Page 18 of Letting it Ride

Between her blonde hair and the tight body she’s displaying, she should be exactly my type, but I’m just not feeling it. Maybe it’s just that I’ve been in a funk since Ellie. I should try to give Harper a chance.

“Pretty good,” I reply, my gaze moving back to the cards as players place their bets on the last round. The ones who are still in the game lay down the cards in their hands and I push the pile of chips toward a couple that’s been playing together. “Full house wins.”

They stack their chips gleefully while I gather the cards and shuffle them.

“Want to get a drink?” Harper asks, grazing a hand over my shoulder. “You can take a break. There are enough tables available.”

As I’ve cleared the cards, most of the players have vacated my table anyway. It can’t hurt to talk to Harper. Maybe I just need to get to know her a little. Miller told me I need to move on, after all.

I look at the one couple remaining, the ones who won the last round. “Are you guys okay if I step away for a bit?”

They nod and cheerfully gather their chips before heading to Addie’s table. The woman gives me a little wave as she turns away.

“Come on. I’ll get you a drink,” Harper beams, heading for the bar.

I run a hand over my jaw. Harper’s an attractive woman. She is. And the expression on her face makes it obvious that she’s interested in me, if the wink she gave me earlier today wasn’t enough.

What’s the worst that could happen? I said I was looking for a rebound, right? Plus, she works on a cruise ship that sails from Miami. There’s an expiration date for anything that would happen here, so I don’t need to worry about any messy fallout or emotional entanglement.

I give her a slow smile. “That sounds great. I’ll take a soda.”

Harper tosses her honey-blonde hair over one toned shoulder as she hands me a glass.

I sniff and take a sip. The bartenderoffered to make me a mocktail, something with soda water and orange juice and something else. It’s decent enough.

I thank Harper and bring the glass to my lips again. “So, how long have you worked on the ship?”

She gives me a smile that seems practiced and sips at her own drink, some concoction that appeared to be mainly alcohol with a splash of pineapple juice. “A couple of years. It’s a fun job, and I get to travel. Like, what’s not to love? Spending every day on a ship like this?” She lets out a tinkling laugh. “I’m sure at some point I’ll come back home to put down roots, but this is a blast for now.”

“Where’s home for you?” I’m not sure this is information I need to know about my rebound, if that’s even what she’s going to be. Her interest in me seemed to wane slightly when I told the bartender to make me something non-alcoholic.

“Southern California. San Diego.” She tosses her hair again.

“That seems like it would suit you.” I set my glass on the high-top table between us.

Harper dabs at the corner of her mouth with a bar napkin. “It does, one hundred percent. I’m a total California girl. Blonde, tan, loving the sunshine, the whole thing. How about you?”

“I’m from Philadelphia.” I don’t have much toelaborate on here. I lift my gaze above Harper’s head to see how Addison is doing. She’s still at her poker table, dealing cards and looking completely relaxed and content. The smile stretched across her face is genuine.

No wonder the players are flocking to her. I feel a sudden urge to leave Harper here and be closer to Addie.

“What are you planning to do tomorrow? Any big plans for our day at sea?” Harper’s question pulls my attention back. I need to pull it together. I can’t keep getting distracted by Addison. But then again, that’s part of my job this week, right? Keep an eye on Addie. Keep her safe. Even if I didn’t read Maddox’s text, I’m sure that’s what it says.

I pick up my drink and shrug. “No idea, really. Hoping to just relax. Maybe I’ll hit the gym or the pool. What about you? Do you work all day, every day?”

She wrinkles her nose and shrugs, taking another sip of her drink. “I’m working most days while on the ship. I get a day off when we dock in Nassau. Maybe I can show you around while we’re there. I get to explore at least once a week.”

I wonder how often sheexploreswith a new man at her side. I get the sense that Harper does this often—choose a passenger and flirt with them for theduration of the cruise. I’d guess it’s frequent. She has a practiced air about her flirting. It’s effective, don’t get me wrong. It’s just very clear that she’s done this before.

Across the room, Addison clears her table and piles chips neatly in a case before she rises from the table. She’s still chatting with two men who are sitting at her table, even though they’re no longer playing, and suddenly, I’m uncomfortable.

“Would you excuse me, Harper?” I ask, draining the last of my drink.

She swallows more of her cocktail and nods, a small smile on her face. “Of course. I’d love to have a chance to hang out more this week. I’ll look for you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” I give her a nod as I place the glass on the table between us. I haven’t worked through the logistics of having a rebound fling on a cruise ship, I realize, even if I want to, which is still a bigif. It’s an absolute shitshow inside my brain right now as I try to process my feelings around Harper, Ellie and Addie, and which emotions belong to each one.

I need to be rational, logical. Put Ellie out of my head for good. And then consider all the angles and pick the one who checks all the boxes. It should be easy, right?

---