by Kelsie Rae
“That’s the best Piña Colada I’ve ever had,” I admit.
He grins with satisfaction. “Perfect. Hopefully, it’s the first of many for this trip.”
“I hope so too.”
Something catches his attention behind me before he adds, “Would your friend like one too?”
Pulling my gaze from the sexy bartender who obviously doesn’t have a thing for me, I swivel on the barstool expecting to find Gem. My jaw drops in disbelief before I practically squeal. “Conner?!”
“Nora?!” my cousin returns before pulling me into a giant bear hug. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I’m running this thing!” I tell him with a grin. “What are you doing here?”
Releasing me, he explains, “I moved down here a few months ago after my internship ended in New York. I didn’t know you put this thing together.”
“I know! If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve gotten you the friends and family discount.”
“Aww, ain’t you sweet,” he teases. “But it’s all good. A buddy of mine at work already got us free drink cards and a balcony upgrade or some shit, so it was actually a pretty good deal.”
Dropping my voice low, I tease, “Oh, so he must’ve heard about us through our Volt advertisement. Good to know it brought some good-looking guys to help offset all the estrogen on the ship.”
“That it did, cousin. I came with three other bachelors who are looking for a good time too. You guys definitely downplayed the whole astrology shit in the ad, though.”
I grimace. “I know, right? Why do you think we had to advertise in a guy’s magazine in the first place?”
“Ah, it all makes sense now. Well, at least the women are hot as hell. That definitely helps soften the blow.”
“Glad they’ve met your approval.” I roll my eyes and smack his shoulder, pulling a deep laugh out of him.
“Me too. After the shit I went through at my last job, I’m in desperate need of a distraction. Did your brother come too?”
“Nah. He’s busy with his son, which is where his attention should be so….”
“Good point.”
“Hey, sorry I’m late,” a confident Gem announces before stepping back and scanning Conner up and down. Her lips tilt up in amusement. “Why, hello there. I’m Gemini. And you are…?”
“Gemini?” Conner asks, checking her out just as openly as Gem did. His eyes light up in approval. I don’t really blame him. Gem is all curves in her deep red bikini with her long, curly black hair hanging down her back. Hell, even I think she’s hot.
“With a name like that, I’d say you’re in the right place,” he adds, offering his hand for her to take. “I’m Conner, Nora’s cousin.”
She shakes it firmly. “It’s nice to meet you. Nora, you didn’t mention your cousin would be joining us.”
“I didn’t know he would be. Talk about a small world, right? He saw our ad in Volt magazine.”
“Yes! I knew that would reel in some pretty fish.” She winks playfully. “Is it just you or…?”
“I brought a few friends too. I’m actually supposed to meet up with them.” He scans the pool area before lifting his chin at a group of guys near one of the cabanas. My eyes widen when I recognize one of them in particular.
“We can catch up later,” I offer, trying to hide my panic. “Gem and I should probably go check the auditorium to make sure everything is in place, anyway. We’ll see you later.” I tug Gem before she can argue.
As soon as we’ve turned the corner and are out of view from Conner and his friends, Gem demands, “What the hell was that?”
“That was the guy!”
“What guy?”
“My…,” I cough. “My fiancé.”
With a gasp, Gem goes to peek around the corner, but I tug her back.
“No! Don’t look!”
“Come on, Nora. The picture from the school paper was shit. I couldn’t see how good-looking he was. You gotta let me sneak a peek.”
“School paper?” I screech.
Grimacing, she explains, “Oh, did I forget to mention that I did a little research after you told me about the whole fiasco? One of the students at the university saw the whole thing and wrote an article about it. The picture was crappy, so I didn’t really get a good look at the guy. You looked gorgeous, though,” she adds like that’s going to help.
“I told you not to go snooping!”
“And I ignored you completely,” she counters. “Which you knew I would do, so don’t act all surprised, missy. Tell me…is he cute? And did he see you?”
My palms are sweaty as I wipe them along the thin, white fabric of my swimsuit. “I don’t know if he saw me.”
“You don’t know?”
“I mean…I don’t know! It all happened so fast! I don’t think so. Maybe we won’t run into each other? Maybe––”
“Dude. He’s friends with your cousin, who is really cute, by the way. How did I not know you had a cute cousin?”
“He’s my rich uncle’s son––”
“Ooo, so he’s wealthy?”
“Gem!” I snap. “Not the time!”
“Sorry. You’re right. Let’s get back on track, shall we? Wait. Quick question. Is your cousin single? Then we can get our hands dirty with your little fiancé.”
“He’s not my real fiancé––”
“Well, you didn’t tell me his real name, so that’s all I have to go with.”
I growl in frustration, though the stupid waterworks are threatening to make an appearance. Again. Because that’s what I do. I cry whenever I’m angry. Or sad. Or frustrated. Or scared. Or…pretty much all the time.
Stupid Cancer traits.
Oh, great. Now, even I’m starting to drink the Kool-Aid.
“Gage. His name is Gage. And no, my cousin isn’t dating anyone. He’s one hundred percent single, and his eyes lit up as soon as he saw you, so you should definitely get on that. I mean, maybe not literally right off the bat but…. Oh, and yes. He’s loaded. Any more questions?” I choke out, my lower lip trembling.
“Aww, Nora. Come here, babe.” She pulls me into a hug and rubs her hand up and down my back. The combination makes me feel like a little kid. “You’re going to be just fine. I’m sure we can keep you from bumping into him. I mean, what are the odds of that happening on a”––she gulps––“decent-sized cruise ship?”
I whimper, though it’s laced with amusement. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“Or you’re just a really good lie detector,” she mutters before releasing me. “Seriously, though. Even if you do run into him, it’ll be fine. You guys were engaged for a whole…what? Five minutes? And it was a total joke. You know this. He knows this. He even asked for your number after the funny exchange.”
“Yeah…and then he ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could.”
“Look. You’ve got this. And if for some reason you don’t have this, then I’ll just tell Captain Ron to throw him in the brig.”
My eyes light up at the prospect. “Can you even imagine? That would be one of the funniest things ever.”
“And he would totally deserve it for making my best friend cry.”
“To be fair, if that was the logic you lived by, I’m pretty sure even the Chinese food delivery guy would be in there.”
Throwing her head back, she laughs even harder, and the sound is contagious. “Good point. How dare he bring you Orange Chicken instead of good ol’ Pon Pon?”
“Exactly. I’m fine. He’s fine. I’m just…awkward. And I want to hide under a blanket for the foreseeable future. That’s all.”
“In a swimsuit like that, it would be a shame, my friend. You look adorable, by the way.”
“Why, thank you.” I curtsy. “You look pretty hot yourself.”
While adjusting her top, she replies, “I know, right? So, where’s that drink we were going to get anyway? I’m dying!”
“My Piña Colada!” Peeking around the cor
ner, I find my cousin and his little posse have vanished.
Phew!
There are a few open seats at the bar, and Henri appears to still be whipping out beverages like a champ, so I grab Gem’s wrist and tug her with me.
“I see you’ve brought another friend,” he mentions. “What can I get you?”
She opens her mouth to reply before he raises his finger and interrupts. “Wait. Let me guess. Something with tequila, perhaps?”
Gem quirks her brow into a fine arch.
“Yeah. Definitely tequila.”
“I don’t like tequila,” she challenges.
“Then you haven’t been drinking it right,” he returns just as confidently. “Trust me. If you don’t like it, then the drink’s on me. Deal?”
With pursed lips, she nods. “Deal.”
Henri goes about making her drink as I whisper, “You won’t regret it. The guy made me the best Piña Colada that’s ever graced the earth, even though he insisted that I’d prefer something else, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.”
“I can think of something I’d like him to put his finger on.”
“Gem!” I whisper-shout.
“Come on…it was funny!”
“If you’re not careful, it’ll be you that ends up in the brig for harassing the staff.”
Scanning Henri up and down another time, she concedes, “Good point. I guess your cousin will have to do.”
I roll my eyes. “That sounds promising.”
Getting comfortable on our stools, we chat for a few minutes before a bright yellow and orange drink is placed in front of her.
“Tequila Sunrise,” Henri announces. “Enjoy.”
Her eyes are nothing but tiny slits as Gem raises the glass to her lips and takes a sip before they widen in surprise. “You sneaky little bastard. This is delicious.”
He grins. “Another one bites the dust. As for you”––he turns to me––“I finally made my decision.”
“Oh, really? And what’s that?”
“I think you’re more of a Mojito girl. Do you trust me?”
“Uh…yes. After my Piña Colada earlier, I’m pretty sure I could marry you for your bartending skills.”
With a wink, he replies, “Just wait ‘til you try my Mojito. I’ll be back in a few.”
Then he leaves us to search for the right ingredients.
“Another proposal? Is that your third? Should I be jealous?” a familiar deep voice asks behind me.
Swiveling in my seat, I cringe. “Umm…Gage, right?”
Kill me. Kill me now.
5
Gage
“Hello, Fiancée. Fancy seeing you here,” I state, not-so-subtly checking her out.
Damn, Pretty Girl, you’re even more gorgeous than I remember.
“Uh…yup.” She chances a quick glance up at me before staring at my bare chest while chewing on the inside of her cheek. When she realizes what she’s doing, she clears her throat and adds, “Small world. Umm…what are you doing here?”
“I came to grab another drink from your other fiancé. What are you doing here?” I try to keep my tone light and sarcastic, but I can’t hide the bite that accompanies it. Fiancée. Which reminds me…. “So, did you bring your kid too?”
“Kid?” Her puzzled expression makes me pause. “I heard that you’re married and have a kid, Mommy Two.” That’s what Justin texted me as soon as I found my phone during the football game.
Finally understanding, her pale complexion turns pink before she clears her throat, again, and gulps down a solid three swigs of the Mojito the bartender just placed in front of her.
“Oh. That.”
“Yeah. Oh. That,” I mimic, my frustration bubbling just below the surface. “No worries, though. Hey, man,” I call out to the bartender, who was clearly hitting on my fake fiancée before raising three fingers into the air. “Can I get a few beers?”
“Sure thing.”
“I’m not a mom,” she clarifies as I tap my hand against the polished countertop in rhythm with the island music blasting through the speakers. Her comment makes me miss the count.
But I thought––
“He’s my nephew,” she explains. “My brother has always made fun of me for being such a mother hen that when my nephew was born, he taught him to call me Mama Two instead of Aunt Nora like a normal person. Although to be fair, it is entirely his fault. Even during elementary school and stuff, I was always the one to make sure everyone was taken care of. That my best friend turned in her assignment, that the teacher’s chalkboard was clean by the end of the day, that my older brother had a snack to eat after school…you get the picture.”
“She actually still does that,” her friend pipes in. “Won’t show her face for a meeting unless she’s brought coffee and a treat to share with the group. I’m Gem, by the way.” The dark-haired beauty sitting next to Nora offers her hand for me to shake, and I take it. She’s hot as hell but doesn’t hold a candle to the girl beside her.
“I’m Gage. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. I think,” she clarifies. “I haven’t quite decided yet. You came over here with a bit of a chip on your shoulder, but I think I’ve finally pieced together the reason behind it, so I’m going to give you a free pass. However, if you hurt my friend here, I won’t be so forgiving. Capisce?”
The bartender hands over three beers with a lime wedge shoved into the bottles, but the interruption still doesn’t give me enough time to think of a clever comeback, so I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Uh…oookay?”
“Ignore her.” Nora’s face is blazing, but I think it has more to do with her friend’s threat than the sun. “She can be a bit protective sometimes, but you’ll get used to her. Or maybe you won’t…. I guess it depends on how small this boat is and if we’ll be running into each other again.”
“Now that I know you’re not married with a kid, then I think the possibility is pretty damn high. What are you doing tonight?”
Resting her head on Nora’s shoulder, Gem informs me, “I’m going to ignore the whole with a kid comment and assume that you would never be against dating a single mom, but your real hang-up was based solely on the fact that you thought she was married, and you have enough morals to steer clear of someone who could potentially be a cheater. As for Nora’s plans, we work at Polished Magazine and are actually hosting this little shindig, so we’ll be at all the events for the Written in the Stars Singles’ Cruise. Will you be attending the social after the keynote speaker tonight?”
Nora laughs before patting the top of Gem’s head as if she’s a good little Pitbull protecting her owner. “I think I can handle it from here, Gem. Put the claws away.”
Gem’s intense stare stays glued to me, so I throw her a proverbial bone. “I love kids and have zero hang-ups in regards to dating a single mom. You were right. I have a few issues with cheating and felt like she should’ve told me she was off the market before I fake proposed to her, then proceeded to kiss her in front of a stadium full of cameras while being highly intoxicated.”
With a grin, Gem replies, “Good answer.”
“Glad I can put your mind at ease.”
“You know, I’m still here,” Nora huffs, though I can tell she’s more amused than annoyed. She wants her friend’s approval, so if I can win Gem over, I might have a chance to pursue a hot week with Nora since that’s all I really have to offer.
“I apologize. Tell me, if I go to these events Gem mentioned, will I get to see you, or will you be working the whole time?”
“I guess you’ll have to come and find out.”
Her flirtatious smile nearly does me in. “Then I guess I’ll be there. It was nice to see you again, Nora.”
“You too, Gage.”
Mojito in hand, she saunters off, her petite hips swaying with every step, and I’m left reeling at what a small world this really is.
6
Nora
“I think the keynote speaker
did great. What do you think?” Gem asks, her brows wrinkled with worry. She’s not usually the anxious type, but I’m a Cancer, and the keynote speaker just spent the last thirty minutes shoving the eclipse down everyone’s throats, along with the specific importance it’ll hold for anyone born between June twenty-second and July twenty-second. And, thanks to my mom and dad’s anniversary being nine months before, my birthday lands smack dab in the middle of that time frame.
“I think he did really well,” I compliment while rearranging a few more chairs at the tables scattered around the room.
“Ya think? So, you’re not freaked out about finding your soulmate or anything? I mean, I know this is a singles’ cruise, and people are here to meet the loves of their lives, but he was a little over the top.” She raises her hand and makes a small gap between her thumb and forefinger.
Laughing, I push her hand away. “Ya think? Thankfully, he also mentioned a loophole.”
“And what loophole is that?”
“You have to be open to having a relationship and finding your soulmate. I’m not.” I shrug. “See? Perfect solution.”
“Nora….”
“Don’t Nora me. It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is absolutely fine. Let’s just get this next activity set up because the guests are going to finish their drinks any minute and are going to be begging for the speed dating rounds.”
“What about Gage?” Gem mentions with a pointed look.
“What about him?”
“Did you see that he came to the keynote speaker event?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you see that he couldn’t take his eyes off you?”
I roll my eyes. “You’re ridiculous. Call it a hunch, but I don’t think Gage is really the forever type, either.”
“One,” Gem raises her forefinger. “You are one-hundred-percent the forever type. You just need to get over the fact that your brother broke his soulmate’s heart. You still have a chance to be very happily married if you’d put yourself out there. And two,” she raises her middle finger to join her first one in the air. “You have no idea what kind of guy Gage is or what he wants in life. I mean, do you even know his sign?”