The two of them towered above most of the other passengers, and Devin used his height to advantage, reaching across to pluck delicacies from the parts of the display others couldn’t reach. He pointed out some of the choicest morsels to Paul, and when their plates were full, Devin gave his to Paul and gestured toward an empty table. “If you’ll get the table, I’ll bring the champagne.”
Putting his long legs to good use, Paul strode over to claim the table before anyone else could, and he waited patiently for Devin to join him. It only took Devin a couple of minutes to return, bearing two glasses of the sparkling wine, and he placed one down at each place.
“This is from the bottle, not the fountain,” Devin explained as he sat in the empty chair across from Paul. “It looks pretty, but you don’t want to drink from it, because it goes flat so quickly.”
“So people don’t really drink from the fountain?” Paul asked. “Or are they not aware that it goes flat?”
“Some people like what’s in the fountain, because they’re not as fond of the sparkling wines to begin with, but I’m a purist,” Devin replied. He picked up his glass, raising it to Paul. “Should we drink a toast to your first decadent midnight buffet?”
“The first, but I hope not the last,” Paul said as he touched his glass against Devin’s.
“I hope so too.” Devin replied. He took a sip from the glass. “Mm. I like champagne. I’m glad I’m off duty so I can enjoy it. And enjoy watching you.”
“I didn’t realize I provided that much entertainment,” Paul said, keeping his tone light as he turned his attention to his plate.
“I like seeing your delight in new experiences,” Devin said. “I remember how it was for me on my first cruise, and I like reliving that through you. I hope you don’t mind. I don’t mean it as something condescending or superior. I suppose it’s just part of my personality. I’m happiest when those around me are happy.”
“No, I understand,” Paul said, sternly reminding himself that it was irrational for him to be disappointed that Devin hadn’t meant the remark flirtatiously when he knew damned well he had no business flirting with Devin in the first place. “I like making people happy too. That’s why I work for Triton. It’s satisfying to know we can make people happy while they’re on board and give them a respite from everyday life for a week or so.”
“I agree,” Devin replied. He nibbled at the items on his plate, then glanced at the dance floor as the band began to play. “Tonight is big band and jazz. The next buffet will have classic rock, I’ve heard. They try to mix it up so people don’t get tired of the same thing.”
Paul glanced wistfully at the dance floor. “I used to enjoy dancing.”
“Used to?” Devin asked. “You can still dance, you know.”
“I know,” Paul said quietly. Dancing—like all the other activities he used to enjoy—had been relegated to the past. “Intellectually, at least. I’ve avoided a lot of things, including dancing. I tell myself it’s because I’ve been busy trying to get my career back on track, but I think some part of me is afraid Jack was right—that I wouldn’t be able to do any of it again.”
“Ha!” Devin’s tone was chastising. “We agreed Jack was an idiot. You, however, are not, and neither am I. You can do anything you want. Anything, Paul. You have nothing to be afraid of. Even if you have to learn a different way of doing what you used to do, you won’t fail.”
“Maybe after the cruise, I’ll pick something I used to do and try it again,” Paul said, and for the first time, he didn’t feel dread at the thought. Apprehension, sure, but also a new eagerness as if something in him was starting to emerge from the cocoon he’d wrapped himself in since Jack’s departure.
“That’s the spirit.” Devin nodded in approval, then changed the subject. “So now that you’ve gotten to sample more, what’s your favorite thing from the buffet?”
Paul looked down at his plate and shook his head. “I can’t choose. Everything was delicious, but my sweet tooth might come out more in favor of the cake. I’m just glad it was pretty well decimated by the time I got a piece because I still don’t think I could have made myself mess it up.”
“I know what you mean.” Devin glanced toward the buffet. “It’s going down faster than the Titanic. If you want another piece, I can go get it for you.”
“Thanks, but I’m good.” Paul realized Devin had been waiting on him all evening, and he wondered if Devin felt like he had to because Paul was higher up on the Triton ladder. “Kate made you my guide, not my butler,” he said, smiling slightly to take any sting out of his words. “You don’t have to wait on me.”
Devin was obviously taken aback, and he shook his head. “I haven’t been waiting on you,” he said, then glanced away. “I like taking care of people. Sorry if I’ve been too pushy.”
“No, you haven’t been pushy,” Paul said, reaching across the table to touch Devin’s hand lightly. “But I don’t want you to feel like you have to fetch and carry for me just because Kate assigned you to work with me.” He leaned back and smiled wryly. “Plus I’m not accustomed to having a handsome man wait on me. I’m pretty self-sufficient.”
Not to mention, he’d had a quite different dynamic with Jack, but he didn’t say so aloud since Devin seemed to dislike Jack more than enough already.
Devin relaxed and smiled slightly, seeming pleased with the compliment. “I know you’re self-sufficient, so I was afraid I’d overstepped. I’m glad I didn’t.” He leaned back in his chair. “If you don’t want anything else, I have a suggestion. Would you like to see my favorite place on the ship?”
“Sure,” Paul said, curious about where that might be. Obviously not the Lido deck or the lounge, since Paul had already seen both of those places.
“Great!” Devin rose and removed his backpack from the back of his chair where he’d placed it. “It’s not far, actually, but not many people know about it.”
Paul followed Devin out of the dining room, and then they rode the elevator up to the sports deck, which was at the top of the ship. Since it was well after midnight, there was no one around, but Devin didn’t stop there. He took a key ring out of his pocket to unlock a door next to the stand where people could borrow basketballs or putters and balls for the minigolf course. There was a spiral stairway inside, and Devin led him upward to a small deck, no more than twenty feet square, that was completely deserted. But the view of the sky and the moonlit sea was beautiful, and the band in the dining room was clearly audible.
“When they built the ship, they’d planned to have skeet shooting up here,” Devin explained. He took off his backpack and placed it near the door. “But there was something about insurance and liability problems, so the idea was abandoned. One of the ventilation shafts for the dining room comes out on the sports deck, which is why you can hear the music.” He walked over to the railing where the deck overlooked the water at the aft of the ship. “I love to come up here at night.”
Paul approached the railing and gazed out at the ocean. The water looked forbidding—black and infinite—but the reflection of the moon on the surface gave it an unearthly allure. Overhead, countless stars glittered, bright pinpoints of light in the inky velvet of the night sky, and Paul was entranced by the view.
“I can see why,” he said, leaning on his forearms against the sturdy metal rail.
