“It’s not about believing or not believing you,” he said. “You’re guessing. You may hate Ariana because of how she acted on the show, but she’s been great all week. Yeah, she made a stupid joke the first day, but she apologized right away. She’s been nothing but nice to us ever since. She didn’t know her agent was setting up Dominic as her date. I believe Dominic masterminded the whole thing, and maybe his ex-wife helped or maybe it was Leanna trying to boost ratings, but I swear, Ari wouldn’t have done this. She really is trying to make amends.”
I did a double take. “Why on earth would Danielle help Dominic get me back? She hates him as much as I do.”
“She likes fame, though. She likes the show she got after their breakup, which is on the verge of being canceled. She likes the camera time she’s getting from the two of you being so buddy-buddy, and she probably thinks your friendship will get her contract renewed. You’re too trusting, Jen. Constantly pointing the finger at Ariana, when the real fox in your henhouse is Danielle.”
“I talked to Danielle. She produced a waiter who said Dominic paid him to ply her with alcohol all night. He showed me a note in Dominic’s handwriting. Danielle had nothing to do with this.”
“Then it sounds like the issue is Dominic, not Ari,” he said. “I know she was awful before, but she really is turning over a new leaf. You’d know that if you spent some time with her. And Ariana isn’t the real issue here. Even if she set the whole thing up, she didn’t make you kiss anyone. I noticed you skipped over that part when summarizing your terrible day. Good kiss?”
I flinched. The kiss. That meaningless kiss I ended immediately. I wanted to strangle Dominic.
“I didn’t kiss him. Dominic—”
Before I could finish, the elevator ground to a halt. The doors dinged open.
“It doesn’t matter who started it, Jen. We’re not kids on a playground. I know what I saw.” With that, he turned and walked away.
In the lobby, Ariana waited, alone. Ed was nowhere in sight. When Justin approached, Ariana put one hand on his chest, and they spoke in low voices.
Not knowing what else to do, I stood in the elevator, watching helplessly, trying to will him to turn around. Tears blurred my vision. My mouth opened and closed, but my throat wouldn’t allow any words to come out. Not even the apology he deserved, the explanation I so desperately wished I could give. How had things gone so horribly wrong? Why didn’t we trust each other, after everything we’d been through?
But one thought stuck with me. Maybe he thought I’d done something horrible, but how could he have flown into the arms of my archenemy without talking to me? This mess wasn’t entirely my fault. I didn’t go have sex with Dominic after finding Ariana in Justin’s room. Or one of the two thousand other unattached men on this cruise ship.
My heart lurched. I wanted to say something, anything, to try to make things better. But instead, Ariana said something, her voice low. Then my boyfriend put his arm around her shoulders, and the two of them walked away together. The doors slid shut, leaving me all alone.
Chapter 18
THE QUEEN KELLY’S VOICE
Explore Cozumel & Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
Friday edition
This morning, we cruise into the beautiful port of Cozumel shortly before sunrise. We’ll drop anchor at the floating dock and take guests over to the island by catamaran beginning at 7:30 AM.
In Cozumel, a variety of activities await you. On the far side of the island, swim with stingrays, snorkel, scuba-dive, or water-ski with our tour guides. Take a 35-minute ferry ride across the sea to Playa del Carmen, where you can tour Aztec ruins, either on foot or on horseback. Or stay on our island here for some excellent shopping, Mexican food, entertainment, and more!
We set sail sharply at 5:00 PM, so leave yourself plenty of time to return to the dock. Cozumel time is an hour earlier than ship time. We sail on ship time, not local time.
For those staying onboard today, venture into our casino at 9 AM to play poker with your favorite stars. Prizes awarded for both the fan and the reality TV star with the highest score at the end. All participants receive points, which may be redeemed for onboard credit, usable to purchase alcohol, souvenirs, onboard dining, or casino credit.
Don’t know how to play? No problem! Start with a brief lesson from Tammy Rae. Tutorials run every 15 minutes, beginning at 8 AM. Please note: the regular casino will not be accessible while we are in port; all slot machines, cashiers, and non-tournament tables will be closed until 6 PM.
Inside this Edition:
Available excursions 2
Full schedule of onboard events 3
Map of Cozumel 4-5
Meet the Real Ocean: Caribbean writers 6-7
The ship rocked. Sirens blared. I struggled to breathe as smoke poured through the room. We were going down! I needed to find Justin. No, wait. Justin didn’t want me anymore. Where was Rachel? I needed to get off this ship. The air was so thick, I couldn’t move. I clawed and thrashed, getting nowhere.
“Jen. Jennifer!” Rachel’s voice penetrated my panicked mind. My eyes flew open. Sheets cocooned me, and both my tiny hotel pillows lay on the floor.
“We’re sinking. There’s a fire. We have to get off the ship, now!”
“No, we’re not.” She gripped my shoulders, speaking firmly. Finally, her words penetrated my sleepy brain. “You’re having a bad dream. It’s okay. We’re fine.”
Outside the door, a voice spoke continuously on the speakers in the hall. I strained, but couldn’t hear the words. “Then what’s the announcement? Why are there sirens and alarms? And why are we still rocking so much?”
“There’s a rough sea today. The catamarans to the mainland and the far side of the island can’t make it. They sent an alert to our phones through the messaging app, and it’s on the TV. But that’s it. Take a look.”
Before reaching for my phone, I peeked out the window beside my bed. Waves covered half of it, creating a moving diagonal line of water. Water pelted the sea from above. Watching it nauseated me. The skies were as gray as my mood, and the water matched. Nothing beautiful or paradise-like outside our window.
Rachel was right: Bad weather woke me. A storm. Not a fire. We weren’t sinking. It was a nightmare. Like the rest of the week.
“Thanks, Rach. I’m an idiot.”
“No, you’re not. The guy doing the announcement said things like ‘emergency trips only.’ It’s easy for your subconscious to distort that. But the important thing is, we’re fine. Even if we can’t tour the Mayan ruins today.”
“No ruins?” I’d signed up for the tour with Justin, so I didn’t know whether to be disappointed I wouldn’t make it. Better not to see him and Ariana walking around together all day, hand-in-hand. Not that the reality probably looked much worse—or much better—than the torturous images on constant repeat inside my head.
Rachel shook her head. “No, but get up. Since we’re stuck onboard, I’m going to enter the poker tournament. Want to join me?”
Usually, I’d enjoy playing cards for a few hours. When we’d been locked up on The Fishbowl, I made my own cards to pass the time. But then I remembered who was hosting the poker tournament.
Ugh. I didn’t have the heart to spend another day getting insulted by Tammy Rae. I needed a plan before I approached her again. If only I could talk to Sarah, find out whether the recipe would make a difference now that Justin didn’t love me anymore. After what happened in the elevator, as much as I wanted to work things out, the future seemed bleak. If I were fired either way, I could go sit at the free bar on the Lido Deck for the rest of the cruise.
With a groan, I flopped onto the mattress, pulling the sheets over my head. “You go on without me. And hand me a pillow?”
Rachel responded with a heavy sigh and her foot tapping against the floor. “Are you planning to mope all day?”
Through the sheets, I said, “Well, the man I love is sleeping with the person who tried to smear me on nationa
l television, and I’m stuck on this boat with them both until Sunday. Then, when we dock, I have to find my own ride home, because he won’t drive me now, and then I’ll have to move out of his sister’s apartment and find a new job. So, yes, I plan to mope all day.”
A hand fell on the top of my head. “I’m sorry, honey. The two of you just need a few days to think, gain some perspective. You can still work it out. But I’ll leave you alone.”
The door clicking into place swallowed my “don’t count on it.” That was fine. Arguing with Rachel would only take the cruise from “a total disaster” to “the worst experience of my life.” Grumbling under my breath, I grabbed my pillows off the floor, flopped over, and willed the day to pass faster.
Some time later, my phone beeped, waking me. The skies outside were still gray, and the ship still rocked more than usual, so I must not have been out long. I found a message from Ed, sent through the ship’s messaging system.
You have to get down here.
Where? Why? I replied.
He said, I’m in the casino. With Rachel and Tammy Rae. They’re facing off against each other.
So?
My stomach growled. Darn Ed for waking me up. Now I’d have to find food before I could go back to sleep. Room service took at least an hour, which meant I’d have to leave the room now. Unfortunately, visiting the buffet up on the Lido Deck greatly increased the odds of running into people I couldn’t stand to see at the moment. Or ever again, in some cases.
Rachel asked Tammy Rae if she wanted to throw in a side bet to make things more interesting. If she wins, Tammy Rae has to give you the secret ingredient.
Suddenly, the room brightened. Even after the way I’d been moping for half the trip, Rachel really made a special bet just to help me? My heart grew three sizes at the thought of anyone doing something so selfless for me after I’d been such a misery. I didn’t deserve such a wonderful friend.
My fingers flew over my screen, sending a reply.
That’s amazing! Hug her for me before I get there?
I sent another text. What did Tammy Rae say?
She agreed, but if she wins, Rachel has to shave her head. She’s super confident. Get down here to show moral support.
Imagining the expression on Rachel’s face at the idea of losing her perfect blond hair made me giggle. In time, it would grow back, but the thoughtfulness of her gesture improved my spirits considerably. Maybe Dominic and Ariana ruined my relationship with Justin and I was going to lose my home and my job, but at least I had some amazing friends who cared about me. That meant a lot. Especially if one of them had a couch for me to sleep on.
I’m on my way. Swinging by the buffet for coffee.
They’re on a ten-minute break. Bring me a muffin? And one for Rachel. Thx. :-*
It took less than two minutes to grab a sundress out of the closet, stuff my feet into a pair of flat sandals, and finger-comb my hair into a ponytail. Eight minutes after I read Ed’s last message, I arrived in the casino carrying a cup of coffee, a plateful of baked goods, and a lighter heart than I’d carried since Tuesday morning.
The casino was the one part of the ship I hadn’t visited at all yet. Ringing slot machines gave me a headache, and the Network wasn’t funding anyone’s gambling habits. If I wanted to come in here and play games instead of being out in the world, creating drama for the viewers, it would be on my own dime. And while I loved board games, card games, and puzzles, I didn’t love watching my money spin away from me and down the drain.
The room took up the entire port side of the ship. Rows of slot machines ran along the near wall. Plush carpet with colorful swirls covered the floor. As the boat rocked, the motion and pattern started to hypnotize me until I dragged my eyes away. About a dozen poker tables filled the center of the room, with more slot machines behind the tables farthest from me. A cloud of smoke rose from that section. On the far side of room, the one feature distinguishing this casino from others I’d seen was a lounge area with a row of windows. I’d never seen a casino where people had any way of gauging when time passed.
Tammy Rae held court at the center table, signing autographs for fans during the break. Rumor said she used to be a high roller at the top of her fame. It made sense when my mom told me Tammy Rae would appear on Celebrity Poker Matchup, but I hadn’t thought about it after she dropped out at the last minute. At the end of the season, her replacement came in eighteenth out of twenty.
Now, I wondered why Rachel thought she could beat someone who’d been playing high stakes tables in Vegas since practically before she was born. We’d played a little on the show, but Rachel never came across as a card sharp. She mostly played for the social interaction, or so it seemed. I prayed she had better luck this trip than I did.
Across from Tammy Rae sat Rachel, chatting with Ed. The crowd parted when I started toward them, creating a path straight to Rachel’s side. “Hey, you don’t have to do this,” I said.
“I know,” she said. “But you’re having a terrible week, and you need something to take your mind off everything. Besides, I’ve got the bone structure to pull off a bald head.”
Leaning forward, I kissed her on the cheek. “You’re an amazing friend. But try to win, okay?”
“I always win, remember? Cheerleading champion, hog-tying champion, winner of The Fishbowl?”
“Good point. She destroyed me in the finale,” Ed said.
“Exactly. I can handle a poker game. More importantly, I can handle Tammy Rae.”
At the front of the room, Leanna blew a whistle. I hadn’t noticed her standing there holding a microphone. “Okay, everyone! Break’s over. It’s time for the final round. Tammy Rae versus Rachel, heads-up. Now, this is a friendly tournament, so both start the final table with twenty-five thousand in chips. Blinds double every five minutes, starting at fifty and one hundred dollars.”
My mouth went dry, and my heart pounded as the dealer dealt the first two cards. On my left, Ed gripped my hand. Danielle made her way through the crowd, moving to my right. With the two of them flanking me, my breathing evened out.
After looking at her cards, Tammy Rae checked, meaning she passed the bet to Rachel without adding anything. Rachel threw a red chip toward the center of the table.
“That’s a thousand,” Ed whispered to me.
A thousand dollars? On the first hand? What was she doing? She only had twenty-five thousand in chips to spend! Tammy Rae raised the bet to three thousand. I silently begged Rachel to drop out, but she called, and the dealer laid three cards down in the center of the table.
Ace of diamonds. Ten of diamonds. Ace of spades. Everyone had a pair of aces. Not a bad start. Tammy Rae checked to Rachel again, who bet ten thousand. My mouth fell open. Beside me, Danielle squeezed my hand.
“Try not to move or react,” she whispered in my ear. “You don’t know what cards Rach has. You don’t know what Tammy Rae has. If Rachel is bluffing, you don’t want to give her away by mistake.”
Hoping I seemed nonchalant, I sipped my coffee while Tammy Rae called the bet. The fourth card flipped face-up onto the table. Three of clubs. Tammy Rae checked, and Rachel stood. “I’m all-in.”
The crowd gasped. Spots danced in front of my eyes. All the air evaporated from the room.
All-in on the first hand? With a pair of aces on the table? What was she doing? Ed stepped closer, bolstering me with his shoulder. Danielle stood ramrod straight, not moving or reacting, just like she advised me to do.
Tammy Rae tapped one finger against her mouth for a long moment. I held my breath. Finally, she set her cards down and shoved her chips toward the center. “I’m all-in, too.”
She also stood, and the crowd shoved in around them. The front of the table dug into my ribs, but I already couldn’t breathe, so it didn’t matter. The dealer flipped Rachel’s cards over first. Ace of Hearts, Ace of Clubs.
“Four of a kind,” the dealer announced. Four aces! What an awesome hand! Then he flipped Tammy Rae’s c
ards, revealing a king and a jack. “Pair of aces.”
To Danielle, I whispered. “Why did she go all-in if she only had the pair of aces showing on the table? Bluffing?”
She shook her head, then pulled out her phone and started typing. A moment later, mine buzzed with a message.
She’s got the king and jack of diamonds. She’s chasing a straight, a flush, or a straight flush. She needs the queen of diamonds, but any queen or diamond gives her a good hand. She probably thought Rachel was chasing, too, but Tammy Rae’s got the king, which would give her a better hand if they both had a flush.
The dealer looked from Rachel to Tammy Rae and back, drawing out the tension. A bead of sweat appeared on Tammy Rae’s brow. Rachel tossed her head and winked at me, appearing no more stressed than if she waited in line to pick up takeout.
The final card moved onto the table, face down. I gripped Ed’s and Danielle’s hands so tightly, Danielle winced. The final card flipped. The crowd gasped. Ed let out a strangled sound. My heart plummeted straight down into the sea.
Queen of diamonds.
We lost.
* * *
To her credit, Rachel didn’t seem at all disappointed when the dealer revealed the final card. She tossed her hair, raked one hand through her blond curls, and grinned at me. “I’d been meaning to get a trim, anyway.”
“Me, too.” I squeezed her hand. “Let’s go up to the salon.”
“You? You don’t have to hold my hand.”
“I’m not coming for moral support. I can’t let you do this alone.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Rachel said, hands on her hips. “This was my bet. Not yours.”
“Your bet, trying to do something nice for me? Trying to save my business and my relationship with Justin’s sister? You’re right, this bet had nothing to do with me.”
Sweet Reality Page 18