Page 13 of Sunflowers and Surrender

“Oh, that’s right. You two have that romantic dinner in the exclusive restaurant tonight,” Tuesday adds. “I’m probably going to spend most of the day sunbathing. But I’m going to take a nap before dinner this time so I can have fun tonight without falling asleep.” She giggles.

I glare at her. Sunbathing nearly did me in yesterday. Maybe I should go to the gym.

Julia,Ricky, Tuesday, and I relax with after-dinner drinks as the sun sets on another fun-filled day. Ainsley barely made it to the appetizer before the ship started rocking to and fro with a little more turbulence than we’d noticed previously and turned green, excusing herself. Ricky jumped into action, stating his parents had brought some sea sickness medication that would settle her stomach and escorted her back to her room to retrieve it.

“She’ll be out for the count now,” Ricky joked upon his return. “That stuff will keep you from spewing, but it could knock out an elephant.”

I shake my head, trying not to voice what I’m thinking. She and her outfits need a good rest.

As I take the last sip of my coffee, Ricky and Julia spring to their feet, deciding to call it an early evening. I have no doubt what’s on the agenda there.

“See you in the morning,” Tuesday says as she gives them a small wave.

“So, what’ve you got planned tonight?” I nudge her with my elbow.

“Ah, Tuesday. I haven’t seen you all day!” An overly cheerful voice rains down upon us, and my hackles rise as I look up to see the familiar face of her dark-haired dance partner from yesterday. I notice his nametag. Fitting. Rico Suave is actually Ricardo. “Are you coming dancing later?”

“No,” I bark. Her eyes snap to mine, and I don’t even bother backing down. “We’ve got plans.”

“We do?” she whispers, seeming as shocked by my outburst as I am.

“You said you wanted to take in the nightlife on the ship. So that’s what we’re doing.”

“Yes. You should,” Ricardo adds. “Maybe I’ll see you out and about later. Enjoy your evening.”

Tuesday continues to give me a stunned expression.

“Come on, Sunny. It’s just you and me. Let’s live a little.”

What the hell am I doing? Off-limits, remember.

Before I can think better of this and tell her I should probably call it a night and take a cold shower, a bright smile inhabits her face, and any hope of doing the rational thing is completely lost.

“What should we do? It’s still kinda early for the clubs,” she asks.

“Hmm. Why don’t we start at the top of the ship and work our way down?”

“Oh, I love that idea.” She claps in excitement. We stand from our seats, and my skin sizzles under her touch as she grabs my forearm. As we near the elevator, she lets go and reaches for the button, and I instantly mourn the loss of her.

This isn’t good. The night has barely started, and you’re already obsessed with having her hands on you.

The elevator doors open, and we squeeze in with the guests already onboard. “Oh, look. They have a volleyball court on the top floor.” Tuesday points to the picture of the top floor of the ship. “Not that I’d ever be able to beat the local league volleyball champion.” She giggles.

“God. I haven’t played in ages.” Man, I’ve missed it. I felt alive when I was attacking the ball.

The doors open, and we follow the signs to the sports area mid-ship. “I used to love watching you play,” she admits, a slight blush staining her tanned cheeks. Her hair continually whips about her sweet face despite her attempts to tuck it behind her ear. “You were a god on the court.”

Her statement has me standing a little taller. I’m startled by the compliment. Regardless of any infatuation she may have had back then, she never put a voice to it. I thought she was only there to watch Ricky play. Has she had more to drink tonight than I thought?

Reaching for a ball, I start to ask if she wants to toss it back and forth for a bit until I recall we just came from dinner. My eyes trail down her body. Unlike Ainsley, who uses any opportunity to dress to impress, Tuesday is wearing what I think they call a maxi dress and a pair of canvas wedges. Her hair is in loose waves, the strands haphazardly dancing in the wind around her.

“Come on. Lob that sucker, for old times’ sake,” she says as she kicks off her shoes and runs to the opposite side of the court. The grin that overtakes me is instantaneous. I extend my arm to prepare for my serve when she adds, “Be gentle.”

Fuck. I’m going to be hearing that in my sleep now.

It’s ten o’clock,and we’ve finally made our way down to the floor that houses multiple nightclubs. My face hurts from how much I’ve laughed and smiled tonight. From watching Tuesday chase after each serve, the way her cute nose scrunched up when she’d try my scotch, and the gusto with which she won the trivia game earlier. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun. The only uncomfortable moment I’ve experienced was when we were eating soft serve ice cream, and a small amount dribbled down her chin. It took all I had not to lick it off of her.

“Oh, this one, Alex.” Tuesday pulls at my arm. This floor has several spots to kick back and enjoy a drink. One is sports-themed, there’s a jazz club, an Irish pub, and this appears to be one of the dance clubs. The room is teaming with people, but she locates an empty booth in the back corner and points, looking in my direction in a silent plea. She’s aware nightclubs aren’t my thing.

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