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Decision made, she headed back to the manager’s office to collect her pay for the night. Now was the time she wished Lark was at her side. Her only friend was probably out in the crowd dancing her sparkles away, but Spin was doing her best to avoid her friend. She hated goodbyes.
“So, where to next?”
Spin pulled up short, nearly jumping out of her skin. The hall had been empty before. Now Lark stood there.
“For crying out loud.” Spin clutched at her heart from the fright.
“Sorry, sorry,” Lark giggled. “I won’t do it again. I promise.”
Lark held up her fingers in what she’d told Spin was the Girl Scout pledge. Spin wouldn’t know. She’d never stayed anywhere long enough to memorize a pledge.
“You on your way to get paid?” Lark looped her arm through Spin’s and leaned her head on her shoulder. “‘Cause I’m starved. Let’s pool our money and go someplace nice tonight.”
Spin sighed, relaxing into her friend’s hold. It wouldn’t hurt to wait until dawn to leave. She wouldn’t tell Lark she was going. This would be the last night they had together. She'd make it memorable.
"That was a fantastic set,” said a husky voice from behind them.
Spin looked the newcomer up and down. The young woman had multicolored hair -every shade of the rainbow. Either she had a deft hand when it came to hair dye or that had cost a pretty penny at the salon. Her prescriptive glasses were wing-tipped like something from the movie Grease. Spin liked the mashup.
"Thanks." Spin gave the girl a head nod.
"The way you mixed the seventies music with today’s. And then you tossed in a classical riff? My heart is still pounding from it.”
Yeah, this girl got it. “Thanks …” Spin waited for the woman to fill in her name.
“I’m Parker.”
“Spin.”
“I know.” Parker grinned, but not in the cheesy fangirl way. It was in a way that showed awe and respect for Spin’s talent. “Listen, I know it's short notice, but if you're at all free tomorrow, I'd love for you to DJ my office party.”
Spin hesitated. She wasn’t trying to stay in Nice for any longer than necessary.
“But there’s a catch,” Parker continued. “It’s not here in France. It's on a cruise ship.”
"An office party on a cruise ship?”
"Yeah, it's a business thing. A retreat for all the workers."
"You have a cool boss."
Parker shrugged. “Some think so. So, are you in? I happen to know the boss is very generous when it comes to entertainment. Plus, a free cruise. And your friend is welcome to come along.”
Lark tugged at Spin’s arm like she was a kid being offered her pick on the ice cream truck. Her eyes went puppy dog wide as she silently pleaded.
“Where are you sailing?” asked Spin.
“A small island in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s called Cordoba.”
That was even closer to the Middle East than France. Her fare would likely be cut in half from the island. What did Spin have to lose? It would get her out of France for free, give her some more time with Lark, and she’d get a paycheck out of it.
Chapter Seven
It was the height of wastefulness. Flying two hours to France to sail for ten hours back to Córdoba. Zhi would've done it without a second thought a few years back when he didn't know the balance of his family’s accounts. Now, his belly ached at the expense, even though it wasn’t his dime being spent.
Stepping off Omar's private jet into the bright Nice afternoon, Zhi let out a long, weary sigh. What was he doing here? He had no time for such frivolous activities as an overnight cruise. His to-do list back at Mondego House was ever increasing.
He wouldn’t be wrong to say the list was taking on water. The estate was sinking. The booty had been looted, the coffers ransacked. He and his staff were all standing on a shaky plank. The smart thing would be to jump ship, not board someone else’s ship. But that’s what he was doing.
