Marcia King-Gamble - The Way He Moves

“Open it,” Pia urged.

Alexandra’s Dream listed slightly as Serena removed a silver teardrop pendant from the pouch and tossed it to Pia, who deftly caught it with one hand.

“Caramba! I think this is the treasure,” Pia cried.

Simultaneously a male voice boomed over the intercom.

“Our mandatory lifeboat drill will commence in exactly ten minutes. All passengers are requested to make their way to their assigned muster stations.”

Both women quickly found their life jackets and headed out.

“Take the pendant with you,” Pia urged, giving Serena a little nudge and folding it into her hand. “We’ll stop at the Guest Relations Desk after the drill and tell them the treasure has been found.”

On the way downstairs, the women put on their life jackets and were directed to their muster stations. Forty five minutes later, after each passenger had been accounted for, and several tedious announcements made, the boat drill ended.

Braving a good-sized crowd on the stairwell, they made their way to the Guest Relations Desk and stood in line awaiting their turn. Finally, an attractive Indonesian purser with a name badge that read Kali looked up from her computer monitor.

“Can I help you?”

“You have a winner,” Serena said, handing the velvet pouch to the woman.

“May I have your name and cabin number please?”

“Serena d’Andrea. I’m in a penthouse on Zeus.” She patiently waited for further instructions.

Kali dangled the tear-shaped pendant from her index finger and called to some unseen person in a back room. “The treasure’s been found.” She handed Serena back the piece. “You’re a winner, all right, but I don’t think finding love on board will be a problem for you. There are quite a few hotties that are part of our Rhythm Dancers theme cruise.”

“I guess we’ll find that out at the Bon Voyage party,” Pia interjected, “It should be starting any minute. Can you confirm where it is?”

A piece of paper that looked like a newspaper was slid across the counter at them. It listed all of the onboard events.

“Do you have the time now to be interviewed?” Kali asked. “I can get a photographer and video crew here if you do.”

Serena shook her head and glanced at the clock on the back wall. “No way.”

“Okay. We’ll find you at the party. Whatever works best for you.”

Back in the penthouse, after a quick shower, Serena slipped into a turquoise halter dress and began trying on different pieces of jewelry.

“What do you think of this necklace?” she asked Pia, holding up a string of irregularly shaped beads.

“I think you should wear the pendant,” Pia urged. “Let’s see if it lives up to its name.” She handed Serena a polishing cloth. “Give it a good rub and it should brighten up.”

Serena took the cloth from her and made a wry face. “Okay. It’s bound to encourage conversation at least.”

After polishing the piece, Serena removed the chain and threaded a satin ribbon through the loop and tied it around her neck. The silver pendant contrasted nicely with her tanned skin.

“Perfect,” Pia announced. “You look like a moon goddess yourself.”

“You’re good for my ego. What would I ever do without you?”

“Live a full, happy life. Making people feel good about themselves is what I do for a living. If I can do it for patients, I most certainly can do it for my best friend.”

Pia wiggled into a form-fitting sleeveless dress that only someone who weighed one hundred and eight pounds would dare to wear.

“How do I look?” she asked, placing one hand on her hip and posing.

“Stunning, you always do.”

“Thank you. Now let’s go to the party and see if we can find ourselves dance partners.”

Linking arms, the two women headed out.

TRACY DOWNED another glass of Alka Seltzer and hoped her stomach would settle. In half an hour she had a dance rehearsal and she expected the phone to ring any moment. When it did, she wasted no time picking up.

“Hello,” she said, breathlessly.

“It’s Kali. I’m calling as promised. An Argentine woman found the pendant. Her name is Serena d’Andrea and she’s in a penthouse suite. She’s a babe, tall, stunning and has the most beautiful eyes. The men on this cruise will be tripping over their feet to dance with her.”

“Has the video crew interviewed her yet?”

“No, she was in a hurry, so they’ll do it at the Bon Voyage party in La Belle Epoque. Why are you so interested in this pendant anyway?”

“Call me a hopeless romantic.”

“Aren’t we all? Listen, I have to run. This Rhythm Dancers group is driving me crazy. They’ve taken over the ship and there’s a very long line at the front desk.”

After Kali hung up, Tracy paced the small cabin. Time was running out. She needed to get her hand on that pendant and soon. Sal had grown impatient and his threats that she would never see her baby boy again had increased. He’d managed to get hired on board as an escort. That sent a clear message that he thought she was a screw up.

With some trepidation Tracy punched in Sal’s number and waited for him to pick up. What a con artist he was. He’d certainly sold her a bill of goods. When they were dating he’d told her what she’d wanted to hear, and she’d married him convinced that he would take care of her. But once the ring was on her finger, he’d turned into a woman’s worst nightmare. He became abusive.

In a matter of time she found out that Sal Morena was no more than a small time hood. He needed the attention of women to keep his ego fed, and he enjoyed manipulating them and seeing their reactions. It was all about Sal—no one else mattered. How he’d managed to talk his way into a job as a dance escort was anyone’s guess. The man was no Fred Astaire.

Tracy’s anxiety built as the phone continued to ring. She was about to hang up when Sal’s gruff voice finally came on the line.

“Prego!”

“Sal, it’s Tracy.”

“What’s taken you so long to get back to me?”

“I was waiting for my friend at the Guest Relations desk to call. An Argentinean woman by the name of Serena d’Andrea found the pendant. She’s in a suite on Zeus. She’s a member of the Rhythm Dancers group and she’ll be attending the Bon Voyage party.”

“Grazie,” Sal snorted. “I’ll be attending that party, too, and I’ll be sure to become acquainted with the d’Andrea woman. I’ll pretend to be interested in her, regardless of whether she’s a dog or not.” Another raucous laugh followed. “I’ll just have to fantasize that she’s a supermodel, and do whatever it takes to get my hands on that pendant.”

What a pig he was. She must have been out of her mind to have slept with him, much less married the man.

“How is Franco, Sal? When will you give him back to me?”

An ugly snort followed, and another derisive chuckle.

“When you deliver on your promises, and I have that pendant in my hot little hands, then maybe you’ll get your son back.”

“But Sal that’s not what we agreed…”

“But Sal, nothing. You’ve had ample opportunity to get me that pendant, and you’ve botched each and every attempt. That weasel Giorgio managed to get himself arrested without paying my gambling debt. Now that pendant is mine. Excuse me. I must go and get ready for the party.”

“And I have dance rehearsal,” Tracy said, smothering a sob.

She laid the receiver down and swiped at her eye. What more did Sal expect of her? She was feeding him information as soon as she got it. And in exchange he had promised to give her back her son. Their son, though you would never guess it from his actions.

Her child was the one person who loved her unconditionally. She would do just about anything to hold him in her arms again.