Page 83 of Love Overboard
“Glad you reminded me.” Emily’s tone hardened. “Our next match will have to wait awhile. Hole number two, we find the heathens using our ship to smuggle their filthy drugs.”
CHAPTER 37
LACEY’S REDHEADED ROOMMATE BIT INTOher buffalo chicken wrap. The iceberg lettuce crunched in her mouth as she chewed with a quizzical scrunch of her brow. “Is it just me, or has the food gotten better lately?”
Lacey shrugged. “Maybe the passengers aren’t eating as much, and they’re giving us the leftovers.”
“Cruise ship passengers eating less?” Abby took another bite. “What are the chances of that happening?”
“I see your point.” Lacey cut a corner off her lasagna and pushed it around the plate with her fork.
The staff dining room was almost deserted. Apart from a lone housemaid slurping her soup in the corner, they had the place to themselves. Lacey glanced at the digital clock hanging above the door. Three hours until she’d see Jon.
She took her knife and sliced into the pasta again. They should meet in his office to lessen the gossip. Not that they were hiding their relationship anymore. They’d walked through the lobby with their arms around each other on turnaround day. Half the ship must have heard by now.
“What’s wrong?”
Lacey’s head snapped up. “What did you say?”
Abby motioned to Lacey’s lunch. The lasagna was cut into tiny, bite-size pieces. “If it doesn’t taste good, order a different dish.”
“The food is fine.” Lacey shoved the plate away. “But I’m not hungry.”
Abby set her wrap aside, wiped her hands, and placed her elbows on the table. She steepled her fingers in front of her face and perused Lacey.
“What?” She squirmed under the scrutiny.
“You don’t look sick. Or unhappy. You look like something good happened.”
Lacey schooled her features into a passive mask. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Abby placed a finger under Lacey’s chin and tilted her head. “I’d say your eyes are sparkling, but that would be too cliché. You look … lighter.”
Oof.Good friends knew which emotional buttons to push. The tide rose inside Lacey. She gave Abby a watery smile. “I feel lighter.”
“Is this because your parents left?”
“Of course not.” She dropped her gaze. “Okay, a tiny bit that, but mostly something else.”
Abby balled a fist. “Am I going to have to beat it out of you?”
Lacey laughed and raised her hands. “I surrender. The truth is—”
“Hello, sweet potato.” Jon slid onto the chair beside Lacey and kissed her on the cheek.
She quirked her eyebrow at him. “Sweet potato?”
“I’m trying out endearments. What do you think?”
“I think you better keep thinking.” She jabbed him in the rib cage.
He doubled over and moaned. “Oh, the woman is cruel.”
Lacey brandished both index fingers and poked him again.
He grabbed hold of them and swung them back and forth. “If you wanted to hold hands, you should’ve told me.”
“What are you doing here?” Her fingers curled around his. “I thought you were busy until later.”
