Pleasure Cruise

by Yolanda Wallace

  “That’s a good idea, but you know the rules even better than I do. Because, unlike me, you’ve actually managed to stick to them. We’re supposed to make sure our clients have a good time, not show them one. You’re not sleeping with Spencer, are you, Ames?”

  “No, she and I are just hanging out.”

  “The same way Jessica and I are hanging out?”

  “I can assure you that between the two of us, the only person who’s having sex on this cruise is you.”

  “Spencer isn’t the first passenger you’ve treated like a pet project, but this situation doesn’t feel like the others. The others were like orphaned baby birds you took in, nursed back to health, and eventually set free. Are you going to be able to do the same with Spencer after you inject her with self-confidence and teach her how to fly, or will you be making a side trip to Georgia when the trip ends?”

  Amy would love to spend some time in the town Spencer called home so she could see some of the people and places that had influenced Spencer while she was growing up, but what was the point? Because Spencer was a client, she and Amy could never be anything more than friends. Either during the cruise or after. But Amy had enough friends. Being around Spencer made her want more. Made her want something she couldn’t have.

  “I wasn’t planning on it, no.”

  “You know what they say. Plans are meant to be changed.”

  “Speaking of plans,” Amy said, trying to steer the conversation onto safer territory, “why are you so interested in mine?”

  “Angel was supposed to help me chaperone a shopping excursion to Plaza las Americas tomorrow, but she’s been blowing chunks since four a.m. and won’t be able to do it.”

  “I noticed she looked a little green around the gills during the staff meeting this morning. When I asked her if she needed to make a trip to the infirmary, she waved me off and said she’d be fine. She told me she was just dealing with a case of Montezuma’s revenge.”

  “Close, but no cigar. I wouldn’t say she was flat-out lying to you, but she was definitely covering her ass.”

  “Why?”

  “So you won’t be able to rat her out to the members of the executive team when we get back to LA.”

  “I’m not a snitch, Bree.”

  “No, but you’re definitely a stickler for the rules.”

  “Says who?”

  “Says anyone who’s ever met you. Be honest. You were the kid the instructor left in charge of the class when she stepped out of the room to grab a smoke in the teachers’ lounge or have a quickie in the supply closet, weren’t you? That’s what makes this whole Spencer situation so incredibly ironic.”

  “Please stop making me painfully aware of all my personal shortcomings and tell me what’s the deal with Angel.”

  “Fine.”

  Breanna rolled her eyes as if the answer she was about to give was patently obvious to everyone except Amy. Perhaps it would be if Amy had been paying less attention to Spencer and more to everything else. If she had been doing her job today instead of slacking off.

  “Angel’s not sick,” Breanna said. “She’s hungover. I’m sure you probably already know, but in case you weren’t aware, rum and late-night skinny-dipping don’t mix.”

  “Thanks for the warning. I think I’ll stay away from tequila for the foreseeable future, too. It’s the only thing that prompts me to get naked in front of a crowd.”

  “I’ve seen you strip for considerably less than a shot of Jose Cuervo. Oh, wait, that was me.”

  “All jokes aside, if you need my help tomorrow, I’d be more than happy to pitch in.”

  “Don’t give it a second thought. I’ll ask Jessica if she thinks she’ll have enough energy after she teaches her morning spin class. See? You’re not the only person who can problem-solve on the fly. Given a choice, I’d rather spend the afternoon with someone I’m sleeping with instead of my boss anyway. And I wouldn’t want to keep you from spending more quality time with your favorite client.”

  “I don’t play favorites. Every one of our clients is equally important to me, whether she’s a first-time traveler or someone who’s been relying on our services for years.”

  “It seems to me one client might be more equal to you than others.”

  Realizing Breanna might not be the only person who had noticed her giving Spencer special attention, Amy felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Is this just you talking, or do the other staffers onsite feel that way, too?”

  “Relax, Ames. Everyone’s too busy doing their own thing to worry about what you might or might not be doing with your Southern gentlewoman. The only person on the ship who seems to be concerned about appearances is you. That goes for the passengers as well as the crew. If you like this woman, don’t follow the rules. Break them.”

  If Amy hadn’t been chosen to take the lead on this trip, she might do exactly that. But what kind of example would she be setting for the rest of her teammates if she brazenly broke the rules they had all sworn to uphold?

  “You can always find another job,” Breanna said, “but you might not be able to find someone who matters to you as much as Spencer seems to.”

  “You asked me to be honest, so I’m going to do exactly that. I’m good at my job, but I suck at relationships. Why should I turn my life—and someone else’s—upside down in pursuit of something that, based on my track record, is bound to fail? I’m in the business of making dreams come true, not breaking hearts.”

  “Even if the cost is your own happiness?”

  “Life is a series of compromises, Bree. We can’t have everything we want. Some things just aren’t meant to be.”

  Day Four

  Jessica hated shopping. If she couldn’t find what she was looking for online, she drove to the store, located what she wanted, paid for her purchases, and headed home. She didn’t waste five hours looking through the racks, only to end up buying the first item that had caught her attention.

  “Tell me again why I agreed to do this,” she said as she nursed a spicy watermelon mint agua fresca in the food court of Plaza las Americas, a three-story shopping center in downtown San Juan. “Babysitting a bunch of bargain-hunting tourists while they explore every inch of the largest mall in the Caribbean isn’t my idea of fun.”

  She and Breanna had designated the table at which they were sitting as the rendezvous point for the fifty women who had signed up for today’s excursion. When the passengers finally tired of wandering in and out of the dozens of stores in the sprawling complex, they were supposed to return to the food court so Breanna could perform a head count before they returned to the ship. Based on the sound of cash registers ringing left and right, no one would be heading back to the Majestic Dream any time soon.

  “Because I promised you could have your way with me tonight.”

  Jessica felt her temperature rise—and only partially because of the extra jalapeños she had asked the server at the juice bar to place in her drink. “Speaking of which, can we trim a few hours off this wonderful outing so you can give me a preview of what I can expect tonight?”

  “I wish,” Breanna said with a sigh, “but that’s not my call. Everyone signed up for four hours, so that’s what we’re obliged to give them. Settle in, sweet cheeks. We’re here for the duration.”

  Jessica checked her watch. “Great. Only three hours to go. But who’s counting?”

  “Remind me not to ask you to tag along the next time I want to go shopping.”

  Jessica rested her chin on the heel of her hand as she took a long appreciative look at Breanna’s beautiful face and curvy body. With her laid-back demeanor, Breanna was the definition of languid. Jessica thought she could learn a thing or two from her example. She wanted to take her time exploring every inch of Breanna. Right here and right now. Excursion be damned. “I’m partial to your birthday suit. Why don’t you model it for me more often?”

  “Because we live three thousand miles apart and see each other only on the rare
occasions when our schedules converge.” Breanna adjusted the flower in her hair. She, like her sister, wore a fresh flower each day. Leanna’s flower was worn behind her left ear to symbolize she was taken. In contrast, Breanna wore her flower behind her right ear to signal she was available. “We should do something about that one day,” she said when she was done fiddling with the hibiscus blossom she was sporting today.

  “Meaning?”

  Breanna pointed to the flower behind her ear. “I’d like to switch this from one side to the other one day.”

  “One day or today?”

  “Like the old saying goes, there’s no time like the present.”

  Jessica wasn’t sure she liked the direction the conversation was heading. She and Breanna had never attempted to place labels on their relationship. In her opinion, that was one of the reasons it worked so well. Why they worked so well. She didn’t want to ruin a good thing by trying to turn it into something it wasn’t. “What are you getting at, Bree? I thought we were just enjoying ourselves.”

  Breanna took a sip of Jessica’s drink and frowned when the jalapeños kicked in. “We are.”

  “Then why do you sound like you’re about to pull out your class ring and ask me to go steady with you?”

  Breanna cocked her head as if considering the idea. “Would that be so bad? We’re good together.”

  “We have great sex.” Jessica winced at how shallow her statement sounded, but she couldn’t deny it was true.

  “Yes, we do. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like the foundation of a good relationship to me.”

  Jessica looked at her hard. Even though Breanna was smiling, she didn’t seem to be joking. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  Breanna nodded as she reached for Jessica’s hand. “I like you, Jess. I think you like me, too. So why don’t we stop pretending we don’t mean anything to each other and do something about it?”

  Suddenly, shopping didn’t seem like such a massive waste of time after all. Jessica would much rather be searching for the perfect overpriced T-shirt than having this conversation. She didn’t want to hurt Breanna’s feelings, but she didn’t want to offer her too much encouragement either. Her life was too complicated to draw someone else into it. Especially someone she cared about. Perhaps even loved. She didn’t want Breanna to get hurt. By her or anyone else.

  “I look forward to hanging out with you whenever I know we’re going to be on the same ship,” she said noncommittally.

  “Why do I feel there’s a ‘but’ coming?”

  “But I’ve never considered making things permanent.”

  “So I’m just a random hookup? Is that all I am to you?”

  “Of course not.” Breanna tried to pull away, but Jessica wouldn’t let go. She attempted to erase the look of disappointment on Breanna’s face by explaining her point of view. “I love being with you, but would what we have still be sexy and fun if we’re doing dishes and arguing over whose turn it is to take out the trash instead of dancing in a disco until three in the morning and waking up at the crack of dawn to watch the sun rise over the bow of a ship? Because that sounds like the kiss of death to me.”

  “You’ve managed to spend ninety minutes in a mall without pulling your hair out. That counts for something, doesn’t it?”

  “It’s a start.” Jessica felt herself begin to weaken as Breanna’s questions exposed her responses for what they really were: excuses.

  Breanna rubbed the back of Jessica’s hand with her thumb. “A pretty good one, I think.”

  Jessica was soothed yet aroused by the sensation of Breanna’s thumb sliding across her skin. It got harder and harder to say good-bye each time she and Breanna parted ways. Perhaps it was time for her to look for ways for them to be together instead of coming up with reasons to keep them apart. Because she could definitely get used to this. To seeing Breanna every day instead of a few weeks a year. Now that she had decided to stop living a life of crime, perhaps she could start living a life with Breanna.

  Breanna lived in one of the most image-conscious cities in the world. If Jessica moved to LA, she could build a roster of clients and become a personal trainer. If she worked out of her clients’ homes, she wouldn’t have to worry about opening a gym, filling it with equipment, and forking over tons of money for all the related recurring expenses. She could take some of the funds she had stashed in the bank and use them to relocate. Then she could save the rest for the future. Their future. Everything she wanted was sitting right in front of her. All she had to do was reach out and grab it.

  Jessica tried not to get too far ahead of herself. She had to put her old life behind her before she could start a new one. She had a feeling that extricating herself from the cartel’s clutches wouldn’t be nearly as easy as falling into them in the first place. Once she was free, she would be able to start over. And she would be able to do it with Breanna at her side.

  “Let’s table this discussion for now,” she said.

  “For now or for good?”

  “Just for now. When we get back to the real world, why don’t we spend some time together and pick up where we left off?”

  “I’d like that.” Breanna leaned across the table and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “If you don’t mind holding down the fort for a few minutes, I see a negligee over there that’s calling my name. If you play your cards right, I might let you peel it off me later.”

  Breanna trailed her fingers across Jessica’s arm. Goose bumps formed in their wake. “Who knew shopping could be so much fun?”

  “I tried to tell you.”

  Jessica watched Breanna walk across the food court and into a lingerie shop. When she turned back, a man she didn’t know was sitting in the seat Breanna had just vacated. The man was dressed head-to-toe in designer clothes. His outfit probably cost more than Jessica’s car. The cheap cologne he reeked of, however, wasn’t nearly as high-end. The potent fumes wafting from his side of the table made Jessica’s head hurt.

  “Do you mind if I join you?” the man asked in heavily accented English.

  Jessica looked around. Even though the food court was bustling, there were plenty of empty seats to be found. Why hadn’t the man chosen one of them? Perhaps he was looking for company in more ways than one. “As long as you don’t get too comfortable. My friend should be back soon.”

  “If you pay attention to what I have to say and don’t ask unnecessary questions, I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”

  “What do you want?”

  “Give me time and I’ll tell you.” The man slurped his soft drink and set the oversized cup on the table. “Your girl’s hot.” He jerked his chin toward Breanna, who was holding up a nightie so sinfully sexy it was probably illegal in most Southern states. “How long have you been together?”

  Jessica wasn’t in the habit of sharing details of her personal life with random strangers, especially smarmy ones who overstepped their boundaries. “We’re not a couple. We just work together.”

  “In a way, you and I do, too. Though a little birdie tells me you’re looking to get out of the business.”

  The man’s icy tone made Jessica’s blood run cold. She knew she was in trouble. She just didn’t know how much. Remembering his admonishment not to ask unnecessary questions, she kept her mouth shut and waited for him to get to the point.

  When he crossed his arms and placed them on the table, his sleeves slid up, revealing part of a tattoo on his left forearm that was similar to the one Brandon sported on the same limb. The subject was the same—a jaguar caught in mid-leap like the hood ornament on a luxury car—but the design was different. Coincidence or connection? Jessica didn’t believe in one but was reluctant to establish the other.

  The cartel that had overrun the Mariposa Resort six months ago was named the Jaguars. Their hit men identified themselves by tattooing an image of a jaguar on their left forearms. Was that who the man worked for? Was that who Brandon worked for? Was that who she worked for? The Ja
guars were one of the most infamous cartels in Mexico. At least they were before Luisa Moreno had helped take out their leaders.

  Ines Villalobos was the unchallenged head of the Jaguars. Before Luisa Moreno put a bullet in his head, Ines’s grandson Javier was her top enforcer. The press hadn’t mentioned he was romantically involved with anyone. Was he the oft-mentioned boyfriend who was always too busy working to accompany Pilar Obregon on her frequent trips? If Pilar had been involved with him, she could have easily stepped into the void created by Ines’s and Javier’s deaths, or used her feminine wiles to cozy up to the person who did.

  Either way, Jessica was in even more trouble than she had initially thought. In their heyday, the Jaguars let hundreds of people into their organization, but no one made it out alive. What made her think she could be the first?

  Not caring about her own well-being, she looked over her shoulder to make sure Breanna was still a safe distance away.

  “Don’t worry about your lady friend,” the man said sharply. “Focus on me.” Jessica dutifully turned to face him. “That’s better.”

  “How do you know who I am?” she asked in a panicked whisper. “How did you know where to find me?” She flinched when the man unfolded his arms, certain he was about to reach for a gun.

  “Our mutual employer has eyes and ears everywhere. You’d be wise to remember that.” He took another slurp of his soda. “I’m not here to waste your time or mine, so I’ll make this quick. If you want to cancel your arrangement, get rid of Luisa Moreno.”

  “Who’s she?”

  The man pursed his lips like a disapproving schoolmarm. “Don’t play dumb. You and I both know you’ve been warned about the federale responsible for taking out the boss man. La jefa wants revenge.”

  “Pilar Obregon, you mean?”

  “Pilar who? Never heard of her.” The man’s expression said otherwise, which made Jessica realize she had stumbled upon the truth. Pilar Obregon, the beauty queen turned gangster’s moll, was much more than met the eye. “Get rid of Moreno and you’re free to make all the plans you want with your lady friend. When you get back to your room, you’ll find everything you need to complete the job under your pillow. Consider it a gift from the tooth fairy.”