1
Leo Colter hadn’t even boarded the Neptune Whisper and already had regrets. A seven-night cruise capped off with a wedding. A week of dodging his stepmother, step-siblings, and his feelings. He’d used the unexpectedly-large bonus he’d received from the Davis project to upgrade his cabin to a suite, which meant that somewhere between his Lyft drop-off outside the terminal and the gangway to the ship, he’d also acquired a butler.
“Mr. Colter, wonderful to meet you! Roman, at your service.“
The man was small and beaming, and he clutched a printed itinerary like it was a winning lottery ticket. His name tag indicated he was from France, confirming the origin of his melodic accent.. “I’ve taken the liberty of coordinating your schedule with the wedding events. Champagne tasting at four, captain’s reception at five, then dinner with the other wedding guests, followed by sunset yoga at eight—”
“Absolutely not.”
Roman didn’t even blink. “Mojito mixology at nine, perhaps? Or a guided cocktail history?”
Leo scanned the pages. Nowhere on the list did it say, “Leo sits on his balcony and watches the ocean in complete fucking silence.“
He folded the itinerary with care, then slid it into the outer pocket of his carry-on, where he had no intention of ever looking at it again.
“I’ll get back to you on that.”
“I’d be—”
Over Roman’s head, Leo spotted his first obligation of the week, and it gave him the excuse he needed to shake free. Daniel stood in the middle of the atrium like a monument to male perfection, his fiancée Alyssa tucked under one arm and all their college friends and law associates gathered around them.
Leo closed his eyes for a count of three. It’s a cruise. You survived mom’s marriages to husbands two through four. You’ll survive this.
Daniel spotted him and broke away from the cluster for the kind of hug two people give when they haven’t quite figured out if they’re family or complete strangers. A lot of back-patting. An extra beat where neither wanted to hold on too long or be the first to let go.
“You came.”
“I came.”
“We’re heading up to the pool deck to claim a spot while people are still boarding. Drinks, bon voyage, wave to all the lookie-loos stuck in port, all of that.”
“I want to make sure my bags made it to my cabin. Rain check?”
Daniel’s smile lost a few degrees, but then he nodded once and turned back to his friends. “Find us later.”
“Sure thing.”
Leo found his suite without Roman’s assistance. That and surviving his first face-to-face interaction with his stepbrother in two years with only minimal discomfort? Wins all around. Then he stepped inside and gasped.
Floor-to-ceiling windows. A staircase to a loft bedroom. Private balcony with a hot tub. Well, now we’re fucking talking. He increased the rating of this week’s potential success from a two to a four. Seeing a plate with chocolate-dipped strawberries and a handwritten card scored an additional point.
Thanks for being here, Leo. It means more than you know. —D
He stared at the card for a long minute. Then he took a photo of the plate and thumbed out a text.
Leo
Thank you.
The three heart emojis he received in quick response meant Daniel must’ve been holding his phone.
Leo stared at the hearts until his screen dimmed. He tucked the phone away and climbed the stairs to unpack.