He tentatively shakes it. Even though he’s perfectly polite, I get the feeling he’s not impressed by her guns-a-blazing approach. The strange tension between my shoulder blades eases until a new thought strikes me. I frown.

“Wait, how did you know she’s my sister?”

“James told me you were bringing her along.”

I roll my eyes. “Of course he did.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re all buddy-buddy with our boss. It’s the bros club, and you two are its only members.”

“It’s not the bros club.”

“Oh really, how many women do you see him making small talk with?”

“You should be friendlier.”

I bark a bitter laugh. “Right. Because James makes women feel so comfortable, as if I could just plop down and have a chat with him whenever the mood strikes. Kind of like how I can control the way he talks to me.” A crease forms between Graeme’s eyebrows and he opens his mouth to say something, but I plow on. “What else did he tell you? My initial thoughts on the Galápagos cruise market?”

“No, he just said your sister was traveling with you, and he asked if I’d like to bring someone along too. To make it fair, I guess. I turned him down. I told him I wanted to use the opportunity of a solo trip to focus.”

I grind my teeth until my jaw pops. He’s even managed to make my flash of ingenuity with Walsh as objective secret shopper look like a negative.

A mic switches on, speakers crackling to life, and Gustavo strides to the central platform in the middle of the room. Voices quiet and I force my attention to the dais.

“Welcome, everyone, to Discovery! I’m Gustavo, your cruise leader, and we’re going to enjoy a fantastic Galápagos adventure together!” The guests applaud.

Gustavo’s voice embraces the audience, his warm, energetic demeanor stoking excitement and guaranteeing engagement. He’s a congenial mix of a salt-and-pepper-haired Enrique Iglesias and Richard Simmons. He takes the first few minutes of his spiel to touch on the highlights of what we’ll experience—a new island each day, snorkeling, hiking, kayaking, and abundant wildlife with no inherent fear of humans, the hallmark of the Galápagos Islands.

Then he begins introducing the other staff on board: the naturalists, who will accompany us on all shore excursions to share their knowledge about the wildlife we see, and the officers and crew, the folks responsible for operating the ship.

My gaze drifts to Graeme. I try to listen, but his presence pulls my attention like a yo-yo. Swerving his chin, he glances at me and I quickly look away. My cheeks heat under his gaze. Squaring my shoulders, I tighten my jaw.

Graeme edges closer. “It’s strange seeing you in person too,” he whispers.