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 11 and 29

Captain's POV

Every night since that night that White and I had that 'intimate' episode in my cabin, I lost all contact with him except for brief exchanges and meaningful looks whenever I went to the dining hall for meals and he was there behind the glass counters.

In our intense excitement at engaging in intimate contact with each other's body and providing heavenly pleasures to each other, we had totally forgotten to exchange numbers.

And now no matter how much I wanted to exchange numbers with him, it was impossible for us to do so under the watchful eyes of the dietary supervisor who was always present in the dining halls during meals.

I always went to hang out in the open deck after dinner, and late into the night, with the hope that he would go there for a stroll after work. No such luck took place though.

After this evening's dinner of the Three Course Vegetarian Thai Dinner, as usual I walked out into the open deck and leisurely strolled up and down, plugging my earpieces into my ears and listening to some melancholy music. Yes, I'm a masochist in that way.

After I finished a whole playlist which consisted of nine songs which lasted about half an hour, I grew tired of my pacing and decided to go and sit on one of the benches lining the wall of the deck.

I just sat there, well, more of slouched there, with my eyes closed but opening them from time to time whenever I heard noises or footsteps of other passengers coming to do their own thing on the open deck.

I don't know how long I had stayed in that position on the bench but when I opened my eyes once more, I noticed that, except for a pair whose forms I could barely make out on the far end of the dimly lit area of the other side of the deck, I was alone.

I slid out my phone from my pocket and looked at the time.

It was half past nine. Damn I had spent a good two and a half hours in the deck waiting for someone who might never come.

Who was I kidding. I had become one of those casual sex encounter victims. Shame on me for being so naive and gullible enough to believe that he was going to be serious about me.

No wonder he had warned me to let what happened between us stay within the four walls of my cabin and I remember telling him that my lips were sealed but that it didn't mean that I was going to forget.

I stood from the bench and walked towards the railing and rested my arms on it.

I sighed a deep sigh as I took in the cool sea air into my lungs.

I don't know how long I had stood against the railing, just looking at the dark ocean, listening to the waves lapping rhythmically against the side of the ship.

After some more time passed, I heard some footsteps behind me and noticed that the pair who had been sitting on a bench in the dim area of the open deck had stood up to leave. 

I was now all alone.

I felt a tear fall from the corner of my eye and trickle down the side of my cheek. Damn, I wasn't really one for self-pity so I couldn't understand why this was happening to me.

Suddenly I heard loud voices as the door to the open deck burst wide open and to my great astonishment, I saw White being dragged into the open deck by a man still in a cook's white uniform. The man was just about White's height but was more heavily built.

I couldn't make out much what the argument was all about because of the shock I felt at seeing White at the least expected moment.

At first I stood paralyzed in my spot but when I saw the other guy raising his fist, I rushed forward and pushed him away.

Both of them looked at me in surprise. They had been so concentrated on their argument that they had not noticed that they were not the only ones in the open deck. They must have assumed that by this time there would be no one lingering in the open deck.

The other guy glared angrily at me and then turned to White and said, "If this reaches the supervisor, you're dead meat." And then he looked at me and brandished a finger at me before saying "The same goes for you, busybody asshole."

Then the other guy walked away and White was about to do the same but I grabbed him by the wrist.

He turned to me and said, "Thank you for coming to my rescue but it would be best for you not to get involved with me."

"Why?!?" I demanded in a hurtful tone, "Is it because you are in a committed relationship? Was that guy your boyfriend? Was that a lovers' quarrel just now? Just what are you hiding from me???"

I couldn't stop myself from subjecting him to a barrage of questions. I wasn't going to be ignored any longer.

Suddenly he freed himself from my grasp and ran towards the railing. I followed him. He was crying silently.

I softened towards him. "Please talk to me," I begged him softly.

"That guy... that guy... " his silent crying had turned into spasmodic sobs, "he was suspecting me of snitching on him because he had been called in earlier to the supervisor's office about a report that he was sneaking food into his cabin in the employees' quarters. After he had confronted me earlier, he had warned me not to tell anyone that we had a fight because then that would make his disciplinary action worse."

"And were you the one who snitched on him?" I needed to know.

"No!" he exclaimed angrily, his tears forgotten, "I just hate it when I'm accused of something that I didn't do!"

I didn't want to ask the next question, but I could not let the opportunity pass.

"White," I said, looking intently into his eyes with the most serious expression that I could fix on my face, "was I just a one night stand for you?"

He looked away, unable to meet my eyes.

I shook him by the shoulders.

"Tell me, White!" I insisted, "I really need to know! Did you know that I have been hanging out here every night until this time, in the hope of seeing you here?"

I heard him draw a heavy sigh before saying, "I am engaged to be married."

I let go of him like his body had burned my hands, and pushed him away so hard that he ended up on the floor.

Then before he could see my tears, I ran out of the open deck.

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

White's POV

I did not bother to pick myself up from the floor.

I just watched with a sinking feeling as Captain ran out of the open deck.

Of course I lied. I had to lie to him that I was engaged to be married. I could not afford to be caught having an affair with anyone on this ship.

We had a very strict supervisor who would not give any second thought about sacking anyone who broke the ship's regulations. On top of that, our dietary department was made up of cooks and cook assistants who would not think twice about reporting any irregularities to the supervisor. Everyone in that loathsome department were snitches and ass-kissers who were always trying to outdo the other in the hope of getting a recommendation from the supervisor for a salary raise.

It was really such a pity because I had felt an instant attraction to Captain or Cap, as I would address him fondly in my mind.

I looked across the dark horizon through the gaps in the railing.

My tears started to fall again.

I vowed to myself that when this cruise was over, I would search for him and reveal to him my real feelings.

My only fear was that, when that time finally came, he probably would have thrown away whatever feelings he had for me. And I wouldn't be able to blame him.