The week of Brianna's much anticipated singles' cruise arrived. She had packed the week before and had everything she needed for a fun time. She had run out to the local mall to buy a few new sexy swimsuits and a formal dress for the captain's night dinner. She also bought new shorts and shirts as well as some fancy underwear, just in case.....
Brianna had asked Jan to take her to the airport. She had to fly to San Juan where she would board the cruise ship. Her trip would include the islands of the southern Caribbean, starting in St. Thomas and ending in Aruba. From Aruba she would return to San Juan where she would have one extra day to explore. She was looking forward to being somewhere warm with sand between her toes and no worries, especially no worries of a certain blond, beautiful man who obviously liked two-timing bomb shells more than “Plain Janes” like herself.
Once at the airport she waved goodbye to Jan, got her ticket, checked her bags and went through security. Then she waited for another 40 minutes until it was time to board the plane. She spent her time reading a juicy romance novel about a young debutant from Georgia who had fallen for a handsome Texas cowboy, all long, lean and muscular with a southern drawl that made the debutante's toes curl. She put the book down for a second and pictured the cowboy. With an imagination like hers it didn't take a lot to visualize a man like that. While she was dreamily picturing the cowboy, she thought she caught a glimpse of a man who looked a lot like Colin. She blinked several times and stared down the long corridor where people were moving to different gates, but she didn't see the man again. “Silly,” she thought to herself, “dreaming of a tall blond cowboy and you think you see Colin. He's not at the airport.” And with that thought and a few slow breathes to bring her heart beat back into the normal range, she continued to read her book. A couple of minutes later the airport staff began seating the plane, so she quickly forgot about “seeing” Colin and prepared to board the plane.
It took a few hours to fly to San Juan. Brianna had a window seat so she stared out at the clouds and the ocean and wondered what her trip would be like. She fantasized about being the “Belle of the Ball” so to speak. She saw herself in her new gown walking elegantly into the dining hall. The handsome captain himself escorting her to a seat at his table. Then being wined and dined as he told her how delightful she was and how charming her conversations were. During her little fantasy, she closed her eyes and eventually fell asleep. She began to dream, her fantasy carrying over into her dream. Only the captain wasn't the man of her fantasy, instead it was Colin. He held her hand and kissed the soft skin on the inside of her wrist. He then stared into her eyes and pledged his devotion to her. “Wake up, Brianna, my love,” he seemed to say. Then she was truly jarred awake by the flight attendant telling her to return her seat to its upright position.
Soon the plane landed and she was in San Juan. She found her way to the baggage claim and retrieved her bags. She then walked to the exit where she met the van that would take the passengers to the ship. She had a couple hours to kill after she had her bags loaded onto the ship, so she went for a walk.
San Juan was a busy place near the harbor. There was almost a street fair vibe, with people selling food and other items. She wandered around looking at the handmade items and decided to buy a pair of earrings to match her new dress. Soon it was time to board the ship so she headed back to the harbor.
While she was waiting in line to be allowed onto the ship, she saw a tall blond man walking away from her. “Colin?” She thought, but certainly not. He wouldn't be on this ship. And this man seemed even taller and blonder if that was possible. “Wishful thinking.”
After that she began to look around just noticing for the first time the other passengers of the ship. “Hello, Mr and Mrs. Gardner, the ship's passenger greeter said. You are on the "C" deck. Just follow this hall way and take the elevator to the second floor.” “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, you are on the "D" deck. Just follow this hallway and take the elevator to the third floor.” She listened as the he gave instructions to the guests. What she was beginning to notice was the large amount of older married couples on the ship. “Hmmm, I must be in the wrong line, because this is supposed to be a singles' cruise. They must have a different place for the singles to board. She chewed on her lower lip, nervous that she had somehow entered the ship in the wrong place. Soon it was her turn and the man told her she was on "C" deck and to follow the hallway to the elevators and go to the second floor. Of course, by this time she was well aware of that information, but she thanked him and smiled as she continued on her way down the corridor as he'd suggested.
She found her cabin, which was on the outside of the ship so she had a little window, or portal, as she had read it was called. She washed up in the small bathroom, or head, and decided to go out on deck to explore. Maybe she'd find where all the singles were going. She changed into a comfortable pair of shorts and a cute tank top and left her room.
Once on deck, she still wondered where all the single men were. She saw families and couples, but no single women or men. She sat down on a chair by one of the pools. Children were splashing and playing. Some were sliding down the large slides and screaming. Still no single men. So she decided she'd wait until dinner. Surely then she'd find them.
Dinner came and went. She was seated next a lovely couple in their mid-sixties, Mr and Mrs. Walden. They had regaled her with stories of their last 5 cruises and how much fun they had. Mrs. Walden told her that she definitely needed to visit the spa on the ship while they were at sea and to make an appointment for a massage and a facial. That was Mrs. Walden's favorite activity. Her husband enjoyed reading a book on the deck and ignoring everyone else. “It was the life,” they'd said. They also, sadly, informed her that she was not on the singles cruise at all. They said they had checked to make sure they hadn't confused the cruise numbers when they booked their cruise. Some friends of theirs had made that mistake a few years before and had a horrible experience. No this was just a regular cruise.
“Damn,Brianna thought.”Just my luck!” After dinner she excused herself, wandered around the deck of the ship for a bit, then went back to her cabin to read. At least she had a tall Texan to get to know.
The next day, she made an appointment with the spa. She was asked if she cared whether she had a man or a woman as her masseuse. She didn't really care, so they were able to fit her in with “Nikolai” at noon. She had a facial at 11. At least she would have some man's hands on her during this trip, she thought wryly.
She got dressed and went to the spa for her appointments. Her facial was relaxing. She had dry skin, but she did have oil in the “t-zone” her attendant had said. She had a wonderful mask applied after her face was steamed for 10 minutes. She allowed herself to lay in the chair and listen to the soothing music. She fell into a light dose, and then she was awakened, her mask removed and lead into the adjoining waiting room to relax with a hot cup of tea and a magazine.
About 10 minutes later a tall blond man walked into the room. Brianna squeaked, and quickly covered her mouth as if she had sneezed. He smiled a brilliant white smile at her and said “Bless you, are you Ms. Gordon? When she nodded he said, I'm Nikolai, your masseuse. Please follow me. He lead her into a room where he instructed her to remove her clothes and then lie on the table on her stomach, covering herself with the sheets. He would return in a few minutes for their session.
Brianna had asked for a full body massage, which meant he would need her to turn over onto her back also. She thought she might faint. This man was gorgeous. He wasn't Colin. But this trip was looking up, even though at the moment she was feeling very disconcerted.
Nikolai was a very adept masseuse. He spent time working out the kinks she had created during her trip to San Juan. He seemed to be very thorough as he worked his way down her back and her legs. As he slowly removed his hands from her feet he told her he would step out of the room so that she could flip over. All of a sudden she felt her face become very red.
He slipped out quietly, and she flipped over as he had requested. He knocked softly a few minutes later and she said “Okay.” He came in and smiled at her. It was at that moment that she realized he was wearing a pair of very form fitting gray knit shorts and a gray t-shirt. She quickly closed her eyes, because he was standing a little to close to her, and she wasn't sure she needed such a view of his lower extremities.
He walked behind her head and began to massage her neck and shoulders. She sighed. This was her favorite part of getting a massage. He then slowly moved his hands from her neck and came to her right side. Where he was standing gave her a view that was a little too close for comfort, and she felt her face become warm again. She noticed that he had become larger in a certain area, and she had no mistake about this. After all, at his height, it was right in her viewpoint. She closed her eyes and pretended she didn't see anything!
After another 15 minutes or so, he had completed her massage. He told her he would leave so that she could get dressed and he would be back to lead her to the exit. As soon as the door closed behind her, she got up and quickly dressed. She could pretend that she didn't see what she thought she had seen, but she knew she was lying to herself. When he knocked on the door a few minutes later and she said he could enter, she knew she hadn't been mistaken. He took her hand and thanked her for the opportunity to be her masseuse today. He then told her that he found her to be very beautiful. He also told her that she had the best body of any other girl of the ship.
Brianna blushed and he laughed. He then asked her if he could meet her out for drinks later that evening in the De Soto Lounge. There was a comedian who he enjoyed watching, and he would be delighted to spend time with her.
Brianna accepted and they decided to meet at 7:30. “Until then, my beauty,” he said with his beautiful Russian accent. She almost fainted.
Colin had a very hard week. Amber wouldn't leave him alone. She called constantly and begged for him to forgive her. He continued to ignore her, but he listened to her messages. Why, he couldn't explain. She had left for Aruba, finally so he thought he was home free. Then he received THE CALL. She was crying on the phone. She said she was in Aruba and had taken some pills another model had given her to help her forget her love for Colin. Only, she had taken too many and had to be admitted into the hospital, and if he didn't come down there right away, she was going to do something drastic. Colin didn't know what else to do but to catch the next plane down to Aruba.
Colin hadn't spoken to Brianna, although he had picked up the phone planning to call her several times. After he had left the message and she didn't call back, he had believed she wasn't interested. The way things were going lately with Amber, it was just as well. “Women....” he thought exasperated.
Sunday morning as he walked through the airport, he wondered if Brianna had ever decided when she would take her “singles' cruise.” Maybe he needed to take one of those too. Well, maybe not. He was deep in thought as he walked down the corridor of the airport and didn't notice a certain brunette engrossed in a book about a tall blond cowboy.
He arrived in Aruba that afternoon. The day was clear and warm. Maybe a little too warm for Colin at the moment. He had a private driver meet him at the airport and take him to the hospital where Amber had said she had been admitted. He went to her room and found her surrounded by people from her modeling crew. Including her “friend” Ramone. “Go figure,” Colin thought.
Amber looked up from Ramone as he was fondling her arm and saw Colin enter. She immediately drew her arm away. Colin was about to turn around and walk out the door, but Amber froze him in his tracks.
“Colin, I need to talk to you! It's important! Please, everyone, can you give us a moment?” she said sweetly, batting her eyes. Everyone rose and walked out.
Amber held out her hands to Colin and begged him to come closer. “Colin, the doctors said it was a very good thing that I was admitted to the hospital. Apparently I have a bigger problem than only taking too many pills. Please come over and sit down. I think you'll want a chair.” she said as she patted the chair Ramone had vacated.
Colin groaned, but decided to play along. He sat down.
“We're having a baby, Colin! Can you believe it? A baby, see you and I are meant to be together. Isn't that wonderful news? A little baby of our own!”
Colin, who was happy he'd sat down, was in shock. He couldn't believe it. They had been so very careful. Colin put his head in his hands. What now. He knew he would love to have a family, and until a few weeks ago he even thought he wanted a baby with Amber. Now he wasn't so sure. He stood up and turned away. He began to walk out of the door, not really knowing what he was doing.
“Colin!” Amber cried. “Where are you going? We need to talk. Please don't leave!” and she wailed as if the world was about to end.
“Amber, don't cry, I'll be back. I just need a little air, this is just so unexpected. I'll be back.” he promised and then walked out of her room.
Walking away from the hospital, he wandered around the streets not paying a lot of attention where he was going. He thought about the news Amber had just told him. Part of him believed it was just another ploy to get him to come back.. She didn't look pregnant, and he didn't remember her complaining of any symptoms. But, on the other hand, she hadn't been living with him these last few weeks. Maybe she really was expecting his baby. He'd just have to do the right thing. Or at least stay in Aruba for a week or so and see. At least it might stop her from popping more pills. He didn't trust that she would take good care of herself, even if she was having his baby. So he went back and explained his plans.
Amber was released very soon after. Colin moved Amber into his room at his hotel. She would have to wait a couple of days before she could return to work, according to the doctors. They did not want her to perform anything overly strenuous. “Not that posing in a string bikini was overly strenuous,” Colin thought.
Brianna met Nikolai out at the DeSoto Room and had a wonderful evening. Nikolai was a wonderful gentleman. They laughed at the comedian's jokes, and when his show was over they went to a late night dance club for drinks. Brianna felt that Nikolai was someone she might actually enjoy getting to know better, but everywhere they went she found women who were staring at her. Mainly she felt they wanted to either be her or to kill her. “If looks could kill....”she thought. Nikolai had found a table for them in a dark corner. He left her for a moment to get them some drinks, and she could see one of the girls in the club had decided to walk up to her. At the last second, she shook her head and turned away. Brianna wondered what that was all about, but then she noticed that Nikolai was walking back toward their table. By the time he returned, she forgot to ask him if he had known the girl.
At the end of the evening, Nikolai escorted her back to her cabin. “I really enjoyed being with you tonight. I'm not really supposed to fraternize with the guests, but in your case, I'm willing to overlook that rule. I have to work late the next couple of nights. Do you think you would like to go out again Wednesday night?
“Yes, I'd love to. I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you.”
“You're welcome,” he said and bent to kiss her. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips, but he kissed her cheek. Her large glasses were in his way. Then he lifted her hand and kissed it. “Until Wednesday night, then. I'll be here to pick you up around 7, if that's okay.”
“Where will we be going? Just so I know how to dress.”
“Wear whatever you want. I'm sure whatever you decide will be perfect.” he winked, and then he walked away.
Brianna watched him as he rounded the corner at the end of her hallway. She then opened her door, shut it, and leaned against it as if she might fall. “Oh, Wow!” she thought. She got undressed, brushed her teeth and got into bed. She had a hard time sleeping that night, but once she was asleep she dreamed that Colin was kissing her cheek.
The next few days went by in a blur. Brianna had spent time offshore on excursions with the Walden's. They had invited her during dinner to see the islands with them. They had taken a driving tour of St. Thomas, went on a hike through a rain forest on Guadeloupe and that day they spent a wonderful day lazing on a beach in Granada.
Getting back to the ship Wednesday afternoon, Brianna was exhausted. She went to her cabin and climbed into bed, laughing at the cute animal created out of one of her towels sitting on her pillow. Tonight was her second date with Nikolai. During her mornings on the ship and the last couple of evenings, she had hoped to catch a glimpse of him, but she never did. She did have the displeasure of seeing the girl who had tried to approach her during her first night with Nikolai. She was working in one of the many restaurants on the ship. The girl stared a hole into Brianna with a very angry look on her face. Brianna ate her food and tried to ignore her. It wasn't too hard, since Mrs. Walden kept her very busy just following her conversation. Soon she forgot the girl was even around.
That night was magical. Nikolai had picked her up right on time. She had debated for several minutes before deciding to wear a sundress. Nikolai seemed to approve, as he smiled down at her. His eyes traveling down her body very slowly and then back up to her face. “You look beautiful. Let's go have some fun,” he said, as he winked at her.
They went to eat, and then saw the Las Vegas show in the theater in the bow of the ship. After the show, they walked out onto the deck and gazed at the night sky. The stars were twinkling and the moon was half full. Nikolai bent, removed her glasses from her face and kissed her. Brianna kissed him back. He was a good kisser, and since she read romance novels all the time she knew that a man's kiss said a lot about the man. She decided she really liked him a lot.
“Tomorrow I have the day off. We will be docking in Aruba. Would you like to go ashore with me in the morning?” he asked.
“Yes, that sounds very nice. I'd love to.”
“Then I'll come to pick you up around 9 am, if that's not too early for you.”
“No, not at all. I don't sleep late. I'll be ready.”
“Great,' he said and he kissed her again.
They stayed outside for another hour, and Brianna found that she was having trouble keeping her eyes opened. Nikolai noticed and he walked her back to her cabin. “Until the morning. I'll dream of you tonight.” He bent and kissed her again.
As he walked away, he thought to himself that he had her. Tomorrow, he was sure she would invite him to stay. She seemed like a very wholesome, upstanding girl who wasn't fast. But he'd had plenty of shipboard romances. He was getting very good at getting what he wanted. And this week, he wanted a petite brunette with big glasses. He'd had a time getting past those the first time he'd kissed her, but tomorrow he'd make sure they were off, as well as everything else.
Brianna had asked Jan to take her to the airport. She had to fly to San Juan where she would board the cruise ship. Her trip would include the islands of the southern Caribbean, starting in St. Thomas and ending in Aruba. From Aruba she would return to San Juan where she would have one extra day to explore. She was looking forward to being somewhere warm with sand between her toes and no worries, especially no worries of a certain blond, beautiful man who obviously liked two-timing bomb shells more than “Plain Janes” like herself.
Once at the airport she waved goodbye to Jan, got her ticket, checked her bags and went through security. Then she waited for another 40 minutes until it was time to board the plane. She spent her time reading a juicy romance novel about a young debutant from Georgia who had fallen for a handsome Texas cowboy, all long, lean and muscular with a southern drawl that made the debutante's toes curl. She put the book down for a second and pictured the cowboy. With an imagination like hers it didn't take a lot to visualize a man like that. While she was dreamily picturing the cowboy, she thought she caught a glimpse of a man who looked a lot like Colin. She blinked several times and stared down the long corridor where people were moving to different gates, but she didn't see the man again. “Silly,” she thought to herself, “dreaming of a tall blond cowboy and you think you see Colin. He's not at the airport.” And with that thought and a few slow breathes to bring her heart beat back into the normal range, she continued to read her book. A couple of minutes later the airport staff began seating the plane, so she quickly forgot about “seeing” Colin and prepared to board the plane.
It took a few hours to fly to San Juan. Brianna had a window seat so she stared out at the clouds and the ocean and wondered what her trip would be like. She fantasized about being the “Belle of the Ball” so to speak. She saw herself in her new gown walking elegantly into the dining hall. The handsome captain himself escorting her to a seat at his table. Then being wined and dined as he told her how delightful she was and how charming her conversations were. During her little fantasy, she closed her eyes and eventually fell asleep. She began to dream, her fantasy carrying over into her dream. Only the captain wasn't the man of her fantasy, instead it was Colin. He held her hand and kissed the soft skin on the inside of her wrist. He then stared into her eyes and pledged his devotion to her. “Wake up, Brianna, my love,” he seemed to say. Then she was truly jarred awake by the flight attendant telling her to return her seat to its upright position.
Soon the plane landed and she was in San Juan. She found her way to the baggage claim and retrieved her bags. She then walked to the exit where she met the van that would take the passengers to the ship. She had a couple hours to kill after she had her bags loaded onto the ship, so she went for a walk.
San Juan was a busy place near the harbor. There was almost a street fair vibe, with people selling food and other items. She wandered around looking at the handmade items and decided to buy a pair of earrings to match her new dress. Soon it was time to board the ship so she headed back to the harbor.
While she was waiting in line to be allowed onto the ship, she saw a tall blond man walking away from her. “Colin?” She thought, but certainly not. He wouldn't be on this ship. And this man seemed even taller and blonder if that was possible. “Wishful thinking.”
After that she began to look around just noticing for the first time the other passengers of the ship. “Hello, Mr and Mrs. Gardner, the ship's passenger greeter said. You are on the "C" deck. Just follow this hall way and take the elevator to the second floor.” “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, you are on the "D" deck. Just follow this hallway and take the elevator to the third floor.” She listened as the he gave instructions to the guests. What she was beginning to notice was the large amount of older married couples on the ship. “Hmmm, I must be in the wrong line, because this is supposed to be a singles' cruise. They must have a different place for the singles to board. She chewed on her lower lip, nervous that she had somehow entered the ship in the wrong place. Soon it was her turn and the man told her she was on "C" deck and to follow the hallway to the elevators and go to the second floor. Of course, by this time she was well aware of that information, but she thanked him and smiled as she continued on her way down the corridor as he'd suggested.
She found her cabin, which was on the outside of the ship so she had a little window, or portal, as she had read it was called. She washed up in the small bathroom, or head, and decided to go out on deck to explore. Maybe she'd find where all the singles were going. She changed into a comfortable pair of shorts and a cute tank top and left her room.
Once on deck, she still wondered where all the single men were. She saw families and couples, but no single women or men. She sat down on a chair by one of the pools. Children were splashing and playing. Some were sliding down the large slides and screaming. Still no single men. So she decided she'd wait until dinner. Surely then she'd find them.
Dinner came and went. She was seated next a lovely couple in their mid-sixties, Mr and Mrs. Walden. They had regaled her with stories of their last 5 cruises and how much fun they had. Mrs. Walden told her that she definitely needed to visit the spa on the ship while they were at sea and to make an appointment for a massage and a facial. That was Mrs. Walden's favorite activity. Her husband enjoyed reading a book on the deck and ignoring everyone else. “It was the life,” they'd said. They also, sadly, informed her that she was not on the singles cruise at all. They said they had checked to make sure they hadn't confused the cruise numbers when they booked their cruise. Some friends of theirs had made that mistake a few years before and had a horrible experience. No this was just a regular cruise.
“Damn,Brianna thought.”Just my luck!” After dinner she excused herself, wandered around the deck of the ship for a bit, then went back to her cabin to read. At least she had a tall Texan to get to know.
The next day, she made an appointment with the spa. She was asked if she cared whether she had a man or a woman as her masseuse. She didn't really care, so they were able to fit her in with “Nikolai” at noon. She had a facial at 11. At least she would have some man's hands on her during this trip, she thought wryly.
She got dressed and went to the spa for her appointments. Her facial was relaxing. She had dry skin, but she did have oil in the “t-zone” her attendant had said. She had a wonderful mask applied after her face was steamed for 10 minutes. She allowed herself to lay in the chair and listen to the soothing music. She fell into a light dose, and then she was awakened, her mask removed and lead into the adjoining waiting room to relax with a hot cup of tea and a magazine.
About 10 minutes later a tall blond man walked into the room. Brianna squeaked, and quickly covered her mouth as if she had sneezed. He smiled a brilliant white smile at her and said “Bless you, are you Ms. Gordon? When she nodded he said, I'm Nikolai, your masseuse. Please follow me. He lead her into a room where he instructed her to remove her clothes and then lie on the table on her stomach, covering herself with the sheets. He would return in a few minutes for their session.
Brianna had asked for a full body massage, which meant he would need her to turn over onto her back also. She thought she might faint. This man was gorgeous. He wasn't Colin. But this trip was looking up, even though at the moment she was feeling very disconcerted.
Nikolai was a very adept masseuse. He spent time working out the kinks she had created during her trip to San Juan. He seemed to be very thorough as he worked his way down her back and her legs. As he slowly removed his hands from her feet he told her he would step out of the room so that she could flip over. All of a sudden she felt her face become very red.
He slipped out quietly, and she flipped over as he had requested. He knocked softly a few minutes later and she said “Okay.” He came in and smiled at her. It was at that moment that she realized he was wearing a pair of very form fitting gray knit shorts and a gray t-shirt. She quickly closed her eyes, because he was standing a little to close to her, and she wasn't sure she needed such a view of his lower extremities.
He walked behind her head and began to massage her neck and shoulders. She sighed. This was her favorite part of getting a massage. He then slowly moved his hands from her neck and came to her right side. Where he was standing gave her a view that was a little too close for comfort, and she felt her face become warm again. She noticed that he had become larger in a certain area, and she had no mistake about this. After all, at his height, it was right in her viewpoint. She closed her eyes and pretended she didn't see anything!
After another 15 minutes or so, he had completed her massage. He told her he would leave so that she could get dressed and he would be back to lead her to the exit. As soon as the door closed behind her, she got up and quickly dressed. She could pretend that she didn't see what she thought she had seen, but she knew she was lying to herself. When he knocked on the door a few minutes later and she said he could enter, she knew she hadn't been mistaken. He took her hand and thanked her for the opportunity to be her masseuse today. He then told her that he found her to be very beautiful. He also told her that she had the best body of any other girl of the ship.
Brianna blushed and he laughed. He then asked her if he could meet her out for drinks later that evening in the De Soto Lounge. There was a comedian who he enjoyed watching, and he would be delighted to spend time with her.
Brianna accepted and they decided to meet at 7:30. “Until then, my beauty,” he said with his beautiful Russian accent. She almost fainted.
Colin had a very hard week. Amber wouldn't leave him alone. She called constantly and begged for him to forgive her. He continued to ignore her, but he listened to her messages. Why, he couldn't explain. She had left for Aruba, finally so he thought he was home free. Then he received THE CALL. She was crying on the phone. She said she was in Aruba and had taken some pills another model had given her to help her forget her love for Colin. Only, she had taken too many and had to be admitted into the hospital, and if he didn't come down there right away, she was going to do something drastic. Colin didn't know what else to do but to catch the next plane down to Aruba.
Colin hadn't spoken to Brianna, although he had picked up the phone planning to call her several times. After he had left the message and she didn't call back, he had believed she wasn't interested. The way things were going lately with Amber, it was just as well. “Women....” he thought exasperated.
Sunday morning as he walked through the airport, he wondered if Brianna had ever decided when she would take her “singles' cruise.” Maybe he needed to take one of those too. Well, maybe not. He was deep in thought as he walked down the corridor of the airport and didn't notice a certain brunette engrossed in a book about a tall blond cowboy.
He arrived in Aruba that afternoon. The day was clear and warm. Maybe a little too warm for Colin at the moment. He had a private driver meet him at the airport and take him to the hospital where Amber had said she had been admitted. He went to her room and found her surrounded by people from her modeling crew. Including her “friend” Ramone. “Go figure,” Colin thought.
Amber looked up from Ramone as he was fondling her arm and saw Colin enter. She immediately drew her arm away. Colin was about to turn around and walk out the door, but Amber froze him in his tracks.
“Colin, I need to talk to you! It's important! Please, everyone, can you give us a moment?” she said sweetly, batting her eyes. Everyone rose and walked out.
Amber held out her hands to Colin and begged him to come closer. “Colin, the doctors said it was a very good thing that I was admitted to the hospital. Apparently I have a bigger problem than only taking too many pills. Please come over and sit down. I think you'll want a chair.” she said as she patted the chair Ramone had vacated.
Colin groaned, but decided to play along. He sat down.
“We're having a baby, Colin! Can you believe it? A baby, see you and I are meant to be together. Isn't that wonderful news? A little baby of our own!”
Colin, who was happy he'd sat down, was in shock. He couldn't believe it. They had been so very careful. Colin put his head in his hands. What now. He knew he would love to have a family, and until a few weeks ago he even thought he wanted a baby with Amber. Now he wasn't so sure. He stood up and turned away. He began to walk out of the door, not really knowing what he was doing.
“Colin!” Amber cried. “Where are you going? We need to talk. Please don't leave!” and she wailed as if the world was about to end.
“Amber, don't cry, I'll be back. I just need a little air, this is just so unexpected. I'll be back.” he promised and then walked out of her room.
Walking away from the hospital, he wandered around the streets not paying a lot of attention where he was going. He thought about the news Amber had just told him. Part of him believed it was just another ploy to get him to come back.. She didn't look pregnant, and he didn't remember her complaining of any symptoms. But, on the other hand, she hadn't been living with him these last few weeks. Maybe she really was expecting his baby. He'd just have to do the right thing. Or at least stay in Aruba for a week or so and see. At least it might stop her from popping more pills. He didn't trust that she would take good care of herself, even if she was having his baby. So he went back and explained his plans.
Amber was released very soon after. Colin moved Amber into his room at his hotel. She would have to wait a couple of days before she could return to work, according to the doctors. They did not want her to perform anything overly strenuous. “Not that posing in a string bikini was overly strenuous,” Colin thought.
Brianna met Nikolai out at the DeSoto Room and had a wonderful evening. Nikolai was a wonderful gentleman. They laughed at the comedian's jokes, and when his show was over they went to a late night dance club for drinks. Brianna felt that Nikolai was someone she might actually enjoy getting to know better, but everywhere they went she found women who were staring at her. Mainly she felt they wanted to either be her or to kill her. “If looks could kill....”she thought. Nikolai had found a table for them in a dark corner. He left her for a moment to get them some drinks, and she could see one of the girls in the club had decided to walk up to her. At the last second, she shook her head and turned away. Brianna wondered what that was all about, but then she noticed that Nikolai was walking back toward their table. By the time he returned, she forgot to ask him if he had known the girl.
At the end of the evening, Nikolai escorted her back to her cabin. “I really enjoyed being with you tonight. I'm not really supposed to fraternize with the guests, but in your case, I'm willing to overlook that rule. I have to work late the next couple of nights. Do you think you would like to go out again Wednesday night?
“Yes, I'd love to. I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you.”
“You're welcome,” he said and bent to kiss her. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips, but he kissed her cheek. Her large glasses were in his way. Then he lifted her hand and kissed it. “Until Wednesday night, then. I'll be here to pick you up around 7, if that's okay.”
“Where will we be going? Just so I know how to dress.”
“Wear whatever you want. I'm sure whatever you decide will be perfect.” he winked, and then he walked away.
Brianna watched him as he rounded the corner at the end of her hallway. She then opened her door, shut it, and leaned against it as if she might fall. “Oh, Wow!” she thought. She got undressed, brushed her teeth and got into bed. She had a hard time sleeping that night, but once she was asleep she dreamed that Colin was kissing her cheek.
The next few days went by in a blur. Brianna had spent time offshore on excursions with the Walden's. They had invited her during dinner to see the islands with them. They had taken a driving tour of St. Thomas, went on a hike through a rain forest on Guadeloupe and that day they spent a wonderful day lazing on a beach in Granada.
Getting back to the ship Wednesday afternoon, Brianna was exhausted. She went to her cabin and climbed into bed, laughing at the cute animal created out of one of her towels sitting on her pillow. Tonight was her second date with Nikolai. During her mornings on the ship and the last couple of evenings, she had hoped to catch a glimpse of him, but she never did. She did have the displeasure of seeing the girl who had tried to approach her during her first night with Nikolai. She was working in one of the many restaurants on the ship. The girl stared a hole into Brianna with a very angry look on her face. Brianna ate her food and tried to ignore her. It wasn't too hard, since Mrs. Walden kept her very busy just following her conversation. Soon she forgot the girl was even around.
That night was magical. Nikolai had picked her up right on time. She had debated for several minutes before deciding to wear a sundress. Nikolai seemed to approve, as he smiled down at her. His eyes traveling down her body very slowly and then back up to her face. “You look beautiful. Let's go have some fun,” he said, as he winked at her.
They went to eat, and then saw the Las Vegas show in the theater in the bow of the ship. After the show, they walked out onto the deck and gazed at the night sky. The stars were twinkling and the moon was half full. Nikolai bent, removed her glasses from her face and kissed her. Brianna kissed him back. He was a good kisser, and since she read romance novels all the time she knew that a man's kiss said a lot about the man. She decided she really liked him a lot.
“Tomorrow I have the day off. We will be docking in Aruba. Would you like to go ashore with me in the morning?” he asked.
“Yes, that sounds very nice. I'd love to.”
“Then I'll come to pick you up around 9 am, if that's not too early for you.”
“No, not at all. I don't sleep late. I'll be ready.”
“Great,' he said and he kissed her again.
They stayed outside for another hour, and Brianna found that she was having trouble keeping her eyes opened. Nikolai noticed and he walked her back to her cabin. “Until the morning. I'll dream of you tonight.” He bent and kissed her again.
As he walked away, he thought to himself that he had her. Tomorrow, he was sure she would invite him to stay. She seemed like a very wholesome, upstanding girl who wasn't fast. But he'd had plenty of shipboard romances. He was getting very good at getting what he wanted. And this week, he wanted a petite brunette with big glasses. He'd had a time getting past those the first time he'd kissed her, but tomorrow he'd make sure they were off, as well as everything else.
I posted The Soul Mate Spell back in February, so if you are looking for the beginning of this story, please click on the link to the side. Thanks. I hope you enjoy Brianna and Colin.
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