Chapter Thirteen

Ella was tired but still in a great mood by the time she met Bryan in the ship’s largest dining hall.

It was dinner time, and plenty of other passengers were there. She and Bryan still managed to find a secluded, private table where they sat across from each other.

“Did it feel good to get a shower?” he asked.

“Yep. How about for you?”

“Yeah. I love pools, but I’m always happy to wash that water off.” He paused and then said, “You look beautiful, Ella.”

She blushed, averting her eyes for a moment, unable to contain the giggle that escaped her throat. She felt silly but reminded herself she was a Little after all.

“Thank you,” she said.

She didn’t feel beautiful. But what was new?

A server came by, carrying a tray of champagne flutes. Ella raised her hand. “Thank you,” she said, taking one.

Bryan did the same.

The first sip felt good going down, and Ella realized it might take some of the edge off her self-consciousness.

“Are you having fun?” he asked.

“So much fun,” she said.

It wasn’t a lie. Despite some of her misgivings, she was actually having a blast.

“So, the doctor knew what he was talking about when he suggested you take some time for yourself?” he said with a mischievous grin.

Gosh, he looked hot. There was something about his dimples that drove Ella crazy.

“He’s a good doctor,” she said with a smirk of her own.

“Don’t tell him that,” Bryan said. “It’ll go to his head.”

They both laughed.

She worked on the champagne. They continued to talk until dinner was delivered, and then continued the conversation while they ate.

“I hope I’m not crashing your vacation,” he said.

“Not at all.”

“I understand if you want some alone time.”

“I’m excited you’re here,” she said.

“And I’m excited that you’re here,” he admitted. “I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Really?”

He washed his bite of lobster down with a swallow of champagne and nodded. “I mean, the odds of us being on the same cruise are slim. But I’m not surprised you’re doing something…Little.”

“So you knew?” she said.

“You give off all the vibes,” he said. “Obviously, I wasn’t for certain until I saw you here. But yeah, I had a pretty good inclination.”

She thought about it for a moment, eating in silence and sipping more of the bubbling drink. A moment later, she said, “I knew you were a Daddy.”

“You even dreamed about me,” he said.

“Hey!” she said with an embarrassed giggle.

He laughed. “I can’t let you live that down. Besides, it feels good to be the object of a woman’s dreams.”

She snorted. “Trust me, you’re in plenty of women’s dreams.”

“I don’t know about that. But I do know I don’t care about any of those women, if they exist. Just you.”

He winked.

She nearly lost it right there.

It was already turning out to be a magical evening.

***

Ella left Bryan’s arms, twirling over the dance floor, loving every moment of the experience.

A live orchestra was playing standards from the 1940s. It wasn’t a formal affair, but it sort of had that vibe, even though folks were dressed casually. Some were even in Little attire, like Ella.

But she was wearing a long, red, slinky dress. The outfit was a tad out of place. But she looked hot in it.

She being the woman Ella had first seen at the waterslide earlier that day.

It was after the song ended and Bryan was going to get them another drink that Ella noticed the woman approaching him.

Ella hurried through the crowd. She wanted to hear what was being said. But her confidence waned as she approached. While her instincts first told her to take hold of Bryan’s arm so the woman knew they were together, she stopped short of actually doing so.

Ella and Bryan weren’t really together.

True, they’d been flirting all day. And there was that intimate exam earlier. But they hadn’t discussed anything. They certainly weren’t exclusive. What if Bryan was into this other woman and Ella was humiliated in front of her?

Plus, what if once Bryan saw them side by side—one tall, skinny, and sexy and the other frumpy and plain, not to mention older—he had a change of heart? He might stop all that flirting and leave Ella alone for the rest of the cruise. Then, she’d be stuck on that damn boat, seeing Bryan and this woman together every day! It would be dreadful. Salt in a wound.

Suddenly, Ella needed another drink.

She would take the fruit punch Bryan was getting, but she’d have a little something else first. She found another server, thanked him as she grabbed more champagne, and then downed the liquid.

She coughed as she returned the empty flute and replaced it with a full one.

She couldn’t hear what that woman was saying to Bryan. He just smiled politely, said something, and then walked back toward Ella.

She downed half the new champagne in one fell swoop.

Her cheeks were warming. The room was tilting slightly.

Good, she thought. Maybe I’ll forget all about Little Miss Priss over there hitting on my man.

Bryan came back carrying the punch. “Oh. I see you already grabbed a beverage.”

Ella downed the last of the sparkling liquid and grinned. “Might have another, too,” she said. “But thanks for the punch. Is it spiked?”

“No.”

“Too bad. I need something harder,” she said.

He studied her for a moment. “Ella, honey, are you okay?”

“Sure am,” she said. She fanned herself with her hand. “Whew. Is it hot in here?”

“I’m fine,” he said. “They actually keep this ship pretty cold. Are you feeling warm, though?”

“I just worked up a sweat dancing, I think. I’m ready to get back out there if you are,” she said. She looked past him to where the woman was chatting with a group of friends a few feet away. Damn. That woman was sexy.

“I just need one more drink to cool down.”

“What about the punch?” Bryan asked. “It’s got ice chunks in it.”

But it was too late. Ella had already grabbed another glass of champagne from a wandering server. She downed it in less than half a minute.

Miss Priss was closing in on them. Of course, Ella didn’t know if the woman was actually walking back toward Bryan or just happened to be heading that way. But she wasn’t going to give her a chance to cut in. She grabbed his arm and said, “Let’s dance!”

She was only vaguely aware that she’d said that louder than she’d intended to.

And she wasn’t at all aware of her clumsy movements and awkward dancing.

If you could label what she was doing as dancing.

“Ella, honey, I think you need to—”

She never heard the rest of Bryan’s suggestion. Because the room was spinning now. She was so hot she felt as if she were twirling in a furnace.

She started to fall but was unconscious before she even landed in Bryan’s arms.