Page 81 of Sinful Promise

Roman and Alex show up and polish off the rest of the sandwiches. They must be finished with their war games because now they want to watch football. Alex is naming teams and players I’ve never heard of, so he must be a super fan. Personally, I couldn’t care less. After working out, I’m tired and sore and want to curl up on the couch.

Roman sits beside me. His eyes fixate on the large-screen TV and the game. He talks about the players, but he may as well be speaking a foreign language. When their team scores, he and Alex jump to their feet, shouting and slapping each other on the back.

This is our last night at sea. When the chief steward offers to pour me a glass of wine, I accept. We’ll be confronting the man I ran away from in Belarus sooner than I had hoped, and the wine will help me to forget.

29

DASHA

Tonight is formal night on the yacht, and we’re all dressing up, so I select a shiny black metallic gown with a deep V in the back and a revealing slit up the side to show off my tanned legs. I’m wearing the heels with the red bottoms for the first time. I have no idea how Roman filled the closet with designer shoes and clothes so quickly, but I’m glad he was so thoughtful.

As we make our way to the main deck, Roman’s hand rests comfortably on the small of my back. I enjoy having him beside me and focus on putting one foot in front of another without twisting an ankle.

The opulence takes my breath away when we enter the formal dining room. The table appears to be made of green and blue glass that reminds me of quartz and is big enough to seat sixteen people comfortably. Above the table hangs a chandelier fashioned of hand-blown glass. Sinatra crooner music plays softly in the background.

Francesca breezes in wearing a free-flowing caftan dress. The vibrant red and blue colors make her tanned skin glow. She’s wearing cute sandals that look a lot more comfortable than my sky-high heels. Gold hoop earrings lined with diamonds and sapphires hang from her ears. Movie stars borrow expensive jewelry for the red carpet, but I don’t think Francesca has to borrow anything.

“I love your dress,” I tell her.

“Oh, thank you, Dasha. I’ve been dying to wear this again. I wore it more than a year ago to the opening of an art gallery.”

“That’s right. I remember having too much free wine at that party,” Irina says, walking in behind her with a big smile.

Irina’s hair is straightened to perfection, framing her heart-shaped face. The knee-length fringe dress and the long strands of pearls she’s wearing remind me of a Gatsby-era flapper girl, and the creamy color complements her sun-kissed complexion.

I listen as Irina tells us about her latest trip to Asia. She says the hotels in Japan compete for business by hiring the best chefs for their restaurants, and the food we’re getting on the yacht is just as good as anything she’s eaten in a Michelin-star restaurant.

“Oh, and everything in Japan is expensive,” she adds, rattling off a list of countries she’s visited. After hearing about her experiences with some of the toilets in these places, I’ll be crossing them off my bucket list.

Alex shows up wearing a black suit like Roman’s. Neither man is wearing a tie, and both have the top buttons of their dress shirts open. And why not? It’s just us. Call it casual formal.

Francesca stops and stares at the chandelier. “Magnificent,” she says.

“It was made in Turkey. Each tube of glass was hand-blown. My mother has quite a knack for finding unique items from around the world to use in her decorating.” Roman picks up a remote and points it at the chandelier. “Tonight, we dine by candlelight.”

“That’s amazing,” I gasp as the lighting dims.

“Yeah, we can’t have open flames on a ship. Too risky. The last thing you want is a fire at sea.”

He puts the remote away as a crew member approaches with a tray of cocktails. Roman picks up two and hands me one.

“What’s this?” I ask cautiously, not wanting to overindulge again.

“A vodka martini made with pears and elderflower liquor,” Alex says. “You’ll love it.”

To demonstrate, he finishes his in one gulp.

I’m not surprised. Vodka is like mother’s milk to these guys. I take a sip of the pale green drink. It’s not too sweet. In fact, it might be my favorite drink to date.

“I don’t know how I’m going to eat again. I say, patting my stomach.

I’ve tried so many new and incredible seafood dishes this week. How am I ever going back to eating simpler fare?

“I know. The diet starts as soon as I step off this boat. But I must say, the past few days have been worth the extra kilos,” Irina says. “It’s the vacation I needed.”

“Thanks for including me,” Francesca pipes up. “I could do this every day.”

“I’m glad you ladies had a nice time. That’s the point, isn’t it? Enjoy today, for we never know what tomorrow will bring,” Alex says.

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