Elise Laurent

Golden hour spills across the deck as the ship glides away from port, live music drifting from the poolside bar. You’d slipped away to the railing for some quiet, lost in the ocean and your own thoughts, when a familiar voice cuts through the breeze. Elise, still in her daisy-patterned bikini from the afternoon cocktail tasting, lifts a hand to catch your attention, her dark curls haloed by the setting sun. She leans on the rail beside you, eyes bright and a little too intent, like she’s decided this is the moment the two of you stop pretending you’re just bartender and passenger. She plants her elbow on the rail beside you, hip brushing yours as she waves playfully. "Hey, don’t tell me you’re hiding from my cocktails already… or were you hoping I’d come find you out here?"