Page 55 of The Cruise Club

Suddenly Carmen realised that she was alone with Ruskin.

‘You’re not wearing your glasses,’ he commented as he packed away his lecture notes.

Carmen’s fingers flew to her face. ‘No… I’m wearing contacts,’ she said.

‘Shame, I rather liked those heavy frames, but it’s good to see what lies behind them.’ Ruskin reached for his satchel and fastened it securely. ‘This cruise seems to be suiting you,’ he added.

Carmen felt flustered.Damn!He did recognise her! Tongue-tied, she scrambled for her notebook, packing it hastily into her bag.

‘You’re an author, aren’t you.’ His voice was smooth. ‘I was rude when we met in Maxos, I’m sorry that I didn’t take the time to chat with you.’

Carmen narrowed her eyes. Was Ruskin for real?

She remembered their brief encounter in Maxos. She’d been wearing a frumpy outfit and had been invisible to Ruskin. Carmen remembered how discourteous he’d been. But in the piano bar, having revamped her appearance, the great man spoke to her, as he seemed to want to do now.Why should her appearance make any difference? Was he only interested in what he could see on the surface? Was she only worthy of Ruskin’s attention when she fitted into his idea of attractiveness? Carmen’s frustration bubbled andshe wanted to ask if he even cared who she really was or if he was playing a game to create a scene in one of his novels.

She bit back her irritation. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ Carmen said coolly, ‘and I mustn’t keep you, I’m sure you have a busy schedule.’

‘No, please,’ Ruskin’s tone softened, ‘stay and tell me about your work.’

Carmen was about to hurry from the room, but common sense suddenly got the better of her. Ruskin Reeve, the famous author, wanted to know about her writing and she would be crazy to walk away. She watched Ruskin pull out a chair as he suggested they both sit down then lowered herself into the opposite chair and placed her hands on the table. ‘My debut,The Rainbow Sleuth, topped Amazon’s cosy crime charts, and I secured a three-book deal.’

Ruskin nodded. ‘Impressive. Have you started the next one?’

‘Yes.’

‘And your deadline?’

‘Er, I’ve written the first draft but it’s not good and I have a little over three months to submit.’

‘So why are you here on a cruise?’

Carmen saw Ruskin reading her movements and sensing her discomfort as easily as reading one of his own manuscripts.

Carmen swallowed. ‘I booked the cruise last minute because I needed to clear my mind.’

Ruskin tilted his head, waiting for more, but Carmen was tongue-tied.

‘You have writer’s block.’ Ruskin’s gaze was intent.

‘I… I…’ Carmen stammered and felt her cheeks flush.

‘You are staring at the page, and it remains blank.’

‘Well…’

‘You saw this cruise, noted that a famous crime writer would be hosting a couple of workshops, and thought it might spark something, giving you the push you needed.’

Carmen was caught off guard. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she shifted in her seat. Fearing that her voice would falter if she attempted to respond, she scrambled to regain control, wondering how Ruskin had sussed her out.

‘It’s all right,’ Ruskin smiled. ‘Your reaction tells me everything, and I see it all the time.’

Carmen’s shoulders slumped. He thought she was wasting his time.Damn him!He was going to kick her out of the workshops. She’d blown her opportunity to spend time with a mentor, and now she was back at square one. Her wretched book would never get written.

‘You look very pretty when you blush,’ Ruskin said.

Pretty?Seriously? How condescending. Now, he was patronising her.

Feeling trapped and unable to meet his stare, Carmen pushed back her chair, ‘Thanks for the workshop.’ She reached for her bag, longing to escape her humiliation.

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