“I told you not to eat that sandwich.”

“Knock it off, okay?”

Kicking her feet up on the empty chair across the table, Walsh slurps her chocolate milkshake through a straw.

I tip my oversized sunglasses onto my nose and take a sip of water from my Nalgene. After “the incident” earlier, no dairy for me, thanks. I check the time on my phone and a notification pops up: I have new messages from Tory and Christina in our group text.

Tory

Ahoy, stranger! Make it to the ship okay?

Christina

I’m sure she did, chill out, Mama!

Tory

Gotta make sure our girl got there safe

I grin.

Hey! I’m alive, we made it!

Christina

Told you so!

How’s Galápagos so far?

Good, hot. Haven’t seen much yet because we’re still on San Cristobal.

Tory

Wear sunscreen and take lots of pictures

Christina

1. Sunscreen is always a good idea.

2. Have you met Graeme yet? What’s he like in person?

Ugh, yes… and he is exactly how I thought. TERRIBLE

My neck prickles and I glance automatically over my shoulder, but Graeme’s nowhere in sight. I haven’t spotted many other cruise-goers in this part of town. We picked this particular café because of the free Wi-Fi (score), plus it’s tucked at the far end of the main drag, away from the other tourists. If I’m lucky, Graeme won’t venture this way.

In fact, I haven’t seen him since the safety briefing. Good. I don’t want to see him. Today or for the rest of the trip. I click off my phone and peer up and down the street one more time. Still Graeme-less. Which reminds me…

I nudge Walsh with my foot. “Hey, why were you flirting with Graeme earlier?”

Walsh barely looks up from her own phone. “Huh?”

I reach over and cover her screen with my hand.

“Hey!” Scowling, she jerks it away.

Something about the stiffness of her lips has me frowning. “What’s wrong?”

Walsh’s shoulders slump. “Remember that interview I did at the spa down the street before we left?”

“Yeah?”

“I just got an email from the interviewer. ‘Thanks but no thanks.’ It’s the third rejection this week.”

I wince. “Something will turn up soon, I know it.”

“I hope so. I can’t mooch off you forever,” she adds in a mumble. Pursing her lips, she hammers her thumbs across the screen. “So what were you saying about Graeme?”

I should say something else to pump her up, give her hope. But I can’t help but agree with her—she can’t mooch off me forever. Eventually she’ll need to find her own place, and she definitely needs a steady income. Then there’s the matter of her presence on this cruise and why she’s here…