The waiter appeared again with our two soups, laying them down before us without a word. He refilled each of our glasses. Then he faded back to his post.
I picked up the deep spoon and took a sip of my bisque.
Wow.
I didn’t know if it was my level of starvation, the delicious Champagne, or if the chef was simply a culinary genius, but this had to be the best lobster bisque I’d ever tasted.
Evan was working through the cheese layer on top of his soup. “How is your bisque?”
“It is stunning,” I told him, taking another mouthful. “Better than anything I’ve had in Boston, New York City, Providence, or anywhere else. These guys know their stuff.”
He raised a brow. “You dine out a lot?”
I nodded, savoring every slurp of the soup. This stuff was manna from heaven. “My parents loved to explore New England. Even when I was tiny, we were always running into New York City to see a play or renting a house on the beach in Maine. I’ve probably eaten at every fine restaurant within two hundred miles.”
He gave a wry smile. “My family didn’t have the money for that kind of lifestyle. Our meals were pretty much always at home, with my parents and us five kids crowded around the dinner table. Meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, and fish sticks were more our style.”
He took a sip of his Champagne, then looked over, a rueful cast to his gaze. “I guess you found the guy from the wrong side of the tracks.”
I put my hand over his. “Don’t you ever think that,” I admonished him. “Sure, my parents had money – but they didn’t earn it. My mom simply got it handed to her from her own parents. And sure, we traveled around – but there was never much enjoyment in it all. My parents went to the theater because it was expected of them, but half the time they’d complain about the show. We’d go to a house on the beach and they’d fuss about the sand.” I looked down at the plate. “We’d all sit at the same table for dinner, but we barely talked. It was like they were each in their own isolated world.”
He grinned at that. “Well, we certainly had a lot of talking at our meals,” he countered. “All five of us kids wanted to share each thing we’d done during the day with our parents and each other. It was like a town meeting where we all got heard and we brainstormed ideas. Little Katie got to talk the most, of course. She was the jewel of our family.”
I scraped up the soup from the bottom of my bowl. “Oh? Where is she now?”
“She’s looking for a job in Worcester,” he explained. “Just graduated from Holy Cross. She’s a quiet girl, but I know once she gets herself in the right place that she’ll do fine. The rest of us have kept an eye on her since my father died, so it’s hard to have her out on her own now.”
The waiter stopped by to gather up our empty bowls. “How was everything?”
I smiled at him. “Absolutely delicious. Please let the chef know he is amazing.”
He nodded his head. “I will indeed. Your meals should be up shortly.” The corner of his mouth quirked in a grin. “The load is fairly light down in the kitchen tonight. Seems everyone’s in the bars living on popcorn and chicken wings.”
Evan glanced over. “What’s the score?”
“Top of the fourth, still scoreless.”
Evan grinned. “I figured you’d know the answer to that.”
The waiter gave a short bow. “I am here to serve!”
Evan glanced at the nearly empty glasses of Champagne. “Could we have a Bordeaux for our steaks?”
“Absolutely!” He stacked the two bowls and headed off.
I twined my fingers into Evan’s again and looked into his eyes. A weight settled onto my shoulders. “How long do you think it will be before you come home to Boston again?”
His gaze shadowed. “I’m not sure. It could be another few weeks. There are a few loose ends we have to gather up. It’s important that this all be done properly.”
“I know, I know,” I sighed. “It will just be hard watching you sail away on the boat.” I gave his fingers a squeeze. “I’ll miss you.”
He brought his head down to my hand, pressing a tender kiss on it. “You’ll be in my thoughts constantly. And I’ll give my thanks that you are safely on shore. Just know that I’ll come back to you as soon as I can.”
I gave a soft smile. “I know you will.”
The waiter was back again, and the plates wafted with a delicious aroma which set my stomach into fresh rumbles. Once the plates were down, he stepped away to fetch the wine and again presented it to Evan.
He grinned. “Another wonderful selection. A 2009 Château Clinet. Very nice.”
The waiter smiled, then put out two Riedel glasses and poured each one. Evan lifted his to his nose, his lips lifting in a smile as he drew in a whiff of it. His grin grew as he took a taste.
“Absolutely fantastic.”
The waiter poured out the two glasses, then put the bottle to the side of the table. I cut into my filet – it was a perfect medium rare. I popped it into my mouth, and the meat nearly melted in my mouth.
I took up my wine, and I was in heaven.
Evan shook his head as he took a bite. “And to think you ate like this every day.”
“Not like this,” I corrected. I put my hand over his. “I was often so stressed that the food tasted like sawdust to me. I would have been happy with McDonald’s if we could just be a real family.” I looked up at him. “I would have traded all my lobster and truffles for the warm atmosphere you grew up in.”
He gave my fingers a squeeze. “Once I come home again, we will build a fresh set of memories for you. Ones where you have laughter and love. Where you are appreciated for the amazing woman that you are.”
I smiled at him. “I would like that. Our dinners together could always be like this one – full of joy and happiness.”
He lifted his glass. “I’ll toast to that.”
There was a movement from the side of the room, and I turned my head. And blinked, my glass still hovering in the air.
Jeff was walking straight toward us, his eyes hard and dark.
Chapter 7
Evan was up out of his seat before I could draw a breath, and tension snaked down his arms. His voice was a low command. “I told you to stay away from Amanda.”
Jeff put up his hands in a sign of submission. “I just want to talk, that’s all. I’m not here to cause any trouble.”
Evan’s finger’s flexed, and Jeff took a half-step backward. His gaze turned crafty. “Unless you’d rather I wait to talk with her alone when she and I are back in Boston, while you’re sailing off over the horizon?”
Jeff glanced back at me, and I nodded. “We were nearly finished with dinner anyway,” I pointed out. “Let’s get this over with so we can enjoy our dessert.”
Evan eased back down in his chair, but he turned it so he faced Jeff. His hands rested on his knees.
Jeff grabbed a chair from a nearby table and dragged it over, plunking it at the side of the table. He grabbed a roll from the basket and took a bite. “Mmmm, fresh baked,” he said between swallows. “Good stuff.”
I sighed. “What is it that you want, Jeff?”
He popped the rest of his roll into his mouth, lounging back. He had on a dark blue polo top today over tan khaki pants. To my surprise he didn’t seem drunk, which I would have expected from him during a Sox game, never mind a World Series game.
“I’ve been giving this a lot of thought,” he stated, looking over me as if I were a new form of virus lurking under a microscope. “How could you have fooled me these past few years? I guess it’s true what they say about addicts, how they develop an ability to deceive that is unparalleled in all the world. To think you were capable of looking me square in the eyes and lying.” He shook his head. “Not in a thousand years would I have guessed it. You must feel quite proud.”
I forced my face to remain placid and calm. “Your point?”
He gave a small smile. “I would bet, if you were lying to me, that
you were also lying to your parents. I’m sure Nancy and Franklin would be quite horrified to hear what their darling little girl has been up to.”
A flush of heat swept through me. I took up my wine glass to give myself time to hold in the emotions.
He wouldn’t. He just wouldn’t.
Jeff’s smile grew. “So they don’t know, just as I figured. Wouldn’t that put a dent into your Thanksgiving plans next month? I bet mummy and daddy would spend the entire time haranguing you about your poor choices.” His eyes lit up. “Heck, maybe they’d force you into one of those boot-camp rehab places where you have to sleep in tents and pee in an outhouse. Wouldn’t that be a change of scenery for you?”
The wine eased into me, soothing me, reminding me that Jeff’s threats were distant from touching me. Whatever he told them, I could always reveal the truth to them in a few weeks once Evan’s operation had been completed.
I chuckled. Heck, it would serve my parents right to get all wound up for a little while. They rarely showed even an inkling of interest in my well-being.
I grinned sweetly at Jeff, putting down my glass. “I didn’t realize you still stayed in touch with my parents after you ran off on me. My father has some choice words for you. I’m sure he’d love to share the opportunity to tell you how he feels about that.”
His brow creased. “And how would they feel about your heroin habit?”
I shrugged. “You know those rich types. One week it’s cocaine, the next it’s LSD. Heroin’s all the rage now. Don’t you read the Globe? It’s one of the top concerns of police chiefs across the state.” I chuckled. “I bet my parents would be secretly thrilled to have a heroin user in the family. It’d be something to boast about to their friends down at the golf club. So trendy.”
Jeff’s face darkened; he reset himself in his chair, leaning forward. “Well, then, I wasn’t going to go beyond your family, but clearly you need a wake-up call.” His eyes gleamed. “Maybe that fine bank of yours might be upset to know they have an employee engaged in a felony crime.” He glanced down my crimson dress with a sneer. “You’d have to change that in for an outfit of a completely different tailoring in prison.”
I blanched. Him telling my parents was one thing, but if it went to my boss, they might fire me on the spot. By the time it was safe to reveal the truth to them, the news could have spread so far that undoing the damage could be impossible.
My career might be ruined forever.
Jeff was positively glowing now. “Not so glib any more, are you, you lying sack of dung.”
My mind scrambled for options – and grabbed at the first straw it found.
My tone brightened. “Well, as I’m considering coming to work on board the ship, I’m really not too concerned with what the bank thinks. I’ll be gone soon enough anyway.”
Jeff’s brow creased in confusion. “You’re going to work with the cruise line? Like Kayla?”
I nodded, warming up to it. “Absolutely! She’s inspired me. We’ll be laughing all day and partying all night! Can you imagine what the two of us will be like together?”
Jeff looked like he could, and his gaze narrowed. “You really are just like her, aren’t you? All those times I told her you were the superior woman, and you were just lying through your teeth.” He shook his head. “I should have known better than to believe a word you said.”
I shrugged. “Yes, you should have. It was almost too easy. I barely had to work at it.”
He launched to his feet, and Evan was at the edge of his chair, ready to leap in. But Jeff did not move forward toward me. He just stared at me, his eyes hardening into marbles.
At last he spoke, his tone guttural. “Karma is real, you know. The actions you take cycle around and revisit on you ten-fold. You just wait. All of those lies are going to catch up with you sooner than you think.”
I kept my tone light. “Enjoy the rest of the game.”
His eyes slid to Evan for a minute, and his jaw hardened. “You deserve her,” he spat out. “She’ll tear through you like a hot knife through butter. And when you’re lying there, bleeding, you’ll wish you never met her.”
Evan held his gaze, but said nothing.
At last Jeff blew out his breath, spun on his heel, and stormed out of the empty restaurant.
I waited until I was sure he wasn’t going to return before slumping back in my chair. Evan reached his hand out to mine, cupping my fingers. “Are you all right?”
I nodded. “He’s all hot air and bluster. Even if he does tell someone, I’ll ride it out. It won’t be long before it can be set right again.”
His brow creased. “I hate to have your life torn apart by this.”
I shook my head. “Don’t you start that. I chose to stay. I chose each step which got me into this mess. I’m a big girl. I can take responsibility for what I’ve done and live with the consequences.”
I twined my fingers into his. “Especially if the reward at the end is I get to have you by my side.”
He brought his lips down to kiss my fingers. “I will always be there,” he vowed.
The waiter came over to us, his eyes bright with interest. “Did we save room for dessert?”
Behind him on a tray was a selection of the most amazing delicacies I had ever seen.
I looked over to Evan, and suddenly Jeff mattered not at all.
Chapter 8
I was beyond stuffed, the moon was shimmering in the sky like a delicate china plate, and Evan held my hand as we walked along the deck. A slight breeze blew back my hair. I looked over at him, soaking him in. He was stunningly handsome in his black tux, the crisp white linen shirt layering over his rippled muscles that I was coming to know so well.
He raised an eyebrow. “What?”
I smiled. “Just so amazed that you are mine,” I murmured. “It seems like a dream.”
He gave my hand a squeeze. “I’m real, and I’m here for you.”
My gaze moved along the railing toward the back of the ship. Right there is where I had stood, one short week ago. Right there I had stared into the ship’s wake, crying, wrapped in despair and loneliness. I could never have dreamed what a short seven days would bring into my life.
I blinked in surprise – and stopped.
It was like I was looking back in time. There I was, the breeze catching my hair, my shoulders heaving with sobs.
I stepped forward, and the figure resolved.
It was Kayla.
I waved for Evan to stay back, and I walked forward, coming up to Kayla’s side. She barely looked up as I put my arm around her, drawing her in.
“Kayla, sweetie, what is it? What’s wrong?”
It took her a little while of wiping her eyes and reining in her emotion, but at last she turned to me. Her voice was thick. “It’s Sven.”
A tremor of fear rippled through me, but I held my gaze on her, my voice steady. “What about Sven? Did he do something to you?”
She shook her head, turning to look down at the wake. The moonlight glistened on the curls, layering them like frosting. We were leaving a shimmering trail which, in faint echo, connected us all the way back to Bermuda.
“Sven and I were partying with the rest of the guys in his room,” she explained, sniffling. “Watching the game, drinking, you know. There was Hank and Tom, of course, but then this waitress Tom is seeing was there, and a few friends. So we were all pretty stacked on top of each other.”
Her fingers clenched on the rail. “Someone was in our bathroom so I went to one of the other open rooms a few doors down and used theirs. When I got back …”
Her lip quivered.
I kept my tone gentle. “When you got back …?”
“It was her,” she hissed. “That cleaning lady we saw the very first day we were coming on board. She was straddling him, and he was kissing her! He had his hand up inside her blouse and was fondling her breast. And the rest of them didn’t even care! They were just watching the game, drinking, and laughing!”
>
I rubbed her shoulder. “What did you do?”
She ran a hand shakily through her hair. “I just stood there in the doorway. They didn’t even notice me. The Sox kept playing, his hand kept roaming, and it all became crystal clear. This is the way he is. I can’t change him. It’ll just be a life of misery.”
I gave her a hug. “You’re probably right, Kayla. People often just don’t change. They have a way they’re used to and they stick with it.” I let out a breath. “So what do you think you’re going to do?”
She gave a rueful smile. “I guess I’ll get off the ship in Boston. Chalk it up to a whirlwind shipboard romance.” Her eyes shone for a moment. “We definitely had our good times. Our wild, banging-against-the-headboards nights.” She shrugged. “But it wasn’t meant to last.” She leaned against the railing. “I’m just so tired now.”
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