page2 (1/2)

“Well I guess since I’ht as well just …I don’t know…an escort or soone into her roo to say in response, had stared, and thus started the long walk that had brought her to the marina

As Zelda looked around, she tried to think of a way to use her location to her advantage She had no intention of beco an escort; while she respected the wo that appealed to her Maybe if I was a high-price escort,five thousand dollars a week, they’d shut up about what a quitter I a else

She could apply at one of the handful of restaurants on the marina; while she didn’t yet have her certification, she’d trained for eight weeks, and could easily use her skills as a sous chef at one of the set a retail job Zelda frowned at the idea, dis it a moment later; even on Miah for her to afford rent right away

Zelda paused as a couple of loaders crossed her path, headed for one of the larger yachts nificent ship: it was the largest one in the ray splendor Probably so ready to take his trophy wife to Barbados or St Lucia

Zelda shook her head to herself, watching the workers loading e vessel Other employees milled around, either far overhead on the boat itself, or around it on the docks, chattering away, obviously preparing to set sail Sothat Zelda wondered hoas possible for the people in charge to keep count

That question set wheels intotrack at all, she thought, catching her botto it as the elusive shape of a plan began to for so oes that they’d notice just one little stoay

A tingle of exciteh Zelda’s body She looked around herself more carefully; the crew of the ship were so involved in preparing to leave that none of them had so much as looked in her direction since she’d come to a stop next to the vessel

Zelda shifted her backpack on her shoulders, smoothed her hair, and looked down at her clothes They were less than coether as any of the other yacht staff she saw co around on the slip If she played her cards right, she could—she hoped— spot, before anyone thought to take a head count

She fell in behind two stewards, chatting busily about their last-nments, about “impossible demands” and “miracle workers” She kept a few paces behind the to attract attention, and followed the her features into a model of all that was busy and focused

Once on board, Zelda i away fro where she was going, or even where she should go In theory at least, she should be able to find somewhere to tuck herself away in the lower levels She looked around for a map, an elevator, or stairs to take her further away froht by one of the crewaround

She found her way downstairs, trying to look like she knehere she was going Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked around, ht that she was either brilliant or incredibly foolish, and that there was a very good possibility that she was both

“You!”

Zelda spun on her heel as a big, slightly heavy-looking wo chef’s whites, her face flushed and her sandy-colored hair pulled back under a cap

“You’re looking for the galley, right?”

Zelda shtly “Yeah, sorry, just kind of lost”