Caribbean Crush by R. S. Grey

Author:R. S. Grey [Grey, R. S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781662517655
Google: vKZk0AEACAAJ
Amazon: B0CQRK2PZ4
Goodreads: 204221972
Publisher: Montlake
Published: 2024-09-02T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

CASEY

My mouse hovers over the blue send button at the bottom of my email; I’m stalling because I’m too chicken to press it. I lean back and cross my arms, staring at my computer screen, trying to figure out if I’m a bad person.

It’s Thursday, late afternoon—my fifth day on board Aurelia—and I haven’t left my suite all day. I’ve been chugging coffee on an empty stomach. I ordered up breakfast earlier, but I only managed to pick at it. I’m not hungry at all. The pancakes and eggs sit cold on their tray behind me.

Sienna came calling a little while ago, asking if I wanted to go down to the pool, but I begged off, saying I had to work. And I do. I’ve been working all morning. We’re docked in Puerto Plata, and I doubt I’ll get to venture off the boat even once today. Outside, the sky is a cheery blue, but it doesn’t seem to have any effect on me.

Gwen’s email last night did this to me. It was the catalyst for the downward spiral I’m currently enduring with clenched teeth. Her critique of my work felt especially harsh. I stayed up late last night, rereading what I sent her, disappointed to find that she was right in her assessment. What did I expect she’d say when I delivered Phillip’s canned responses to those ridiculous questions?

I went to bed and woke up this morning feeling as though I was failing at the very last important thing left in my life. What do I have outside of my work? At the moment, nothing really.

Over the last few years, my life has been chiseled down to a single goal: make it as a travel journalist, which will get me promoted and allow me to leave my small life behind. It’s why I’m on this cruise. It’s why I’ve put in the hours at Bon Voyage, working a menial job I can’t stand.

So then why am I not going for it?

Why am I not giving this assignment everything I have?

The answer is obvious. I’ve prioritized Phillip’s feelings over my own career goals. I’ve tried to have my cake and eat it too.

Ask any noteworthy journalist if they’ve ever had to slightly trample on the feelings and wishes of others for the betterment of a story, and they’ll snort in your face. Of course they have. Gwen didn’t ask me for a puff piece. She wants real and interesting. I’ve given her neither.

So . . . I spent the better part of last night and this morning rewriting my special-interest piece about Phillip. Gwen called my first draft stale; she wanted me to delve deeper, so I did. Though at first, I had to force it a bit. I’m a travel journalist at heart, but fortunately, from my first day on this cruise, I’ve found it incredibly easy to write about Phillip. It’s really no challenge at all to describe his demeanor and humanity after spending the last few days witnessing it firsthand.

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