Rock the Boat
Rock the Boat
Copyright © 2016 by Gia Riley
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the Internet without the publisher’s permission and is in violation of the International copyright law.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Cover designer:
Sommer Stein,
Perfect Pear Creative
Interior design and formatting:
Christine Borgford,
Perfectly Publishable
Table of Contents
To being in the right place at the right time.
To taking chances.
To soul mates.
No matter how you meet or where you’re at in life, love will find you when you’re ready—often when you least expect it. Welcome it. Cherish it. And most importantly, feel it.
May you all find your own moment of serendipity.
Just Hold Me—Maria Mena
Broken Pieces—Apocalyptia, Lacey
Closer To The Edge: Thirty Seconds To Mars
Never Be The Same—Red
Never Stop—Safetysuit
Give You Heart Away—Ella Henderson
Picture Perfect—Escape The Fate
Take It All—Adele
Moon Shines Red—Jamie McDell
You Changed Me—Michael Warren
Running Away—Midnight Hour
Whiskey Lullabies—Janet Devlin
Without You—Hinder
Stars—Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Heartbreak Story—The Wanted
Set Me On Fire—Bella Ferraro
Say You Love Me—Jessie Ware
How You Love Me—Acoustic—3LAU, Bright Lights
We Fall Apart—We As Human
Congratulations—Rachel Platten
Beam Me Up—Pink
Light On—David Cook
My Heart I Surrender—I Prevail
Just A Fool—Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton
Here’s To The Heartache—Nothing More
Question One:
Which word best describes what you’re looking for in a partner?
- Sense of humor
- Adventure
- Loyalty
- Trust
- Passion
- Other
“Does ‘other’ mean he can keep his pants up?” I ask Noelle, as she intently answers each question on this ridiculous questionnaire. It came in the mail with the rest of our cruise documents.
She lifts her head, rolling her eyes at my hesitation to jump head first into the possibility of meeting my perfect match. She’s the type that writes with her face two inches away from the paper with her tongue sticking out as she concentrates. I don’t know how she doesn’t go cross-eyed. Still, she answers me honestly, like she’s actually taking my question seriously. Then again, why wouldn’t she? She’s a firm believer in the magical serendipity of soul mates, and she’s on a mission to find both of ours in the same week. “You would choose letter C or D for that.”
“I think I’m still picking ‘other.’”
“Why can’t you have fun with this, Lark? You
just
started the quiz and you’re already hung up on the first question. Relax a little. You’ll get better results.” I don’t miss the hurt in her voice as she responds. She wants nothing more than to have her best friend back—the carefree one who used to love a little adventure. But I haven’t been that girl in two months.
The old me was so blissfully happy, I was blinded by love. And then, before I knew what hit me, it smacked me across the face like the oblivious fool I was. “Why can’t we use a dating website instead of dragging ourselves on some random singles cruise? If I couldn’t hang onto my dream guy on dry land, what makes you think it will be any different in the middle of the Caribbean?”
With a defeated sigh, she says, “I promise it’ll be worth your while. Have I ever let you down before?”
“No.” She’s been like a sister to me, especially after my world fell apart.
“Then answer the questions. You’ll thank me when it works out exactly the way it’s supposed to.”
I want to tell her she’s not capable of predicting the future. That no matter how hard she tries to place the pieces in a row so they interlock perfectly, there are no guarantees when it comes to love. It’s evil, twisted, and out of control. In fact, I should crumple this test up and toss it in the trashcan where it belongs before I get hurt again. I gave one hundred percent of my mind, body, and soul to my last relationship, yet here I am, sitting in my living room as single as can be.
Noelle stands up, collecting the paint swatches and carpet samples from the coffee table, tossing it all in the trash. She even grabs the bridal magazine I have stashed at the bottom of the pile. “Stop torturing yourself. The dream you had with Grant is over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a new one with someone else. Maybe with all these little reminders gone, you’ll have a real chance.”
“I’ve tried throwing it all away, but then I feel guilty.”
“Grant’s the only one who should feel guilt, Lark. You know that as much as I do, even if it’s hard to admit. Now, less thinking and more writing,” she encourages.
So, I do what any sane woman in my shoes would do. I pick up my number two pencil and take the first step toward moving on—I read question number two.
Question Two
Choose your perfect first date?
- Dinner
- Walk on the beach
- Movie
- Dancing
- Stroll in the park
- Drinks
- Concert
- Opera
- Other