can you please get to the point?” I asked once I’d placed my clothes on my bed.
“Well, I think our friend Dina is giving Rebecca a hard time.”
I stopped what I was doing and looked at Ricky. “How do you know?”
“Rebecca asked me what her deal was. She said that Dina has been aloof. I told her she has a bad attitude and to ignore her.” I cursed under my breath and regretted not listening to Ricky. “I’ll handle Dina,” he said.
“No. Please don’t do anything stupid. Just ignore her.”
“Which brings me to point number two. Listen, I love you, Marco. I’ve been with you for seven years, four of them as your assistant. I don’t want you to wake up one day and wish you’d done things differently.”
“Done what differently? Hiring a different assistant?” I knew what he meant, but I needed to bust his balls anyway.
“You avoid emotions.” This little speech came every so often, and it always ended the same way. I always told him I didn’t have time for “emotions.” Ignoring my huffing and puffing, he said, “Just hear me out. I see the way you look at Rebecca.”
“I’m her boss.”
“So?”
“You are actually encouraging me to seduce one of my employees? Even after what happened with Dina? How hypocritical is that?” This chat was the last thing I needed when I was already battling my own conflicts.
“The difference is I’ve never seen you act this way with a woman before. Usually, you screw them and run. Yeah, yeah, you want to be professional in your new position. Nowhere in the rule books does it forbid falling in love.”
“Falling in love?” I asked incredulously. Was he serious?
“Yep. I can tell. You need to open your heart. This may be your only chance. You know how I feel about fate and soul mates.”
“Says the man who’s been through seven in seven years.” I grabbed my towel and walked to the bathroom.
“That’s not true. It’s only been four. Marco, get your head out of the sand. You and Rebecca could be great together.”
“And if word got out? You know that could affect her career.”
“Why would word get out?”
“Sei matto. Di tutte le cose folli si potrebbe suggerire .”
“Slow down, Romeo. You lost me at crazy.”
“Ricky, there are a million reasons why it’s a very bad idea.”
“And one reason why it’s a great idea.” My eyes met his and he waited before saying, “Love.”
One of my favorite times of the day was the middle of the night. Except for the occasional couple smooching in the shadows, the decks were empty and quiet. All the passengers were in their staterooms. The ocean was dark and smooth. The humid air felt sticky and salty. I loved standing aft to watch the ship effortlessly churn and roll the mighty ocean waters.
It was during those early morning hours that I did my best thinking. Away from the customers I served tirelessly, away from the employees I supervised, I could successfully clear my mind of everything else but the goals I wanted to accomplish and how I’d accomplish them. My secret slice of solitude never failed me, until tonight.
Tonight she was all I could think about…specifically, her wearing that pink bikini. I thought about Ricky’s advice. I thought about the women I’d lusted over in the past and how I’d never felt anything more than lust. I even thought about my time here on The Horizon , and how, for the first time in my career, I saw my contract stretching ominously before me. It wasn’t because I didn’t love my job. It was because, for the first time in my life, I felt alone.
I’d been blissfully unaware of my loneliness. Ricky’s constant nagging was just nonsense until now. What changed to make his words suddenly hit home, and for them to replay in my head over and over?
In six weeks, she changed the pattern of my thoughts without so much as a touch between us.
If she were a peer, I wouldn’t be feeling this agita . I could not jeopardize her career. I would probably
“Well, I think our friend Dina is giving Rebecca a hard time.”
I stopped what I was doing and looked at Ricky. “How do you know?”
“Rebecca asked me what her deal was. She said that Dina has been aloof. I told her she has a bad attitude and to ignore her.” I cursed under my breath and regretted not listening to Ricky. “I’ll handle Dina,” he said.
“No. Please don’t do anything stupid. Just ignore her.”
“Which brings me to point number two. Listen, I love you, Marco. I’ve been with you for seven years, four of them as your assistant. I don’t want you to wake up one day and wish you’d done things differently.”
“Done what differently? Hiring a different assistant?” I knew what he meant, but I needed to bust his balls anyway.
“You avoid emotions.” This little speech came every so often, and it always ended the same way. I always told him I didn’t have time for “emotions.” Ignoring my huffing and puffing, he said, “Just hear me out. I see the way you look at Rebecca.”
“I’m her boss.”
“So?”
“You are actually encouraging me to seduce one of my employees? Even after what happened with Dina? How hypocritical is that?” This chat was the last thing I needed when I was already battling my own conflicts.
“The difference is I’ve never seen you act this way with a woman before. Usually, you screw them and run. Yeah, yeah, you want to be professional in your new position. Nowhere in the rule books does it forbid falling in love.”
“Falling in love?” I asked incredulously. Was he serious?
“Yep. I can tell. You need to open your heart. This may be your only chance. You know how I feel about fate and soul mates.”
“Says the man who’s been through seven in seven years.” I grabbed my towel and walked to the bathroom.
“That’s not true. It’s only been four. Marco, get your head out of the sand. You and Rebecca could be great together.”
“And if word got out? You know that could affect her career.”
“Why would word get out?”
“Sei matto. Di tutte le cose folli si potrebbe suggerire .”
“Slow down, Romeo. You lost me at crazy.”
“Ricky, there are a million reasons why it’s a very bad idea.”
“And one reason why it’s a great idea.” My eyes met his and he waited before saying, “Love.”
One of my favorite times of the day was the middle of the night. Except for the occasional couple smooching in the shadows, the decks were empty and quiet. All the passengers were in their staterooms. The ocean was dark and smooth. The humid air felt sticky and salty. I loved standing aft to watch the ship effortlessly churn and roll the mighty ocean waters.
It was during those early morning hours that I did my best thinking. Away from the customers I served tirelessly, away from the employees I supervised, I could successfully clear my mind of everything else but the goals I wanted to accomplish and how I’d accomplish them. My secret slice of solitude never failed me, until tonight.
Tonight she was all I could think about…specifically, her wearing that pink bikini. I thought about Ricky’s advice. I thought about the women I’d lusted over in the past and how I’d never felt anything more than lust. I even thought about my time here on The Horizon , and how, for the first time in my career, I saw my contract stretching ominously before me. It wasn’t because I didn’t love my job. It was because, for the first time in my life, I felt alone.
I’d been blissfully unaware of my loneliness. Ricky’s constant nagging was just nonsense until now. What changed to make his words suddenly hit home, and for them to replay in my head over and over?
In six weeks, she changed the pattern of my thoughts without so much as a touch between us.
If she were a peer, I wouldn’t be feeling this agita . I could not jeopardize her career. I would probably
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