Soon after the engines roared to life, and the ship pulled away, a knock sounded on Rai’s door. She set her braille display aside and scooted off the bed, smoothing any wrinkles from her dress.The scent of bay rum greeted her as she swung the door open.Z opened his mouth to speak, but his words came out like a choke.Rai lifted a brow as if to say, “Excuse me?” Z cleared his throat. “Are you ready?”Rai reached for the white cane she had set by the door. “Yes, I am.” She slipped the card key into her dress pocket earlier so she wouldn’t forget it. As a blind person, she had learned to think ahead and plan for quick and thoughtless departures. It was far too easy to forget where she had placed something when she was in a hurry to leave.Z presented his arm to her as if he had years of practice leading the blind. The way he described the hall and important landmarks were expert and precise. “The elevators to your left will take you to the various floors. The ones on your right are
Rai’s stomach growled like an angry badger. The scent of food filtered through the air vents, taunting her with savory spices and buttery breads. The day had been perfect; slow and relaxing; a nice break from her usual chaos.Tomorrow, they would reach Victoria, where she would tour the town and have tea at the Princess Hotel. It was something she had always wanted to do, but never had the chance. This cruise offered a perfect opportunity to check a few things off her bucket list. She was only 37 years old, so there was plenty of time to experience several adventures including riding one of the longest zip lines on the west coast.She fired up her MacBook Pro and logged into the ship’s WiFi. Oliver, her British screen-reading voice, obediently read whatever fell under the cursor in a polite and polished accent that would make any professional valet proud. Her mother was British, which is probably why Rai was so drawn to the accent. It was also why she had been attracted to Z, though
Rai heard the waiter bow slightly. “Yes, of course, May I get you something to eat or drink, sir?”“Two glasses of Porto Rocha 20-year, Charles, and the chef ’s special dessert.”“Right away, sir.”Rai observed the dialog with curiosity. Z could not just be a porter with all the respect he commanded from the crew. “You seem to be well respected,” she commented.“The Taylor crew shows everyone respect.”“Uh, huh.” She replied, sipping the last of herPinot Noir. “Are you off duty?”“Yes,” he clipped, as if not wanting to answer.After a long moment of silence, she finally asked, “What brings you to my table, Mr. Z?”“You looked as if you could use some company.” She scoffed, then reached for her water, equally drained as her wine. “I actually enjoy my solitude.”“Would you like me to leave?”She thought about it for a moment, relishing in the giddiness welling up inside her. She hadn’t felt this way around a man for far too long. What harm would it do to share space with him?
When she exited the privy, it didn’t take long for Z to take a hold of her hand once again. Not really needing to swing her cane to and fro, she held it out in front of her, angled slightly outward to prevent from bumping into a wall or another object. Most people, when leading the blind, did not account for the additional space the person beside them required when passing objects. Z, however, seemed to guide her effortlessly down the ship’s narrow corridors and busy foyers.She had considered getting a guide dog at one point and imagined it would be similar to having someone like Z lead her. Getting rid of her white cane, however, was not something she was ready to do any time soon. The idea was akin to leaving the house without wearing clothes.Although she was blind, her eyes still registered light, not so much as seeing it as feeling the brightness. It felt like a sharp twinge in the center of her brain, just behind her eyes. If it wasn’t for the sunglasses she wore most of the t
“His name was Clive,” she lied. “We were together for thirteen years before I finally found the courage to leave him.”“Thirteen years,” he commented. “Bad luck?”She chuffed. If only he knew. “Let’s just say he was a controlling man and leaving him was akin to stepping in front of a charging locomotive. I had tried several times in the past. When he found me, he did his best to ensure I would never leave him again.” She rubbed her arms as memories of his strikes caused phantom pain.“He is the reason you won’t get involved with anyone else?”“Yes.”She heard him set his glass down and settle back against the couch. The bourbon flowed down her throat like a comforting blanket. For a moment, Z seemed satisfied with her answer and she breathed a sigh of relief.“Have you heard from him?”“Not for seven years.” She choked a bit, fearing she had revealed too much of the truth. “Maybe nine,” she added.“What does Clive do for a living?”She stopped mid drink. “He’s an … insurance a
The ship docked in Victoria at 9:00am. Rai barely had time to have a cup of coffee before disembarking. The bus leaving for the zip lines was due to leave in fifteen minutes. She didn’t want to miss it, but no one seemed to know where she needed to go to catch the bus.“I’ll take you,” said Z, presenting his elbow.“I don’t want to be a bother.” She said, feeling like a lost buffoon in a flurry of activity. Everyone seemed to know where they needed to be except her.“Don’t be ridiculous,” he scolded. Someone was in a bad mood, she thought.Not wanting to fuel that temper, she took his elbow and allowed him to guide her to the waiting bus. They arrived just seconds before it departed. “Thank you,” she said. As she gripped the handrails leading into the bus, she felt him follow her. “What are you doing?” she asked, turning to face him.“Making sure you get where you need to go, Miss Landon.”So, they were back to using formal names? “No one asked you to,” she firmly stated.He huf
By the time they reached the ship, Rai was famished. It had been a full day.“Are you hungry?” asked Z.“Yes, I am.”“Would you consider sharing dinner with me?”“Only if it occurs in a dark, quiet place away from people,” she said, rubbing her forehead. “Headache?” he asked.“Yes, too much light, too many things to concentrate on. Being blind can be a real downer sometimes.”“My mum had the same problem. I’ll fix you a tonic that seemed to work for her. Then, I’ll order us some food.”“I need to shower and change into something comfortable.”“You can grab what you need from your cabin, then shower in mine.”She stiffened. “Umm,”“Relax, Rai. I’m not going to ravish you. My shower is larger than yours, and I have a hot tub that might help calm you a bit.”Her head pounded, and right now a hot bath was exactly what she wanted. She nodded and allowed him to guide her to her cabin.Z watched as she skirted around the room like an efficient robot programmed to know exactly wher
Z returned to his cabin, a feeling of elation lightening his steps. He had given Rai a chaste kiss on her soft cheek before telling her what time he would be by tomorrow.Two days, he smiled inwardly. They will be the best two days of her life, and possibly his.After pouring himself a bourbon, he sat down with his computer and made his plans. He had not been this excited about anything since the time he helped plan his parent’s fiftieth anniversary. The smile that agenda had placed on his mum’s face was something Z would never forget. Both of them had come home with stories to tell, and memories that lasted the end of their days.His father had shown such appreciation; it had set Z aback. As the middle son, he had never been Father’s favorite, and always felt a bit like the odd man out. Z was much closer to his mum than his older brother and younger sister. They stayed closer to the money and knew Father was looking to hand them down his enterprise.Z never wanted a part of Taylor