Page 54 of Revenge Honeymoon

“The Emily factor.” What did that mean exactly? “Not sure how I tell my website designer to pump up the Emily.”

“I wish I could describe it better.”

“I certainly want to attract the right sort of clients, so I’ll mull it over. I can’t do anything about it while we’re on the ship, so no rush.” She smiled at her friend. “Nothing is worse than trying to satisfy someone who will never be satisfied.”

“Like my mom?”

Rhonda Evers. Mrs. Perfection. Mrs. Demanding. “Maybe?” The last thing she wanted to do was insult Ruby’s mom. But Ruby had offered her up as an example.

Ruby bumped her shoulder into her best friend’s. “I know she can be difficult to please. No worries. I have to admit, though, I sort of liked it when she did most of the wedding planning for me. It was stressful.”

Was this the first time Ruby had talked about her failed wedding without tears welling up in her eyes? Progress! “She knew how to wrangle the caterers, that’s for sure. And the florist? What a deal she made.”

“Yeah, she might have her moments, but sometimes Rhonda is exactly what you need.”

“I’ll bet she’s giving Tyler’s parents an earful right about now.”

“She should. We spent a lot of money, and then their son was an epic jerk.” Ruby crossed her arms. “Who does that to someone? Why didn’t he just tell me he didn’t want to get married? Did he think I wouldn’t let him loose?”

“I don’t know, Rubes.” She had to head her friend off at the pass. They were headed into some deep emotional waters. “Some men can’t commit, I guess.”

“It sucks. I wasted a lot of time with him when I could’ve been dating other people.”

“Oh? Is there someone else you were interested in?”

“Maybe.”

Interesting. Ruby had her eye on someone else? Who?

“But even if there wasn’t,” Ruby continued. “When Tyler proposed, I promised myself to him and nobody else.”

Emily’s thoughts drifted to Max and how easy it would be for her to promise herself to him. Not only because of his looks—though he was the most attractive man on the planet and she’d fight anyone who disagreed—but because he’d proven himself to be a genuinely kind person. But those ridiculous dreams were over now. She’d have to spend the rest of the cruise avoiding him since Ruby found him creepy.

“Let’s get ready and grab some breakfast, shall we?”

“Buffet time!”

“You know it, girl.”

* * *

A crew member standing on the stage clapped his hands together. “Where are my starfish?”

The theater full of chattering cruisers quieted at the request.

Each activity had been assigned a sea creature to stay organized and move everyone as a cohesive group as they disembarked the ship and climbed into the appropriate bus for their selected Jamaican adventure.

Emily’s body twitched.

Was that their group name?

Her mind blanked.

Why was she more concerned about the wedgie the bikini bottom had inflicted upon her ass than the very important information about their river rafting activity? Were they starfish? or sand dollars? or whales?

“We’re dolphins, remember.” On her phone Ruby scrolled through the cruise ship activities scheduled for tomorrow’s day-at-sea. “Hey, there’s 90s karaoke in O’Malley’s Pub. We totally need to go.”

Emily wriggled in her seat, hoping to scoot the bikini back into place hands-free. “Right. Dolphins. We are the dolphins.”

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