Take a Chance on Me
The Oceanic Dreams Series Book Six
Delancey Stewart
To my readers. Thanks for taking a chance on me!
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Chapter One
Day One: Miami
"I'm losing the will to live." Jenny's voice was flat as she leaned listlessly against the railing along which we were lined up, waiting to board the enormous ship docked in front of us. "You should just abandon me here. I'm no good to anyone anyway. Let me die."
I took her arm and pulled her two steps farther along in line, dragging my suitcase with my other hand. "If you don't grab it, you will be abandoning your suitcase here."
She sighed and reached back for the handle of her roller bag.
"This cruise is supposed to cheer you up, Jenny, but you have to at least try. I can't actually force you to be happy." We took another few steps forward in line.
Jenny's huge sunglasses blocked her face, so I couldn't see her rolling her eyes at me, but I knew my sister. "I don't think people are generally cheerful after being left at the altar."
"You're right. And that was awful, and Ben is a schmuck, and we will not mention his name again. It's time to forget him and move on."
"I don't think I'll ever forget him. Or what it felt like to stand there waiting for him while everyone sat in that stupid church, with Daddy saying if we just called it all off he could still catch the end of the game."
"Well, Daddy can be a schmuck too. But this week isn't about them. It's about sister bonding, and food and fun and sunshine, and ... oh mother of God."
Jenny looked surprised at this last addition to my list, but we'd been inching slowly toward the gangplank and were finally near enough to see the staff members greeting passengers as they entered the ship. She followed my gaze and when her eyes found the source of my surprise, she looked back at me.
"Selena, is that ...?"
"Lincoln Addis. Yeah." My stomach was doing an uncomfortable twisty thing and I suddenly wanted to be anywhere but here. "You're right. Maybe this is a horrible idea. We should just hang out in Miami this week. I'll tell my boss I changed my mind. Or I can just take a phone call with the cruise guy, Max. Or maybe—"
We had reached the front of the line, and Jenny had a solid grip on my arm, tugging me forward to where Lincoln stood, looking tall and blond and every bit as handsome as he did when he'd broken my heart right after college. His smile gleamed as he welcomed the people just in front of us, and though I tried to dodge to the other side, to meet the other greeter instead of Lincoln, my sister had a death grip on my arm.
"Welcome to the Oceanic Aphrodite," Lincoln said brightly. And then his eyes landed on my face. "Oh! Well. Um ... Selena? Hi."
I actually couldn't speak—not a problem I suffered from often. Luckily, Jenny had no similar issue and her raging ire at all humans of the male variety, thanks to the aforementioned schmuck Ben, was primed and ready to be unleashed.
"Oh, look who it is, Selena," she said loudly, with a false cheer that had an edge so sharp I thought Lincoln might actually start bleeding soon. "Isn't this your college friend, Lincoln Asshole? Such a weird last name, really. But I actually remember you really well, Lincoln, and I bet Selena does too, after all those holidays you spent at our house, dinners where you charmed our parents and acted like you were in love with my sister. All for what? So you could ghost her after college and disappear without even saying goodbye?" She took a breath.
Lincoln had turned as white as my sundress, and so far hadn't said a word. His eyes were glued to my face.
"It's nice to see you aren't actually dead, I guess, though honestly, it might be better if you were, you sleazy, scum-sucking, piece of—"
I took Jenny's arm and pulled her forward, and into the soaring lobby of the enormous ship, my stomach still twisted and my heart racing. "That's probably enough," I whispered.
The couple behind us looked completely shocked, and Lincoln didn't seem to have regained his ability to speak, so I doubted they felt especially welcomed, if that was his job.
"Well, it's nice to see he's gotten his comeuppance," she grumbled as we approached another staff member for our cabin key.
"What do you mean?"
"He's a purser or something, I guess, standing there greeting every passenger. Can't be the job they give the guy in charge."
"Oh." I still didn't have full command of my vocabulary or my brain. Lincoln Addis had been the man I was meant to marry, the one who knew everything there was to know about me, and the one who I thought I knew better than anyone else. He'd been my best friend, my colleague, and the love of my life. "I guess it shouldn't be a surprise to find him on a cruise ship," I said. We'd done the same hospitality internship program after school. Our goal had been to end up working at the same high-end resort in Miami, but in the end there had been only one position.
Jenny was right though, you'd think after six years he might have worked his way up a bit. The man I knew had been smart, creative and enthusiastic—I'd beat him by a very narrow margin for the activities management position at Perdito Resort in Miami. I would have expected to find him running the ship by now, but who knew what had happened during the time since he'd disappeared.
I let Jenny do the navigating once we had our room assignment, and finally, after what seemed like a lot of long narrow hallways, we were in our cabin, which was compact, to say the least. I’d had a touch of claustrophobia for as long as I could remember, and was doing my best to ignore the racing pulse and rushing in my ears as I moved to the small window at the other side of the room.
"I think I can touch all four walls standing in the middle of the room," Jenny complained.
"It'll be fine," I told her. "We won't be in the cabin much anyway." I took some deep breaths, and forced myself to calm down. Though the cruise had not gotten off to a rollicking start, I was starting to feel more myself again. My job was to show my sister a fantastic time while handling the work responsibilities that had brought us here in the first place.
"I do need to go meet with Max Kellerman at some point," I reminded her. "And it might make sense to knock it out first thing.
"Think he'll be able to see you now?"
"He might be kind of busy, given that he's in charge here, but I can definitely see if I can get on his schedule at least." I dug out my phone and found the email exchange my supervisor and Max had been having, the one that resulted in my free cabin on the cruise and the meeting that might help me take the next big step in my career.
"It says to stop by his office once I'm on board, so I guess I might as well go now," I said, glancing in the mirror in the tiny bathroom and smoothing my hair back from my face where it had escaped from the clip holding it in a low ponytail. My makeup was still in place, not that I used a whole lot of it. I looked presentable. Professional enough for someone on a cruise ship, at least.
"You'll be okay here?"
Jenny was looking out the small window, a wistful look on her face. She turned, pushing her blond hair behind her ears. "I'll be fine. Come back when you're done."
Chapter Two
Max Kellerman's office wasn't too hard to find, at least not after I asked about fifteen various people in staff uniforms for directions. Once I had located the executive offices, I doubted I'd ever find my way back to my room. There had been a lot of turns and stairways on the way here. I hoped Jenny would enjoy the cruise if I were to become hopelessly lost, wandering the ship for the next six days.
"
Can I help you?" A young woman, clearly Max's secretary, sat outside his office at a small desk.
"Yes, thanks," I said. "I'm Selena Spark. I'm here as a representative of Perdido Bay Resort in Miami. Mr. Kellerman asked me to come meet with him as soon as I was aboard."
Her face cleared with recognition. "Yes, Ms. Spark. He's been excited about meeting you."
Oceanic and Perdido were working together to build a private resort in Grand Cayman. I'd been sent to see the property and discuss Perdido taking on management of the property. My manager had suggested that I was the leading contender for the management position, so I definitely had some interest in seeing this meeting go well.
The girl hit an intercom button. "Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Kellerman, but Selena Spark from Perdido Bay Resorts is here whenever you're ready to see her."
A deep voice rumbled back. "Send her in!"
The girl stood and went to open the wood door for me, and the next thing I knew, I was standing in a very well-appointed office in the bow of the ship, with huge windows on both sides. A rotund balding man stood behind a huge mahogany desk, and seated in a leather chair in front of it was Lincoln.
My heart flew into my mouth, making it hard to speak. Luckily, Mr. Kellerman didn't seem to notice.
"Ms. Spark! I've been so excited about you coming aboard today, and about the potential for our companies to work together. I was just telling Lincoln here about what a natural fit I think that will be, and how much I'm looking forward to showing you the property."
Lincoln also seemed to be suffering from an inability to speak.
"Oh," I managed.
"Please, sit down!" Mr. Kellerman boomed, grinning and waving me into a chair right next to Lincoln.
I sat. It was the closest I'd been to the man in six years, and I was having a difficult time controlling my heart rate, or managing the function of my limbs. I felt the side of my face closest to him heating as I struggled not to turn to stare at the face I'd missed and wondered about for so long. I could smell him though, something uniquely Lincoln that was still there, wafting off of him, something familiar and annoyingly comforting, a scent that used to mean safety, love, acceptance. A scent that once meant my future.
I swallowed hard and shifted away from him.
So far, I hadn't managed to speak, but Mr. Kellerman didn't seem to notice.
"So here's what I was thinking, and Lincoln has already agreed," Mr. Kellerman said. "I think, since he is our programs director, we'll have him act as your personal tour guide on this cruise. He'll escort you to whichever activities you'd like to attend, take you on shore excursions, and, of course, take you to see the property on Grand Cayman. He's a bright star on the Oceanic staff, with just a little bit of making up to do after a few ill-advised themed cruises went awry." Kellerman chuckled. "Watch out for ferrets on board. That's all I'll say about that."
I heard Lincoln suck in a breath, but I still didn't look at him.
"Actually, Mr. Kellerman," he said. "It might be better if—"
"Great to meet you, Ms. Spark!" Kellerman was standing again, reaching to shake my hand. I sensed that our meeting was over. I stood and shook his hand.
"Good to meet you too," I managed.
"Enjoy the Oceanic Aphrodite," he said, grinning. "Be careful. You know what they say about our ship, don't you?"
I waited for him to tell me. I could think of a few things I'd say about the ship at this point, given that it seemed I was going to spend my cruise with the one person I'd most like to toss overboard.
"On the Oceanic Aphrodite," Max said, his voice taking on a mysterious quality as he lowered it and peered into my face. "People find love on the very first day. The ship is magical like that."
"Oh," I managed.
"Take good care of our guest, Lincoln," Max said merrily, ushering us back out the big door and closing it behind us.
Stunned, I wandered out of the little receiving room and back into the long corridor that had led me here. Lincoln was a step behind me.
"Selena," he said, his voice soft and low.
I didn't turn. Maybe if I pretended he wasn't there, he'd disappear. I kept walking, but soon came to a set of stairs, and couldn't remember exactly which way I needed to go. I turned to face him.
"Selena," he said again.
"What?" I asked, still unable to bring my eyes to that handsome face.
"I'm sorry about all this. It wasn't my idea. I didn't know it was going to be you. The rep, I mean."
That did it. Now I brought my eyes up, steeling myself for the physical reaction I'd always had to Lincoln Addis. "You're sorry? About this?" I shook my head and crossed my arms over my chest. "What about disappearing without a trace six years ago? Are you sorry about that?"
When he didn't answer, I took a breath and went on, gaining momentum. For six years, I'd wondered what it would be like if I ever saw him again, what I would say. I'd rehearsed a lot of different scenarios, but not a single one of them had been in the increasingly narrow space of a ship's hallway. I was starting to feel a little dizzy, actually. "Are you sorry for breaking my heart? How about for making me believe you loved me, that we might have a future together? Are you sorry for making plans with me to work together? To run our own resort one day? What about all that? Are you sorry I spent years—literally years, Lincoln—wondering if you were dead or alive? Or maybe in some hospital somewhere unable to remember who you were, just waiting for me to come find you?"
The hallway was spinning now and my breath was coming way too fast. I put a hand out against the wall, feeling my knees shake as my vision tunneled.
"Selena," Lincoln said, but his voice sounded a long way away. He was probably just leaving again. Figured.
I lost track of what exactly was happening after that, but might have felt strong arms around me, that overwhelming and familiar scent invading my senses, someone's soft worried voice in my ear.
I woke up on a soft bed in a mostly white room I didn't recognize, a concerned dark-haired man peering down at me. "There she is."
Lincoln appeared in my vision now too, seated next to my head. "Selena. Are you all right?"
I sat up, confused. "Where am I?"
"The infirmary," the man said. "I'm the ship's doctor. Lincoln here brought you in. Said you passed out?"
I glared at Lincoln, everything coming back to me now. "I think I'm fine. Just a little bit of claustrophobia. I'm not a fan of narrow hallways, I guess."
"Well, luckily there's plenty of open space aboard the Aphrodite," the doctor said. "Be sure to get plenty of fresh air, okay? I took your vitals, I don't think there's anything to be worried about. You're not pregnant, are you?"
I scowled at Lincoln. He didn't need to know that I'd barely dated since he abandoned me. Pregnancy, as far as I understood it, involved even more than dating. And there'd been none of that. Not for a long time. "No, I'm not," I assured him.
"Feeling okay now?" He asked.
I swung my legs over the side of the cot, sitting up. "Yes. I'm fine. I need to get back to my sister. When people just disappear and don't come back, other people get worried."
The doctor absorbed this statement with a puzzled smile. "Of course. Lincoln, will you see her back to her cabin?"
"I'll be fine," I assured him.
"Let's let Lincoln be the gentleman he is," the doctor said with a broad smile. "He was very worried when he carried you in. I'm sure he'll want to make sure you get back to your room safely."
Lincoln carried me? I sighed and stood up. "Thank you, doctor."
"Of course. Come right back if anything else happens or you start feeling dizzy again."
Lincoln held the door open for me and I walked out into yet another narrow hallway. "You're really okay?" he said, and he had the nerve to sound legitimately concerned.
I glared at him. "I'm fine. You do not need to walk me back." I stomped down the hallway and punched the button for the elevator.
"Your room is the other way,"
he said, pointing over his shoulder.
"How do you even know?"
"I had to tell the doctor your name so she could file the record for the visit."
I sighed. "Fine. Show me the way back and then you absolutely do not need to act as my tour guide. I would be happier not to see you. Ever again."
Lincoln stared at me for a long moment, and then dropped his eyes, his shoulders falling slightly as he waved an arm to show me the way we needed to go. We didn't speak again as he led me back to my door. I doubted I'd ever be able to find the room myself. I had a horrible sense of direction, and in the narrow halls, all I could think about was the narrow halls. I hated small spaces. And especially narrow halls. That seemed to get narrower by the second.
"Here you go," he said.
"Thanks," I managed.
"I'll come get you tonight for dinner," he said. "The welcome show is directly after, and I have a VIP table for you."
I glared at him. "No thank you."
"See you at six," he said, and turned and walked away.
I knocked on the door, and my worries were immediately forgotten. My sister answered, with makeup streaked all down her face and a wad of tissue the size of Texas gripped in her hand.
"Why didn't he want to marry me?" She wailed. "What's wrong with me?"
I had my hands full with my abandoned sister. I didn't have time to worry about my own abandonment issues.
"Oh honey," I said, taking her into my arms. "Let's get you cleaned up and then we're going to go find a bar and enjoy our free cruise." I added, "a nice bar out on the big open deck. With plenty of fresh air."
"Okay," she sniffed.
Chapter Three
When Jenny and I were settled at a bar near one of the swimming pools on deck, I filled her in on everything that had happened on our already eventful cruise. We'd left port just two hours earlier and I was ready to get off, but I'd promised my little sister a good time, and all it took was a look into her big wide blue eyes to remind me of my mission.
Take a Chance on Me: The Oceanic Dreams Series Book Six Page 1