“That fits with what I’ve learned about him in the past few days.” Matias was hard to read at times, and his past was still a mystery to her. “What does he do when he’s not on trips?”
Miguel raised an eyebrow and Vanessa quickly corrected herself. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be asking personal questions about the captain.”
“I don’t think that’s a personal question.” He shrugged. “We all know Matias has a large family in Porto, and he’s very dedicated to them. He doesn’t have any siblings but lots of cousins, aunts and uncles, and both sets of grandparents.” He chuckled. “I’ve met some of them and they’re a crazy bunch. In a good way,” he added. “As for personal relationships—”
Vanessa shook her head. “I wasn’t going to ask that.” She was curious, and she had thought about it, but asking directly about his past girlfriends wasn’t the same as knowing how big his family was.
“I can tell you my opinion.” He paused as if to think about his words. “From what I’ve learned working with him in these past few years, Matias is dedicated to his job, and he’s very loyal to his family. I know when he finally meets the right person, he’ll give the same dedication and loyalty to the woman he loves.”
He would. Somehow, she knew that.
*
Vanessa hesitated at the entrance and peered in to the dining room. Sounds of piano keys and laughing voices came from past the bar. She took a deep breath. At breakfast, when Agnes and her friends had found out Vanessa couldn’t dance, they’d insisted she take some lessons before the banquet. Vanessa had tried to beg off, but their arguments had been persuasive enough that she’d agreed in the end.
Before she had time to second-guess herself, she went in. Just then, Agnes Grantham waved at her.
“Vanessa, come join us.”
Vanessa walked toward them. Agnes and her husband stood near the piano where Ruth Camden played a few chords of something familiar Vanessa couldn’t place. Priscilla Smith and her husband, along with Ruth’s husband, sat on the upholstered chairs nearby. They all greeted Vanessa warmly, and Vanessa’s apprehensions faded back somewhat.
“Is this outfit okay?” Vanessa gestured at herself. She didn’t usually wear her floral-print leggings with her highest heels, but Agnes had suggested it.
Agnes came forth and took Vanessa’s hands, then led her in a little twirl. “It’s perfect. We just need you to wear something that will allow you to see your feet and learn a few basic steps for tonight.” She paused, and her expression turned conspiratorial. “What kind of dress will you be wearing?”
“It’s a red chiffon with a V-neck and asymmetrical hemline”—her hand went up to the space between her shoulder and her collar bone—“with beading and sequins at the shoulders.” It was an extravagant, elegant piece Juliette had deemed indispensable for Vanessa’s cruise attire. “My friend helped me pick it out.” Her cheeks heated. “She read the description from the catalog to me quite a few times.” Juliette had actually recited it often enough for Vanessa to have it memorized.
Agnes and her friends exchanged a meaningful look. She dropped Vanessa’s hand and clapped lightly. “That sounds divine. You’ll have the perfect silhouette on the dance floor.”
“We can’t wait to see it,” Priscilla said.
“Thank you.” Vanessa didn’t know how else to respond to their enthusiasm.
Agnes pulled at her husband’s arm. “Alan is the best dancer I know.” She met his eyes, and they shared a smile. “And I’m not saying that because I’m married to him. He’ll lead you through some simple steps, and you’ll see it’s not very hard.”
“Thank you for taking the time to do this. I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
Alan Grantham stepped forward. “Even if I spent the next year giving you dancing lessons every day, I’d still be indebted to you for saving my Agnes.”
Vanessa nodded. She didn’t know what to say without calling more attention to herself. She’d only done what she’d been trained to do, but she understood the way he felt.
“I’m not even sure I’ll dance tonight,” Vanessa said.
The ladies gasped, and Ruth stopped playing the piano. “Why ever not?” Ruth asked, her hands still poised over the keys.
“Of course you will!” Agnes said.
Their strong reactions surprised Vanessa. “I don’t know how to dance.” If Dad were here, he’d tell her off. He’d placed her in dance lessons at a young age, but she didn’t take to them. How many times had she told him she’d never have need for dancing? “And I don’t have a partner. Everyone else on this trip has a partner, but I don’t.” Ironic how a ship full of senior-aged couples was a sore reminder of her single status. Never mind them being old enough to be her grandparents.
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” said Priscilla. “We don’t just dance with our spouses. We dance with everybody, and I’m sure you’ll have plenty of dancing partners tonight. Besides,” she added, “Captain Romano is an experienced dancer. He’ll know how to lead you.”
Vanessa’s heart jumped. Would Matias really dance with her? “But I don’t know how to follow.”
“Alan will teach you the basics,” said Agnes. “That’s all you need when your partner knows what he’s doing.”
Arguing with these ladies was most likely useless, but Vanessa’s confidence faltered. “I’m sure Captain Romano will have better things to do than dance with me.”
“Only if he’s lost his good sense. We’ve all seen the way he looks at you.” Agnes winked at Vanessa, her friends nodding in agreement with knowing smiles.
In what way did he look at her? Before Vanessa had time to respond to Agnes’ comment, Mr. Grantham took her hands and positioned them for a couple’s dance. Ruth Camden resumed playing, and the Smiths stood to dance as well.
“Most dancing tunes are set to a quarter beat.” While Agnes Grantham explained, her husband led Vanessa through a set of simple steps. “One, two, three, four,” Agnes counted to the rhythm.
Vanessa counted along in her mind, trying to pay attention to Mr. Grantham’s feet and her own.
After a few minutes of fumbling and tripping several times, Vanessa stepped away from Mr. Grantham. “I’m sorry. I need a little break.” It was useless. How was she going to learn to dance well enough by tonight?
Mr. Grantham took his wife by the hand to the middle of the marble floor. As Ruth played a sweeping melody, the Granthams danced with the agility and elegant movements of a couple who knew each other well. Soon, the Smiths joined in.
Vanessa watched in awe of their graceful turns. “Wow. I’ll never be able to dance like that.”
Agnes chuckled, not missing a step in her husband’s arms. “You’re right. Not by tonight you won’t.” They turned once more. “We weren’t very great when we started out.”
The possibility of being in Matias’s arms passed through her mind again. As long as she kept to uncomplicated steps, maybe she could dance with Matias without it being a complete disaster.
Her phone beeped three times, and Vanessa ignored it.
“Are you going to take that?” Agnes stopped dancing and joined Vanessa.
Vanessa shrugged. “It’s probably my dad. I can take it later.”
Agnes’s expression furrowed a little. “Is everything alright?”
“He’s just having a hard time with me being on this trip.”
“He’s probably worried about you.” Agnes patted Vanessa’s hand. “That’s what fathers do.”
Dad worried about her the way he had when she was fifteen. But she was an adult now.
Vanessa returned to the dance lessons with Alan Grantham, and she tried to do her best for the next thirty minutes.
After the men left, Agnes called for a tea tray, and it arrived a few minutes later.
“How did you and your husband meet?” Vanessa asked.
“We met at a community dance, if you can believe that. We both came with different people, but we noticed each other
right away. I discovered later that he tried to find out who I was. I lived in the neighboring town, and it took me a month to return to that dance hall, but I couldn’t get him out of my mind. He’d been there every week at the same time, hoping to see me again. The next time, we came by ourselves. And we danced and we talked all night until very early the next morning.” Her expression softened, and she got a faraway look in her eyes. “We went out a few times, but it was more of a formality for the sake of our families. We already knew.”
Vanessa stopped, cup in midair. “You knew? You saw each other once, maybe twice, and you knew?” She didn’t even try to disguise her shock.
Agnes took a bite of her toast. “We did. We would have gotten married the next week, but my parents would have reacted to that very badly, so Alan and I dated for another two months.” She shook her head. “I don’t recommend long engagements. It tested our fortitude.”
“How could you have known, Agnes?” Vanessa frowned. “It’s impossible to find love in nothing more than a couple of coincidences.”
“Maybe it is, but we did.” Agnes placed her teacup on the saucer. “When you know, you know, and there’s no argument about it.”
“But how can you learn what’s important about the other person? Did it even cross your minds?”
“Not at the time. Like I said, we just knew we were supposed to be together, and the rest didn’t seem very important.” Agnes shrugged. “Haven’t you heard of love at first sight?
Vanessa set her spoon down on the side of the plate. “It’s just some myth invented by Hollywood to sell movies. How can you fall in love with someone the first time you see them?”
“It’s not about the looks, Vanessa. It’s about the connection, here and here.” Agnes touched her chest over her heart and then her temple. “And sometimes, all you need is a moment of absolute clear lucidity, a connection so strong you can’t pretend it doesn’t exist.” She paused to take a deep breath. “That’s what happened between Alan and me.”
Vanessa picked up her teacup and sipped, unwilling to argue with Agnes, who had the authority born from experience. There was no disputing that.
How would it feel to have such a moment of perfect connection with a person who felt the same way?
Matias pushed the door to the galley. Chef Teresa lifted her head from stirring a large bowl at the counter. He’d received a message to come see her as soon as possible, and it didn’t sound like good news.
“Captain, I don’t know what to tell you,” she said, her grip tight on the wooden spoon.
“Don’t say that, Chef. I know you can pull it off.” Was he trying to convince her or himself?
She turned to one of her assistants and gave her some quick instructions. “That problem we had with the refrigerator on the first day of the trip—I did get that fixed.” She put the spoon down and looked at him, daring him to contradict her. He knew better than that.
“So what happened this time?”
“It’s been working just the way it’s supposed to, and you know just as well as I do that these appliances are practically new.”
He did know. The ship was only three years old, and it was well maintained between trips. Senhor Valadares didn’t skimp on materials or upkeep.
Chef Teresa went on for a few more minutes about the working condition of her kitchen and how well she and her staff took care of everything. Her flushed cheeks and clipped tone added to her words. By now, she’d worked herself up to righteous indignation, and Matias let her talk.
“Chef,” Matias said at the first chance. “Please tell me what happened.”
“I’ll tell you what happened, Captain.” She took a breath. “Sabotage,” she added after a pause, nodding for emphasis.
Matias stared at her, unable to come up with an appropriate reply. “Sabotage?” he finally repeated.
“How do you explain a state-of-the-art refrigerator unplugged overnight? It didn’t unplug itself, I can tell you that.”
“No, of course not.” Matias crossed an arm and rubbed his chin with his hand.
Could she be right? Was there someone aboard creating accidents and unlucky mishaps with the goal of sabotaging the ship? With what purpose? Whatever it was, it needed to be investigated.
“How can I help, Chef Teresa?”
She blew out a breath. “I need more hands and ingredients. The preparations for dessert were lost, and I have to start over.”
He pulled out his smartphone and opened the note application. Within a few minutes, they listed everything she needed and made a plan to see it done. After leaving the galley, Matias called Pedro and divided the list into tasks. He’d have to increase the cruising speed forward after breakfast and then again after lunch, pushing their arrival a whole hour ahead of the usual schedule. Hopefully that would be enough to get everything done.
By early evening, Matias stood at the door to the dining room and looked around. The tables were set with the formal china—the one with the captain’s logo and the company’s colors. This was the dinner where they went all out: where the presentation, the menu, and the wine selection rivaled that of a three-star Michelin restaurant. Nothing was left to chance and no detail was too small to overlook. Everything looked in place and ready for the Captain’s Banquet.
Few people knew of the problems that he and some of the crew had worked to fix since early morning. All they could see was the perfection before their eyes, just as he and the crew had planned.
They’d pulled it off. They always did, only this time it had been harder to accomplish.
Miguel stood to his right, followed by Miss Rialto and Justino, the maître d’. They greeted each couple as they entered the room, and waiters were on hand to escort the passengers to their preassigned tables. Afonso sat at the baby grand in the corner playing background music that filled the air with elegance, and after dessert was served, he’d be lending the tunes for romantic dancing and tender moments. The plan was in motion.
This was the kind of night that made Matias proud of his crew, proud of the ship he commanded, and the job that gave him a career he loved.
So why did his stomach churn each time someone approached the receiving line? More than half the passengers were seated already but Vanessa hadn’t come through yet.
When he looked up again, there she was, in line behind Monsieur and Madame Joubert. He rushed through the greetings with the French couple, more anxious to finally have Vanessa enter the dining room than he’d thought possible.
“Good evening, Miss Clark.” He smiled wide, unable to hold back the feeling of excitement. How appropriate would it be to offer a compliment on how beautiful she was? As if he could say anything that adequately expressed the way she looked tonight.
The corners of her mouth pulled in a smile. “Good evening, Captain Romano.”
When the young waiter approached to escort Vanessa to the table, Matias sent him a curt nod and extended his arm to Vanessa. She looped hers through the crook of his elbow, and Matias squelched a sigh of contentment.
All eyes turned to them as they walked side by side, but he didn’t care. She looked exquisite tonight. Her soft blonde hair fell in waves behind her back and the red dress she wore fit as if made for a princess, the long flounces flowing behind her with each step she took and the fitted top hugging her shoulders and all her curves in the most flattering way.
He seated her to the left of his chair. Her scent wafted to him and Matias caught himself from leaning down to better soak it in. “I’ll be back soon.”
How fast could he get through the rest of the receiving line?
*
Vanessa set the fork down on the edge of the dessert plate. Calling that piece of culinary perfection dessert didn’t do it justice. It was a heavenly morsel, the flavor of which she’d imprinted in her memory without even knowing what it was called.
Matias sat to her right, still eating his entrée and talking to a Dutch gentleman. Everyone at the table had shared introductions,
as the passengers usually did every evening at dinner, but she’d forgotten the man’s name already.
As fancy as the previous dinners had been, the Captain’s Banquet was the most elegant affair of the whole trip so far. By now, Vanessa had learned not to be intimidated. She’d looked up a few table etiquette lessons on YouTube, building her level of comfort to a manageable one. She’d even worn a formal evening gown, something she’d never before done in her life. Senior prom wasn’t formal enough to count—not compared to this banquet. The dress she wore tonight was the kind that turned heads, something she wasn’t used to either. Odd how yards and yards of soft, drapey fabric could lend her the confidence to hold her head high and the courage to consider things she wasn’t bold enough to try on a normal day back in Kansas.
How nervous she had been on her first night aboard. It was only a few nights ago, but it felt so much longer. She’d made friends since then and it didn’t matter that some of them were old enough to be her grandparents.
But the most unexpected friendship was the one with the captain.
The uniform he wore tonight was different from his usual attire, all shiny brass buttons and shirtsleeves with cuff links. An elegant black bow tie at his neck lent him an air of refined style.
Matias leaned in her direction and lowered his voice. “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy tonight. How did the excursion go today?”
“It was nice but not quite the same,” she replied in an even tone. It had been a short trip, or she would have said no to going ashore. There was more she wanted to say but it wasn’t the right time.
He held her gaze for a moment, his eyes conveying the understanding he didn’t speak. Vanessa broke the eye contact first, reaching for her glass of sparkling water. Goodness, she was overreaching, seeing things that weren’t there.
The passengers at Vanessa’s table started clapping, and everyone in the room turned to look at Matias. Vanessa joined in. She’d been so distracted thinking about him, she’d missed the introduction by Miss Rialto.
Meet Me At Sunrise (Destined for Love: Europe) Page 10