Page 3 of Revenge Honeymoon

Ruby shivered. “It’s going to be warm in Cozumel, right?”

Emily smiled brightly. “See? We are going to have the time of our lives. Caribbean here we come!”

The former bride shook out her cinnamon locks and stepped onto the pavement in her four-inch espadrille wedges.

The driver stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray sitting on the front passenger’s seat and leapt into action. Before Emily could join her friend, the burly driver had set their luggage on the sidewalk.

“Thanks so much.” Ruby paid the driver with cash from her reception’s money tree. “I’m spending every dime of this on you and me this trip, Em.” She flashed an envelope full of fifties and hundreds. Even Tyler’s family, at least the ones who hadn’t slunk away in shame after the wedding had been called off, had given Ruby cash. A consolation prize of sorts.

“You don’t have to do that.” Emily collected her single bag, packed only for a few days in Tampa, and headed toward the terminal entrance. A line of couples had gathered to be screened before moving further into the building where they’d drop their luggage and have their documents scrutinized.

Ruby whipped out the handle of her large roller bag – three times the size of what Emily had – and caught up to her friend. “I want to do it. Don’t say another word about it.”

The two women joined the long line of newlywed couples and filed inside.

A young couple in matching bright yellow T-shirts with ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ printed in blue lettering smiled as Emily and Ruby queued up behind them and waited for screening.

“Oh,hello there,” gushed the woman in the ‘bride’ T-shirt. “I love that this cruise is open toallnewlyweds.” She elbowed her new husband in the ribs. “Isn’t that right, Tim? Love is love.”

Tim gawked at Ruby and Emily. He seemed particularly flabbergasted at the sight of beautiful Ruby. Most men were, but in this case he had an added level of surprise.

Emily blushed at the misinterpretation. “Oh, no, we’re not...I mean...she and me we’re just—”

Ruby butted in, “Oh, thank you so much. We’re super excited, aren’t we, honey?” She hugged her best friend tightly to her side. Too tightly.

Emily didn’t know how to respond. Her mouth gaped open, and no words came out.

“We’ve always wanted to go to Cozumel, and when we saw the advertisement for the ‘newlyweds only cruise,’ well, we couldn’t pass it up. And, it was such a great deal.”

Emily couldn’t believe Ruby would want to create such a deception. Was this how they were going to act for the next ten days?

Tim replied, “Yes, a really great deal. Nice to meet you both.” He seemed relieved when the cruise employee called him and his wife forward.

“Toodles!” The bride wiggled her fingers at them in a supremely feminine wave and plopped her oversized bag on the table before she walked through the metal detectors.

Emily took the opportunity to hiss at her friend, “What do you think you are doing?”

Ruby made a moue. “I really didn’t want to tell them about my day yesterday. I couldn’t bear the thought of it. Everyone’s so happy.” She gestured to the crowd of honeymooners, including a few other gay couples in line. “Who wants to hear a story about a jilted bride? It would make everyone feel sorry for me. And nobody feels sorry for Ruby Evers. Nobody.” She spoke the last few words with fervent conviction.

As the screeners beckoned them forward, Emily mulled over her friend’s words. Although she didn’t like to deceive people, she also didn’t want her friend to be emotionally tortured for a second time. If she’d confessed to Tim and his bride that Ruby’s fiancé had left her at the altar, the news would probably spread around the ship in no time. The sympathetic looks and sad whisperings would take away from the fun of the trip they wanted to have.

“I understand that, Rubes.” She squeezed her friend’s hand. “I guess I don’t mind letting people think what they want.”

Ruby smiled and sashayed through the metal detectors.

When Emily joined her on the other side she added, “But I’m not going to be doing any fake kissing or whatever to keep up appearances. Let’s agree that we will keep our reasons to ourselves why we’re on this cruise. We don’t need to announce anything. Agreed?”

Ruby grabbed her bag from the table. “Agreed.”

A smartly-dressed cruise employee, wearing navy blue slacks and a crisp white shirt with a name tag that read ‘Stan,’ approached them with a tablet, “Names, please?”

“Ruby Evers and Emily Small.” Ruby gave the man a thousand-watt smile.

Stan downscrolled. “I don’t have either of you on the list.” He looked up from his tablet with a frown. “Tickets please?”

Ruby showed him a QR code on her phone.

A couple who had passed through the same security line squeezed by them to engage with another cruise employee who waved them forward to prevent a backup of passengers.

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