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Chapter 2
Seated on the chaise lounge, Gabrielle waited for the sun to make its appearance. In the city she’d never seen this many bright stars in the sky at night, unless she was near a beach in her hometown. It was a breathtaking experience. Awed by the vision, she sighed. The sea was calm and she finally felt the same. The slight movement of the ship was hypnotic. Although the humongous vessel cut through the waters with great speed, she could barely feel it.
It was still very early in the morning, but Gabrielle had slept fitfully throughout the night. She had tossed and turned repeatedly, as had her mind. The last time she’d awakened, she hadn’t been able to get back to sleep. With dawn so close, she’d gotten out of bed to experience a sunrise at sea. She’d put on a white velour bathrobe, then stepped out onto the balcony and been instantly welcomed with a warm breeze.
From the moment Gabrielle’s head had hit the pillow, just before midnight, her thoughts had been filled with the fantastic time she’d spent with Cameron. He was a true gentleman, and she already liked him a lot. His shaking her hand before they’d departed had spoken volumes. It saddened her that they couldn’t have a romantic liaison, but she’d find contentment in working alongside him in the clinic. He wasn’t the first desirable man to be off-limits to her.
Gabrielle reminded herself that she was here to do a job, which she felt was an amazing experience, one that she’d never have on land. She was eager to learn as much as she could from Cameron. By the time her first five months were up, she’d be able to execute the most important procedures and policies of the clinic.
There had been so many personal questions she had wanted to ask Cameron but she hadn’t dared to. Whether he had a current girlfriend or fiancée was constantly on her mind. She couldn’t imagine a man as good-looking as him without a woman, but she also figured it might be hard for him to get involved with anyone aboard the ship, especially anyone from his staff.
There wasn’t a shortage of females on the cruise, but he hadn’t seemed to notice anyone in particular last night. He’d given her his undivided attention. She had delighted in every moment of it despite the fact that they would never be anything other than coworkers.
Getting up from the chaise lounge, she leaned over the railing and stared down onto the dark waters. To help clear her head, she inhaled deeply. The air didn’t smell polluted. In fact, there wasn’t any kind of unpleasant scent wafting upward from the sea.
The perfectly formed sun appeared to rise majestically right out of the ocean. Slowly, unambiguously, the round, orangey-yellow ball of dazzling light wended its way into the heavens. With a smile on her face, she watched the incredible ascent.
* * *
Freshly showered, with only a bath towel wrapped around his waist, Cameron stood in front of the bathroom mirror in his cabin suite. As he carefully shaved overnight stubble, he couldn’t keep his mind off Gabrielle. He could still smell the beguiling perfume that had tantalized and teased his nostrils unmercifully all evening. Nuzzling her neck with his nose had been a constant temptation for him, making him wish things could be different.
An image of her long chestnut hair flowing like a silk curtain had stayed with him. He’d wondered if she wore the thick single French braid only when working. The hairstyle was flattering, but it hardly rivaled the sex appeal of its full-bodied silkiness sweeping her shoulders. As they’d strolled around the open deck, taking in the sights and sounds, the stirring winds had played in her hair, making his fingers itch for the same privilege.
Once Cameron finished shaving and brushing his teeth, he splashed on his favorite aftershave and cologne. Finished with his toiletries, he hastily left the bathroom and went into the bedroom, where he slipped on his white uniform.
Cameron sat on the side of the bed as he put a call in to room service, his regular morning ritual. He cheerfully greeted the person on the other line then made his usual order: one egg over medium, sausages, hot oatmeal, a carton of milk and hot coffee.
* * *
Surprised by the knock on her door so early, Gabrielle asked who was there as she peered out the security window.
“Room service,” replied a male voice.
After removing the safety locks, Gabrielle opened the door. Frowning slightly, she looked at the tray the young man held. “There must be a mistake. I didn’t order room service.”
The man peered at the order slip. “This is the cabin number on the order. Can I please come in and set down the tray?”
Shrugging her shoulders, Gabrielle moved aside. She knew this was a mistake, no matter what the delivery person said. He didn’t seem in the mood to argue the point and neither was she. The delicious aroma of hot coffee had already tempted her palate. Once he’d laid the food items out on the table, he nodded and left the suite.
Gabrielle walked over to the door and reengaged the safety locks. Eager for a sip of coffee, she made a quick jaunt to the table and fixed it to her liking. Savoring the hot brew, she closed her eyes. As she reopened them, she looked over the array of food.
It appeared somebody else liked many of the same things she did. An egg over medium was her favorite, and she loved hot oatmeal with milk and sugar. She could take or leave the sausage links, but she wouldn’t waste them. Toast with strawberry preserves was the breakfast she ate most mornings, but there wasn’t any in the order.
A slip of paper with handwriting on it suddenly caught her eye. She picked it up and read it. “Good morning, Gabrielle. I hope you enjoy your first breakfast aboard the Parisian Paradise. I hope I ordered some of your favorites. Since these happen to be a few of mine, I thought I’d order you the same. See you later on in the clinic. My very best, Cameron.”
A pleasantly surprised look glowed on her face. “Oh, my goodness, what made Cameron do this? How sweet.” They hadn’t discussed their food likes and dislikes, but he’d gotten so many of hers right. She racked her brain, wondering if any of the employment questionnaires she’d filled out had asked about her food choices.
It’s silly of me to keep questioning this. Cameron’s note spelled it all out.
Careful not to take his kind gesture out of context, Gabrielle decided to wait until she got to the clinic to thank him instead of calling him. She still didn’t know if that was his cabin he’d come out of last evening. She’d been self-conscious about what he’d think of the question, so she hadn’t brought it up.
A glance at the clock let Gabrielle know she still had a little over two hours before she had to report for duty. Picking up the fork, she took her first bite of egg, wishing she had toast to dip into the yolk. She was hungrier than she’d thought, and she polished off her meal in a matter of minutes.
Ready for a second cup of coffee, Gabrielle went over to the coffeemaker and brewed a single serving. While waiting for it, she walked over to the bookshelf and pulled down one of the numerous photo albums she’d brought from home. Missing her family had suddenly prompted the idea of looking at family photos.
The very first photo inside the album was of the entire family taken during the Christmas holidays. Her mother and father’s unconditional love for her seemed to leap from the pages and wrap around her like a warm blanket. She wouldn’t trade Emma and Ross Grinage for all the money in the world. They had never been too busy for their children. With her being the only girl, they’d made sure she had her fair share of special attention. She was the apple of her father’s eye and always doted on by her mother.
Looking at the picture of her handsome brothers made Gabrielle smile. These guys had taken care of her as though she was their very own child. She had wanted for nothing as she’d grown up. Her brothers had even taken turns combing and brushing her hair. When she’d begun dating, her boyfriends had gotten trouble from her brothers. She had always felt cherished and protected by them—and up to this day they still looked out for her.
The next few pages of photographs caused Gabrielle to scowl hard. Jordan Jacobs was the first man she’d ever taken seriously. They’d met during their residencies at M. D. Anderson Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. She’d been very leery of him in the beginning, but he’d worked on her until he’d finally convinced her to go out with him. He’d made it a point to tell her she could trust him. Their relationship was off and on for nearly a year. It had been as rocky as any rugged mountain terrain. Tristan trying to get Marjorie to trust him in the same way Jordan had gotten her to trust him had reminded her of the worst times of her life.
Tears rolled unchecked down Gabrielle’s cheeks. Jordan had hurt her deeply, nearly making her lose faith in herself and every other man she came into contact with. He’d gotten her to trust him, then he’d done everything possible to make her completely lose faith in him. There’d been a time when she had believed she’d never again trust her heart to a man.
As Gabrielle had matured, she’d claimed a good portion of the blame for what had happened. Her first mistake had been in not following her strong instincts about Jordan in the first place. Natural instincts were everything.
Gabrielle now always listened for that little voice whispering in her ear. It made her think clearly and also helped direct her toward the right path. Because of what had happened with her and Jordan she did her best to steer clear of all hazardous, baggage-ridden men. Love and labor never worked. It wasn’t a good match.
Perhaps I’ll feel differently someday. I’d certainly like to.
The coffeemaker had beeped several minutes ago, but lost in her once painful thoughts of the past, Gabrielle had ignored it. Another glance at the clock reminded her that she had to get a move on. She still had to put on her makeup, comb her hair and dress for her first day on the job.
* * *
Cameron looked up as Gabrielle skidded into the room and tripped on the mat in front of the door. Standing behind the clinic’s nursing station, located on zero level of the ship, he tried to assess what had caused her to nearly fall to the floor. Once he saw she’d kept her footing, he laughed. “Good morning, Dr. Grinage. What’s your rush? You’re hardly late.”
Gabrielle grinned. “I wanted to make it here early, but I got caught up in something. Thank you for breakfast. It was a really thoughtful gesture.”
Cameron breathed a sigh of relief, thrilled that she was okay with his surprise. “It was another way for me to welcome you. I promise not to make a habit of deciding what you eat. You’re all grown up. However, I took pleasure in ordering breakfast for you this morning.”
“It was a nice surprise, Dr. Cameron. I’m assuming official titles are used in the clinic.”
“Just around the patients. All staff members are on a first-name basis. Many of them refer to me as Dr. Q or plain old Q. I won’t be surprised if they start calling you Dr. G. Hmm, it even has a nice ring to it.”
Gabrielle chuckled then looked around. “Are we the only two here?”
“It’s just a matter of minutes before the others file in. There’s only one staffer who has a problem with punctuality.” He laughed. “I’ll let you pinpoint who it is on your own.”
Gabrielle smiled. “I’ll try.” She looked around. “I was given a brief tour of the clinic when I came aboard. I probably should walk around again and check out everything. Is that okay?”
“Fine by me,” he said. “I’ve got the coffeemaker going. If you want a cup, it’ll be ready in a couple of minutes or so.”
“I’ve already had my two-cup limit. The coffee that room service delivered was delicious. It prompted me to brew another cup. I may’ve gotten spoiled.”
“Room service coffee is excellent. Once you finish your tour, I’d like to go over the medical supplies we keep in stock. The nurses reorder all supplies, but there are occasions when doctors have to do it. We’ll also go over the proper handling of various controlled medications.”
“I don’t think it’ll take me long to get the hang of things.” She turned to walk away, only to turn around. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out the book she’d promised him. “Here’s the book. No hurry in returning it.”
“Thanks,” he said, watching after her retreating form.
Seemingly of their own volition, his smoky eyes widened, locking onto the swaying of her luscious hips. He could only define it as poetry in motion. The uniform pants were a perfect fit and beautifully outlined her seductive attributes. He found her fine body to be irresistible. Cameron mentally scolded himself on his wayward thinking and quickly returned his attention to his work.
As predicted, all but one of the other employees filed into the clinic at the same time. The habitually late crewmember was not among them. He gave his staff a big smile and a cheerful good morning.
“As some of you know, we’ve been expecting a new physician. Dr. Gabrielle Grinage arrived yesterday and is on duty now. For those who didn’t meet her during orientation, you’ll get the opportunity to do so today. She’s currently touring the facility. Would anyone like to join her?”
Three new female staffers raised their hands. The two veteran employees, Morris Carey and Dean Anderson, didn’t show much enthusiasm one way or the other. Meeting the newly arrived doctor didn’t seem uppermost on their agenda.
Cameron knew exactly where the guys’ heads were when they headed straight back to the break/lunch room, where the aroma of fresh coffee had summoned them. “Ladies, I plan to speak with each of you in an informal meeting.” It was his normal procedure to speak to new crewmembers individually. “I’ll take a half an hour or so with each of you. But for now, I’ll take you back to meet Dr. Grinage. Did you get a chance to do any exploring on the ship last evening?”
Nurse Candi Simmons smiled broadly. “I can’t believe the size of this ship. I know I haven’t seen the half of it, but I’m eager to explore the entire thing.”
“Good for you,” Cameron remarked. “How about you, Carolyn?”
Carolyn Jackson clapped her hands enthusiastically. “Candi, Joanie and I hung out together last night. We plan to see everything during our free time.”
Joanie Caldwell shook her head in disbelief. “I was so overwhelmed by the experience. I know we’re here to work, but I’m also looking forward to playtime.”
“Ah, playtime,” Cameron remarked. “You’ll get enough hours off for that.”
* * *
Gabrielle took a thorough inventory of two of three good-size treatment rooms. She mentally charted the lay of each one and wrote lots of notes on a pad she’d picked up off her desk. Locked metal cabinets appeared to be chock-full of supplies. Large pieces of sterilized medical equipment had been stored away for easy access. Everything appeared pristine. There was a sterile scent in the treatment cubicles and lab areas, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
She turned around when she heard a noise behind her. Seeing Cameron and three relatively young women, she smiled. “Are these lovely ladies a part of your staff?”
“Our staff,” Cameron corrected. “They arrived the same day as you.” He then introduced her to the three nurses scheduled for duty five days out of the seven.
“Once all employees are in house, I plan to have a short staff meeting with each new nurse. You’re welcome to sit in if you’d like.”
Gabrielle glanced at the large wall clock. “Shouldn’t everyone be here by now?”
Cameron shrugged, raising an eyebrow. “Recall my earlier comment?”
Just as the words left Cameron’s mouth, a man appeared in the doorway. “Morning. Sorry I’m late. That darn alarm clock in my cabin gives me fits.”
“Maybe you should consider getting a new one,” Gabrielle said in a no-nonsense tone. She stepped forward and extended her hand. “I’m Dr. Gabrielle Grinage. Nice to meet you. Since I feel at a disadvantage here, what’s your name?”
He shook Gabrielle’s hand. “I’m Joseph Clark, a nurse and senior member of the crew.”
Coffee mugs in hand, nurses Morris and Dean walked into the treatment cubicle.
Cameron moved to the center of the room. “Now that we’re all here, we can welcome our new staff members. I present Dr. Gabrielle Grinage, second in command, and our three newly assigned registered nurses, Joanie Caldwell, Candi Simmons and Carolyn Jackson.”
The group acknowledged each other politely. Gabrielle made a mental note to get to know the individual work ethics of the nurses.
Cameron gestured toward the three men. “Nurses Morris and Dean have been with us well over a year. Joseph is a two-and-a-half-year veteran staff member. Everyone will get to meet during our regular staff meeting at the end of the week.”
Gabrielle walked around and shook everyone’s hand. “I’m happy to be assigned to this ship and its clinic, and I’m looking forward to working with each of you. I’ll probably ask questions of the veterans every now and then, so I’d appreciate your help.”
“No problem,” Joseph said. The other two male nurses nodded.
The front-desk buzzer interrupted the informal gathering.
“I’ll take care of it,” said Joseph, hurrying from the room.
To see how the front desk was run, Gabrielle excused herself. She made her way out to the front, where she quietly observed a middle-aged woman writing her name on the patient intake sheet. She listened closely to Joseph as he asked her reason for coming into the clinic.
The woman’s hand went to her stomach. “I have nausea like you wouldn’t believe. I can’t keep anything down.”
“How long have you been nauseated?” Joseph queried.
“It started right after lunch yesterday, even before we sailed. It may’ve been caused by a slice of cheesecake I ate for dessert. As soon as I finished it, I got sick.”
Joseph had the patient sit down in one of several chairs lined against the wall opposite the front desk. He walked over and took her temperature and blood pressure. Nausea was a normal occurrence among passengers and the number one problem the clinic dealt with.
Gabrielle continued to watch Joseph work in an expedient manner. She liked his warm, professional demeanor. She’d noticed the concerned look on his face when the cheesecake had been mentioned. Nausea was a relatively simple problem unless it was related to food poisoning, then it could impact a large number of guests.
Joseph went over to Dr. Grinage to consult with her in private.
“Give her antinausea medicine and recommend she consume only clear liquids for the next twenty-four hours. She should also take it easy and report back to the clinic if the symptoms continue.”
No sooner had the first patient of the morning left the clinic than several more passengers came in with a variety of ailments. Traffic continued to flow into the treatment center, and the staff found themselves running from one cubicle to another. For the next few hours, there wasn’t an opportunity for anyone to take even a short break, let alone take time for Cameron to speak with the new personnel.
At 2:15 p.m. the clinic finally closed for lunch, which was a good bit of time after the normal closing at one o’clock. The clinic doors would reopen at 3:00 p.m. regardless, and Cameron and Joseph would be the on-call staff.
* * *
Seated at the dining table in her suite later that night, Gabrielle dined on a delicious bowl of vegetable soup and a chicken salad sandwich. Instead of calling room service before leaving the clinic for the day, she had prepared her own meal from the groceries and deli items she had stocked. It had become a very busy shift at the clinic, and passengers had come in up until the last few minutes before closing time.
Glad that the workday was over, she planned to lie down for a while after finishing her meal. If she hadn’t gotten up so early and had slept properly last night, she probably wouldn’t have been so drowsy. Clinic visits had gotten hectic, with one person after another trooping in for medical care. The fast-paced day had her feeling slightly fatigued. No matter how busy the clinic had gotten, Gabrielle was thankful that no life-threatening situations had occurred.
Despite how busy the staff had become, Gabrielle had gotten an opportunity to learn quite a bit about the job throughout the shift. Cameron had been very clear in explaining to her proper patient-care procedures and had been very specific about the proper way to store and secure narcotics and other controlled substances.
After washing the few dishes she’d used, Gabrielle went into the bedroom and slipped out of her uniform. She removed from her belt the new cell phone Cameron had handed to her, informing her that she was required to have it turned on whenever the clinic was closed, even if she wasn’t on call. If extra manpower was needed, she’d be alerted.
Gabrielle hastily slipped on an attractive one-piece navy blue bathing suit she’d pulled from a drawer and went out onto the balcony. She positioned her body comfortably on the chaise and tilted her face toward the sun for a few moments. Once she had gotten into a comfortable resting position place, she set the alarm on her watch.
The moment she closed her eyes, a vision of Cameron appeared. Dressed only in dark swim trunks, he looked as good as any professional athlete she’d ever seen. To have those hard, muscled arms wrapped around her would be a fantasy fulfilled. Unknowingly, Cameron was pulling Gabrielle into his white-hot web of desire, making her want him despite all the consequences.
* * *
Seated in the leather chair behind his desk, Cameron was alone in the clinic. He hadn’t eaten a full breakfast, yet it had completely satisfied him. He actually fasted one day a week, drinking only liquids. The ritual had nothing to do with religion but had just started in college, when he’d pledged a fraternity, and he carried it on during his U.S. Navy duty.
Hearing a noise out front, Cameron stood. He quietly listened for more movement. It was a little early for the staff to report for duty, but it wasn’t overly unusual.
With a bright smile on her face, Gabrielle popped into Cameron’s office and presented him with a colorful Thank you balloon.
“Hi, Cameron. How’s it going?”
