Love In Disguise

Chapter Three

Sophia

“What sort of name is Saint?” I inquired, my tone laced with irony.

He smiled, showing no reaction to my tone. “What sort of name is Scrooge?”

I blinked twice. “Pardon me?”

“It seems like you’re not feeling the holiday vibe,” he remarked, folding his arms while casually leaning against the wall. “So, you’re either like Scrooge or the Grinch. Take your pick.”

I shot him a fierce look. “Is this the way you welcome all your passengers? Do you really just like to insult them or you have a problem with me?”

“It’s only the ones who seem like they’re about to jump ship,” he retorted.

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He had a point. I really felt like I was just one more forced smile away from completely breaking down. Nevertheless, I wasn't going to let an arrogant cruise captain challenge me.

“Perhaps I’m simply sensitive to insincere happiness,” I remarked, my voice cold. “Look around, everyone acting like it's not just another month of the year, with their fake smiles and all.”

He lifted an eyebrow, his smirk fading into something that seemed almost playful. “Well what do you know? I think I misjudged you”

“Excuse you?” I said, raising an eyebrow and slightly tilting my head.

“This holiday isn't something I like very well too and I thought you were one of those who was just…..” he paused and looked over my breast tattoo and said “Nice Phoenix, looks like one i've seen somewhere, I can't just place it”

“I hate men like you, perverts who'd say anything to glimpse at ladies' cleavages.” I said, giving him a very stern look. I wanted to give him a slap instead but there was something charming about his face that held me back.

“Sorry about that miss, I better head back to work, I have a lot to do” He said as he left.

“Wishing you the best with that.” I turned and left too before I could say anything I might regret, but his voice stayed with me long after I was out of range.

Saint. That's not a very clever name if you ask me. As I walked to my cabin, I couldn't help but feel that this cruise and its annoyingly charming captain was destined to be anything but typical.

The worst part about being stuck on a holiday cruise was discovering that my best friend was completely immersed in her wedding planning frenzy and couldn't even be here to welcome me.

Dragging my traveling bag behind me while holding my other bag, I instantly regretted the moment I decided to pack so much. I was going to be on the same ship for the next thirty days so why the heck had I packed so much.

“Excuse me ma'am, let me help you with that” I could recognize that voice anywhere, anyday.

“B**ch don't play with me like that. How are you doing Mia” I said, turning back to see my best friend Mia.

“Sophia!” Mia’s voice pierced through the chaos of the boarding crowd, and before I could even understand what was happening, she wrapped her arms around me, almost taking my breath away.

“Mia,” I said, attempting to sound excited, but my voice ended up sounding dull. She stepped back, keeping me at arm's length as she examined me closely, much like a concerned mother hen would.

“You seem a bit worn out and all out of shape.” She spoke with a tone that showed her worry, yet I could sense a subtle trace of judgment lurking beneath the surface. This was just Mia at her finest.

“It’s been a tough month for me,” I said quietly. “Let’s move on from my story. We'd love to hear more about you, Mrs. Almost Married.”

Her face blushed a bright pink color and for a brief moment, I nearly overlooked my own misery. Mia had always had this infectious energy, the kind that could make you feel like everything was okay, even when it wasn’t.

“Well, I’m not sure where to begin!” She exclaimed excitedly, taking hold of my arm and pulling me toward a group of staff gathered close by. She waved her hand to get the attention of a young man in a white uniform.

“Hey, you! Take these bags to our rooms. Both of them. She pointed at her designer luggage and my simple suitcase as if they were identical. The staff member paused, looking uncertain if this fell within his responsibilities, but Mia didn’t wait for him to answer. She glanced over at me, her beautifully manicured hand gently placed on my arm.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here, Soph! I really expected you to find a reason to stick around in New York and probably call me later to tell me. You’re always so busy with work.”

I flinched, her words striking a bit too personally.

“Yeah, well… not anymore.” She knitted her brows together, but just as she was about to dig deeper, she dismissed it with an exaggerated sigh.

“Ugh, let’s move on from that. Now that you're here, we're set to have an amazing time together. Can you believe it? I’m having my wedding on a cruise! A complete cruise ship, just for us.” I lifted an eyebrow in surprise.

“What was your secret to making that happen?”

“Well, my mister knight in shining armor was the one who did it!” she said breezily, flipping her blonde curls over one shoulder.

“He hired the whole ship. His family’s stinking rich, you know. Like, really, really wealthy.” I managed to smile, pushing aside the sharp twinge of jealousy that knotted in my chest.

“That sounds quite lavish.”

“You know me, Soph,” she said with a playful nudge. “I really enjoy the lavishness. Hey, how about we go for a drink and chat for a bit? I’ve really missed you! She guided me to a bar on the ship, a stylish and contemporary area featuring large windows that offered a stunning view of the ocean. We settled into a booth, and a waiter showed up right away to take our orders. Mia didn't bother looking at the menu. “I’ll have a peach on the beach,” she said, beaming with a bright smile.

“I'll have what she's having.” I replied, too tired to go for anything more elaborate.

As the waiter disappeared, Mia turned to me, her expression softening. “I want to hear all the details. How's everything in New York? Are you still employed at Melton Corp?”

I paused, the words stuck in my throat. How can I explain to her that I lost my job? That the career I had dedicated years to building and bragged of a lot had fallen apart in just a few weeks?

“New York is… okay,” I replied somewhat ambiguously. “Just the usual routine.”

Mia made a face of displeasure. “You really put in a lot of hours, Soph. I’ve always said you should join me in the Bahamas. You could have gotten a sugar daddy, enjoyed some time in the sun instead of working hard in an office. My boo and I have been together for over a year now and I'm so happy we're finally getting married”

“A year! Wow, I'm happy for you but I couldn’t just walk away,” I said, a hint of defensiveness slipping into my tone. “I had obligations.”

“Well, look where that got you,” she said, laughing as if it were a joke.

I opened my mouth to respond, but our drinks arrived, cutting me off. I took a deep drink, allowing the alcohol to soften the impact of her words.

“You know,” Mia continued, swirling her cocktail with a tiny straw, “I always thought you would—”

Her words were cut short by a sudden, sharp scream. I almost knocked over my drink when I jumped back in surprise. “Mia, what’s going on—”

She was already on her feet, her face glowing with excitement as she waved toward the entrance.

“Hey boo! Right here!"

“Ughh, I should've known” I said as I sat back and sipped my drink, waiting for the mister Knight in shining armor to walk in.

Then he entered the room. It took a moment for me to fully grasp what I was seeing, him standing there in a perfectly fitted suit, that unmistakable confident smirk on his face.

He appeared just as he always did, tall, dark, and strikingly handsome in that infuriatingly flawless manner, but this time, he was clutching a bouquet of roses that read “To Mia.”

“Oh my God,” I murmured, the words almost lost amid the thundering I felt in my ears.

He glanced our way, his confident smirk wavering just a bit when our eyes locked.

“You must be Sophia, Mia has told me a lot about you” he said, his voice warm and comforting, cutting through the air like a gentle breeze through the trees.

“Nice to meet you Sophia, I'm Derek.”

And just like that, everything in my life felt completely out of balance.