“Quite a lot of it, as a matter of fact.” He was eyeing her speculatively. “Do you know what you and I should do?”
“I certainly do, Mr. Stevens. We should say good-bye.”
And he sat there watching as Tracy got up and walked out of the dining room.
She had dinner in her cabin. As she ate, she wondered what ill fate had placed Jeff Stevens in her path again. She wanted to forget the fear she had felt on that train when she thought she was under arrest. Well, I’m not going to let him spoil this trip. I’ll simply ignore him.
After dinner Tracy went up on deck. It was a fantastic night, with a magic canopy of stars sprayed against a velvet sky. She was standing at the rail in the moonlight, watching the soft phosphorescence of the waves and listening to the sounds of the night wind, when he moved up beside her.
“You have no idea how beautiful you look standing there. Do you believe in shipboard romances?”
“Definitely. What I don’t believe in is you.” She started to walk away.
“Wait. I have some news for you. I just found out that Max Pierpont isn’t on board, after all. He canceled at the last minute.”
“Oh, what a shame. You wasted your fare.”
“Not necessarily.” He eyed her speculatively. “How would you like to pick up a small fortune on this voyage?”
The man is unbelievable. “Unless you have a submarine or a helicopter in your pocket, I don’t think you’ll get away with robbing anyone on this ship.”
“Who said anything about robbing anyone? Have you ever heard of Boris Melnikov or Pietr Negulesco?”
“What if I have?”
“Melnikov and Negulesco are on their way to Russia for a championship match. If I can arrange for you to play the two of them,” Jeff said earnestly, “we can win a lot of money. It’s a perfect setup.”
Tracy was looking at him incredulously. “If you can arrange for me to play the two of them? That’s your perfect setup?”
“Uh-huh. How do you like it?”
“I love it. There’s just one tiny hitch.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t play chess.”
He smiled benignly. “No problem. I’ll teach you.”
“You’re insane,” Tracy said. “If you want some advice, you’ll find yourself a good psychiatrist. Good night.”
The following morning Tracy literally bumped into Boris Melnikov. He was jogging on the Boat Deck, and as Tracy rounded a corner, he ran into her, knocking her off her feet.
“Watch where you’re going,” he growled. And he kept running.
Tracy sat on the deck, looking after him. “Of all the rude—!” She stood up and brushed herself off.
A steward approached. “Are you hurt, miss? I saw him—”
“No, I’m fine, thank you.”
Nobody was going to spoil this trip.
When Tracy returned to her cabin, there were six messages to call Mr. Jeff Stevens. She ignored them. In the afternoon she swam and read and had a massage, and by the time she went into the bar that evening to have a cocktail before dinner, she was feeling wonderful. Her euphoria was short-lived. Pietr Negulesco, the Romanian, was seated at the bar. When he saw Tracy, he stood up and said, “May I buy you a drink, beautiful lady?”
Tracy hesitated, then smiled. “Why, yes, thank you.”
“What would you like?”
“A vodka and tonic, please.”
Negulesco gave the order to the barman and turned back to Tracy. “I’m Pietr Negulesco.”
“I know.”
“Of course. Everyone knows me. I am the greatest chess player in the world. In my country, I am a national hero.” He leaned close to Tracy, put a hand on her knee, and said, “I am also a great fuck.”
Tracy thought she had misunderstood him. “What?”
“I am a great fuck.”
Her first reaction was to throw her drink in his face, but she controlled herself. She had a better idea. “Excuse me,” she said, “I have to meet a friend.”
She went to look for Jeff Stevens. She found him in the Princess Grill, but as Tracy started toward his table, she saw that he was dining with a lovely-looking blonde with a spectacular figure, dressed in an evening gown that looked as if it had been painted on. I should have known better, Tracy thought. She turned and headed down the corridor. A moment later Jeff was at her side.