by Anthology
“They did?”
“Sì. Since joining us, you have been perfect for Sunset Cruise Lines. I could only hope my future hires are as marketable as you.”
Our burgers appeared, pausing the conversation for a few minutes. I waited until he took his first bite before asking, “You still feel I’m pulling my weight?”
“Naturalmente. Rebecca, you have been amazing. I told you that.”
“I know.” The one concern that has plagued me bounced around my head. It was now or never; I needed to know. “It’s just that sometimes I feel like you’re angry with me.” There, I said it.
Marco stopped chewing and placed his burger on his plate. “Angry?”
“Forget I mentioned it. It’s silly. I just want to do well, and I hope Sunset will allow me to further my career. I know I’m new at this, but I truly feel like I fit and I’ve found my dream job.”
He wiped his beautiful mouth with a napkin while watching me squirm in my seat. Why did I have to open my big mouth?
“Rebecca, I’m not angry with you. I’m sorry you confused my professionalism as anger.”
Professionalism? I’ve watched as he laughed and joked with the rest of his staff. I’ve heard stories from Ricky of Marco’s penchant for cursing in Italian. Everyone got to see a fun, happy side of Marco, except for me.
“No need to apologize,” I quickly replied, feeling like an idiot.
The rest of our meal was awkward due to the uncomfortable aura that filled in the air around us. I felt like with every step forward I made with Marco resulted in two steps back.
Chapter Six - Marco
WE SHARED A CAB back to the ship. I felt awful that she thought I was angry with her. Her admission had me realizing I was not handling my attraction toward her well. If she thought that, then what did the rest of my staff think? I needed to act normal. She was part of my team, just like Hirrod or Leslie or even Ricky. Granted, I couldn’t treat her as I treated Ricky, but I could loosen up and stop being such a stronzo…prick.
“How are things going with your staff?” I asked her as we drove along the scenic road hugging the coast.
“Good. I absolutely adore Hirrod and Warren. Those two are like a stand-up act. Everyone has been very cooperative.”
“Glad to hear it. They’re a great group.”
She nodded and opened her mouth to respond but quickly closed it.
“What?” I asked, curious as to what she was going to say.
“Nothing. I just hope that they are happy with my management tactics and would tell me if they weren’t. I do try to tell them often what a great job they’re doing.”
Remorse hit me, and I stumbled with another apology. “Rebecca, I am sorry for my behavior.”
“I’m not telling you that to make you feel bad.” She placed a hand on my arm before adding, “Marco, your staff loves you. They said such positive things about you. Ricky tells me all about your successes and your accomplishments. I admire you as my boss and hope to learn from you.”
“Let’s start again.” I put my hand out and said, “I’m Marco Puglia.”
She smiled her stunning smile and accepted my hand. “Nice to meet you, Marco. I’m Rebecca Stanton.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
My suggestion seemed to break the ice, and we spent the walk back to the ship laughing and sharing stories about ourselves. Her face lit up with her beautiful smile. She giggled when I told her about the day I hired Ricky. She confessed what truly happened to get her fired from Hooters. I knew of Hooters, having been dragged there by my coworkers years ago. The visual of her in a tight Hooters’ T-shirt almost caused my iron curtain to come crashing down. Instead, I changed the subject back to Ricky.
“Speaking of the devil,” Rebecca said when we exited the elevator en route to our cabins.
“Well…well…well. What do we have here?” Ricky waggled a finger at us with a jackass smile plastered on his face.
“I ran into Rebecca at Orient Bay.”
“I didn’t know you were going to Orient Bay.” Ricky turned his evil eye on to Rebecca.
“No? I thought I mentioned it.”
“No,” he said while slowly shaking his head. “Because if you had, I would have told you Marco was on his way there.”
Did she know I was there? Is that why she picked Orient Bay?
Rebecca shrugged, “I was originally going to go shopping with the gang but decided on Orient Bay. Complete coincidence.” She turned to me and said, “Thank you for lunch, Marco.”
“Prego,” I said with a smile.
Ricky and I watched her walk down the hall and enter her stateroom.
“Silenzio, Burrows.” Ricky followed behind me like a puppy dog until I got to my room. “Go away.”
“I need to talk to you.”
“If it’s about work, I’m still off until six,” I said with one foot in my room.
“It’s not about work, kind of. Let me in.”
Saying no to Ricky was like saying no to a toddler. Either he would ignore you completely, or throw a hissy fit. Gauging which would be coming, I decided I wasn’t in the mood for a hissy fit. Opening the door wider, I allowed him access.
My room was bigger than the normal stateroom. I had a sitting area with a couch and two small club chairs. Ricky plopped down in one of the chairs as I began emptying my backpack.
“So, it must have shocked you to see her there.”
“Sì, I was surprised.”
“You were nice to her?”
I released a sigh and nodded petulantly. “Sì, I was nice to her.”
“Not Marco nice…normal people nice.”
“Vaffanculo.”
“I keep telling you, you’re not my type. I prefer blonds.”
“Is there an actual point to this visit?”
“Yes, two reasons.” He inspected his nails as I stood waiting for him to speak.
My bag was unpacked, and I needed to shower. He had two more minutes before I kicked him out. Opening my closet, I rummaged through to pull out slacks and a shirt. “Ricky, can you please get to the point?” I asked once I’d placed my clothes on my bed.
“Well, I think our friend Dina is giving Rebecca a hard time.”
I stopped what I was doing and looked at Ricky. “How do you know?”
“Rebecca asked me what her deal was. She said that Dina has been aloof. I told her she has a bad attitude and to ignore her.” I cursed under my breath and regretted not listening to Ricky. “I’ll handle Dina,” he said.
“No. Please don’t do anything stupid. Just ignore her.”
“Which brings me to point number two. Listen, I love you, Marco. I’ve been with you for seven years, four of them as your assistant. I don’t want you to wake up one day and wish you did things differently.”
“Did what differently? Hiring a different assistant?” I knew what he meant, but I needed to bust his balls anyway.
“You avoid emotions.” This little speech came every so often, and it always ended the same way. I always told him I didn’t have time for “emotions.” Ignoring my huffing and puffing, he said, “Just hear me out. I see the way you look at Rebecca.”
“I’m her boss.”
“So?”
“You are actually encouraging me to seduce one of my employees? Even after what happened with Dina? How hypocritical is that?” This chat was the last thing I needed when I was already battling my own conflicts.
“The difference is I’ve never seen you act this way with a woman before. Usually, you screw them and run. Yeah, yeah, you want to be professional in your new position. Nowhere in the rule books does it forbid falling in love.”
“Falling in love?” I asked incredulously. Was he serious?
“Yep. I can tell. You need to open your heart. This may be your only chance. You know how I feel about fate and soul mates.”
“Says the man who’s been through three in seven years.” I grabbed my towel and walked to the bathroom.
<
br /> “Marco, get your head out of the sand. You and Rebecca could be great together.”
“And if word got out? You know that could affect her career.”
“Why would word get out?”
“Sei matto. Di tutte le cose folli si potrebbe suggerire.”
“Slow down, Romeo. You lost me at crazy.”
“Ricky, there are a million reasons why it’s a very bad idea.”
“And one reason why it’s a great idea.” My eyes met his and he waited before saying, “You like her.”
***
THE BEST TIME OF day was the middle of the night. All the passengers were in their staterooms. The decks were empty and quiet. The ocean was dark and smooth. The humid air felt sticky and salty. I loved standing aft to watch the ship churn and roll the mighty ocean waters effortlessly.
It was during those early morning hours that I did my best thinking. Away from the customers I served tirelessly, away from the employees I supervised, I’d successfully clear my mind of nothing else but the goals I wanted to accomplish and how I’d accomplish them. My secret slice of solitude never failed me, until tonight.
Tonight she was all I could think about …specifically, her wearing that pink bikini. I thought about Ricky’s advice. I thought about the many women I’d lusted over in the past and how I’d never felt anything more than lust. I even thought about my time here on The Horizon, and how, for the first time in my career, I saw my contract stretched ominously before me. It wasn’t because I didn’t love my job. It was because, for the first time in my life, I felt alone.
I’ve been blissfully unaware of my loneliness. Ricky’s constant nagging was just nonsense until now. What changed to make his words suddenly hit home, and for them to replay in my head over and over?
She changed the pattern of my thoughts.
If she were a peer, I wouldn’t be feeling this agita. I can’t jeopardize her career. I would probably walk away unscathed, maybe with just a slap on the wrist. She’d lose the respect of her team, coworkers, and management.
Just a few weeks in, and I was already a wreck and in a constant state of arousal. I could always transfer. Maybe go back home? Being home grounded me. The new ship sailing the Mediterranean would be a great fit. Maybe that cruise director would do a swap?
Fanculo! I really had some serious thinking to do.
Once I got back to my stateroom, I tossed and turned, getting no sleep. Giving up, I decided to start my day and hopefully come up with a game plan. I stared at the corporate website on my computer. The only cruise director position available was on a ship out of Brazil, which didn’t sound appealing at all. It was an older ship and a huge step backward in my career. I’d have to work on a proposition to swap ships with another CD.
“Why the long face?” Ricky asked from the doorway.
“Rough night.” He carried in my double espresso and placed it on my desk. “Grazie.”
“You’re welcome.” He sat with his clipboard, waiting for me to start our morning routine. I listened as he recapped today’s agenda, asked my normal questions, and made notes when needed.
“Okay, boss. All set. Anything you need me to get done?”
“Sì.”
“Okay, shoot.”
“I want you to help me work up a proposition.”
His expression instantly hardened. “What for?”
“A transfer.”
“Nope. Not happening.” He shook his head, fury all over his face. Yes, it will, I thought to myself. “Knock this shit off, Marco. You aren’t going to throw away all you worked for because you’re scared of some feelings.”
It looked like I needed to handle this on my own.
Chapter Seven - Rebecca
IT WAS SUNDAY, sea day, and my favorite day. The ship bustled with activity. The decks filled with sunbathers, the pools teemed with children. Wherever you went, there were happy, smiling people. The itinerary was jammed with tons of fun activities for the passengers to choose from. We always saved our best events for sea days.
On today’s agenda, the belly flop contest. I often found it hard to contain my laughter. Watching those men in all of their glory proudly propel their bodies off the side of the pool to land with a gigantic smack on the surface of the water was just hilarious. My favorite part, Marco was the emcee for this activity, and I assisted.
The first few times that we orchestrated the contest, things were awkward between us. Since we made our pact to be friends, we were a bit more relaxed around each other. He still avoided me, but when he did see me, at least he was pleasant. I often caught him staring. I’ve tried to analyze if he stared at others as intently, or if it was just me who received his smoldering gaze.
To be fair, I often stared at him too. I watched as he moved around the pool with authority, yet with a sexiness that came naturally. The grip on my clipboard tightened every time I heard his laugh or saw his smile. I was pretty sure the moisture that dampened my skin had nothing to do with the air temperature. He assembled a panel of judges for the contest, all under the age of ten. He adorably conferred with them after each flop, giving them full rein in deciding who the winner would be. After each contestant performed their perfect flop, Marco would huddle with his judges, listening to their comments. It was endearing to watch how even the children responded to his charms.
The females were a bit more obvious with their admiration of our cruise director. Women both old and young sat gawking as he went about his business obliviously. The way he spoke, the timbre of his voice, the way he conducted himself simply mesmerized them, and me. I was torn with which Marco I thought was hotter, the casual polo shirt and khakis Marco, or the tuxedoed exceptionally debonair Marco. I’d tried to imagine what the naked Marco would look like. I’d seen him shirtless. I’d seen the smattering of hair he had on his chest and the hot as fuck trail that led into his swimsuit. I think I would pay money to see the rest of him.
“Rebecca, can you tally up the points?” Marco asked into his microphone, interrupting my daydream.
“Um. Sure.” I glanced down at my clipboard and quickly added up the scores. “It looks like our winner is Harry from Michigan.”
The kids all hooted and clapped. Of course, Harry was the biggest contestant who made the biggest splash. Marco held the belly flop trophy as Harry proudly sauntered over to the stage, high-fiving the panel of judges on his way. Once he was crowned victor, he promptly belly flopped into the pool, soaking the very judges who had just declared him the winner.
Marco thanked the crowd for their participation, gifted each judge with a prize pack for their hard work, and reminded everyone that bingo would be held in the Riptide Theater at three p.m.
“That was fun,” I said to Marco once we retreated to the small staging room that doubled as a storage closet.
“It was. I love this day.” He smiled widely, voicing my own sentiments. “It’s my favorite of the week.”
“I agree.”
We quietly worked side by side, stowing our microphone equipment and the props used for the contest. The familiar tension started to fill the air, making the small, cool room feel stifling. Being in that room alone with him both thrilled and terrified me. I’d never felt such deep-rooted desire for another human in my life. My vivid imagination conjured up a scene right out of a romance novel.
Marco pushed me up against the two-way glass mirror, affording me a perfect view of the pool deck. I stared out at the passengers, knowing they couldn’t see my boss pressing up behind me. He shamelessly pushed his hardness into my lower back. His scent permeated the air. His grip on my wrists commanded my body to submit. The imagery in my mind was so real that I could practically feel his lips travel from my earlobe to my neck. Dizziness hit me full force, forcing me to reach out and palm the window with a shaky hand to stop from falling over.
“Rebecca,” he said behind me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. It must be the heat.”
He placed his large hands on my uppe
r arms and turned me to face him. “You’re flushed.” He skimmed the goose bump-riddled skin on my bare arms. “Yet, you have the chills. Are you coming down with something?”
“Um…no. I don’t think so.” My cheeks further reddened from embarrassment. I was mortified. I needed to learn how to control my response to his presence.
We were inches apart. He watched my face with utmost concern, while I looked up at his, trying desperately to fight the urge to kiss his full lips. Short pants replaced my normal breathing, making me feel like I could pass out from lack of oxygen. What the fuck was happening to me?
Time suspended as we stared into each other’s eyes. Slowly, I watched as he furrowed his brow in confusion before it turned into something else. Fire then smoldered in his deep brown eyes as he intently stared into mine.
“Marco, you’re late,” Ricky announced, barging in and stopping in his tracks.
We pulled apart so quickly that I stumbled backward and landed right against Ricky.
“Figlio di puttana!” Marco mumbled while running a hand through his hair.
Ricky closed the door with a wide grin. “I’ve told you many times, I don’t appreciate you calling my mother a whore.” He then turned his focus to me. “Ms. Stanton, I am so sorry I interrupted. Please, promise me you’ll continue.” With that, he turned to leave us alone once again in the small storage room, adding, “I’ll cover for you, Marco.”
“I’m so sorry,” Marco whispered quietly.
“For what?” I wondered what it was that had him apologizing. I wanted to know if it was the same thoughts that plagued me, or was it just regrets? He stood confused, avoiding eye contact and not knowing what to say. “What are you sorry for?” I repeated. When he still didn’t respond, I added, “Because I’m not.” His eyes instantly met mine at my admission.
“Rebecca, this is hard enough.”
“What is hard enough?” I prompted.
“We’re two adults who obviously are attracted to each other.” He surprised me with his own admission. “But this can’t happen.”
