“I should be so lucky. I’d settle for one in another district,” she said, following the group out of the crowded shop and into another one.
In the fourth shop, she found a cute wrap skirt and a T-shirt. She conversed with Janae and Audrey, but her mind kept straying to Damian and secretly hoping she would run into him while on the island. They had lunch in a restaurant recommended by Donovan and Terrence that served local specialties. Karen ate conch fritters, cracked lobster, potato salad and plantains, and washed it all down with a mango daiquiri.
“I’m so full. I think I need a nap now,” she said with a groan.
Audrey laughed. “I hear you.” She pointed to the guys, who were still stuffing their faces. “I don’t know how they eat all this food.”
“If I ate like that for just one day, I’d gain ten pounds,” Janae said.
“Amen, sister.” Karen and Janae raised their hands for a high five, and all three women fell out laughing.
“It’s a good thing there are only two more nights on this cruise. Otherwise I might be needing a new wardrobe,” Audrey said. “Hmm...”
“You ain’t said nothing but a word, Audrey. All I need is an excuse. This one here,” she added, eyeing Janae, “is no fun when it comes to shopping.”
Janae rolled her eyes. “Please. That’s because you get out of control whenever we go shopping. Five hours in a mall is just plain crazy.”
“Five hours of nothing but shopping is like pure heaven,” Audrey said, sighing wistfully. “Karen, let me know the next time you come to LA. Girl, I know all the great shopping spots—sales like you wouldn’t believe.”
Karen rubbed her hands together with glee. “Count me in.”
“I’ll pass,” Janae said.
“Oh, come on, Janae,” Karen pleaded. “It’ll be so much fun.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Tell you what. Karen, you and I can swing by and pick her up halfway through the day. We’ll even feed her first.”
“Audrey, two hours of shopping is my limit.” Janae held up two fingers. “Two.”
“Yes!” Karen tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I need to check my calendar to see which weekend I can fly down.”
Once the guys finished eating, everyone headed over to the beach. Audrey and Brad excused themselves and left to take a walk. A group of fans recognized Terrence, and he stopped to sign autographs with Donovan and Devin playing bodyguard.
Janae pulled Karen off to the side. “So how are things going with Damian?”
“Fine, I guess.” Karen didn’t know how to describe her feelings toward Damian. This was supposed to be nothing more than enjoying the company of a nice guy while on the cruise. Instead her feelings had taken on a life of their own.
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. He’s a really nice guy, and I like him.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“I didn’t count on liking him this much. He’s an absolute gentleman, a great conversationalist, and makes me lose my mind with his kisses.”
Janae raised an eyebrow. “That good, huh?”
“Girl, yes. He is beyond amazing. Said it had been a while since he’d been with a woman, but if that’s his definition of being out of practice...”
“Sounds like you two hit it off pretty well. Might be something worth exploring.”
Karen frowned. “I don’t think so. I don’t even know where the man lives.”
“You do realize this is the twenty-first century. There’s email, texting, Skype—”
“Ha-ha, Ms. Smarty-Pants. I know that.” She shrugged. “But it’s not something we’ve talked about. For all I know, he may not want anything past this week.”
“Well, you never know unless you ask.”
“True.” Admittedly, Karen would like to see where things could go between them, but she didn’t want to set herself up for disappointment.
They hung out at the beach for a while longer and then headed back to the ship to give Terrence time to prepare for his Q & A session.
Later, after the session, Karen stood in line with the others to purchase and get her CD signed. Donovan told her she didn’t have to wait, but she didn’t feel right about cutting the line. To her surprise, Terrence told her the CD was on the house.
He handed her a CD, stood to take a picture with her and whispered, “I already signed this special one for you. I’ll always be grateful to you for bringing Janae to the concert. I can’t imagine my life without her. If you ever need anything, let me know.”