Below Deck - Love Under Lockdown

What was more, Max seemed willing to let her. I couldn’t blame him, really. Lauren was beautiful, at least in a physical way, and clearly sexually available. Max was only human, after all. Besides, it wasn’t like I had made my interest known. I wouldn’t have gone about it as overtly as Lauren, but I had to explain things and let him know what was going on.

Politely ending my conversation with Thomas, who really was a great and interesting guy, I got out my phone. I texted him, not wanting to talk to him with Lauren around. I said I wanted to speak with him and apologized for my reclusiveness.

He didn’t respond right away. Which made sense really. If he had, Lauren might have figured out what was going on. I didn’t want her to be having any advantages. My phone did ding however, and when it did, the text that appeared invited me to his hotel room after we had eaten dinner.

Dressing modestly as though not to raise any suspicions, I needed to put my brace back on if I had any hope of sitting for an extended period. My skirt might have reached down to my ankles, but I also wasn’t wearing anything under it. This still let me feel a degree of sexiness.

In an interesting, if unannounced, bit of restaurant hopping, we ended up at a different eatery directly across the street from the one the night before with much the same orders, despite the slight variance in the menu. By far the most adventurous was, surprisingly, Thomas, who went entirely for local dishes while the rest of us stuck to burgers and the like.

Like Elsa, I let it go. I didn’t pay attention as Lauren hung herself off on Max, doing her very best to seduce him with her feminine wiles. Both Thomas and I pretended that we couldn’t see what was plainly obvious.

We might have been playing into her delusion that she was the only person in the world. Though it was actually pretty funny when viewed from a particular perspective, because I knew I was about to have his undivided attention. It was a bit of a Hail Mary to be sure, but I still felt that if I explained things, he would accept me as I was and give me everything I ever wanted. I just had to be brave and ask.

I was buzzing as we all went back to our rooms after dinner. My mind was whirring with how I was going to get out to see Max without Lauren noticing. Turns out that had already been taken care of as well.

I jumped with surprise. I honestly hadn’t noticed the door before. The room was a suite. I sprang up off the bed and ran to the door, the skirt waving like a flag around me.

“Hey,” Max said, his beautiful form darkening the doorway.

“Hi,” I said, unable to keep myself from grinning.

My heart raced and my palms were sweaty at the thought of what might happen next. Not to mention the fact that my panties felt as drenched as the ocean.

Chapter Nine – Carrie

Not wanting to sit on the bed as even that seemed like a bit too much of a come on, I took the chair in Max’s room and watched with rapt attention as he went and sat on the bed.

“So, what’s happening?” he asked, prompting me.

“I-I was trying to stay away. Out of the way, I mean.”

“Out of the way of what?”

“You. I mean Lauren. I mean you and Lauren. It wouldn’t look good if it seemed like you were playing favorites. I’m here as your assistant and was trying to keep out of things. Unless I was asked of course.”

“This isn’t meant to be a business trip,” Max pointed out.

“True, but I thought I should keep up a professional demeanor. It’s not like I won the contest or anything.”

“You did, actually. Lauren kind of cheated, but I didn’t find out until after the winners were announced. The agent with the next highest number of new clients was you. Given the circumstances, it is probably best if we act like you’re an unofficial third winner. I might still have you do a task or two just to keep up appearances, but other than that, you are released from all other duties.”

“Thank you,” I said softly.

“As for Lauren, I was mostly just going along with her silliness so she wouldn’t think I was playing favorites because we are together so much. I would actually like to be with you a lot more.”

“You would?” I asked, looking up so fast I almost hear a pop.

“I know it looks otherwise, but I don’t like Lauren.”

“You don’t?” I asked, feeling very much like a broken record.

“Nope. Not at all. She is beautiful, but not the only one. There is so much more to life than that.”