VIVAN’S POV
I entered the bar exactly ten minutes after I ended the call with Mitch. I didn’t see him as I made my way to the counter. I sat down and the bartender asked me what I wanted to drink.
“Oh, I’m not ready to order just yet.” I tell him.
He nods and goes to the end of the counter to attend to another customer. I place my small purse on the counter and blow out a breath. I feel fingers on my shoulder and turn to face Mitch. I give him a smile as he takes the seat next to me.
“Thanks for joining me.” he smiles at me and waves over the bartender.
I wave off his comment. “Thanks for inviting me. I need something to unwind after the day I’ve had.”
The bartender approaches us and Mitch orders cognac while I ask for a Bacardi mojito. The bartender quickly makes our drinks and sits them in front of us.
“So, what do you do for a living?” he asks me after taking a sip of his drink.
“I work for the news station as a production assistant.”
He nods. “Very impressive.”
“How long have you been working security for cruise ships?” I ask while twirling my straw in my drink.
“About five years. I started out as a bouncer for night clubs but I decided to go to cruise ships to avoid the organized crime that went on behind closed doors.”
We each drink our drinks and there is a lull in the conversation.
“Do you have any children?” I ask him just to have something to say.
He shakes his head no. “I’ve had a few scares but no kids. Is your daughter you’re only child?”
I nod. “Yep and she means so much to me which is why I was so upset when I came into your office.”
“Your fiancée is really sick to do what he did to a child. I mean, how old is your daughter?”
“Seventeen.”
Mitch’s eyes widen. “Whoa, you have a seventeen year old! Wow, I mean you look so young. How old are you if you don’t mind me asking.”
“I’m thirty-five. And yourself?”
“I’m thirty-five as well.”
We clink our glasses in cheers to being the same age. For another hour or so we just talk about random things and order a refill on our drinks. We are laughing so hard at some stupid joke when we’re ordering a third round.
“Has anyone ever told you that you look like that guy that played Wolverine?” I slur at Mitch and reach over and run my finger along his forearm.
He chuckles. “Well, people say he’s pretty hot so I should take that as a compliment.”
“Yes, you should.” I state and attempt to move closer to him but I clumsily fall out of my seat.
Mitch luckily catches me before I hit the ground. The bartender rushes over and asks if I’m okay. Mitch tells him that he’s got me.
“I think it’s time to take you back to your room.” I hear Mitch tells me.
I nod and then I feel so sleepy. The last thing I remember is falling asleep as Mitch carries me out of the bar.
EMERY’S POV
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
I was dreaming right? I had to be dreaming. Standing in front of me was my uncle! He was my dad’s younger brother and I hadn’t seen him in five years after he stole thousands from my dad and ran off to God knows where.
And what was he doing with his arms around Amber’s mom. She looked drunk and couldn’t stand up on her own. My uncle stared at me like I was an alien.
“Emery? Holy shit! What are you doing here?”
I didn’t respond to him, instead I reach out and grab Amber’s mom. Mitch releases her and I pull her into the room. Luckily Amber was still asleep so I placed her mom next to her in the bed.
I turn back to my uncle and frown at him. “What are you doing here?” I repeat my previous question.
“I work on the ship. Security.” he tells me. He then repeats his question to me.
“Wait ‘til dad hears that I ran into you.” I smirk while ignoring his question once again.
Mitch lets out a small laugh. “So, I’m guessing Richard told you what went down between us.”
“Yeah, that you’re a thief and can’t be trusted.”
“That’s hearsay.” Mitch smiles. “
“What were you doing with Mrs. Richards? You plan on taking her for all she’s got?”
Mitch narrows his eyes at me. “Emery, you don’t know the situation between your father and I okay. I don’t have to take anything from anyone. And Vivian and I were enjoying each other’s company. How do you two know each other?”
“None of your business.” I answer his question.
I step back in my room to shut the door but Mitch throws his arm out and places his palm on the door, stopping me.
“Emery, I’m not the bad guy that your father has portrayed me as. Now that we’ve been reunited, can you please call me and we can have a heart-to-heart?”
He removes his hand from the door and pulls a slip of paper out of his pocket. He then pulls out a pen and jots his number down on it. He extends it out to me but I am hesitant to take it. I stare at the piece of paper, debating whether to take the paper.
“Come on Emery.” Mitch attempts to coax me. “Trust me, you’ll see me in a different light once you hear what I have to say.”
I sigh and take the paper. I then close the door and turn to see Amber standing behind me.
“Who was that at the door?” she asks me while gripping the bottom strands of her hair.
“No one important.” I tell her and then give her a kiss on her forehead. “Go on back to sleep. I’ll crash on the couch.”
She nods and I watch her go back to the bed. She gets in next to her mother and I go to the couch and lie down, falling asleep a few minutes after my head hits the cushion.
AMBER’S POV
I wake up the next morning and roll over in the bed. I open my eyes and see my mother still fast asleep. Her hair is over her face and I reach over and push it out of her face. The movement causes my mom to wake.
“Morning.” she whispers.
“Good morning.” I smile at her. “Did you have fun on your date last night?”
She groans. “It wasn’t a date. I do not plan on dating for a while. It was just drinks.”
“Was he cute?” I interject.
She smiles. “Yeah, very cute but it wasn’t a date.”
“Ooookay.” I smile at her and get out of the bed.
I go in the bathroom and relieve my bladder. When I come out my mom is pulling out a small bottle of Tylenol out of purse. She asks me for a glass of water and I fill a small glass in the bathroom sink. I take her the glass and she downs two pills.
“You want some breakfast?” I ask her when she gulps down the water.
She shakes her head no. “I’m going to stay here and nurse my hangover. Can you bring me back a plate though?”
I agree and walk over to Emery. I shake him and he wakes immediately.
“Let’s go get some breakfast.” I tell him.
He gets up, yawns and stretches. He tells me he has to use the bathroom and heads in that direction. I take a few minutes to change out of my pajamas into a pair of jeans and a tank top. When Emery comes out he changes and we leave the room.
We head to the dining hall where guests have flocked for breakfast. It is a buffet so Emery and I fill our plates with every imaginable breakfast item. We find a table and sit down to dig in.
“So, you knew the guy my mom went out for drinks with.” I state as I pick at my bagel.
Emery stares at me. “What?”
“You spent like ten minutes talking to the guy who brought my mom back to the room.”
“You heard our conversation?”
I shake my head no. “I saw when you put my mom in the bed next to me and I saw the guy at the door.”
Emery blows out a breath. “Well it seems your mom went out for drinks with the head of security who happens to be my uncle.”
“Your uncle works on this ship?! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I had no idea. I haven’t seen him since I was twelve. My dad told me he stole some money from him and we haven’t seen him since.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. I just hope nothing more comes from the drinks he had with your mom. He is not a good guy.”
I scoff. “He’s probably better than a guy who gets with you just to get closer to your child. Besides, I think my mom is swearing off men anyway.”
We finish our breakfast and I fix a plate for my mom. We head back to the room and I see my mom talking on the phone.
“Oh, you are too sweet. Thank you for making sure I got back to my room safely.”
She then lets out a hearty laugh and I hand her the plate. She was talking the mystery man; Emery’s uncle. She accepts the plate and nods in my direction. She continues the conversation and hangs up so she can eat.
“What do you two have planned today?” she asks me while forking a piece of pineapple in her mouth.
“We were thinking of finally exploring the island. Care to join us?” I ask her as I approach Emery and hug his waist.
“No, you two lovebirds can be alone.”
Emery then tilts my head to so that I am looking at him.
“I’ll be right back.” he tells me and places a kiss on my lips.
I watch him pull out his cell phone as he leaves the room.
EMERY’S POV
After I leave the room I head to the top deck. It’s pretty empty since it is only seven o’clock in the morning. I lean against one of the rails and pull out the piece of paper that had Mitch’s number on it.
I slowly dialed the number and brought the phone to my ear as the phone rang. Mitch answered after a few rings. I suspected he was still sleep.
“Who’s this?” he asked in a grouchy voice.
“It’s Emery.”
“Oh. So, you decided to take me up on that heart-to-heart?”
I sigh. “Look, just tell me what you want me to know that will change my mind about you being a liar and a thief.”
“All right. I hope you’re sitting down.”