Chapter 4
Sarah glanced at the time.
Six-fifteen.
She hadn't seen Asha since he left her in their cabin in nothing but a towel.
That was hours ago.
He'd told her he'd be back in an hour and never returned.
She'd waited long enough. Her stomach had been protesting its lack of food for the last thirty minutes and as their appointed dinner time approached, she couldn't ignore her hunger any longer, especially when the growl of her empty belly could now be heard over the TV.
Grabbing her room key, she headed out but not before she left a note for Asha letting him know she'd gone in search of food. Hopefully he'd come and find her. If not, she'd eat, do a bit of exploring, then return to the cabin.
She wouldn't let his latest avoidance dim her excitement of being aboard. She'd checked out all the amenities this ship offered weeks ago. She wanted to experience everything. She even had a list in her phone of the things she wanted to do in order of importance.
This was her first cruise, although not her first trip to the Caribbean. Not that she wanted to think about that disaster.
Nope. Her five-mouth marriage and subsequent honeymoon had already taken up enough of her life. She'd moved on. As they said, been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
Oh, and she was never, ever going back.
It took a minute wandering down the long corridor, but she eventually found herself in the elevator foyer, where the ship's directory took up most of the wall at one end.
Now where were the restaurants...
"Hmm..." She scanned the directory.
Lots of choices although in her cutoff jeans and tank top she wasn't really dressed for the Italian Restaurant or Steak House and didn't fancy sitting alone in either of those fine dining establishments anyway.
There was the main dining room which was where their allotted dining time was supposed to be, except again, she didn't feel like sitting alone if Asha didn't show up to eat with her.
The other options were the two buffets, a sports bar which probably served finger food, or a Pizza Place. Smiling, she walked over and pressed the down button.
"Pizza it is."
She couldn't remember the last time she'd indulged in a carb heavy meal. Not that pizza was a big deal to most, but she liked to eat as healthily as possible. Winter Lake didn't have a pizza shop anyway, and frozen pizza was nothing more than cardboard as far as she was concerned.
Growing up in New York City had made her a snob when it came to pizza. She wasn't ashamed of it either, there was no point eating substandard pie, it only led to dissatisfaction and disappointment. She'd rather go without.
The elevator doors opened revealing an empty car and, stepping in, she hit the button for level five. She was surprised there weren't more people about.
Although getting served right away and not having to wait for her pizza was a definite plus. She'd make the most of it while she could. No doubt there'd be a lot more people roaming around later.
They'd left port at five and Sarah assumed everyone was getting settled in their cabins or partaking in one of the many dining options.
When she reached the pizza place she had her pick of tables, and after placing her order she took one in the back corner so she could people watch but also in the hope no one would bother her.
She didn't feel like talking. Not even to Asha.
If he ever showed his face again.
Anger and frustration rolled through her. Today wasn't the first time he'd avoided her and while she could accept the circumstances were different than in the past, she still didn't like that he thought he could brush her off.
She got it. No man wanted to be faced with a practically naked woman when he was determined to not get involved with her.
It was the not wanting to get involved that she got stuck on. She knew he was attracted to her. The sparks that flew between them were impossible to ignore. Heaven knows she'd tried.
When she'd found out she would play elf to Asha's Santa, she had promised herself she would not let him continue to ignore their attraction.
Of course, that was before she knew they would be sharing a room.
"Holy, shit," she whispered. "I'm sharing a room, a bed, with Asha Yunker."
Shaking her head, she grinned.
She couldn't have planned it better herself. Although, if she were honest, she would not have put herself so close to temptation no matter how much she wanted to be with Asha.
"Here, you go. Pizza for one with the lot." The guy who had taken her order lowered her pie to the table in front of her. "Enjoy."
"Thanks." She'd been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn't noticed him approach. Breathing in the spicy scents of meat and tomato she pressed a hand to her rumbling belly.
She burned her fingers when she tried to pick up a piece and decided to wait a moment before trying again. Her stomach continued to rumble, and she laughed when she thought about the fact that it wasn't the only part of her unsatisfied.
Sex wasn't a common thing in her life. She'd like it to be, she missed it, but she wasn't about to go out and hook up with some random even if her friends suggested she should. And no one local—other than Asha—piqued her interest anyway.
The thought of being with some tourist who visited Winter Lake for a few days, weeks at most, then left didn't appeal at all either.
She'd always been a relationship kind of woman. Sure, she'd had the odd—and by odd she meant two—one-night stand back when she was in college, but the fumbling of a not familiar partner had never given her the satisfaction the act should.
She preferred to do it herself than attempt to tell a stranger what she needed.
In spite of her attraction to Asha she wouldn't be indulging in any physical connection if he didn't want an emotional one.
She knew he was divorced. Knew he'd been single since he split from his wife. What she didn't know was how long ago that was.
Like her, was it recent history?
The ink on her divorce papers had barely dried when she moved from New York City to the sleepy little mountain town of Winter Lake and took the job of daytime dispatcher.
The change had been exactly what she'd needed back then and after all this time she was glad she'd taken the leap.
She was happy with her home, her job, the new friends and life she'd made for herself. She just wished she could make the man she was interested in see that they could be good together.
Maybe their forced proximity and working together for two solid days without Asha being able to leave the room would bring them closer.
She could only hope.
Then again, she had direct access to Santa. Laughing quietly, she picked up a piece of pizza and took a bite, the spicy flavors instantly bursting on her tongue.
Yeah, she could sit on Santa's lap and whisper in his ear she had a little Santa crush.