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Courtney bit back a laugh at her friend, then reached over and pushed Ashley’s mouth closed. “I’m feeling much better. I think it was just a combination of being tired and getting used to the movement. I’m good now.”
Ashley studied her through narrowed eyes. “You still mad at me for making you come?”
Courtney offered a smile. “You didn’t make me come. I wanted to come on the cruise with you. I just wish you would’ve mentioned that it was a singles cruise. Some guy already tried to get me to sign up for speed dating this afternoon.” She cringed at just the idea of dating, speed or otherwise.
Ashley quickly averted her gaze.
Courtney stopped on the track. “What?”
Ashley turned toward her, a sheepish grin already on her face. “I may have signed us up while you were doing yoga.”
“Ashley? Seriously?” Courtney could feel her temper rising. She hated having her hand forced. “I told you I wasn’t interested in—”
“I know. But what can it hurt? We just go and talk to guys for like five minutes. At the end, if you don’t click with any of them, you don’t put a check by their name. No harm, no foul.”
Ashley had no idea what she was talking about. For her, talking and flirting came easily. Half the time the other woman didn’t even realize how crazy she drove the men around her. She was innately friendly and outgoing. Not Courtney. She was still surprised she’d ever gotten married in the first place. The only thing she did worse than getting a man’s attention was keeping it. With her marriage, she’d assumed she’d never have to play the field again, then Kyle had died. Now she wasn’t simply a single woman with little desire to settle down, she was a woman with a dead husband. She could just imagine the men beating down the door to date her.
“Ashley, I really don’t think—”
“Oh, don’t look. There’s Zack and Seth.”
Instinctively, Courtney turned to look over her shoulder.
Ashley grabbed her arm and drug her back around. “I told you not to look.”
“Which guarantees I’m going to look.” Courtney freed her arm and turned back to the two men sauntering their way. “Which one’s the one you want to bang?”
Ashley squealed and clamped a hand over Courtney’s mouth. “Are you kidding me right now? You can’t spout things like that.”
“Why not? Isn’t that what we’re here for?” she replied behind Ashley’s hand. If Ashley wanted to push her into mingling with men she wasn’t interested in, then Courtney could certainly help Ashley along with the man she’d gossiped about for years.
Stepping back, Ashley removed her hand and wiped it on her tank top. “I don’t want to bang Zack,” she whispered. “I like him. Like, I really like him.”
Courtney turned back, watching the men get closer. They were both tall with broad shoulders and lean waists. The blond had a runner’s build, everything lean and a little lanky. But the dark haired one with enough stubble to imply he hadn’t just missed shaving today but probably didn’t bother on a regular basis, filled out his t-shirt and gym shorts in a way that assured Courtney not only could he outrun any danger that came his way, but he could also turn and face it head on. She swallowed. Zack must be the dark-haired one. He fit Ashley’s rough and tumble type to a tee.
“Hi guys.” Ashley’s voice was syrupy sweet as she greeted them. “What have you been up to?”
Both men smiled as they neared. Courtney’s knees almost gave way when a dimple popped beneath the broader one’s dark stubble.
“Seth was just kicking my ass in the boxing ring.” The blond motioned toward his dark-haired friend, who Courtney could now assume was not Zack.
Seth shrugged, the up and down movement of his muscular shoulders held Courtney’s gaze. “What can I say? Sitting behind a desk has softened your edge.”
Ashley giggled and leaned closer to Zack. “I’m sure you held your own.”
Courtney almost rolled her eyes at the blatant flirting but stopped herself when she caught Seth studying her.
He nodded. “Are you the friend?”
Glancing at Ashley, she offered a shrug of her own. “I was. After this bait and switch, that’s up for debate.”
Seth raised a brow. Courtney ignored the tingle in her belly. It probably didn’t have anything to do with Seth, his sexy dimple, or his eyebrow theatrics. She should go back to the room and take another Dramamine.
“I may have forgotten to tell Courtney it’s a singles cruise,” Ashley answered the unspoken question.
“There are couples too,” Zack offered.
Courtney turned her attention to the pair. Why did people think that couples being here made being single and not ready to mingle any easier? “I’m not really interested in meeting any of those either.”
