Play Along

by T L Swan

  My heart sinks.

  Her sad smile fades. “He loved me too much to let me dance with someone.”

  “Is that how you wish it was?”

  “It was just a stupid fantasy. My lifeline.” She sighs

  “Is that why you know how to fight, to protect yourself in case he came?”

  “Yes.” She wipes her eyes angrily. “I’m going to kill him one day. I have to.”

  “Yes. You do,” I mutter into the darkness. “Revenge is a powerful motivator,” I whisper.

  “He’s going to suffer.”

  “I will make sure of it,” I breathe.

  11

  Rosh.

  I clutch the party invitation tightly in my hand. It’s taken me eight years to get an invitation to a party—my first one. I’m so excited and I run all the way home with my friends to tell Mom. I come around the street corner and my face falls as I see mom dragging a large suitcase down the front steps.

  Oh no, not again.

  “Mom?” I ask as I walk toward her.

  She fakes a brave smile. “We have to go, sweetie.”

  I shake my head. “But…” I don’t want to go. I finally have friends. I have a party. I glance to my three friends who live on my street. They have no idea what she is talking about. I wish I didn’t.

  “Say goodbye to your friends, baby.” She gestures to them as she grabs my hand and brushes my hair back from my face.

  Tears fill my eyes. “I have a party on Saturday. Ellen invited me to her party. Can we just stay until Saturday?” I whisper.

  Mom’s face falls and her eyes flicker up to my friends as they all wait. “Next time,” she murmurs.

  There will be no next time.

  “Say goodbye, Rosh,” she urges as she squeezes my hand in hers.

  * * *

  “Here, you are going to need these.” He passes me a large yellow envelope. “Inside you have your new passport and three utility bills in your name so you can open a bank account.”

  “Thanks.” I look down at the envelope in my hand, my ticket to freedom, and I clutch it tightly. The boat is docking in Columbia as we speak and Stace—I mean Mac—is letting me off the ship. The plans have changed and now I’m not going to Puerto Rico, apparently, but that suits me fine. It gets me away from him quicker… him and Chelsea. I’m pissed at myself that his words last night about being bored in our cabin cut me like a knife, and I just want to get the hell away from him as soon as possible.

  He is not good for my sanity, but then again I’m not sure Columbia is a much safer option. I will, however, be glad to rid myself of this cabin fever bullshit.

  “You will have to apply for a driver’s licence yourself and you may have to go through your learner program again, we can’t get past that one.”

  I nod. “Okay.”

  “It’s probably best to open a few bank accounts as soon as you get to mainland because the utilities are still in date now.”

  “Yes, okay.” My eyes hold his. “Thank you.”

  A frown crosses his brow as he looks down at me.

  “I sincerely mean that. You didn’t have to save me, yet you did.” I smile softly.

  He puts both of his hands into his pockets as he stares down at me as if scared to touch me. He has a good reason. I’m feeling unstable after he went to Chelsea last night. If he touches me, he’s going down.

  “Can I have a goodbye kiss?” he asks hopefully.

  The electricity zaps between us.

  “No.” I cut him off before he has time to retaliate. Why would I want to kiss him? So another fucking asshole can bring me undone? No, thank you. Alone and safe is a much better option.

  He frowns in question.

  “I don’t want to kiss you. I’m done with us. It was fun while it lasted, let’s just leave it at that?”

  He shakes his head in frustration as if knowing that I am lying through my teeth.

  The horn on the boat sounds loudly.

  I look toward our cabin door and screw up my face as I feel the adrenaline shoot through my blood stream. “This is it?”

  He nods.

  “How will I get off the ship. Are they going to search me or anything?”

  He shakes his head. “No, they will think you are one of the girls who travels with us. We come here regularly. They know us.”

  I nod as I think.

  “So, you will show your passport to them.”

  “Oh. What’s my name?” I quickly open the envelope and then the passport. My face drops in horror. My deadpan, horrid face stares back at me, and I look like something from America’s most wanted. “C-could you not have picked a worse photo?” I stammer. “Oh, that’s woeful.” I scan down at the name Rebecca Williams.

  He gave me his surname, although he doesn’t know that I know what it is.

  “Rebecca?” I ask.

  He shrugs as if embarrassed. “I can’t really imagine you with a name not starting with R.”

  “Where did Williams come from?”

  “I just like it, that’s all,” he replies casually.

  I smile broadly. “It’s a nice name.” I narrow my eyes at the photo again and I wince. “God, that’s hideous.”

  He takes it from me and studies it with a sarcastic smile covering his face. “That’s not so bad?”

  My eyes widen. “Not so bad? It’s fucking evil.”

  He laughs out loud and it’s a sound that permeates through my bones. “It is a bit evil looking, if I’m honest.”

  My mouth drops open in shock that he just said that. “You are no gentleman. You could at least pretend it’s a good shot.”

  He drops his hand to my behind. “I never said I was a gentleman.”

  I look up at him and it’s there again—the electricity zapping between us. We both stay still as we feel it, our eyes searching each other’s.

  If only…

  No, stop it!

  I break from his clutches and he drops his head.

  “I need to go to the bathroom,” I murmur.

  “Okay.” He hesitates for a moment as he watches me. “I will meet you on deck?”

  I nod and walk into the bathroom and hear the click as he leaves. I wait for a few minutes and run to my hiding spot and grab my diamonds in my sock. Where the hell am I going to put these babies? The bulge in the bottom of the sock is big, too big to put you know where, as I had planned. Maybe I should leave some behind? No!

  Fucking hell, am I really going to sneak stolen diamonds into Columbia?

  My heart is hammering. What if I get caught?

  What if I don’t?

  I let myself imagine getting away with it. My life will take a completely different turn. I will have money, lots and lots of money. No identity, I can travel the world alone and be pain free.

  I untie the sock and slide out the diamonds and put them onto the sink one by one. I then take off my bra and feel around on the inside of each cup. This should do it.

  Using Stace’s razor, I nick a little hole in the top of each cup and slide the diamonds into the lining of each bra cup. I put it on and then push them down so they sit underneath my two breasts. I jiggle my boobs around to see if they are going to come out and I smile broadly.

  I should be a fucking inventor or something.

  I grab my handbag and take one long last look around the cabin that has been both my Heaven and my Hell for the past fourteen days. I started this journey being tied to his bed and ended it wishing I was tied to him.

  Even in my wildest dreams I couldn’t make this shit up.

  Couldn’t make him up.

  I get a vision of the beautiful man above me, his body in mine.

  The way he looked at me, they way he made me feel.

  With one last, deep, regretful inhale, I leave my prison and make my way up on deck.

  * * *

  It’s hot, so bloody hot.

  In fact, I would say molten lava doesn’t get this fucking hot. I am waiting in line outside the custo
m office on the Columbia side of the dock to get off the ship, and I am sweating like a pig.

  Oh dear God, just let me get out of here alive. If they find the diamonds on me, I’m dead. They probably just shoot people on the docks here.

  No questions will be asked and even he won’t protect me, I know that for sure.

  I count the people in front of us. One, two, three… Ten, there are ten that are in front and another eight have gone through already. Everyone is super keen to get on dry land, so it seems.

  I watch the cement ground underneath us, petrified to make eye contact with anyone in case they can tell I’m lying… or stealing, or whatever the hell this is.

  There is a woman and two men checking passports and they seem to know everyone as they chat and laugh happily with the crew as they walk through.

  Stace squeezes my hand that is nestled tightly within his and he bends and kisses my cheek. “Will you relax?”

  I fake a smile and nod.

  He slings his arm around my shoulders casually. “What do you want to do today, baby?” he asks in a loud voice so others can hear.

  I force a fake smile. “I don’t know. I have never been here before I am so excited. When do we have to be back on the ship?” I reply.

  “We leave port at 6pm tomorrow night.”

  “So we are staying in Columbia overnight?” I frown.

  He nods and winks, unleashing his cheeky, boyish grin.

  Huh? Is he telling me this so that they can hear or is he telling me this because he wants me to know?

  I just want to get out of here with my diamonds. The sweat runs down between my breasts. “It’s so fucking hot,” I whisper in annoyance. “I can’t handle this shit.”

  He raises his eyebrow sexily. “Who are you kidding? You invented hot.”

  I smirk and drop my head as my heart flutters in my chest. Stop it. Stop being so damn likable, asshole.

  Our turn finally comes, and Stace takes the reins and hands over both of our passports. “How many ships have you done in the last few days?” he asks as a distraction.

  The two men reply with something. I don’t know what they are saying because all I can hear is my thieving heart trying to escape from my chest. The guy looks at our two passports and smiles and hands them back before waving us through the turnstile.

  Oh my God.

  I’m through.

  I bite my bottom lip to stop myself from breaking into a broad smile.

  Stace ushers me into a waiting cab and then surprisingly climbs in behind me. Huh?

  The driver turns. “Where to?”

  “Bogota,” Stace replies. “Bog Hotel.”

  My eyes widen. “Bog Hotel?” I ask. “Are you joking?”

  He smiles with a shake of his head. “It’s nice. Trust me.”

  I nod and think for a minute. “Are we dropping you somewhere first?”

  “No, of course not.” He subtly points to the driver with his chin.

  I glance up at the driver as his eyes flick up to us in the rear view mirror.

  Shit. I turn and look out the window in annoyance. You can’t even trust a fucking cab driver. The trip is long, over an hour, but I don’t mind. I’m hanging out the window like a dog, lapping up the scenery. The place is colourful and alive… so different to anywhere I have ever been before.

  With every mile farther away from the ship we get, I feel a little more of my positive self return.

  I’m doing this.

  I’m really doing this. I have a fake passport, the means to have a lot of money and possibility to go anywhere I want in the world unencumbered.

  I have never felt so free and I am finding it hard to wipe the stupid grin from my face. As if reading my mind, Stace is looking over at me smiling, too.

  Can he feel how happy I am?

  Finally, after what seems like forever, we arrive and the cab comes to a halt. I peer out of the car as my bravery instantly dissipates. Stace jumps out and pays the driver, but I remain seated where I am as I try to calm my nerves. It looks okay, not at all what I imagined. I glance around at the street. It’s busy and narrow with trees lining the pavement. The doormen all look respectable and this seems pretty swanky. I kind of thought I would be getting dumped off in a ghetto somewhere.

  My car door opens suddenly. It startles me and I jump. Stace frowns down at me in the car. “Out you get.”

  I nod a little too quickly.

  “You okay?” he asks.

  I fake a smile. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” I jump out of the car.

  I am okay when I have to pretend to be brave. I’ve been doing it all my life. Acting brave is my safe place.

  When I act brave. I feel brave.

  We walk into the lobby and Stace approaches the desk. “We have a booking in the name of Williams,” he says to the sexy blonde receptionist.

  The receptionist’s eyes drop to his arms and then down his muscular body. Her eyes linger a little too long on him for my liking and I glare at her. I’m still here you know? How rude? I mean, yes, sure he’s hot, but he’s also my fucking pretend boyfriend.

  Eyes off, slut.

  “Yes, Sir.” She smiles sexily as her eyes hold his. He smirks back knowing exactly what she is thinking.

  Good grief. If this is how things work in Columbia, I may have to cut a bitch.

  My eyes flicker between the two of them in annoyance. Have they forgotten I am fucking here?

  “When you are finished ogling my husband, I would like to go to our room, please,” I snap, unable to help myself.

  “Of course, Mrs. Williams,” she mutters in a fluster and drops her attention to the computer and types furiously.

  Ugh, why did I just say that? I feel my underarms heat with embarrassment. I peer up at Stace and he is smiling down at me like a Cheshire cat.

  “Don’t,” I mouth with a dirty look. I snap my eyes away, angry that I just showed him my jealous streak.

  Just leave me here and go. I really, really need you to go.

  She puts the two plastic cards into an envelope and hands it over to him. “The booking is for fourteen nights and I have you in the Luxury suite as requested on the top floor.”

  “Thank you,” he replies as he takes the cards from her.

  Huh, fourteen nights? I frown as I follow him into the elevator and the door closes behind us.

  “You booked me for fourteen nights?” I ask.

  “Yes,” he replies as he watches the dial above the door go up the floors.

  “Why?”

  “So you have somewhere safe until you get yourself sorted. This may come as a surprise to you, but I am not exactly thrilled about leaving you here alone.”

  “Oh.” I smile gratefully. “Thank you.”

  We stay silent as the doors open and I follow him down the corridor to the room. He opens it and I stand still. Wow. It’s glitzy… like, super glitzy.

  A beautiful, cream upholstered king bed with a studded Head board and a huge leather caramel lounge. Sheer curtains line a back wall that is alight with natural light. Behind the bed is a coffee-coloured glass wall, and I peer around to see a huge free-standing bathtub and marble bathroom.

  I laugh out loud.

  He smiles a proud of himself smile. “Is it okay?”

  “Okay?” If I could hug him, I would. “It’s the nicest room I have ever seen.”

  He walks over to the window and pulls the sheer curtain back to look down at the road, as if thinking. “I will take you shopping and then I will head straight back to the ship,” he replies as he keeps his eyes firmly on the street below.

  My good mood instantly falls. “Oh, okay.” Yes, he’s right, he needs to go. Of course he does. “What do we need to go shopping for?”

  “Clothes. You don’t own a thing.”

  I shrug. “Ah, that’s okay. I’m not really a things person.”

  He turns and looks at me in surprise. “You don’t like things?”

  I shake my head.

&n
bsp; “All women like things.”

  “I’m not all women. I have done without things for most of my life and I know for certain that things don’t make me happy.”

  His eyes hold mine for an extended time before he finally answers. “We will get you what you need.”

  “I don’t have any money.”

  “We will open you a bank account while we are here.” He fumbles around in his bag and pulls out a wad of cash and passes it over to me. “Here is five thousand to deposit.”

  I frown as I stare down at the thick bundle of money in my hand. “You’re giving me money?”

  “Of course I am. How are you going to live if you don’t have money?”

  I stare down at the cash in my hand, overwhelmed at his kindness.

  “I-I will pay you back,” I stammer.

  “Not necessary. I earn a lot.”

  Regret swirls in my stomach. I have stolen his diamonds and here he is being nice and giving me his hard earned cash. Well, not technically his diamonds, but the same thing I suppose. He is the boss of the ship and they are under his watch. What if he gets into trouble because of me?

  What if they kill him?

  Oh no, my mind starts to race. What if they do kill him? What if they torture him to death and think that he was in on this with me? No, they wouldn’t. He would blame Stucco, that’s what I would do. Someone was already stealing from the ship. The key went missing remember.

  Fuck.

  Should I fess up?

  No. Don’t be stupid.

  The air in the room changes and I feel panicky and sick.

  I look over at his broad back as he stares down at the street lost in his own world. What is he thinking about?

  Is he onto me?

  I don’t want him to take me shopping now. I want to get as far away from him as possible. I feel guilty. I know he is feeling somewhat guilty for letting them take me, throwing money at me and all. What if he knows I took it and he is setting a trap to see if I will really go through with it?

  Oh, I hate this. I am not cut out to be a fucking criminal.

  My thoughts are broken by his deep, husky voice. “Come on then.” He moves to the door and ushers me out.