distraction.
“Mind if I join you?” Surfer Boy motioned to the empty chair on the opposite side of the small circular table. His voice carried a note of insecurity, just enough for her to find it endearing.
Ruby shrugged. “Why not? Knock yourself out.”
“I’m Kevin, by the way,” he said as he plopped down onto the chair. He stretched his long legs out, one of them dangling in the aisle.
“Ruby.” The waitress returned with her drink, and Ruby took a moment to sign the tab. Then she sampled her drink and decided, yes, Jeff indeed made a rocking blackberry mojito.
Kevin took a long pull from his bottle of Corona and glanced over his shoulder to a group of four guys hanging out near the end of the bar. His buddies, no doubt. One of them grinned and gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up, while another made a crude pumping gesture with his fist.
How charming.
“Friends of yours?” One-point deduction for obnoxious companions.
At least he had the sense to look embarrassed. “Uh, yeah. Don’t mind them. They’re idiots.” He shot his friends a dirty look, then took another slug from his beer and set the bottle on the table. “So, uh, is this your first cruise?”
“Yes.” Ruby sipped her own drink as the silence stretched out between them. She glanced down to check her watch. Eighteen minutes until show time. And it was going to be a long eighteen if this was the best conversation Surfer Boy had to offer.
The pulse of fresh mortality made its presence known, unnoticeable to everyone in the room except Ruby. She froze in her chair, trying to pinpoint the source, but she found it too faint to track. Not yet, but soon. As the time of death drew closer, the call would grow from a pulse to a hum, drawing Ruby to the moment of transience like a fly to honey.
Kevin opened his mouth to say something, but then his gaze darted up and to the left, his eyes widening with what appeared to be fear.
“Hit the road, junior.” The words rumbled out of Jack like the warning growl from a Rottweiler. He towered over Kevin, broad and imposing, his expression bordering the dark side of unpleasant. Taut muscles strained against cotton, and damned if she couldn’t take her eyes off him. “You’re in my spot.”
Kevin didn’t need to be told twice. Wood scraped against tile as he bolted from the chair, retreating to his buddies at the end of the bar.
“I didn’t think he’d ever leave,” Jack said as he claimed Kevin’s vacated seat. He waved down a passing waitress and ordered a Chivas on the rocks.
“Did it ever occur to you that I might be enjoying Kevin’s company?” Ruby’s eyes narrowed, her mood wavering between annoyed at Jack for acting like a caveman and relieved he’d run Kevin off.
“Were you?” When she didn’t answer right away, a smug smile stretched across his face. “Nah, I didn’t think so. You’d chew that boy up and spit him out before he even realized what happened.” He scanned the room, his expression cool and assessing, before pinning her with an inquisitive look. “This place is definitely not you. What gives?”
The waitress returned with Jack’s drink, granting Ruby a temporary reprieve. He took a cursory sip before giving Monique a nod of approval and signing the tab.
Meanwhile, the pulse of mortality grew stronger, more insistent. It was originating from the far end of the room, between the bathrooms and the bar, but lacked enough definition to isolate to a particular source.
“So how’d you spend the day?” she asked once the waitress cleared out, hoping to change the subject.
“Oh, the usual. Hit the gym in the morning. Read a little by the pool this afternoon.” He took another sip, swirled the ice in his glass. “You didn’t pick up when I called.” Those penetrating brown eyes locked with hers. “I was going to knock on your door, but you had the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign hanging from the knob.”
“I wasn’t feeling well after last night.” Which was
“Mind if I join you?” Surfer Boy motioned to the empty chair on the opposite side of the small circular table. His voice carried a note of insecurity, just enough for her to find it endearing.
Ruby shrugged. “Why not? Knock yourself out.”
“I’m Kevin, by the way,” he said as he plopped down onto the chair. He stretched his long legs out, one of them dangling in the aisle.
“Ruby.” The waitress returned with her drink, and Ruby took a moment to sign the tab. Then she sampled her drink and decided, yes, Jeff indeed made a rocking blackberry mojito.
Kevin took a long pull from his bottle of Corona and glanced over his shoulder to a group of four guys hanging out near the end of the bar. His buddies, no doubt. One of them grinned and gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up, while another made a crude pumping gesture with his fist.
How charming.
“Friends of yours?” One-point deduction for obnoxious companions.
At least he had the sense to look embarrassed. “Uh, yeah. Don’t mind them. They’re idiots.” He shot his friends a dirty look, then took another slug from his beer and set the bottle on the table. “So, uh, is this your first cruise?”
“Yes.” Ruby sipped her own drink as the silence stretched out between them. She glanced down to check her watch. Eighteen minutes until show time. And it was going to be a long eighteen if this was the best conversation Surfer Boy had to offer.
The pulse of fresh mortality made its presence known, unnoticeable to everyone in the room except Ruby. She froze in her chair, trying to pinpoint the source, but she found it too faint to track. Not yet, but soon. As the time of death drew closer, the call would grow from a pulse to a hum, drawing Ruby to the moment of transience like a fly to honey.
Kevin opened his mouth to say something, but then his gaze darted up and to the left, his eyes widening with what appeared to be fear.
“Hit the road, junior.” The words rumbled out of Jack like the warning growl from a Rottweiler. He towered over Kevin, broad and imposing, his expression bordering the dark side of unpleasant. Taut muscles strained against cotton, and damned if she couldn’t take her eyes off him. “You’re in my spot.”
Kevin didn’t need to be told twice. Wood scraped against tile as he bolted from the chair, retreating to his buddies at the end of the bar.
“I didn’t think he’d ever leave,” Jack said as he claimed Kevin’s vacated seat. He waved down a passing waitress and ordered a Chivas on the rocks.
“Did it ever occur to you that I might be enjoying Kevin’s company?” Ruby’s eyes narrowed, her mood wavering between annoyed at Jack for acting like a caveman and relieved he’d run Kevin off.
“Were you?” When she didn’t answer right away, a smug smile stretched across his face. “Nah, I didn’t think so. You’d chew that boy up and spit him out before he even realized what happened.” He scanned the room, his expression cool and assessing, before pinning her with an inquisitive look. “This place is definitely not you. What gives?”
The waitress returned with Jack’s drink, granting Ruby a temporary reprieve. He took a cursory sip before giving Monique a nod of approval and signing the tab.
Meanwhile, the pulse of mortality grew stronger, more insistent. It was originating from the far end of the room, between the bathrooms and the bar, but lacked enough definition to isolate to a particular source.
“So how’d you spend the day?” she asked once the waitress cleared out, hoping to change the subject.
“Oh, the usual. Hit the gym in the morning. Read a little by the pool this afternoon.” He took another sip, swirled the ice in his glass. “You didn’t pick up when I called.” Those penetrating brown eyes locked with hers. “I was going to knock on your door, but you had the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign hanging from the knob.”
“I wasn’t feeling well after last night.” Which was
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