by Deb Julienne
J.J. and Diana followed right behind. He, too, requested a private table for dinner.
Dinner was lovely. The food was exquisite, the service impeccable, and the company was perfect.
He managed to convince her to take an after-dinner stroll on the deck, stopping to listen to the band playing by the pool.
They were in the middle of the second dance when the purser found them.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s another call for you,” he informed Diana.
“I’ll be right back,” she said.
The one thing he noticed was that Diana didn’t seem interested in him. She spent most of the dinner scanning the passengers. Convinced she hadn’t put two and two together so far, he decided to drop little hints when she returned.
Five minutes turned into ten. After fifteen minutes J.J. made his way to the purser’s desk. Diana was still on the phone, gesturing like an angry New York taxi driver.
“I am not incompetent.” She slammed the phone down and walked away.
He tried not to stare, but she was shaking. “Are you all right?”
“No.”
Her clipped answer worried him.
She forcefully looped her arm through his and guided him to the elevator. “Come on. Let’s continue our walk.”
He didn’t know what the hell was going on, but he wanted to take her mind off her problems. And he meant to do just that.
Diana’s breathing as they finished the first lap on deck was nothing short of a marathon, but he kept up easily. On the second lap, she slowed to a fast-paced jaunt. By the third lap, she was almost back to normal.
He knew enough about women not to ask what was wrong. So, when she no longer looked ready to deck him, he took a chance trying to pull her into a conversation. “Want to get an ice cream cone? I’ve built up a bit of a sweat.”
Diana whirled on him.
He stepped back, waiting to see if she’d hit him with a right cross or a left uppercut.
Instead, she laughed. “Nice going, Diana.” With another burst of laughter, she paced in front of him. “I am so sorry. I had the most magnificent night last night, and today was even better. But one ill-timed call, and I lose it.”
“Been there myself. I know exactly what you mean.”
“Thanks for commiserating with me, but I’m sure you don’t. You’re a nice guy and all, but I have to tell you, I had the best evening with the most wonderful man, and now he’s disappeared. I can’t find him anywhere. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but we don’t have a chance.” She glanced down then gave him a hesitant grin. “I’m sorry, I don’t date musicians or boys in a band.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, again, I’m sorry.”
He couldn’t help it, he had to taunt her. “In that case, may I suggest that you have that lovely butterfly removed and replace it with a hornet or something equally painful?” He turned and walked away, doing everything in his power not to burst out laughing.
The fast-paced clip-clop of her high heels rang on the deck as she raced around in front of him. Diana put her hand against his chest as she asked, “How do you know about my tattoo?”
J.J. threw his head back and laughed, “It was kind of hard to miss when you undressed in front of me last night.”
“That was you?” Diana spun away. “I am so embarrassed.” Then she rounded on him and went off on a tirade. “I looked for you everywhere. Why did you leave last night?”
“Because I didn’t want you to feel bad if you woke up and had regrets.”
“Regrets? Are you kidding? I woke up planning to spend the day with you, but you were gone.”
“Then it’s my turn to apologize. What did you do today?”
Diana grabbed his hand. “Can we keep walking? I need to work off some nervous energy.”
“Sure, we could do that, or we could go back to your room and continue where we left off last night. How about one more lap and you can tell me what you did today because after we get back to your room, I seriously doubt I’ll remember to ask about it.”
“I agree.” She snickered then grabbed his hand, swinging it gently as they did their final lap. “I swam with the dolphins.” She shared the experience with such vivid descriptions. There was no doubt she thoroughly enjoyed herself.
By the time she finished, J.J. was sorry he hadn’t found her sooner. He wasn’t the dolphin enthusiast she was, but she made it sound so enticing.
“What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” he asked.
“I was planning on going zip lining and maybe some tubing. Sounds like fun to me.”
Good thing he brought plenty of money and plastic because the excursions she planned to do were all relatively expensive. “I’m game. I love a good adrenaline rush. What else did you have in mind for the rest of the trip?”
For some reason, Diana hesitated to respond. Maybe that was too much time together.
“Well, I have some work to do, but I guess there’s no reason you can’t do it with me.”
“Work? On vacation?”
Again, she hesitated. “I write reviews about cruise excursions.” Her face blushed, and she looked away.
Why was she lying?
“What do you do for a living?” he asked.
“Ah—I—work for a hotel. It’s my job to check out the excursions and present my experiences and findings so we can steer the customers toward the safest and best tours.”
They continued their walk then stopped by the bar for a nightcap before turning in for the evening.
There was something very strange about her, but after the way her phone call ended, the last thing he wanted to do was to cause her any other grief by questioning her.
Besides, they had better things to do in her room.
Chapter Twelve
Diana woke up exhausted and sated. After her argument with her father, the only way to get rid of her irritation was a frolicking night of amazing sex with J.J., and it worked.
She felt guilty for lying to J.J., but she had a job to do, and her father impressed upon her the ultimate need for secrecy. He couldn’t take any chances of the media finding out and setting off a bidding war which might cause the investors to back out or the company’s stock to plunge.
While J.J. was in the shower, she ordered room service. She threw open the balcony doors, and once breakfast was delivered and set up on the patio table, it was time to start another beautiful day.
Her father had pissed her off, calling her incompetent for not having a full report after just two days at sea. He chewed her out for wasting company money on the excursions. She’d tried three times to reiterate that the purpose of the full cruise experience was to get all aspects before she wrote up her report.
J.J. strutted out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel and nothing on. “Are you ready for a fun day? Can I talk you into some sightseeing?”
“We dock in Belize shortly, and I wanted to check out the Mask Temple of Lamanai.”
J.J. pulled her into his arms. “I’ve heard it’s magnificent.” He nibbled on her neck. “Do you have any other plans besides that?”
She kissed him back. “Like I said before, I wanted to try zip lining and tubing. Let’s just play it by ear.” The plan was to try every excursion the ship offered. She didn’t care how expensive they were.
Two hours later, they were happily ensconced in the Mayan ruins, and their tour guide was fabulous.
The bus ride to the boat was a bit long, but the boat ride to the ruins was exciting. Between the bends and turns in the river with huge trees branches draped out over the river, crocodiles swimming or lazing on the shore, there were colorful, noisy birds galore, and the scenery alone was well worth the expense.
It was like a personal voyage into the wild kingdom as they sped along the river in an open boat. Once they arrived at the site, they were led on the tour of the Mayan ruins by their guide, Romero, who gave them a living history lesson sharing interesting stories and
information about the Mayan lifestyle. It was an easy walk to and through the area, but it was Romero’s knowledge of the history of the people and the ruins that made the trip special.
The jungle setting they had to pass through to get to the ruins was like a walk into the past. And when they burst through the jungle and captured their first glimpse of the ruins, all Diana could do was to gape as she surveyed the ancient pyramids. They visited three impressive temples; the Jaguar Temple, the Mask Temple, and the High Temple.
Romero was the perfect guide. He loved everything about the ruins, and his passion came through in his commentary of the exhibitions.
“Imagine what it was like to unearth these ancient sacred temples. The Temple of the Jaguar is known for its boxy jaguar shape. The Mesoamerican architecture was well preserved by the dense jungle that protects it.”
Diana took pictures galore, all the while conjuring up the visual and dialog she’d add to her presentation about the excursion.
The mossy covered structures and the ancient crumbling ruins lent a mythical quality to the scenery. Diana wished for a glimpse of what they must have looked like at the time they were originally completed.
At the Temple of the Mask, Romero pointed to a face in the rock. “These structures were carved out of limestone. Each mask is thought to represent early rulers. Notice this one wears a crocodile headdress. Each block was individually cut, one at a time, and please be sure to pay close attention to the flat nose and wide swollen lips. Imagine the time it must have taken each worker to make the intricate carvings to replicate their rulers.”
The highlight of Diana’s excursion was climbing the High Temple. By the time she reached the top, she was exhausted and exhilarated. The view from the pinnacle was worth the exertion. The jungle canopy that extended into Guatemala and Mexico was spectacular. It was like being in a lost world thousands of years ago.
The trip back was even better with the monkeys were swinging from tree to tree, and the boat captain was great pointing out the other forms of wildlife from the litter of baby crocs on the shore to the ospreys and jacanas. But it was the howler monkey that scared the bejesus out of those aboard the boat.
And while there was so much beauty around them, other things stood out. The humidity and the stench of rotting flora dissipated thanks to the breeze whisking through the trees. A baby monkey jumped on the boat and sat on Diana’s lap. She was afraid to touch it, so Captain Jorge Xavier came and took the baby from her. He gave it a banana and set it on the deck.
“The little beggar,” Diana said.
From there, they were led to a restaurant near the boat dock where they were treated to a wonderfully delicious lunch of chicken, red beans and rice, coleslaw, salad, and fruit before they returned to the ship.
“If we get back in time I wanted to participate in the cooking demonstration class.”
J.J. raised his eyebrows lecherously. “Wouldn’t you rather be my dessert back in your cabin?”
She nudged him. “We have all evening for that.” Then to drive him even more crazy she licked her lips while staring at him.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down before it got stuck. He swallowed hard, gasping for air.
Diana had to continually remind herself when she was in J.J.’s presence that she had a job to do. If she wanted to succeed, she had to keep her mind on the matter at hand. She had a blast sharing the experiences with him, but having J.J. so close made it difficult for her to get time alone to ask questions. She had to settle for asking for their business cards to contact them later for additional information.
When they returned to the ship, she went back to her room for a shower. The humidity of the jungle had made her sweat like never before.
She agreed to meet J.J. for dinner after the cooking class. There were three categories to choose from: kids cooking, appetizers and wine pairing, and the chef’s table experience. While Diana chose the appetizers class because of the chef, she also wanted to participate in the wine tasting experience that paired hors-d’oeuvres with the perfect wines. The class alone was well worth the money and gave her great ideas for adding to the services of the Tolliver Towers hotels.
After the class, Diana couldn’t wait to write down her thoughts before meeting J.J. for dinner.
A stroll around the deck before they retired for the evening was the perfect end to another perfect day.
Chapter Thirteen
Between snorkeling, parasailing, and water skiing, J.J. was exhausted by the time he and Diana plopped into two comfortable chairs beneath an umbrella on the beach to relax.
The warm crystal blue waters were paradise to swim in, and the white sandy beach beneath their feet was heaven.
“Who needs a pedicure with sand like this?” Diana scrunched her toes in the sand.
A waiter came and took their drink order as they lounged at the water’s edge.
When they were hungry, they swam to the Tiki bar and had a lovely lunch with the best lobster J.J. had ever eaten while listening to the calypso music of Caribbean steel drums.
“I wish the cruise was longer so I could go on more excursions.”
J.J. sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. “If this cruise were any longer, I’d be ready for the funny farm. It’s fun to try everything, but I’m going to need a vacation from my vacation.”
“Oh, come on. You’re having a blast, and you know it.”
“Yes, I am but we’ve been on the go for the past several days, and between the sun, the excursions, the humidity and such, it’s taking a toll on me. And let’s not forget the insatiable vixen that captured my heart.”
“You’re crazy. The humidity is a fantastic moisturizer. My skin is far better than before I got here. Who needs a spa when you have this?” She waved her arms before them. “As for the last part, I for one, am sleeping better than ever.”
J.J. chuckled. “Sleep? What’s that? You have more energy than a two-year-old. I can barely keep up.”
“I have the right incentive. My job.” She nodded. “I’m up for a promotion, and I want it. But I have to prove I can do it. That means knowing everything that a customer could want to do, advising them on the best place to suit their needs to give them that one-of-a-kind experience. You can’t do that if you don’t give it a try.”
“True.” J.J. wanted to kiss her. Diana had just given him the idea of the best way to propose his presentation for his interview. “The customer is always right after all.”
“Yes, they are, and if you steer them in the wrong direction, they won’t soon come back. Hotels are all about return customers and making them feel like family.”
“Keep talking.” J.J. had a feeling that Diana was the key to snatching that V.P. of Marketing position, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted it.
“For instance, if I had the time, I’d try the beginner, intermediate, and advanced tours for snorkeling. You never know what experience a customer will want, but if you try them all, then you know what to suggest for each person in their party.” Diana lit up as she spoke, she obviously loved her job.
“Are you the concierge at a hotel? That’s the mentality they need. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to a concierge and all they do is give you a list of things to do, but no experience on what you’ll receive.”
“Exactly my point. I’m—ah—the events coordinator for a hotel, and we’re looking to expand our services.” Her hesitation this time was minimal.
He suspected this was closer to the truth, but why be so closed-mouthed about it?
“And the parasailing. That was so much fun I can’t wait to do it again. While I was up in the air, gliding above the water, I could see the sea life, fish swimming, kids frolicking below. It was like one of those out-of-body experiences where you see everything. There’s nothing like it. I will definitely do it again.”
“You’re right, it was incredible.”
“The water skiing was okay, but it’s not something I’d
recommend because it’s something you can do at home and probably cheaper. Here, you have the wild colors of the surrounding, the blue and green of the water, the crystal blue skies, the luxurious powdered sands, the vivid colors of the tropics, and to soar above it all is more than I can put into words. Now if I can just make my boss understand. He’s afraid of flying, so this is not something he’ll give a flying fig about, but customers will definitely want the details.”
“Well, you’re doing a damn good job of it.”
“If we have time, I’d definitely like to try zip lining. It’s a hot trend, and if I try a couple of the tours, then I’ll know better what to suggest.”
“I’m game if you are.”
“Really?”
“Sure, my treat. Let’s go.”
Diana bundled up her beach bag in record time, and they were off.
She had the right idea, the more they sampled of the excursions, the better equipped they were to offer suggestions. This was the perfect break J.J. needed, and it was just the right spin to put on his presentation at the interview.
The tour they chose was great. The driver was pleasant and pointed out various points of interest along the way. They loaded into a truck that hauled them on a short ride up a steep hill. The crew helped them with their rigging, while the guide told them what to expect.
“I’m nervous,” Diana admitted.
“I have some buddies who’ve done it and said it was great.”
On the first level, they went separately. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but J.J. loved it. What he loved most was the high pitch scream of Diana right behind him. Her scream turned into one of hysterical laughter once she got going. He glanced over his shoulder, and the smile on her face said it all. She was having a grand time. So was he.
On the second level, they went separately again, but this time they were anxious to get going, and that section was even more fun.
The guide suggested they go together on the third level, so they slipped their arms around one another and down they went to the final level. They separated at one point and laid back.
