Page 40 of The Situation Ship
“Are you kidding?” Poppy sat up. “Considering what happened between us, we’re well past professional lines.”
“What happened in Calliope’s suite was a one-off – a necessary ploy to escape.I shouldn’t have got carried away.” His face was emotionless, but she knew he’d felt as much as she did.“It won’t happen again.”
“Don’t do me any favours. That’s the last thing I want.” She picked up a pillow and tossed it at him.He caught it, and his smug smile made her want to strangle him.“I was just trying to make you more comfortable.”
“Go to sleep, Poppy.” Isaiah lay down.
Poppy rolled over, ignoring him. If that was how he wanted to play it, so be it.
“Are you going to keep giving me the silent treatment?” Isaiah asked, putting down his gold-coated chopsticks. The only thing they seemed to agree on was sushi for lunch.
“I’m not giving you the silent treatment; I just have nothing to say,” Poppy replied as she got up from the table. She wished Mina was there to help break the tension, but she was with her F1 driver, and Poppy didn’t want to interfere with her fun.
“If you’re upset about what happened last night, I’m sorry. We promised the captain that we wouldn’t get involved. If we’d been caught tampering with a murdered woman’s belongings, it wouldn’t have ended well for either of us.” Isaiah stayed close behind her. She wished he’d stop wearing that damn cologne.
“I thought we agreed not to discuss it,” Poppy said as they walked through the sea life tunnel, surrounded by exotic fish like they were in an aquarium.
“As much as you may not enjoy my company right now or being confined to your suite, you wouldn’t have preferred being stuck in the brig for the remainder of the trip,” he said, taking her arm and forcing her to stop walking. The last thing she wanted was for him to touch her; it made her skin tingle in a way that prevented her from staying angry. “We only have another week to endure, and after that, you never have to see me again.”
Poppy felt like this would be the longest holiday of her life. Was this her karma for plotting to murder her boyfriend? She kept the thought to herself.
“That’s fine with me, Mr. Rivers.” She removed his hand from her arm and forced a smile before heading to the shopping pavilion, which was designed to look like a garden growing on the ship. The small waterfall cascading into a fountain made of shells in the centre of the boutiques and luxury shops felt like overkill, but she appreciated the vision. “If you don’t mind, I have some shopping to do, so you can either come with me or wait outside the shop.”
“Can’t you call someone to come to the suite?” he asked, looking at the boutiques as if they were armed and dangerous.
“There are plenty of other people around. Nothing is going to happen. I might jump off the balcony if I have to stay in that suite for even one more moment.” Poppy had never been one to feel claustrophobic, but the thought of being trapped in there was making her skin itch.
“Please don’t. I’m contractually obligated to go after you,” Isaiah said.
“That’s all the more enticing.” Poppy smiled, heading into a shop with beautiful gowns and tuxes – perfect for the opera tonight.
A sales assistant in a sharply tailored pink pantsuit greeted them from behind a glass counter filled with ties, bowties, brooches, cufflinks and hair pieces.“Welcome to Beatrix’s Boutique. What can I do for you? My name is Melina, and I’m here for whatever you need, from rack to couture.”
“We need a tux, black tie, for the opera tonight,” Poppy said. “I think silk peak lapels, silk stripe trousers, and maybe a bowtie with a wing-collared shirt.”
“I thought you wanted to get something to wear,” Isaiah whispered as she smiled at Melina.
Poppy shrugged. “Dressing you up will be so much more fun. I can pick up anything.”
“As entertaining as being your Ken doll would be, I can dress myself. Just focus on yourself,” he said, eyeing a plain dress shirt that was too casual for an opera.
“If only that were true,” she said wryly, taking his hand and leading him to the tuxes. “We’ve focused on me enough over the past couple of days. It’s your turn. The captain invited us personally, so we should at least look the part. We wouldn’t want her to think we aren’t grateful for her hospitality.” She clapped her hands as they walked around the assortment of suits and dresses.
“Attending the opera? How thrilling! We’re cutting it a bit close, since we won’t have time for alterations, but I’m sure we can find you something perfect.” Melina smiled, mirroring Poppy’s excitement.
“We received an invitation at the last minute, so we’re running a bit behind schedule,” Poppy explained.
“With such a strong frame, finding him something will be easy. What were we thinking? Double-breasted or single-breasted jacket?” Melina asked as they surveyedIsaiah as if he was a mannequin.
“I think he can pull off the double-breasted, especially if we forego the waistcoat or cummerbund,” Poppy said, like a pro.
“Black or navy? Or I have the perfect shades of midnight or aubergine?” Melina suggested, going through a rack of various colours.
“I’m not wearing purple,” Isaiah stated. The look in his eye told Poppy not to try him.
She smiled at him and went back to plotting with Melina. “I haven’t picked my dress yet, so I think black is the safest.”
“Shoes? Loafers or dress shoes?”Melina pointed to a wall rack of options.
