Page 7 of Baby for the Bratva

I’m second-guessing myself already, so I toss on a crocheted cover-up and slip into a pair of sandals. I’m not going straight to the pool. I was thinking of having a look around and getting something to eat first.

I open the door just a hair, looking outside before I leave. I’m nervous about seeing Yuri again so soon after he was just in my room.

His scent lingers in the hallway, but the absence of a large shadow tells me that he’s not waiting for me. I slip out of my room, closing the door as softly as I can before hurrying down the hallway.

I hold my breath until I round the corner, letting it out with a little laugh when I realize how ridiculous I’m being.

This cruise goes for an entire month. There’s no way I’m going to be able to avoid Yuri that entire time, and I don’t want to, either. He’s handsome, interesting, and his thick Russian accent is warm and rich like mink.

Like a shot of vodka, Yuri could make me forget why I’m on this boat in the first place.

He’s stuck in my head as I meander through the cruise ship. Even as we leave port and I go outside with everyone else to see the land fade away, all I can think about is where he is in the crowd.

His eyes are distinct. I’m sure I’d notice if he was looking at me, but nobody stands out. Everyone is the same, and he’s so different he couldn’t blend in even if he wanted to.

I go back inside before we lose sight of shore, beating the crowd to the bar and ordering a shrimp cocktail and a splash of vermouth on the rocks.

Once the buzz sets in, I start to feel like I’m on vacation. Before, it felt like a hasty getaway so that I wouldn’t have to deal with Tyler’s bullshit.

I trace a finger over the edge of the bar, feeling the grooves in the wood from where hundreds, if not thousands, of people sat before me. None of the experiences I’ve had in life are original, I’d bet. Billions of people before me, and probably billions after me, will experience the cruel twist of having a man cheat on you.

For no reason, at that. He just… couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. That’s it. That’s the whole story.

It’s sad, too, because Tyler is the type of person who would have a fairly good shot in life if he got his act together. He’s attractive, can be ambitious, and he knows how to carry a conversation.

And yet, he’s toxic as all hell. That’s his Achilles heel. Imagine being perfect and ruining it all because you’re a cheating piece of shit who is addicted to telling lies and manipulating women?

The more I think about him, the angrier I get, drinking my second vermouth much quicker than the first, and ordering another for good measure.

This is a long cruise. I can get drunk, nurse a hangover, and still have weeks left of the trip to enjoy.

So… fuck it.

I switch from vermouth to gin and tonic, ordering another shrimp cocktail and scanning the bar as more people come in. It’s mostly couples, I’ve noticed. A lot of elderly people, and a few my age, but not that many single people.

So, I either got unbelievably lucky that Yuri is next door, or he’s not actually as single as he looks and I’m enabling another Tyler in disguise.

The thought makes me puke in my mouth a little.

Or maybe that’s the fifth drink doing that. I’m not sure, but I am sure that the buzz is starting to turn into a spinning room, and I need to take a break.

I dip from the bar as it starts to get loud and overwhelming, seeking solace in an empty bathroom with a ceiling that’s just a little too low. I reapply my lipstick, a light shade of pink with a slight metallic tint that makes me feel like I belong in a music video.

It’s a confidence boost, for sure, but I don’t need it now that my stomach has enough booze to kill a small mammal sloshing around inside. And I am a small mammal. Never weighed more than a hundred and ten pounds.

I pull my hair back into a loose ponytail, allowing a few stands to fall down on either side of my face. It’s sloppy in a good way, and I wear my refreshed look with a smile as I step back out into the increasingly busy bar.

There aren’t any seats left, and my tab is already on my keycard, so I leave to check out the deck where the pool is. There are still a few hours of sunlight left, so I imagine catching a couple of rays while I sober up enough to find my room would be nice.

The moment I feel the sun against my face, I know I’ve made the right decision. The sunset is so much prettier over the ocean. There’s nothing to block it, so golden light spills over everything like the Midas touch, casting long shadows that almost feel impossible.

I lie down on a free chair by the pool, feeling the heat of the day that’s soaked into the plastic. I don’t even want to take off my cover-up. The warmth is enough to lull me into a drowsy half-sleep within seconds.

I’m almost totally asleep when something catches my attention.

Coconut and spices.

My eyes fly open and I sit up so fast that my vision blurs. A shadow moves across me, long and dark, and I realize that Yuri is leaning over me, his eyes moving over my body with a hint of curiosity.

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