Excerpt from BIG FAT LIES
"Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive."
-Sir Walter Scott
Marmion, 1808;  Canto vi. Stanza 17

Big Fat Lies
by Judy Bagshaw

Chapter One

Sofie staggered up the gangplank, pushed along with the chattering, excited wave of travelers boarding the cruise ship. She breathed in the excitement, and felt a familiar stomach clench of nervousness that she quickly squashed down with a mental kick in her pants. She would not be afraid. She was here to have fun.
"Welcome aboard the HMS Carribea!" A pretty blonde with a too-white smile stood at the top of the ramp, her starched trim uniform showing her as part of the crew. "I'm Cindy, your cruise director. The stewards will show you to your cabins. Hello. Welcome aboard"
The patter went on. Sofie was almost dizzy with the confusion of the crowds, the noise, the ceaseless activity. Negotiating the confusion of corridors amidst such mayhem was a challenge. After taking yet another wrong turn, she felt her muscles tensing with the beginning's of panic.
"Get a grip, woman," she muttered and was relieved to find herself in the right corridor.
Once in her cabin, she closed the door and breathed in the quiet. She had done it. She was here, about to embark on the maiden voyage of her new self. The new and improved Sofie Peterson.
Sofie opened her suitcases and pulled out the sexy bright yellow halter dress that she had specifically purchased for this first night on board. It was part of her new cruise wardrobe, purchased to show off her 5'8" zaftig figure. She stripped off her jeans, T-shirt and bra and pulled the cool cotton blend over her head. It took a bit of careful adjusting to get her double F chest secured into the cleverly engineered dress, but the end result was well worth it. A long look in the mirror, showed a drop-dead sexy red-head.
Her short naturally curly auburn hair was a soft cap framing her open intelligent face. Her hazel eyes sparkled and the large smattering of freckles across her nose added an impish cuteness to her overall look.
"Look out world. Here comes Gorgeous!" She grinned at herself and began to apply lipstick to her full lips.
There was frantic banging on her cabin door and she opened it to reveal a tall slender woman with a pained expression on her face.
Even in distress, Libby Washington was gorgeous. Her skin was a deep cafe au lait. Her eyes were huge in her heart-shaped face, with lashes that Sofie envied. She wore her hair in a short Halle Berry cut which accentuated her long neck and square shoulders. Her body was made to show off designer clothes. In fact, the only physical aspect she shared with Sofie was her height.
"Thank God!" She pushed her way past Sofie. "I have to pee." And she disappeared into the compact bathroom.
"Hi to you too," Sofie said through the door. The response was muffled, but it was an infinitely relieved person who emerged a few minutes later.
"That feels so much better." She plunked herself down on one of the single beds in the tiny cabin. "I thought for sure my bladder was going to burst before I got here."
"I wondered if you were going to get here at all, Libby. You were supposed to meet me at the hotel last night."
Libby flashed a coy smile. She was Sofie's best friend, and the school nurse at the elementary school where Sofie taught fourth grade, and Sofie had seen that look often.
"I had a date last night." Libby waggled her eyebrows.
"So you told me. It must have been some date."
Libby just grinned her cat and canary grin.
Sofie returned her smile. "You naughty girl, you." Libby's varied love life was a source of constant wonder to her.
  "I grabbed a shuttle flight this morning." Libby yawned and fell back on the bed. "I'm beat!"
"Oh no you don't." Sofie pulled her reluctant room-mate off the bed. "Get changed into something sexy and let's go show the fellas on this cruise how lucky they are."
"Oo, that's my girl," Libby zinged another megawatt grin at her. "I'm glad you're starting the cruise with the right attitude."
Sofie hugged her. "I'm glad you made it. It wouldn't be any fun celebrating my divorce without you."
Libby laughed and then gave her friend a once over. "I see you've got your 'jump me now' dress on already," she said. "We haven't even left the dock yet."
Sofie did a spin to show off her outfit. "No sense waiting. I have about nine wasted years to make up for."
"That's what you get for marrying a gay man."
"He wasn't gay when I married him." When she realized what she said, she blushed and shook her head. "That didn't come out right. I mean, I didn't know he was gay when I married him."
"The bastard." Libby said. "I bet he knew all right. Face it, Sofie, he used you."
"I know, I know." This was old ground.
"He was too much of a chicken shit to admit his proclivities to that meddling, simp of a mother of his and so he married you to satisfy her and made you miserable."
"Look, I was only 20 when I met him. It wasn't like I was exactly fighting them off back there in Sander's Corners where I grew up, so I really had no experience to compare to. He and I went all through school together and had a lot of fun when we dated, we liked the same things"
"Including men."
Sofie glared at her friend. "Besides that.  I mean, you know--Music, movies, theatre. He was the one who planned the whole wedding and it was wonderful. My mother loved him, but then he could sit and talk cooking with her for hours. I couldn't do that."
"Sofie, Sofie," Libby shook her head. "Such an innocent."
"Not any more." She planted her hands on her generous hips and struck a seductive pose. "This is the new and improved Sofie Peterson. I'm big, I'm bold and I'm beautiful, and no man on this entire ship will be safe from my many wonderful charms."
Libby's laugh was rich and throaty. "Who is this vixen and where's our shy little school teacher?"
Sofie grinned and twirled in front of the mirror. "Wouldn't the staff at school have a cow if they saw me now?"
"They would at that. That red hair, those curves, the air of confidence. You've blossomed into a bombshell, girlfriend."
Sofie stopped, overcome with emotion. "I have, haven't I," she said, her voice just above a whisper.
Libby moved closer and put her arms around her friend's shoulders, then pulled her into a hug.
"Yes you have." They stood for a moment in their quiet embrace, then with a sniff, Sofie pulled back.
"Hurry up and change, girl. I have some men to meet!"
A few minutes later, Libby was clad in white shorts and a white halter top that emphasized her long slender legs and her complexion.
Sofie whistled and grinned.
"We are two hot tamales, aren't we?"
"That we are, girlfriend," Libby replied. "That we are."
Their cabin was at the very end of a long corridor near the bow of the ship. As they headed toward the main lounge, they passed several doors, some open while people arrived to settle in, others closed awaiting their tenants. Libby and Sofie exchanged pleasantries with fellow passengers they passed and chattered with one another.
"Nice mix of people," Sofie said.
"Looks like. I just hope there are lots of cute, available men!"
"You have a one track mind."
"Yeah, but what a track!" They both laughed.
So absorbed were they that at the turn in the passage, they failed to notice a passenger coming around the opposite way. Sofie collided with a hard wall of humanity.
"God damn!"
"Oof!" Her balance was off in the high-heeled sandals she wore and she lurched hard to the left. In the next moment she landed dazed on top of the man whose face was now buried in her ample cleavage. His muffled expletives finally woke her to the position she was now in.
"Now that's a unique way of saying hello," Libby said. Sofie laughed and felt Libby's hands digging under her arms, trying to help her up. But it was awkward in the narrow passageway with limbs tangled as they were. Another explosive expletive told her that her knee had hit a sensitive spot on what she now determined was a large, muscular man.
"God, I'm sorry," she said, once she was able to get up on her feet. She straightened her dress and shimmied all her parts back into it where they were supposed to be.
"Why the hell don't you watch where you're going?" said the dark-haired 30 something male who rose before them.
"Me!" Sofie choked back a laugh at the man's glower. Even scowling he was gorgeous. Dark hair, piercing eyes, strong jaw, and she noted, quite kissable lips. Lips that at this moment were frowning with annoyance.  "It takes two buddy. Why weren't you watching?"
He glared, poised to say something and then a sheepish smile wiped the anger from his face and Sofie's breath caught in her throat.
"Fair enough," he said. "The name's Finn." He rubbed his elbow while taking in Sofie's form from top to bottom. "Finn Baxter." He held out his hand.
Sofie glared at the hand but then with reluctance shook it. She was conscious of how large his hands were, and how firm his grip. His garish Hawaiian shirt covered broad shoulders, a thick chest and well-muscled arms. He was, in a word, gorgeous.
"Sofie Peterson," she said and then gestured to Libby. "My friend, Libby Washington."
"Pleased to meet you." Finn took Libby's hand in his.
"Are you all right?"
"My dignity's shot, but overall I'm okay I guess." He grinned, obviously beginning to see the humor in the situation."It wouldn't have happened if you had been more careful." Sofie said.
"Look, lady, I was just minding my own business. You were the ones so busy yakking that you didn't watch where you were going."
"You're saying this is my fault?" She had stepped up to him, her face pushed forward into his, her hands planted on her hips.
Finn adopted the same belligerent stance. "I'd say that about sums it up."
"Look you--" She got no further. Libby's hand was on her arm. "Now children. Let's play nice."
Sofie glared at her friend and then back at Finn.
"He should apologize," she said.
"Why me?" he said. "I wasn't the one who started this whole thing."
"Excuse me?" Sofie was winding up again.
"Does it really matter," Libby said, pulling Sofie back. "Someone just be big enough to say sorry first."
"Then it should be her," Finn said stubbornly. Sofie was incensed. She knew exactly what he meant by that. He meant that she was bighugegigantic. It was his subtle little dig at her size. Well, screw him!!
"Sorry!" she said. Sorry I didn't knock your block off!
"Yeah, sorry," he said.
"That was very good children," Libby said. "Now let's go Sofie. Hope we see you around Finn." And the two girls moved on, Libby pulling a recalcitrant Sofie along.
"Oh, stop pouting," Libby said.
"I'm not pouting," Sofie said.
"And I'm not going to fight with you."
"Fine!"
They walked the rest of the corridor without speaking and then Libby said,
"He was cute though."
"He sure was," Sofie said and Libby grinned at the wistful expression on Sofie's face.
But the wistfulness fade quickly.
"He was also insufferably rude, and obnoxious, and self-centered, and, and"
"Cute?" Libby piped in.
Sofie made a face at her friend.
"He wasn't that cute."
Libby laughed.
"Whatever you say," she said. She nodded her head toward the ship's main lounge from which they could hear the sounds of chattering voices and revelry. "Shall we?"
"Let's," Sofie said with a grin. Grabbing Libby's arm, she said, "Look out fellas, here we come!" And the two girls strode into the gathering.
They had just begun a whirlwind of introductions, when Cindy-the-cruise-director called for everyone's attention.
"We're soon leaving port," Cindy-the-cruise-director's chirpy, syrupy cheerfulness was a fingernail on Sofie's blackboard. "So it's time for our lifejacket drill." She gestured to the two doorways leading out to the deck. "You can see the stewards at the doors. As you file out to the deck, they'll hand you a lifejacket. Put it on and move to the forward deck. This is a precaution only, but I need to inform you that there is a small storm a few miles out from port. Nothing to worry about, but we want you to feel secure."
Sofie didn't. "A storm? Oh my God."
"Cool!" Libby rushed to the railing leaving Sofie hanging back near the door. Her stomach was doing flip-flops. The discomfort was almost forgotten as she watched the flurry of activity on shore as the ship was freed from the dock and their cruise began. Excitement rippled through the crowd and the flip-flop in Sofie's stomach got more pronounced.
She pushed her was through the throng to get to Libby, who was leaning over the railing, her eyes wide with anticipation.
"Lib, I don't feel so well," Sofie said.
Libby looked at her.
"You look fine. You're probably just excited. Nervous butterflies maybe."
"I guess."
The ship was now visibly pulling away from shore and cheers erupted from the people lining the railing
And suddenly Sofie knew this was not just a nervous stomach. Nausea engulfed her and her skin blanched. On unsteady legs she willed the contents of her stomach to stay where they were as she moved as quickly as possible toward her cabin. Now that the ship moved freely, the up and down motion on the wind-swept water was more pronounced and Sofie's distress was greater.
God, please just let me get to my bathroom.
She reached the final corridor leading to her room, one hand clamped over her mouth, the other on the wall steadying her. Her stomach began to heave but she swallowed hard and prayed for sanctuary. As she rounded the last bend before her room, she once again found herself knocked without warning to the ground.
A familiar voice snarled, "You again!" just before she spewed the contents of her stomach on his shoes and passed out.

Libby had lost track of Sofie in the crowd on deck. The excitement of pulling away from shore, and the thrill of looking out to open sea, kept her glued to her spot at the  railing and pushed any concern about her friend's whereabouts from her mind.
The brisk breeze carried a salty tang that she savored with each deep breath she took. The sun felt warm on her face and she closed her eyes to bask in its rays.
"How charming."
She opened her eyes and looked at her admirer. He was very tall and quite slender, well tanned and impeccably groomed. His silver grey hair was thick and boyishly long framing a face that showed him to be younger than his hair color would first indicate. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement, and Libby noted, admiration.
"Charming?" She shot him the chilliest of her cool smiles.  The one that usually sent men scurrying away before they came within ten feet of her.
"Utterly." He flashed his even, white, too-perfect teeth at her and extended a well-manicured hand. "Simon Landrich at your service."
"Libby Washington." She placed her hand in his. He squeezed it and then caressed her knuckles with his thumb. Libby's knees went weak.
"Please tell me you are not traveling with your husband?" He moved a step closer, still in possession of her hand.
"And if I was?" She looked up from the corner of her eyeand gave him a teasing, coy look.
"I'd be heartbroken." He lifted her hand and kissed it. "To find a jewel on board and then be denied a chance to bask in her glory, would be a shame." A second kiss followed the first.
Libby's heart thumped erratically in her chest and a luscious wave of sexual heat rippled through her body. She felt languid and electrified at the same time by this intense and attractive gentleman.
"I'd hate to be responsible for any suffering." She shot him a sexy grin. "I'm traveling with my best friend, Sofie. No husband."
"Wonderful!" His eyes swept over her.
"And you?" she asked, running a scarlet tipped fingernail down his shirt front. "Who are you traveling with?"
His eyes followed her finger and he grinned a wolfish grin of sexual awareness. Libby's knees turned to Jello.
"I'm unfettered, beautiful lady. And never more glad of that fact then at this moment." He released her hand and offered his arm. "Would you do me the honor of a stroll about the deck?"
Libby slid her arm through his and wrapped her other arm over, pulling herself tight to his side. He smiled and placed his free hand over hers. Arm in arm they began a slow walk along the deck. For the moment, Sofie was forgotten.    
Chapter Two
Sofie woke up and willed death to take her now. It took her a moment to realize that she was lying in her bed.
"How did I get here?" she said.
A voice answered from the bathroom.
"How do you think?" Finn appeared drying his hands. "I carried you in here after you passed out."
"But how..."
"I got the steward to show me to your room and let us in. You really weren't in any condition to give me the information."
With vivid clarity, Sofie remembered what had transpired and she groaned and pulled the sheet up over her head, overcome with embarrassment.
"I could just die!"
"Not to worry,' Finn said. "As far as I know, no one has ever died from sea sickness."
"No" Sofie groaned as a ripple of nausea grabbed her. She retched and felt Finn's hand lift her head and direct her toward the wastebasket he held.
Another memory hit her.
"I threw up on your shoes, didn't I?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Finn said. She wasn't sure if she heard amusement in his tone or not. "You do have an unusual way of introducing yourself to people."
Sofie grabbed her stomach and moaned, not so much from sickness as humiliation. It was then she realized something else.
"I'm naked."
"Yes, well, your clothes did not fare so well either," Finn said, handing her a glass of water from which she took two tentative sips. "I've rinsed out the worst of the mess, but you'll want the ship's laundry to do them properly, I think."
"You undressed me?" Sofie's eyes were wide with horror, and she clutched the sheet tighter.
"Well, you were a little uncooperative at the time and someone had to do it, so" Finn shrugged and spread his hands as if that explained it all.
"You saw me?Naked?"
Before he could answer she moaned, Oh God and lunged for the wastebasket again. Drowning in misery, her only thought was to be released from this hell at once.
"You poor kid." Finn wiped her brow with a cold cloth. "I called the infirmary and they said they'd have someone come up with a shot as soon as they could. I gather that there are quite a number of passengers and crew stricken like you are."
"You seem fine," Sofie said weakly.
"Yeah, seem to be. Good thing. I don't make a very good patient."
Another wave of nausea hit and Sofie groaned. There seemed no end to the torment, no escape. Where the hell was Libby and why had they decided to come on this damn cruise in the first place? She rolled over in the narrow bunk and wrapped the sheet around her like a shroud. She was shivering and hot fat tears squeezed from her eyes to splash on her pillow.
"I want to die," she said, her voice muffled and soft.
"You'll feel better once you've had one of these wonder shots they give you," Finn said. "You'll be up and feeling as good as new."
"No I won't," Sofie said miserably. "Because I'll still know that youthat you saw me," she sniffled, "naked."
"Hey, trust me," Finn said. "I was not thrown into a state of uncontrollable lust, okay! You were a mess and I couldn't put you to bed like that, so I did what was necessary. I didn't cop a feel and I didn't indulge in some dirty peeking. So just forget about it."
Finn's words cut through Sofie like a knife. If she hadn't felt so weak and sick, she might have responded and put the creep in his place. Instead, she pulled her knees to her chest and wallowed in her agony, knowing that he had been thoroughly repulsed by her.
There was a discreet rap on the cabin door and Finn let in a crewmember carrying a medical bag.
"How's our patient doing?" With a kind smile, the grey haired man put Sofie at ease and she was grateful for her deliverance from the humiliation of Finn's presence. She didn't even notice when Finn slipped out the door, or when Libby arrived.
"God, you look like crap," was Libby's observation as the doctor took a syringe and injected a powerful dose of Dramamine into Sofie's hip.
"That seems to be the general consensus," Sofie said and felt the immediate lessening of her nausea and the drowsiness caused by the drug.
Libby didn't seem to be listening her. She let the doctor out and then began scrambling around their cramped quarters, throwing off clothes and digging through her luggage for others. She dashed into the bathroom.
"Who washed out your dress?" she called. Sofie roused from near slumber to answer.
"The klutzy Finn Baxter," she said.
Libby came out and stood, her mascara wand in her hand, staring with surprise at her friend.
"You mean he undressed you? How did that happen?"
Sofie shot a wry look in Libby's direction.
"It was no romantic interlude if that is what you are getting at."
"Why not? He's cute," Libby replied from the bathroom.
"Well, I wasn't exactly in a romantic mood at the time, in case you haven't noticed."
"Oh yeah. Are you okay?"
Sofie moaned and punched at her pillow. As much as she loved Libby, she found her really exasperating at times. She could be so self-centered.
"Just peachy."
"No need to be sarcastic," Libby came into the room pulling a skimpy bronze colored silk cocktail dress over her head.
"Coming to dinner?" She got an expletive as her answer.
"Guess not." She sat on the side of Sofie's bed, and put her hand on Sofie's fevered sweaty brow. She swept a few tendrils of hair up off it.
"I'm sorry you got seasick, honey. Can I do anything for you?"
Sofie smiled bleakly at Libby's genuine concern, and shook her head.
"Just go have some fun. One of us might as well."
"I will," Libby said with a grin. "And I'll try to have an extra bit just for you, okay? Sleep tight and feel better." She bent and bestowed a gentle peck on Sofie's forehead, and then was gone.
Sofie sighed in her wretchedness. So much for the new and improved Sofie Peterson. Instead of taking the ship by storm, the ship had tossed her right on her keister. And not only that, but she had managed to make a total ass of herself in front of a truly attractive man. Not that he cared since he found her so repulsive anyway. Could life get any more dismal?
The drug's effect finally managed to overwhelm Sofie's broken spirit and she drifted into a deep and healing sleep.    

Chapter Three
Finn Baxter, on the other hand, was far from sleep. In fact, he was in the bar about the toss back his second shot of whiskey since the first one hadn't done a thing to calm him down.
He hadn't counted on meeting someone like Sofie--on meeting anyone at all. He had a job to do on this voyage and he certainly didn't need the distraction of a feisty, sexy red-head to mess up his thinking skills.
He closed his eyes and immediately regretted it, for his mind filled with the vision of her snapping green eyes and voluptuous form. His pulse raced a little at the remembered softness of her body lying on his in the corridor and the dazzling expanse of freckled cleavage that nearly gave him heart failure.
"Another one sir?" Finn gaped at the bartender and then shook his head. He slapped a couple of bills on the bar and glanced at his watch. He had about an hour before dinner was over and the passengers would be milling about looking for their evening's entertainment. It gave him a chance to have a look around and become familiar with the layout of the ship. Having a map of the floating resort in his head would come in useful later when the reason for his trip manifested itself.
He felt a cold anger rise in him. He knew somehow that this voyage was the one. He would finally be able to end this quest that had dominated his life for the past five years.
He was sure that he had spotted the subject of his interest at boarding this afternoon. It had been a while and appearances could be changed as he well knew, but certain things couldn't be so easily hiddena particular turn of the head, a nervous habit, the arrogant way of moving through a crowd. Yes, Finn was confident the time had come.
But now there was this complication. He was distracted by a luscious form and a pair of flashing green eyes. Eyes that reminded him of those glittering points of light hitting the crest of an ocean wave in the early morning. His response to her had been intensely physical, and he felt it from the surface of his skin to the core of his being.
And how helpless she had been earlier, at his mercy like a little child. And then she woke up and spoke. What spirit and fire! As aggravating as her accusations were, it was also exciting, arousing. It'd been some time since he'd crossed paths with a woman who made him feel again.
Finn shook his head and contemplated calling the bartender back, but he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find his tormentor's friend smiling at him.
"Hi there. Finn isn't it?" She plunked herself down on the stool next to his.
"Right the first time," he said feigning a lazy indifference. "You're Libby right? What was your friend's name again?"
Her answering grin told him he hadn't fooled her one bit.
"Poor Sofie," she said. "I understand you pulled a Galahad and rescued our sea sick friend."
"She has this disconcerting habit of running into people." Finn signaled the bartender to bring them both a drink.
"Only you," Libby lit a slim cigarette.
"Yeah, well how did I get so lucky?"
She squinted at him through a cloud of smoke and grinned. "I'd say she's the lucky one."
Finn couldn't help but laugh at her audacity.
"Are you always this forward?"
"Always. It's one of my better qualities. That and an outrageous ego."
"And your friend," he asked, feigning a sudden interest in his drink. "Is she as audacious and outrageous as you?"
"Sofie? Hardly." Libby tapped the ashes off her cigarette. "Up until six months ago she was a respectable married lady."
"And now?" Finn tried not to appear too eager for the answer.
"And now she's not," Libby said. "Married, that is." She smiled. "She's still way too respectable, I'm afraid. I brought her on this trip to try and remedy that."
"Oh?"
Libby took a sip of her drink and another drag on her filter-tip. Finn didn't like the smell or the smoke in his eyes and had to wonder at what made someone put something so foul in her mouth.
"She was married for almost ten years."
"That's a long time," Finn said, his mind lurching into areas he wanted to stay away from. "What happened?"
"You wouldn't believe it," Libby said and then tamped out her cigarette in the ashtray. She lifted her glass and looked at him over the rim. "I really shouldn't be telling you any of this. Sofie would kill me."
"Only if someone told her you'd talked." He gave Libby his most charming smile and that was the encouragement she needed.
"You seem like a nice enough guy," she said and leaned into her tale. "Clarkthat was her husbandleft her." Here she paused for dramatic effect. "For another man!"
Finn himself took a long drink assessing whether she was to be believed.
"Wow. Poor kid."
"Yeah," Libby said. "It was really awful. Sofie'd had no idea he waswell, inclined that way, although other people seemed to have figured it out. She was really humiliated, you know?"
"It wasn't her fault. It seems to me, he should have been honest with her, and with himself."
"I guess that's a small town for you. He had to stay in the closet and she had to get married."
"Had to get married? What do you mean?"
"No, not HAD to exactly. "Libby struggled to find the right words. "All her friends were hitched. She was in her twenties. I don't think she saw that she had too many options open to her and Clark was willing."
Finn grimaced. "You make it sound like she was desperate or something. A girl like that doesn't have to be desperate."
The tone in his voice must have sparked awareness in Libby's mind, and Finn mentally kicked himself for letting his interest in Sofie show. He didn't have time for this stuff and didn't want the distraction, no matter how pleasant.
"A girl like Sofie?" Libby lolled and lit another cigarette. "What kind of girl is that, then, Finn?"
Finn shifted with unease under her scrutiny and then as a thought struck him, he grinned.
"A respectable girl, naturally."
"Touché," Libby said and stood up. "Well, voluptuous girls, no matter how respectable, don't always have all the options open to them." She sidled up beside him, so she could look him eye to eye. "I'd say it takes a special kind of secure man with a keen eye to recognize the unique beauty in a big, beautiful woman. She's a wonderful girl and my best friend. I'd love for her to find a guy just like that." Her voice and manner then went breezy. "I'm off to break some hearts of my own, Finn Baxter. Have a nice evening." And she was gone.
Finn turned back to the bar and downed the rest of his drink in one gulp. He saw that he would have to be very careful this trip. It would be too easy to get sidetracked by this available respectable girl. His thoughts turned grim. No, he had business to finish, a score to settle, and then maybe he would be able to start his own life again.

Libby glided into the piano lounge where she had agreed to meet Simon. She ran a hand over the sensual fabric at her hip and took a moment to study the room. There he was, in a shadowed quiet corner facing the door. She could feel his eyes devouring her and she felt powerful. With long, sinewy strides, she covered the distance between them. He stood and whistled his appreciation.
"Stunning!"
"Thank you." She sat and he moved his chair closer before sitting.
They ordered and got their drinksa Pina Colada for her, Scotch rocks for him.
"Did you miss me?" His tone was low and teasing.
"Libby sipped at her drink. "Perhaps."
He chuckled. "Well, I missed you, my beauty."
"Good," she said, eliciting another chuckle from him.
"I thought your friend might come with you."
"Sofie? No, poor thing. I'm afraid she's a bit sea sick. She had an unfortunate accident just as we left port." With Simon's encouragement she relayed the two fateful "run-ins" with Finn Baxter. By her story's end both Libby and Simon were in stitches.
"Oh, the poor girl." Simon gasped between chortles. "How dreadful."
"Yeah, but I have a feeling about those two," Libby crossed her legs and chewed on her thumbnail. "I think there's some potential there."
"For romance?"
"I hope so. Sofie deserves to find someone wonderful." Libby stirred her drink, lost in thought.
"So do you," Simon murmured. Libby looked into his eyes.
"I think I have," she said and he smiled. Their lips seemed to gravitate together then, and the kiss they shared was, for Libby, explosive. All breath seemed to exit her body and her limbs became liquid. Sexual heat flamed at the center of her being. She'd never felt such a passionate response to a man before.
"Who are you?' she asked in wonder when at last the kiss ended.
"Just a man," he said, "Rather well-to-doan investor, entrepreneur---whatever you choose to call me. I travel extensively, live life fully, and until this day never knew that something was missing in my life." He caressed Libby's cheek, sending a shudder of desire through her. "And you, my beauty. Who are you?"
Libby felt a small pang of panic. The truth would be so simple__'I'm an elementary school nurse. My friend Sofie is a fourth grade teacher.'  In her mind's ear that sounded so dull. What could such an ordinary woman offer a glamorous man like Simon Landrich? He was polished, urbanea man of the world. She felt the need to be worthy in his eyes. Before she thought too deeply, she spoke.
"Ah, Sofie and I are partners in an antiques and antiquities business." she said. Her partner was going to kill her when she found out.
"How lovely," Simon said. "And what do you specialize inestate furnishings? Jewelry? Art?"
Libby squirmed in her chair, uncomfortable in her lie, yet committed now to this path. Inspiration came with her next breath. She leaned forward and caressed Simon's arm.
"Business talk is so boring," she purred. "We're on holiday. How about we go do a little dancing?" She gave him her sexiest come-hither smile and he was captured.
"Delighted," he said, rising.
"Landrich, old man!" Libby and Simon regarded the intruder. He was short for a man, husky in build and wreathed in a hail fellow, well met smile.
"Henderson," Simon nodded. Libby could tell he wasn't entirely pleased with the interruption. Mr. Henderson, however, seemed oblivious.
"And your lady friend?" he said, turning to offer a handshake to Libby. His fingers were blunt and pudgy, his palm clammy.
"Libby Washington," Simon said. "Wallace Henderson."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance Miss Washington." Libby smiled. "I was hoping we'd get a chance to talk some business tonight," he continued, "but I see you have much better plans. Perhaps tomorrow?"
"Well..." Simon glanced toward Libby.
Libby thought fast. She didnt' want to lose Simon to some business meeting. Perhaps she could offer an alternative.
"I have an idea," she said. "I'm traveling with my friend er- partnerif you don't mind a blind date, we could all go out together tomorrow. I assure you, she's a wonderful woman."
Wallace appeared delighted at the idea.
"Splendid!"
"Great," Libby said. "Why don't' you join us for breakfast so you and Sofie can meet?"
"Excellent. See you then." And he left them. Libby followed his progress across the lounge and thought, here was the second thing Sofie would murder her for.