AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My heart sinks. Loose lips sink ships, isn’t that the saying? And with one accidental insult, I blasted a cannon-sized hole through my chances of getting any information out of Anna this week.
* * *
ZOEY
I sit up in bed, my stomach growling. Staring out the window at the sweeping, cerulean sky and endless aquamarine water, I could almost forget I’m on a cruise. These are the tropics, and they’re perfect. Except the placid sea is marred by the churn of the ship’s gigantic wake stretching away behind us, a reminder I’m trapped on the short-bus of vacations.
Jamie is still sleeping, tucked into his little couch bed, his knees bent in order to fit. A pang of guilt trips my nerves, but you know what? Let him be a little uncomfortable. Last night wasn’t comfortable for me. Not at all. I shudder, remembering my evening.
By the time I found my seat at the formal dinner, Jamie’d already eaten and disappeared. I pulled out my phone to ask for his latitude and longitude, only to discover - too late - he’d texted: “Tonight’s not a Masquerade! Formalwear only!”
I downed the glass of white wine that was sitting, warm, by my place setting. Meanwhile, Mr. Hatorade himself kept staring. After what he said, I should have been glaring judgmentally, not him.
Finally, I spied Jamie across the room, standing next to Oscar, chatting up his friends. But once I got there, they wanted to trot off to a club. I took Jamie’s glass of wine and downed it, too. He didn’t know I hadn’t eaten, so I followed him and the guys up the stairs and then begged off to go back to my room. I stripped off the stripper dress and went blearily to bed right as the wine hit.
At least I’m well rested, even if my stomach may be empty and gurgling this morning.
“Hey, babes.” Jamie stretches, catlike, in the morning sunlight. “How’d you sleep?”
“Like a baby.” I lean back on my pile of fluffy pillows.
“I hope you didn’t mind that I went out last night. Without you, I mean.”
“Of course not. But next time you go to the gift shop before an event, come back and meet me here first. I almost slept through dinner.”
“Sorry babes, won’t happen again. I got carried away. Oscar was so happy to meet me yesterday, and I was so happy to meet him. When I found out he had tickets to the dinner too, I wanted to celebrate.” Jamie gives me the most adorable, gleeful grin. “You know, this sort of thing almost never happens.”
I know. It’s the dream meeting. The perfect meet-cute. The one we all wish for but never have.
“You’re forgiven. But I do have a story for you.”
I jerk my head for Jamie to come to the big bed, and he stands on the couch, giving me the full view of his tropical print designer pajamas. He leaps across the small gap. I tell him what happened with Sebastian, and he covers his mouth with his hand.
“Screw that guy. You’re a total badass, and we’re going to show him how awesome you are.”
“I’d rather avoid him for the rest of the cruise.” With six-hundred people on board, how hard could it be?
“I know where hewon’tbe.” Jamie raises an eyebrow.
“Go on.”
“Oscar asked if we wanted to go to a drag brunch this morning at Razzle Dazzle. Bottomless mimosas, vegan food, flamboyant performers. The chances of a single, straight dude attending by himself are zilch. What do you think?”
“Oscar is a genius, and you need to spend more time with him.”
“Goodie.” Jamie bites his lower lip with a wicked grin.
“But can we go to the pool later to soak up some sun? I hate being indoors in the middle of the Caribbean. It’s like going to the mall when you’re on vacation at the beach.”
CHAPTERFIVE
SEBATIAN
Anna is holdingcourt in the middle of her all-male harem at the center of Razzle Dazzle. The guys are laughing hysterically at something she’s told them, and her megawatt smile is on full blast. My mouth goes dry as she tilts her head back with laughter, her dark hair cascading over bare shoulders in yet another strapless sundress. She’s so shameless. It’s ridiculously easy for her to captivate men.
Last night I waited at the club for Anna to show, but she never did. So instead, when one of her guys came off the dance floor for a drink, I shook him down for a little intel. His name is Colin, and he was drinking Blue Hawaiians. He must’ve had quite a few by that point, because getting details was like taking candy from a baby. He told me Anna had gone to sleep early, which seemed strange, but then she left the formal event after two glasses of wine on an empty stomach. Since Anna was gone, I asked Colin what their group was doing today, and he not only told me their brunch plans, he invited me to join.
Now Colin sees me standing in the doorway of the Razzle Dazzle, a red and black vintage diner, and gestures me over. The place smells delicious, and I’m ready to eat. I can’t remember the last time I went out to a restaurant with a group. As a private investigator, I eat a lot of hurried sandwiches alone in my car.
