Trish seated with the newly married couple who had eyesand handsonly for each other. Thankfully it wasn’t long before they were on the dance floor, too.
Finally alone with her thoughts, Trish stared into her drink, wondering why Theo had acted so cold, so abrupt. Yes, she’d pushed for him to sign the contract, but why the hostility? It felt personal, but this was business. What was she missing? Trish sighed. He was such a difficult man to understand.
Take his dinner companions, for example. It didn’t make sense that he would be so chummy with Elias Stamos’s daughters yet refuse to do business with the man.
“Would you care to dance?”
Trish jerked her head up and her eyes widened at the sight of a tall dark-haired man in a white officer’s uniform. Though they’d never met, she recognized him as Giorgio Tzekas, the first officer.
On the first day of the cruise Sally had deliberately run into the man. Her friend had discovered his name and his position on the ship, but to Trish’s knowledge, Sally hadn’t seen him again.
And now Sally was busy with the dentist and Trish was sitting all alone feeling sorry for herself. She’d make that contract happen. But it wouldn’t happen tonight. And hadn’t she vowed to combine business with pleasure on this cruise? She wasn’t going to do that sitting alone.
“Sure.” Trish flashed the officer a bright smile. “I’d love to dance.”
He politely pulled out her chair and followed her to the dance floor. The fast-paced tune was quickly replaced with a slow one, and when the officer’s hand slid around her waist, Trish realized they’d skipped introductions. Just because she knew his name didn’t mean he knew hers. “By the way, I’m Trish Melrose”
“I know who you are,” he said, pulling her closer.
Trish wiggled back, increasing the distance between them. “You do?”
“I’m a first officer,” he said with a wink. “I make it my business to know the names of all the pretty ladies on board.”
He stared down at her bosom, and Trish felt uneasy. There was something about this man that she didn’t like. He was too confident. Too forward. Too…slimy.
“I saw you in the dining room talking with Helena and Katherine Stamos,” Giorgio said then stopped, an expectant look on his face.
The comment came out of the blue and took Trish by surprise. For a second she considered telling the truth; that this was the first time she’d met Elias Stamos’s daughters. But she didn’t like this man or the fact that it seemed he’d only asked her to dance so he could fish for information.
“Helena and Katherine?” Trish kept her tone noncommittal. “Sounds like you know them, too.”
She could do a little fishing of her own.
Though the smile remained on his face, Giorgio’s hand tensed on her waist. “My father and Elias are old friends. Katherine, Helena and I…we grew up together.”
“Yet” Trish tilted her head “you work while they play.”
“The fault of my father.” Giorgio’s jaw tightened and he fairly spat the words. “He is a man who believes children should make their own way in the world.”
It was clearly a touchy subject. Trish lifted a brow. “I take it you don’t agree.”
Giorgio opened his mouth to speak then seemed to reconsider. “It doesn’t matter,” he said finally. “I do quite fine on my own.”
They danced in silence for several minutes.
“I couldn’t believe they were dining with him,” Giorgio said, his voice heavy with disapproval.
Trish resisted the urge to giggle at the man’s disjointed way of conversing.
“I don’t see a problem,” Trish said, wondering what Giorgio had against Theo.
Giorgio looked surprised. “You know who he is?”
“I do,” Trish said.
“And you don’t see anything wrong with him being on this ship?” Giorgio’s voice rose with each word.
“I take it you do.” Trish did her best to keep her manner off-hand. He had
Finally alone with her thoughts, Trish stared into her drink, wondering why Theo had acted so cold, so abrupt. Yes, she’d pushed for him to sign the contract, but why the hostility? It felt personal, but this was business. What was she missing? Trish sighed. He was such a difficult man to understand.
Take his dinner companions, for example. It didn’t make sense that he would be so chummy with Elias Stamos’s daughters yet refuse to do business with the man.
“Would you care to dance?”
Trish jerked her head up and her eyes widened at the sight of a tall dark-haired man in a white officer’s uniform. Though they’d never met, she recognized him as Giorgio Tzekas, the first officer.
On the first day of the cruise Sally had deliberately run into the man. Her friend had discovered his name and his position on the ship, but to Trish’s knowledge, Sally hadn’t seen him again.
And now Sally was busy with the dentist and Trish was sitting all alone feeling sorry for herself. She’d make that contract happen. But it wouldn’t happen tonight. And hadn’t she vowed to combine business with pleasure on this cruise? She wasn’t going to do that sitting alone.
“Sure.” Trish flashed the officer a bright smile. “I’d love to dance.”
He politely pulled out her chair and followed her to the dance floor. The fast-paced tune was quickly replaced with a slow one, and when the officer’s hand slid around her waist, Trish realized they’d skipped introductions. Just because she knew his name didn’t mean he knew hers. “By the way, I’m Trish Melrose”
“I know who you are,” he said, pulling her closer.
Trish wiggled back, increasing the distance between them. “You do?”
“I’m a first officer,” he said with a wink. “I make it my business to know the names of all the pretty ladies on board.”
He stared down at her bosom, and Trish felt uneasy. There was something about this man that she didn’t like. He was too confident. Too forward. Too…slimy.
“I saw you in the dining room talking with Helena and Katherine Stamos,” Giorgio said then stopped, an expectant look on his face.
The comment came out of the blue and took Trish by surprise. For a second she considered telling the truth; that this was the first time she’d met Elias Stamos’s daughters. But she didn’t like this man or the fact that it seemed he’d only asked her to dance so he could fish for information.
“Helena and Katherine?” Trish kept her tone noncommittal. “Sounds like you know them, too.”
She could do a little fishing of her own.
Though the smile remained on his face, Giorgio’s hand tensed on her waist. “My father and Elias are old friends. Katherine, Helena and I…we grew up together.”
“Yet” Trish tilted her head “you work while they play.”
“The fault of my father.” Giorgio’s jaw tightened and he fairly spat the words. “He is a man who believes children should make their own way in the world.”
It was clearly a touchy subject. Trish lifted a brow. “I take it you don’t agree.”
Giorgio opened his mouth to speak then seemed to reconsider. “It doesn’t matter,” he said finally. “I do quite fine on my own.”
They danced in silence for several minutes.
“I couldn’t believe they were dining with him,” Giorgio said, his voice heavy with disapproval.
Trish resisted the urge to giggle at the man’s disjointed way of conversing.
“I don’t see a problem,” Trish said, wondering what Giorgio had against Theo.
Giorgio looked surprised. “You know who he is?”
“I do,” Trish said.
“And you don’t see anything wrong with him being on this ship?” Giorgio’s voice rose with each word.
“I take it you do.” Trish did her best to keep her manner off-hand. He had
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