decks. Clair looked around, shading her eyes from the sun. The ship seemed to be upright. She didn’t see or smell smoke. She looked over the railing, but didn’t spot any ominous fins.
The loudspeaker crackled again and the ship’s captain introduced himself and apologized for the fire alarm. They listened as he explained that even though it looked like a malfunction, they were going to have to keep that deck clear until everything checked out, which might take several hours.
Claire collapsed in an empty deck chair. “Several hours?” she repeated.
Griffin shrugged.
“No way,” a voice said behind Griffin. “Griffin and Claire! Like old times!”
Griffin turned and Claire saw Luke Motohari behind him, grinning and shaking his head.
“Hey, Luke,” Griffin said, shaking hands with him. “Good to see you.”
“Oh, man. It’s good to see you,” he said. He held up a hand. “Hi Claire.”
Claire waved and tried to smile. “Hey, Luke.”
“Man, I heard you guys were together still, but I couldn’t believe it and hadn’t seen you guys until right now,” he said in a rush of words. “And now this fire drill. Crazy, right?”
Griffin glanced at me, then back at Luke. “Yeah. Crazy.”
Luke stared at Claire, grinning, and she cringed. She knew what was coming.
“Hey, do you remember the time the fire alarm got pulled senior year?” Luke asked, still grinning.
Yep. She’d sensed correctly.
“Uh-huh,” she said.
“Griffin you remember?”
“Can’t say that I do.”
Luke threw his head back, laughing maniacally. “Oh, man! Was after lunch one day. They had just mopped the senior hall for some reason and then someone pulled the alarm. I don’t even remember who it was. But Claire was the first one out of class and she took a flyer on the wet floor.”
A flyer was a kind way of putting it. She had been the first one out the door, startled by the alarm. Her arms were full of books and she’d gone flying as soon as her feet hit the floor. The books flew everywhere, but her main concern was that her skirt had flown up, too, and as she slid down the hallway, she frantically tried to keep it from exposing her ass to the world.
Luke stood there for a few more minutes, making small talk with Griffin before he wandered off into the crowd. Servers were now coming around with platters full of snacks and free drinks.
“Luke was always kind of a loudmouth,” Griffin said, leaning against the railing.
“And I was always kind of a disaster,” Claire said. “Always good to be reminded of that.”
Griffin rolled his eyes and laughed. “Right.”
“I’m serious,” she said. “I was a walking disaster. Probably why I thought you’d never be interested in me.”
He stared at her for a long moment and she couldn’t read his expression. Probably because his eyes still managed to awaken the butterflies that lived in her stomach.
“What did you see in me?” she said, shaking her head. “I mean, I think I was a bigger basket case then than I am now. And that is seriously saying something. What the hell did you see in me?”
He tilted his head to the side, studying her. It both thrilled her and made her uncomfortable, like he was looking right into her.
“I saw you, Claire,” he finally said. “That was all. Just you. Everything about you. And the entire package was everything I wanted. I didn’t want it altered or changed one bit. I just saw…you.”
If she hadn’t thought there was a chance that she might knock him overboard, she would’ve launched herself into his arms right at that moment. It didn’t erase the hurt of him breaking up with her or the doubt she still harbored, but no one had ever said anything like that to her and meant it.
And in her heart, she knew he meant it.
“Thank you,” she said. “For feeling that way about me.”
“I always have, Claire. It’s never gone away.”
Gingerly, she stood up and slid in close to him against the railing. She just
The loudspeaker crackled again and the ship’s captain introduced himself and apologized for the fire alarm. They listened as he explained that even though it looked like a malfunction, they were going to have to keep that deck clear until everything checked out, which might take several hours.
Claire collapsed in an empty deck chair. “Several hours?” she repeated.
Griffin shrugged.
“No way,” a voice said behind Griffin. “Griffin and Claire! Like old times!”
Griffin turned and Claire saw Luke Motohari behind him, grinning and shaking his head.
“Hey, Luke,” Griffin said, shaking hands with him. “Good to see you.”
“Oh, man. It’s good to see you,” he said. He held up a hand. “Hi Claire.”
Claire waved and tried to smile. “Hey, Luke.”
“Man, I heard you guys were together still, but I couldn’t believe it and hadn’t seen you guys until right now,” he said in a rush of words. “And now this fire drill. Crazy, right?”
Griffin glanced at me, then back at Luke. “Yeah. Crazy.”
Luke stared at Claire, grinning, and she cringed. She knew what was coming.
“Hey, do you remember the time the fire alarm got pulled senior year?” Luke asked, still grinning.
Yep. She’d sensed correctly.
“Uh-huh,” she said.
“Griffin you remember?”
“Can’t say that I do.”
Luke threw his head back, laughing maniacally. “Oh, man! Was after lunch one day. They had just mopped the senior hall for some reason and then someone pulled the alarm. I don’t even remember who it was. But Claire was the first one out of class and she took a flyer on the wet floor.”
A flyer was a kind way of putting it. She had been the first one out the door, startled by the alarm. Her arms were full of books and she’d gone flying as soon as her feet hit the floor. The books flew everywhere, but her main concern was that her skirt had flown up, too, and as she slid down the hallway, she frantically tried to keep it from exposing her ass to the world.
Luke stood there for a few more minutes, making small talk with Griffin before he wandered off into the crowd. Servers were now coming around with platters full of snacks and free drinks.
“Luke was always kind of a loudmouth,” Griffin said, leaning against the railing.
“And I was always kind of a disaster,” Claire said. “Always good to be reminded of that.”
Griffin rolled his eyes and laughed. “Right.”
“I’m serious,” she said. “I was a walking disaster. Probably why I thought you’d never be interested in me.”
He stared at her for a long moment and she couldn’t read his expression. Probably because his eyes still managed to awaken the butterflies that lived in her stomach.
“What did you see in me?” she said, shaking her head. “I mean, I think I was a bigger basket case then than I am now. And that is seriously saying something. What the hell did you see in me?”
He tilted his head to the side, studying her. It both thrilled her and made her uncomfortable, like he was looking right into her.
“I saw you, Claire,” he finally said. “That was all. Just you. Everything about you. And the entire package was everything I wanted. I didn’t want it altered or changed one bit. I just saw…you.”
If she hadn’t thought there was a chance that she might knock him overboard, she would’ve launched herself into his arms right at that moment. It didn’t erase the hurt of him breaking up with her or the doubt she still harbored, but no one had ever said anything like that to her and meant it.
And in her heart, she knew he meant it.
“Thank you,” she said. “For feeling that way about me.”
“I always have, Claire. It’s never gone away.”
Gingerly, she stood up and slid in close to him against the railing. She just
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