THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family #6) - Brenda Jackson Page 0,7
and strawberries.
Her cabin steward, a young woman from Belgium name Hagia, spent almost half an hour telling Monica about all the things there were to do onboard, promising her a wonderful time. Hagia’s energy was infectious, and Monica couldn’t help feeling the same excitement. Regardless of the work she had to do, Monica planned to have a grand time. She needed it.
There were two hours before the ship left Sydney, so she decided to unpack. She’d chosen her wardrobe for this cruise carefully. In order to give an honest review about the ship, the amenities, and the people onboard—both staff and guests—she had to blend in and not attract too much attention. Although she doubted that would be a problem…
Before boarding, she’d taken a look around at the other passengers. Just as she’d thought, there were more women than men. While in line, she had overheard a few conversations—unbelievably some women had already picked out the men they intended to pursue. Monica was nowhere near that brazen.
After unpacking, she decided to go up to the top deck and grab some lunch. According to her itinerary, they would be at sea for the next three days before reaching Brisbane. They’d spend two days exploring the city, before setting sail for five tropical islands. Then there’d be another day at-sea.
Her phone rang and she checked the caller ID. It was her brother Hansen. She quickly clicked on. “What’s up, Handsome?” She smiled, knowing he detested it when she messed with his name...although he was too handsome for his own good. Both he and Pratt had inherited Lorenzo Perkins’s striking good looks.
“The name is Hansen, brat.”
She chuckled. “At least I didn’t ask you where Gretel was.”
“Ha-ha. And what’s this I hear about you going on a singles’ cruise?”
She figured either Pratt or Kelly had told him. “You would have known if you hadn’t missed the last few weekly zoom meetings.”
“It couldn’t be helped. The case I was working on was kicking my butt. However, I got my guy.”
“That’s great, Hansen. Congratulations!”
“Thanks. Now what about this cruise?”
“It’s a working cruise. I’m doing a review for the newspaper.”
“I should have come with you.”
“Uhmmm…no. The women on board would have taken one look at you, and I wouldn’t see you again for the rest of the cruise.”
Hansen chuckled. “I could handle the women, brat.”
Yes, he could have. Her no-nonsense FBI agent brother was used to giving women a run for their money. He was not the philandering ass their father had been—and still was, for that matter—but Hansen did have a very active social life when he wasn’t working a case that took a lot of his time and concentration.
After ending her call with Hansen, not surprisingly, Pratt and Kelly had phoned. Kelly, her fun-loving sister, told her to let her hair down and go a little crazy if she felt like it. But she wanted details. Kelly was working on her PhD, and the only chance she’d get of having any fun was to live vicariously through her half-sister.
Pratt, like Hansen, had given her a lot of big brother advice and warnings about singles’ cruises. He’d been on a couple of them and had seen the same pattern—men would target whatever woman they planned to hook up with on the first day.
Newsflash! The women did the same thing. Just like she’d told Hansen, she told Pratt that this was a working cruise for her. Although there would be time for her to enjoy herself, she wasn’t looking for a hook-up.
Monica suddenly heard laughter and cheering, which meant the boat was moving away from dock and heading out to sea. The adventure had begun. She knew a lot of the passengers were hoping it would be a romantic one.
She didn’t envy them, she thought, as she went back down to her cabin. Not once had she felt the clicking of her biological clock. Maybe she was odd, but she refused to buy into the notion that a woman had to have a baby before thirty. Her mother hadn’t had Monica’s baby brother until her mid-thirties.
Once back in her room, Monica went to the closet and studied the dresses she’d hung up there. The last time her cousin Victoria had come to town, they’d all gone shopping. Monica’s sister and cousins had been all too happy to hit the malls and help her select outfits for the cruise. She hadn’t minded—she’d always liked their taste in clothing.
However, some of the clothes were a little more revealing than