Page 5 of Revenge Honeymoon

“All of our working passengers are supposed to board before the ticketed passengers,” Sylvia scolded. “I thought that was made clear in the documents I emailed you.”

Mr. Gorgeous paled.

Emily couldn’t believe such a confident, attractive man would grow pale under such circumstances. Shouldn’t he be effortlessly cool at all times? Shouldn’t he be able to let criticism slide off his back like water?

“Well, yes, I read them, but you see—”

Sylvia waved her hand. “I don’t have time to argue with you.” She picked up a tablet, tapped on the screen and scrolled. “Maxwell Keeling.”

“Max,” he corrected.

Sylvia read on without even flinching, “And your guest Penelope Friedman?” She glanced around.

Max the Gorgeous let out a sigh and said quietly, “She’s not coming.”

“So you’re traveling alone?” Sylvia tapped on the screen several times without even looking at the man standing in front of her. “All right, I’ll make note of that.” She snapped her fingers, “Raul.”

A Hispanic, middle-aged man in uniform made his way from the screening tables to the podium where Sylvia stood.

“Can you please show Maxwell to his room? He’s late, and I don’t have time to deal with this mess right now.” Sylvia glanced over at Ruby and Emily and smiled apologetically. “I have customers who need my attention.”

“It’s Max,” said the most stunning man in all of Florida or quite possibly in the whole of the southeastern United States.

“Come on, Em,” said Ruby, as if she didn’t even notice Max Keeling.

How could that be?

Max followed Raul and disappeared.

Emily let out the longest of sighs.

Ruby rolled her massive suitcase forward. “There seems to be a problem with a guest switch, Sylvia.” She gave her most sincere and toothiest smile. She leaned in to whisper, “My fiancé left me at the altar yesterday.” Her eyes instantly shone with tears. “And your very lovely cruise line’s customer service told me I could bring my maid-of-honor as my guest instead.”

Sylvia’s demeanor brightened. “Why, of course, I can help you.”

How could anyone’s demeanor be anything less than one-hundred percent over-the-top wow after Max Keeling’s appearance? Emily wished she could’ve watched him walk away again in slow motion. One slow, sexy step after another. Left. Right. Left. Right. His bulky arms swinging purposefully at his sides. Because all she’d probably ever be able to do is admire him from afar. Men like Max Keeling did not notice women like Emily Small.

Not ever.

Not once.

No way.

No how.

Ruby snapped her fingers. “Em, hello? We need your passport.”

Emily brought her mind back to the current situation. She fiddled in her bag, one of those bright straw numbers with big colorful flowers on the side that could fit a small toddler inside it. “Here you go.” She blushed, wondering if Sylvia or Ruby knew why her attention had been elsewhere.

“Thanks.” Ruby took it and handed it to Sylvia. “We’re hoping even though my situation has changed that we can still have fun. Wecanstill have fun on a cruise for honeymooners, right?” Her voice had an anxious note to it.

Emily stared at her best friend. She’d been so confident last night when they were curled up on the heart-shaped bed of the Honeymoon Suite wearing heavy terry cloth robes and painting their toenails the same exact shade: Mexican Coral.

“Of course you can,” Sylvia answered brightly. She produced a sunshine yellow sheet of paper. “Here is the schedule for this evening.” With a pen she circled the eight o’clock dinner time. “The two of you are already signed up for the second dinner seating. I hope that still suits.”

Ruby nodded.

“And before dinner it looks like you have your Honeymoon Photo Shoot at 5 o’clock.” Sylvia frowned. “Well, we can cancel that, of course. There are plenty of other activities besides that...trivia at the Coconut Club, um, Daytime Dance Party pool side—”

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