The guy is rocking a gray sports jacket with a freshly trimmed beard and his curly brown hair styled to perfection.
Why, hello, James Dean look-alike.
He smirks. “I can read you like a book, Nora. Might wanna save the dirty thoughts until we get home.”
Gasping, I smack him on the chest. “Cocky much?”
“Only with you.”
I shake my head. “Uh-huh. Sure. This is Becca, by the way. She’ll have the difficult task of wiping that smug expression off your face so that you look presentable for the interview.”
“Honey,” Becca interjects, “If you want a bunch of attractive young ladies to buy tickets for the singles’ cruise, then I’d keep the cocky look. Girls are a sucker for a bad boy they can tame.”
“Well, obviously, I failed at the taming part,” I quip, “or you wouldn’t have been able to figure out his game so quickly.”
Laughing, Gage raises his hands in surrender before sitting down on a stool beside me. “Ya know, I’m right here, ladies. I can hear you.”
“Which is why your cocky is still showing,” I tease.
“I like that you’ve turned an adjective into a noun.”
“Only with you. Thanks for bringing Bertie a coffee. She’s having more man trouble.”
“I told her to come on the cruise. You could hook her up with the bartender you were flirting shamelessly with when I ran into you.”
“You remember that guy?” I ask, unable to hide my surprise.
“Hell, yes, I do. He was all over you. Creating special drinks. Letting you sit at his bar. All of it. Disgusting. Oh, I told her it was your idea to set them up, so…yeah.”
With a giant grin, I lean forward and plant a quick, over-the-top kiss to his cheek that leaves a stain of lipstick in its tracks.
“Now, now, Nora. I did not paint that masterpiece on your face for the past thirty minutes only for you to ruin it by sneaking away to the nearest closet with your boy. Keep it in your pants.”
Cheeks heating, I cover my face with my hands, but I am careful not to mess up Becca’s hard work.
“But can you blame her, Becca?” Gage razzes beside me. “I mean, it’s hard to turn down a face like this.”
Thankfully, Becca knows how to dish it right back at him. “Aaand, there’s the cocky Nora was talking about.”
Gage doesn’t bother to deny it because, well…he’s him, but I’m saved from any more banter when Jess’s head pops through the doorway. “Alright, you two, we’re ready for ya.”
“Perfect timing. Gage is officially done,” Becca answers. “Good luck! Can’t wait to see your interview on the air.”
“Me too.”
Once they’ve gotten us hooked up with baby microphones, we sit down in a pair of cushy armchairs, and Gage reaches for my hand. His gesture warms my heart, and I catch myself staring at him with a dopey grin on my face.
“What are you looking at?” he asks, amused.
“Just you.”
Stepping in front of us, the interviewer shakes our hands then sits down on another chair that’s exactly like ours, but it’s angled a bit to face us more head-on.
“Alright, guys. I’m Jeff. Gem and Conner were great and already gave us a rundown of what to expect on the ship. We even showcased a few pictures of you guys swimming with dolphins.”
“Aww,” I gush, squeezing Gage’s bicep. “I miss JoJo!”
“With how big your grins were in the picture, I’m surprised you didn’t bring her home with you.”
“Unfortunately, our apartment doesn’t allow pets,” Gage interjects. “Maybe when we buy our own place.”
Grinning, Jeff takes a seat across from us. “Now that would be a story I’d like to cover. For today, though, we kind of just want to focus on you two. How you met. What your future looks like together. You get the idea. You ready?”
My palms are sweaty, but instead of teasing me about it, Gage squeezes my hand. “Yeah. We’re ready whenever you are.”
“Perfect. Let’s dive right in.” Tuning to the man holding the giant camera, he says, “Hey, Joe, are we rolling?”
“Yeah,” the cameraman grunts. “We’re good to go in three. Two. One.” He points his sausage finger at us. Then Jeff dives right in.
“Hello, ladies and gentlemen, I am Jeff Ericson with CNTZ. Today we’re going to be diving into the Written in the Stars Singles’ Cruise and why it’s seen more success in one year than the top five dating sites combined. Here’s an up-close look at one of those success stories. This is Gage and Nora. Would you like to tell us how you two met?”
I look over at Gage and shrug one shoulder. “Well, it’s actually a funny story. We didn’t meet on the cruise.”
“What?” Jeff asks, playing the part of an intrigued interviewer like a champ.
Pulling our entwined hands into his lap, Gage explains, “Yeah. We met at a college football game right before. What was it, a month or so?”
“Yeah. Around a month or so, I think? We had seats next to each other, and he proposed.”
“Did he now?” Jeff gushes. “He proposed the first time you met?”
“He did. Obviously, he wasn’t serious. He wanted to toy with the crowd––and me,” I add with a grin. “But it definitely made a lasting impression. I can tell you that much.”
“So, you’re not engaged?”
I turn to Gage. “Nope. But we’re so blissfully happy that we wouldn’t change a thing, and we have the cruise to thank for that. Without the incredible workshops, and the amazing community and activities, I don’t think either of us would’ve been willing to take the plunge into a relationship.”
Gage waits for me to finish before interrupting, “Can I interject?”
I nod. “Of course.”
“First, the cruise is amazing, and if you’re single or are looking for a great couple’s vacation where you and your partner can reconnect, go buy tickets. Right now. Just do it. I promise it’s worth it. Second”––he gives me a pointed look––“you said we wouldn’t change a thing.”
Confused, I try to recount the conversation before shaking my head. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You said we’re
