CRUISE TO ROMANCE by Toby Poznanski Read Free Book Online Page A

Sheila sat back
down and reached for her unfinished Danish.  “Why did you join us for dinner? 
I thought you had other plans?”
    She really is a good friend,
Jennifer thought.  It would be so easy to confide in Sheila, but she still felt
embarrassed that Ryan stood her up last night.  Even though he apologized, she
wasn’t sure she should give him the benefit of the doubt.  Her experience with
men was truly limited while his experience with women was painfully broad. 
Jennifer glanced over at Sheila.  She was her best friend and had always
treated her with respect and kindness.  She deserved an answer.  Sheila was a
caring woman, always giving freely her time and advice.  They shared a
closeness between them that boarded on family.
    “Truthfully, Sheila,” Jennifer
sighed, staring at the robe lying across her legs, “the man stood me up.”
    “Then he did you a favor.”  Sheila
licked the sugar off her fingers and smiled at Jennifer.  “Did you like Mike?”
    Jennifer nodded.  “He seems to be
full of fun.”
    “Oh, he is.  We danced at the
disco until they closed.”  Sheila closed her eyes and tilted her face to absorb
the warmth of the early morning sun.  “While we walked the pool deck, he told
me more about himself and his family.  Their mom died shortly after he was
born.  Can you imagine being raised by a Dad and five older brothers?  I bet it
was hard to get away with anything growing up.”
    “I doubt that.  If anything he
was probably spoiled rotten.”
    “Think so?”
    “From that wicked grin of his, I
definitely think so.”
    “Well, he does seem a little
spoiled when it comes to women, but he can’t hold a candle to his brother Ryan.” 
Sheila gave Jennifer a speculative look.  “But he is a good lover.”
    “Hold on.”  Jennifer ordered. 
“Go back.  What’s this about Ryan?  Are you insinuating that Ryan has been
spoiled by women?”
    “According to Mike, they fall at Ryan’s
feet from his sheer magnetism alone.  Of course, he’s probably exaggerating
just a little.”
    “Humph.”  Jennifer’s snit took a
nose dive into deeper water.  She stood up and stretched.  So there was plenty
of reason behind that macho arrogance.  Women probably begged for his attention
if last night was any indication of his ability as a lover.  She was sure it
was.  After all, she definitely remembered begging.  As she slipped into her
robe, Jennifer wondered how she would ever face Ryan again.  She just couldn’t
bear to be laughed at.  What would Mr. Gorgeous want with one slightly plump,
unsophisticated cook who loved to eat?  She dropped back down on the lounge
and, for a moment, studied her feet.
    “You spent all night with Mike, a
man that you don’t love.  Yet you feel secure in starting a relationship.  What
if he doesn’t want a relationship with you?  How do you do it, Sheila?  How do
you face him the morning after?”
    “Come on, Jenn.”  Sheila grabbed
her hand and pulled her up from the lounge.  “You need a shower and a new
outlook.”  She paused for a moment at the sight of the uncertainty in
Jennifer’s expression.  “You’re missing an important point.  It isn’t about
what he wants, it’s about what I want.  If he appears uninterested today, then
I will assume that he isn’t capable of filling my needs or he isn’t man enough
to, and consider myself lucky.”
    Jennifer shook her head in
disbelief.  How could any woman not feel rejected?
    “It’s all in the attitude,”
Sheila said, guiding Jennifer to the shower.
    “I don’t understand.”
    “You will, Jenn.  You will.”
     
    *    
*     *
     
    Chef Mario Ruscelli was having a
bad day.  It was evident from the very first moment that Jennifer saw the man. 
The chef appeared to be a pompous man, full of his own self-importance, prone
to ranting and raving.  Cooking in his galley would be challenging to say the
least!  Especially when he constantly talked to