Friends Reunited

[Red Ranger 1]

And here it is!

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Some morning sunlight was shining through the cabin porthole as Ryder and Bella lay in bed, holding each other close and kissing.“Is this us ruining our friendship then?”Ryder asked between kisses.

  “Oh yeah, totally.”

  “Because we feel really out of the friend zone at the moment.”
  “Mmm, somehow I don’t mind.”
  “Me neither.”

  “I feel like I could do this all day.”
  The kiss deepened and they disappeared further into the bed…then Ryder pulled back.“I’m due on shift in twenty minutes.”
  Bella sighed.“Right, yeah.”
  “You, um, fancy coming along?Keeping me company?”
  “Unfortunately, I guess I’d better do some work.Take photos around the rest of the ship and all that.”

  “Okay.”Ryder clambered out of the bed and started getting dressed.“Maybe we could meet up later though?”

  “Yeah, maybe meet up after your shift?Have dinner or something?”
  “Great, it’s a date.”Ryder paused, slightly confused. “It actually is, isn’t it?We’re…dating?”

  “Well, yeah, I guess we are.When you put it like that it sounds weird but…also kind of nice?”
  “It’s a date then.”

***
A waiter came over to Ryder and Bella’s table and served them their dishes.Bella’s eyes lit up.“Steak!I’ve been looking forward to this.”

  Ryder looked slightly crestfallen.“That’s the big attraction for the evening then?”

  Bella gave him an indulgent look.“That and the company, of course.”

  “I don’t know, I guess I thought we’d have something a bit more romantic for our first date.”

  “As I recall, our definitions of romance aren’t the same.”

  Ryder thought for a moment.“Oh, that date I arranged for you and Nik, with the boat and the picnic?”

  “That’s the one.”

  Ryder looked around.“We are on a boat.”

  “Yes, but one we can actually get up and walk around on.”Bella smiled slightly.“Don’t worry, it didn’t make me want to stop friends with you.”

  “Friends, yeah.”Ryder hesitated.“Feels like we’re more than friends now, right?”

  “Right, yeah.”Bella searched for the words.“Feels like we’re attempting a relationship?”

  “But whatever happens, we’ll always be friends, right?”

  Bella took his hand.“I will always be friends with you.”

[Red Ranger 1]

Thank you for the comments, Zig and j.laur5! Sorry, I meant to post this yesterday but things ran away from me.Here's the last chapter!

CHAPTER TWELVE

Ryder stood at the side of the boat, staring out to sea.At least, that’s what he’d like to be staring at.But instead of the wide expanse of ocean with nothing else in sight, he was looking at a port.A port that they would be arriving at in a few hours.

  It had been preying on his mind these last few weeks.What had been happening between him and Bella was great but he was well aware that she was only on board for this voyage.What then, he wondered.Like as not, she’d head back to her great life in New York.Which meant he was basically having a holiday romance with his best friend.

  Bella came up behind him and gave him a hug.“Land ahoy, huh?”

  “Yeah.Guess you’ll be getting off there, huh?”

  “Why, what are you doing?Do you have to stay on the boat?”

  The question surprised Ryder.“No, I’ve got a two week break before we set off again.I’ve got a short-term rental set up.”

  “Sounds like we’re getting off together then.”

  Bella had moved in front of Ryder during the conversation and was stood facing him.The expression on her face looked like she was trying to tell him something but he wasn’t sure what.“And you’ll be catching a flight back to New York then, I guess?”

  Bella gave a smile that he would have to describe as enigmatic.“Something like that.”

***

Ryder had gone back to his cabin to pack and then met up with Bella on deck.Naturally, the passengers had been allowed off first so there was something of a wait to get off.Denzel came up to them.“I just wanted to say thanks again.If it wasn’t for you two, there’d be a police car waiting for me when I get off. Or at least someone giving me the sack.”

  “No problem,”Ryder noted.

  “Any time,”Bella agreed.She waited until Denzel was out of earshot before turning to Ryder.“I guess we did something to be proud of there.”

  “Guess so,”Ryder confirmed.

  He noticed the crowd in front of them was starting to move.One of the other casino staff waved at him. “See you in a couple of weeks, Ryder!”

  “See you, Frank!”Ryder called back.

  Bella slipped her hand into his as they headed towards the ramp.He was still getting used to her doing that but it felt good.He was really going to miss it.

  Captain Smith was waiting on the ramp, having a few words for everyone that came off.“Bye, Ryder, thanks for all your help.Bye, Bella, glad you’ll be joining us full-time next trip.”

  Ryder felt his stomach lurch at those words and wasn’t quite sure how he managed to keep moving. “Wait, what?”

  “Oh, didn’t I tell you that?”Bella asked innocently.

  “I’m pretty sure you know you didn’t.”

  “Well, when I submitted my photos to the tour company, I suggested it might pay to have a regular photographer on the cruises.You know, document everything, take pictures to sell to passengers…So, it turns out I am now a proper member of staff!”

  Ryder came screeching to a halt on the quay and looked at her.“But…what about that great life in New York?”

  “It was great, yeah.But you know what else is great?Getting to sail the high seas in luxury, with my best friend-slash-boyfriend, indulging in photography and getting paid for it!”

  Ryder smiled.“You’re right, that does sound great.”

  Bella took his hand again and dragged him down the quay.“And solving mysteries together.”

  Ryder looked bewildered.“That was just a one-off, right?”

  “Guess we’ll have to wait and see!”

 

 

 

 

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Edited October 14 by QUIET ACHIEVER