Page 5 of Midnight Serenade
Grace
Istepped out of the shower with a large fluffy towel wrapped around me, giggling because Kazi was still spread out on my bed, snore-roaring. I’ve never heard a lion snore before, and it was so funny that it was definitely going into one of my future novels. I’d heard that mountain lions could scream as well, but Kazi just wowed the world with his snores.
I lotioned up, then slipped into a knee-length gold dress with a full skirt, a sequined bodice, and long sleeves, In my Solace Cruise research, I’d learned to bring sweaters for the nights on board, or else wear long sleeves. Some reviewers had even suggested a jacket. Because I was me, I’d brought all three. I got coldveryeasily.
I dried my hair and put on my makeup. Soft cream for my eyelids with gold eyeliner to make my brown eyes pop, and a wine-colored lip gloss to finish. My gold sandals, which had straps that wrapped around my calves, came next, and I finished with a spritz of very light perfume. I didn’t like a lot of synthetic scents. This one was natural. It smelled like vanilla and jasmine but without the added fillers and chemicals that most fragrances had.
I grabbed my gold beaded clutch and tried to shove the walkie in there along with my lipstick and my keycard for my door. Sadly, it didn’t fit, so I decided to just carry the walkie with me. There was nowhere to attach it to my clothes, so I needed to keep an extra careful watch on it. I didn’t want to lose it. Their walkie set-up was probably more expensive than the editor and cover designer for my last novelcombined.
“You ready, Kazi?”
Kazi snorted a final time, then smacked his lips while getting up to stretch his long body out, first one way, and then the other.
I was amused at his antics.
I had no idea that mountain lions had such personality. I guess I’d always thought of them just as predatory cats, if I’d thought of them at all. But I was quickly rearranging my opinion of them. Well, at least of Kazi. I was sure he was in a class all by himself.
He hopped down agilely from the bed and nosed my empty hand, getting a good sniff of me before sauntering to the door, still pausing to stretch every other step. Apparently, long naps were like sporting events. You needed to stretch plenty afterward, or you risked injury.
I chortled and opened the door.
The staff members I passed did a double take to see Kazi trotting like a gentleman at my side, then they smiled and nodded their heads, some of them stopping to give a pat to Kazi.
He was like a rockstar on this ship. Everyone seemed to love him.
When I reached the Starlight Lounge, I paused at the entryway. The lounge featured a swirling silver and black color scheme, with black velvet seating, silver chandeliers, a small bar tucked into the corner, and a dimly lit stage. In fact, the lighting had been dimmed throughout the entire room to make it more romantic and cozy. I gaped as I craned my neck back to look atthe ceiling. The lounge had a glass ceiling that arched in a huge dome above me. I’d never seen so many stars in my life! I guess I knew why they called it the Starlight Lounge now.
A server came toward me, and I nervously followed them as they led me to a booth on the left, most of which were empty. Far more people sat in the velvet chairs set up in the center area in front of the stage. A band on stage played light instrumental music that soothed me almost instantly. I was a little nervous and hoped this date went well. Because of my track record, I normally just turned people down when they asked me out, but Sebastian had seemed different, and I’d wanted to give him a chance.
I got a better look at my date as I tucked into the booth and had to work to keep my jaw from dropping again. He stood up when I’d been shown to the table, and then sat when I sat. It made me feel like a lady from a Regency romance, and I was surprised by how much I liked it.
Sebastian Solace was a very handsome man. He had neatly trimmed dark hair and mesmerizing dark green eyes. His jaw was firm, and his lips looked entirely too kissable to me. I was a writer. I could very well imagine.
I looked down, fiddling with the real linen napkin and what looked like pure silver silverware to give myself a few moments to pull myself together.
I finally looked up after placing my napkin on my lap. “Thank you for inviting me,” I said quietly. “As you can see,” I nodded at Kazi, who was covering our feet in his prone position on the floor, “I brought Kazi back to you safely. He slept, mostly.”
“I’m glad he was a gentleman. You look beautiful, Grace. Thank you for coming.”
I nodded shyly. He looked gorgeous in his black suit and silver tie. I was currently bemoaning all of my first dates that hadn’t run into second dates. If I’d dated more—seriously dated,beyond the first date—I would know what to do with myself on a date with a jaw-droppingly handsome man. My past made trust a very high-priced and highly prized commodity.
As things currently stood, my two hands felt like six, I didn’t know whether to sit straight or slouch, and my brain was searching in vain for topics of conversation that would wow my dinner partner, or at least prevent him from nodding off into his soup. I took a drink of my lemon water with a slightly shaky hand, cursing my nervousness.
Sebastian looked around him at the room’s occupants and frowned. I followed his gaze and discovered our table was getting a lot of attention.
“Is it because you’re the owner, do you think?” I asked in a low voice. “Do they recognize you?”
Sebastian turned back to me, a frustrated grimace on his face. “Doubtful.”
He was regarding me thoughtfully now, and I set aside the puzzle of his expression to mull over later. We ordered, me a spicy gumbo, and him an Indian curry, and we chatted about ourselves. He made it easy, probably sensing my nerves, which he set at ease with remarkable skill and grace. When I explained what I did for a living, he instantly pulled out his cell phone and looked me up. I could tell when he found me, because his expression shifted to a look of surprise. He pocketed his phone again.
“So, you’re an international best-seller several times over.” He chuckled. “And you mentioned what you do for a living like it was no big deal. You’re either shy or very humble.”
How was I supposed to respond to that? “I think I have to go with shy, given those two options. Really, I just...” How could I explain? “I love my job. I get to write for a living, and I make enough to keep me comfortable. That’s all I wanted out of life when I decided to follow my writing dreams as a teen. I writeto escape. I write to live a thousand different lives and stories. But mostly, I write because I love to write. It’s a job that I take seriously, but, thankfully, it’s one that I feel passionately about.”
I took a bite and met his gaze again. “Few people get to do what they love, or really evenfindwhat they love. I’m grateful. Bragging about that is just...” I shrugged. “Not classy.”
A tall man in a blue suit, who was suddenly standing beside our table, interrupted us. “Can I have this dance?” he asked, holding out his hand for mine. I blinked in surprise, then traced his path back to his seat with my eyes, only to find a gorgeous woman sitting there, fuming.
