Page 27 of Hook, Line and Single

‘Right,’ Sam says as Civitavecchia recedes slowly from sight. ‘I’ve got a party to get to. Are you sure you’ll be OK on your own until dinner?’

I’m too excited to be cross with her any more. ‘I’ll be fine,’ I tell her with a smile. ‘Go and have fun. What time do you want to meet?’

‘Eight o’clock at the main dining room?’ she suggests.

‘I’ll be there.’

‘Thank you, Ruby.’ Her tone is suddenly serious.

‘For what?’

‘For not totally losing your shit with me.’

I grin. ‘There are ten days of this cruise. Plenty of time.’

‘Nah,’ she replies. ‘The worst is over. It’s going to be a blast from here.’

‘Actually, that reminds me. I have a question before you go.’

‘Of course. What’s up?’

‘Do I know everything now?’

‘Absolutely. No more surprises. Or if there are, they’ll only be nice ones.’

Having studied the Scandia Cruises dress code, which requests gentlemen wear smart casual clothing after 6p.m. but doesn’t actually tell you what that means for women, I’ve changed into one of my dresses so, having given Sam a quick hug, I head towards the pool deck where the sail away party is being held. Although the sun has dropped, it’s still warm up here and there’s a convivial atmosphere. A band is playing and people are standing around, chatting and drinking. The bar is well staffed so, even though there’s a bit of a queue, it doesn’t take me long to get a drink and I wander over to the railing with it. The ship is starting to pick up speed now, and the seagulls are diving into the foaming wake, evidently hoping the disturbance of the water will bring some fishy treats to the surface.

It’s truly idyllic up here, but I’m very conscious of being alone. Everyone else is either in couples or groups of some kind. A burst of laughter from my left catches my ear and I turn to see where it came from. A man who appears to be in his late sixties is regaling his companions with a story. His face is flushed and they’re all listening attentively, laughing uproariously when he evidently reaches the punchline. My focus shifts to a couple behind them; she’s wearing an elegant, full-length dark blue dress and he’s in pale chinos with a dark blue shirt open at the neck. They’re holding champagne glasses and chatting quietly. As I watch, he slips his arm around her lower back and bends to kiss her. It’s a lingering kiss, not showy or vulgar, but enough to signal to anyone watching that they are a couple very much in love. As they break apart, she smiles widely and chinks her glass against his. I find myself studying their hands, trying to work out if they’re newlyweds or maybe recently engaged. He’s definitely not wearing a ring, and her left hand is obscured by her body so, after a while, I give up and return my gaze to the sea.

‘È una bella vista, vero?’ a voice says next to me. I turn to see a man who I’d guess is in his late forties. His tanned face sits beneath dark shiny hair that’s slicked back and, despite the fading light, his eyes are invisible behind his dark glasses. He must have bathed in his floral aftershave, because the scent is almost overpowering.

‘I’m sorry, were you talking to me?’ I ask.

‘Oh, you are English,’ he replies, switching languages. ‘My apologies, you looked Italian. I couldn’t help noticing that you seemed to be alone, and I asked myself, “Guido, why is such a beautiful woman on her own?” I was curious, so I had to come and find out. Tell me, what is your name?’

‘Ruby, and I’m not alone,’ I stammer quickly. ‘I’m, aah, with a group.’

‘A group?’ He seems amused. ‘Where is this group? I have been watching you since you arrived and I did not see any group.’

‘They’re in a room downstairs, having a party,’ I explain while desperately trying to give off ‘please leave me alone’ vibes. I know I was feeling a bit isolated before, but I’d prefer that to being chatted up by Guido.

‘It must be a very boring party if you would rather be up here on your own,’ he observes, moving his hand along the rail so it’s resting against mine.

‘It’s not a boring party, actually,’ I tell him firmly, moving my hand away. ‘I just came up here because I wanted a breath of fresh air. I’m going back to join them in a minute.’

‘Ah, the movement of the boat, it is making you ill, yes? You will get used to it. You just need something to, how do you say, make you think of something else.’

‘A distraction,’ I say automatically, unable to resist offering the correct word.

‘A distraction,’ he repeats. ‘Exactly. Guido will help todistractyou, yes?’ He smiles to reveal teeth so white and even that they must be veneers. Once again, he moves his hand along the rail, this time covering mine completely and leaving me in little doubt about what kind of distraction he has in mind. I think not.

‘I’m not seasick, and I don’t need distracting, thank you,’ I tell him in my frostiest voice as I yank my hand out from underneath his. ‘In fact, I think I’m going to go and rejoin my friends now. Goodnight, Guido.’

If he’s picked up on my tone, he chooses to ignore it as he seizes my hand again, this time lifting it to his lips and kissing it before letting it drop.

‘Buonanotte, bellissima,’ he murmurs. ‘I look forward to seeing you again very soon, Ruby.’

As I hurry away, my first priority is to find somewhere to wash my hands. Some of Guido’s aftershave must have transferred onto them as I can still smell him as I go indoors. The barely perceptible movement of the boat might not be a problem, but his scent is definitely making me feel queasy. Having scrubbed my hands furiously in the nearest ladies’, I’m now presented with a dilemma. There’s still three quarters of an hour before I’m due to meet Sam for dinner and, although this ship has no shortage of other bars, my experience with Guido has made me wary. I pull out the map from my handbag and locate the Nautilus lounge. I know I said wild horses wouldn’t drag me to the Singles Mingle, but at least Sam will be there.

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