Page 7

“The error message on the control panel for floors 2, 3, 7, and 8.”

“Oh yeah, I saw that. Whitaker said it’s okay. Something to do with the override used to block off the unfinished floors.”

“Okay, well, I'm going to check it out and make sure everything is still locked. I still have some time before dinner, and I haven’t seen what those floors look like. I’m curious,” I say, staring at him.

“Go ahead, superstar. You’re wasting your time. I told you, Whitaker said it's all good, so it’s good.” His sarcastic tone sets my nerves on fire.

As I head toward the door, I knock Logan's feet off the counter, causing them to slam to the floor. I look Logan in the eye. “You might be second in command, but don't forget who signs your paycheck.”

I can’t help but grin as the last thing I hear before the door shuts is him grumbling, “Asshole.”

As I walk to the dining room, I think back to a decision the board of directors and I made a few months ago, unanimously deciding to move the scheduled training date up three months to accommodate Dad. At that time, his health was rapidly declining due to cancer, and we all wanted him to sail on his ship before he passed.

Unfortunately, he didn’t make it, but after his passing, the plans to sail early were already in place. I also found out my dad dished out a shit ton of money to falsify the paperwork to let the ship sail with unfinished floors and keep it under the radar. I was told multiple times that moving the date back to the original date would only cause chaos and bring attention to the fact that we were never approved to actually be sailing— officially… no one, including the Coast Guard, knows we are sailing. The Port Authority was paid to look the other way, as were the inspectors.

The design company building the ship assured all of us that the unfinished floors wouldn’t cause any issues during the cruise, as long as they were blocked off for the entire sailing. The elevators would be programmed to bypass those floors, and only the highest-ranking employees could access them. The bright red error message on the control panel makes me wonder whether we made the right decision. The last thing I need right now is someone gaining access to those floors and getting hurt. I can already imagine the wave of lawsuits.

Stepping into the elevator, I press the gold button engraved with the number 8. The light around the button blinks red, indicating I can't access that floor, which is a good sign. This means the error message isn't related to the elevator's access to the blocked floors. I pull out my key card –which also serves as my company ID– and place it on the black box above the elevator's keypad, granting me access to all floors. I press the 8th floor button again. This time, the light flashes green, and the elevator begins moving. My keycard allows priority access to the elevators and bypasses all the other floors, preventing anyone else from entering. After a few moments, the elevator stops, and the door opens on the 8th floor. I blink for a second, in complete shock at what is in front of me.

“Oh— my— god.”

5

TYLER

Sipping my glass of champagne, I scan the room for an empty seat. With some downtime, I'm looking to unwind a bit. I spot a group of women standing and talking among themselves, giving me the perfect opportunity. Making my way toward them, I catch the eye of a younger brunette. I smile. It's time to turn on the charm.

“Would you mind if I sat here?” I ask, motioning toward the seats they're blocking.

The woman smiles back at me. “Go ahead. Sorry if we were in your way.”

“I wanted this spot for the view,” I say, staring directly at the brunette.

She gazes at the stage, taking in the scene. “I'm obsessed with that gorgeous green dress she's wearing, and her voice is amazing.”

“That's a nice view, too, but I wasn’t talking about her. I was talking about you.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks flush pink, and she giggles.

“My name's Tyler. What’s yours?” I lift my glass to my lips and take another sip.

“I'm Kelly, nice to meet you,” she says, reaching out to shake my hand.

I set the glass down on the nearby marble table and take her hand, gently bringing it to my lips and kissing the back of it. “The pleasure's all mine.”

Kelly wears a sleek black dress that hugs her curves and highlights her toned legs. She’s in great shape. Her brunette hair is swept to one side, cascading over her shoulder. As she talks to me, I can’t help but notice her licking her lips, which are a glossy shade of red. Then she runs her perfectly manicured fingers through her hair. I feel myself harden at the sight. I can't help but imagine my hands entwined in her long hair, pulling it as she screams out my name. Lost in a daze, I don't hear her ask me a question. But I notice she is no longer talking and is staring at me, waiting.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I ask. Shit. I really hope I didn't just fuck this up.

“I asked if you were here with anyone?”

“Yeah, I’m here with my brother and his wife. What about you?” I ask, doing my best to subtly adjust my growing bulge without her noticing.

Kelly suddenly rises on her tiptoes to peer around me. “I’m with my best friend, Sara, who’s dating one of the cooks. I think his name is Chris. They invited me to join them. She was here a few minutes ago.”

“That’s nice. Do you have any plans for tonight?” I ask, not giving a damn about her friends.

Kelly, still scanning the room, responds, “Not really. Sara and I were supposed to hang out and grab drinks, but it looks like she’s stood me up.”