“You know that’s not what I was saying. You’re upset, I’m sorry, but the captain’s clearly got his wires crossed. It’ll get sorted out. Don’t worry about it.”
“Don’t worry about it? I’m told to resign and all you can say is I’m sorry, don’t worry about it?” She practically spat the words and watched the shock at her vehement outburst spread over Dylan’s face. “I think you should leave.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said. “You’re in no state to be left alone. Calm down before you do anything stupid.”
“Now I’m stupid?”
“God damn it, that’s not what I meant.” His voice ratcheted up a notch, his exasperation finally turning to full-blown anger. “I didn’t say anything about us to anyone. That you could think I did clearly shows how little you think of me.”
A glimmer of reason tried to get Michaela’s attention, but she dismissed it. She was too angry. Enough was enough. “What I think of you is no longer important. You asked me to tell you I didn’t want you. Well, you got your wish. I don’t want you. I never really did, I was just confused by being on my own for so long.”
His expression turned icy. “You don’t mean that.”
“It was just a silly fling. I was a fool to think anything good could come out of it.”
Dylan looked at her carefully, calculation in his eyes. “Sure.”
They were both silent a moment. Then he shrugged. “It’s just a job,” Dylan said, his voice flat. “Think of this as an opportunity to start a new career. You said you were almost done with cruise ships, anyway.”
“Stop trying to tell me what to do with my life. If I lose this job, I lose everything.”
“Everything?”
“Everything.” The anger left her, and her whole body sagged. The truth that she had built her life around her career finally slammed into her. She really would have nothing if she was forced to resign.
Michaela held back a sob. It felt as if someone had pulled the bones from inside of her but left the skin and muscles and organs intact.
“Well, then. I’ll get out of your way.” Dylan straightened, turned on his heel, and stalked out of the room.
The sound of the door closing seemed to echo her life closing in around her. With the evaporation of anger came despondency. Finally, the dam burst, and her tears fell. What was she going to do? The thought of leaving the ship had been appealing when it was on her terms, but to have the decision made for her threw everything into disarray. There would be no international management job now. No job anywhere if the captain had his way. She could hardly get a senior position after leaving Adventurer Cruises under circumstances that implied she couldn’t be trusted with power.
Faced with the facts, she realized she had no desire to start all over in another industry. She wanted to go upward, not to begin at the bottom again. Getting off the ship was supposed to herald a new chapter in her life—more responsibility, more money, more prospects. Leaving under these circumstances promised none of that. Oh, how could she have been so stupid?
Michaela threw herself on the bed and cried in earnest. Very soon, her pillow was wet with tears, and her throat was raw. Trying to think through what to do next only brought on another round of tears. “I’m ruined,” she said. “I’m going to be one of those women who grow old alone, with nothing.” The next round of tears completely exhausted her, and she lay on her bed for almost an hour, empty and unmoving. She stared at the ceiling and felt the movement of the ship through the water. How would she be able to sleep without its gentle rocking? How would she relearn how to cook?
The idea of cooking made her realize she was hungry. Pull yourself together. Crying isn’t going to solve anything. But the thought of facing everyone in the canteen was just unbearable. She reached out for the phone and rang Felicity’s stateroom.
“Hello? Michaela, is that you?”
Michaela gave a small sob.
“I’m coming.”
…
Dylan couldn’t believe Michaela would cut him cold like that. She was the one woman he’d felt he’d been able to read. Her candor was so refreshing, so unlike the personalities of the women he usually dated. But now that she was upset, the rawness of her emotional state stabbed at him. And that she could even have thought for a second that he’d reported her to the captain, that he’d said she seduced him… It hurt.
And that was nuts. She was a beautiful woman, sexy, interesting, but all they’d had was a fling. Nothing worth getting bent out of shape over.
Dylan drifted toward his stateroom. They had a music night on tonight, and the dancers who didn’t sing weren’t required.
On his way downstairs, he saw a group of women huddled together and overheard one of them talking about Michaela. She spotted him.
“Hey sexy, how you doing? Isn’t it outrageous? That filthy woman. I didn’t think it would be allowed,” she said.
“Sorry?” Dylan had heard Michaela’s name but now wondered if they were talking about someone else.
“The cruise director seducing a man like that. Hardly even a man—still a boy, really. I mean, I’m sure he enjoyed it. He’s certainly been bragging about it, or so everyone’s been saying.”
Something clicked for Dylan. “Everyone’s been saying? With a passenger?” Michaela assumed he or Jake had told tales to the captain, but there was clearly something else going on.
“Oh, yes. And a young one, too. He’s only twenty. His parents thought it would be nice to bring him away on a family holiday—you know, before he leaves the nest for good and all that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Well, as much as we can be. I mean, I heard from someone who’s in with the captain’s crew that she hasn’t denied it. So it must be true, mustn’t it?”
“Do you know his name?” Dylan asked.
The women looked at each other. “Christopher something, wasn’t it?”
“Christopher Fielding,” one of the others said.
Dylan nodded his head and made to leave, anger burning within him.
“Do you think you’ll have a bit more time to dance with us this evening? You know, seeing as the cruise director doesn’t need babysitting anymore?”
You, ladies, are the last people I want to spend time with.
He gave them a quick wink and a flash of smile, walking away before he said something he would regret.