Love's Call by Jala Summers Page B

that?”
     
    She was getting annoyed, quite quickly, with James.
     
    “I just don’t.”
     
    “You don’t know what you’re missing.  I’ll be right back.” Liana watched him go to the bar and hoped something or someone would side-track him and keep him from returning as promised. She even considered getting up and leaving, but didn’t want to just leave Alyssa there.  
     
    Minutes later, James returned with a drink in each hand. He placed one in front of her. “I brought you a drink, anyway.  Figured you might want one after all.”
     
    She cut her eyes at him, fed up with James and his assumptions. So much for being open , she thought.
     
    ***
    Kyle and Lloyd had arrived at the dance and taken a seat at the bar, scoping out the scene.  The deejay was a true professional, playing one old school hit after another, hyping up the crowd. More and more passengers became caught up in the music, and couldn’t resist stepping out onto the dance floor to enjoy it.
     
    Kyle searched the room.  He realized that the first thing he had started to do now, at every event or location, was look for Liana.
     
    It wasn’t long before he saw her, and the man that sat next to her, leaned over and attempting to hold a conversation.
     
    Good luck, he thought to himself. But as he watched them, he noticed that Liana seemed a bit more smiley and even friendly. Kyle studied the man next to her, looking him up and down, trying to figure out what it could be about him that had made her seem to open up to him.
     
    But before he could analyze the situation more, he heard Lloyd say next to him, “Who is that joker Alyssa’s dancing with?”
     
    Kyle scanned the room until his eyes landed on Alyssa and the tall, lanky guy whose hand she held as she twirled and two-stepped with him.
     
    “Don’t know, but this is a singles cruise, right?  She’s got a right to dance with whoever she wants.” Kyle looked over and saw the scowl on Lloyd’s face.  He laughed. “Oh, wait a minute, bro; are you catching a feeling over there?”
     
    “Naw, of course not, “Lloyd said and straightened his face to look as normal as he could.
     
    “I mean, it looks like you’re the one who’s catching that “monogamy” over there. Am I contagious now?”
     
    “Nuh-uh.  I ain’t got none of what you have,” Lloyd said, and placed his drink down on the bar.  “As a matter of fact, I see a new lady over there in need of some attention.” Lloyd left and walked toward the woman he’d noticed sitting alone at a table a few feet away.
     
    Kyle turned to look over again at Liana’s table and noticed that the man had left.  He breathed a sigh of relief, but then saw her glancing toward the far end of the bar.  He looked over to see the man ordering drinks. Kyle watched him return to Liana’s table with two drinks.  Kyle raised a curious brow.   I thought she didn’t drink .  And he kept his eyes on them wondering what that was all about.
     
    Kyle watched Liana shake her head, and reach forward, pushing the drink away from her. Kyle leaned forward, watching the man’s next move.  
     
    The man seemed visibly irritated, but seemed to calm back down and gulped down his own drink. He then reached for the other that he’d intended for Liana.  Kyle didn’t like the way he was taking in so much, so quickly, and he didn’t like the body language from Liana as she looked at him with disgust on her face.
     
    He watched Liana rise to leave, and the man reach out to grab her arm, forcing her to sit back down.
     
    Kyle was up and headed toward the table.
     
    ***
     
    “Excuse me,” Kyle said.  He stood beside the table, looming over James.
     
    “Yeah, what is it?”
     
    “Would you kindly take your hand off of the lady?”
     
    James looked up at him and stood on wobbly feet. He slurred out, “This ain’t any of your business.”
     
    “Well, when you put your hands on a woman like that, it becomes my