going to get some burgers for lunch. Want to come?”

  Did he not see that I was busy? I shook my head and waved my hand at him like I was swatting a fly away. He looked at our hands again, then walked over to the burger bar without looking back.

  Marcus noticed and laughed. “I don’t think he’s happy you’re here with me.”

  I shrugged. “His problem. He’ll get over it.” Marcus seemed to like that. He puffed out his chest like he’d just beaten Joey at an arm-wrestling match.

  A slim woman walked over to where we stood in the pool. Her slacks and blouse looked like spun silk. The large Kate Spade bag hanging off her shoulder cost more than I made in two weeks. Before taxes. Her face was loaded with makeup. Her hair, perfectly coifed. The smell of money wafted off her through her expensive perfume.

  She leaned down next to us and touched Marcus on the cheek. “Marcus, honey, Daddy and I are going to the dining room for lunch. Please join us.” She glanced at me like the trash she knew I must be and walked away without waiting for an answer.

  Rich bitch. I fought the urge to give her the finger.

  “Ha. ‘Daddy,’” Marcus said under his breath. He ran his free hand through his hair. “Guess that’s my cue to get going. Sabine doesn’t wait for anyone.”

  “You call your mom by her first name?”

  He shook his head. “She’s my stepmom. She’s not that bad, but all she cares about is appearances. Happy family and all that crap.”

  “Okay.” I dropped his hand. “Maybe we can hang out again, Marc.”

  He leaned toward my face till our wet noses were almost touching. I could feel the heat coming off him. His breath raised goosebumps on my arms. “I like it when you call me Marc. And I’d love to hang out with you again soon. Great to finally spend a little time with you, Rayne.” He winked at me with his sexy eyes, lingering close to me for a few seconds. I thought he might kiss me, so I leaned toward him just a little, but he didn’t.

  I wanted him to. Every nerve in my lips screamed for him to do it. Maybe he was just leaving me wanting more?

  It worked.

  I watched him glide over to the steps and get out of the pool. Even when he was wading through water, his walk was confident and graceful. I let my legs float up as I relaxed against the pool’s edge and let the water carry my weight. The sun settled on my face like my own personal heater.

  When I was with Marcus, the things waiting for me back home didn’t seem so terrible. Maybe I could have one of those vacation romances everyone always talks about…

  Cold water on my arm made me jump. I popped my eyes open and saw Joey holding my sweaty tea glass over my arm. “Joey, what are you doing?”

  “I brought your tea to you. Now that your new friend is gone, do you want to have some lunch with us? Jessica already ate her burger, but I didn’t. You hungry?”

  At his words, my stomach growled. I hated when my body betrayed me. I wrapped my arms around my sides and tried to hide the truth.

  “You are hungry. I heard that!” He laughed. “Come on. I’ll get you a towel and you can tell me what you want while you dry off.”

  “Just because Marcus left does not mean I want to hang out with you, Joey.” What did I have to do to get him to leave me alone? Get a restraining order?

  “But—”

  I put my hand over his mouth. “Rephrasing, Joey. I’m not eating right now. Can you please stop following me around? I’ll let you know if and when I want to hang out. Okay?”

  “I’m sorry, Autumn. I swear I’m not trying to annoy you. I just like being around you.” He hung his head, left my tea glass next to me, and walked away.

  I got out of the pool and wrapped myself in a large beach towel. I had just sat down next to Jessica when Joey brought over a slice of pizza. “Want a bite? It’s good.”

  I pushed it away. Did I not just say I was not eating lunch with him? I sighed. This guy needed a lesson in taking hints from girls.

  “So, what’s up with you and Marcus?” He still held the pizza as he waited for my answer.

  “What’s up with you and him?”

  He put the slice down on the little table between Jessica and me. His face visibly darkened. “Long, long, very long story.” He gestured toward the steaming pizza. “I know you’re hungry, whether you want to eat with me or not. Help yourself.”

  Ugh. He was so hard to discourage. And I was hungry. “Fine, then. Thanks. Can you get me some garlic and salt?”

  It worked. He got up and left.

  Marcus jogged by ten seconds later. He smirked at me in a way that made me want to leap off the chair and throw him on the ground. In a very inappropriate way. Maybe even eat my pizza cheese off his chest. A grin spread across my lips at the images invading my obviously hormonal mind.

  “Have dinner with me tonight?” he asked, a little breathless. He sounded so sexy; I had to clear my throat before I spoke.

  I pulled in a breath and smiled. “Look for me after dinner. We can hang out then.”

  He winked. The look he gave me made me feel like he hadn’t eaten in years, and I was the first edible morsel he’d seen. “Sounds great.” He pulled his dark shades down over his eyes, hiding his best feature. “I’ll hunt you down later.” He grinned before walking away.

  “Autumn, did I just hear you say you were going to hang out with Marcus after dinner?” Joey asked from behind me as he handed me garlic salt.

  “Yeah, so?”

  “Please be careful. I don’t trust him.”

  “I’m not worried, Joey. I can handle myself. As you know, I work with a bunch of hormonal guys and hold my own.”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets. “What’s he got that I don’t? I just don’t understand.” He looked at the ground and pouted.

  Looks. Muscles. Charm. “Joey, please.” He continued staring at his feet. “We already have dinner together. So please stop questioning my plans. I’m going to eat what’s left of my pizza and take a nap, okay? I think your grandparents are looking for you.” I pointed to two old people dressed in identical white outfits standing on the walkway a level above us. They scanned the crowd and waved to us.

  “Guess I’ll see you at dinner.” He waved back as he headed toward the stairs.

  Jessica blinked awake from the tanning stupor she’d been in. “God, you can be so mean, Autumn. Would it kill you to hang out with him for a while?” she asked. “He’s obviously got it bad for you.”

  “Yes, it will kill me. Stay out of it, Jessica. I just hung out with Marcus once, so I don’t get why Joey’s pestering me about it. I don’t want a boyfriend, especially Joey. I just want to get away with Sleepy and forget Jersey and my life. That’s not too much to ask.” I tossed the garlic shaker onto the table, spilling bits of garlic everywhere.

  “PMS, huh?” Jessica laughed and pulled a towel over her head.

  Maybe. I brushed the garlic off my book. After I calmed down and finished my pizza, I slept for a few hours in the comforting sun, the breeze and the sound of the waves rushing up to meet the ship lulling me into dreamland.

  The dream was sweet. Jessica and me, trick-or-treating as little girls, Mom and Dad smiling at our cute angel and devil costumes. Guess who was the devil?

  Thankfully, I’d doused myself in sunscreen before falling asleep or I’d have been red as a giant zit. I woke up sweating with my hair st
uck to my cheek. Using my beach towel, I wiped off my face and neck. Jessica’s chair sat empty next to me. I scanned the area and found her flirting with one of the hottest guys at the pool. Good for her. She deserved to have some fun.

  I unstuck my sweaty legs from the lounge chair and stumbled over to her. The sun shone low in the sky, making everything glow the color of clementines.

  I tapped her pink arm. “Jessica, I’m going to get ready for dinner.” I glanced at the gorgeous guy and smiled. “Coming?”

  She looked at the shirtless stud and giggled. “Go on without me, honey. I’ll meet you later. I might be a bit late. Andy and I are going for a dip in the pool.”

  I turned and scratched my head. Honey? That was weird. Jessica had stopped calling me pet names when I hit puberty a few years back. I had been learning how to use tampons and I’d used up her entire box. She had to run out to buy more and missed a date with her dream guy. I’d apologized, but she didn’t talk to me for a week afterward. It was totally my fault, I knew.

  But she got me back when she told the guy I liked that I had my period and needed tampon lessons so I couldn’t go out with him. “Mortified” cannot begin to describe how I’d felt. Mom had grounded us both for being mean to each other.

  Jessica felt bad, but I didn’t.

  I gathered my junk from the lounge chair, slipped back into my shorts and T-shirt, and went searching for our room. After going down the wrong hall twice, I got lucky and found it. Guess it was true that third time’s a charm.

  I stood there, checking out my clothes for dinner and wondering if I even wanted to go to the dining room. After all, it meant Joey, lots of people, Joey, being social, and Joey.

  Ugh. Jessica had asked me to give it another shot. I didn’t think I could handle it.

  I followed the crowds to the dining room entrance and waited for Jessica. I didn’t want her to worry when my seat remained empty since I didn’t plan on staying for dinner. The band was playing on a small stage to the right, so I hung back near them so I wouldn’t miss her.

  While I waited, I was assaulted by the pungent smell of roses and carnations as a bouquet of flowers appeared in front of me. I grabbed my chest, recalling the smell of the roses Jessica and I had laid on Dad’s casket.

  I almost ran the other way until I looked up to see Marcus holding the colorful display. “For you.”

  I forced a smile at him despite my crummy mood. “What for?” I wondered what he was doing here now when he and his family had the earlier dinner seating.

  “For hanging out with me. And because they are as pretty as you are.” He held his hand over his heart. The expression on his face was adorable. With the romantic music weaving through the air from the band beside me, I got the overwhelming urge to kiss him. Again.

  I pursed my lips, wondering why my pulse raced when I looked into his eyes. I leaned a tiny bit toward him, anticipating the feel of his lips on mine…

  “Autumn doesn’t like flowers,” I heard Joey say. He stepped out from the hordes of hungry cruisers. I straightened up and faced him.

  “Joey, stay out of my business.” I motioned for him to leave with my eyes.

  Marcus shot him an incredulous look. “I’m sorry, I don’t think you were invited into our conversation.”

  Joey stepped closer to Marcus. He was almost a foot taller, but Marcus had bigger muscles. I could see Marcus straighten his spine, trying to stand taller himself, as Joey towered over him. Both of their jaws flexed. Both of them were dressed in clean, dark suits.

  Things were about to get messy. Because of me. Was I cursed or something?

  “Why don’t you stop bothering her? She deserves better than you,” Joey said.

  Marcus took a step closer to Joey. Their chests were almost touching. “Oh really? You mean someone like you?” He looked Joey up and down and chuckled. “A struggling mechanic?” He took a step back from Joey and smirked. “Why don’t you leave us alone to discuss this? It’s up to her, not you, if she wants my flowers or not. This is between Rayne and me.”

  I put my hands between them. “Guys, stop!”

  A few people in line watched us. The attention made my cheeks burn.

  “Leave her alone, or I’ll escort you out of here,” Joey said. “You don’t belong here now. This is our time together.” The menacing tone of his voice made my eyes pop out of my head. I didn’t know he had it in him.

  “Really? I’d love to see you try.” Marcus put the flowers down next to him and balled up his hands into fists.

  “STOP IT!” I shouted over the music. The band continued to play, but all of their eyes were on us instead of their sheet music. The melody fell off-key, then returned to its classical sound.

  “Stop this right now!” I faced Marcus, lowering my voice. “Marc, please. Let me clear this up with him. I’ll find you later.”

  “But I—”

  I grabbed the bouquet and handed it to him. He caught the bright flowers against his chest, blinking his eyes as the baby’s breath flapped against his face. “Please. I can take care of this. I’ll catch you later, okay?”

  Marcus looked at Joey, who stood unmoving. He looked back at me. “Fine. I’ll find you tonight. I’ll be by the hot tub after dinner.” He glared at Joey with a sparkle in his eye. “But these flowers are for you. Please, take them.” He held them out toward me.

  I took them from him and tried not to sniff as the memories threatened to return. “Thank you. They’re beautiful,” I lied.

  He winked at me. “Just like you.”

  Joey’s face was turning darker shades of red with each tick of the clock.

  Marcus turned to Joey. “You.” He pointed at Joey’s chest. “You need to learn to mind your own business. See you soon, Rayne.”

  He backed away from Joey, but Joey advanced on him. “You’re asking for it—”

  I grabbed Joey’s starched collar, yanking him back toward me. Marcus smirked at him, turned, and walked away from the dining room.

  “Hey!” I tried to tighten my grip on his collar. Joey pulled away from my grip and spun toward me. I jabbed a finger at him. “How dare you get involved like that! That had nothing to do with you. Why can’t you stay out of my life?” I shoved his shoulder.

  The testosterone must have had him pumped up because he didn’t back down. He grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the band, pushing me against the wall. He leaned in toward me and lowered his voice. He was so much taller than me that I had to look up to see his face. He was totally invading my personal space.

  “You’re kidding, right? When he’s done with you, when he gets what he’s after, he’ll toss you aside and move on to the next girl. Can’t you see that? I don’t want to see you get hurt by a jerk like him.”

  I poked his chest with my finger. “If I want your help, I’ll ask for it. Otherwise, stay the hell out of my life!” I pushed hard and he stumbled back.

  I stormed down the hall in the opposite direction from the dining room. A hand shot out of the line and grabbed my arm. I gasped. Jessica stood there, wearing a super-sexy red dress, smirking at me.

  We were both silent for a moment. I crossed my arms over my chest and worked hard to calm myself, taking deep breaths and closing my eyes.

  She tilted her head toward the site of my drama. “Hey, pretty cool having two guys fight over you, huh?”

  “Um, that would be a big fat no.” I continued to take calming breaths. “Did you hear that?”

  She tossed her head back and laughed. “God, Autumn, who didn’t hear it?”

  I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips. These guys were going to be the death of me. If they thought they were going to get into some pissing contest over me, they had another thing coming. I was nobody’s property. “I’m not eating dinner. I’m too aggravated. I’ll catch you later.”

  I shook her arm off and continued down the fancy wood-lined hallway. Joey ran up behind me and tugged on my hand.

  He put his hands up in surrender as I wh
ipped around and glared at him. “Autumn, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to start anything. I don’t know what got into me.” He grabbed his head with both hands. “I don’t want to upset you. I just can’t stand the thought of him using you. Please, don’t be mad at me. When we get a chance to talk, I can explain.”

  I suppressed a scream. “You’re a loser, Joey.”

  I turned and stalked away.

  “Thank you for pointing that out,” I heard him say as I retreated.

  “Sometimes, the truth hurts,” I mumbled.

  Seven

  With my head on the verge of erupting into flames, I ran to my room and crawled into bed, wrapping my arms around my shaking frame. Sleep hit me like a dive into a hot spring. The rocking motion of the ship offered the best night of sleep I’d had in years. Maybe even since birth.

  Around five in the morning, I bolted out of bed. Darkness surrounded me. Jessica lay sleeping on the pull-out couch. Light snores broke free from her rising and falling chest. That was odd. I’d never heard her snore before.

  Once my eyes adjusted, I scanned the room using the faint blue light emanating from the alarm clock. Despite my feeling like something was wrong, nothing seemed out of place. I climbed back into bed and looked out the window, but all I saw was dark sea and the hint of morning on the horizon. As I turned away, a flashing light caught my eye. It seemed to be doing that S-O-S thing I’d seen in a movie, but when I rubbed my eyes and looked again, it was gone. It must have been a channel marker or buoy that got lost behind a wave or something. I frowned and crawled under the covers for a little more sleep.

  I opened my eyes again when the sun warmed my face around eight. Sleep still pulled at me, but I stretched and yawned it away. My deserted stomach growled. Jessica was on her pull-out couch wrapped up in a pile of blankets, so I tiptoed around her to throw on a pair of jeans shorts and a yellow tank top.

  On my way to the bathroom, I tripped and almost broke my neck on the sink. When I looked to see what had caught my foot, I spied Jessica’s dress and panties from the evening before in front of the door. Sneakers and sandals littered the floor. The chaotic mess of the cabin shocked me. She always straightened up before bed. Hell, she straightened up all the time. And now her clothes and shoes were strewn all over and her purse dangled from a doorknob?