Free Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne Page A
Authors: Rachel Hawthorne
"What?"
"Is parasailing on your list?"
I shook my head. "No."
"Do you only do things that are on your list?"
"I like for things to be planned."
"Maybe you could find a pencil, and add parasailing to your list. I've reserved a boat for tomorrow."
I'd never parasailed, but it sounded like fun. Still…
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because I don't want to go by myself."
So it wasn't because he was interested in me, or because he felt like he needed to watch over me to make Walter happy. At the same time it hadn't occurred to me that Ryan would spend time alone if he wasn't looking after me. It should have, but it hadn't. I felt guilty about that, and the fact that he'd overheard me talking to Julie.
"All right. I'll go with you."
"Great. I'll give you the details before we leave the ship in the morning." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I'm going back in to party."
mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
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"I'll see you tomorrow then," I said.
He disappeared inside, and I headed up to the Starlight deck.
People were strolling along. I could hear others splashing and shrieking in the pools on another deck.
I was supposed to be having the time of my life. Instead everyone around me was having the time of their life. Brooke was off with David. Ryan was back inside Cruisin' dancing with someone else—or at least I figured he was.
I walked to the railing, and gazed out on the water. It was dark with only the lights from the ship shining over it. The sky was vast and filled with stars.
And I was totally confused.
Ryan was nice, but he didn't act as though he was interested in me. He'd come to my rescue earlier, and helped me make a graceful exit from the club. But then he'd gone back inside to party, which I was glad he'd done, because I wanted to find someone to have a special night with. I really didn't think it would be a good idea to have a fling with Walter's godson, no matter how nice or good-looking he might be.
We could do the parasailing thing tomorrow. We could keep it casual. Spend a little time together because Walter expected it.
But Ryan knew I had a goal. I was embarrassed that he did know—but he seemed all right with it. And he understood why our hanging around together all the time wouldn't work.
Besides, he probably had a list of things he wanted to do, and I was certain that they didn't include me.
With a sigh I sat on a lounger, and hoped tomorrow would go better than today.
CHAPTER 11
I 'd spent my life sleeping in bed alone in a bedroom that I shared with no one. So I couldn't figure out why I felt so lonely as I put on my night boxers and tank, and slipped into bed.
I tried not to think that Ryan might have a girl in his cabin that very minute. And I tried not to think about Brooke hooking up with David. And I tried not to think about that stupid flirtation quiz I had obviously flunked.
It was so different flirting with absolute strangers. They didn't know when you were kidding and when you were serious. They didn't know how to read your body language.
And I certainly didn't know how to read theirs.
Going on this cruise without my best friend in tow sucked big time. I mean, Brooke was fun, but we didn't have a history. She didn't know about the time when Julie and I decided to use hot wax to shape our eyebrows, and ended up with no eyebrows—just swollen, red, hairless areas above our eyes. Or the time we decided to pierce each other's ears with an upholstery needle because our parents wouldn't give mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
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us permission to get them pierced. Totally bad idea.
With a sigh I rolled over onto my side.
The phone rang and brought me out of my brooding. I snatched it up. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's Brooke. You weren't at the club when David and I got back."
"Michael said you weren't coming back."
"How
"Is parasailing on your list?"
I shook my head. "No."
"Do you only do things that are on your list?"
"I like for things to be planned."
"Maybe you could find a pencil, and add parasailing to your list. I've reserved a boat for tomorrow."
I'd never parasailed, but it sounded like fun. Still…
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because I don't want to go by myself."
So it wasn't because he was interested in me, or because he felt like he needed to watch over me to make Walter happy. At the same time it hadn't occurred to me that Ryan would spend time alone if he wasn't looking after me. It should have, but it hadn't. I felt guilty about that, and the fact that he'd overheard me talking to Julie.
"All right. I'll go with you."
"Great. I'll give you the details before we leave the ship in the morning." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I'm going back in to party."
mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
4/6/2009
Page 50 of 146
"I'll see you tomorrow then," I said.
He disappeared inside, and I headed up to the Starlight deck.
People were strolling along. I could hear others splashing and shrieking in the pools on another deck.
I was supposed to be having the time of my life. Instead everyone around me was having the time of their life. Brooke was off with David. Ryan was back inside Cruisin' dancing with someone else—or at least I figured he was.
I walked to the railing, and gazed out on the water. It was dark with only the lights from the ship shining over it. The sky was vast and filled with stars.
And I was totally confused.
Ryan was nice, but he didn't act as though he was interested in me. He'd come to my rescue earlier, and helped me make a graceful exit from the club. But then he'd gone back inside to party, which I was glad he'd done, because I wanted to find someone to have a special night with. I really didn't think it would be a good idea to have a fling with Walter's godson, no matter how nice or good-looking he might be.
We could do the parasailing thing tomorrow. We could keep it casual. Spend a little time together because Walter expected it.
But Ryan knew I had a goal. I was embarrassed that he did know—but he seemed all right with it. And he understood why our hanging around together all the time wouldn't work.
Besides, he probably had a list of things he wanted to do, and I was certain that they didn't include me.
With a sigh I sat on a lounger, and hoped tomorrow would go better than today.
CHAPTER 11
I 'd spent my life sleeping in bed alone in a bedroom that I shared with no one. So I couldn't figure out why I felt so lonely as I put on my night boxers and tank, and slipped into bed.
I tried not to think that Ryan might have a girl in his cabin that very minute. And I tried not to think about Brooke hooking up with David. And I tried not to think about that stupid flirtation quiz I had obviously flunked.
It was so different flirting with absolute strangers. They didn't know when you were kidding and when you were serious. They didn't know how to read your body language.
And I certainly didn't know how to read theirs.
Going on this cruise without my best friend in tow sucked big time. I mean, Brooke was fun, but we didn't have a history. She didn't know about the time when Julie and I decided to use hot wax to shape our eyebrows, and ended up with no eyebrows—just swollen, red, hairless areas above our eyes. Or the time we decided to pierce each other's ears with an upholstery needle because our parents wouldn't give mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....
4/6/2009
Page 51 of 146
us permission to get them pierced. Totally bad idea.
With a sigh I rolled over onto my side.
The phone rang and brought me out of my brooding. I snatched it up. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's Brooke. You weren't at the club when David and I got back."
"Michael said you weren't coming back."
"How
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