Page 25 of Total Ship Show

“You like that? Take it all babe.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.”

My eyes spring open and I stare at the ceiling.

Jesus Christ.

Of course, this is happening.

“Of course, they’re going at it on the other side of my wall.” I squeeze my eyes closed, wishing Aris was with me so I could laugh at their ridiculous sounds. Instead, I just want to cry because even though I don’t want to hear it, at least they’re getting some action.

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. OOOOH yeah.”

Gag me.

Can she squeal out heryeahsany louder?

Annoyed, I roll my eyes and roll over, covering my ears with a pillow to drown out the moans and groans of the two very last people aboard this ship I would want to hear fucking.

Dammit.

This is going to be a long night.

* * *

“Good mor—” Aris stops in his tracks, two cups of coffee in his hands, staring at me with wide eyes. “Oh no…you don’t look happy. Is something wrong?”

I stab at my pancakes, shoving an oversized bite into my mouth. “You could say that,” I tell him with my mouth full.

He sets the coffees down on the table and pulls out the chair opposite me. “Something I can help with?”

I lift my head to see him across the table.

Damn this guy.

Here I am in a pissy mood, stuffing my face with fluffy pancakes and he has no breakfast with him but brought me a coffee. I take a breath and push my plate toward him.

“I’m sorry, Aris. Do you want some pancakes?”

He shakes his head. “Would you believe me if I said I hate pancakes?”

“Not even a little bit. Who doesn’t like pancakes? They’re like America’s staple breakfast item along with eggs and bacon.”

“And hash browns,” Aris includes. “Don’t forget the hash browns.”

“Yeah. And hash browns. It’s like the most popular breakfast you can get in all breakfast-serving restaurants. I mean, Christ, they even named a restaurant after the damn fluff circles.”

Aris laughs. “Man, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were so passionate about your pancakes.”

I stuff another sweet bite into my mouth. “You really don’t like pancakes?”

“Nope.” He shakes his head again with a chuckle. “I don’t even have a good reason. I watch my best friend eat them all the time at the hospital. They’re his go-to comfort food, but me? Nope. I’ll go for granola every time.”

“The audacity of some people.” I roll my eyes playfully. “You’re missing out on the carbaliciousness. And yes, that’s a word.”

“I have no doubt it is.” He laughs. His smile brightens my dreadfully pissy mindset. “And you’re right. I’m willfully missing out. You can eat mine for me. I’ll grab an omelet this morning instead. But first, tell me why you were so irritated five minutes ago.”

My face falls and I can literally feel the smile fall away as I give my plate a disgusted sneer. “I just didn’t sleep well.”

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