later. Do you know how many women would love to trade places with you? You’re out of your mind if you don’t take advantage of all those single guys.”
She rolled her eyes, glad that she was alone. “I’m going to the dancing contest tonight. I have to be there at seven, so give my girl kisses, and I’ll talk to her tomorrow.” Before Mandy could say another word, Anna disconnected the call. Now wasn’t the time for a sermon. She felt bad enough as it was, wasting the entire evening, embarrassed that George had to deliver breakfast—rather . . . brunch—to her room. With that in mind, she returned to her room and unpacked. She hung all her dresses in the closet, put her lingerie in a drawer, and used another for her shorts and T-shirts. Before she did anything else, she took the bottle of Xanax out of her cosmetic bag and placed the bottle in the small safe in the back of the closet. She followed the instructions and assured herself the medication was secure, out of temptation for her or anyone else who entered her suite. Not that she didn’t trust George. Worse, she didn’t trust herself not to toss a couple pills in her bag, and at the first sign of a panic attack, pop them into her mouth.
Not wanting to go there, she decided she’d have a bath before the evening’s big event. She filled the tub with hot water and lowered herself into the sweet warmth. This was perfect. She used the Guerlain bath salts, the scent reminding her of a perfume her mother had worn. She knew it was still around but couldn’t recall its exact name. Later, she might research it, but now, all she wanted to do was soak her worries away, get all glammed up for the evening, and just enjoy being here. Mandy had taken the time to make all these arrangements with the travel agency. Her special coffee and the Norman Love chocolates she was so fond of. She was right; anyone in their right mind would envy such a luxurious vacation.
Anna was about to drift off when she heard a noise. Unsure if George would wait for her permission to enter, she eased out of the tub, wrapping herself in a towel, and went to the cabin’s main entrance. She waited but didn’t hear anything else. Deciding it was some sort of normal ship noise that she wasn’t aware of, she turned away and headed for her room and she heard the noise again. She stopped and waited.
Metal jiggling. Like keys in a pocket.
Could my stalker have followed me to the Caribbean?
It was probably someone passing her room who just happened to have keys in their pocket. Anna made a mental note to tell George not to enter her rooms when she was there unless she called for him or there was an emergency. While she appreciated the personal touch, she didn’t want to have him just walking in whenever he wanted. Sure, this wasn’t the cruise line’s policy, but she still needed him to know she had boundaries.
Back in her room, she picked out a lemon-yellow dress, a leftover from last summer but still stylish enough to wear that evening. She spent the next twenty minutes drying her hair, then twisted it into a sophisticated topknot. She added a powder foundation and a bit of blush and mascara. A touch of sheer lip gloss was enough. She wore so much makeup when they were filming, it would be good for her and her skin to have a break from all the heavy-duty stuff. This was her glam for the night.
Anna took out a small silver clutch and added her cell phone, just in case, the lip gloss, and her room key. No need for cash, a credit card, or an ID since her room key would be scanned, and all charges added to her final bill at the end of the cruise. She couldn’t imagine what damage she’d allowed Mandy to do to her bank account for this trip, but she’d live with whatever it was. With a smart financial advisor, Anna had secured not only her future but Christina’s, too. Her daughter would be able to attend the college of her choice provided her grades were up to par. Anna would never allow herself to become dependent on Christina or anyone else for that matter. She’d worked her ass off to be in this position,