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9
Rick
Married? Wife?I looked at my boss again, still not sure I had heard correctly. There was no way my boss had just called me to his office in the middle of the day to discuss my marital status. Especially after summoning me here first thing this morning so he could fire me.
What the fuck is going on? I purposely have stayed low key and now I’m in the spotlight twice, in a day?
“Rick, if you had just told us that you were married to her, this all could’ve been resolved quickly.”
“I…wasn’t prepared to tell anyone,” I stated. Because I have no idea where this is coming from. “Did…Val come and speak to you?” I asked.
I couldn’t imagine she did, because I hadn’t even told her that I’d been fired. And since my employment status didn’t affect her, I was still contemplating if I should or shouldn’t tell her anything about it. Why ruin her vacation if I don’t have to?
“No. Your mother-in-law called. I guess your wife was very upset that you’d been terminated. Newlyweds can get very emotional on their honeymoons. But if you knew that you were going to be on a honeymoon, maybe you shouldn’t have taken this job.”
“It…was a gift from her family. I swear we didn’t plan any of this.”
“The wedding?” my boss asked.
I shook my head. “No - Valentina being on this cruise during my contract. We had no idea. Her family and friends did it as a surprise.” She had told me as much, so I didn’t feel like I was inventing the truth so much as stretching it.
“That’s a very thoughtful gift. So you know, the captain has been updated in regards to this entire misunderstanding. He would like for the two of you to join him at his table to celebrate your wedding,” he said.
Damn it.This was getting out of hand. Valentina wasn’t going to go for this. She was a rule follower. Asking her to lie so I could keep this job was ridiculous. I still had no idea who came up with this crazy-ass idea, most likely Betty or Mario were wasting their time. I’m not involving Valentina in it.
“Although that is a kind offer, there is no need. There seems to be a misunderstanding regarding my relationship with Valentina Rizzo. We are not married,” I admitted.
He cocked a brow and asked, “Are you sure?”
I chuckled. “I think I’d know if I was.” And she’s the only person I would’ve married.
“I am so confused,” he said.
“You and me both.”
“Rick, can I ask you something?”
“What is it?” I replied.
“Why didn’t you go along with the story? Someone obviously went to a lot of trouble to make it believable,” he said.
My answer didn’t come easily. “It wasn’t about me. I don’t like involving others in my business if I don’t have to.”
“You’re referring to Miss Rizzo?”
Of course!
“It doesn’t matter who it is, I believe the termination should stand and if you would like, I can disembark at the next port and fly out,” I stated.
He stared at me, trying to gauge if I was joking.
“I appreciate the opportunity to work for the cruise line,” I said, “but this is not something I can see myself doing long-term.”
“From your resume, I wasn’t sure if you would enjoy this type of environment. It’s not for everyone. You are a good worker, actually, you do the job of two. That said, I am willing to allow you to finish this contract if you would like.”
“I’m sure that comes with new terms,” I said warily.
“Of course. You will need to stay away from Miss Rizzo’s cabin. We would not want any further concerns or complaints to be brought to our attention. This is not a movie where the staff can have affairs with the passengers. That is simply not the reputation we seek.”
