by Anthology
“Yes, boss!” they all singsonged into their microphones, and the crowd laughed.
“Grazie,” I said with a nod. “Okay, so lastly I’d like to introduce you to our newest member. She’s as talented as she is beautiful. Please give a big, giant welcome to your entertainment staff coordinator, Miss Rebecca Stanton!”
Rebecca emerged, smiling wide and waving to the crowd. She curtsied and laughed when catcalls and whistles dominated the noise. She ran through her script like a pro. She engaged the crowd, complimented the women, and teased the men. I could tell by the looks on their faces they were already caught in her net. Those poor suckers were probably struggling to hide the erections they camouflaged in their swim trunks. I could relate. When she handed things off to the staff and turned toward me, smiling, my own cock jerked in my khakis. That woman was going to be the death of me, I was sure of it.
My eyes met Ricky’s as he stood above on the sun deck looking down at us. Even with his sunglasses on I knew he was looking right at me, and I wanted to give him my middle finger.
***
CAPTAIN’S NIGHT ON a cruise ship was equivalent to the Academy Awards. Women donned their fancy dresses and gowns, men wore their best suits and tuxedos, and booze flowed like the waters we sailed on. I loved mingling with the passengers or posing for pictures when requested. I expected the same from my staff. Seeing them so elegantly dressed made me feel like a proud papa. My staff cleaned up well, but the person who stole my breath was Rebecca.
I was leaving my office just as she and Ricky walked down the hall. She wore a black, Grecian-style gown that perfectly hugged her curves. Her long, thick hair was swept to the side, revealing the side of her neck and one bare shoulder. A slit in the front gave the perfect glimpse of a smooth, tanned leg.
The sight of her in that gown halted my steps. My mouth gaped open in the most embarrassing way. She was midsentence and stopped speaking when she realized Ricky was no longer paying attention.
“You look handsome as always, Marco,” he said, pulling Rebecca’s attention to the spot where I stood rooted to the floor.
“Grazie, Mr. Burrows…as do the both of you.”
I quickly glanced at Rebecca, and the most gorgeous shade of pink tinged her cheeks and neck. The urge to reach out and touch her skin made it impossible to think straight. She smiled shyly before looking away.
“So formal, Marco. No one is around, you can still verbally abuse me in a tux as easily as you can in your polo shirt and khakis.”
“You’re a funny man. I’ll see you on the Promenade.” I nodded and then hurriedly walked away.
Prior to dinner, I needed to open the night with a quick speech from the balcony that overlooked the Promenade. I wasn’t paying attention when I stepped into the elevator just as the doors were closing.
“Hello, you,” Dina said smoothly as the doors shut behind me. Her blonde hair hung long and loose, her red gown left nothing to the imagination. She wore tons of makeup on her eyes and her lips. I couldn’t help but compare her to Rebecca. She was a natural beauty, whereas Dina tried too hard enhancing her looks.
“Dina.” I nodded formally, standing in the opposite corner of the small elevator.
“You’ve been a hard man to get alone. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were avoiding me...or that the cruise director title went to your head.”
Without making eye contact, I shook my head, “Just very busy. It’s been pure craziness.” The elevator doors opened on the next floor. Even though it wasn’t where I needed to be, I exited quickly and said, “Scusi, I’m late for my speech.”
“Bye-bye,” she responded with a saccharine smile.
What did I ever see in her? It’s funny how you aren’t aware of things like real beauty until you come face-to-face with it. My mind went to the vision of beauty known as Rebecca.
I arrived to my perch seconds before I needed to. Robotically, I repeated my rehearsed speech, all the while thinking of her in that black dress. It felt like an eternity before I turned the microphone over to the captain, who introduced his officers and addressed the passengers. Standing behind him as he spoke, I looked down at the happy people, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
Many stood in long lines waiting for the staff photographers to capture their portraits. Some filled the lounges and bars with their traveling partners while sipping cocktails before dinner was called. A formal elegance filled the air. It’s always been my favorite night of the week.
We were only halfway into our first week, and the confidence and excitement that I felt before we set sail morphed into something else. Uneasiness would be the best way to describe what I was feeling. It was a foreign emotion for me. Whenever I was around Ms. Stanton, I felt uneasy. Avoiding her was hard as hell, and on a night like Captain’s Night it would be nearly impossible…especially in that dress.
Rebecca had a great idea that we planned on testing that night. Ten table numbers were chosen to have a member of the entertainment staff dine with them. Those same passengers were then invited to a private party with the captain and his staff on the last night of the cruise. At that party, someone would walk away with a free cruise. The positive feedback we received over this promotion was fantastico.
Applause finally marked the end of the captain’s speech. As I waited for everyone to exit the balcony, I saw Rebecca talking to a few passengers. From above, I could see the swell of her breasts encased in the silky black fabric of her dress.
“Fottermi,” I muttered to myself before angrily turning to leave.
“No thank you. You’re not my type.” Ricky stood smirking a few feet away, amused by my vulgar statement. “Besides, I’m pretty sure commanding me to fuck you is against company policy.”
“Gesù Cristo. Sei come un cattivo centesimo che continua a girare su.”
“Now I know you’re frustrated because you’re speaking Italian again. English please.”
It’s hard to realize when that happens. In my head, I’m always speaking Italian. With a sigh, I translate, “You’re like a bad penny that keeps turning up.”
“Well, that’s not a nice thing to say to the man who keeps your life very organized.” He looked down and immediately focused on what I was staring at. “What’s wrong, fearless leader? Don’t you like her dress?”
I ignored his question and instead uttered a ridiculous excuse for my frustrations. “My shoes are stiff, and they’re hurting my feet.”
As I walked down the hall, he said, “I’m sure your shoes aren’t the only things that are stiff.” I didn’t bother turning around when he blatantly laughed at my retreating back.
Chapter Five - Rebecca
“SO WHAT’S THE deal with Dina?”
Ricky stopped eating his salad and looked up at me. “Why? Is she giving you a hard time?”
“No.” I eyed him suspiciously, wondering what he knew. “She just acts indifferent and aloof. Kind of like Marco acts toward me. I’m pretty sure he hates me.”
“Are you crazy?”
“No.”
“Yes, you are.” Ricky leaned over and slammed the door shut to his office. “First of all, ignore Dina. That girl has a bad attitude. I warned Marco not to bring her along. Secondly, why do you think he hates you?”
I sighed out loud, pausing a beat before choosing my words. “You yourself said he takes pride in training a neo. The man hasn’t taught me one thing, or worked with me one day since arriving. We’re now on our third voyage and still nothing.”
I knew whatever I said to Ricky would be heard by Marco. Ricky knew that man better than anyone and took pride in the amount of influence he had over Marco. Marco trusted Ricky implicitly, and when Ricky made a suggestion, Marco often listened. Up until then, Ricky’s big mouth had worked to my advantage. Since Ricky was witnessing my day-to-day job performance, instead of Marco, it helped to know his big mouth could benefit me.
“Unless he’s avoiding you because you get to him,” he said flippantly.
“Let’s just say I’ve never seen my boss acting this way before. You’re drop-dead gorgeous, the complete package. I have my theory as to why he’s been ignoring you.”
Holy shit. What did he say? More importantly, what did he know?
“Um…” My cheeks felt like they were on fire. If Ricky thought Marco liked me, then, did he? Ricky would know if that were the case. Regardless, nothing could come of that. When I chanced a quick look at my very observant friend, he sat with his fork midair, watching me curiously. He measured me up, narrowing his eyes as he did. I could practically see the cogs turning in his brain. He stroked his chin with his thumb and pointer finger, all while staring me down.
“What?” I finally asked, feeling very uncomfortable under his gaze.
“And you like him.” His face lit up as if a light bulb went off.
“Uh…uh…um,” I huffed in denial and added a few other incoherent sounds. The more flustered I became, the more Ricky watched with an amused smirk. “You have nerve calling me crazy. You’ve absolutely lost your mind.”
“Okay. Whatever you say, cookie-puss.” He stabbed at his salad and shoved a forkful into his mouth. He kept nodding while chewing, until he was able to speak. “It’s me you’re talking to. I can see right through you. You yourself said how scary our connection was.”
“Ricky…” I began, but I didn’t know what to say. Panic swelled inside, resulting in nausea. I pushed my salad away to stop the bile from rising. This was one conversation I didn’t want repeated. So what if I had a crush on my boss? Big deal. I’m sure it happened every day. It didn’t mean I would act on it, or expect anything to happen. I could just hear the gossip now, “Yep, that’s how she climbed the corporate ladder so quickly.”
His features softened when he noticed my discomfort. He put down his fork and reached for my hand. “Hey, honey. Relax. It looks like you’re about to throw up.”
“I feel like I’m about to throw up.”
“Why?”
“I’m not comfortable with this conversation.”
“I promise you.” He tugged on my hands, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Rebecca, I promise you I won’t say a word about this. I swear. I just have my own theory, and it would be a shame to ignore it.”
“Promise me you’ll ignore it.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Ricky!”
“Hear me out. I promise I won’t repeat a word of this conversation to Marco. But, I can’t promise not to meddle if I feel there’s a reason to meddle.”
“Ricky, nothing can happen between me and Marco. It would ruin my career and my reputation.”
“Not if no one knew about it,” he mumbled, shoving more salad into his mouth.
My salad churned in my stomach while excitement vibrated through my veins. How could I be both terrified and hopeful at the same time? The notion of being with Marco thrilled me. The scandal of being with Marco petrified me. I’ve become too invested in my new career to throw it away on a sleazy affair. Based on the rumor mill, Mr. Puglia only had affairs. I could literally be trading my professional future for a one-time romp in the sack.
From where I stood, or sat at that moment, I wasn’t sure any man was worth it. To date, I had yet to experience a love affair that brought me to my knees, rendered me stupid, or even swept me off my feet. Those kinds of affairs didn’t exist in real life. All the sex I had experienced up until now was mediocre at best. Throwing away a promising career for mediocre wasn’t going to happen.
But…if a man could moisten my panties with a smile, then I could just imagine what he could do with his lips, tongue, fingers, and…
“Rebecca!”
“Um…huh?”
“Jesus Christ, woman. You were so far away that I could see clouds in your eyes. What the hell?”
“Sorry. I just remembered I forgot to proof Saturday’s script changes. I know he wanted them on his desk today.” I stood and threw my uneaten salad in the trash. “I’ll catch you later,” I said, leaving Ricky’s office to beeline to my stateroom.
I needed to be alone.
***
I WAS SO EXCITED. I finally had the afternoon off while we were docked at St. Maarten. I’ve been dying to get to Orient Bay. My family traveled there years ago, and I fell in love with the beauty of that beach. I couldn’t wait to lie on the gorgeous sand while reading my Kindle. My coworkers, who also had the day off, decided to head into town to shop. I lied and said I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do yet, and if I decided to shop, then I’d find them. I even kept my destination from Ricky. He needed to work on a project for Marco and couldn’t join me anyway.
Once the coast was clear, I hopped a cab to make my way to my nirvana. The beach was packed with passengers from the different ships docked there that day. Orient Bay was one of the most popular beaches, so I expected a big crowd. I purchased a frozen drink, found a secluded spot away from the masses, and settled into my slice of heaven. It felt like a thousand degrees as the sun beat down on my bikini-clad body. After a few minutes, I headed for the water to cool off. The ocean felt like a warm bath, supplying little relief. Swimming was one of my favorite forms of exercise. Working at summer camps required certification in Red Cross training. The farther I swam from the beach, the cooler the sea felt against my skin. When my body temperature felt low enough to face the heat again, I dragged myself out of the ocean.
The air was so warm that I was practically dry by the time I reached my towel. I closed my eyes, trying to take advantage of my downtime. My body was so relaxed, but my mind raced with a million thoughts. A shadow suddenly supplied relief from the scorching sun. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes to see how cloudy it had gotten.
The outline of a tall man scared me, causing me to sit up and gasp. I shielded my eyes to see his face.
“Scusi, I didn’t mean to scare you.” A deep Italian accent kick-started my heart.
“Marco?” I asked, quickly standing to see his face.
“I saw you coming out of the water. I had no idea you were here today.”
“I love this beach. I came here years ago with my family.”
“I love it as well and try to come whenever I can.”
He had a backpack slung over his shoulder. His feet were bare and, except for black swim trunks, the only thing he wore was his sexy watch. Water droplets clung to his tanned skin. A few slowly traveled down his torso, and my eyes followed as they disappeared into the waistband of his trunks. When I looked back up into his eyes, he was focused on my torso. My pink bikini suddenly made me feel naked. I crossed my arms over my belly and he noticed my discomfort.
“Um…I was just going to mangiare. Would you like to come?”
Marco asking me to come in his Italian accent felt like a cruel joke. “Um…that depends on what mangiare means,” I responded with a nervous laugh.
He laughed as well. “I tend to forget not everyone knows my words. Eat…I was going to get something to eat. Would you like to join me?”
The significance of that one question became a proverbial precipice between our awkward relationship and a more comfortable one. But, it could also fuel my Marco Puglia obsession.
Ignoring the little voice in my head, I said, “Yes, I would like that.”
I felt his eyes on me as I bent down to retrieve my things. He looked away when I turned back to put my sundress on over my head. The confident Marco I met the day I interviewed was no longer the Marco I saw. This Marco was awkward and uncomfortable. Ricky’s words came to mind. He might be right. Maybe I did affect Mr. Puglia.
Once I had all my belongings back in my beach bag, he motioned toward the pavestone path. “The beach café here e buonissimo. Is that okay?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
We didn’t speak as we walked toward the café. It was early for lunch, so many of the tables were open for our choosing. He led us to a table for two under an umbrella that faced the beach.
I
n a sweet gesture, he pulled out my chair. I don’t think anyone had ever done that for me before. The minute Marco sat, a waiter appeared with menus for us.
I opened mine and asked, “What do you suggest?”
“I love the burgers con formaggio.” I laughed at his wording. “Ah, you think I’m funny? I meant to say, cheeseburgers.”
“I enjoy listening to you speak.” He smiled warmly but didn’t respond. “Um…cheeseburgers sound great.” I flipped my menu closed and saw him still smiling at me.
“It’s so great to see a woman eat what she wants.”
“I probably shouldn’t, but life is too short.”
“Sì, ma la vita è buona.”
“Life is good?”
“That’s right, very good, Rebecca.”
I smiled proudly and he returned his own dazzling smile. “Maybe by the end of my contract, I’ll be fluent in Italian?”
“Let me know if you’d like to learn more. I’m a great teacher.”
Thankfully, the waiter filled our water glasses before taking our orders because Marco’s gorgeous face and sexy promises had me a bit overheated. Once we were left alone again, silence stretched between us.
Marco played with his silverware before saying, “We Italians feel it’s important to live life to the fullest. Gli americani non si fermano ad annusare i fiori.” At my confused expression, he added, “Americans don’t stop to smell the flowers.”
I nodded at his statement. “That’s so true. I could say that’s one of the reasons I decided to interview with Sunset. I needed to live, experience life on my terms. Not based on what my parents wanted, or even what society felt I should do with my life. My only regret is that I wasted four years at college instead of living.”
“You should have no regrets. Every experience teaches. You may not realize it now, but you definitely learned some valuable life lessons while at school.”
“Maybe. I don’t know what they are yet.”
“Well, you studied marketing, sì? Those skills definitely helped you get this job.”
