I pointed to him. “That guy, right over there.”
Her eyes bugged out. “Don’t point,” she whispered harshly. “Oh my God. You’re embarrassing me.”
I laughed harder. I couldn't wait until Lucy was a teenager so we could call her out like this. “You should go talk to him. Tell him how you feel.”
“Oh, like that’s so easy,” she snapped sarcastically. “I don’t see you sitting here with anyone, Mr. Loner Boy.”
I coughed into my napkin, a little shocked at the insult.
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh my God, that was harsh. I’m sorry.” Now her face was really turning red.
I snorted a laugh. “It’s all good…” I tried to read her name tag.
“Camila,” she supplied.
“It’s all good, Camila. I do look like a loner, but I’m not. I mean, not really, anyway.” I shrugged.
She cringed. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. There’s nothing wrong with eating alone.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I waved her off. “All good. I chirped you first,” I said with a grin.
“Chirped?” She looked me up and down. “I’m from Minnesota. You must be a hockey guy.”
I lifted my water glass toward her, acknowledging that she was correct.
She twisted her lips and adjusted the metal serving tray on her hip. “A hockey guy all by his lonesome? Seems unlikely. Aren’t youalways surrounded by teammates or girls? Wait, did you piss off your girlfriend or something?”
“No.” I laughed. “No girlfriend.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So, you came on this cruise all by yourself?”
“Is that a problem?” I smirked. “Is there a rule against it? No vacations if you’re single?”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, no, but it is a little weird.”
A laugh popped out of me. “Wow, first I’m Mr. Loner Boy, now I’m weird?”
She rolled her lips together, struggling to keep in a laugh. “Well, maybe you should—”
“Camila!” someone called out from behind her, making her body go rigid.
“Ugh, I need to keep moving. Don’t leave yet, I have more questions,” Camila said before speeding away to deliver desserts to the tables around me.
A few minutes later, she smoothed a brownie with ice cream in front of me, then sat two chairs down from me with a crème brûlée for herself.
“So, who’s the girl?” she asked, shoving a spoonful of dessert in her mouth.
“Hmm?” I asked with my mouth full.
“There’s gotta be a girl.” She twirled her spoon in the air. “She was supposed to be here, but she broke up with you?” she guessed.
A grin tugged at my lips as I shook my head.
“Hmm…” She twisted her lips in thought. “You’re a workaholic in your everyday life, but now you’re trying to slow down and find a girl?”
I laughed into my dessert. “I guess I'm a bit of a workaholic,” I admitted.
She gave a satisfied smile. “So youarelooking for a girl. Okay, I’ll help.” She shifted her gaze around the room.
