by Adams, S. C.
“Good thing you’re on this cruise, then. You’ll be on a few different islands.”
“I know! It’s really exciting.”
“I grew up in Florida, too,” I say after a few beats of silence. “But North Florida. The Panhandle.”
Abby studies me. “I can see that,” she says. “You have a North Florida vibe to you.”
“Is that a compliment or an insult?”
“It’s a statement,” she says.
“I’ll take it.”
A knock on the door stops our conversation. I take the food tray from the steward and offer him a large tip, which he accepts gratefully. A lot of people don’t realize how much work the cruise staff puts in to make sure a cruise goes off without a hitch, so they don’t tip them as well as they would a waiter in a restaurant. I can’t make up for everyone, but I do my best. My cruise line would fail without the onboard staff members keeping things running.
“Breakfast is served,” I announce, sitting cross-legged on the bed. Abby adjusts herself so that she’s facing me. I’m sure it’s not on purpose, but her position gives me an excellent view up her dress.
Abby cuts up her pancakes, and I dig into my waffles. We eat in silence for a few minutes, savoring the delicious breakfast.
“These pancakes are amazing,” she says. “Don’t tell her I said this, but they’re better than the ones my mom makes.”
I laugh. “Your secret is safe with me.”
It doesn’t take long for us to finish our breakfasts; both of us clean our plates completely.
“What are your plans for today?” Abby asks when she sets her plate back down on the tray.
“Actually,” I say, an idea half forming in my brain. “There’s a high-stakes poker tournament on the island today, and after that, I’m not doing anything. Would you like to come with me to the tournament?”
Her eyes widen, and I immediately know I did the right thing. Her brown eyes fill with excitement, and her bosom heaves as a smile graces that pretty face.
“That sounds like fun, Carter. I’d love to see you in action.”
We share a smirk at the innuendo.
“Are you sure? I don’t want for you to be bored, and I don’t want to take you away from your friends.”
“I’m absolutely sure. It’ll be fun, and you can show me around the island afterward.”
“Okay,” I consent. Do I really get to spend the day with this beautiful woman? How did I get so lucky?
I bet the luck will continue at the table because I have a good feeling about Abby. She’s my lucky charm, I know it.
The curvy girl stands up from the bed and starts to gather her clothes.
“But first, I have to go change. Have you seen my key card?”
I spot the plastic under my desk chair. It must have flown across the room when I took off her dress last night.
I pick it up and hold it out to her, but when she grabs it, I grip it tighter.
“Carter!” she laughs. “I need to change.”
“I have a better idea,” I say, grabbing her hips and pulling them flush against me. “How about round two?”
She meets my eyes shyly. “Are you sure?”
I pull her tighter so she can feel just how sure I am, then I kiss her. Her lips attack mine with the same passion I feel toward her.
We fall onto the bed, knocking the remnants of breakfast onto the floor. I’ll have to clean that up later, but right now, there’s something way more important for me to do.
7
Abby
I adjust my dress outside the door to my room, making sure it doesn’t look like I threw it on after a quickie, even though that’s totally what I did. Slowly, I wobble down the hall, praying no one sees me. The walk of shame is the walk of shame, even while on a cruise ship.
Fortunately, no one is around and I’m soon back to my own berth. My key card unlocks the door, and I push inside, greeted by a cloud of hairspray.
“Morning,” I say to the girls while trying not to choke. Both Cait and Jessica are in the middle of their usual beauty routine. It’s a good thing I’m a heavy sleeper. It takes me a fraction of the time to get ready in the morning, so I can sleep until they’re almost done and still leave at the same time as they do.
“Oh, thank God!” Caitlyn says, pulling me into a hug. “We were worried about you.”
“Sorry,” is my apology. “I didn’t have my phone.”
Jessica steps out of the bathroom wearing just a towel around her slim body. “It’s okay, babe. Now tell us: how was the hunk?”
I blush. “Um, why?”
Both girls roll their eyes.
“Come on,” says Jess. “You guys were doing mad kissy face at the bar last night. Now how was it?”
Mad kissy-face. The phrase makes me giggle, and I give in.
“He was amazing,” is my admission. “Absolutely mouthwatering.”
But Cait puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head exasperatedly.
“No way. We need more than that. Our guys were duds, and we need to live vicariously through you,” she huffs.
“Come on,” I plead. “I don’t want to kiss and tell.”
But she shakes her head firmly again.
“It’s not kissing and telling because we’re your best buds, girlfriend. We’re also your co-workers, so if you don’t tell us now, you will in the future, rest assured. But why wait? Just tell us what happened and we’ll leave you alone. Or would you rather we share our speculations with you?” she asks coyly.
“Now I’m curious,” is my droll reply.
Caitlyn smirks. “Well, our first thought was that you were murdered and thrown overboard by the attractive cruise ship owner. That would have made for a great story when we got home.”
“I’m glad my death would have been a great story,” I say dryly.
“I would have made millions writing it, I swear,” she jokes. “Since you obviously didn’t meet an untimely demise last night, you must have gotten laid. Jessica here thinks that Carter is totally vanilla. Probably turned the lights off, made you blow him, and then humped you for a few minutes until he came. Then you both fell asleep – you because he bored you and him because that much exertion was exhausting. Close?”
A heat forms between my legs from just thinking about Carter and me together last night. “Not even close,” I tell them both. “You couldn’t be more wrong, actually.”
Her face lights up. “Excellent because my theory was that Carter took you to his room, which is actually his torture den. Whips, chains, and all that good stuff. Definitely feathers. What was your safe word?”
I laugh at that one.
“Okay, maybe you could be more wrong. It wasn’t like that, either.”
She looks disappointed. “Then what was it like, Abby?”
I sigh and sit down on Jessica’s bed. “It was amazing. He didn’t make me go down on him at all last night, even though I was prepared to. He… well, let me just say, the man’s mouth is good for more than just talking. And he was very loving. Gentle. Tender. He was incredible, as well as insanely hot and manly.”
“Why did you specifically say he didn’t make you go down on him last night?”
My blush deepens. “Well, because I went down on him this morning?”
Both girls gasp and dissolve into a fit of giggles. “Oh my GOD –you had a morning quickie, didn’t you?” Jessica practically screams. I hope our neighbors are gone already.
“Would you keep it down?” I hiss, struggling to keep my composure. “It was just as good this morning as it was last night, even though it was a lot faster. He still went down on me, and I did him, and then there was a sixty nine, and then … well, you get the idea.”
Their laughter gets even louder. “You’re my hero,” Jessica snorts, bowing down in front of me. “Only you could get the cruise line OWNER in bed after a night out and then get him again in the morning.”
I’m not sure if she means that as a compliment, bu
t I choose to believe it is. “I wouldn’t have done it without you guys. Thanks for pushing me.”
“That’s what we’re here for,” Caitlyn says. She squeezes my shoulder and returns to the mirror to finish her make-up. Now that my story is over, I’m dismissed. “So, what are our plans for the island today? Drinks, tanning, and dipping our feet in the clear blue waters?”
“I heard there’s a volleyball tournament going on later. We should totally join. Remember when we played at the company picnic last near? We killed!”
“Ooh,” Caitlyn says. “I love that idea. Work on our tans AND our calves. Excellent plan. You in, Abby?”
I bite my lip. “Actually, Carter kind of asked me to spend the day with him on the island.”
The room goes completely silent. Caitlyn stares at me, her make-up brush poised close to her skin but not quite touching. Jessica holds a shirt halfway out of the closet, her eyes wide.
“You’re not being serious right now,” Caitlyn finally says after an eternal silence. “You’re playing a prank on us, right? Because there’s no way you’re spending the day with Carter.”
Her certainty hurts. Why wouldn’t I be spending a day with Carter? “I’m not joking. He’s playing in some poker tournament and asked if I wanted to come watch.”
“Let me get this straight,” Jessica says, giving me her full attention, her clothing choices long forgotten in the closet behind her. “You’re going to spend the day inside watching some rich guys play poker instead of joining us on the island you’ve been talking about nonstop since we booked this trip?”
Well, when she puts it that way…
No. I won’t let my friends make me feel bad about this. I’m a big girl. I get to make my own decisions, even if they don’t like them.
“The tournament isn’t going to last all day, and Carter said he’d show me around the island afterward. I’m sure he’d be happy to give you guys a tour, too.”
Jessica scoffs. “Wow, how generous of him.”
Caitlyn doesn’t say anything, but I can tell that she’s huffy.
“Why are you being like this?” I ask them. “I thought you’d be happy for me. I mean, I’m spending time with a guy, and I know you guys wanted me to get out. Isn’t this what cruises are for?”
“We’re happy for you,” Jessica says while taking a deep breath. “I just don’t get why Carter asked you to cancel your plans to spend the day with him. I mean, this is supposed to be a friendship cruise. Don’t we mean anything to you?”
“Of course you do,” I protest. “It’s just that he’s really amazing and he’s invited me out. What’s so bad about that?”
“That’s not it,” Caitlyn tries to say. “We’re just trying to figure out what happened to make him want you around all day. I mean, can’t he just magic you away for three hours in the evening? Why does he have to commandeer all of your time?”
“You’re being bitches,” I spit. It’s harsh, but it’s true. “Seriously, I met a guy. You should be jumping with joy for me, so what’s your problem? You know I never get lucky like this in real life.”
Jessica puts a hand on my shoulder, but I shrug her off. She tries again.
“Come on, Abby, we care about you. We just don’t want you to get hurt because guys like Carter are usually looking for one thing only, especially when they’re on vacation. What happens on the cruise, stays on the cruise. I bet he has a girl in every port. Heck, I bet he hooks up with the waitresses and staff members if he can’t find a willing female guest. It seemed like he knew that female server at the club pretty well, remember? What was her name? Vanessa?”
This incenses me.
“First, Carter can get any woman he wants, so I don’t think he’s hooking up with just anyone, like you seem to think. Second, he didn’t know Vanessa, and they weren’t overly familiar at the club like you’re implying. Third, why can’t I be his hook-up? You think I can’t handle it? Do you think that Carter doesn’t really want me because I’m not a twig like you guys?”
My friends gasp.
“What?” Caitlyn says. She looks taken aback. I’ve never spoken to them like this before. “We didn’t say anything like that.”
I stand and start to storm around the room.
“Well, you don’t have to! You think I’m some kind of pity fuck for him, don’t you? Earth to Mars because it’s not true.”
“You’re putting words in our mouths, Abby,” Jess says in a soothing tone. “Calm down.”
But I can’t calm down. With a snarl, I turn on them.
“I shouldn’t have bothered coming back here.”
I push past Jessica, grab my favorite dress and undergarments from the closet, and lock myself in the bathroom. I wait for the tears, but they don’t come. Maybe I’m blowing this out of proportion. The girls are probably upset that I’m not hanging out with them since we took this trip together. But still, it’s only one day. We still have almost a week left, and chilling with Carter is a once in a lifetime experience. Why can’t I have fun for once?
Slowly, I put on a red mini-dress. It hugs my curves and flatters my cleavage with its deep scoopneck and stops mid-thigh. I step into red stilettos and fluff out my hair while reapplying lipstick. Carter will love this outfit, I can tell, and damn Jessica and Caitlyn for making me feel like I’m not enough for the billionaire.
With determined eyes, I open the door. But neither of my friends are looking to fight.
“Wow,” Caitlyn says quietly when she sees me. “You look great.” That’s the exact reaction I’m looking for. I feel like a Bond girl in the knee-length, silky dress. It’s perfect for a poker tournament.
“Thanks,” I say. “Maybe I’ll see you on the island. Or maybe I’ll be too busy offering favors in return for male company. Who knows?”
Okay. Maybe I’m still a little angry with them – as I should be. They’re being ridiculous.
“Abby,” Jessica wheedles, “Come on. We really do love you. We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Carter is lucky to be spending the day with you.”
“Whatever,” I say, although the apology is nice. I quickly pack up my beach things and throw my bag over my shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”
Out in the hallway, I stop to take a deep breath. That didn’t go anything like I’d expected. In my mind, Caitlyn and Jessica had jumped for joy that Carter asked me out. Their actual reaction had taken me by surprise.
I need to push them out of my brain right now. I’m wearing a beautiful dress, and a hot guy is waiting to take me out on his private island to watch him play cards. It’s like I’m starring in a movie!
Caitlyn and Jessica can be bitter all they want. I’m going to enjoy today, and hopefully, I’ll enjoy more of Carter later tonight.
8
Abby
The casino is straight out of a movie scene. Velvet purple walls cushion us within a private room, and there’s an elaborate gold candelabra above the poker table. The dealer is wearing an old-timey suit with elastics around his elbows, and pretty girls in short skirts serve drinks. But I’m not watching them because two things are clear after the first round of Carter’s poker tournament.
One: these people have a lot of money.
Two: Carter is really smart. And I mean really smart. He’s barely lost any hands during the round. His pile of chips keeps growing, and the other guys at the table are giving him dirty looks.
The dealer lets the four guys left at Carter’s table know that they’ll start play again in fifteen minutes. Three of them get up to stretch, have a cigarette, and chase down cocktail waitresses for a drink. Carter stays in his seat, fiddling with his pile of chips.
“You can sit,” he says, motioning to the vacated seat next to him. “Just don’t touch the chips.”
“Okay.” I pull out the maroon, satin-covered chair and sit carefully to avoid showing my underwear to any lingering patrons.
“So, what do you think? You’re not totally bored, are you?”
I place my hand on his muscular arm. “No! It’s interesting watching you in action. You’re good.”
He shrugs. “I get a lot of practice. I play weekly tournaments like this.”
I try to wrap my head around how much money that would be. The buy-in for this tournament alone is more than I’ve made in my entire life, and these guys hand it over like pocket change.
Maybe Jess and Caitlyn are right. Maybe I don’t belong; maybe I shouldn’t be hanging around with a guy like Carter.
“What’s on your mind?” he asks, his expression quizzical.
“Sorry,” I say. “I was lost in my head for a minute.”
“No worries.”
“How did you start this business? Was it a family thing?” I ask, looking to change the subject.
He smiles. “I started it on my own, actually. I was twenty years old, screwing around with business classes in college, when I saw an ad for a river boat for sale. Luckily, my credit score was good. I got a bank loan and bought the thing for super cheap. The guy just wanted to offload it.”
Carter leans toward me as he tells his story. His face is bright, and his hands are gesturing like crazy. It’s clear he’s passionate about his business.
“That ended up being my first cruise ship. I did trips up and down the Mississippi River with less than a hundred guests at a time. I talked to people at all of the ports along the river and figured out fun excursions for the guests to pay extra for. I arranged for partnerships with fishing companies, hiking tours, and other shore fun. After the first year, word got around, and I had a budget for advertising, so we were selling out every cruise. After five years, we had three boats doing different cruises down the Mississippi.”
“That’s incredible,” I say.
He shrugs, a slight blushing forming on his cheeks. “Sorry. You’re probably bored to death listening to me ramble about my business venture.”
“No!” I assure him. “It’s really interesting. How did you end up with regular cruise ships? Do you still have a Mississippi line?”
