Page 7 of Beneath the Flames
Brie chuckled knowingly. “I already googled it, girlfriend. I know exactly what to expect—cramped quarters, no storage, a tiny bathroom, and a small porthole. But it’ll be more than worth it to spend five days cruising on the ocean with you.”
Lea laughed. “Of course you googled it!”
Hunter
When the doors of the elevator opened on their floor, Brie was surprised to find a man waiting in the corridor for their arrival. As soon as Hunter walked out, the well-dressed gentleman bowed his head in respect. “Welcome, Mr. Castillo.”
Holding his hand out to Hunter, the man introduced himself. “My name is Remington. I’m at your disposal and happy to assist in any capacity you require.”
It wasn’t until that moment that Brie realized she had never heard Hunter’s last name before. She hid a bemused smile, realizing she knew very little about the man other than how much Lea loved him, and how patient and kind he’d been to Mary while she was staying at Lea’s apartment.
“I trust the room is ready?” Hunter asked the man.
Remington smiled. “Of course, sir. To your exact specifications.”
He then turned to address all of them. “I will be your personal butler for the voyage. If you have any questionsor needs, no matter how small, please let me know.”
Brie looked at Lea and raised her eyebrows. Her friend hadn’t been kidding when she said they would be treated like royalty on the ship.
“Now, if you’ll follow me,” Remington said, “I’ll escort you to your rooms.”
Impressed, Brie followed behind the man as he led them down the hallway. Lea leaned in and whispered to her, “Wow, Hunter really went all out.”
Remington stopped and gestured to a door on the right. “This is your stateroom, Mr. and Mrs. Davis.”
Using his key card, Sir unlocked the door and opened it for Brie as Remington continued down the hallway with Lea and Hunter.
The moment Brie entered the cabin, she burst out laughing. “This is so not what I was expecting…”
Sir let out a whistle as he took in the view. “Nor I, babygirl.”
Based on her research, Brie was prepared for a tiny cabin consisting of two twin beds, a small shower, and a view of the ocean through a porthole. Instead, this was a stylishly decorated suite with a queen-sized bed facing a spacious balcony overlooking the ocean. To the left was a separate room set up with two portable cribs, and on the right was a mirrored wall with a luxurious sitting area, complete with a stocked bar.
There was even a beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers on the coffee table, along with a bottle of champagne and a box of chocolates.
“This is amazing!” Brie cried as she headed to the bathroom and stopped short. Not only did the bathroomhave a marble vanity and large tub, but the suite also had a walk-in closet. Shaking her head in amazement, she stepped back out, murmuring, “I can’t believe this!”
“You haven’t seen the balcony yet,” Sir told her, opening the sliding glass door.
As she stepped out, Brie marveled at the large private deck. The balcony had an unobstructed view of the ocean because the cabin was at the back of the ship.
Not only did their balcony have chairs and a table, but there were two loungers and a hammock hanging in the corner. “We’re going to have so much fun out here, Sir!”
When she turned, she noticed he was staring at the hammock. “We shall indeed, babygirl.”
Brie blushed as she glanced at their two children. She was extremely grateful that Hunter had given them an extra room so they would have an opportunity to properly enjoy the hammock alone.
Heading back inside, Sir set Hope down on the sofa. He noticed she was staring longingly at the vase of flowers and pulled a stalk of pink snapdragons from it. Handing it to her, he smiled. “For you, my little angel.”
Hope’s eyes widened as she took the pretty snapdragons from her daddy. Grinning, Brie set Antony down on the bed, then knelt beside Hope. “Snapdragons are some of Mommy’s favorite flowers. Do you know why, sweet pea?”
When Hope shook her head no, Brie put her fingertips to either side of one blossom and pressed her fingers together. It made the flower “open” its mouth.
“I love them because they can talk,” Brie explained.Using a high squeaky voice as she pressed the flower in time with her words, she said, “Hi! My name is Snappy the Dragon.”
Hope giggled, then cried out, “Again!”
“What’s your name, little girl?” Brie asked her, still pretending to be the flower.
