Chapter Two
LIFEon a cruise ship started early, even for the bar staff, and ran late into the night. Which was why Devin was up, showered, and dressed by seven in the morning, and sitting in the crew mess digging into a heaping plate of pancakes and bacon, washed down with a cup of strong coffee. He had to set up the bar by the main pool at eight, so the early risers could enjoy a cocktail while catching the morning sun.
Even though the days were long, Devin enjoyed his job. He came from a large, boisterous family, so living in close quarters and having people around day in and day out didn’t bother him. He shared a small, windowless cabin with José, another member of the bar staff, and they got along well. He’d made friends among the rest of the staff as well, so there were always people available for trips into port or card games on days off. Perhaps the living conditions weren’t glamorous, but they were good enough, and the guests were interesting. Devin had traveled more in the past six months than he had in the previous twenty-six years, and he hadn’t tired of it yet. Added to that was the respectable salary and tips he earned, almost all of which he was able to save, since he didn’t have expenses for meals, clothing, laundry, or rent. By the time he was ready to settle down, he’d have enough saved to buy a home and open a restaurant of his own, where he could put everything he was learning about international cuisine to good use.
Plus, the job had been a good change of pace after he and his ex split up. Getting out of Texas had helped him forget the betrayal he’d felt in knowing he’d been used. Devin had been thinking seriously about a long-term relationship, but to his boyfriend, Devin had been a way to defy his rich, conservative parents. In retrospect he could see how much Brad had played him for a fool, but at the time, Brad had been everything Devin thought he wanted.
Still, the cruise ship was a long way from his home in Buffalo Lick, Texas, where he was part of the sprawling Walker clan. Not that he or his sisters resembled most of their cousins much, since their mother, Mihoni, was a full-blooded Osage who had grown up in Oklahoma. She and Buddy Walker had fallen in love when he was working as a ranch hand in the area, and after they married, she’d moved with him to Texas.
Devin had put up with his share of snide comments about the color of his skin and questions about why he didn’t go back to live on the reservation. Most of the wisecracks came from newcomers to town or tourists attending the annual rodeo, because everyone else knew the Walker kids ran in packs and weren’t shy about defending kin with their fists. Blood was definitely thicker than water with his family, and there were times when Devin missed the comradery and wished for the support of family, especially when he had to smile in the face of a derogatory comment. Fortunately, the bad times had been—with the notable and painful exception of Brad Carter—few and far between to this point. So while Devin was enjoying his time on thePearland hoped to move up to a position in the kitchen before long, he knew in his heart that home was still a tiny Texas town in a sea of sand and sagebrush.
As he sipped a second cup of coffee, Devin found his thoughts turning to the passenger he’d met before dinner the previous evening. Since wine was complimentary on the first night of the cruise, he hadn’t had any reason to scan the man’s guest card to learn his name. While Devin’s job meant he had to be pleasant and sociable with everyone, he’d found the tall, dark-haired man attractive for more than just his good looks and his delicious Southern accent. He was exactly the kind of confident, intelligent man Devin found most appealing.
Fraternization with the guests wasn’t encouraged, even though it wasn’t a “crash and burn” offense. But Devin wasn’t into casual hookups, and it wasn’t likely the guy was gay anyway. Yet he couldn’t help that his gaze had been drawn back to the man when he’d returned to the Seafarer after dinner to listen to the cruise director’s port talk. The lounge had been crowded and the bar had been busy, but Devin found himself looking out over the sea of people, keeping track of where the tall man settled to listen to the lecture.
“Hey, Dev!”
Devin looked from his coffee cup as Jill, who was to be his partner at the Lido Bar for his upcoming shift, dropped into the chair across from him. Jill was barely five feet tall, with dark hair in a pixie cut and big blue eyes, and she looked as though a strong wind could blow her overboard. But he knew from experience that she was far stronger than she appeared to be, and she could more than keep up with her male coworkers when it came to hefting cases of alcohol and kegs of beer.
“Good morning,” he said. “I was about to head up and get started on the setup. It’s supposed to be sunny and hot today, so I think we’ll need a couple of extra cases of bottled water.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Jill said. “But I’ll take care of the water. You need to haul your butt to the office to see Queen Kate.”
“What?” Devin had a moment of panic, wondering if he’d done something wrong. Katherine Woodhouse, known to the hospitality staff as Queen Kate—at least behind her back—was the hospitality manager for the entire ship. All the department heads reported to her, so it was unusual for her to want to talk to someone as low on the totem pole as Devin. In her early forties, Kate had been with Triton for years, and it was rumored that when her husband told her she had to choose between her job and him, she’d picked Triton.
“Maybe there’s a kitchen job opening up,” Jill said, chuckling at his expression. She knew Devin was hoping to get a position as a sous chef, but she didn’t resent it. “Don’t look so worried, Dev. If you’d screwed up, she would have had Greg chew you out.”
“True.” Greg Stephens was the bar manager, in charge of all the bartenders and lounges on the ship. Devin drew in a deep breath. “I’ll see what she wants, then meet you at the Lido as soon as I can.”
Jill gave him a thumbs-up, and Devin stood, picked up his tray and mug, and carried them over to the conveyor belt that would take them to the dishwashers in the kitchen. He didn’t want to get his hopes up about a kitchen job, but he stopped in the restroom to wash his hands and check his appearance before making his way to Kate’s office.
Since Kate was responsible for everyone who worked on the ship except for the captain and the members of the merchant marine who were responsible for the ship itself, she had an office and an assistant, an attractive young man named Brett who helped out with all the paperwork generated by every department. Even with Triton making a big push toward electronic data, there were certain records that had to be kept in hardcopy. Brett smiled as Devin stepped into the tiny reception area where he had his desk.
“Hi, Dev. Thanks for coming so quickly,” Brett said as he rose to his feet. He went to the door to the inner office and knocked once before opening it. “Go on in.”
Devin smiled with what he hoped was more confidence than he felt and stepped past Brett into Kate’s office. He’d been there two weeks ago, when he’d been given his six-month evaluation, which had gone well. The room was large by ship standards, which meant it was about twelve feet square. It held a conference table as well as Kate’s desk, along with all the equipment for videoconferencing not only within the ship, but even back to corporate headquarters.
Kate glanced up and smiled, and Devin felt himself relax at her open expression. She was an attractive woman, with dark hair going gray at the temples, which she didn’t color. Dressed in a dark blue pantsuit with a lighter blue blouse that brought out the color of her eyes, she was the perfect picture of the efficient, confident executive she actually was.
“Good morning, Devin. Thanks for coming,” she said, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of her desk. “Have a seat, won’t you?”
He rounded the conference table and sat down in the plush leather chair, but he didn’t relax. “Jill said you wanted to see me?”
“Yes.” Kate sat back in her chair. “There’s a new man from corporate on the cruise. I don’t know if you’ve heard how the company trains its execs, but anyone from the head office who wants to go into management has to be familiar with how the ships function. Not just in an abstract way either. They’re sent on one of the longer cruises, and they’re expected to look into how each department runs and see the operation firsthand.”
“I’d heard something about that,” Devin replied slowly. “It makes sense. I suppose it would be hard to manage something if you don’t have a clue about how things really work.”
“Exactly.” Kate nodded. “It doesn’t happen often, since members of the management team tend to stay until they retire, but this won’t be the first new person thePearlhas hosted. One of the things we like to do is assign someone to be a liaison between the new person and the staff. It’s easier for everyone if there isn’t an extraneous person—especially someone who will likely end up in a position of authority—wandering around the ship, poking into things, possibly upsetting the routine.”
“I see.” Devin suppressed a slight twinge of disappointment there wasn’t a sous chef position opening up after all. He reminded himself there would be one eventually; he just had to be patient. “I take it you want me to be the liaison?”
“Bingo,” Kate said. “I know it’s asking a lot, but it’s a position of trust, I assure you. You are representing the entire staff to corporate. I picked you because you’re the type of employee Triton values. You work hard. You’re enthusiastic, open, and friendly, and you’ve made an effort to get to know people outside of your own department. I think you’d be the perfect person to show Paul Bailey how thePearlworks and what makes her so special.”
Devin sat up straighter, his momentary depression forgotten. He was flattered that Kate was willing to invest such confidence in him, and he was sure that indicated good things for his future. “Thank you. I’d be happy to help.”
Kate’s pleased expression indicated her satisfaction. “Excellent. I was hoping you’d be willing.” She punched a button on her phone. “Brett, is Mr. Bailey here?”
“Yes, he is,” Brett said over the small speaker. “Shall I send him in?”
