Chapter 3
Chapter Three
After Ramone moved on to the next table, I picked up the menu and scanned the courses.
There was a list of starters, main courses, and desserts.
At the top of the menu was the chef’s recommendation of scallops topped with butter, crab, and bacon crumbles starter, blackened grouper over wild whole grain rice as the main course served with roasted asparagus and topped with mango salsa, and, for dessert, chocolate lava cake with tequila lime coconut macaroons.
All the options sounded like winners to me.
I couldn’t help but muse about how Callie and Ramone interacted.
Their body language had carried the casualness of two strangers.
..so casual that I began to doubt what I’d seen earlier.
Maybe it hadn’t been the dance instructor in the shop with her.
Perhaps it had been someone else entirely.
My eyesight was twenty-twenty thanks to corrective surgery, but the shopping area had been crowded, and I’d only glimpsed Callie and the man through a glass partition. Could I have been mistaken?
Ezra’s hand slid onto my knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. When I looked over, he nodded toward Augusta, seated with her husband to our left. That’s when I realized she’d asked me a question.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my face warming with a flush of embarrassment. “I totally spaced out. It must be jet lag. My brain’s all over the place.”
“Don’t worry about it, dear,” Augusta replied warmly. “I was only making small talk.”
“She asked what you do,” Ezra prompted softly.
“Oh.” I straightened up, offering a polite smile. “I own a little shop in Garden Cove. I make soaps, lotions, and other homemade beauty products.” I gestured to my right. “Pippa’s my right hand. Honestly, she’s my right, my left, and both feet. I couldn’t run the shop without her.”
“Nora was the top regional sales manager for one of the biggest beauty companies in the country before taking on this venture,” Pippa chimed in with a playful cluck of her tongue. “Believe me when I say she doesn’t need me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Pippa was my executive assistant back then. Trust me, without her, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did. She’s a great partner.”
“Well, it sounds like a mutual admiration society,” Carl said with a chuckle. His thick, gray eyebrows were neatly trimmed, and his manicured nails were smooth and clean. Hands that looked like they’d never seen a day of hard labor.
Just then, the servers appeared, weaving between tables. An elegant, slender black woman approached us, her face lit up with a radiant smile.
“Welcome to the Lady Voyage fine dining experience. My name is Charise,” she said, her voice smooth and melodic. “I’ll be your steward all week in the main dining room. It’s my pleasure to serve you. Can I get your drink and food orders?”
“I’ll take the chef’s recommendation,” I said when she pointed at me. “And a glass of your Riesling.”
“Sounds good to me, too.” Ezra nodded. “But I’ll take the Pinot Grigio.”
I made a face. Pinot probably paired better with seafood than the German Riesling, but it was too dry a wine for my taste. I had the palette of a seventeen-year-old knocking back Boone Farm’s Tickle Pink. In other words, I liked my wine sweet.
Pippa ordered the Ceasar salad, herb-crusted pork medallion, and cheesecake. Jordy ordered similarly but swapped the pork for a petite filet. They both asked for iced tea to drink.
Charise nodded to Callie and Sebastian next. She practically sang her question, “And what can I get for you?” She had a lovely voice, but Sebastian didn’t even look up when he ordered.
“I’ll take the scallops, the medium rare steak, and the tiramisu.” He held up his menu for Charise to take. “And a glass of your Cabernet Sauvignon.”
“Very good, sir,” Charise replied, taking the menu. Her cheerful expression had turned into a scowl. As if realizing her face was speaking volumes, she quickly replaced the sour expression with a wide smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Callie gave the steward an apologetic nod. “I’ll take the house salad, the grouper, and the lava cake.”
“And to drink?”
“The Moscato.” Callie flashed me a smile. “I like my wine like I like my men, cheap and sweet.”
She giggled. Sebastian rolled his eyes.
After our steward left, Pippa’s eyes narrowed. “Why does she look familiar?”
“Maybe she has one of those faces,” Augusta mused.
Pippa tapped her cheek as she worked to access the memory connection. “Maybe, but I should know who she is.”
I look to my left at Augusta and Carl. “I told you what I do. It’s your turn.”
“I was a pediatrician,” Carl responded.
“He’s being modest. Carl was one of the best pediatric surgeons in the country,” Augusta added with a hint of pride. “We both retired five years ago, and doctors worldwide still reach out to him for consultations.”
Carl, his wire-rimmed glasses slipping down his nose, chuckled. “She means I’m retired. Auggie still runs the household like a drill sergeant.” His eyes twinkled, earning a playful swat from his wife.
Ezra laughed. “Sounds like a good balance.”
“I think performing surgery on children might get you a sainthood.” Pippa grinned. “What was your specialty?”
Carl’s smile matched hers. “Gastroenterology.”
“A stomach doctor,” I translated. “That must’ve been so interesting.
” I wondered if Scott had heard of him. “We have a doctor in our group.” I gestured at the two empty seats at the table.
“He’s back in the cabin with his wife. They were supposed to be at dinner tonight, but she’s got a bad case of motion sickness. ”
“It’ll pass when she gets her sea legs,” Augusta said sympathetically. “I used to feel queasy when we first started cruising.”
Pippa nodded her head, her expression sympathetic. “Gilly didn’t want to risk getting sick at dinner. Can’t say as I blame her.”
I nodded, remembering the pale, miserable look on Gilly’s face earlier. “Probably for the best. Hopefully, she’ll be up for tomorrow.”
“And what about you?” I asked her, curious. “You said you were retired too?”
“Augusta was a trophy wife,” Carl teased, placing his hand gently over hers. The older woman’s ring finger glittered with “Still is.”
“Aww,” Pippa cooed. “That’s so sweet.”
“Carl,” she said with a headshake and a smile. “I’m a retired attorney.”
“Criminal or civil?” Ezra asked.
Augusta gave him a friendly but assessing look. “I started as a criminal attorney but ended my career in private practice as a civil litigator. What about you?” she asked him.
“I’m a detective.”
“Private?” Helena asked.
He shook his head. “I’m the head of special investigations for the Garden Cove P.D. It doesn’t get much more public than that.”
“You must have some interesting stories to tell,” Jasper said, joining the conversation.
Ezra shrugged. “A few, but I promised Nora this trip was going to be all fun and sun and no business.”
“How long does it take to cook a bloody steak?” Sebastian muttered under his breath. He and Callie were wedged between the honeymooners and the older couple, and he shifted uncomfortably when he noticed the attention turning toward him.
“Don’t mind my Sebbie,” Callie said, giving him an affectionate pat on the arm. “He gets cranky when he’s hungry.”
Sebastian shot her a sour look but cleared his throat and sat up straighter as if his posture alone might summon the food faster. He glanced around the dining room, his expression tight with impatience. “The least they could do is bring our drinks”
I shifted my attention to the newlyweds sitting nearby. “Where are you two from?”
“Kentucky,” Helena replied cheerfully. “Louisville area.”
Her husband nodded. “Go, Cardinals,” he added.
“I’m a KU fan, myself,” Ezra said, leaning in.
Jordy groaned. “It’s MU or nothing, Easy,” he said, using Ezra’s nickname. “You live in Missouri. Your son literally goes to MU. Dude.” He shook his head. “You gotta root for the Tigers.”
“Mason doesn’t even like sports. Besides...” Ezra pressed a hand to his chest, feigning injury. “...the heart wants what it wants,” he said dramatically. “And this heart wants a Rock Chalk, Jayhawk victory.”
Jordy barked a laugh. “Not this season. They were out in the first round.” He turned to Jasper. “Louisville, too.”
“Isn’t March Madness over?” Pippa asked.
“Not for another week,” Jordy answered.
The guys had started a local pool, including Ezra, Jordy, Scott, and four other basketball-loving friends, for the NCAA tournament the last couple of years.
It was twenty dollars to join, and the winner took all.
Ezra was convinced he had a shot with Alabama, one of his eight random picks.
I didn’t follow basketball or any sport, really, but I was great at parroting back whatever Ezra told me.
“Well, too bad you won’t be able to keep up with it,” I teased.
“There are three sports bars on the ship,” Jasper chimed in. “Pretty sure the games will be on in at least one of them.”
“Thanks, Jasper,” Pippa said with exaggerated sweetness.
He grinned, shaking his head. “Not that I’m encouraging anyone to spend the whole cruise watching TV.”
Helena leaned over, her shoulder against Jasper’s arm and smirked. “Nice save, babe.”
Sebastian scoffed. “You Americans and your obsession with sports.”
“Right,” Carl jumped in dryly. “Because the Brits aren’t at all passionate about soccer.”
“Football,” Sebastian corrected instinctively. He hesitated, then offered a sheepish smile. “Actually, the only time in my life I ever punched someone was over a Manchester United game.” He shook his head. “Bloody Liverpool fans.”
For the first time all evening, Sebastian seemed almost human instead of the insufferable, pompous pain in the butt he’d been since dinner started.
“What is it you do, Sebastian?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
“I’m on hiatus,” he said curtly, clearly not interested in elaborating.