“That was Felix?” Zoe’s eyebrows shot up. Clearly the suit was doing it for her too. “I thought I recognized Naia when they came aboard. He told me he couldn’t find a babysitter. A few other guests brought older kids, so it wasn’t a big deal.”
Piper leaned on the rail next to Addison. “From how you talked about him, he’s not quite what I expected.”
Addison laughed, but it sounded weak. “Yeah, me neither.”
Piper and Zoe exchanged looks over Addison’s head, but it was Zoe, always so direct, who asked, “Want to talk about it?”
“I’m not sure.” Addison stared down at the water rippling below them. “Have you ever wanted something so bad for so long that when you finally get it you realize that it was only a nice dream? Because now that it’s right in front of me, I’m not sure it’s what I want anymore.”
“Like a dog chasing its tail.” Piper nodded. “When it finally catches it, it doesn’t know what to do with it and lets it go.”
“Something like that,” she said. “Maybe Phillip’s my tail.”
“So if not Phillip, then what do you want?” Zoe asked.
Addison had been thinking about it so much lately, but it was scarier to admit it out loud, especially to the two people who knew her best. “Something I didn’t even realize I wanted. Something I thought I could never have.”
“A tattoo?” Zoe asked.
“Zero-calorie ice cream,” Piper suggested.
Zoe smirked. “A penis?”
Addison laughed, happy she still knew how to do that. “A family.”
Piper slung an arm around her. “We’re your family, Addy. We always will be. You know that, right?”
“Thanks. I feel the same way.” She rested her head on Piper’s shoulder. “But you know what I mean. One to go home to at the end of the day.”
“So are we just speaking hypothetically?” Zoe asked. “Or do you have a particular family in mind?”
“Well, I…” Addison thought she had, maybe, possibly. But after watching Felix and Charlotte board the Belle that night, she realized that boat had sailed. “I don’t think so. Not anymore.”
Zoe’s tablet began to jingle. “Shit. It’s almost time for dinner to begin.”
“That’s okay,” Addison said. “Go ahead. You’ve got a busy night. We’ll talk later.”
Piper squeezed Addison a little tighter. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah. I will be.” Maybe she’d lost her chance with Felix, but at least she was on track to figuring out what she really wanted. It was time to wake up and find her happiness. Not just dream about it.
“We are long overdue for a sleepover,” Zoe said. “How about later this weekend, after all your fashion show craziness is over.”
Addison winced. That was if the fashion show was even going to happen. She smiled, putting on a brave face for her friends. “For sure. We’ll catch up.”
Zoe gave her a wink before fitting an earpiece into her ear—very official looking—and heading up the stairs. A few minutes later, her sensual voice carried over the Belle’s intercom system.
“Attention please. Dinner is about to be served. Will everyone kindly make their way to the lower deck? We will begin in fifteen minutes.”
“Are you coming?” Piper asked Addison.
“Yeah, I’ll be right there.”
Once Piper waved good-bye and headed back inside, Addison resumed her contemplative position at the deck rail, but this time she wasn’t contemplating the view of the shore. She was watching the guests filter downstairs.
Her eyes were peeled for clues. But no one was wearing ski masks or creeping along with big sacks of puppies slung across their backs. In fact, almost no one had a dog with them at all. The few people who had brought their furry friends had left them on the sundeck where they could be monitored by the dog minders.
Once the coast was clear, Addison hurried back inside. The parquet dance floor clicked under her heels as she scoped out the nearly empty room. It was the size of a traditional ballroom, broken up only by the ornate support columns. She weaved in and out of them, trying to act casual while she searched for potential evildoers.
Her eyes flitted to the people still in the room, mostly workers. On the small stage, band members were tuning their instruments. The bartender was placing fresh glasses behind the bar and restocking the liquor. Servers cleaned up empty cocktail glasses. The only shifty-looking one seemed to be her.
Addison skirted around the side of the bar to head for the back staircase. As she passed by, she noticed a clipboard on the counter with a list of all the guests’ names. She glanced over at the bartender. He had his back to her while he restocked the cupboard.
Tucking her clutch under her arm, Addison swiped the clipboard and kept on moving before he noticed. She climbed the stairs to the third enclosed deck, holding the list aloft, very official-like. But the deck, which had been set up for cocktails and socializing after dinner, was deserted.
Tired of taking the stairs in high heels, Addison headed for the elevator inside. Once she managed to squeeze into it, her poofy dress took up half of the enclosed space. It was like shoving an open umbrella into a car.
She hit the button for the first deck and held her dress aside until the door slid closed. At the last second an arm shot out, stopping it from shutting. When the metal door slid open, Felix was standing on the other side.
“Oh, hi,” Addison said.
“Hi,” he answered, hesitating at the door. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be down at dinner?”
“I’m casing the joint.” She figured some vernacular would help her seem far more qualified to do it on her own than she felt.
He seemed to take her in from top to bottom, his gaze finally landing on the clipboard in her hand. “Are you helping your friend with the event?”
“Oh. No. I just thought the guest list might come in handy.”
He nodded. “Good thinking.”
He was still holding the door open, but when it began to alarm, he shuffled inside the elevator somewhat reluctantly. Addison tried to hold her marshmallow dress aside to create room, but the space was so tight he still had to press up against her.
A few moments of awkward elevator silence passed where neither of them knew where to look. There wasn’t even cheesy music to help ease it. The ride seemed longer than it should have been for only two floors.
“You look pretty,” he finally said.
When she looked at him, he was staring at her in earnest. Of course, he was there with Charlotte, so he just meant to be nice. But when he kept staring at her, she fidgeted uncomfortably and looked away.
“Thank you,” she said. “You look good in that suit.”
“I had a good fashion advisor.”
Addison smiled at that, but didn’t know what else to say. The elevator dinged as they reached their destination. The doors slid open. “Well, I’ll let you get back to your date,” she said.
Felix made no move to leave. “Charlotte knows I need to check the place out for clues, so she’s watching Naia for me on the sundeck.”
Addison’s eyebrows automatically furrowed at the mention of the server’s name. “So I suppose she’s helping you track down the dognappers now?”
“She is actually.” He said it so casually, but she could see he was hiding some emotion. Whatever it was, it was pretty raw because the vein started to stand out on his forehead. “Where’s Phillip?” He scowled as he said the name.
“He’s waiting for me at dinner,” she lied. She hoisted her skirt up as though about to step out of the elevator, but couldn’t seem to make her legs go forward. “He’s probably wondering where I am.”
As the door started to close, Felix stopped it and gestured for her to go first. “You wouldn’t want to keep Mr. Perfect waiting. If you’re late, he might think you’re not so perfect yourself.”
“That’s not possible since we both know I am.”
He snorted derisi
vely.
Heat crawled beneath Addison’s skin, but she maintained her aloof attitude. “You know, I’m so happy Charlotte could find a dress to hide those red bra straps of hers.” Her eyelashes batted innocently.
Felix laughed, but managed to scowl at the same time. “Jealous much?”
“Yes.” Her answer came out as a light breath, so quiet she hadn’t realized it came out of her own mouth until his head whipped toward her. By the expression on his face, he was wondering if he’d imagined it too.
The truth had slipped out before she’d even had the chance to think of a scathing response. The honesty and earnestness in that one word surprised even her. It hung in the air between them, filling the silent elevator.
Felix opened his mouth to speak, but whatever he was about to say was cut off by a loud blast from the boat’s horn.
Startled, Addison jumped. A high-pitched hum from the engine vibrated the floor beneath their feet. There was a sudden change in speed, like the boat had slammed on its brakes—if it even had brakes.
The lurch shook Felix and Addison in the small space, and she fell against him. Automatically, his arms came up and wrapped around her. Being held by him, his touch, his hands—unlike Phillip’s—felt warm and right … like home.
The elevator door shut automatically. Addison wanted to stay there forever, but she was dimly aware of hollering outside their little space. Dishes clattered on the dining deck and footsteps shuffled through the lobby.
After a moment, Felix pressed the door open button. By the time the doors slid open, the lobby was filled to capacity. Most of the dinner guests had pressed their way to the bow of the boat. Those who couldn’t fit outside on the outer deck weaved their heads back and forth, rubbernecking for a view of whatever was going on outside.
Their awkwardness forgotten, Felix and Addison shared a look. The foreboding in the air made her shiver.
He stepped out and Addison squeezed her puffy dress through of the elevator after him. They didn’t get any farther since the lobby was too packed. Chatter drifted back through the crowd like a game of telephone.
“We hit something,” someone said.
“Did we hit the shore?” Addison asked the woman next to her.
“I don’t know,” she answered.
“Who’s driving this thing?” a random voice demanded.
“Oh my God!” someone cried out. “Are we sinking?”
“I think we hit another boat,” another voice called out.
“I wonder if my pooky is okay,” the woman next to Addison said. “They probably got quite a fright up there.”
Addison tuned into the sounds outside of the chaotic lobby. She could hear the captain arguing with someone, presumably the other boat’s operator, from his wheelhouse on the very top deck.
“Felix!” a female voice called out from across the lobby.
Addison recognized Charlotte’s voice. She turned to find the server pushing her way through the crowd. Along the way, Charlotte got a few nasty looks and a “Hey, watch it!” but she didn’t seem to care.
She was huffing by the time she reached Addison and Felix, her cheeks flushed pink. “Felix. Here you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“Charlotte. What’s wrong?” Felix glanced behind her and all around her. “Where’s Naia?”
She shook her head, her chin quivering slightly. “I’m so sorry. I’ve looked everywhere for her. I thought maybe she’d found you somehow.”
“You mean you don’t know where she is?” His voice was loud even among the excited chatter all around them. He took a deep breath through his nose before continuing. “All right, when did you last see her?”
“Fifteen minutes ago, maybe. I-I don’t know what happened. She was with me the whole time. I only turned my back for like a second, I swear. When I turned around, she was gone.”
Felix laid a hand on her arm and spoke calmly to her. “Don’t worry. I’m sure she’s still up there hiding somewhere. We’ll go up and take a look.”
But when he turned back to the elevator, his actions were anything but calm. He jabbed the elevator button repeatedly until Addison thought it might break. Finally, the door slid open.
As he got in, he looked over his shoulder. “Addison?”
Felix didn’t have to say any more. The question was already there in his voice, along with the pleading and the worry.
Addison nodded, squeezing her oversized dress inside with Charlotte and Felix. “I’ll help you find her.”
Felix’s hand shook slightly as he reached out and hit the button for the third deck.
“Oh, Felix.” Charlotte suddenly sobbed. “I’m so sorry. I swear I only looked away for a second.”
“I know,” he said. “We’ll find her.”
“But I’ve looked everywhere, and they had the door closed and the gates in front of the stairs to keep the dogs from escaping. I don’t think she could have gotten out that way. I just don’t know where else she could be. And there are all those railings and she’s so little. And what, if”—she hiccupped—“what if…” Charlotte broke down into full sobs, unable to say the words.
The color left Felix’s face and he didn’t look like he wanted to hear any more.
“The fence is too tall,” Addison cut in. “She couldn’t have climbed over or gotten through any of the gaps. They secured the entire deck for teacup dogs,” she assured Felix. “Naia would have been fine.”
Felix nodded, looking slightly relieved by the news. Charlotte was still crying. He reached out and rubbed her back as she cried into his chest.
“Oh God. I’m so sorry Felix,” she said, between gasps for air. “You trusted me with her and … I’m going to make such a terrible mother.”
Addison’s head whipped to Charlotte, her mouth dropping open, but neither she nor Felix seemed to notice. They were too lost in their worried thoughts. Addison glanced from the server to Felix and back again.
Mother? Charlotte didn’t mean … Isn’t it a little too soon to be talking like that? Addison wondered. After they’d only just started dating?
But she couldn’t ignore the ache in her chest reminding her that Felix and Charlotte were close. They’d worked together for years. He always defended her, protected her, and, after what Addison had witnessed in Charlotte’s home, there could be no doubt. Heck, it wasn’t even like she knew a lot about Felix’s past. Maybe they’d dated before.
Charlotte and Felix were obviously serious. Maybe it was just meant to be. Isn’t that what Addison told Felix when he asked about Phillip? When it’s right, it’s right.
Addison stared down at the clutch in her hands, unable to look at the two of them together anymore. She wondered if they were on the longest elevator ride in history. At least Addison had never lost Naia. Well, maybe she did, but only for a second, and she wasn’t really lost. She was in Oliver’s kennel the whole time.
Addison gasped. “That’s it!”
Charlotte pulled away and tried to wipe her face with the back of her hand. “What’s it?”
“Naia must be in Oliver’s kennel.”
Felix seemed to exhale a thousand held breaths. “Of course. She was scared of coming on the boat. That’s why she wanted to stay with Oliver on the sundeck, because she felt safer up there with him.”
Charlotte just blinked. “I didn’t even think to look. It makes sense. I knew she couldn’t have gotten off that floor.”
The moment the doors opened, Felix ran for the stairs to the sundeck, taking two at a time. Charlotte followed close behind, but Addison struggled to keep up with them in her high heels.
On her way to the stairs, she passed the captain and a few of the other staff heading to deal with whatever was going on below. They nodded their heads but otherwise took no note of her.
She leaned over the side rail to see what the holdup was. The Belle had, in fact, collided with another smaller recreational vessel. The boater was busy arguing with the staff on the first deck, even tho
ugh it was clear he was the one who ran into them.
Squeezing into the stairwell, Addison followed Charlotte and Felix to the top, hoping that she was right and Naia was safe in Oliver’s kennel. But before she even got to the last steps, she felt something wasn’t right.
She would have expected with all of the commotion down below that the dogs would be barking, sensing something was wrong. But the only yapping and barking were coming from the human guests down on the first deck.
The bodice on Addison’s dress seemed tighter than ever. She strained to hear any doglike noises coming from the top deck, but it was eerily silent. When she shot out the top of the staircase, she saw why.
The entire sundeck was deserted. All the dogs, all the kennels, were gone. Including Princess. And Oliver. And Naia.
In the middle of the grass, Charlotte had sunk to her knees. Her shoulders shook with silent tears. Felix stood off to the side, staring blankly into his hands. The clipboard dropped from Addison’s hand, clattering to the floor, her legs moving toward him without even thinking about it.
As she got closer, she realized Felix was holding something: Naia’s stuffed bunny.
Addison’s footsteps faltered at the sight of the stuffed animal in his hand, limp and bereft without its owner. Felix’s fist was clenched around the toy, his fingers white. He turned to face her.
“She’s gone,” he told her. “Naia’s gone.”
The deck swam before Addison’s eyes and her stomach felt like it had flipped inside out. The dognapper had struck again. Only now, they were also a kidnapper.
26
Sea Dogs
Felix stood in the middle of the sundeck’s makeshift lawn, running one hand over his head, gripping his hair like he wanted to rip it out. The other was still clenched around Naia’s stuffed bunny. His mouth opened in a wordless scream before his chin dropped to his chest and he closed his eyes.
Addison was afraid to touch him because he looked about ready to explode, or maybe to curl up into the fetal position and cry. She didn’t know which one would be worse. All she knew was she wanted to hold him and tell him it would be all right.
Beauty and the Wiener Page 27
