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“How strange,” I say softly.
“Maybe.” She shrugs. “Like I said, he could’ve overheard someone saying your name. Maybe he just thought you were cute.”
The teasing grin on her face does little to calm my already heightened nerves.
CHAPTERFIVE
BLAKE
We’re seated in one of the ship’s dining rooms, our table neatly decorated with a white linen tablecloth and four long-stemmed wineglasses. Mae rubs my thigh under the table as the waiter sets our plates in front of us.
She’s ordered spanakopita, while I’ve chosen a rack of lamb. The waiter fills our glasses with wine and departs, leaving us to chatter softly over the low hum of the music.
“Can’t beat this. Dinner and a view, hmm?” Florence says, nodding her head toward the large window to my right. The sun is sinking low into the horizon, painting the sky brilliant shades of red, orange, and pink. From where we sit, we have a perfect view of the water, with no land in sight for miles and miles.
I’ve never felt anything like the atmosphere on board. There’s a sort of freedom here, disconnected from the world in a way that I’ve never experienced.
“It’s beautiful,” Patton agrees. “We’re going to try to wake up and see the sunrise, too. I wonder how it’ll compare.”
“Florence is going to see the sunrise?” Mae asks doubtfully. “Since when?”
She laughs. “Well, special times and all that. How often am I going to get to see the sunrise from the middle of the ocean?”
“Fair enough,” Mae agrees. “Either way, I think we’ll be perfectly fine missing the sunrise. I feel tired enough to sleep a week.”
“Well, don’t do that,” I tease her, nudging my elbow into hers. “I need my trivia partner for tomorrow.”
“Are you guys planning to do that?” Patton pipes up. “I saw it on the itinerary. It looks fun. Mind if we join?”
“Yeah, we love trivia,” I tell him. “Mae always wins it for us.”
“I want to see some of the live music, though. The Patches are playing. I listened to some of their music before we got here. They’re pretty good,” Florence says. “And there’s a comedy show every night.”
“Yes to all of the above,” Mae says, seemingly in a better mood. “It all sounds great.”
“Perfect. It’s a plan then,” I say, rubbing a hand on her shoulder. She smiles at me as she reaches for her roll of silverware, unwrapping it carefully and retrieving her fork.
I feel the stares before I notice the man. It’s a sort ofknowingI’ve felt before. A buzzing near the base of my skull. An awareness that we’re being watched. I glance across the table, scanning the restaurant in search of the source of my sudden discomfort. The sun warms my skin through the window, and I turn my head away from the light, my gaze landing on a man four tables away. He’s eating with a large group of six other men. They’re laughing, apparently caught up in a lively discussion, though he doesn’t seem to be a part of it.
Instead, his eyes are locked on us. More specifically, on Mae.
His jaw hangs slack, his eyes as wide as if he’s seen a ghost.
I swallow, then look behind us. Is it possible he’s looking at someone else? Could I be misreading this somehow? It doesn’t seem likely.
“Everything okay?” Mae asks, drawing my attention to her.
I clear my throat, trying to decide whether or not to mention it. “I was just… Do you know that man?” I nod my head in the direction of their table.
“Man?” She follows my eyes.
“Four tables away, toward the back of the room. He’s wearing a blue button-down shirt. Tan skin, thick brows. Dark hair that kind of sticks up.” When I find him again, he’s no longer looking in our direction, but Mae seems to understand who I’m talking about. Her head stops suddenly, and I swear I see her tense up. “Do you know him?” I ask again.
“No.” When she looks back, her cheeks have flushed red. “No, I don’t think so.” She looks back at her plate. “Why do you ask?”
“Because he was staring over here at you.” I watch her, but she can’t seem to meet my eyes. Or won’t, more likely. “You don’t recognize him?”
She looks back over at the man briefly, and this time, he’s staring back. He holds her eyes, and there’s a look of recognition there that can’t be missed. Still, she looks away just as quickly and shakes her head. “I don’t think so. He’s probably staring at someone else.”
