Chapter 2
SARAH
Jackie. Freaking. Lipscomb. As if it wasn’t enough that my suitcase and favorite wedges broke, I had to run into my old crush.
The first girl I’d ever thought of as more than a friend.
The girl who’d made me realize that boys weren’t for me.
Every time I saw her, my whole body would react in a way that the boys around me never could.
A few years after that, I came out to my parents.
I was a sophomore in college and let them know that I was a lesbian.
I was worried about what they’d say. Sexuality and dating wasn’t really something we’d ever discussed.
Everything I learned over the years came from friends and media.
Unfortunately, all that did was create the type of relationship where I was hesitant to open up to them about my dating life.
The good thing about choosing a college away from home: I was able to have fun and create life and love experiences without worrying about them finding out.
The first girl I seriously dated, Winnie, is the one who finally pushed me to tell them.
I say pushed, but she wasn’t pushy about it.
She was patient, but I knew she didn’t deserve to remain a secret from my family.
Or at least my parents. My sister Becky knew, but she and I always had a tightknit sisterhood.
To no surprise they weren’t pleased at finding out my secret that I was in a relationship with another woman.
Actually, that would be an understatement.
James and Sierra McDougal weren’t known for their open-mindedness.
Matter of fact, their responses were pretty cliché, but that didn’t lessen the sting of their bigotry.
“Sweetie, you can’t be serious.” She said derisively, snarling at me. “We didn’t raise you to embarrass us like this!”
I chuckled internally at the idea I’d be an embarrassment. I’d graduated top of my class in high school and had plans for nursing school, both of which they had expressed such pride about.
“Sarah, please tell me this is just some phase while you’re in college.
There’s no way you think we’re okay with you prancing around with another woman, yelling all that ‘love is love’ bullshit,” my dad snapped.
“The bible says ‘Adam and Eve’, not ‘Madam and Eve’. You just need to find you a nice young man.”
As I’d suspected, they’d ignored Winnie the whole time we were together.
She and I lasted another two years before deciding that our relationship had run its course.
We’d been each other’s great college love, but that was it.
We were still acquaintances, though we didn’t see each other often.
I ended up going no contact with my parents for my mental health after all that.
As I rubbed my sore ankle and returned to thoughts of seeing Jackie in the hallway, I felt a blush creep all over me.
I noticed the way she looked at me, brief as it was, but as far as I knew, she was still married to that douche fuck Timothy from high school.
I’d tried not to keep tabs on her, but you hear things.
What was she doing here alone? Or was she even alone?
I shook away the questions about the how and why of everything Jackie Lipscomb and slipped on some white flip-flops.
I needed to eat a good meal and have a couple of fruity cocktails to start this vacation off right.
Grabbing the pink wristlet that perfectly matched the white floral pattern on my pink romper, I decided to go in search of food and unpack later. Sustenance was a must.
Deciding I was in the mood for some shrimp, I wandered through the ship in search of the onboard steak and seafood restaurant.
The website boasted some amazing reviews on their seafood dishes, as well as their drinks.
Spotting the entryway, my mouth watered, and stomach growled.
I’d been too nervous to eat earlier today, and now my body was letting me know it was none too pleased with my skipping a meal.
I approached the podium where the hostess was looking over the seating map.
Her ebony skin was silky smooth and glowing, and she had the most striking eyes that were a shade of amber.
Her long braids were styled in a topknot and had streaks of blond and auburn mixed in with the brown.
She looked up and smiled at me. If I thought her eyes were beautiful, that was nothing compared to the brightness of her smile. Her entire aura took my breath away.
“Good afternoon, miss. How many in your party?”
Checking her nametag, I responded. “One please, Stella.” Stella’s pronouns listed that she went by “she/they.”
I noted a slight blush on the apples of her sharp cheekbones. Wow, this woman should really be on someone’s runway or magazine cover.
“Of course. Would you like to sit at the bar, or shall I find you a table?”
“Ya know, I think I’ll take a spot at the bar.” I figured I’d get quicker drink service that way.
“Sure, in that case you’re welcome to seat yourself. One of the bartenders will help you out!” She flashed those perfect, white teeth at me again, baring a dimple on one side, and this time I was the one blushing. Shit, I really needed to get laid.
I approached the bar area, its counter long and expansive and made of dark, varnished wood.
I pulled myself up into one of the barstools, thankful there weren’t any arms on the sides.
With my size, restaurant chairs and stools could be uncomfortable if they weren’t wide enough.
The curse of these hips and love handles that were easily more than a handful.
A bartender turned around and gave me a smile, ready to be of service.
He was wiping down a tall glass, getting ready for a rush of customers I assumed.
His nametag read ‘Kin-he/him’. He had long, jet black hair that was tied back in a man bun style and a tawny skin tone that was covered in colorful tattoos.
Kin’s nose was pierced with a small gold hoop on one side, and his eyes had this sharper oval shape and dark brown shade, hinting at an East Asian background.
Kin set a small cocktail napkin down in front of me and poured me a glass of ice water.
“Would you like some lemon with that?” he asked, pulling out a fresh bowl of lemon slices.
“No, thanks, but I appreciate you asking.” I smiled and asked for a menu.
Kin grabbed a trifold flyer from a few chairs down and advised me that I could use the QR code posted to access the menu. I pulled my phone out of my wristlet, opened up my camera function to snap the photo and cue up the website.
Scouring the list of appetizers, entrees, and sides, I decided on steak, cooked medium, and barbecue shrimp with a side salad and garlic mashed potatoes, my mouth watering again just thinking about their creamy texture. After giving Kin my order, I then perused the drink selections.
“Hey, Kin, can I order a drink too while I’m waiting?” I asked kindly.
“Sure, what can I get you?”
“I was really eyeing this strawberry lemonade daquiri. Have you had it before?”
“I personally haven’t, but a few of my coworkers have, and they love it. I’ll have one coming right up.” He flashed me another smile and got to work mixing the flavors from the frozen serving machines.
I did a little happy wiggle in my seat and grinned to myself. Hopefully this hearty meal and a couple of drinks would make up for the shitty way my trip started and clear my mind of seeing Jackie.
While waiting for my food, I did a little lurking around the restaurant, spotting other patrons seated around me at tables, booths, and the bar.
There was a mixture of families, couples, and a couple of girl groups, hinting at a girls’ trip.
Chandeliers hung from the ceiling over every few tables, ensuring a well-lit but not overly bright ambiance.
I turned back to the bar to sip on my drink some more and noticed Kin had laid a set of silverware wrapped in a pristine, white cloth napkin next to my drink.
I was about halfway through the tart tasting daquiri when my platter of food showed up.
The steak looked extra juicy, cooked to perfection once I sliced into it.
I bit into the chunk of meat on my fork, and it was so tasty I thought I would orgasm.
I hadn’t had a steak this juicy and well-seasoned in a long time.
I closed my eyes and savored the burst of flavors covering my tongue.
I then cleansed my palette with a sip of ice-cold water and pulled a piece of the barbecue shrimp off the skewer piercing the middle of each one.
The sauce was a little sweet and a little tangy, just like I liked it.
The mashed potatoes, as I suspected they would be, were buttery and creamy and oh so garlicky.
The side salad came with a small side of ranch dressing, so I poured it over the top and dug in.
The lettuce and carrots were crisp and fresh, and the bacon bits and shredded cheese added an edge of saltiness to the creamy tang of the ranch. God, I was in heaven.
Once I was done eating, I indulged in one more daquiri, because, vacation. Though I’d had a good meal, these drinks were strong, and that warm, tipsy feeling had come over me. A fuzzy sensation spread from head to toe, igniting a grin across my face.
“Feeling good, miss?” Kin asked as he checked in on me. He cleared my plate and refilled my water.