Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne Page B
Authors: Rachel Hawthorne
Tags: Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Social Issues, New Experience, Dating & Sex, Adolescence, Dating (Social Customs), Cruise Ships, Caribbean Area
Ads: Link
problem. Why'd you leave without waking me this morning?"
I shrugged and admitted reluctantly, "I wasn't sure what to say when you woke up."
He grinned. "Good morning?"
I really wished he wouldn't look at me like that. It made me feel like such a fool for rushing off. But then everything about last night made me feel like a fool. I tried to think of something to say that would turn the conversation away from the fact that I'd spent the night in his bed. "It was nice of Walter to bring you along."
He repositioned himself, bent over, picked up the weight with his left hand, and started curling his forearm. "He and my dad have been business partners for years. Walter kind of adopted me, treated me like a son since he didn't have any kids of his own. So Dad stayed behind to manage the business, and I got to come on the cruise."
"Lots of pretty girls around."
He wiggled his brows. "So I noticed."
"Do you think Brooke is pretty?"
"She's all right."
"She thinks you're hot."
"What do you think?"
How did I end up here? Witty comeback, witty comeback. Where was it hiding?
"You're okay."
He gave me that crooked grin of his again. "Thanks. I'll try not to let my head swell with that heartfelt compliment." He stopped lifting weights suddenly. "You know, it's really hard for me to keep count of the reps when I'm talking."
"Oh, sorry." I backed up a step. "I have to go get ready for tonight anyway."
"See you later," he said.
mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
4/6/2009
Page 41 of 146
Not if I saw him first.
I couldn't figure out why my tongue got all tangled up and my heart beat so loudly that I could barely hear myself think whenever I got near the guy.
My best plan of action was to make sure that I no longer got within sight of him.
CHAPTER 9
T he Eiffel Tower was an upscale, swank restaurant where I was having dinner with Mom, Walter, and Ryan. Cloth-covered tables with scented candles in their center. A man in a tuxedo played soft piano music. The waiters spoke quietly. Everything seemed hushed.
I looked around, but I didn't see Brooke anywhere so I figured she was meeting her parents at another restaurant. I was constantly amazed by all that this ship had to offer. It had everything I could think of, anything I could possibly ever need.
I was even fairly certain that the guy of my dreams was somewhere onboard, simply waiting for me to find him. And I was pretty sure that he wasn't the guy who was with me now. I should have expected Ryan to be here, but it still took me by surprise. I suppose I'd thought it would be like it always was: me and Mom. Only now there was Walter. And with Walter came Ryan.
Mom looked more than happy. She looked joyous. She and Walter were smiling at each other so much that it made my jaws ache, and also made me wonder why they'd wanted to get together for dinner when it was so obvious that they only had eyes for each other.
Corny, I know, but that's how it really seemed.
But here I was, ordering food that I could barely pronounce, sitting beside a guy I'd spent the night with.
I really hoped that subject didn't come up during dinner.
"How are you enjoying the cruise so far?" Walter asked, smiling.
"Fine," Ryan and I said at the same time.
"Ryan, did I tell you that Lindsay is going to the University of Texas in the fall?" Walter asked.
Ryan glanced over at me. "No, sir, but Lindsay mentioned it last night."
Walter looked at me now. "So that gives you something in common. And you're bound to run into each other—"
"It's a big campus," Ryan said. "I don't even run into my roommates."
"What have you done so far on the cruise?" Mom asked.
Slept with Ryan.
Wouldn't she love that?
mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
4/6/2009
Page 42 of 146
I told her about meeting Brooke and spending the afternoon at the spa.
"I got a massage. It was called a Four Hands Muscle Melt.
I shrugged and admitted reluctantly, "I wasn't sure what to say when you woke up."
He grinned. "Good morning?"
I really wished he wouldn't look at me like that. It made me feel like such a fool for rushing off. But then everything about last night made me feel like a fool. I tried to think of something to say that would turn the conversation away from the fact that I'd spent the night in his bed. "It was nice of Walter to bring you along."
He repositioned himself, bent over, picked up the weight with his left hand, and started curling his forearm. "He and my dad have been business partners for years. Walter kind of adopted me, treated me like a son since he didn't have any kids of his own. So Dad stayed behind to manage the business, and I got to come on the cruise."
"Lots of pretty girls around."
He wiggled his brows. "So I noticed."
"Do you think Brooke is pretty?"
"She's all right."
"She thinks you're hot."
"What do you think?"
How did I end up here? Witty comeback, witty comeback. Where was it hiding?
"You're okay."
He gave me that crooked grin of his again. "Thanks. I'll try not to let my head swell with that heartfelt compliment." He stopped lifting weights suddenly. "You know, it's really hard for me to keep count of the reps when I'm talking."
"Oh, sorry." I backed up a step. "I have to go get ready for tonight anyway."
"See you later," he said.
mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
4/6/2009
Page 41 of 146
Not if I saw him first.
I couldn't figure out why my tongue got all tangled up and my heart beat so loudly that I could barely hear myself think whenever I got near the guy.
My best plan of action was to make sure that I no longer got within sight of him.
CHAPTER 9
T he Eiffel Tower was an upscale, swank restaurant where I was having dinner with Mom, Walter, and Ryan. Cloth-covered tables with scented candles in their center. A man in a tuxedo played soft piano music. The waiters spoke quietly. Everything seemed hushed.
I looked around, but I didn't see Brooke anywhere so I figured she was meeting her parents at another restaurant. I was constantly amazed by all that this ship had to offer. It had everything I could think of, anything I could possibly ever need.
I was even fairly certain that the guy of my dreams was somewhere onboard, simply waiting for me to find him. And I was pretty sure that he wasn't the guy who was with me now. I should have expected Ryan to be here, but it still took me by surprise. I suppose I'd thought it would be like it always was: me and Mom. Only now there was Walter. And with Walter came Ryan.
Mom looked more than happy. She looked joyous. She and Walter were smiling at each other so much that it made my jaws ache, and also made me wonder why they'd wanted to get together for dinner when it was so obvious that they only had eyes for each other.
Corny, I know, but that's how it really seemed.
But here I was, ordering food that I could barely pronounce, sitting beside a guy I'd spent the night with.
I really hoped that subject didn't come up during dinner.
"How are you enjoying the cruise so far?" Walter asked, smiling.
"Fine," Ryan and I said at the same time.
"Ryan, did I tell you that Lindsay is going to the University of Texas in the fall?" Walter asked.
Ryan glanced over at me. "No, sir, but Lindsay mentioned it last night."
Walter looked at me now. "So that gives you something in common. And you're bound to run into each other—"
"It's a big campus," Ryan said. "I don't even run into my roommates."
"What have you done so far on the cruise?" Mom asked.
Slept with Ryan.
Wouldn't she love that?
mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
4/6/2009
Page 42 of 146
I told her about meeting Brooke and spending the afternoon at the spa.
"I got a massage. It was called a Four Hands Muscle Melt.
Similar Books
