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“We’re doing the speed dating later,” Ashley piped in, changing the subject.
Zack’s face clouded as he turned his attention solely to her friend. “Why would you need to do that…” He bent to whisper in Ashley’s ear, leaving Seth and Courtney out of the conversation.
“Looks like they might not need speed dating after all.” Seth rocked back on his heels, shoving his hands into the pockets of his gym shorts.
“Do you work with Zack and Ashley?” That was an appropriate question, right?
Seth’s face scrunched up and he wiggled his head back and forth. “Uh no. Zack and I have been friends for years. I’m just tagging along.”
Courtney nodded. “So, what do you do? I’m assuming you don’t sit behind a desk.”
Seth laughed. His entire face transformed from cute boy to holy hot guy. Courtney took a step back. She didn’t have a lot of experience with hot guys, but she had enough to know if she got too close, she risked getting burned.
“In the summer, I’m a smoke jumper.”
“Asmokejumper? Isn’t that like a fireman or something?”
Another grin. “Yeah. We fight wildfires. Sometimes we parachute into the middle and fight them from the inside. That’s why they call us smoke jumpers.”
Courtney’s heart raced with each new risk he named. “Isn’t that dangerous? Can’t you get hurt?”
Another of his easy shrugs. “Yeah, but you can die walking down the street, so . . .”
The rest of his words were drowned out in a roaring whoosh of blood rushing in Courtney’s ears. “Ex…excuse me. I’m . . . I’m not feeling well.” Without another word, she fled the deck and deposited her meager breakfast in the nearest trashcan.
* * *
Seth wasn’t looking forward to this speed dating adventure Zack had decided they should try. He knew the whole exercise in futility was because Ashley would be here. Zack was probably hoping to prove he was better for her than any of the other men. Looking around, Seth couldn’t help but think Zack probably wouldn’t have to try too hard. They’d been told the dress code was business casual. Even Seth, whose business attire consisted of a Kevlar jump jacket and pants, a helmet and parachute, knew business casual didn’t include board shorts and tank tops. Sometimes he was damn thankful he wasn’t a single woman.
Zack nudged him with his elbow. “Have you seen Ashley?”
“You mean since her friend ran away all but screaming this morning? No, I haven’t.” But he’d like to so he could ask her what the hell had gotten into the other woman. The two of them hadn’t been having much of a conversation, just small talk. But then her face had turned ashen, and she’d run away mumbling about not feeling well. Ashley had said Courtney had seasickness last night, but she’d looked like she was feeling much better when he and Zack spotted them across the deck. Maybe being sick had just been her excuse to not have to talk to him.
“She wasn’t screaming.” Zack scanned the room for the pair of women. “You know it takes some people longer to get their sea legs than others. I’m sure that’s all it was.”
Under normal circumstances, Seth would agree, but something about the look on Courtney’s face when he’d said you could get killed walking down the street made him think her escape had very little to do with the ocean.
Zack’s face lit up. “There they are.”
Seth followed his friend’s gaze across the room. Sure enough, Ashley appeared in the doorway . . . dragging her friend behind her. As usual, Ashley looked amazing in a tight, thigh skimming mini dress that accentuated her small waist and large breasts. The makeup that he was sure she didn’t need had been expertly applied to her face and her long hair was curled down her back. He would never argue that Ashley wasn’t beautiful, but his gaze was glued to the woman beside her. Where Ashley exuded confidence and energy, her friend gave off the sense that she just wanted to be left alone. That was probably why she’d chosen a flowing sundress and no makeup. Maybe she thought if she didn’t advertise her wares, no one would come snooping around. Wrong. With her dark hair hanging in beachy waves and her face free of makeup she looked refreshing. Like someone who would be honest and real in all aspects of her life—friendship, work, sex.
Whoa. He wasn’t going there. Although he didn’t see Ashley often, she was a part of his friend’s life off this ship. If he messed with her friend on the cruise, it could bleed over into his real life. He didn’t know much about this Courtney chick, but something about her screamed marriage. And he wasn’t interested in marriage.
The women started their way but stopped when a woman stepped to the front of the room, microphone in hand.
“Welcome!” The woman shot a mega-watt smile at the crowd. “I’m Jenna Montgomery, co-owner of Love Snack Speed Dating, and your host for the evening. I hope by now you’ve had the chance to get some liquid encouragement because we are going to start in the next few minutes.”
At the reminder, Seth downed the rest of his whiskey and headed to the bar for a refill.
Behind him, the woman continued. “We’ll start with the speed dating rounds. Men, you will be on the inside circle. The number given to you upon admittance matches your table number, where you'll stay throughout this portion of the event. The women, sitting along the outer circle, will rotate around you. Each round will last no more than five minutes. If you enjoy your time together and want to make a match, put a check mark beside the name and number on your cards. If both parties check the box, we’ll share your contact information tomorrow via email.”
Seth signaled for another whiskey and looked down at the slip of paper he’d been given when he entered.Lucky number 13. Not that he expected to get lucky. He looked over to where the women had joined Zack. He and Ashley were already cozied up and practically ignoring Courtney. Maybe he should look for someone to spend time with. If Zack and Ashley kept up the way they were headed, he’d need someone to hang out with or he’d end up the third wheel like Courtney.
Briefly, he considered returning to the group and maybe saving Courtney from her misery, but since that hadn’t worked out well last time, he started toward table thirteen instead. A petite blonde with fake eyelashes already sat at the table. He glanced over his shoulder, wondering if it was too late to make his way to his friends. Somehow, he thought even Courtney’s distaste would be more welcoming than the caterpillar like lashes growing on the woman’s face. But Courtney and Ashley had already separated from Zack and were headed to their own stations.Five minutes. Surely, he could talk to the woman for five minutes without mentioning her eyelashes.
Turned out, he was wrong. He held out as long as he could, forcing all of his energy into keeping his face neutral and his gaze anywhere but on the eyelash that had come loose and was dangling from his date’s eyelid. Finally, when he couldn’t take it anymore, he blurted, “Is it alive?”
The blonde froze mid-sentence, then burst into tears. At the same time, the man next to him started coughing uncontrollably.
