‘It isn’t bad at all,’ agreed Isla.
‘Lisa and I are going for a break below; shall we show you around?’ Jordanna asked suddenly. ‘Surgery isn’t for another couple of hours, and Gerd is on duty until then.’
‘Sure; that would be lovely.’ Isla fought to sound even, and calm.
Being invited to join the two nurses was proof that they had begun to like her, which would make the entire transition a lot easier.
‘You don’t want to join us?’ Lisa grinned at Reginald, who grinned back.
‘No, thank you, my dear. Very kind, though.’
Isla recalled some of the trainers on her familiarisation course telling her that the hierarchy on a ship was one of the most important anywhere. It dictated whether you were confined to the hot, smelly bowels of the ship, or whether you got to tread the immaculate hallways of the glamorous passenger decks.
She couldn’t imagine Dr Reginald Turner frequenting the crew bars or being part of the bed-hopping culture that she’d been assured existed. Although, given the glint in his eye, she imagined he might have had some fun in his free and single youth.
Well, she might be single but she had no intention of being part of any bed-hopping. Last night with Nikhil was the only action she intended to have for the next few months. As a minimum.
‘Did you have your interview with the Captain?’ Lisa asked as the three of them began to stroll down the passageways.
‘Yes.’ As necessarily brief as it had been. ‘He seems decent enough.’
‘Yeah, he’s okay.’ Jordanna nodded. ‘Generally fair and runs a good ship. But wait until you see his right-hand man.’
As both nurses let out a low, appreciative whistle, Isla didn’t know how she kept putting one foot in front of the other. There was no question they were talking about Nikhil.
‘That is one seriously hot male specimen.’ Jordanna swooned as Lisa nodded vigorously.
‘Seriously hot.’
‘Practically every woman on this ship has thrown themselves at him at some point,’ the American continued. ‘Crew, staff and passengers.’
Isla tried to bite her tongue. She didn’t want to get sucked into the gossip and yet she couldn’t seem to stop herself. It was a terrible compulsion—the likes of which she’d never suffered before.
‘He’s a player then?’ she heard herself ask.
‘You’d have thought so—’ Lisa grimaced ‘—but the guy never bites.’
‘Maybe he does, in secret?’ She didn’t know what made her say it, but both nurses laughed out loud.
‘Not a chance,’ scoffed Lisa, turning to her colleague to back her up.
‘You can’t have secrets on a ship. It’s impossible; we all live in each other’s pockets. No matter how discreet, someone is always watching.’
‘And talking,’ Lisa added. ‘Fair warning.’
‘Heeded.’ Isla forced herself to smile, though now her cheeks felt tight with the effort. ‘So he has never slept with anyone? Ever?’
‘Not on board ship,’ Lisa confirmed. ‘Though I imagine there have been women. How could there not have been, the way he looks?’
‘You’ll understand it better when you see him,’ Jordanna agreed. ‘People like to gossip, of course. And there are always stories of people who know someone, who know someone, who heard he’d slept with someone. But in five years on board the same ships as him, I have never known anyone who could actually substantiate it. And, like I said, ship life has no secrets.’
‘Plus there are rumours that he once hooked up with a colleague who was leaving the cruising way of life to set up a café in Spain,’ added Lisa. ‘But as she was leaving, no one knows for sure.’
Jordanna nodded again. ‘You can imagine there have been several girls that desperate to get with him over the years they’ve applied for transfers in the hope that he would then look at them.’
‘And has it worked?’ Isla couldn’t seem to stop herself from asking.
Lisa snorted scornfully. ‘No. They were airheads if they thought it would.’