Aria slowly stepped out onto the top deck of the cruise ship and breathed. The view was breathtaking, worth trudging up all those back stairs. In the next two weeks 2 weeks she could do whatever she wanted and her mother would have no way of knowing how she spent her cruise. Aria had been furious when first learned that her mother had bought her this ‘gift’; another one of her blatantly obvious matchmaking attempts.
Her mother had gone so far as to have her escorted onto the ship and had stayed at her door until just before departure to ensure she didn’t escape, despite her adamant refusal that this cruise was nothing more than a vacation. There were no signs announcing it but Aria was more than a little suspicious that this was a single’s cruise. Her mother had been right in assuming that the only way to make sure she went was to physically place her there herself.
Aria felt the monstrosity of a ship get underway only minutes after her mother left. She stayed in her room for nearly an hour when she decided to explore and had found the top deck. Thankfully no one else had found it yet and she was blissfully alone to stare off into the sea in peace and relative quiet. It wasn’t that she didn’t like people. She just couldn’t stand most of them, the mind-numbingly empty-headed self-absorbed chatterers grated on her patience.
When she heard the heavy footsteps coming up the steps she closed her eyes in denial, wishing for just a few more minutes. She turned with a smile plastered on her face.
Standing in front of her was a blonde, muscled hunk of a man wearing only his swim trunks and flip flops, looking much more ready for the beach than a cruise.
“Sorry. I didn’t think anyone would be up here.” He apologized, as if he could sense that he was intruding on her quiet time. “I just needed a minute away from…” He paused, searching for the right word before shrugging. “…away from people to be honest.”
Relaxing back against the rail Aria nodded. “I can understand that.” She turned back to her view, giving him space. “I’m doing the same.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw him lean on the rail near her. For someone looking to escape people he didn’t seem to mind being close to her.
“Are you just saying you understand to let me off the hook for unknowingly stealing your solitude?”
Tilting her head to look his way she really tried not to laugh. Yet out it came, light and carefree. She really had needed a vacation. It was making her feel lighter already.
“Why do you think I’m up here if I don’t understand? There is sure to be a party in full swing downstairs.”
His laugh almost made her want to move in closer. She didn’t.
“Valid point.” He acceded with a nod.
They stood there side by side in silence for several minutes.
Aria heard someone calling out in search of someone and would have ignored it except the man standing close beside her flinched.
“Is that someone looking for you?”
Face full of guilt he nodded. Again the woman called out. And still she couldn’t make out exactly what she was saying. “Girlfriend? Crazy Ex? Pyscho stalker?”
The gorgeous man laughed.
“My sister actually. She told me last week that I hide in my office and work too much. This cruise is her latest attempt to introduce me to the benefits of being social and partying. I think she is probably searching for me because she can sense that I am hiding. Any second now she is going to find me again and drag me downstairs to meet all her new best friends. And then begins all the obvious pushing to get me to date them all to see which one I like best.” He groaned and put his forehead to the railing.
“Not the life of the party?” Aria was growing intrigued by this man who not only managed to not annoy her when he spoke but caught her interest. If people weren’t talking business with her, she found that they irritated her too much to endure their presence any longer than absolutely necessary.
She watched as he faced her. “Truthfully, when I get around to showing up at a party I can be considered quite social and the life of the party. I can hide my antisocial comfort zone very well. Though I simply prefer to not show up at all. And since I haven’t felt the need to be social lately and so my sister has decided that I’m broken and need a girlfriend in order to be fixed.”
“Why? Sorry. I meant to say; would you like me to run interference?”
“Yes!” He laid a hand on hers where it rested on the railing. “If I was hanging out with a beautiful woman, she would get off my back and would have to be nice. A double win.”
Aria pushed her flustered and flattered ego aside for more pressing and immediate concerns. “I don’t think I caught your name. It might be important or your sister will be suspicious. I’m Aria.”
“Mace.”
“Well Mace, now that I am thinking about this, maybe you can help me as well, teach me to hide my anti-socialness. I’m afraid I have never been considered the life of any party.” She shrugged off the bitter sadness that swelled inside her for a moment. Memories of her mother constantly chastising her for hiding in her room during events flooded her.
Mace softly squeezed her hand, pulling her back to the present. His eyes were equally soft as he looked straight into hers. “Preferring some time to yourself is not a flaw. Nor is being shy. And… I will be happy to show you how to have a good time at a party.”
“Mace!” A girl who looked nothing like Mace stormed up onto the deck they were on. “Oh. Sorry.” The girl only hesitated a second before pushing forward, arm extended. “I’m Mace’s little sister. Don’t mind me.”
