Heat Wave by Kate J. Squires Page B

says softly, ‘You’re my sunrise. I can’t get outta bed without you.’
    â€˜You’re my sunset,’ I say, replying the way I always do. ‘I can’t go to sleep without you. But, Tanner, you can’t give up your whole life for me.’
    â€˜I would give everything up just to see you smile.’
    â€˜You’d do that for me?’
    â€˜In a heartbeat, Maddie-girl.’
    It’s a memory, but it changes into a nightmare. As we kiss, the wind picks up, whipping my hair around my head. A tornado filled with water descends from the sky and lifts me up into its watery embrace, dragging me away from my love.
    â€˜Tanner!’ I scream, reaching for him.
    He cries back, ‘Maddie! Maddie! Maddie …!’
    â€˜Maddie! Hey, Hobo, wake up!’ Tanner’s voice became Greg’s as my dream folded back into reality.
    I sat straight up, my head cracking against the ceiling. ‘Ow! Dammit!’ I pulled the sheet around my nude form, feeling vulnerable.
    â€˜Whoa, watch the swears there, potty-mouth.’ Greg flipped the curtain back, his bearded face happy, showing me there were no ill feelings from my many stuff-ups the previous day. ‘You know Maxine won’t take kindly to that kind of language.’
    My sleepy brain was still waking up. I’d expected Tanner to have already collected me, ready to get us the hell off the ship of stupidity. ‘Maxine?’
    â€˜Your meeting is in twenty minutes.’ Greg tossed me a bundle of clothes. ‘Ricky came by with those earlier. You’re lucky he didn’t see you wearing nothing but a sheet. He would have blown a fuse. And something else …’
    â€˜I don’t want to meet Maxine,’ I said. ‘I want to leave.’
    â€˜Then you’ll have to go and see her anyway. We don’t reach port for another two days, so unless you’re going to swim for shore, Maxine is the only one who can authorise a helicopter ride off this boat.’
    And so, nineteen minutes later, I banged on the wooden frame of Maxine’s office door. In my Ricky-gifted gear, I was feeling powerful; white crape pants that draped around my hips and fluttered to the floor, paired with a navy-striped tee. Cute boat shoes had allowed me to run to the meeting, and I’d wound my hair into a hasty bun, aiming for a serious, not-to-be-intimidated look.
    My confidence lasted until I heard Maxine call, ‘Come in,’ in the same tone a horror movie demon might say, ‘ Enter at your own peril … ’
    I entered the office, which was stunning. With floor-to-ceiling windows exposing the magnificent views, the wooden decor glowed in the morning light. Ominous paintings hung from the walls picturing ships on rocky seas, or sailors bailing out small boats, and the whole atmosphere was one of complete oppression.
    Maxine sat behind a desk, which had cost the life of at least ten trees. Wearing a pantsuit in a shade of orange that was almost violent, she was as frightening as lava. ‘Good morning, Maddie. Did you sleep well?’
    â€˜Actually, I—’
    â€˜Don’t be foolish, girl.’ She smiled savagely. ‘I don’t actually care. Now, before you speak, I must enlighten you about my conversation with Beau last night. I think you’ll find it quite interesting.’
    â€˜Tanner can tell me himself when I see him,’ I retorted.
    â€˜Well, that might be a while. You see, he’s rather busy …’
    Maxine flipped a tablet towards me and clicked an app marked Live feed, Beau cabin. The screen was suddenly filled with four images arranged in a square formation. It was camera footage from four angles inside Tanner’s room, showing the man in question sitting on a chair while two women, Sassy and Serenity, were performing a synchronised striptease.
    â€˜Beau has decided to stay.’ Her voice was smug.
    â€˜I don’t believe