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“I can’t wait to see it!” Jenna told her. “Maybe after dinner?”
I winced at the thought of my past achievements being paraded. Back in our suite, I apologized to Jenna. “Sorry about the photos. I’m sure they’re boring.”
Jenna paused in the doorway of her room. “Are you kidding me? I loved seeing your clogging uniform.”
I groaned. “My mom signed me up for that because it was something all her friends had their daughters in. She thought it would make me more graceful.”
“Did it work?”
“Have you ever seen clogging?”
Jenna smirked. “Asheville is literally where team clogging was invented. So I know what a clogger can do.”
I couldn’t resist trying to make her laugh again. “Then I’ll show you some of my moves later and you can be the judge of my grace.”
Jenna grinned at me before closing the door, leaving me on the tiny suite couch with nothing but my thoughts.
Even a real girlfriend might not have been as patient about old family photo albums. There was a genuine kindness about Jenna that stirred something unsettling within me. A small part of me couldn’t help but wonder if things might be different with her than they’d been with the women I’ve dated in the past.
But that was stupid. Jenna might be one of the nicest people I’d ever met, but I was still the same old Adam. I couldn’t let myself get carried away.
I sunk into a chair at Cucina Del Re, the ship’s main dining room, and admired the beautiful surroundings: huge chandeliers, white tablecloths, sumptuous red carpets. Long windows provided a panoramic view of the ocean, while servers in pristine uniforms wove around the tables.
Our head waiter, Grigore, introduced himself as Romanian with a lovely accent.
“Does that mean you’re a vampire?” Beverly cooed flirtatiously. “Are you going to bite me?”
Nicole looked mortified. “Mom!”
Grigore simply laughed, not missing a beat. “Only on full moons, madam. But don’t worry—tonight’s just a half.”
Beverly laughed too loudly and ordered a glass of red wine.
“I thought you were avoiding liquid calories,” Nicole observed.
“Wine doesn’t count because it’s so good for you! It’s practically a medicine, right, Adam?”
Adam, seated to my left, busied himself with the menu rather than responding.
With an exaggerated eyeroll, Nicole started a conversation about her PhD studies with Grandma.
Luckily, the delicious food provided a distraction; after eating a chilled peach soup, shrimp cocktail, and grilled salmon with ricotta whipped potatoes, I barely had room for dessert, a dark chocolate mousse that tasted like heaven.
After Grigore flambéed a Baked Alaska for Grandma at our table, Beverly decided she had to have one too. “We’ll split it,” she told Nicole.
“What about my bathing suit?” Nicole’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
Cheeks flushed from three glasses of wine, Beverly leaned toward Nicole with a wide grin. “I used to be a real social butterfly in college. Ended up at plenty of bars.” She laughed heartily and took another sip of her wine. “But I had this secret trick to keep my figure: I’d dance off all the calories.”
Nicole pointedly ignored her mom, so Beverly looked in my direction. “There’s a club open later, Jenna, if you want to go.”
I gave a weak smile, wondering if that was Beverly’s way of telling me I needed to get a bikini body.
Frank looked up from his Surf ’N Turf and pointed squarely at a woman on the opposite side of the dining room. “Seven, definitely. Could be an eight, but her arms are a little flabby.” No one responded to his ranking. “Come on, Adam. You’re a man. Back me up here.”
Adam glared and stabbed a piece of pineapple upside down cake as if he wished he could do the same to Frank.
Beverly giggled. “Adam won’t support you. He’s always had a protective instinct.”
