by Mlyn Hurn
“Sure thing, Gayle, enjoy your girl talk. Just don’t hog all the champagne.” Shrugging, he smiled at Gayle.
Andy gave a quick sidelong glance as Jack moved around the table. She could have protested and insisted, but she liked to avoid drawing attention to herself. And to be honest, she’d be more relaxed with Gayle beside her than dealing with the onslaught of emotions being close to Jack was causing.
For the next several minutes, she just listened to the others talking back and forth across the table. She laughed when required until she realized Jack was staring. Quickly, she lowered her gaze to the table, aware of a flush now covering her cheeks. Feeling overheated, she blew little puffs of air upwards, slightly fluffing her soft bangs across her forehead.
“Shall I pour the champagne, ma’am? Do you want all the bottles opened at once?”
Andy jumped at the waiter’s voice. Looking up at the young, dark-haired man, she asked, “Uhm, how many are there?”
“Four, ma’am, and I have them all on ice.”
Andy turned to look at Gayle and then at the others. “Do you want to drink it all now?”
She couldn’t make out who said what, but the overall answer was yes. Except for Jack who suggested she keep one for herself, for another time. Avoiding Jack’s gaze, she told the waiter her decision. “We’ll have three and could I have the other bottle delivered to my suite?”
“Of course, ma’am, we’ll have it placed in the refrigerator of the downstairs bar.”
Tony leaned forward. “I’ll be happy to pop that cork for you later, Andy. I’m getting very curious to see this little cabin you’ve got for the trip.”
Everyone laughed and the champagne was poured into everyone’s glass. Lifting their glasses, they toasted their trip.
“Here’s to a successful cruise!” Ray pronounced the first toast.
“How do you define a successful one, Ray?” Andy questioned him a few seconds later, waiting until everyone had sipped at least once.
Ray shook his slightly balding, blond head. “Still getting into the psychological mojo, aren’t you, Andy?”
Shrugging, she replied, “Yes, I guess I always have and not really thought about it. I just squirrel all of it away for later.” She jested, hoping to make light of the situation.
Ruthie smiled. “Other than Andy and Jack’s secrets, what’s been going on with the rest of you?”
Jack knew he stared at Andy, and suddenly he didn’t give a damn what the others thought. One way or another, he had to make sure the two of them got time together tonight! Accepting more champagne, he listened as the conversation moved back and forth across the table.
Danny took on the duties of adding champagne to each person’s glass. When he reached Ruth, he leaned down to kiss the side of her neck. “What happened to that schmuck I saw you with at lunch last week?”
Ruthie shook her pale blonde head, lifting one hand to tuck loose strands of hair behind her ear. She looked so cool and polished with her hair pulled into a roll at the back of her head. Jack saw the nervous tremors, even though they were minimal. As she opened her mouth to reply, he wondered whether Danny’s words or his gesture upset the usually reserved attorney.
“Just a guy I work with, Danny, nothing more. I’ve been too busy to date,” Ruth murmured.
Gayle leaned forward to get a better look at Ruthie. “Any idea when you’ll find out if you’re making junior partner or not?”
Ruthie shook her head. “The decision is all based on billable hours and the clients you bring to the firm. Thanks to Jack and one other, I know I at least have a good chance.”
Jack shrugged, not liking to draw the attention his way. “I needed a good attorney and luckily, I knew one.”
Ray laughed. “Did you ever realize we have the perfect little society here? We’ll have two doctors if anyone gets sick, a businessman to organize our shipwrecked bunch, and Danny will be our accountant to organize our riches in case we need to buy our way off the island.”
“Or dole out the sheets of toilet paper,” Danny quipped self-deprecatingly.
Ray laughed and finished his explanation. “Tony can hopefully whip up some good food to eat. Ruthie can set up a fair judicial system for our disputes so we avoid any hostile coups. Liz and Mark will serve as the brains of the outfit and will make us a phone or a hot-air balloon to get off the island.”
Everyone laughed.
“What about Andy?” Jack asked softly.
Ray turned and looked at her before he replied to Jack.
Jack felt sure he knew what his friend was thinking, especially with his added attention to her.
Interrupting, Danny asked another question. “What do you do, Andy?”
“Well, for one thing, I type.”
“Super! You can work for Jack and be our chronicler,” Ray suggested quickly. “When we are rescued, you can publish your journals and become a famous writer.”
Ruthie coughed suddenly, choking slightly on her champagne.
Jack leaned forward, looking at Andy. If he had to guess, he’d have said she deliberately avoided looking in his direction. Perhaps if he spoke provocatively enough to catch her attention, she’d have to look towards him. “Without a proper desk, you can take dictation sitting on my lap.”
“Perhaps I’ll be the one casualty at sea, you know, shark food, never to be seen again.”
His ploy worked, but only for a few seconds. Her words, though, took him by surprise. Hearing her casually refer to herself coming to such a tragic end didn’t sound at all humorous to him.
Mark Sherman, usually quiet and fulfilling people’s expectation as a college professor of science, sat beside Andy. He reached over and lightly patted Andy’s hand. “You can be our mascot, our Gilligan!”
Andy laughed, smiling at Mark. “I’ve heard it said if had it been real life—Gilligan would have been murdered by day two and served on a platter for the castaways that night.”
Jack spoke, knowing his words would get her attention. “Since I’m the organizer and the boss, that makes me the skipper and Andy can share my grass shack.”
Liz shook her head. “If the skipper had looked as handsome as Jack, he could have been sharing with someone besides Gilligan.”
Jack laughed with everyone else, but he kept his gaze on Andy. Following his comment she had glanced at him, but almost the very next second after their gazes met, she turned away. He had to wonder why she acted so skittish. He definitely needed to talk to her privately.
* * * * *
Following dinner, they couldn’t decide as a group what they should do. The women were leaning towards strolling on deck, or perhaps adjourning somewhere quiet where they could talk. Four out of the five guys were in favor of checking out the different bars or the casino.
Andy listened to the suggestions and when they had finally decided, she spoke quietly. “I’ll say good night here. I have a few things I need to do tonight.”
Before she could leave, everyone seemed to be speaking at once, vying for attention. Voices and sentences ran together.
“Aww, Andy, don’t be a sleepyhead. We’re here for fun,” Danny jested quickly.
“Do you feel okay, Andy?” Ruthie reached out, touching her arm.
“I suggest you don’t drink any more champagne, or you’ll have one hell of a headache,” Ray offered in his most official tone.
“I’ll walk you back to your cabin and meet up with you guys later,” Jack spoke softly.
“We plan on sleeping in tomorrow and ordering room service, Andy. Do want to join us?” Gayle asked finally.
Andy couldn’t remember whom she answered but in less than a minute, she stood once again in the elevator, alone with Jack. She pressed the button for deck ten and then stepped back to the far corner. Since they were alone, there would be no reason for Jack to stand so close. When he didn’t say anything, her nervousness drove her to speak. “You can get off on your deck, or just go straight back. I don’t need to be escorted
.”
Jack turned and nodded. “I know, but I’ll walk with you anyway.”
“All right, I guess.” She looked around the elevator, anywhere but at Jack. She was surprised they rode all the way up without any other passengers joining them. Finally the doors slid soundlessly open.
Andy bolted forward. The soft shush-shush of his feet along the plush carpet intensified her awareness of Jack walking a few steps behind her. At the double doors of the suite, she fumbled in her purse, juggling the folder with the papers, before she finally found her keycard. Gratefully, after several curse words, she reached out to insert the card.
The carved double doors swung open a second later and she stared at the handsome face of a tall, good-looking man dressed impeccably in a black three-piece suit and dark silk tie.
“Welcome to the Balmoral Suite, Ms. Bond. I apologize for not being here earlier to expedite your arrival. I am Henderson, your butler for this voyage.”
Andy knew her mouth gaped open. Amidst her surprise, she dropped the folder and her purse. “Wow! You even have a British accent.”
“Allow me to pick all this up, ma’am. If you and your guest would like to be seated in the main lounge, I’ll be with you in a moment to fix drinks, if you’d like.” Henderson bowed just slightly, and quite correctly.
Andy had already started to bend down and realized how silly she must have looked with her mouth open and half crouched. A moment later, Jack took her upper arm in his grip and steered her into the room.
As they entered the sunken living room, Jack released her arm. A large semi-circular sofa partially faced the large bank of windows. Beyond the glass, he could see a deck with chairs and table. At the moment, he had some trouble dealing with the impressiveness of this place, let alone the damned butler who’d opened her door. He sure as hell didn’t like the idea of this guy drawing her bath, bringing her breakfast in bed or anything else for that matter. Hearing the footfalls signaling the butler’s approach, he turned and saw Andy seated on the sofa, still not moving. He’d seen the look on her face when she’d first looked upon her perfect butler.
Looking at her, Jack could see how beautiful she’d become, and he could easily imagine any man being attracted to her. He couldn’t say for sure what he’d wanted to happen aboard this cruise, but he’d hoped to talk with her privately before the onslaught from outsiders encroached on their time. Perhaps more than an iota of hope existed that something would come from their time together. Maybe he sought to discover whether a future with Andy was possible.
“I finished your unpacking, Ms. Bond.” Henderson spoke just loud enough to get their attention. “I wasn’t sure when you would be retiring so I’ve turned down the bed and set out your nightclothes. I’ve also prepared a light snack for you in the refrigerator of the wet bar in the master bedroom. Would you like me to mix cocktails for you and your guest? Or if you prefer, I could set out your clothes for tomorrow and take care of any pressing they might need.”
Jack turned from Henderson to Andy and saw she still stood with her mouth open. He moved forward as he spoke. “I’ll have some brandy and the lady would like some iced tea.”
“Excellent, sir. Shall I arrange for breakfast?”
Andy shook her head, standing to take her belongings from Henderson. “I made reservations already.”
“You don’t need reservations for the Queen’s settings, miss, which includes the Queen’s Grill Lounge, as well as the private sun terrace.”
“Thank you, Mr. Henderson.” Andy smiled at the handsome butler.
Jack watched and felt his teeth grating angrily together.
“Just Henderson, ma’am,” her butler clarified.
Andy shrugged but grinned as she replied, “Okay, but I’ll probably forget.”
Henderson returned the smile. “I’ll return with your drinks in a few moments. If you should need anything, including in the night hours, there is a call button for me beside your bed, as well as in the master bathroom and in all the rooms down here. I plugged in your laptop to recharge the battery.”
“Wow! Thanks. I’m always letting it get so low it’s screaming at me to plug it in or face dire consequences.”
Jack smiled at Andy’s jesting, but stopped when he saw Henderson had broken his stiff manner enough to smile. Telling himself to stop worrying about the butler, he crossed back towards Andy. “Have a seat, Andy. We can relax and chat for a while.”
She didn’t say anything as she sat, but he was sure she’d choose to be alone. Usually he wasn’t like this, which unsettled him. He never bothered a woman who wasn’t interested in him equally as well. So, this persistence with Andy was completely abnormal. To say it bugged him would be an understatement. He watched as Andy sat once more, carefully pulling down her skirt as far as it would go. Jack waited until Henderson returned with the drinks so he could sit close to Andy without her putting more distance between them.
As soon as the butler returned, Jack met him partway and accepted the drinks. “Thank you, Henderson. Good night.” Jack didn’t like the way the other man looked at Andy.
Henderson nodded his head. “You’re welcome, sir. Once again, Ms. Bond, please feel free to ring at any time.”
Andy shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to disturb your sleep.”
“That’s what I am here for, Miss, to service your every need.”
The words hung in the air for a few seconds and then Andy coughed slightly. “Thank you, Henderson.”
The butler turned and walked over to another set of double doors.
Hell! The damned place had a private elevator. As the doors closed behind the butler, Jack walked to the plush off-white sofa, piled high with thick, silk-covered pillows in golden colors to match the lush décor. Holding out the tea to Andy, he waited until she took it. He sat sideways so he could look at her. He sipped the brandy, finally realizing just how good, and expensive, it was.
“I could’ve peed my pants when he opened the door,” Andy spoke quickly. “I didn’t know this suite came with a freaking, honest-to-God British butler. Now, I’ll be scared I’ll do something stupid and he’ll wonder how the poor white trash girl snuck on board.”
That sounded like the Andy he used to know. Jack shook his head, letting his gaze rove over Andy’s face and upper body. “Trust me, sweetheart, you could pick your teeth and scratch and no man is going to think that about you. Didn’t you look in the mirror when you got dressed?”
Jack savored the way her red silk dress fit closely, clearly outlining her shape without being flashy or flaunting her attributes. He wondered if her breasts still felt as soft as they had on the last night on spring break. Just remembering the night and he always got hard—
Chapter Three
Andy sipped her tea, and then kicked off her shoes. She wished she could get comfortable. This was a dress for making impressions and dancing, and it kept her from eating too much. Suddenly, she leaned forward and set her glass on the dark wooden coffee table. “I’m going to look around. Do you want to come?”
Jack frowned. “You haven’t seen the whole thing yet?”
Andy shook her head and stood. “No. I arrived so close to sailing, and then it was too late to linger. I had to rush to be on time for drinks.”
“Sure, let’s see what there is to the place. I noticed the complete bar setup.” Jack walked over and found an electronic panel. “Watch this, Andy.” He pressed one button, and the glass mirror behind the bar slid sideways and revealed a wine rack. It held a few bottles of wine. “You should keep this a secret or Tony will be up here all the time.”
Andy nodded. “I feel self-conscious already. I wanted to upgrade to have a cabin by myself, and then things got out of hand.”
“Why did you feel the need to be alone? I thought the four of you girls have always gotten along.”
“We do,” she answered, turning away to explore more of the suite. Just inside the double entryway, there was a small closet on one side, and a guest bat
hroom on the other. She peered in.
“Two toilets,” Jack joined her. “That’s convenient if you have guests. They can go through here like Noah’s Ark,” he joked with a smile.
Andy laughed, shaking her head. “One toilet and one bidet. I’ll have to try that. I’ve never used one before.”
She turned away as Jack replied with a chuckle. “Tell you what, you test it and submit a written report.”
“Very funny.” Andy laughed, amazed at how relaxed she felt once again. This was more the way she used to feel when it had been just the two of them. They had enjoyed a camaraderie she’d never felt with any of the other guys. “I wonder if people actually dine in their cabins much. I’m going upstairs.”
Jack followed her. “I’m sure they do, Andy. Sometimes you just don’t want be around people, let alone a crowd. I like spending time by myself or with one other person.”
Andy stopped at the top of the stairs. She wondered who was the person that he liked spending time with. She had learned from Ruthie he wasn’t married, or engaged, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dating someone. It just might not be serious enough for him to skip the reunion, or bring her along. Still the little voice in her head asking whether he might be attracted to her now. And, if he were, would he pursue the attraction, in some way. Immediately following the thought, she always reminded herself she was still undecided about what she wanted. She was single, and spent a lot of time telling herself and others, she was quite happy staying that way.
“Hey! You’re not supposed to come to a complete halt without blowing your horn,” Jack protested as he stopped behind her. His next words reminded her he was taller than she and could most likely see over her shoulder. “Wow! Is that the queen’s bed? Do you think she knows it’s missing?”
Andy laughed and stepped into the wide-open bedroom. The bed sat on a platform a few inches off the floor. Heavy, silken curtains surrounding the bed made it appear so royal. “I think this bed will kick me out as an imposter.”