Page 11 of Cruising with You

“I see you’ve brought another friend,” he mentions. “What can I get you?”

She opens her mouth to reply before he raises his finger and interrupts. “Wait. Let me guess. Something with tequila, perhaps?”

Gem quirks her brow into a fine arch.

“Yeah. Definitely tequila.”

“I don’t like tequila,” she challenges.

“Then you haven’t been drinking it right,” he returns just as confidently. “Trust me. If you don’t like it, then the drink’s on me. Deal?”

With pursed lips, she nods. “Deal.”

Henri goes about making her drink as I whisper, “You won’t regret it. The guy made me the best Piña Colada that’s ever graced the earth, even though he insisted that I’d prefer something else, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.”

“I can think of something I’d like him to put his finger on.”

“Gem!” I whisper-shout.

“Come on…it was funny!”

“If you’re not careful, it’ll be you that ends up in the brig for harassing the staff.”

Scanning Henri up and down another time, she concedes, “Good point. I guess your cousin will have to do.”

I roll my eyes. “That sounds promising.”

Getting comfortable on our stools, we chat for a few minutes before a bright yellow and orange drink is placed in front of her.

“Tequila Sunrise,” Henri announces. “Enjoy.”

Her eyes are nothing but tiny slits as Gem raises the glass to her lips and takes a sip before they widen in surprise. “You sneaky little bastard. This is delicious.”

He grins. “Another one bites the dust. As for you”––he turns to me––“I finally made my decision.”

“Oh, really? And what’s that?”

“I think you’re more of a Mojito girl. Do you trust me?”

“Uh…yes. After my Piña Colada earlier, I’m pretty sure I could marry you for your bartending skills.”

With a wink, he replies, “Just wait ‘til you try my Mojito. I’ll be back in a few.”

Then he leaves us to search for the right ingredients.

“Another proposal? Is that your third? Should I be jealous?” a familiar deep voice asks behind me.

Swiveling in my seat, I cringe. “Umm…Gage, right?”

Kill me. Kill me now.

5

Gage

“Hello, Fiancée. Fancy seeing you here,” I state, not-so-subtly checking her out.

Damn, Pretty Girl, you’re even more gorgeous than I remember.

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