Teach a Teacher a Lesson
Chapter 10

When Sam was calm enough again, he left his cabin, with a view to return to the navigation room; instead, he found himself walking toward her cabin, thinking that it was time to put his plan into operation. He grabbed a rose from a vase on one of the corner tables they used to fill the empty spaces in the long corridors to make the ship appear cozy, and turned his steps toward her door. Once outside, he paused for a minute, taking a deep breath to compose himself before facing her, and gently knocked on the door.

She quickly answered. For a moment, they both stared at each other mesmerized without uttering a word. Sam was the first to recover from the impact of her beauty, and after clearing his throat, he said, "On behalf of the crew on this ship, I would like to welcome you aboard, Miss Evans, and wish you a pleasant voyage."

He offered her the rose, and she accepted it with a sweet smile on her face. She brought it under her nose and sniffed the fragrant flower. She then stretched out her hand for a handshake to thank him for this kind gesture.

Sam held it in his and looked at her perfectly manicured nails before bringing her hand to his lips. He couldn't help wondering how it would feel to have her nails scrape his back. He lightly brushed his soft lips over her knuckles, all the while caressing her wrist with his thumb.

He dropped her hand gently and turned to leave, but she stopped him. "Wait," she started, "I thank you, captain. That was most kind of you."

"It was my pleasure, madam," he said with a brilliant smile, "but I'm not the captain, only one of the officers."

"Your name then?" she asked boldly.

"You can call me Sam. I'll be at your service whenever you need me, madam," he replied and walked away, leaving her standing there on the doorway.

***

Rita looked over his powerful figure from behind and wondered what kind of services he might be offering.

She went back inside her cabin, closing the door behind her. She had cherished their moment; she had forgotten what it was like to have a man act in such a chivalrous fashion before her. She walked to her bed, lay on her back, and smelt the rose once more, whispering Sam's name. What a plain name for such a man, she thought.

There was nothing plain about him, however. Even in such a brief encounter, she had noticed everything about him. His chestnut-brown hair, barely visible under his hat, his shimmering hazel eyes, and then that drop-dead gorgeous vigorous body of his, smugly fitting his spotless white uniform. She had to strain her neck to meet his gaze, being over a head taller than her, but she had reveled in looking at him, nonetheless. He was by far the most handsome man she had ever seen. If she had thought Chris was so, she had been clearly mistaken. Chris was far from it. How could she have perceived that ugly cleft on his chin and his grey stubble as sexy once? Compared to Sam, Chris stood no chance. Sam was oozing vitality and sexiness. And he had implied he wanted to see her again, hadn't he?

What a treat it would be to go with that man! After all, she had taken this trip as a present to herself for her upcoming birthday. In four days, she would be thirty-five, and she was in dire need of feeling rejuvenated, both physically and mentally. She wanted to forget and liberate herself from her past. If that meant she had to get rid of her past timid self and pursue Sam herself, then she would try it.

A year ago, she had finally decided to put an end to the on-and-off nine-year relationship with Chris that had led to nowhere but heartbreak. But it was only two months ago she realized she had even sickened herself with her continuous moping and it was time to start anew. In the process of reclaiming her dignity, she lost some weight, highlighted her hair, and bought herself a whole new wardrobe, along with a ticket for a twelve-day cruise around the Mediterranean. She wanted to leave Chris, even the thought of him, as far behind her as possible for a while and replace herself again. What a better way to do that than spend time on a ship with thousands of people. She was hoping that she could completely forget that way. What with being around so many people, she would have the chance to chat and make new friends and even replace a new love. Maybe someone who could commit to her this time and give her everything she had ever hoped for.

Sam certainly seemed like a good way to start her new life.