I sit at his ridiculous table every night, and am bored to tears.” She adjusted the spaghetti straps on her shoulders. “What did you say? I’m way out of your league? Why is that true now, and it wasn’t last night or earlier today?”
Charlie didn’t know what to say, so he focused on putting on his clothes. “I have to get you back to your suite.”
“You didn’t answer me.”
“I don’t have an answer.”
“Then maybe you’ll have an answer for this. Come to my suite with me. I’ll order us a late lunch, and then leave word I’m dining in my cabin tonight. I want to have dinner with you. If we can’t do that publicly, we’ll do it privately.”
Charlie knew he should say no. Everything in him shouted, Say no! But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. This sheila had something special. It didn’t surprise him that she had made something of herself. He had never known anyone with such unbridled spirit.
She reminded him of the brumbies Yooralla had told him about. She claimed the name “brumby” for the wild Aussie horses had come from the Aborigine word “baroomby” for “wild,” just like her name had come from the word meaning “love.”
Charlie didn’t know if that was true, but he felt more than a little bit of something when he connected something Yooralla had told him to Pet.
Pet broke him out of his reverie. “You aren’t answering me. I suppose that means no.” He could hear the disappointment in her voice.
He went to his desk to retrieve his special key. “I have to be back here by seven o’clock to get ready for my watch at eight.”
“Does that mean you’ll do it?”
“That’s what it means.” Petula’s smile warmed him like sunshine. Charlie didn’t embarrass easily, but Pet’s unabashed delight that he had agreed made him flush. “If we’re doing this, let’s go.”
“Yes, sir!” Pet saluted, and then hugged him. “Don’t worry, Charlie, we’ll be careful.”
“We have to be, or I’ll be helping you design boiler suits after they kick me off the ship.”
Petula poked him in the side. “Could be a new fashion trend, you never know.”
“C’mon, you. Stay behind me.”
Charlie cracked the door and peeked out into the alleyway. Pet hunkered down behind him. She whispered, “Is there anyone out there?”
“No, it’s empty, and it’s a straight shot to the door.” He took her hand. “Once we’re on your side, we have to hustle to your suite.”
“With you dressed in your regular clothes, the other passengers will just think you’re one of us.”
“It’s not the passengers I’m worried about.”
Charlie quickly led her down the hall to the door. Thanking his lucky stars that he had it, he used his custom-made key to unlock the barrier between her world and his. He cracked the door open. Again, Pet whispered, “Is anyone there?”
“Just an old couple going toward the stairs. The coast is clear. Let’s move.” Charlie and Pet hurried through the door, which Charlie quietly closed and locked.
“Charlie, I’m not sure I remember how to get to my suite from here.”
“I know the way. We have to follow those folks up the stairs to the B Deck.” He took her hand again and deftly guided her down the long alleyway toward the stairs. Once they climbed the staircase to the upper deck, they continued down the hall.
He paused at an intersecting passageway. Before making the turn, he peeked around the corner. He jerked his head back. “Wait. One of Morgy’s stewards is delivering room service.”
“Let me watch. If he sees me, it won’t matter.”
Charlie switched places with Pet. He heard the steward talking to the passenger receiving the delivery. Then he heard the door close and the steward whistling as he walked away. Charlie whispered, “That’s Joey. He’s always whistling. Drives Morgy nuts.”
“I know where we are now. That’s the hall to my suite down there.”
“Give Joey a few seconds to get ahead of us. Then we’ll make a run for it.”
“This is so cool!”
“Yeah, right.”
Pet leaned against him, her arse pressing into his groin. He couldn’t believe it when he felt his dick getting hard. Pet also felt it, and wiggled her bottom against him. “I could go again, too.”
Charlie squeezed her arse cheek. “Let’s get to your cabin and we’ll see to it.”
Charlie heard Joey’s whistling receding as he left the deck. Pet grabbed his hand and yanked him forward. “It’s empty now. Let’s hit the road, Jack.”
“My name is Charlie. You know that.”
As Pet dragged him down the alleyway toward her suite, he heard her mutter, “That’s a song. You really need to spend more time off this ship!”
As they approached the door to B232, Charlie realized he didn’t bring the key Pet had given him to copy, and Pet didn’t have her bag. “Where’s your key?”
“I don’t have it. I left my door unlocked.”
“That’s a fucking stupid thing to do!”
“Why?”
“It isn’t safe.”
Pet’s laughter echoed in the empty alleyway. “What, do you think some sailor on the ship will come in and molest me?”
“No mate of mine would do that, but some crusty old gent who hasn’t had any for a time might.”
Pet opened the door to her cabin. “I’ll take my chances. If someone does come in, you’ll protect me, won’t you?”
“Depends on what they intend to do. I might fancy watching.”
Charlie followed Pet into her cabin and closed the door behind him. He knew the suites were spacious, but Pet’s was especially so. It had two rooms, a sitting room and a separate bedroom. The heavy golden drapes on the glass balcony doors were open, and the sunshine streamed into the room. A large spray of fresh flowers sat on a small oak table next to the wine-colored sofa.
Pet unexpectedly turned around. He had been checking out the cabin and nearly bumped into her. “Do you like that sort of thing?”
“What sort of thing?”
“Watching.”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“On what I’m watching.”
“Would
