Lucia made her way upstairs, her hair slicked back to fall down past her shoulders and rest on her back. Her beautiful Hispanic face was exquisitely made up, a golden necklace at her throat. Her full-length blue evening gown hugged her full breasts, its short puff sleeves allowing her to show off her olive-skinned arms. The dress fit tightly, emphasizing the shape of her toned abdomen beneath, before long waves of silk reached to the floor. With matching blue high heels and sapphire earrings, she looked like a princess.
She was thoughtful as she carefully climbed the stairs. So Carmen thought Lucia was some kind of rival. She had no intention of being one -- it wasn't her job. Now, though, it seemed she had made an enemy.
Arriving at the Rendezvous Lounge in time for the evening show, Lucia entered the back room, where Dave Richards was once again there, as he had been the first time she met him, together with Carmen and Estella. Carmen looked at her pointedly as she walked in, then tossed her head back to the mirror on the wall to continue her make-up.
"Get ready, ladies," said Dave. "The first dance is next up after me." He saw the Social Hostess. "Great to see you!"
Lucia smiled. "You, too, Dave."
Just then, Pablo appeared. He was wearing the black waistcoat he had worn in the Disco before, teamed with tight black trousers slung low over his hips. They hugged his waist, offering Lucia a tantalizing faint outline of his cock. His muscled torso had recently been showered, his hair slicked back with wet-look hair gel, shiny black leather shoes on his feet. He was ready to dance. "Hi, Lucia," he smiled. His dazzling face forced a smirk from Lucia.
"Hey, Pablo," said Carmen.
Lucia turned to see Carmen, in her trademark red dress, suddenly open her arms in an embrace. Pablo gave her a hug, buried his nose in her hair to inhale her perfume, then planted a passionate kiss on her forehead. Carmen looked directly at Lucia as she looked over Pablo's shoulder.
Lucia eyes widened. What was this? Were they an item?
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! PLEASE WELCOME, YOUR CRUISE DIRECTOR, MR. DAVE RICHARDS!" The announcer's voice broke through Lucia's thoughts as Dave Richards bustled past her. She followed out to the side of the stage as Richards walked out in his suit to begin his intro and standup routine. There was a ripple of applause from the audience as the show started.
Lucia looked back through the open doorway into the back room, where Pablo and Carmen continued to talk and prepare, while Estella did her make-up. So Pablo and Carmen had hit it off, huh? Lucia wasn't surprised -- after all, they were working together. Perhaps she was wrong to think there had been anything to the feelings she had felt with Pablo in the Disco. Well, he had walked off, hadn't he? His decision had been pretty clear.
Lucia stood there in thought as she watched Richards' usual jokes entertain the audience. She had only heard them three or four times but already they were starting to become a little too familiar.
She overheard Carmen's voice, speaking loudly in the back room.
"If you're ready, step out -- Pablo and I will stay in here for a while."
"Whatever -- I get it," said Estella, annoyed. She suddenly appeared in the doorway. Seeing Lucia, she walked over and stood next to her.
"What's up?" asked Lucia.
"Carmen wants some alone time with Pablo," explained Estella.
"So they're together?" questioned Lucia.
"Yeah, tell me about it!" replied Estella. "Guess what?"
"What?" said Lucia, turning to Estella.
"I came back home this afternoon from the mall in Canaveral and found them in bed together."
"WHAT! That was fast!"
"Yeah, Carmen doesn't waste time. It looked like they had had a pretty wild time -- the cabin was wrecked and they looked like they'd been going at it like rabbits!"
"WOW!"
"Carmen was lying there with the biggest smile on her face I've ever seen, and Pablo looked like he'd just had sex with Cleopatra or something!"
"Hahaha!" laughed Lucia. "I can't believe it!"
"You'd BETTER believe it, baby. Carmen's a killer at getting guys. When she sees a man she likes -- wow, she can make a move on him like an animal in heat."
"I guess so." Lucia looked out at the audience.
Estella noticed. "What's up? Got feelings for him?"
"It's not that," said Lucia, thoughtfully. "It's just that it squares with what Carmen said this morning."
"Oh, yeah?" asked Estella. "Did you see her this morning? What did she say?"
Lucia turned to Estella. "She basically told the whole ship that I spent the night with Ramon, just to make sure I 'stay in my lane' as Social Hostess and not get any ideas about being a dancer!" Lucia looked annoyed.
"You ARE a dancer!"
"Yeah, well, apparently Carmen's got issues with that."
"Hmmm," Estella thought. "She tends to think competition's a threat."
Lucia sighed. "It certainly seems like it!"
Dave Richards finished his spiel and left the stage. Lucia suddenly walked forward, past Estella and grabbed Dave's microphone from him as he walked off.
"You're on," he smiled.
"Thanks." Lucia walked out onto the stage, blinking slightly in the spotlight. "Hi, everyone! I'm Lucia Gonzalez, your Hostess on the ship."
A huge roar went up from the crowd as the audience gave their approval.
"Well, thanks," smiled Lucia. "Now, next up in tonight's show we have an amazing dance performance for you. Coming all the way from South America, please welcome, Pablo and Carmen!"
A huge round of applause went up as Lucia turned away from the spotlight and walked off the stage, past the two dancers. She looked at Carmen, who feigned disinterest, then Pablo, who smiled with his eyes. Lucia swished by him in her shimmering blue evening gown.
Wow, Lucia looks great tonight, thought Pablo. Carmen grabbed his arm and looked at him. Pablo stepped forward and spun her out onto the stage. The dance began!
Lucia turned and stood there, watching their dance. As the dance went on, she saw that Pablo was a powerful and dominant dancer. There was energy and passion in his moves. He was confident, riveting to watch and knew exactly what he was doing. He had the rough, masculine edge of a dancer from the streets. She remembered Ramon, who also had that background. Ramon was a ball of energy -- exciting, fun, exhilarating even -- yet his boisterous pizzazz revealed a boyish exuberance which felt lighter than Pablo's. Pablo's energy was darker, more mature, masculine and manly, calm, controlled, yet suggestive of a smouldering fire. The combination aroused Lucia and she felt the stirrings of turn-on, the curl of excitement down below. She was surprised to feel a dampness there. For goodness' sake, get a grip, she thought.
She looked at Carmen. Her dancing was fiery, full of hot desire, adept and experienced. She danced with the steps of a woman who knew what she had to offer and how much she was worth. Lucia could understand now what Estella had said about Carmen going after guys she wanted. Yet there was something off. Carmen was really putting it out there in front of Pablo, which was understandable, seeing as they were now apparently an item. Yet Lucia wondered why she did so. Didn't she already have him? As the dance went on, Lucia sensed that Carmen's pursuit of Pablo seemed all-consuming, like catching him was the whole purpose of life. Lucia smiled. Well, perhaps catching Pablo would be the whole purpose of a lot of women's lives if every woman on Earth could see him!
Presently, the dance ended, and Pablo and Carmen bowed to rapturous applause. As Lucia walked on to introduce the main act for the night, Pablo smiled at her once more as he and Carmen walked off.
The two dancers entered the back room, where Estella had returned.
"How did it go?" asked Estella.
"Great," replied Carmen. "And Little Miss Hostess was watching all the time!"
Pablo smiled. "I think she was reviewing our performance. She's a dance champion, apparently."
"Yeah, well, she can take her review and stuff it," retorted Carmen, smiling at Pablo. "You were fantastic!"
Pablo frowned slightly at Carmen's slight of Lucia. "Well, thanks," he said, awkwardly. "But Lucia's all right."
Carmen looked at him, eyebrows raised. "If you think so. I don't need to worry about her opinion. She isn't getting paid to critique our stuff. She can keep her nose out."
Pablo glanced at her pointedly. "A little testy, aren't we?"
"Carmen likes the spotlight," interrupted Estella.
"Yeah, and I decide who's going to share it," explained Carmen, giving Pablo's waist a squeeze.
