A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

This is a continuation of Chapter 18 and 26

Mike's POV

Although I was nervous about approaching the guy to ask him if he could share his table with me and the other two guys whom I had convinced not to get into a fistfight, I squared my shoulders and reminded myself what some famous person had said, "Ask and you shall receive."

So in the warmest, friendliest, brightest tone that I could manage, I approached the guy and said, "Hi! How are you doing this morning?"

My spirit was dampened when he replied with just one word, "Blah" accompanied by a very bored tone and a bored expression on his face.

Well, I wasn't about to get myself discouraged by it.

"If you let us share your table, my companions and myself will try to brighten your morning!" I tried to continue to keep my voice as bright and friendly as possible.

He just shrugged his shoulders in response.

My companions and I took it to mean that he did not object to us sharing his table.

I motioned the other two to take a seat each while I took the other one right beside the owner of the table.

I extended my hand to him.

"Hi, I'm Mike," I said with a smile.

He took a sip from his cup of coffee first before taking my hand.

"Nice to meet you, Mike," he said, "my name is Joss."

A/N: The image below does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Hmmm, nice name, I thought.

I tried not to stare at his well sculpted body. I tried not to get distracted by his bulging deltoids and his firm barrel chest that were straining against the fabric of his thin white t-shirt.

He looked at the other two guys and they promptly took the cue.

Chimmon first introduced himself, followed by Pluem. He shook their hands one at a time.

Joss made no effort to engage us in conversation.

I tried my best to draw him out but he did not respond much. He seemed to be distracted by his own thoughts as he continued to sip his coffee and dip his plain toast into the middle yellow part of his sunny side up and biting into it.

Right after he finished his breakfast, Joss excused himself, leaving me and Chimmon and Pluem to finish our breakfast.

We went separate ways after we finished our breakfast.

"You're going to be good friends from now on, right?" I asked both of them, to make sure that my efforts at peacemaking between the two of them was not going to be in vain.

"Of course!" Pluem said, looking at Chimmon thoughtfully.

"Sure," said Chimmon, but he didn't sound sincere to me.

I sighed and hoped for the best for both of them.

After I got bored listening to some music while strolling up and down the open deck, I walked over to the railing and gazed into the ocean, enjoying the sound of the waves as they lapped against the sides of the ship.

When I felt that I had spent enough time digesting my breakfast, I decided to take a dip in the pool.

I regretted not having thought of inviting Pluem and Chimmon to swim in the pool with me. I did not want to appear like a loser without any friends at the poolside, but then again, who cares, I thought, all the passengers in this ship were all strangers who probably didn't bother to look at anyone else except their companions.

I went up to my cabin to put on my swimming trunks.

I made a face at myself in the narrow but full length mirror in my cabin.

My muscles definitely needed some toning and firming. I should try out the bench press in the gym to develop more muscle in my chest and to use the dumb bells for my arms.

With that plan in mind, I went to the foyer to take the elevator down to the poolside.

Of all people, I did not expect to see Joss in the foyer, holding a man in his arms, but quickly letting go of him when another guy called out, "Hey!" to both of them.

I pretended not to see what had happened and pressed the button for elevator service.

"Why, hello again, Mike!" I heard Joss greeting me in a forced bright voice, accompanied by a forced bright smile.

"Hi, Joss," I said in a dull tone.

I wasn't going to let him use me as a fill-in just because the guy he fancied had another man already.

Shit, why was I feeling hurt and jealous. There was nothing going on between me and Joss.

"I can see you're going to make a trip to the pool just like me," he said, trying to make his smile look sincere.

The elevator door opened so I did not bother to make a response to his remark.

"So are you here alone or with a companion, or a group?" he asked, as we waited for the elevator to bring us down to the deck where the pool was located.

"I'm alone," I replied, "but I'm not here looking for some shipboard romance."

"That's too bad," he said in a regretful tone, "some shipboard romances can end up as lifetime romances."

"I don't think so," I said just as the elevator door opened, "bye."

"Wait," he called out, "for as long as we're headed in the same direction, let's just go together."

"Suit yourself," I said, "I'm just going for a swim just as a warm up and then I'm going straight for the gym. I need to do something about my flabby muscles."

"Hey, that's exactly what I had planned to do," he said.

I seriously doubted it. He was lying through his teeth.

"I have been going to the gym for many years," he offered, "I can show you the quickest and most efficient way to tone and firm your chest and arm muscles."

His offer was tempting.

"Let me finish my swim and then I will think about it," I said.

Then as an afterthought, because I did not want to appear ill mannered, I added, "But thank you for your offer."

"Hey, no problem," he said, "I will follow up with you after your swim."

"Thanks again," I said, before quickening my pace, to reach the poolside ahead of him.

For some reason, I had lost interest in him. He seemed to have a history with the guy whom I had seen being held by him in his arms.

I was not the kind of person who liked being in a love triangle. If there was one thing I hated, it was having to compete with someone for the attention of another.

He could keep that guy and I could always find someone else.

I sliced into the water as soon as I reached the pool.

Just a split second after, I heard a splash behind me.

When he surfaced, inches away from me, I saw that it was Joss.

"Hello again, Mike!" he said with a bright smile, that didn't look fake this time.

I wanted to say, "Fuck you, Joss" but I bit my tongue on those words.

I swam away as far as I could from him, to the other side of the pool.

Shit, he was following me everywhere I swam to.

Joss' POV

I couldn't blame Mike for trying to get as far away from me as possible.

He had seen me earlier holding Tay in my arms, and letting go of him when Newwie called out "Hey!" to both of us.

What Mike did not know or see was that I had just caught Tay in my arms to keep him from ending up on the floor because he had lost his balance when he had bumped into me.

I knew what Mike was thinking. He was thinking that I was in a love triangle and that Tay had chosen to be with Newwie and so I was just using him as a stand-in.

That was farthest from the truth.

I had felt an instant attraction to Mike at the breakfast table but I did not want him or anyone else to notice.

I had pretended to be disinterested. I had been hurt before and had suffered rejection before. I could suffer the same fate with Mike.

At the pool though, seeing him only in swimming trunks, deepened my attraction for him.

Sadly, he just wouldn't give me the time of day.

I hoped that after our swimming session, he would agree to let me show him how to use the bench press and dumb bells to his advantage, to reach his goal of firm and toned muscles as quickly as possible.

My face had been turned away because I got distracted by Newwie and Tay smooching in one corner of the pool.

When I looked around, I saw that Mike had already climbed out of the pool and was making his way through the door of the poolside deck.

I quickly climbed out of the pool and ran after him.

"Hey! Mike!" I called out, "wait for me!"

"Don't you want to continue watching those two lovebirds kissing to see where it all will lead?" he asked coldly.

Shit, was all I could mutter under my breath.