Caribbean Cruising Read online

  “Is parasailing on your list?”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “Do you only do things that are on your list?”

  “I like for things to be planned.”

  “Maybe you could find a pencil, and add parasailing to your list. I’ve reserved a boat for tomorrow.”

  I’d never parasailed, but it sounded like fun. Still…

  “Why are you asking me?”

  “Because I don’t want to go by myself.”

  So it wasn’t because he was interested in me, or because he felt like he needed to watch over me to make Walter happy. At the same time it hadn’t occurred to me that Ryan would spend time alone if he wasn’t looking after me. It should have, but it hadn’t. I felt guilty about that, and the fact that he’d overheard me talking to Julie.

  “All right. I’ll go with you.”

  “Great. I’ll give you the details before we leave the ship in the morning.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “I’m going back in to party.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” I said.

  He disappeared inside, and I headed up to the Starlight deck.

  People were strolling along. I could hear others splashing and shrieking in the pools on another deck.

  I was supposed to be having the time of my life. Instead everyone around me was having the time of their life. Brooke was off with David. Ryan was back inside Cruisin’ dancing with someone else—or at least I figured he was.

  I walked to the railing, and gazed out on the water. It was dark with only the lights from the ship shining over it. The sky was vast and filled with stars.

  And I was totally confused.

  Ryan was nice, but he didn’t act as though he was interested in me. He’d come to my rescue earlier, and helped me make a graceful exit from the club. But then he’d gone back inside to party, which I was glad he’d done, because I wanted to find someone to have a special night with. I really didn’t think it would be a good idea to have a fling with Walter’s godson, no matter how nice or good-looking he might be.

  We could do the parasailing thing tomorrow. We could keep it casual. Spend a little time together because Walter expected it.

  But Ryan knew I had a goal. I was embarrassed that he did know—but he seemed all right with it. And he understood why our hanging around together all the time wouldn’t work.

  Besides, he probably had a list of things he wanted to do, and I was certain that they didn’t include me.

  With a sigh I sat on a lounger, and hoped tomorrow would go better than today.

  CHAPTER 11

  I’d spent my life sleeping in bed alone in a bedroom that I shared with no one. So I couldn’t figure out why I felt so lonely as I put on my night boxers and tank, and slipped into bed.

  I tried not to think that Ryan might have a girl in his cabin that very minute. And I tried not to think about Brooke hooking up with David. And I tried not to think about that stupid flirtation quiz I had obviously flunked.

  It was so different flirting with absolute strangers. They didn’t know when you were kidding and when you were serious. They didn’t know how to read your body language.

  And I certainly didn’t know how to read theirs.

  Going on this cruise without my best friend in tow sucked big time. I mean, Brooke was fun, but we didn’t have a history. She didn’t know about the time when Julie and I decided to use hot wax to shape our eyebrows, and ended up with no eyebrows—just swollen, red, hairless areas above our eyes. Or the time we decided to pierce each other’s ears with an upholstery needle because our parents wouldn’t give us permission to get them pierced. Totally bad idea.

  With a sigh I rolled over onto my side.

  The phone rang and brought me out of my brooding. I snatched it up. “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s Brooke. You weren’t at the club when David and I got back.”

  “Michael said you weren’t coming back.”

  “How would he know? Is he my secretary?”

  I shrugged, realized she couldn’t see my movements, and said, “I just felt—”

  “Abandoned? You probably felt abandoned. I would have. Geez, I’m sorry, Lindsay. Really. David and I just went out to be alone for a while. You know?”

  “Yeah, I know,” I said, although I really didn’t. The nice thing about best friends is that no matter what they say, you always know exactly what they mean. With Brooke I didn’t really know her well enough to understand what she meant. What she was trying to say or not say.

  “So can I come by? I know it’s late, but we could talk. You know, have a slumber party,” Brooke said.

  “I guess so. Sure.”

  I gave her my cabin number and the location of my cabin before I hung up. I turned on the bedside lamp, clambered out of bed, and slipped on a pair of jersey shorts. I figured my tank was okay as it was.

  It was funny how I could be feeling lonely one minute and then excited with apprehension the next.

  A knock sounded on my door. Man, that was fast. Her cabin must not be that far away from mine. That could certainly prove beneficial. It would make meeting up with each other a snap. I crossed the cabin, jerked open the door, and froze.

  Ryan. Not Brooke.

  I fought the urge to cross my arms over my chest. Surely he wouldn’t realize I was in PJ’s—

  “You were already in bed?” he asked.

  I leaned against the doorjamb trying to appear unflustered by his question.

  “I was, but now I’m not.” I am too clever to live.

  “I was wondering if you wanted to catch a midnight movie.”

  “Thanks, but Brooke is on her way over.” Then I scowled because I’d felt the need to explain myself. My friends, my life, the things I had planned were none of his business.

  “She’s trouble.”

  “She’s fun. Totally cool. You just haven’t given her a chance. You’re welcome to join us,” I offered.

  He laughed. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  I was feeling badly. He was alone tonight because I had things on my list that I needed to accomplish without him around. But right now I wasn’t flirting with any guys. I wasn’t going to make a move on anyone. I was feeling magnanimous. “Why don’t you join us? We’ll probably just sit out on the deck and talk.”

  “About toe rings and cramps and how guys just don’t get it. I’ll pass.”

  “Well, well, looks like I was interrupting more than sleep,” Brooke said as she hurried toward us. “So are you guys an item or not?”

  “Not,” we both said at the same time.

  Ryan grinned. “Tomorrow.”

  And with that he disappeared into his cabin.

  “That guy is so hot. How can you not be an item?” Brooke asked. “And you’re right next door to each other? How convenient is that?”

  “It’s actually turning out to be a little inconvenient. Come on in.”

  She gasped as she walked into the cabin. “Wow! You have a terrace! My cabin is like a bed and a bathroom. No view whatsoever. This is totally cool.”

  She made herself at home, raided the minibar, fixed us both a drink, and headed for the balcony.

  We sat out there, with the ocean breeze blowing around us, the lights from the ship glistening off the dark water. It was the perfect place to sit with a guy. The romantic possibilities were endless.

  “So explain Ryan.”

  I glanced over at Brooke. “What?”

  She shifted in her chair, brought her feet up beneath her, and started ticking off on her fingers. “He approaches you at the pool. I see you talking to him in the gym.”

  “You saw that?”

  “Yeah. I did. Then he shows up at the club and hardly takes his eyes off you.”

  “No way!”

  “Yes way!”

  “He was dancing with someone else.”

  “And watching you the whole time.”

  Had he been watching me?

  “He’s Walter’s gods