Chapter Four
Touring the ship proved to be the perfect way to take my mind off Tim and his engagement. Asher gave me a lot to think about. Had I really allowed someone to control my emotions for so many years? How did Tim’s silent control affect who I was now? Thinking about it made me sick to my stomach, but when we found the ship’s library, I settled. Surrounding myself with the musty smell of books, immersing my brain into the imaginations of hundreds of authors, always calmed me.
Asher didn’t care that I spent over an hour running my hands over the spines of the books. From Jane Austen to Stephen King, the ship’s library offered something for everyone. He flipped through a few magazines as I took my time reading through poetry from Maya Angelou. Her words always touched me, and they seemed to be just what I needed.
We left the library and took our time checking out the pool, sports decks, and the bars. People watching kept us entertained. So many different types of people filled the ship, from young professionals and college kids to retired folks decked out in elastic pants and brightly colored shirts. There were also plenty of families chasing around their kids. The people who were part of the Sassy Singles cruise my travel agent told me about were easily spotted as they seemed to travel in a group. They looked, at least to me, as if they’d walked off the set of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Only a rose ceremony was missing.
“I don’t know what took me so long to take a cruise. Tim actually mentioned it a few times, but we never pulled the trigger on it. I’m not sure why.”
“Do I need to tell you why?”
“Because Tim’s a doofus. Got it.” I rolled my eyes at him, which seemed to be my favorite reaction to anything he said, and he gently tapped my hand as we walked. After his hand grazed mine, his touch lingered for a moment, and I almost reached out and interlaced our fingers. Where did that come from? Maybe just being the two of us on the trip on our own. I wasn’t used to spending so much time with Asher—and any of it alone. Back in our room he’d made me feel so much more than the girl no one wanted to marry. I felt nothing but love from him, no matter how platonic.
“Do you think you’ll hook up with anyone while you’re here?”
I didn’t like Asher’s line of questioning. No, I didn’t plan on it. Charlotte wanted that for me for some odd reason. I didn’t work like that. I couldn’t meet someone and hop into bed with him. I wanted—needed—commitment. Asher had to know that about me. And even though I’d been on a few dates since my breakup with Tim, it hadn’t yet been a full year. There were still times I found myself calling out his name when I got home from work or almost dialing his number when something exciting happened. Heck, I’d only recently removed him from my emergency contact list. I needed time, and plenty of it.
We strolled into a boutique as I ignored his question. I loved shopping. There were so many trinkets, fragrances, and even clothing in the store. I loved the ambience, like an upscale shop on Rodeo Drive or something, not that I’d ever been there. Though Tim had been. He’d been all over the country. Never once did he ask me to go with him.
Ugh. Tim. I needed to erase him and that engagement announcement from my mind. Charlotte meant well, but I really wished she hadn’t sent it to me. It wasn’t as though I would have found out about it while aboard the ship.
“Oh! I love this perfume!” I picked a bottle of Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming by Dior off the shelf. “I remember how much I loved it the first time I smelled it. I never bought it, though.” Tim told me I didn’t need perfume, that I smelled fine how I was. The more I thought about it, the more I considered maybe he didn’t want me to smell good.
“Buy it.”
I flipped the bottle over to check the price. “It’s almost one hundred dollars!” I set the bottle back down where it belonged. It wasn’t unlike me to splurge every once in a while, but we hadn’t even left shore yet. I didn’t want to spend too much money before we even docked at any ports. A coworker had told me about all the fun shopping experiences, and I wanted to save my money for that.
Asher reached out and took the bottle off the shelf. “It’s on me. You deserve this.”
“What? No. You are not buying this for me.” I tried to take it away from him, but he turned his body so I couldn’t reach.
“Nope. Consider it an early birthday present. I’m not taking no for an answer. And if you keep telling me no, I’ll just buy you two.”
I didn’t want him to purchase the perfume for me, but I also knew Asher. He wouldn’t give up. I’d let him buy it for me, and then the first port we stopped at, I’d spring for something for him. Yeah, I’d do that.
“Fine. You can buy me one bottle.”
Asher smiled in victory and took the bottle to the register. He paid, and as we exited the boutique, he asked again, “Do you think you’ll meet anyone, then? Are you planning on attending one of the singles events?”
“God, no. I don’t do mixers. It’s a bunch of horny people making obnoxious chitchat while trying not to throw up over nerves.”
“You paint a beautiful picture. That’s a definite no, then?”
I let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know. Maybe. We’ll see.” Our strides slowed, and we walked at a snail’s pace. Asher had never taken such an interest in my love life before. Then again, I’d been with Tim for so long. “Why are you so concerned about me hooking up this week? Are you trying to win a bet with Charlotte or something?”
“A bet? No. That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I wouldn’t put it past Charlotte.”
Asher laughed. “Neither would I actually. She likes to implant herself into everyone’s business. Even better if she makes some money on it.”
That spoke truth on so many levels. Charlotte loved to gamble. She tried to convince me to take a trip to Vegas for her thirtieth birthday. I hated telling her no, but I had seen her in action too many times. Multiple days surrounded by food and slot machines wouldn’t end well for her bank account. I knew there was a casino on the ship, but at least there would have been other things to distract her from spending all her time there.
“I just want to know if I should plan on being by myself a lot.”
“Hey, I’m not that type of person. I won’t dump you for some guy. You know that.”
He opened his mouth as if to say something but didn’t. Did he think I was the kind of person to put men before friends? I always included him and Charlotte when Tim and I did something. I never wanted to make either of them feel like a third wheel.
“There are plenty of singles events, though, like you said. Feel free to pick up any women now that Samantha is out of the picture.” I didn’t want him to think he couldn’t have fun because he was here with me.
“Aw, you remembered her name.”
“Don’t ask me how. Shall we find you a lady?”
“Me? No. I’m good. After Samantha, I promised myself some time off from the dating pool. But you—you should have some fun.”
“Do I look like Charlotte?” I didn’t wear one-night stands like badges of honor. I didn’t even have one-night stands.
“Speaking of hooking up, there’s a gentleman eyeing you from the bar over there.” Asher pointed to the bar on our left, making it obvious we were looking in the man’s direction.
“Don’t point!” I shoved his hand out of the way like we were in the grade school cafeteria and he pointed out a crush. I glanced into the bar, though, and didn’t hate what I saw.
The man sat at the bar, his hand wrapped around a glass. His combed-back hair reminded me of Andy Garcia in Oceans 11. He sported a beard, unlike the character, but it wasn’t so full it defined him. No, it was just full enough to almost prove he could grow a beard. It made him look important, though, like he was the CEO of a large company, or a lawyer perhaps. I did find him attractive.
He raised his glass in my direction to acknowledge me and nodded his head to invite me over. He didn’t seem to care that a man stood next to me.
Had I stared long enough to engage him? I only intended to sneak a peek and move on. A single woman at the bar drinking with what I assumed to be a single man only suggested a romantic rendezvous. I didn’t want to lead him—or myself—on.
“Go,” Asher urged me. “See what he has to say.”
I barely had time to gather my thoughts before he had his hand on my back trying to push me toward the bar. “I don’t think so.”
“Yes! Why not? What’s the worst that can happen?”
“Well, let me go down the list. I can go over there and find out he wasn’t trying to get my attention. Maybe he wants to talk to you. Or I say hello, make a fool of myself, and I see him constantly on this cruise and die of embarrassment. Or he can be the most incredible person and I tell him I want to get married and he bolts.”
Asher laughed so hard sound didn’t even come out of his mouth. “You and your overactive brain. So what if you make a fool of yourself? And you know as much as I do that you’re not going to marry this guy. Just say hello.”
I did have a way of taking my anxiety and throwing it into overdrive. There wasn’t anything wrong with meeting new people, and just saying hello didn’t commit me to him. I wasn’t imprinting on him like Jacob did to Bella and Edward’s baby in the Twilight series. Still, I didn’t want to approach him alone. “Fine. I’ll go. But you come with me. That’s the only way I’m doing this.”
“You don’t need a wingman. This dude wants to talk to you. Go!” He pushed my back, and I almost tripped as the man stood up and walked toward me. I turned to yell at Asher, but he was gone. That jerk! He’d hear it from me when I saw him later.
“Excuse me, miss?” the man said. His voice was deep like a voice-over in a movie trailer, and I imagined that suave voice saying, In a world where Isla Hunter always made a fool of herself . . . “My name is Jack. I was hoping you’d allow me to buy you a drink.”
It wasn’t even one in the afternoon yet. Under normal circumstances, I’d consider that too early for alcohol. I was on vacation, though, right? Besides, Asher literally threw me into the situation. Maybe a drink would help me through.
“I’m Isla Hunter. And sure, let’s have a drink.” Why did I tell him my last name? Charlotte advised me against that. There are a ton of creeps out there, she’d said before I left. You don’t want some guy obsessing over you and hunting you down online. You’ll end up as a story on 20/20. I doubted anyone would stalk me, but I understood her concern. I kicked myself for breaking that rule. That was actually Charlotte’s number one rule. Yet she hooked up at random guys’ apartments. Sometimes I didn’t understand her logic.
As an avid rule follower, even bending this tiny one made my adrenaline rush a little. It wasn’t as if I broke a law, but it went against my personality to go against the grain. What was this feeling, this blood-pumping, sweaty, shaking legs feeling? Excitement. It had to be excitement.
I followed Jack to the bar where he ordered a whiskey sour. That sounded good, so I ordered the same. I slid onto the barstool next to him and caught a whiff of his cologne. Not too overpowering, but vibrant, and I picked up on a zesty bouquet of bergamot, juniper, and rosemary. Not bad.
“Isla is a beautiful name. What do you do, Isla?”
When he finished speaking, his jaw tightened, squaring off as he awaited a reply. I gazed beyond him, hoping to find Asher but no such luck.
“Thank you. I’m a librarian at my local library.”
“Very nice.” He sipped his drink, making a loud and obnoxious “Aaah” sound after he swallowed. “How long have you been doing that?”
His conversation seemed rehearsed as though he had a lineup especially for when he met women. I supposed a lot of men could have done it that way. If he had a list of no-fail questions to get to know a woman, why deviate from the script?
“Almost six years now. I lucked out and found the job right after college. The group of people I work with are amazing. I’ll tell you, there’s nothing like helping someone discover their love of reading for the first time. People who tell me they don’t love to read just haven’t found the right book yet. I like to be the one to show them that book.”
“That’s a perfect way to look at it.”
“Are you a reader?” I needed to know. Reading came as a deal-breaker for me. I required it in a relationship. I couldn’t date someone who didn’t have a passion for reading. Though I needed to remember I wasn’t here to date. Nothing that lasted longer than the time on the cruise ship. Did it really matter, then, if he liked to read?
“Yes, actually, I am.”
My heart jumped with excitement when he said that. One check mark off the list. He was handsome too. A handsome reader. A good combination.
“I prefer historical fiction,” he continued. “I like to have facts strung in with my books. There’s something about taking an event that happened and fictionalizing it. So many questions can arise—and be answered—that way.”
“Yes. I like that. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, honestly, but I definitely appreciate it. What line of work are you in?” Something super elite, I assumed, by the way he was dressed and carried himself. Not many boarded the ship in dark slacks and a business jacket.
Jack unbuttoned his jacket and leaned back slightly. “Guess.”
“You want me to guess?”
“Yeah. It’ll be fun.”
I didn’t think it really would be. I was terrible at those games. You’d never catch me playing a game like I Spy or Pictionary. I guessed wrong every single try. But I’d give it a go to humor him.
“Okay.” I leaned back as well, framing my hands around his face. He kept a strong, motionless face as I thought about the possibilities. “I think I’m going with lawyer. But not just any lawyer. You represent big people. Celebrities even.”
“Really? You’re going with lawyer?”
“Well, I was going to, but now I think I’m wrong.”
“Okay, take another guess.”
I pushed my lips together as I ran down different careers in my head. Maybe a news anchor? A broker? A senator? “Doctor.”
“My brother is the doctor in the family.”
“The CEO of an international company?”
Now he laughed. “You are not good at this.”
“No, I’m not. What is it then? I give up.”
“I’m your friendly, neighborhood—”
“Spider-Man? You’re Spider-Man?”
“I wish!” Jack tossed his hands out as though he were shooting webs from his wrist. “I am a bit like a superhero, though. I’m a garbage man. Or sanitation worker, if you’re worried about being politically correct.”
“We probably would have been here the entire cruise if you made me keep guessing. It never crossed my mind.”
“I like it.” He took his drink back in his hand and held on to it. “Decent money, awesome tips over the holiday season, and I really feel like I’m doing something.”
“What’s with the business attire?”
“I wear overalls all day and smell like garbage. I like to dress up when I’m not on the truck.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.” As I took a drink, my ears perked up at the music playing. “Feel This Moment” by Pitbull with Christina Aguilera. The first time I heard this song Tim and I were in the car arguing about something. I couldn’t even remember about what. It didn’t matter. We both talked above each other trying to make our own points. The next thing I knew, his hands left the wheel for less than five seconds and he had to swerve to miss an oncoming car, crashing us into a stop sign. We both walked away without a scratch. I wished I could say the same for Tim’s BMW.
We didn’t talk to each other for almost an entire day after that happened. We were in a car accident, and he refused to speak to me because he thought it was my fault the car crashed. We had started dating only a few months before. That should have been my first clue we weren’t meant to be together. Most people are happy to be alive
and grateful for each other after something like that. He only wanted me to pay his deductible to get his car fixed.
He still had that damn BMW when we broke up.
I stared back at Jack, his deep-set, brown eyes eyeing me back, inviting me to take a chance, to take all that I knew over the past years with Tim and toss it out the window.
Learn to have fun. Live in the moment. I wanted to, boy did I want to. Maybe turning thirty was a chance to reinvent myself. The only problem was, who would I find?
Chapter Five
As much as I fought Asher on meeting Jack, I found myself enjoying Jack’s company. We shared a few common interests, including exes we both were better off without. His previous girlfriend, Joanna, played the working late game while having an affair with her boss. Jack wanted to propose and even picked out a ring. Thankfully, he hadn’t purchased it before he found out.
When the ship officially took sail, Jack and I were still at the bar. I didn't know where Asher had run off to, and I wasn’t sure I cared. I’d see him later in our room. I realized I missed the company of strangers—the moments when you opened up to someone new and shared stories you’d shared so many times but with someone who’d never heard them before.
If Asher had checked in on me, I didn’t notice. Jack kept me busy with conversation and drinks. By the time we finished our third drink, dinnertime had arrived. We headed down to Mount Othyrus together. The dining room was a decent size, a mix of rectangular and circular tables with white tablecloths and maroon chairs with a crisscross pattern on the fabric. The carpeting had a zigzag pattern with deep burgundy leaves displayed throughout.
I looked around and spotted Asher sitting at a table with a young woman. She had short blonde hair and earrings three times too big for her head. I considered saying hello and sitting with them, but Jack took my arm and pulled me to a table in the opposite direction.
“Your friend looks like he’s having a nice time. Perhaps we should leave him be.”
Circle in the Sand (Oceanic Dreams #3) Page 3
