TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER ONE
“CALL ME THE MOMENT that pendant is found, capisce?”
Tracy Irvine’s grip tightened around the receiver. She could tell her ex-husband was losing patience with her. This was her last chance and she needed to deliver or else.
Previously she’d screwed up badly and she might not have another chance to redeem herself. Her child’s well-being was at stake here, so she needed to play Sal’s sick game. It was the only way to get Franco back. He was her son, their son, and her reason for living.
“I will, Sal, I promise,” she said, striving to sound confident. “I won’t disappoint you this time.”
“You better not, bella, especially if you know what’s good for you. This is your last chance. There will be hell to pay if you don’t deliver this time around.” Sal’s raucous laughter resounded in her ear.
“When will I get to see Franco?” Tracy asked, trying to hold back the tears that were welling. If Sal knew she was close to breaking, he would get uglier. He had a sadistic streak to him.
“In good time, as soon as that pendant is mine.”
“I’ll get it for you. I swear I will.”
“Do that, bella, and soon.”
The receiver clunked down, the dial tone reverberating in her ear.
Tracy allowed herself a good cry, then taking a deep breath pulled herself together. In ten minutes she was on duty, greeting passengers as they boarded Alexandra’s Dream. She’d been hired as a dancer on the cruise ship, but in her off time she performed other duties. Today she was assigned to welcome passengers boarding at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
No matter how distraught she felt, she had no choice but to look perky.
IN THE EMBARKATION AREA, VIP passengers were being escorted on board. Serena d’Andrea, accompanied by her best friend, Pia Fischer, stepped off the ramp and onto the cruise ship Alexandra’s Dream. Although Serena was no stranger to the good life, she gaped at the opulent lobby with its elaborate chandeliers and winding staircases leading to an upper deck.
She certainly hadn’t been expecting the interior of the luxury vessel to look like a five-star hotel. Her friend Pia seemed equally awed. She used the pamphlet handed to her by the embarkation staff to fan her face.
“Oh, my,” Pia gushed, speaking in English instead of their native Spanish. “Oh, my.”
“Awesome, as the Americans would say.”
Pia nodded her blonde head. “To die for, awesome.”
An attractive, brunette crewmember, outfitted in a navy blazer and white slacks, scrutinized their boarding passes before handing them back.
“Welcome aboard, Dr. Fischer and Ms. d’Andrea,” the woman said, her dazzling smile washing over them. “You are in one of our penthouse suites. Let me introduce you to your attendant, who will escort you to Zeus Deck.”
“My pleasure, ladies.” A woman dressed in a black taffeta dress and frilly white apron, stepped forward.
“Gracias,” Serena answered, catching herself and quickly switching to English. She was no longer in Argentina and should stick to the language most commonly spoken.
Pia seemed to be making the transition to English much more easily. “I am so looking forward to these next fourteen days,” she said. “I plan on catching up on my reading and relaxing every chance I get.”
“What about dancing?” Serena reminded her. “Isn’t that why we signed up for this charter? We came aboard to perfect our rhythm steps and take instructions from professional dancers.”
Pia flung an arm around Serena’s shoulders.
“Of course we’ll dance every chance we get. I’m just glad to be away from patients and their issues. After a while you get burned out.”
Serena nodded her understanding. She knew exactly what Pia meant. Emotionally she was exhausted and had been for the last six months.
The two were as opposite as two people could be. Pia, a well respected psychiatrist, was petite and blonde with a chic pixie haircut and a vivacious personality that inspired instant trust. She and Serena, the more reserved of the two, had been best friends since nursery school. Serena was tall, with thick, dark wavy hair and wide violet eyes.
The doors of an elevator opened and the maid waved them in. The glass elevator whizzed them up several floors before stopping on ten.
“Zeus Deck,” the attendant announced, pointing to a discreet gilt plaque on the wall when they got off. After a short walk down a plush carpeted hallway, the maid used a card key to open double doors leading into spacious living accommodations.
As they entered, Serena noted the walls of the suite were painted olive, contrasting nicely with the honey-colored furniture. A chocolate leather love seat and matching chair made for comfortable seating. Outside on a wooden deck were teak lounge chairs and a hot tub that might easily seat eight. A small garden with convincing fake flowers had a fountain guarded by a statue of Aphrodite.
The maid pointed to an area they hadn’t entered yet.
“Your bedroom, ladies.”
The room held twin beds and a gigantic console with a television, VCR and DVD player. A huge picture window let in sunlight and glimpses of blue water, as well as the mansions on the Fort Lauderdale waterfront.
Pia, as enthusiastic as ever, kicked off her high heels and plopped onto one of the beds.
“I might just get used to this,” she enthused. “I can’t wait to get out of this clothing. When will our luggage arrive?”
“Your bags are already here, madam.”
The attendant threw open the double doors of the closet to show them where their luggage was stashed. “I can get the butler to help you unpack,” she offered.
Both women exchanged looks. No butler, at least not right now. There were just some things a woman preferred to do on her own.
“We’ll take care of our own unpacking but we’d like help with ironing our dresses later,” Serena said, speaking for both of them.
“As you wish. If you do not need anything else, I will leave you ladies to relax.”
Bowing, the attendant backed out of the room.
When she was gone, Serena poured two glasses of champagne from the bottle chilling in the ice bucket. Next to it was a large gift basket. She handed Pia her wine.
“To a much needed vacation,” she said, clinking her glass against her friend’s.
Pia waved the embarkation brochure at Serena. “I’ll drink to that. Let’s hope there are some classy men aboard that we’ll enjoy dancing with. Have you looked
