Chapter 2: CHAPTER 01
"I can't believe it's our last day of the cruise," I said, flopping down onto my bed with a bounce. "It's such a shame that we have to leave so soon. Four days just aren't enough to explore all of Western Europe."
Larisa opened the glass balcony doors and poured herself a glass of wine while gazing out at the evening sky. "Time really does fly," she said, savoring the bitter taste of the wine.
"We had a blast, didn't we?" I said, getting up and joining her on the balcony. I inhaled the breeze and the fresh ocean water scent filled my senses. "Playing sports, swimming, touring, learning new cultures, and don't forget about the food! I’m already feeling hungry at the thought of it!” We had been treated like royalty this week and I was definitely going to miss it.
Larisa giggled with a glint in her eyes. "And let's not forget the eye candy. I was in heaven every day at the pool!" she said, taking another sip of her wine. You could say that Larisa was the embodiment of modern beauty, with her golden hair flowing down to her slender waist, striking brown eyes and the confidence she exuded which always drew attention wherever she went. Men couldn't help but be spellbound by her seductive gaze. However, she never chased after men, preferring instead to let them come to her and then wave them away the next day.
I couldn't help but grumble a bit. "You came here to hog all the men, didn't you?" I said grouchily. If you wanted to catch a man's attention, you had to make sure to show yourself before Larisa did, otherwise, you'd be in her shadow.
"Hey now, Candace, I can't help it if I'm a natural magnet," she said with a grin, giving me a playful nudge. “Besides, stop blaming me. You are the one who goes to a side and sits at the lone bar stool doing nothing!”
“Well, it is because I know it will be of no use to flirt with a man, knowing that you would get all the attention once you enter the room! So better not try anything at all!” I reasoned, deciding to pour a glass of wine for myself too.
“Nu-uh. Not my fault! You should see yourself, girl! You have those gorgeous amber eyes and silky black curls that go so well with your tan. You just need to put yourself out there more. You are such a sight to behold but you don’t come out in the open and let yourself be seen! That is the reason! You are just blaming it on me! Hmph!” she explained with a scowl as she placed her wine glass on the table to loosely wrap her finger around one of my curls. According to her, she was always jealous of my naturally curly hair.
“Well, thanks, I guess. But it still doesn’t change the fact that you take almost all the men away from me!” I jokingly whined and she let out a sigh.
“You know what. Today's our last day, you should go out and find yourself a sexy man to rock your night!" she wiggled her eyebrows and I rolled my eyes.
"It's too late for that. I'm tired from all the swimming and touring we did today."
“Come on! We have just three hours left before dinner. You could snatch someone up. I’m going to spend the night with a hottie I met at the bar today, so you have any choice to yourself,” Larisa said with a slight smirk. I rolled my eyes again; she really doesn’t deny the fact that she was an eye-catcher, but I don’t blame her.
“Well, it is the last day, indeed,” I muttered to myself, “Maybe I’ll give it a try, I don’t know.”
“You should. We did everything on our ‘to-do—list’ and you haven’t crossed off ‘snagging a man, yet. About time, if you ask me. You've been spending all your free time reading books! We're here to have a good time, so why not leave the reading for when you're at home? Or are still hung up on that crappy ex of yours?” Larisa inquired with a frown at the latter.
“Please, I have no time for men who cheat on their partners. Although it’s a bummer that I wasted my years with the b*stard, I surely have moved on from him.” Just the mere mention of my stupid ex was enough to make my whole day unpleasant.
“Good enough. He called you a few times after you broke up, didn’t he? Shameless piece of trash. We should post pictures with many men in the background tonight at the dinner!” she declared with an evil twinkle in her eyes and I laughed lightly, not directly opposed to the idea either.
Larisa grabbed hold of my hand and led me inside after daintily finishing her wine. She went through our wardrobe, holding out different outfits in front of me with a calculated look on her face. “Aha! This will do!” she cheered as she held up a white frilly dress that had a single pocket on the side and a single white rose stitched onto the waist. “It will so good with your tan! Wear this and snatch someone from the deck!”
I shook my head at her antics with a chuckle. “There won’t be any snatching. But I do admit, the dress looks nice.”
“Of course, that is what best friends are here for,” she winked before starting to find a dress for herself so that she could also ‘snatch’ her man of the day.
° ° °
I walked through the ship and reached the lido deck on 'The Meredith', the massive cruise ship we were cruising on that was capable of holding more than 3,500 passengers across its five decks. The ship offered swimming pools and sports, several dining options, entertainment choices and theaters. The decks in the middle and below housed the cabins and utility rooms, while the crew space and galley were situated on the lower deck.
Larisa was fortunate to have won tickets for this top-tier European tour. In addition to her stunning looks, she also had an amazing chance of winning two tickets after her groundbreaking victory in the world ice hockey championship. She was an amazing player, and I was bewildered when she invited me on to this cruise along with her. Well, who was I to decline such an invitation? It was my first time on a ship after all!
Climbing the stairs onto the deck, I was met with the bustling sounds of the guests. Families with tired children were heading back to their cabins, while the young adults remained, lounging by the pool, sipping drinks, and relaxing with their friends.
I scanned my eyes over the deck and decided to stop by the open bar. Well, I guess what Larissa said was true after all. I tend to be the type of person who waits for others to approach me. Making the first move has never been my strong suit, unlike Larisa.
A smile crept onto my lips as I reminisced about how Larissa had approached me first in order to become my friend back in school. Back in middle school, her stunning beauty had captivated me so much that I couldn't resist picking up my pencil and sketching her onto my canvas which I later transformed into a beautiful painting.
Apparently, she had grown curious after catching me staring at her multiple times. The next day, while I was alone in the art room, she had crept up behind me, and as I added the finishing touches to her face, she froze with wide eyes upon realizing who the subject of my painting was.
"I never knew I could be seen as beautiful," she had told me, and that was the first time I had seen her cry.
From that moment on, she had essentially followed me around until I gave in and became her friend.
After perching myself on a barstool, I caught the bartender's eye as he wiped down a shot glass. His bored expression immediately brightened as he flashed a warm smile in my direction. "Hello there, it's unusual to see a beautiful lady like you alone at this time of day," he remarked.
"Hi, Jamie," I greeted the friendly young blonde man whom I had grown accustomed to during my stay. "Well, Larisa is back in the cabin. I just came here to... I don't know, put myself out there or something."
Jamie laughs quietly and placed a glass on the counter in front of me. "Today’s recommendation! My special Dill Martini, made just for you, Candace."
"Ooh, that sounds... appetizing," I said with intrigue, as he began to mix the drink with his strong arms on display. "Have faith in me," he replied with a grin, and I watched in awe at his impressive mixing skills.
I was so engrossed in watching his bartending skills that I nearly tumbled off my stool when someone collided harshly with my shoulder. I turned my head to see three giggling bikini-clad girls hanging onto a shirtless guy, crowding the bar counter. I couldn't help but wonder how three girls could cling to one guy like that.
"Excuse me?" I demanded, but the brunette of the girls continued to smother the shirtless guy, ignoring me.
"What?" she sneered with her red lips when I continued to pierce her with my glare.
"Are you not going to apologize for what you just did?" I asked.
"Huh?" the brunette scoffed, "why should I apologize to you? You were the one in the way."
I couldn't believe the audacity of her response.
"Excuse me, ma'am," Jamie intervened politely, but I could see the seriousness in his eyes. "But it would be appropriate to apologize to the lady."
The brunette leaned back in surprise before letting out an outrageous scoff, “Did you, a mere bartender, just ask me to apologize to this…'lady’? Please just mind your own business and get back to your job, we paid to come here after all, so we are basically paying you,” she retorted, her tone laced with disdain that I would’ve like to slapped off.
What in the actual world?
“Well, ‘Karen’, I don’t see how you should talk to someone like that. You’ve been nothing but exceptionally rude with your boobies out to the whole world to show,” I defended, angry at Jamie’s defense and not wanting to let her off the hook.
The brunette ignored me and turned to the shirtless man she was hanging onto, "Baby, can you believe how this one is talking to me?" she whined, seeking support from the man, who was busy caressing the other two girls to even notice the argument unfolding in front of them.
At the brunette’s annoyed whine, the man turned to look down at her. He glanced up at me with his gray eyes and raised an eyebrow before looking down at her.
He opened his mouth to speak, but his phone rang, interrupting him. He answered it with an irritated scowl, barking out a curt "What?"
The person on the other end seemed to be pestering him, and he snapped back, "I've got no time to play with you. Go bother kids your own age. I'm busy and don't want to be bothered." He hung up abruptly and turned back to the girls with a grin as if the call had never happened.
“Oh, come on girls, they are not worth it. Let me make you forget all about it tonight,” he bit his lip suggestively which in turn made all the girls giggle and squeal.
I heard Jamie let out a dismissive snort while I blanched in disgust. “What a player,” I muttered under my breath with a shudder, but it doesn’t go unheard by the man.
“Do you have a problem with me?”
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone