“Yes, please.” Kate released the button and rose to her feet. Devin followed suit and turned to look at the door.
The door opened, and Paul Bailey stepped into the room—and Paul Bailey was the tall, lanky, slow-talking man from the lounge. Paul looked momentarily startled when he saw Devin, but then he stepped forward and held out his hand.
“My liaison, I assume?”
“Yes, sir,” Devin replied, taking Paul’s hand. He blinked as he felt a tingle of contact shock as their palms met. Paul didn’t look more than a year or two older than Devin himself, but if he was in management, Devin felt it wise to offer a certain amount of deference. “I hope that’s all right with you?”
“Please, call me Paul,” Paul said, and Devin couldn’t help but notice he was even more attractive up close. “And yes, I’m fine with the arrangement if you are.”
“I’m fine with it, Paul.” Devin glanced back at Kate. “Is there anything specific I’m supposed to show him? Other than which overhead beams not to whack his head on, of course.”
Kate chuckled. “I’ll leave that up to the two of you.”
“All right.” Devin looked back to Paul. “I need to get up to the Lido and start setting up the bar for the day. How about we start with my department? Since we interact with almost every passenger several times a day, we tend to hear about everything happening on the ship.”
“That sounds like a good place to start,” Paul said, nodding.
“Excellent,” Kate said. “Then you two go on. You both know where to find me if you need anything.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Devin gestured to the door. “If you’re ready?”
Paul said goodbye to Kate. “Should I go with you or wait a few minutes to go to the bar?” he asked once they were out of the office.
“I suppose whatever you’re comfortable with,” Devin replied easily. “Are you trying to keep a low profile, or is this all business?” He looked at Paul’s outfit, which consisted of khaki pants, loafers, and a button-down short-sleeved blue shirt. He looked good—not that Devin could say so—but he was dressed more formally than most tourists.
“I’m here to learn, not for a vacation,” Paul said, glancing down at himself. “But I don’t necessarily want to stand out.”
“I suppose it depends on how and what you want to observe,” Devin replied, furrowing his brow as he thought. “I think if you dress ‘corporate,’ for lack for a better term, people are going to see you as someone who might be judging them. If you dress more like a tourist, which is the kind of person we’re used to interacting with, the staff will probably be more relaxed and natural around you, which will give you a better and truer picture of how everything works.” He grinned. “Think of it as being like when the principal shows up to class, and everyone is suddenly on their best behavior rather than doing what they usually do.”
“That makes sense,” Paul said, inclining his head slightly. “Unfortunately, I didn’t pack much that could be considered touristy since I wasn’t looking at this trip as a vacation. I think I brought one pair of jeans. Would that be better than these pants?”
“Khakis are fine, if you have the right shirt.” Devin tilted his head to one side. “We’re about the same size. If you wouldn’t be weirded out by it, I could lend you a few shirts. You could buy new up in the shops, but I’ve got plenty of things.”
“Maybe just one or two to tide me over until I can go shopping,” Paul said. “It sounds like most of what I brought won’t work except for evenings.”
“Sure. Fortunately, we have to go right past my quarters, so we can do it now.” A picture rose up in his mind of Paul dressed in one of his T-shirts and a pair of silk boxers, and Devin drew in a breath, reminding himself Paul was probably straight and they had a professional relationship. Which was too bad, because Paul was definitely Devin’s type. It wasn’t easy to find a man close to his own height, and Devin always felt self-conscious with shorter men.
It only took a few minutes to reach his quarters, and Devin took out his keycard to unlock the door. “My roommate has the morning shift at the Atrium bar, so the coast should be clear,” he said. After flipping on the light, he led Paul into the small room, which seemed even smaller with the two of them in it. No larger than Kate’s office, it held two beds, two dressers, a wall-mounted television, and a single table between the beds with two alarm clocks and a ship’s phone on it.
Turning to his dresser, Devin opened a drawer and selected a Hawaiian-print shirt in blues and greens, and a white T-shirt decorated with the flags of the various nations in the Caribbean. “These should do,” he said, favoring Paul with a mischievous look. “I could loan you my Buffalo Lick Bisons T-shirt, but I’d have to make you sign an oath in blood to give it back, or else I take your firstborn child.”
“Swiping my credit card sounds easier than signing a blood oath,” Paul said as he accepted the two shirts, his eyebrows climbing as he studied the bold Hawaiian print. “I’ll stick with these for now and buy something appropriate later. Thanks.”
“No problem. And yes, credit cards are definitely easier,” Devin agreed. “I take blood oaths seriously.”
“Good to know. Okay, I’ll go back to my cabin and change, and then I’ll join you at the bar. The Lido deck, you said?”
“Yes. It’s the big bar by the main pool—you can’t miss it. Look for the statue of Triton.”
Paul nodded, then headed for the door. “Thanks again,” he said before exiting the cabin.
“Anytime.” Devin watched Paul go, then drew in a deep breath. He would have to keep his wayward tongue in check, since Paul seemed all business. He didn’t want Paul to think he didn’t take his job seriously. Devin was used to joking with people he liked, and he did like Paul. Even though—or perhaps because—Paul seemed to be innately reserved, Devin felt an odd compulsion to make him smile.
He waited a moment, then headed out, telling himself he had a job to do. Paul Bailey was now part of that job, and more than that, Paul was probably going to be in a position to make things difficult for Devin if he didn’t think Devin was doing well enough. If Devin wanted a shot at the position he really wanted, he needed to make sure Paul was satisfied.
