Page 70 of The Second Chance in the Mediterranean
Nilda chuckled under her breath and Dom shifted in his seat, embarrassed. “He didn’t exactly quit yet. I kind of refused to accept his resignation. And the, um, argument after that led to me calling Nilda in to talk to you.”
My eyebrows pulled together. “So you want Nilda to find us new jobs?”
“No. I want you both to stay, but with us all in agreement that you are a couple, and if one of you leaves or gets let go, the other is likely to leave. We just need to communicate better about these things.”
“This is like an HR policy discussion.” Nilda laughed. “I’m the HR manager, and I won’t make you sign anything, but perhaps you will feel like you can have a talk with Seb?”
I looked to Dom, who held out his hands. “No pressure on my part. If you want Seb to stay, I think you just have to ask him. I hate to lose him, but I understand his viewpoint. And, Marcella...” He cleared his throat. “I am really sorry that I’ve made you worry about your job so much. I know yachties sleep around or fall in love, it’s inevitable, and just because I didn’t have a good experience with my ex doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be happy if Seb is who you want.”
Nilda spread her hands out. “So, Marcella, what do you think?”
The pragmatic part of me thought it sounded too good to be true. But the rest of me, the hopeful part of me who loved Seb, knew that it was worth a try. I would try anything.
For the first time since Seb and I had broken up, I laughed. “Yes, this is what I want.”
Thirty-Three
I returned downstairsto the galley, my head spinning. I was keeping my job and I had my boss’s blessing to...have an official relationship. Roy put his knife down when he saw me, and braced himself on the counter. “So?” he asked. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, bewildered. On autopilot, I got back to work.
I picked back up chopping vegetables for dinner service, and let my brain mull things over while I diced. Then Roy plunked down next to me.
“Whatareyou doing?”
I blinked and focused my eyes. I’d been staring at the cutting board without actually cutting anything for several minutes. I blinked more, trying to ease the sting of dry eyes that had been staring off into space.
“I’mthinking.”
Roy picked up a whole carrot and brandished it at me. “And cutting vegetables with your laser eyesight?”
I blushed. “No.”
“You know Seb’s waiting for you, right?”
“He is?”
“Yes. And maybe the rest of the crew is too.”
I gave Roy a look and he shrugged at me.
“It’s pretty obvious what’s going on here. I didn’t have to say anything; my lips were sealed. It’s the way you two look at each other. At first it was all ‘sexual tension’ and being rumpled and then it was making gooey eyes at each other. And now you’ve been moping.”
The knife dropped from my hand and clattered onto the counter. “I’ve been an idiot.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t know!” I wailed.
“What, that yachties are sex fiends? Totally.”
“Roy! Who are you a sex fiend with?”
“Nuh-uh.” He waggled a finger at me. “Less talk about me. Less talktome. Go and talk to Seb. Please.”
I bit my lip. “He quit.”
Roy’s head tilted. “Derick renewed his contract, so Seb has no room for advancement here. And that does bite...but he would haveyou.”
