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Her sister stands and crosses her arms over her chest. “A tongue and a personality,” she says. “Besides, my companions don’t require an endless supply of C batteries.” She pivots and looks toward the door. “I’m going back to the party. Catch you later, sis.”
I make sure the book is in front of my face as she walks out. That conversation was full of valuable information, and I don’t want Libby to know I heard every word. Justice is promiscuous. Libby is not. Justice is a risk taker. Libby is not. Justice takes her job in stride. Libby takes hers seriously.
“Asa? What are you doing in the library? I would expect you to be on deck with all the other revelers.”
I lay the book in my lap. “I’m not that guy.”
She leans forward and puts her laptop on the table that sits to her right. “What kind of guy are you? You don’t seem like a library type of man either.”
I lift the book into the air and wave it around. “I love the library. I’m totally a library guy.” That is the truth. I am an avid reader. I have a library in every home I own.
“Lover of romance?” Her voice is barely above a whisper. Her eyes go to the book as if she is making sure it’s real.
“I love everything about romance.”
She sits back and gives me a contemplative look. “You’re a strange one, Asa. I’d never take you f
or a Jude Deveraux kind of guy.”
“Who?”
She stands and walks over to me and plucks the book from my lap. Turning the front jacket to my face, I see the cover and let out a laugh. Of all the books to choose from in the library, I pick a historical bodice ripper.
I can go forward with my lie and tell her I’m trying a new author, or I can be honest. Since I believe all relationships are built on a foundation of honesty, I come clean.
I stand in front of her. “I came here looking for you, but when I found you, I just wanted to watch you.”
She looks up and narrows her eyes at me. “I’m not sure if I should be afraid or flattered.”
“Be neither. Just be my date at dinner.” I walk past her and shove the book back into the shelf. “I’ll swing by your room and pick you up at seven.” I don't wait for her answer. Instead I take a right turn out of the library and walk to my room.
Three
Libby
Did he just ask me to dinner? I look around the empty library in confusion. There is no one else here so it must be me. But why me? Asa is gorgeous and can have any girl on the ship. Sure he’s older, but I like the maturity I find in men who have lived a little.
My first instinct is to refuse. I could just not answer the door when he shows up, or I could lose myself in the crowd on the top deck, but the curious part of me has me rushing back to my room to get ready. It’s been a long time since I had a date, and something tells me he’s not the type you pass up.
I think back to the last time I was with a man. Tony seemed like a decent guy, but often looks can be deceiving. He flattered me when he wanted me and after years of saving myself for the right guy, I gave in to him only to find out that I was an ‘unsatisfying lover’. I thought my first time would be painful, and I expected it to last more than three strokes. Neither happened.
I walk down the hallway thinking that if I find red beads hanging on the door, I will lose my ever lovin’ mind and my sister might be the first safety blemish on Cross Cruise’s record when I toss her overboard.
When I get to the door, there are no red beads anywhere in sight, and a sense of relief floods my system. I enter the room for the first time and find my suitcase at the end of my neatly made bed.
Justice’s bed is rumpled and her clothes are already tossed around the room. I let out a noisy exhale because this is my life for the next seven days. Looking at us, everyone thinks I’m the older sister, not because I look older, but because I act older. I’m the sensible one, the one who drives the speed limit. The one who pays her bills on time. I’m the boring one.
I unpack my suitcase and look through the dresses I brought. The one thing I know about dinners on cruise ships is they are a fancy affair, and I can’t wear blue jeans and a peasant blouse. I try on three dresses before I decide on a silver blue maxi dress. It covers my less fortunate features or maybe I should say it covers a multitude of things like my thighs, hips, and bottom.
I leave my hair down because there’s no time to do anything else with it. It’s thick and long and takes an hour to dry and half that time to curl. I don’t have an hour. I look at the clock and see that I have less than fifteen minutes. He said he would pick me up, but how did he know which room? I sit on my bed and watch the clock tick by minute by minute. The minute hand hits the twelve and my pulse quickens. I’m forced to take several long calming breaths.
It clicks to a minute past seven, and I tell myself he isn’t coming. When a soft tap sounds on the door, I jump inches off the mattress.
One more look in the mirror proves I’m as put together as I can be.
When I open the door, I can’t believe my eyes. Asa stands there dressed in a silvery gray suit and a tie that nearly matches my dress. It’s like we coordinated our clothes. In his hand is a single pink rose.
“Sorry I’m late. I got stopped in the hallway.” He places the flower in my hand and holds out his arm for me to take. “Ready?”
