Page 97 of The Romance Game

Ryan stops. “At night?”

“As if that’s any different from going on the ocean to a strange, creepy ship.”

“Something could’ve happened to you.”

“That is true.” But I don’t say more.

As usual, Ryan and I bicker about each other’s safety before reaching the Galleon where we occupy a lounge area. Isla gets everyone drinks and sets out a basket of plantain chips.

CJ rubs his hands together. “Okay, so the rundown. What did the boo crew learn?”

“The boo crew?” Magnus asks.

“Yeah, boo because the Dark Seas is a ghost ship.”

They moan and groan about the bad play on words.

“You’re not going to believe it,” Lally says.

“Yes, the cufflinks were the same ones worn by a guest at Royal and Isla’s wedding,” he says, repeating what we already heard.

“But I didn’t recognize the guy.” Isla shakes her head.

“Then what was he doing at our wedding reception?” Royal asks.

“If you saw him, you’d recognize his weaselly little eyes.” Magnus narrows his.

Royal frowns.

Anticipation builds as we wait to find out who the weddingcrasher is.

“Who do we know with weaselly eyes?” Ryan hints.

We all speculate and I cite a few teachers from high school.

“Turns out that Captain J is none other than Gerome John Glandman,” Magnus says.

CJ, Royal, and I gasp with shock.

“How did you work that out?” CJ asks.

Isla hops to her feet and rushes toward the gift shop down the hall, returning with a tricorn cap and a plastic sword. “I’ll be Captain J. Everyone else, you be yourself.” She closes her eyes as if getting into character.

I’m glad CJ and I aren’t going to reenact our climb and my near fall off the lighthouse.

“I’ll set the scene.” Ryan describes the old ship, the poker table, and the menacing crew.

Isla clears her throat and menacingly looks at us. “Avast, yea dare board me ship from the cold, dark drink?”

Everyone laughs.

Lally shakes her head. “He didn’t say that. Silently, he invited me to sit down at the poker table.”

“But we weren’t there to play games,” Magnus says.

“Technically, he did ask me to a rematch.”

“But to what end? That was my mission objective.”

---