MAYBE THIS TIME | JENLISA

6

Cruise Day Two: Day at Sea

"All right, so, tell me your story," the attractive older woman with the dazzling gray eyes and spiky white-blond hair to her right asked, her sunglasses perched on the edge of her nose.

Jennie blinked, surprised by the woman's forwardness. "Excuse me?"

"Your story." The woman sat up on the lounger next to her and nodded toward the bar. "You've been staring at that pretty bartender nonstop for about twenty minutes. Something that normally wouldn't be significant, since she's gorgeous and all, but she's looked up at you just about every time you've looked away, which hasn't been often."

Jennie felt a little violated. "You're observant."

"Or nosy, as my wife would have said." She extended her hand toward Jennie. "I'm Barb. And you are?"

"Jennie," she replied as she shook the waiting hand. Barb's grip was strong, but her hand was soft. It was a nice combination.

"So, Jennie, tell me why you and the sexy bartender are exchanging looks." Barb's tone wasn't invasive—on the contrary, there was a level of sincere curiosity that amused Jennie enough to answer her. Plus, Lisa had been looking at her?

"That's a long story," she said as she closed the tablet she'd been reading and tucked it into her bag. She hated to admit she'd been thinking about Lisa when Barb had interrupted her, but she knew it was pointless to pretend. Barb had seen through her. She'd bet Lisa had that morning, too. Their interaction earlier had been brief and awkward. She wasn't sure if that was her or Lisa, or both of them, but Lisa had seemed like she was in a hurry to get away from her, and Jennie was left feeling sad. Which was not an unfamiliar feeling for her as of late, but this seemed different all the same. It was a different sadness.

Barb smiled and pointed toward the ocean behind them. "We've got all day. We're at sea until tomorrow. I've got time to listen if you care to share."

Jennie scanned the people around them. The pool area was packed, and nearly every lounge chair was occupied. Which had turned out to yield some really great people watching but had effectively ruined her attempts at working. "It's probably boring and whiny and I'm sure you have other better things to be doing on your vacation than gossiping with me."

"Wrong. I've nothing better to do than gossip. And I was speculating before, but now that I know there's gossip, I'm all in." Barb rubbed her palms together with excitement.

Jennie stretched and turned her head to survey Barb a little more closely. She was wearing a neon blue sports bra under a black tank top, her loose-fitting swim trunks went past her knee, even while sitting, and her sandals were the athletic kind with the rubber nubs that always made Jennie's feet hurt. Barb adjusted her sunglasses over her eyes and tightened the band that kept them in place, the black silicone of the strap leaving a little indentation in the close-cropped hair by her ears. Barb had a playful, welcoming quality to her. Jennie appreciated that.

"I know what you're thinking." Barb nodded, motioning between them. "I'm old enough to be your mother—that's probably true. But I assure you, I'm not hitting on you."

"I didn't think that." Jennie laughed because that thought hadn't crossed her mind at all. That was something Irene would have teased her about. She would have called her obtuse and said she was too in her own head to realize the rest of the world existed around her. Jennie had been thinking a lot about those things lately. She wondered if there was some truth to that.

Barb frowned. "You're sad. Is it because of the bartender?"

Jennie shook her head and smiled. "No, it's because I remembered something about someone who hurt my feelings for a moment."