‘Is he hot?’ she asks.
‘No idea. I’m not looking to date him.’
‘Boring.’
‘Well, I was chatting to a nice guy earlier. Ellis. Funnily enough, he’s a captain. Well, he was a—’
‘You’re chatting up the captain?’ she exclaims. ‘Pretty sure they’re not allowed to fraternise with guests. But exciting.’
‘No, not the captain ofthisship. He used to be a captain. He knows the captain here but he’s just on holiday.’
She pauses. ‘Who the fuck goes on holiday to their job?’
‘I asked that too. Apparently, he’s figuring out what he wants to do next. We really didn’t get into it. And I’m not chatting him up. It was just a conversation.’
‘Fair enough. What’s he like?’
‘Tall, brown eyes.’
‘So you’ve noticed his eyes. . .’
‘Hard not to, they’re on the front of his face. He looks a bit like that guy from that show you like.’
‘The Love Boat?’
‘No, Naomi. NotThe Love Boat.’
She chuckles. ‘Well, could you maybe narrow it down a bit? I watch a lot of shows.’
‘The one about the woman who works with the priest, and they investigate paranormal shit or crimes or something. I only watched one episode and—’
‘Ooh,Evil?’
‘Yeah, that one. The priest guy.’
‘He looks like Mike Colter. Are you kidding me?’
‘I mean, he’s not identical and he has more hair but yeah, pretty close.’
‘I want photos. From all angles.’
I sigh. ‘I have no reason to take his photo, Naomi!’
‘Find one.’
I tell her I’ll try but I doubt I will.Hey, Ellis, want to take a selfie with me, a woman you’ve had one polite conversation with? I will also require a full-body shot and a side profile if possible. Do you happen to own a dog collar?I think not.
I grab a quick look at myself in the mirror. Hair not too frizzy, dress not too clingy, feet not too swollen. Everything seems on point. I grab my shawl, my purse and make my way to the lift.
Chapter 26
Unlike the buffet, the main dining room is far more elegant. There are two floors, the upper held up by white pillars which stretch across the room. In the centre of the lower floor, numerous tables of different sizes, all with white tablecloths and centrepiece flowers. Now I understand why turning up in my T-shirt and sliders was a no-no. I hear piano music floating across the room. It makes a change from the ‘Macarena’.
‘Sophie Smalls,’ I tell the restaurant greeter. ‘Cabin 8233.’
‘Perfect, just follow this gentleman to your table.’
I feel nervous butterflies in my stomach. Over the years, I’ve attended work dinners and conferences alone, but I was always there for business. To represent the agency and not myself. A good impression is easy to make when it isn’t about you.
