Waves of Passion

Gabrielle looked across the room and saw that the lines leading to Dr. Quinn had thinned considerably. Feeling courageous, she stood. “I’ll be back. It’s time to meet my boss.”

“Decided to go it alone, huh? Good for you,” Marjorie said.

After telling the couple to save her seat, Gabrielle excused herself.

The butterflies suddenly occupying her stomach had Gabrielle’s insides quivering again. With only a few people ahead of her, she felt sweat forming on her palms. She had no clue why she was so nervous, but she couldn’t rule out the fabulous looks and the suave demeanor of the commander, the man she would soon work closely with.

Cameron got to his feet just as Gabrielle reached him. He instantly extended his hand to her. “Hello, Dr. Grinage. I’m glad we’re finally meeting. Please allow me to personally welcome you aboard your new home.”

“Thank you, Dr. Quinn.” Overwhelmed by his warm attention, Gabrielle had a hard time finding her voice. “It’s nice to meet the commander I’ve heard so much about.”

“Please sit down,” Cameron offered. “I’d like to hear what you’ve heard.”

Before taking a seat, she looked behind her, surprised to see she was last in line. She took in a few calming breaths as she sat. “What I’ve heard has been good. I also read your medical bio inside the orientation packet. It was amazing.” The absence of a picture had made her wonder what he might look like.

Cameron grinned. “I’ve also read your bio. I was impressed. You come from quite a medical family. My parents own and manage a couple of apartment buildings in Houston. They’re very happy with their lives, but they wanted their only son to be a doctor.”

Gabrielle frowned. “You became a doctor for your family?”

Cameron laughed. “If it hadn’t also been my own dream, I couldn’t have accomplished it. My mom always talks about how I loved to play doctor when I was little. I love being a physician. More than that, I love helping those in need.”

“I know what you mean. Helping others is one of the main reasons I wanted to be a physician. I also played doctor. My little male chauvinist friends thought I should be the nurse, but I had bigger and brighter ideas.”

Cameron laughed. “Sounds like you took charge. What made you want to try practicing medicine on the high seas?”

Gabrielle looked thoughtful. “I’m adventurous by nature. I like to try new things. I heard most of the pros and cons from friends who work on cruise ships. I took everything I learned into consideration, then I decided to just try it.”

Cameron smiled. “I think you’ll find the job rewarding and enjoyable, just as I do. Working on a cruise ship is altogether different from the world of medicine we started out in. We’re more limited here, and if it comes to drastic measures, we often have to make arrangements for emergency transportation to take patients to a hospital on land.”

Gabrielle nodded. “I researched it a lot before I actually signed on. I’m eager to learn the ways of practicing medicine at sea.”

Cameron smiled. “I bet you’re a fast learner.” He looked up and saw that other greeters had arrived. He instantly got to his feet. “Excuse me for a few minutes. A line has formed again.”

Gabrielle stood, her heart beating faster than normal. “You go right ahead. I’ll see you again.” For sure, she’d see him in the infirmary tomorrow morning.

Before Cameron could protest her departure, Gabrielle had already stepped away.

* * *

The line had dissipated after twenty minutes or so, and Cameron reclaimed his seat at the table. As his eyes searched the room for Gabrielle, he couldn’t help thinking of how enjoyable her company had been. Working with her would be a great experience, as long as he was careful not to compromise his heart. She was alluring, a natural beauty, but he knew she had a lot more going for her than that. The excellent academic and work ethics written up in her bio had revealed that.

His mind turned to thoughts of the scores of single women who came aboard the ship and sailed away into the sunset. Once the cruise was over, they left the ship without looking back. He knew that getting involved with female passengers wasn’t an ideal situation for him.

Gabrielle was the first female doctor he’d worked with aboard a ship, but he still had to remain in tight control of himself. Mixing business with pleasure could be a devastating combination. Cameron also had firsthand knowledge of that.

Finding true love was hard to do, especially on a cruise.

* * *

Gabrielle noticed that her heart was still beating fast even after a quick break in the ladies’ room. She made her way back to the table, where Marjorie and Tristan didn’t look as if they’d missed her presence. She stood quietly and watched the hot chemistry at work. They made a great couple.

As Gabrielle sat down, she cleared her throat. “I’m back.”

Marjorie appeared slightly embarrassed. “What did you think of Dr. Quinn?”

Gabrielle smiled. “I can’t tell you that until after I spend more time in his company. But he seems kind and smart. I’m willing to bet he’s also sweet. But since we’ll be working together, there is no chance for a shipboard romance. Love and labor don’t mix.”

Tristan raised an eyebrow. “I beg to differ. Love and labor go hand in hand. If you can find something special with someone you work with, go for it. Being employed in the same profession is a pretty good start, anyway. At least you’ll have something in common.”

“I agree,” Marjorie chimed in. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to about your work.”

Tristan covered Marjorie’s hand with his. “If you feel that way, then why can’t I get you to take me seriously?”

Marjorie now looked totally embarrassed. “I do.”

“You do what?” Tristan asked, putting her on the spot.

Marjorie blushed. “I take you seriously. I really do.”

Tristan’s broad smile showed he was pleased as punch. “I’m glad to hear it. But why’d you suddenly change your mind? I’ve been chasing you for months.”

Marjorie’s eyes narrowed. “I wasn’t ready to be caught. Can we just leave it at that?”

Gabrielle wanted to laugh at these two dopey lovebirds, but she remained quiet, eager to hear what else they had to say.

“I’m happy to leave it at that if it means I can take you out on a real date,” Tristan said.

Marjorie smiled. “You can take me out, Tristan. I’d love to see tonight’s show.”

Tristan leaned over and kissed Marjorie’s cheek. “It’s a date.”

Gabrielle laughed. “Congratulations on your first real date!”

* * *

The living quarters assigned to Gabrielle were located a few decks above midship. The spacious suite wasn’t particularly lavish, but it was nice and homey and it had a balcony. She’d never lived in a place with such a wide-open concept, where she could see the living room, kitchen and bedroom all at once. Only the bathroom was in a separate room.

As Gabrielle closely studied the space, she felt its warmth. Her personal things had already been delivered, but she hadn’t had time to put them away. She hadn’t even paid a lot of attention to the suite’s floor plan until now. Luckily the balcony would offer her a nearby outdoor alternative. Being able to step outside and breathe in fresh air without having to go up on deck was a huge plus. The balcony was decked out with a small round table, two chairs and a chaise lounge to lie on to catch the sun. This suite was her home for the next five months, so she would have to get used to it.

The Parisian Paradise was a huge vessel, which gave Gabrielle plenty of indoor and outdoor spaces to explore and many choices in shopping, dining and entertainment venues. She also loved that room service was available to staff and passengers 24/7.

Gabrielle caught sight of her unpacked luggage and frowned. For her to be truly comfortable, she had to put everything in order right away. There was plenty of time for her to unpack and get it over with before reporting to duty in the morning. After taking off her uniform and hanging it up, she slipped into blue jeans and a white T-shirt.

Starting with a leather garment bag, she took out her dressier and formal attire and hung them at one end of the large sectional closet. She then moved on to the suitcases.

A couple of hours later, she had the cabin suite looking more like a home.

* * *