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Having held her before having spoken, before even having seen the true beauty of her face, the loss of my connection with her was tangible. She took a delicate hold of the cocktail glass and met my gaze. I felt our bond growing closer for a second before she broke her gaze from mine and pulled away.
The lead crystal glass with my whiskey had barely touched my lips before she was draining any last remnants of hers from her glass. She threw her head back, her slim throat bared, the pale skin of her neck exposed.Thoughts of kissing and biting her neck made me pause. I almost forgot where I was as this primal desire to touch her continued to overwhelm all my other thoughts.
Now, as she placed the empty glass on the table, a new flush of color was rising on her smooth cheeks, I instinctively leaned closerto her as she did.
I could see her caught between maintaining the iciness of her walls and the draw of giving in to the fire that was building between us. My eyes stayed on hers, my gaze focused, until we were suddenly interrupted.
“Claudia! Sorry to have kept you waiting.”
A woman approached whom I recognised as Sue Smith, a seasoned guest of the ship. Retired, or sort of, very gay and very happily married, she and her wife spent at least six months of the year onboard the Pride of Paradise seeing the world. I knew she was super wealthy and had majority shares in major multinational corporations, so retirement was just a phrase that meant working less and in the settings she chose. I often saw her with her laptop working from the ship.
“Although I’m not that sorry if it means you got to share a drink with the famous Raven Ramsey.” She beamed at me with knowing eyes, and I felt a warm genuine smile spread across my face. Claudia looked curious but gave no hint of knowledge or recollection as to who I was or ever having heard even my name before.
Of course. I’m crushing on the one woman with whom I can’t use my name to seduce! She must be straight if she hasn’t heard of me. Surely?
“A pleasure to meet you again, ma’am.” I grinned in reply, and she fawned.
“Oh, you. Get away with your Southern hospitality,” Sue tutted and laughed. Her short gray hair shimmered in the light. “If you keep calling me ma’am, I am gonna think my mama is around, and she would NOT like the sexual orientation of one hundred percent of this liner, let me tell you.” She laughed, but it was also probably a hard truth. "I’m sorry, but I have to steal the wonderful Claudia away. I can return her to you later.”
“No, we were…”
“Oh no, it’s…”
I glanced over at my expensive blonde, whose name had turned out to be Claudia. She didn’t look like a Claudia, but the more I thought about it, the more it suited her. She nodded to me and I continued.
“Thank you, but I was just heading out myself. Have a wonderful evening, ladies.”
And I left. I didn’t even bother with my reservation.
3
Itossed and turned all night. My small but very comfortable single-crew cabin wasn’t the issue. Nor was the calm Irish sea. Claudia filled my head. She had drawn me in. I thought about the way her dress clung to her, so undeniably sexy. I thought about how vulnerable she seemed, the stumble, the touch. But I felt the touch of that iciness, too. Was that all a front?
It was refreshing the way her gaze lingered on me but unknowingly. No flash of recognition, no spark of I know you. She didn’t care who Raven Ramsey was, and that made me want her even more.
I decided to distract myself the following day, but I had a plan for that evening.
Tenders are my least favorite thing about cruise life. You should never have to get into a lifeboat under any circumstances, never mind for half an hour from ship to shore. It makes me feel so sick, and I have no idea why we couldn’t dock closer, but then again, that’s why I’m not a captain. I kept myself hidden. Most fans would recognize me by my hair, so I wore a baseball cap and kept my makeup to a minimum.
It was a short train ride from the port into Dublin. I navigated Dublin to perfection. I knew it was going to be a highlight. Too soon yet to say if it was the best stop on the route, but it would take some beating.
Dublin was bustling metropolis that somehow had the charm of an Irish town rather than the city it actually was. The people were sunny, happy, chatty, and warm. The streets were clean, the atmosphere was welcoming, and I was in love.
I shopped—new shoes always make me happy. I saw the sights, and I took a little bit of Irish charm with me in my heart as I left.
If someone asked me where should they go? What should they do? What made it special? I don’t know as I could put my finger on any one thing. It wasn’t Temple Bar, Grafton Street or Trinity College that made it sparkle. It was just the entire place, from the river to the train, from the schoolboys sharing Jammie dodgers in the carriage, to the woman in Deals who wished me a grand day with my poppets.
I’m sure you wouldn’t need to look hard to find the parts of a city that make it dark. The homeless, the graffiti, the drugs, the inequality. But my eyes only saw the sunshine side of Dublin town.
I smiled to myself as I made my way back to the ship. I’d had a lovely day.
I called through to Urduja. “All set.”
From the echo, I knew I was speaking to her through the bluetooth, but I swear I could hear the eye roll, too. “Yesssss. All delivered, all accepted. Front row. You’ll see her if she turns up. That part, unfortunately, I can't guarantee.”
Her. Claudia.
I was desperately hoping she’d turn up to see me perform tonight.
