“That’s very sweet,” said Georgina, “but I don’t
know Max, it’s a huge decision. I just don’t think it’s going to be feasible.”
Max wasn’t taking no for an answer. “You’ll
obviously need some time to think it over,” he carried on as if he hadn’t heard
her.
“We’ll talk again tomorrow. Once you give it some
thought you’ll realise it’s in your best interests. Our company makes some of
the most exciting documentaries in the world - and you could be part of it!”
She smiled at his enthusiasm.
“Okay, I’ll think about it,” she promised, “but I’m
not committing to anything.”
He clapped his hands ecstatically. “That’s all I
ask.”
Georgina stood up but Max beat her to it, and rushed
to open the door for her.
As she walked out he thrust a bunch of papers in her
hand. “Oh, I almost forgot. I printed this out for you to read. It’s a list of
the upcoming documentaries we have planned for the year ahead. It might help to
wet your appetite.” Georgina hesitated, and then took them.
“Almost forgot?” she enquired innocently.
Max gave her a wide Texan grin. “That’s
confidential, young lady, so don’t go showing it around to anyone.”
“I promise,” she agreed, giving him a wave and
disappearing down the passage.
“See ya later,” he called after her feeling mighty
pleased with himself.
Georgina saw Taj briefly at dinner that night
looking uncharacteristically tired with dark shadows under his eyes and
sporting more stubble than normal.
“Rough night?” she enquired politely as she passed
him on her way to join Amy and Claude who were discussing the effect of mineral
rich lava on marine life with Lance.
Because it had been a ‘rest day’ and the last night
on board, most of the passengers had started drinking earlier than usual and
dinner was particularly rowdy. Georgina tried to concentrate on what an over
enthusiastic Lance was saying, but her gaze kept drifting across to Taj, who
was deep in conversation with Don. Even looking like he hadn’t slept a wink he
was still heartbreakingly handsome. His thick golden curls were as tussled as
always, with streaks of blond from many hours spent working outside. His long
lashes curled back onto his eyelids and touched his cheeks when he blinked. He
wore jeans, with a trendy mustard-coloured sweatshirt and hood. She thought
wryly that for all his fashion-bashing he certainly knew how to dress. He had
that super cool pro-sportsman thing down to a tee!
She was tormented that after getting on so well the
last few days their relationship had disintegrated completely. He didn’t even
know she’d called of her engagement. She wondered idly if it would make a
difference.
He’d said he wasn’t willing to be second best, the
fall back guy. How wrong he’d been. She broke off her engagement to Charles
because she realised it was her who was settling for second best. Taj was first
prize and he didn’t even know it. Even if she never saw Taj after this ship
docked tomorrow, he would always be the one who had shown her what love could
be like. Easy and fun, caring and tender, with flashes of passion so bright it
was temporary blinding. With him she felt like a mermaid who’d been underwater
all her life and had now broken the surface.
“George, what do you think?” asked Lance, coming to
the end of a lengthy diatribe and disturbing her daydream.
“Huh?” she muttered distractedly, because Taj had
chosen that moment to turn and glance in her direction. She fingered her wine
glass nervously, not wanting to look at him for fear he’d see straight through
her pathetic attempt to appear cool and composed.
“Sorry, what did you say?” she turned to Lance.
He had his mouth full and couldn’t reply, so she
went back to gazing at Taj. Oh how she longed to melt into those arms again,
and this time be kissed on and on... She sighed, and dragged herself back to
reality. Enough, she really must get a grip.
“I think I’m going to bed,” she announced suddenly,
feeling incredibly weary. She had yet to read Max’s notes which she suspected
would indeed wet her appetite and fill her with indecision. Like she needed to
make any more life changing choices this week. Lance looked bitterly
disappointed as she said goodnight and weaved her way through the tables
towards the door.
“Not staying for a farewell drink?” a familiar voice
said behind her. She froze.
“I suppose I could” she whispered, staring at his
boots.
“Look at me, George,” demanded Taj. She raised her
eyes, afraid of betraying her feelings.
He took her left hand and held it up to the light.
“I see you’ve made a decision,” he murmured, turning
it over and kissing the inside of her wrist. “How is Charles taking it?”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” she replied trying to still
her wildly accelerating heart.
“And how are you?” he asked more seriously.
“I’m not sure,” she said honestly. Mistaking her
uncertainty for despair, he said, “It’ll get easier with time, you made the
right decision.”
“Oh I’m not upset about Charles,” she said quickly.
At his look of surprise, she smiled. “No, I’m really
not. I thought I would be but actually I’m fine.” She was rambling, so she bit
her tongue.
Taj didn’t seem to know what to say. She’d obviously
caught him off guard.
“Look, I wanted to
apologise for what I said last night,” she began. “You were right about me
having to make a decision.”
“You have nothing to apologise for,” replied Taj
firmly. “I was a bastard. You came to me because you trusted me with your
feelings and I blew you out of the water.”
She sighed with relief. “I thought we’d have to say
goodbye on a bad note and I didn’t want it to end like that.”
“Me neither.” Suddenly he held up a hand. “Wait
here, I’ll be right back,” and he left her standing there while he darted back
into the bar. Not even a minute later he was back, a bottle of Chardonnay in
one hand, two glasses in the other. “I thought we could celebrate our newfound
truce.”
She said happily. “What a lovely idea. Your place or
mine?”
“Yours,” he said immediately. “I can’t vouch for the
state of mine. As you so delicately put it, I had a rough night last night.”
“Mm… sorry about that,” she mumbled. “If it’s any
consolation, I didn’t sleep too well either.”
“Really? That does make me feel a bit better,” he
teased.
They reached Georgina’s cabin and Taj was amused to
find it wasn’t much tidier than his. There were clothes thrown over the chair,
books on the floor next to her open suitcase and piles of paper and magazines
scattered all over the desk.
“Excuse the mess,” apologised Georgina, hurriedly
sweeping everything on the desk to one side so he could put down the glasses.
“You thinking of taking a trip?” asked Taj, pulling
a corkscrew out of his pocket.
The print out on top of the pile read, ‘Treasures of
the Greek Isles’.
“Not really,” she laughed, “Max Copeland is trying
to tempt me into going to work for him.”
Taj frowned, “By taking you to Greece?”
He was relieved when she burst out laughing. “No
silly, that’s the itinerary for the upcoming documentaries I’d be working on.”
Out popped the cork! Taj filled the two glasses and
glanced at the list in more detail. Mozambique. Zanzibar. Australia.
“There are some great destinations here,” he
commented. “Are you seriously considering this?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t read that
yet, but Max seems to think I’d be good at it.”
“Max knows his stuff. I saw your audition, it was
great. You definitely have what it takes.”
“It wasn’t an audition,” she emphasised. “It was
supposed to be a sample, oh never mind.”
Taj chuckled. “So Max is luring you into his
network, the sly bastard.”
“Is he legit?” asked Georgina hesitantly.
Taj nodded. “Oh yeah, Pacific North Productions are
rated as one of the best documentary makers in the States, if not the world.
You can’t lose with them.”
It suddenly hit home that George could move to
California. That opened up a whole new world of opportunities. He watched as
she studied the document, her eyes following the lines down the page, her teeth
chewing gently on her lower lip in concentration. She was amazingly sensual. He
had to fight the sudden urge to kiss those lush lips, so he took a sip of wine
instead.
“Here you are.” He handed her the wine glass and
raised his own, “I was going to drink to us, but I think perhaps we should
drink to your new venture?”
She gasped, “Oh, but I haven’t agreed to it yet. I
still need time to think it over.”
“What’s to think about?” asked Taj. “You get to
travel, see the world, live your own life instead of interviewing others about
theirs.”
He couldn’t know that Georgina had had that same
thought herself. “It’s all true, but don’t forget I actually enjoy my job in
London, and I’m due a promotion when I get back. All my years of hard work are
finally paying off. It’s not something I can just throw out the window.”
“No one is saying you can’t still write. I’m sure
there are loads of magazines in the States that would pay for your work.”
She sighed, “I don’t know. What if it doesn’t work
out. One ‘audition’ isn’t enough to base a life change on. What if I take the job
and I suck?”
He moved closer to her and said softly, “Now that
sounds like something the old Georgina would say.”
He saw her freeze while his words registered.
It was a gamble, but he knew she was proud of her
newfound independence and wouldn’t like him insinuating she was retreating back
to her old self. He admitted that it wasn’t only her best interests he had at
heart here. Although he was convinced working for Max was the best choice for
her, he also had his own selfish reasons for wanting her to take the job. He’d
thought a lot about Georgina during the course of the day. After their little
showdown last night he realised that they had developed an easy friendship over
the last few days, one that was important to him. He felt closer to George than
he did to any of his other girlfriends, and he wasn’t even dating her.
He wondered how he’d allowed her to get so close.
Perhaps because she’d been such a far cry from the kind of woman he found
attractive, that he hadn’t thought to put up his usual defences. Her prissy
attitude and blatant dislike of the natural environment had immediately got his
back up. It had been clear she was totally out of her element. But then as he’d
got to know her, thanks to Don’s clever little plan designed to throw them together,
he’d seen her bravely tackle all the obstacles he’d put in her way and some
that he hadn’t, like that ice sheet episode. Her tenacity was admirable, and
her vulnerability more appealing that he liked to admit. For someone he’d
intended to loath, she had more than won his respect and admiration.
“That’s not fair,” she admonished, gazing boldly up
at him. “I haven’t changed, I’ve just realised what’s important in my life.”
After a moment she added, “And what’s not. I’ve never been the kind of person
to rush headlong into things without thinking them through first.”
“I hear you,” said Taj, “but I do think you’d be
making the wrong decision if you threw an opportunity like this away. They
don’t come round every day.”
She gave him a look that said, ‘do I look stupid?’
“I know that, which is why it needs careful
consideration. I haven’t ruled it out yet.”
“Oh good,” said Taj, perching casually on the edge
of the desk, “because it would be kind of fun to have you around.”
He didn’t miss her look of surprise.
“Really? Would you come and visit me?” she asked
coquettishly.
“Sure, when I’m in town.”
She grinned, “You mean when I’m in town. If I took
this job I’d be travelling nearly as much as you, if not more.”
That jolted him. He hadn’t considered that
she
might never be around. Of course,
she’d be off to Greece, and then to Mozambique and God knows where else. He
almost laughed at the irony of it. He’d be lucky if they saw each other at all.
“We’d have to meet for coffee in airport lounges as
we passed by,” he said, and then immediately felt miserable. That was such a
depressing thought.
“I hate airports,” said Georgina suddenly. “We’d
have to do hotels instead.”
Now why did that make him think of tantalising
sexual encounters in exotic places around the globe? As if reading his mind she
said suggestively, “Who knows where we could end up?”
He gazed at the length of her, from her glossy red
hair to her sensibly booted feet. She was utterly gorgeous. He didn’t normally
go for redheads but hers was such a riot of colour that it made her pale skin
seem almost translucent in comparison. His photographer’s eye noticed every
tiny detail about her. There were gentle shadows under her clear blue eyes that
confirmed she was tired. Thankfully they were no longer covered with all that
make-up. In his opinion she was lovelier without it. The slender sweep of her
neck and shoulders and the way she held herself portrayed a natural elegance
that he loved, plus she had curves in all the right places. He could barely
keep his desire under control as it was, but when she spoke to him in that
smoky voice he was pretty much done for.