Broken

Of course… he was just being friendly. Why would he be interested in me? I’m just… boring.

The stark realization that I’ve becoming boring in my loneliness hits me hard. Maybe that’s why my friends didn’t care too much about leaving me behind. Over my final year of college, I got so wrapped up in ignoring the future that I became self centered and dull without even meaning to. That is something I need to change. I need to get out of this pit of misery and I need to start looking forward.

Without much thinking about it, I grab my notebook back up again and I start scrawling. Inspiration hits me and I write, I use the feelings that I have just from seeing the mysterious fantasy man to start creating a story.

‘He’s there, standing in front of me, the man I’m pretty sure I’m falling in love with. Or if not love, then lust. With his hot, mu

scular body nearing mine, my heart leaps and dances about in my chest. There’s a fire in the pit of my stomach, a burning that races all the way down to my center. If I don’t have him soon then I might just die.”

Hmm… not too bad.

I haven’t ever written anything steamy before, I guess I always assumed that was something that more confident writers did, but I don’t think I’ve done a terrible job. I’m sure it’ll need some work, I bet an editor would go crazy, but it’s something. It’s mine. I’ve started writing again and that’s all that matters to me.

“Miss, would you like a drink?” one of the waiters asks me.

He has a tray of delicious looking, fruity and undoubtedly very strong cocktails in front of me that make my mouth water. I really want a taste, but now that I’ve started writing I think it’s better to have a clear head. I shake my head and return my eyes back to the paper… but then it hits me. All writers drink, don’t they? The real ones anyway. That’s what I’ve heard at least. They need it to keep them going and to help the inspiration to flow… that’s what I want too.

“Actually, do you know what…” I call out to the waiter calling him back. As he spins around I get a flash of a penguin because of his black and white uniform, which nearly makes me burst into laughter. “I think I will have one.” I bite down on my bottom lip and examine them all. “The pink one please.”

As he hands it to me, an excitement bursts through me. I wrap my lips around the straw and suck back a huge sip, relishing the strawberry taste. It’s one of those cocktails that’s so well made I can’t taste the alcohol in it at all. But I know it’s there from the way that it makes my head spin.

“Thank you very much.”

He bows his head to me, which brings back the penguin memory. Honestly, it’s almost impossible not to chuckle at him. “You are very welcome, Miss.”

“My man steps closer, closing the space between us. My heart beats faster and my mouth runs dry with desire and lust. As I can feel the intense heat emanating off of him I’m filled with the most intense electrical sensation in the whole world…”

“Hello,” a voice bursts through my shock barrier, causing my eyes to tug away from the paper. It’s deep and chocolatey, melting me inside. “I saw you from across the deck a moment ago and I just knew that I had to speak to you.”

Hot damn, it’s him!

As I realize that it’s my dream man that I’m looking at, the one that I’ve just been writing about, I snap my notebook shut and swing my legs around to the ground. “Erm, hi.” I can feel my cheeks heating up, my body freaking out, I just know that I’m not acting in any way cool at all.

Hold it together, I warn myself. Don’t blow it because of shyness. I need to get my groove back

“Are you a guest on the cruise?”

“Huh?” I don’t quite understand the question. “Erm, yes, yes I am.”

He chuckles, the most adorable sound that I’ve ever heard in my life. “Ah I see, I work here you see.”

“You do?” In all honesty I haven’t thought much about the staff here. I see them about the place, serving all the customers, but I never really look at them. I feel guilty, what sort of person doesn’t notice staff? Am I more like my mother than I first realized? Just another thing that I desperately need to change… “What do you do?”

“I play music,” he says with a self-deprecating shrug. “I’ll be doing a show later on in the ballroom if you’re up for it?”

I haven’t watched any of the entertainment, mostly because it all sounded really lame, but I’ll sure as hell go to see this gorgeous guy playing. “Yeah, I think I’ll be there, actually.”

He smiles as if I’ve said something that he really likes and he extends out his hand to me. I take it, and as our skin brushes together I feel excitement coursing through my system. If he can make me feel this way with just a handshake, imagine how he will make me feel if he touches me everywhere…

Oh God, I need to sort myself out.

“I’m Stephen, by the way,” he says in a seductive tone of voice. As he smiles at me I spot the mischief in his eyes which draws me in deeper. I love that glint, it makes me think that of all the naughty things he seems to want to tell me. “Stephen Jones.”

“Yeah, I’m Tia. Tia Daniels. Are you from New Zealand?”

“I am actually.” He looks impressed. “Most people automatically think Australia.”

Stephen, what an amazing name Stephen from New Zealand. It rolls off my tongue and thrills me. I definitely want to go and see his show, I feel a spark of magic within me. This might just be the night that I finally throw caution to the wind and I have some much needed fun.