Chapter Ten
Wednesday
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Delaney
Today is my appointment with Mr. Russo. It’s been five days, and I’ve thought about Andrew every day. Does he even think about me? Did I make a mistake by not meeting with him? Damn it!
“Are you ready for your meeting?” my mother asks as I pack my bag.
“I guess,” I respond, not feeling very confident. My report was subpar. I sent Mr. Russo the report two days ago as he wanted to read it before our meeting. I’m sure he was able to read right through my general comments and reviews.
“What time is your flight?” my dad asks.
“I think around 4:30, but I’m not sure. My meeting is at ten a.m., and it’s only twenty minutes from the office to the airport.”
“Okay, call us after your meeting when you’re on your way,” my mother requests.
“Thank you for a great week,” I say, hugging my dad.
“Knock ’em dead, kiddo,” he says.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“When’s your next trip?” my mom inquires.
“I’m home for a couple of weeks, then I’m headed to Mykonos.”
“Okay, baby, good luck today, and have a safe trip home,” my mother says, hugging me tightly. “Don’t forget to call us on your way to the airport.”
Mom and I have had several deep conversations this week about Andrew. She knows I’m still hurting and feeling vulnerable. She’s always been there for me, my compass and rock, and this week was no exception.
After this week of reflection, two things are for sure. I have a hole in my heart, and I have to stop having sex dreams about Andrew. The one where he takes me from behind on the balcony is probably my favorite. #focus
My Uber pulls up to a tall building in downtown Fort Lauderdale. I grab my bags and head into the building. I’m greeted by the doorman, who directs me to the check-in counter.
“Pinnacle Cruise Line,” I announce to the woman behind the counter .
“ID, please,” she requests.
She hands me a printed visitor badge and directs me to the elevator bank around the corner.
“They’re on the fifteenth floor. Have a great day,” she encourages.
“Thank you so much,” I respond as I grab my bags and make my way to the elevators.
Seriously, the 15 th floor, I think as I press the button. Lots of things happen on the 15 th floor. Some good, some bad.
The elevator doors open on the 15 th floor, and I notice a large ship model in a clear display case in the center, between the elevator doors. As I look closer, I notice that it’s a scale model of Gem of the Seas , the ship I was on just a week ago.
I walk up to the reception desk, and I’m greeted with a very friendly “Good morning” by the cute blonde sitting behind the desk.
“How can I help you?” she inquires.
“I have an appointment with Mr. Russo at 10:30, but I’m a little early.”
“Which ‘Mr. Russo,’ and can I please have your name?”
Which Mr. Russo? How many are there? Is this woman new? Even I know that Mr. Russo is the CEO of the company.
“I’m DJ…” and before I can finish my name, she cuts me off.
“Ms. Austen, I’m so sorry. I see your appointment right here. Please have a seat, and I will let them know you are here.”
I find a seat in an extremely comfortable leather chair and take notice of the artwork in the lobby, black and white pictures of their ships taken from different angles with beautiful ports serving as the backdrops. It really is impressive. A family-owned company operating six ships and getting ready to launch a seventh ship in about a week. Pinnacle is getting ready for the third generation to take the helm, no pun intended.
I watch people move through the reception area from one side of the office to the other. I’m surprised by the amount of activity. Some construction guys and painters are chatting in the corner. Then, I notice a familiar face breeze through the lobby. She doesn’t see me, but I know who she is. I saw that face leaving Andrew’s stateroom last Saturday morning at 6:28 a.m.
Why is she here? I guess it makes sense since she works for the cruise line, but shouldn’t she be back on the water? I feel a pit in my stomach. An awkward taste in my mouth. It’s the same thing that happened to me right before a competition when I would get anxious and uneasy. I need to settle my nerves before my meeting.
“Ms. Austen?” I hear a sweet voice ask.
I stand. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m Kristen, Mr. Russo’s personal assistant. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“A pleasure to meet you as well,” I reply, shaking hands.
“Please follow me this way,” she requests.
She holds the door as I walk into the conference room .
“Mr. Russo is just finishing up on a call, but he’ll be right in. May I offer you a drink?”
“No, I’m fine, thank you.”
She leaves as I make my way over to a leather swivel chair at the large conference table. As I sit in the chair, I view the artwork hanging on the walls. More images of boats and ships, but there’s one that catches my attention.
I swivel the chair around and walk over to the picture. It’s the same picture I saw in Andrew’s stateroom. The one of the Gem of the Seas and the smaller boat with Prima Amore written in script.
“Good morning, Ms. Aus—,” I hear from a remarkably familiar voice. “What the hell are you doing here?” AJ demands. “You’re Ms. Austen?”
“Yes, DJ Austen,” I reply. That’s when the “ah-ha” moment hits him. “And you’re Mr. Russo?” I fire back.
“Seriously, what’s going on?” he questions.
“I have a meeting with Mr. Russo this morning,” I say, flustered and confused.
“My father is finishing up a call and will be right in. He told me to come in and introduce myself.”
His Father?! That makes him the son who’s taking over the business. What?!
“Your father?!” I say in a louder tone.
“Yes, my father,” he confirms. “You’re the blogger!” he says in an accusatory tone. “Fucking unbelievable!”
“You’re the CEO?” I retort.
“Yes. Was this all part of your grand plan? Sleep with the CEO and get some deep insight into the cruise line?”
“No, and fuck you! You ran into me! Did you jump through all those hoops to impress me so I would write a favorable review?”
“No! Not that it helped since the report was horrible.”
Ouch!
“And what happened to breakfast on Saturday morning?” he demands.
“What happened?! The woman leaving your room at 6:30 a.m. is what fucking happened!”
At that moment, the conference room door opens. The older gentleman who walks into the room sees us standing in front of the Prima Amore photo on the wall. His presence puts an immediate halt to our tense conversation, and I take a deep breath to refocus.
“That was my parents’ first boat,” he explains.
He’s a very distinguished gentleman, well-dressed, sharp, with familiar characteristics. However, we’ve never met in person. I immediately notice his dark chocolate eyes.
“Ah, I can see you’ve met my son, Andrew. Ms. Austen. It’s an honor and privilege to meet you,” he says, extending his hand. “You look very familiar,” he says .
“It’s nice to meet you as well, sir. And since we are meeting face to face, it seems appropriate to explain that DJ Austen is my pseudonym. My name is actually Delaney Fitzpatrick.” As soon as I say it, Andrew is having his second “ah-ha” moment of the morning, and Mr. Russo smiles, immediately recognizing the name.
Letting that little piece of information settle in, I turn back to the picture. “So, this was your parents’ boat?” I ask, trying to continue the conversation and defuse the obvious tension between Andrew and me.
“Yes, my father named his first boat Prima Amore , First Love, in honor of his first love, his wife, and my mother.”
“Wow, that’s beautiful.”
“And then I named Gem of the Seas in honor of my mother. Gem is short for Gemma. Our new $1.4 billion ship will be the Pearl of the Seas .”
“Dad, this is the woman,” he says quietly.
“Yes, Delaney is the woman I hired to write about us,” he says.
“That wasn’t a question. I know who she is,” he says in a tone I’ve never heard.
I feel a pit in my stomach.
“What’s going on?” Mr. Russo asks, looking at both of us, perplexed.
“I don’t have the time or energy to explain. I have work to do and a flight to catch,” Andrew barks. “I’ve been distracted long enough. I’ll call you from London,” he says.
And he’s gone. He breezes by a woman who is coming through the door….
Oh, My God! No Fucking Way!
Just at that moment, the familiar face from the lobby walks in. Seriously?!
“Ms. Fitzpatrick, I’d like to introduce you to my daughter Andrea.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she says, extending her hand.
“What was that all about?” she asks Mr. Russo.
“I have no idea,” he replies.
“You look very familiar. Have we met before?” I ask.
“No, I don’t think so,” she replies.
Come on. I know this woman recognizes me from the ship. She snapped a picture of the captain and me when Andrew spilled his pinko colada on me. Hold on! Mr. Russo just introduced her as his daughter.
“No, I’m pretty sure we saw each other last week,” I dig as her father looks even more perplexed.
Just at that moment, the conference room door opens again. As I turn, the woman comes to a complete stop, and I freeze.
What the fuck? There’s two of them?
“What’s up with Andrew? He just bolted out of here,” she inquires.
There’s a long pause, and finally, Mr. Russo says, “This is my other daughter, Ally. Ally, this is Ms. Delany Fitzpatrick.” I can’t move. I can’t speak.
“Ms. Fitzpatrick, are you okay? Can I get you some water? Would you like to sit down?” Mr. Russo asks in a concerned tone .
All I want to do is get the hell out of here, but just like the last time I saw this woman, my legs fail me again.
“Delaney Fitzpatrick? You’re DJ!” Ally declares.
I silently nod. At the same time, Mr. Russo tries to explain my pseudonym, but Ally never takes her eyes off me.
“Oh, boy,” she whispers.
Andrea and Mr. Russo look confused at our interaction, not quite sure what to say.
“Oh, now I get your question regarding seeing me last week,” Andrea says. “You thought I was my twin sister. Ally is the cruise director of the Gem . That’s where you’ve seen her. Did you meet last week on the boat?”
“May I please just take a minute?” I ask everyone in the room. I’m sure they think I’m crazy, but right now, Ally is the only one who knows my connection to Andrew. Who knows what she’s told them?
“I’m sorry. Am I missing something?” Mr. Russo asks.
I’m sure he’s going to fire me after this meeting, so I let Ally answer.
“Dad, this is the woman,” Ally states.
“That’s what Andrew said,” he recalls. “What woman?”
“The woman Andrew fell in love with.”
Both Mr. Russo and Andrea whip their heads in my direction. Wait, he fell in love with me?
“So, just to clarify…your real name is Delaney, but you write as DJ, and that’s how you introduced yourself to Andrew,” Ally summarizes.
All I can do is nod, as I’m totally overwhelmed by the eyes of three Russo family members staring at me.
“So, Andrew didn’t know who you were, and you didn’t know who Andrew was?” Mr. Russo prompts.
“No. He just introduced himself as AJ.”
They all look at each other, realizing the confusion.
“AJ said you were on the tenth floor. That explains why I couldn’t find a DJ or even a woman traveling alone on the tenth floor,” Ally confesses.
“I wasn’t. I was on the ninth. It started out as a precaution, and then….”
“Hold on, I need to get this straight,” Mr. Russo interrupts. “Neither of you knew who the other was. Neither of you used your real name. Neither of you discussed your profession. Is that correct?” he inquires.
“That is correct, sir,” I confirm quietly, feeling very embarrassed about his assessment of our relationship.
“And you were supposed to meet him last Saturday when the ship came into port but never showed up?”
“Correct again. I went to his room and saw you….” I point at Ally. “You were leaving…I just thought….”
“Ewww!” Ally exclaims .
Andrea laughs.
“How was I to know? A beautiful woman leaving his room at 6:28 a.m. It’s not a far-fetched idea,” I defend.
“Why were you going to his room?” Andi chimes in.
“I was going to tell him that I love him. I didn’t know what that would mean for our future, but I wanted to make it work. I realized he didn’t intentionally ghost me Friday afternoon.”
“The conference call?” Mr. Russo whispers as he continues to put the pieces together.
“I think so. AJ said he was on an important call with his board regarding a $1.4 billion investment. I thought he was trying to push me away.”
“The Pearl ,” he confirms.
“He wasn’t trying to push you away,” Ally explains. “Earlier that morning, he told me he could see himself married and having a family with you.”
“He did?” I blurt out. My eyes are wide open, and my jaw is on the floor.
“You love him?” Andrea asks.
“Yes,” I respond without pause.
Andrea and Ally look at each other, beaming.
“How did he not recognize you? You were on a Wheaties box,” Mr. Russo states.
“I guess he’s not a big gymnastics fan?”
“Why didn’t you tell him about the Olympics?”
“I figured if he didn’t know or ask, I wasn’t going to just volunteer that information. I wanted him to be interested in me for me, not because I had an Olympic gold medal.”
“And he didn’t want you to know he was the CEO of the cruise line,” Ally explains.
“It sounds like the two of you had quite the adventure,” Mr. Russo states.
“And Ms. Fitzpatrick…”
“Please call me Delaney,” I request.
“Okay. Delaney, you should know that he has never taken anyone to Bella Vista,” Ally shares. “He and I talked several times last week, and I can tell you that he has never talked about another woman the way he talked about you.”
“He made me lunch and shared stories of cooking with his Nonna. Your mother,” I say, pointing to Mr. Russo. Pointing to the twins, “And your grandmother, right?”
They all nod yes.
“Well, now that we have that cleared up…” Mr. Russo says. “I realize this meeting has taken a turn that none of us were expecting.”
“You could say that again,” I reply.
“Ally and Andi knew that you were coming today but had no idea why. I hired DJ Austen, aka Ms. Fitzpatrick, because she’s a blogger and influencer in the travel industry. I wanted to get an honest assessment of what we’re doing right and what we need to improve.”
“Did Andrew know?” Ally asks.
“No,” he responds.
“That probably isn’t sitting well with him,” Ally offers.
“Obviously," Mr. Russo confirms.
“I had no idea who he was, I swear,” I plead.
“I believe you 100%,” he says. “But whether he does is yet to be determined.”
My stomach falls to the floor. My eyes slowly roll closed as I take a deep breath.
Would it be weird if I just crawled under the table?
“Ms. Fitzpatrick, I wanted to talk to you about your review. I came in here today to inform you that I thought it was, how do I say it respectfully, not your best work. After the events of the last five minutes, I’m beginning to understand the reason. It was honest and fair but shallow. There were no details that any other blogger or traveler wouldn’t already know. I want a solid review, and I think you can do better. I want to extend an invitation to our VIP cruise that is scheduled to leave Fort Lauderdale next Saturday.”
“Dad?” Ally jumps in.
“Regardless of these new revelations, I had planned on extending this invitation today,” Mr. Russo answers.
“Mr. Russo, thank you so much for the opportunity. I don’t feel like my heart could take another cruise right now. Did you see him walk out of here?”
“Delaney, he loves you. And you just said you were going to his room to tell him you love him. Take it from someone who knows, when you find your person, the last thing you should do is run away from them,” Andrea says.
“I’m not running, just taking a pause. Will AJ be on the cruise?”
“Yes. He’s now the face of the company. We’re just working around several scheduling hurdles to get him back from Europe,” his father explains.
“I’m processing a lot of new information right now. I’m headed to the airport after this meeting and flying home. And as of right now, I don’t think being on that cruise would be good for either of us,” I answer. “What started out as an innocent cruise crush turned into a lot more for both of us. Although it seems like we were not completely forthcoming with each other, our conversations and feelings were real.”
“Regardless of how it started, there’s nothing here that can’t be explained. Do you have his number?” Mr. Russo asks.
“No, sir.”
“Let me give it to you,” Ally jumps in.
“Does he have yours?” Andrea asks.
“No, and after this morning, I’m not so sure he would want to hear from me. I didn’t show up last Saturday morning, and I’m sure he was hurt.”
“There’s no question about that,” Mr. Russo jumps in.
“See. That’s why this is a bad idea. He’s not going to want to talk to me. ”
“You guys just need to find a quiet space and talk. There’s nothing you shared that makes me think any of this was intentional or can’t be explained,” he states.
And he’s right. I do want to be with him. Especially knowing that he didn’t sleep with some rando crew member that night.
“I need some time and space to clear my head.”
“I am reserving your spot on the VIP cruise. If you’re there, great. If not, we will wish you all the best. You also have my word that none of us will contact Andrew.” He looks at the twins.
“What?” Andrea blurts out.
“Dad!” Ally exclaims.
“Ms. Fitzpatrick has the information she needs to make the decision she feels is best for her.”
His voice is calming and reassuring. The twins sit anxiously, wanting to call Andrew, but they don’t out of respect for their father’s direction.
Looking at his daughters, “Can you please give us the room?” he requests.
Both stand and approach me.
“Delaney, please think about coming on the cruise. I know he loves you,” Ally says.
“He does, and all of this can be worked out,” Andrea adds.
“Okay, okay. Thank you, ladies,” Mr. Russo instructs with a dismissive tone.
“Please come back for the cruise. It’s going to be a blast!” Ally makes one last plea as she and Andrea leave the room.
“Please excuse them. They haven’t stopped talking about you since last week.”
“They were talking about me?”
“Well, they didn’t know it was you. They just knew you as DJ, the woman their brother fell in love with. Since Ally couldn’t find you in the ship’s directory, the family suggested we run facial recognition, but AJ said not to. He felt that you had made your decision, and we all should respect that decision.”
“Mr. Russo, I never meant to hurt him. I saw a woman, who I now know was Ally but didn’t at the time, leaving his room. I was so hurt and angry. Especially after what we had gone through the day before. I just couldn’t face him that day.”
He reaches over and puts his hand on my arm in a comforting kind of way.
“I understand. There were a lot of moving parts, and none of them made any sense. But if you can filter through all the facts that you now know are truth, the only real question that remains is, do you love my son? You don’t need to tell me, but you do need to know the answer for yourself. We are a very close family, as you witnessed a glimpse of here. When Andrew met us for the family dinner last Saturday night, we knew he was hurt. We could feel his pain, his loss. As much as we all tried to help, he told us all to move on. As a father, it’s difficult to not be able to help a child in need. For his mother, it’s unimaginable. We knew last Saturday that Andrew had found his person. So, if the answer is yes, and you do love Andrew, you owe it to yourself and him to take the chance. ”
“We just met on the ship. We have only known each other for a week. How can we be sure?”
“When you know, you know. His mother and I met on a Friday and were standing at the altar the following Saturday. We just celebrated fifty-two years of marriage.”
“I don’t think that happens anymore.”
“Maybe, maybe not. You may not be ready to walk down the aisle, but can you fall in love in a week? I not only believe you can, but I wholeheartedly believe that’s exactly what happened for you and Andrew.”
This man’s calming demeanor and the kindness he’s showing to the woman who broke his son’s heart are so touching. He cares not just about AJ but about us.
“Thank you for those words. I need some time to clear my head and organize my thoughts.”
“I do hope you will join us on the Pearl . It’s going to be fabulous.”
“Mr. Russo, thank you. There are two places where my heart has been broken. Paris was the first. I was sixteen and had one minor slip on the balance beam that cost me a spot on the podium. The second time was last Saturday on your ship. Although I’ve learned a lot in the last thirty minutes, my heart is still raw. And even if I do go, there’s no guarantee Andrew will want to see me. And I know I couldn’t take a rejection of that magnitude.”
“I understand and will respect your decision. Kristen is going to send you all the information you need if you decide to join us. It certainly has been a very interesting meeting. I know this revelation caught us all off guard. At the end of the day, you now have new information. What you do with it is completely up to you.”
“It was a pleasure meeting you and your daughters today. Everyone has been so supportive, and it’s obvious how much Andrew’s family loves him.”
“It has been a pleasure, Ms. Fitzpatrick. Thank you for taking the time to come in, and even though our time together went down a path neither of us expected, it is the new path we are on.”
I lean in and give the man a hug. Probably not the most professional thing I could have done, but the moment felt right.
“Please, let’s stay in touch,” he requests.
With that, Kristen is waiting to walk me back to the lobby.
As I stand in the lobby, waiting for the next elevator, I see the twins approaching me. Do I run? Please…come on…wishing the doors to open before they reach me. No such luck.
“Delaney, we’ve been talking and felt like we needed to catch you before you left. Andrew does love you, of that I’m certain,” Ally says. “I was getting updates nearly every day during the cruise, and that boy is 100% in love with you.”
“Probably not 100% anymore since I didn’t show,” I retort.
“Nothing that a little communication won’t solve,” Andrea jumps in .
“I realize this is a big ask, but can you please not call him? I just told your dad that my heart is still raw, and I don’t know where my head is right now. I’m feeling very vulnerable. I need to get my emotions in check before I do anything.”
“Are you going to join us on the VIP cruise?” Andrea asks.
“Unknown at this point,” I respond.
“Fair enough,” Ally states.
“I know we cleared up a lot of questions in the past thirty minutes, but that doesn’t mean Andrew would forgive me for not meeting him. And I’m not going to put myself in a position where I could possibly be rejected by him.”
The elevator door opens. “I have to get to the airport.”
Ally reaches her hand out, “This is my card and has my personal cell phone number. Call me anytime. We hope to see you next week.”
“Thank you,” I say as they watch the elevator doors close.
Delaney
Headed to the airport.
Mom
How did it go?
Delaney
Right now, I don’t even know how to answer that question.
Mom
Good or bad?
Delaney
Both…will call when I get home.
Mom
Are you ok?
Delaney
Confused
Mom
Ok, travel safe and love you.
Delaney
Love you too!
I throw my bags on the floor as I walk into my apartment. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about seeing Andrew or my meeting with Mr. Russo and the twins. I realize that neither of us did anything wrong. I mean, he didn’t intentionally lie to me, and he wasn’t banging some other chick like I thought. He was only honoring the guidelines I requested on our first night.
I know my mom wants to talk, but I just don’t think I’m up for it tonight.
Delaney
I’m home but going to bed…promise I will call you in the morning and fill you in. Love you.
Mom
ok…love you