I rolled my eyes at him. “Now you’re just being difficult,” I reprimanded him.
“I would never be difficult,” Evan said with a mischievous grin. “Plus, I’m a gentleman. It would be dishonorable to claim the better sleeping arrangements.”
“A gentleman, hmm? Well, to quote Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride, ‘I do not think that word means what you think it means,’” I teased in return, badly imitating a Spanish accent like the character’s.
“I love that movie, so I’ll let your insult go. For now,” Evan said with a wink.
“I’m so glad,” I laughed.
I lifted my suitcase onto the bed and began unpacking, and he did the same, the cabin suddenly quiet as we focused. The peace didn’t last long, though, since he broke the silence a few minutes later.
“You know, every time we have a conversation, it seems to lead to an argument,” Evan pointed out with a smile, and he stepped closer to me. “I honestly hate arguing. I have since I was a kid and arguments led to my dad hurting someone. But I think arguing is our thing, since apparently we’re doing it for fun now.”
“So I’ve made arguing fun for you?” I asked him, narrowing my eyes. “I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult.”
“Oh, it’s definitely a compliment,” Evan said, and I could feel myself blushing.
Before I could reply, there was a knock on the door, and I heard Ally’s voice on the other side. “Can I come in?”
Disappointed by the interruption, I walked over to the door, letting her inside.
“Do either of you want to go with me to get something to eat? I’m starving,” Ally asked as soon as the door closed behind her.
“Oh,” I said, looking to Evan for help. “Shouldn’t we get started trying to find evidence first?”
“Are you hungry, Sunshine?” Evan asked me. I suddenly realized that I was, even though my appetite had been hidden by nervousness until that moment, so I nodded. “We’ve got plenty of time to investigate. The first priority is taking care of yourself. Otherwise, you won’t have the energy for anything else.”
“I guess you’re right,” I said, giving in for once.
“Great!” Ally said. “Knox was still unpacking, but he should be over in a second. Then we can go find food.”
Knox joined us moments later, knocking on the door even before Ally had finished her sentence. The man was so tall and muscular that he blocked the doorway. “Are you ready, honey?” Knox asked.
“Yes, I’m starving,” Ally answered, smiling up at him like he was the most important man in her universe, and Knox intertwined his fingers with hers as they led the way towards the food.
I was shocked, then impressed with their acting ability. A couple of hours ago, Knox had been in the car reading a book and mumbling about how loudly Ally was singing along to the radio. And every time he’d said something, she’d just sung louder and more off-key. It was like they’d gone from bickering siblings to loving boyfriend and girlfriend in the blink of an eye. It was disorienting, and their ability to play a role was a bit intimidating.
I didn’t have long to consider Knox and Ally, though, because the next thing I knew, Evan was walking next to me, intertwining his fingers with mine as well. The sensation felt better than it should’ve, and I had to remind myself more than once that this was all pretend.
15
EVAN
We’d had time to eat and explore the ship a bit before the mandatory safety meeting, and afterwards, we were scheduled for dinner in one of the formal dining rooms.
“What’s your assigned table?” The hostess asked when we walked in for dinner that evening.
“158,” Ally answered for us, and we were pointed towards a corner in the back of the room. When we finally made our way to the round table, it was set for six, and another couple around our age was already seated. I took the seat next to the man, with Kassidy next to me, Ally next to her, and Knox sitting next to the wife.
“Looks like we’re going to be table-mates for this cruise,” the man said jovially, shaking everyone’s hand. “I’m Jonathan, and this is my wife, Amanda.” The man was beginning to bald, but he and his wife were both dressed in designer clothing, and I could tell from how they were dressed, as well as his watch and her jewelry, that they were wealthy.
“Good to meet you both,” I responded, introducing myself and the others. The waiter came over and took our drink orders, and as soon as he was gone, Jonathan was speaking up again. I could tell the man would be talkative, but I was glad for a low-pressure way to practice our cover.
“How do you four know each other?” He asked.
“Knox and I work together and are good friends, and our girlfriends have become good friends as well,” I explained.
“What do you do for work?” Jonathan asked.
“We work in private security,” Knox answered, which was part of the cover we’d come up with.
“Ah, that’s a useful profession,” Jonathan said thoughtfully. “My company is currently in the market for some security upgrades. We’ve grown so much in a short amount of time, and our clients really need that extra reassurance, if you know what I mean.”
“What type of company?” I asked curiously.
“Financial advising,” Jonathan answered. He spent the next few minutes talking about his business and asking questions about security, which thankfully Knox and I had answers for. Eventually, he seemed to exhaust the topic, because he turned his attention to Kassidy, asking what she did for work.
“I’m a secretary,” Kassidy answered simply, but the man’s face lit up.
“In America? From your accent, it sounds like you work for a Russian company,” Jonathan said. “Are you a Russian spy?”
I could tell he was trying to make a joke, but I heard the accusation underneath. I was about to speak up in her defense when Kassidy stopped me, putting a hand on my arm.
“Are you an American spy?” was Kassidy’s retort.
“An American spy? On a cruise ship?” the man answered, looking confused. “That’s absurd.”
“Well, so is asking me if I’m a Russian spy. I’m not even Russian,” Kassidy said. “Plus, would I have said yes if I was a spy? Maybe you should think a bit more before you speak from now on.”
“I was just making a joke,” Jonathan argued.
“I don’t believe anyone realized it was a joke, since no one laughed,” Kassidy said.
Jonathan’s face was turning bright red, so I interjected, wanting to avoid a brawl the first night of the cruise.
“Kassidy is actually from Finland,” I said.
That got Jonathan’s attention, and he turned to me. “Well, I was close, at least geographically,” he laughed.
“Does she live in Finland?” Amanda spoke up for the first time, talking about Kassidy like she wasn’t there. “That’s quite a long distance relationship.”
I took Kassidy’s hand, kissing her palm before placing our joined hands on my leg. I wanted to comfort Kassidy, and show Jonathan and Amanda that we were a package deal. I wasn’t going to sit there and allow her to be maligned.