The Way He Moves

“There you are,” she said. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” She held out a freshly made drink, which he took from her.

“Thanks.”

“How come you’re not dancing?” she asked, swiveling her hips. “I would have thought you could have any woman you want. You’re the hottest guy on this ship.”

Marc took a swallow of the clear-colored liquid. “What is this?”

“Rum and coconut water. The bartender’s from the islands. I told him to make us one of his favorite local drinks.”

Us? She was moving too fast for him, but she just might be what he needed to take his mind off Serena.

“We should dance,” Heddy said, coming even closer, her gigantic breasts almost nudging his chest.

“Okay, how about when the music changes and things slow down.”

“Perfect.”

There was a wide smile on her face now. From his answer she probably figured he was interested in her. Marc felt a twinge of guilt.

After a few more songs the music changed and several enterprising couples began to cha-cha-cha. Setting down his almost empty glass, Marc gestured for her to do the same. Heddy carried her glass with her and they began a one handed cha-cha-cha.

They’d been dancing for several minutes when a shrill scream tore through the music. People began scattering.

“Stop him,” a high pitched female voice shouted.

“Stop that thief. He tried to mug that woman.”

“Oh, my God he was choking her.”

A man plowed through the crowd, shoving people aside. He was heading directly toward them. Marc grabbed the half-filled glass that Heddy still held and flung the liquid into the man’s face. He stumbled and went down like a brick, arms splaying to brace his fall. The object he held hit the floor and began to roll.

Marc straddled the man, grabbed one of his arms and twisted it behind his back, almost wrenching it from its socket.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” he snapped, applying pressure to the arm.

“Please, please, don’t hurt me,” the man whined. “I didn’t steal anything.”

Two passengers helped Marc keep the thief prone, until men wearing polo shirts with the Alexandra’s Dream logo took over.

“Security,” they barked, identifying themselves.

A pair of corded arms physically loosened Marc’s grip. He was breathing hard from the exertion of keeping the thief still.

The security man’s buddy placed a gigantic boot-clad foot on the small of the man’s back.

“You were great,” a woman in an elaborate ball gown gushed, her hand grazing Marc’s forearm. “What if he’d had a weapon?”

“Way to go, bud,” another man said.

Marc was still dazed, unable to believe that something like this could happen on a cruise ship. People were gawking, shocked, watching the thief as he was pulled to his feet and cuffed.

A man in ship’s whites, a stethoscope draped around his neck, pushed through the crowd. He was escorted by another security type. They headed for a woman seated in a lounge chair and surrounded by cruise personnel who were holding passengers back from the area.

Serena! Marc’s heart pounded in his chest. Was she all right? There would be hell to pay if she was hurt. A woman squatting next to her held her hand, offering water periodically. A crew member held a cold compress to the side of her neck and a tall, broad shouldered man who looked to be in charge had an anxious look on his face.

It must have been her jewelry the thief was after. He’d ripped the necklace off without caring whether he hurt Serena or not. Marc should have broken the bastard’s arm. He swallowed the bile that was slowly rising in his throat and fought to get his emotions under control.

The doctor removed the compress, revealing an ugly bruise on Serena’s neck. As the medic’s fingers probed the area, a man with a hip-rolling walk approached one of the security officers, muttering something in his ear. He was allowed access to the injured woman. He squatted down and folded something into her palm.

Serena opened her hand and brought the item closer to her. It shone under the artificial lighting, just like the tears in her eyes.

If Marc ever got hold of that bastard, the guy would live to regret what he’d done. Only a coward would hurt a woman.

CHAPTER FOUR

THANASI KALDIS, the hotel director, ran a tanned hand through hair that was beginning to silver at the tips. He ground his teeth in frustration. This contract had been nothing but a nightmare from the very start. He’d been stuck with a mostly North American crew who weren’t used to working long hours, and complained every chance they got. And he’d had passenger issues on every single cruise. Retirement was beginning to sound better and better.

What had happened to the days when people came on board a cruise to eat, drink and relax? Now there was always an agenda or some kind of incident that required the police or law enforcement.

He had been happy to leave the Mediterranean, figuring all the drama of the onboard smuggling scheme that had been uncovered was over with. In the Caribbean he was hoping to get back to some kind of normalcy. But no, Patti Kennedy, his cruise director, and the ship’s librarian had come up with this ridiculous treasure hunt. Now, even before the ship sailed, passengers were frantically going through their cabins and moving furniture around.

He was counting the days to vacation. At the end of this cruise, when the ship repositioned and sailed down the west coast of South America, Thanasi was taking a much needed break. After attending Ariana Bennett’s wedding, it was off to Athens to see his family.

Ariana was the ship’s librarian and she was marrying a former undercover Italian police officer, Dante Colangelo, who’d been investigating the smuggling ring. He’d abducted her at a dig site, suspecting she was involved in the antiquities black market. But after spending time together and discovering that neither was the enemy, the two had fallen for each other. They’d planned a shipboard ceremony so that all Ariana’s cruise staff friends could be there; the more elaborate wedding and reception would be held in Ariana’s hometown, Philadelphia.

During his vacation, Thanasi was going to seriously consider getting a job shoreside. He’d been toying with the idea for a while, especially after the smuggling scandal, but usually dismissed it because wanderlust got in the way. But even these past few voyages had not been incident free, and a nice dull desk job on shore was sounding better and better.

Thanasi was especially upset by this most recent attack. Alarm bells were bound to sound off to the media. The d’Andrea woman was an heiress from a prominent Buenos Aires family. Since past sailings had ended with arrests, Thanasi was dreading contacting the authorities again.

It would mean another delay and the inevitable itinerary adjustments. The result would be passengers complaining. And if the d’Andrea woman decided to press charges, well, that would create even more problems and a longer delay.

Thanasi hated dealing with the authorities at foreign ports of call, but maritime law being what it was, he had no choice. Luckily they were in Key West. Still, it would mean kissing off his cherished personal time. He would now be too busy with the police and FBI.

Thanasi and Nick Pappas, the captain, would have to be available for questions. Nick had already placed a call to the owner, Elias Stamos, who was at his vacation home in Barbados. Elias should be calling back any minute.

Meanwhile the assailant had been taken to the brig, an isolated cabin kept open to contain unruly passengers. Now it was left to Thanasi and Patti Kennedy to get things back on track and deliver the cruise experience these passengers had come onboard for.

Patti, resilient and perky as ever, was already on the dais and in full command of the microphone while the Rhythm Dancers D.J. sat silently, headphones on, gaping at her. She was keeping things upbeat and light, trying to play down the seriousness of the situation yet at the same time not trivializing the attack. He had to admit she was good at her job.

Initially Thanasi had had his doubts about Patti. He was more comfortable working with male cruise directors. But although Patti’s style was different, she’d delivered to date. She was pleasant, outgoing, humorous and a very attractive woman, especially popular with male passengers, who came up with outrageous excuses to interact with her.

“Well, now that we’ve had our entertainment for the evening,” Patti announced, smiling her big smile, and tossing a full mane of chestnut hair off her face, “we can get ahead with the business of enjoying this cruise. Be assured the thief is under lock and key, in a cabin far away from you and me, thank goodness.” She gave a throaty laugh and the passengers laughed with her.

“It’s safe to return to your cabins to get ready for dinner. First seating will be in exactly half an hour. If you prefer alternative dining, then the Marco Polo and Olive Grove are the places to be. Both restaurants serve until eleven. And after dinner you’ll love one of our Las Vegas style shows. The entertainment features our talented dancers, the Alexandra’s Dream Team. Thanasi Kaldis, your hotel director, and I will be out on the Promenade later to answer your questions.”

Patti surrendered the microphone to the clearly smitten D.J., who helped her down from the dais. She was immediately surrounded by people. Hoping to take the pressure off her, Thanasi made his way over.

Seconds before he got to the stage, a tall, dark-haired man in expensive boots accosted him. “You’re the hotel director, aren’t you?”

“I am.” Thanasi held out his hand. “Thanasi Kaldis at your service.” The passenger grasped it with a surprising firmness that almost made him wince. Thanasi quickly stuck his hand in the pocket of his navy blue double-breasted jacket and waited to hear what he would say.

“The name is Gilles Anderson,” he said. “How could something like this happen on a cruise ship? That woman could have been seriously hurt.”

Thanasi had asked himself the very same question, except he’d phrased it differently. How could something like this continue to happen on his cruise ship?

He was used to people drinking too much and occasionally causing a scene. He was used to couples fighting, the occasional extramarital affair gone awry, one-night stands that turned into a disaster when one or another party expected more, the disappearance of items from cabins, people complaining about food. But smuggling and passengers attacks were different from the usual experience. And this public assault of a passenger on his ship was definitely not to be tolerated.

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Thanasi answered, keeping his voice modulated and his response professional. “This ship holds a thousand passengers and is very much like a floating city. We have metal detectors that passengers pass through prior to boarding, and the luggage goes through a scanner. Short of running background checks on all of our guests, we are doing our best.”

Gilles Anderson didn’t appear appeased by his answer. In fact he’d become more indignant. His face had taken on a crimson undertone, and Thanasi could tell he was fighting to control his anger.

“Where was your security force when that woman was attacked? Have you seen the ugly bruise on her neck? You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t sue you.”

Thanasi had thought about that too. Americans were a litigious group, although Ms. d’Andrea was Argentinean. The first thing he’d had the Guest Relations personnel do was check her travel documents and that’s how he’d discovered who she was.

“I repeat, it was a very unfortunate situation and we’ll do everything in our power to make Ms. d’Andrea’s stay with us as comfortable as possible.” Thanasi removed his hand from his pocket and tried to discreetly pass on some beverage coupons to the Anderson man. “Please try to put this ugly situation behind you and allow me to buy you a drink or two.”

The man recoiled as if he had been struck.

“Don’t try to mollify me. I don’t want complimentary drinks. I just want to be assured that none of us will have to worry about our safety on board.”

Thanasi nodded. “I understand. As stated, this was a highly unusual situation. I’ve already alerted the authorities and we’re putting steps in place to increase security.” He turned, hoping the videographers were still shooting. Spotting them, he said, “See over there? Every movement’s been recorded on film. It was stupid of that man to try stealing the pendant, because as soon as we look at that tape he’s as good as caught. You have my assurance security will be visible for the rest of the cruise, and if necessary we’ll have headquarters fly back-up personnel in.”

Patti walked over to join him.

“Hi, I’m Patti Kennedy, your cruise director. Is there something I can help with?”

Gilles Anderson turned and immediately his stance became less aggressive.

“We have it all sorted out, I think. Nice job you did soothing the fears of the passengers and reminding us what we’re here for.” He smiled at Patti, seeming to like what he saw.

Patti flashed the man another wide smile, one that revealed perfectly straight white teeth and made her tanned skin look even darker. She was one of those people who came across as happy, healthy and even-keeled under the most adverse circumstances.

“Thank you. You’re very kind,” she said. “Why don’t you stop by the Emperor’s Club later and join Thanasi and me for grappa.”

Thanasi felt a flicker of annoyance as he watched the flirtatious exchange, but at least he had been included in the invitation. He just hoped he wouldn’t turn out to be the third wheel or the chaperone.

“Sounds good to me—I’ll be there,” Gilles said, smiling back and looking at Patti as if she’d just told him he’d won another cruise. Patti could charm the most disgruntled passenger.

“Look, I’m sorry about giving you a hard time,” Gilles said, turning back to Thanasi. “I’m just concerned about what happened to that woman. I came to relax and I don’t want to have to keep looking over my shoulder.”

Thanasi touched the man’s forearm lightly. “Not a problem. I understand. Trust me, your safety is my biggest priority. I’ll see you at the Emperor’s Club after the late show, then.”

“I’ll be there.”

After Gilles Anderson left, Thanasi and Patti headed back to their offices. It seemed every step they took, they were stopped by anxious passengers who wanted to have their fears assuaged.

“You were very good with the Anderson man,” Thanasi admitted grudgingly.

So far Patti had proven to be competent and supportive, but he’d never told her so. The two had completely different styles of dealing with people. She was more relaxed, looser, while he preferred a formal businesslike approach. It was what he was comfortable with and the way he’d been trained.

Patti tossed another devastating smile his way, the kind that went directly to a man’s heart. “I guess I’m putting my ‘charm school’ training to good use, eh?”

She’d picked up the eh from the Canadian crewmembers, and while her words were said in jest, there was an underlying edge to them. Thanasi had been very vocal about letting the crew know that he wasn’t a proponent of “charm school.” Hospitality training taught the basics, but he truly believed the only way to know what it took to work a cruise ship and deal with people was to be hands-on. He’d had to learn from the bottom up and he felt that was an asset.

“Do you have time for a coffee?” he surprised himself by asking Patti.

For a fleeting moment her gold-flecked eyes registered shock, though she quickly recovered. She shot him another of those wide smiles. “Sure. Where would you like to go?”

“My office. We’ll be able to talk without interruption.”

Thanasi would have much preferred an alcoholic drink, but they were still on duty and both needed to keep a clear head. In an hour or so he’d be accompanying Sean Brady, the Acting Chief of Security, to the brig, where they would interrogate the thief and attempt to get a written confession from him.

Opening the door to his office, he stood aside to let Patti enter.

Her wide gaze swept the room before she eased into the chair he gestured her to. “You’re always so organized and so neat,” she said, taking the seat facing his desk. “I’m the total opposite.”

“You just have your own style.”

Thanasi had seen her office and could vouch that she wasn’t a minimalist. Paperwork was piled in neat stacks, but she had mementos of her visits to different countries all over the place. Patti had everything from Love Leaves purchased in Grenada to Evil Eye trinkets collected in Istanbul. Her office reflected her personality. It was warm, friendly and a little bit over the top.

He, on the other hand, prided himself on order. The only way to keep on top of the arduous paperwork that came with his job was to have folders for everything. With the exception of his computer, the surface of his desk was clutter-free.

He picked up the phone and spoke into it.

“I need a fresh pot of coffee and Danish sent up right away.”

“Danish,” Patti murmured. “I’m not sure I can afford the calories.”

“You don’t need to watch your figure,” Thanasi said bluntly, and watched two little red dots pop out on Patti’s cheeks.

He’d never seen her blush before. She had a figure most women would kill for. He’d seen her in a swimsuit at the crew gym when she was swimming laps. She had a flat stomach, shapely breasts and long legs. She was the kind of woman men fantasized about but seldom could get.

“You flatter me,” Patti said, smoothing her hands over hips that were almost nonexistent. “If I get too complacent the pounds start piling on. It’s easy to let yourself go on a cruise ship with all this food around.”

“Tell me about it.”

Thanasi sucked in his gut, not that there was much there to suck in. During his off time, what precious little there was of it, he frequented the crew gym, pumping iron like a mad man. When you were forty-something you had to work at keeping in shape and keeping your stress-level down.

“Oops! There goes my beeper,” Patti said, standing. “Rain check on that coffee. We’ll catch up at the Emperor’s Club later.”

“What about dinner?”

Patti was halfway out the door. The consummate professional, she was already answering the call.

“ARE YOU SURE you’re up to going to the dining room?” Pia asked as she watched Serena painstakingly layer foundation on her neck.

“Of course. I’m not going to let something as silly as a nasty bruise stop me from getting out and about.” Serena continued smoothing makeup over the ugly black and blue bruise resulting from the attack. “Help me pick out something to wear to dinner and afterwards we’ll take in a show.”

Pia crossed over to the closet and threw the doors open. “I find it odd that you were the one singled out. There are a thousand people on board.”

“It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me either. A man kept bumping into me while I was dancing. All of a sudden there was this tug, and I was dragged across the floor. Thankfully the ribbon holding the pendant broke.”

Pia sifted through the clothing the butler had ironed and hung in the closet. “And be thankful that passenger flung his drink in the thief’s face or he might have escaped.”

“What passenger?”

“The dark-haired guy wearing cowboy boots. The videographers were filming, and I saw the whole thing on the big screen T.V. That’s how I knew.” Pia handed an elegant silk pantsuit to Serena. “Try this. A lace camisole underneath and you’re set. I’d wear the pendant, too—it would look good with black. No point in leaving it lying around the room after what happened. I can’t imagine why anyone would try to steal it, though.”

“I’ll put it in my purse. My neck still aches.” Serena popped the jewelry into her evening bag. She was still shaken up, and more terrified than she was willing to admit. All she wanted to do was put the unpleasant incident behind her. “I thought about handing it in, but I hate to let that man win. Besides, he was caught, so maybe the pendant does have some lucky charm.”

Pia stood in front of the full-length mirror, finger-combing her hair, and putting the final touches on her makeup.

“This dark haired man, the one who threw the drink, what did he look like?” Serena asked.

“He was hot, sort of a Hugh Jackman type—you know, the Australian actor.”

Serena bit down on her bottom lip.

“And this Jackman look-a-like is one of our dance group?”

“He might be. He was on the dance floor several times with that hot-to-trot redhead. I remember looking at him and thinking, Now, there is one classy man. He’s got a golden tan, dreamy blue eyes, and a smile that could stop a woman’s heartbeat.” Pia must have noticed Serena’s stricken expression. “Dios Mío, Serena, he’s not the man you think is Marc?”

Serena nodded her head slowly. “He sounds like the passenger I pointed out to you earlier.”

“Then you must contact him and thank him for his help.”

“I suppose I could. If I speak with him at length I might be able to determine if he’s really Marc in disguise.”

“Have the maître d’ send him a bottle of wine or something. He’s bound to call you and thank you.”

“Good idea. And while I’m at it, I’ll also send a bottle of wine to the man who returned the pendant. Let’s go. We’ll be late for the second seating.”

Serena picked up her purse and Pia followed her out. They’d both agreed that the Empire Room, the main dining room, would be their best choice for dinner. As they approached they spotted the long line of passengers waiting to enter.

“Why don’t we come back in fifteen minutes after it opens,” Pia suggested, “Now is as good a time as any to familiarize ourselves with the ship. If we start off on Helios we can work our way down.”

Pia led the way to a glass elevator, and after a short wait they joined a number of people getting on. Among them was a chubby, middle-aged, overdressed woman, clutching the arm of a man in suit and tie. She poked Serena’s arm and said, “Aren’t you the woman that man attacked? I witnessed the whole thing.”

“You did?”

“Yes. I told the security people that man was dancing way too close to you. All of a sudden he left his partner and lunged for your throat. We’re from Kentucky. We don’t have this kind of excitement at home.”

“Well, at least he was caught,” another passenger chimed in.

Everyone in the packed elevator was now staring at Serena. She was glad when the elevator stopped on Poseidon and several people got off.

“I hope he didn’t hurt you too badly,” the plump, plain-speaking woman said. The sentiment was echoed by several others and Serena thanked them for their kindness.

She was relieved when they reached Helios and she and Pia quickly circled the artificially lit sundeck.

“We’ll need to spend some time here,” she said as they did a quick walk-through of the Jasmine Spa, fitness center and Starlight Theatre. All the amenities of an upscale resort seemed to be here, the putting green, tennis courts, hot tubs and a spacious observation deck.

“Sign me up,” Pia said enthusiastically.

“We’ll come back tomorrow when it’s light. Shall we take the stairs to the next deck?”

“Sure.”

On deck eleven, Artemis, they stuck their heads into the main lounge aptly named the Court of Dreams. It was three stories high and very glitzy. It reminded Serena of a wedding palace with its ornate railings, sweeping staircases and marble steps.

In typical Renaissance style, cherubs floated on the clouds on the ceiling, and pink, white and gold upholstered sofas and chairs added to the dreamy effect. Tucked away in illuminated alcoves were vases of greenery and blooming roses or statues of the Greek gods and goddesses. On stage, angled slightly to the left, a massive, black concert grand piano dominated.