Linda Hudson-Smith - Waves of Passion

As Gabrielle closely studied the space, she felt its warmth. Her personal things had already been delivered, but she hadn’t had time to put them away. She hadn’t even paid a lot of attention to the suite’s floor plan until now. Luckily the balcony would offer her a nearby outdoor alternative. Being able to step outside and breathe in fresh air without having to go up on deck was a huge plus. The balcony was decked out with a small round table, two chairs and a chaise lounge to lie on to catch the sun. This suite was her home for the next five months, so she would have to get used to it.

The Parisian Paradise was a huge vessel, which gave Gabrielle plenty of indoor and outdoor spaces to explore and many choices in shopping, dining and entertainment venues. She also loved that room service was available to staff and passengers 24/7.

Gabrielle caught sight of her unpacked luggage and frowned. For her to be truly comfortable, she had to put everything in order right away. There was plenty of time for her to unpack and get it over with before reporting to duty in the morning. After taking off her uniform and hanging it up, she slipped into blue jeans and a white T-shirt.

Starting with a leather garment bag, she took out her dressier and formal attire and hung them at one end of the large sectional closet. She then moved on to the suitcases.

A couple of hours later, she had the cabin suite looking more like a home.

* * *

Deciding to do a little bit of exploring, Gabrielle pulled from the closet a pair of white pants and a gold silk top. As she pulled on the attire, her eyes searched the room for her makeup case. The moment she spotted it next to the leather sofa, she felt totally relieved that she hadn’t left it behind. Standing before the bathroom mirror, Gabrielle was pleased with her appearance. She loved how her long hair fell around her shoulders and how flawlessly she had applied her makeup. Gabrielle picked up her gold purse and dropped her cabin key inside. Just as she stepped out the door, Cameron came out of the cabin right next to hers. He looked sexy dressed in dark dress slacks and a powder-blue silk shirt. She couldn’t help wondering if his assigned quarters were really that close to hers or if he’d been visiting someone.

As Cameron’s eyes fell upon her, she felt butterflies in her stomach. His devastating smile made her weak in the knees. “Seeing you so soon is a nice surprise.”

Cameron walked the few steps to where she stood. “I was hoping to see you before we began working together. Have you made any special plans?”

Gabrielle shrugged with nonchalance. “I just decided to do a little exploring.”

He grinned. “Perhaps I could be your tour guide for the evening. Would you mind?”

“Not at all.” Gabrielle was pleased by his offer. “It’d be easy to get lost on this vessel.”

“It happens often, Dr. Grinage. One wrong turn can get you all out of sorts. How about starting on the fifth level where most of the live action is?”

Gabrielle smiled brightly. “It’s fine with me. Lead the way, Dr. Quinn.”

He stopped short of offering her his arm. It was inappropriate. “I’d like it if you’d simply call me Cameron. Is it okay to call you Gabrielle? It’s a lovely name.”

“Thank you, Cameron. I like being on a first-name basis with my coworkers.”

* * *

The neon lights and glamorous decor found on Parisian Boulevard astounded Gabrielle. She’d never taken a cruise before, and she was amazed. A bevy of specialty shops shone inside and out with dazzling lights. The colorful and brightly lit Champs-Elysées Casino was located on the same level. Cameron gave her a brief tour of the gambling facility. It wasn’t his favorite place to hang out because he didn’t like throwing away hard-earned money.

“All these bells and lights from the slot machines and screams from winners are exciting,” Gabrielle said.

He shrugged. “True enough, but there’s a downside to the excitement. The cruise liners make it easy for people to gamble away their money by borrowing funds against their credit card. Most people think they can make up the losses.”

Gabrielle hunched her shoulders. “I’ve never gambled. I’m not sure I can feed money into an inanimate object and expect it to pay me back handsomely. But from the excited sounds in here, there seems to be lots of winners.”

“Most definitely, but far more are losers,” Cameron remarked. “It’s one thing to have fun gambling and something totally different to be addicted.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. But I don’t have to worry about it. I’m a cheapskate, a budgeter. I don’t just give away money.”

“I wish I knew how to keep a tighter budget. I tend to splurge every now and then, but I usually have something to show for it. Maybe you can give me some pointers.”

“You got it. I have a great book on financial planning in my cabin. You can read it if you’d like. It helped me out a lot.”

“If you don’t mind bringing it to the clinic tomorrow, I’ll take good care of it.”

Gabrielle nodded. “You’ll have it in the morning.”

As the tour proceeded, Cameron showed Gabrielle both formal dining rooms, the Paris and the Marseille.

“Let’s go back to Parisian Boulevard,” Cameron suggested. “There’s plenty of duty-free shops.”

As Cameron and Gabrielle made their way back to Parisian Boulevard, they passed by several music venues. It seemed to her that music was offered all over the ship, like the live calypso and reggae she’d heard inside and outside on the main deck for hours on end. There was even a jumbo LED screen that showed special movies, concerts, sports and other entertainment.

“Would you like to get something to drink?” Cameron asked.

“All this walking has me a bit thirsty. I’d like a cold soda or iced tea.” Gabrielle was glad she’d chosen to wear flat sandals. In heels, her feet would have taken a good pounding.

“We’ll go into one of the lounges where we can listen to music. I don’t hang out on the ship very often. Even though the clinic closes at 6:00 p.m., one doctor is always on call. As the medical commander, I’m the backup and go-to person if two doctors are needed.”

“I know that there’s minimal free time. Still, I’m pleased with my decision.”

Cameron chuckled. “Let’s see how you feel after the first month.”

Gabrielle eyed him with curiosity. “Is that a warning?”

“Hardly. I just want to know your thoughts after working aboard for a while.”

“I’ll be sure to tell you. Have any of your crew members been unhappy?”

“That’s an understatement. There are some folks who can’t hack it. They think the job is glamour and glitz until they’re aboard for a week or so. Most of those who quit leave very early. It doesn’t take long for the boys and girls to separate themselves from the men and women.”

Gabrielle smiled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to scare me.”

Cameron stopped and looked into Gabrielle’s eyes. “I’m just answering. I’d never frighten you on purpose.”

Feeling herself getting lost in his intense gaze, Gabrielle looked away. “I won’t ask any more questions. I’ll wait and see what happens with me.”

The urge to take her hand to reassure her pulled at Cameron, but he didn’t dare. Holding her hand was too intimate for what could only be a working relationship between them. Although he found her extremely attractive and very sexy, he had to abide by his own rules, no matter how hard it might become.

* * *

At the Cannes Lounge Gabrielle and Cameron were escorted to a table near the piano bar by a hostess with a bubbly personality. Once they were seated, she took their drink orders and left.