Page 30 of Jordan

"I had no idea your business extends to cruise ships." She scanned the menu and decided on the grilled lobster with the baby potatoes.

"An associate of mine owns the line and wanted investors." He chose the veal cutlets with the garden salad. A crew member made his way over and started serving them water and freshly baked Italian loaf.

"So, I take it that this is not your first time?" She buttered her bread, and it struck her that she knew next to nothing about him.

"I usually don't have time for cruises. My idea of having fun is taking the jet and going to somewhere exotic."

She bit into the loaf, her taste buds tingling. "I bet you've been all over the world."

"Mostly." He was trying not to look at her lips. She had rid herself of the straw hat and her thick dark brown hair was tumbling around her face and down her back. The sleeveless top she had on was made of cotton, the color reminding him of ripe plums. She was not wearing makeup, and her eyes were sparkling. "You're a writer."

She raised tapered brows at the change of subject. All around them people were rushing to and from the upper deck and sounds of laughter and conversation ebbed and flowed. They were isolated, giving them privacy to have their meal.

"I am, yes. You already know that."

"What prompted you to become one?"

Their meal arrived just then, and she waited until the server had left them alone before responding.

"I had a lot of imagination as a child. My dad--" She busied herself cutting into the soft as butter lobster and sniffing the aroma. "He would tell me stories, made up ones." She looked over at him. "He wasn't very nice to my mother and brother, but he was to me and--" She shrugged, suddenly feeling uncomfortable talking about him. "Anyway, I found it fascinating that he could just make things up on a whim. And that was when I decided that I wanted to write. And I am a voracious reader. I started reading the classics when I was ten."

"What's your favorite?"

"Dickens." She laughed at his expression.

"You are telling me that you started reading Dickens at that early age?"

"Yep. And I loved Shakespeare. I admire his style of writing and the tragedy in every story. I couldn't get enough. I joined the library and would spend most of my time there." She did not add the fact that because of the unhappiness at home, it was her escape route. "I started writing poems when I was twelve. I would spend hours just looking for things to write about. My teacher, Mrs. Inglewood -- she told me that I had talent and should not waste it." She bit into her potatoes and reached for her glass.

"What did it feel like to have your first novel published?"

She shook her head and laughed. "Before we come to that part of it, you must know that I got so many rejection letters that I almost gave up."

"That would be a shame."

She smiled at him and sent his blood pressure spiking. "That's what I thought. Caleb encouraged me. He was busy with his own life, but he found the time to reach out to me. I got scholarships to go to college, but I had to cover living expenses and other amenities. I had to eat, so I got a job as a waitress. I was lousy at it, but the woman, her name is Pearl, cut me some slack and gave me a chance."

"How long did you do that job?"

"Six months." She shook her head. "I was miserable. Then I got a job in the college library and was in seventh heaven. I got to do something I really enjoyed. I was so damn naïve and starry eyed that I figured after finishing the course in creative writing, I would just go on to write the great American novel. If I had known it would take years for me to get published, I would probably have taken a course in human resources."

"Which would have been a mistake."

"Fortunately, I figured that out and stuck with it." She polished off the lobster and tackled the potatoes. "Now you."

"What about me?"

"You have a very clever way of directing the conversation away from yourself."

"You already know what I do."

"No, I don't. What exactly is your position at the company? I am assuming that you're in management?"

He laughed at the teasing look in her eyes and found that he was really enjoying her company.

"Something like that. I am what you'd call a trouble shooter. I'm good at spotting out a potential investment." She listened with interest as he elaborated on his role in the company. They lingered over the meal before going onto the upper deck where there was a party going on.

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