Page 39 of Revenge Honeymoon

She hugged herself and stood there, uncertain.

Ruby slid her sunglasses down her nose. “Take off that shirt. We are here to look amazing by the pool and if we don’t come back with a tan, our revenge will not be as sweet. If I run into Tyler at Whole Foods, I want him to be avocado toast green with envy. Both of us must be tan and gorgeous.” Her friend tugged at the edge of Emily’s shirt. “Take it off.”

Emily’s stomach rolled like a ship tossed on the waves during a storm. “I need a minute, Rubes.” She brushed of her friend’s hand. “Maybe I can do this in steps. I mean, this is the first time I’ve worn a bikini in sixteen years.”

Ruby raised a finger as if an idea had struck, swung her legs around, and stood. “This calls for a margarita. That should help.”

While Emily rooted herself to the deck, her mind a mess of worries and stray thoughts about her body, Ruby confidently strode to the bar and ordered drinks.

Why couldn’t she be more like Ruby? Why did she care so much about what people thought? Especially here on a honeymoon cruise? These were all married couples. Not a single man here had an interest in her or her lumpy body.

“Here.” Ruby handed her a huge margarita that could serve a whole Mexican village. “Drink up. Then let’s see how you feel.”

Emily accepted the drink and sat on a deck chair. Couldn’t hurt to try.

* * *

Meanwhile on the deck above the pool area...

Max crouched next to his camera bag and rifled through it.

Where did that long lens go?

This was bullshit. Nothing in his contract had mentioned photos outside of the studio.

“We only need you out here for a couple of hours, and then you can go.” Sylvia stood over him with crossed arms. “Not as if you had anything better to do.”

“Right,” he said through clenched teeth. What choice did he have? He needed the cash from this gig, so he couldn’t upset the cruise line. The cruise director represented his employer. If he wanted another job like this one, guess he had to do as told.

Sylvia pointed at clumps of people dancing on a makeshift dance floor near the pool. “See over there? Capture some of that and maybe by the bar. The pretty people. The smiling people. The hot ones—like her.”

Sylvia’s pointing finger landed on Ruby Evers.

Max lifted the view finder to his eye and focused in on the young woman as she lifted a margarita to her lips. He snapped a few photos of his new friend. She looked the part of a fashionable young traveler who’d attract the target audience for the cruise line.

“Remember.” She touched his shoulder. “These aren’t for sale. They’re marketing photos.”

He flinched under the unexpected contact. His camera lens dipped, and the focus shifted to the person in the chair next to Ruby’s. A woman pulling off a T-shirt to reveal a sexy green metallic bikini top.

He adjusted the lens to bring the mystery woman into focus. Sylvia said ‘the hot ones,’ and this woman had potential. Two scoops of flesh in a very flattering top. Maybe her face matched her body.

“Looks as if you have a handle on this,” Sylvia said. “Let’s meet up later in the crew lounge belowdecks, and you can show me the best ones. Then we’ll ask the guests to sign release forms.”

The T-shirt came off completely.

Emily.

He sucked in a breath.

Wow.

His thumb pressed on the shutter button, and without thinking he took a quick string of photos: Emily, Emily, Emily, Emily, Emily.

Heat crept across his cheeks.

Why did it feel so wrong? He had a job to do, and Sylvia even pointed out people she wanted him to photograph. But taking secret photos of his friends? No. He needed to find other people to target.

Without Sylvia’s oppressive presence to hamper his creativity, he swung his camera away from Emily and toward the group of dancers. They were all ages. Some wore shorts and tank tops, and some had on swimwear.

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