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And those obliques. Holy motherfucking shit. The V-muscles that pointed down at those banana briefs like they were advertising a hot sale were sculpted out of fucking marble.
Coño. This guy is everything.
Then our eyes met, and the guy who looked like everything suddenly felt like everything, too. It was difficult to explain, and even more difficult to believe. But in just that one fleeting glance, I felt like an entire world of questions had been answered for me. Like I was staring at the key holder to a long-locked part of me.
And then he disappeared, pulling on his shorts and hurrying to the bathroom, leaving me behind, shell-shocked at what had just happened. I hadn’t realized the line had started to move again until someone tapped me on my shoulder and pointed.
“Are you okay?”
The finger belonged to Luna. She wore a wide-brimmed tourist hat and tortoise-patterned sunglasses that seemed one size too big for her face. She normally kept a farther distance from me when I requested it, but the loud situation involving my dream man must have drawn her over. I couldn’t see her eyes, but I could tell just by her body position that she was ready to react. She had a hand underneath her oversized button-up teal shirt dotted with multicolored flowers, no doubt over her concealed pistol.
“I’m fine, I’m fine.”
She looked around me, at the officers who were fixing up the private screening area. “Bueno.” She nodded and took her hand out from her shirt. “I’m not a fan of being the only one on security detail here, just for the record, Nick.”
“I know. Thank you, Luna. I appreciate it.” And I did. It had taken a shit ton of convincing to allow this trip to happen, and a lot of precautions taken before hand. “I just wanted to keep this trip as quiet as possible. I’ve been dealing with enough back home. I really didn’t want to bring an entire troop of guards and have everyone wonder who the hell I was.”
“Just don’t go doing anything crazy. Always keep me in mind. I know you can get carried away sometimes.”
“Me? Ridiculous,” I said as I was actively being carried away on thoughts of where that sexy banana boy had gone.
Luna went back to her spot in line as I moved up, reaching the security checkpoint. I walked through and into the waiting area before boarding the ship. It felt like a large, modern warehouse, with glass ceilings that showered the space in bright light. There were food stands and supply shops against the wall, along with an abundance of sleek white tables and chairs. A thick palm tree grew in the center of the room, surrounded by benches, a few trickling water fountains set throughout.
I wasn’t paying attention to any of it. Sure, it registered in the back of my head, but my focus was on finding banana boy, even if it was just for me to steal an extra glance. We were going to be on the same ship for the next twenty-one days, so I figured we would have to bump into each other at some point.
I looked around, walking through the thick crowd, growing as more people filed in through security. Kids were happily running around, some playing tag, others finding spots to sit where they could play games with their friends, cousins, siblings. The energy was high as the space filled with the constant din of excited conversations. People were taking selfies galore, and thankfully, none of them were asking to take one with me.
Just ahead of me was a bookstore: Port Pages. Above the wood-framed door was a neon blue, red, and white sign depicting a toy boat jumping into an open book, the name of the bookstore flashing above it. I shrugged, thinking if I couldn’t find that sexy banana-briefed guy, then I could at least find a good book to get lost in. Reading a page-turning mystery while working on my holiday tan sounded like a fun way to spend an afternoon or three.
Inside, the bookstore felt much cozier than the grand and airy waiting area. Instead of glass and steel, wooden shelves and tucked-away nooks dominated the aesthetic. I almost didn’t even recognize the checkout counter, which was between two tall stacks of thick, leather-bound books. It smelled just like the library back in the palace, a place I’d enjoy getting lost in for hours on end, especially as a kid, when my attention span didn’t feel like it was as brittle as a burnt tree, ready to snap if I strained it for longer than five minutes.
I walked through the aisles, my suitcase rolling along beside me. I let go of the handle and reached for a book that caught my interest, its cover depicting a silky blue backdrop with an elaborate dagger tucked in the center.
