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Charlie picked up the passenger manifests left inside the lifeboat and went through them as Collin looked over her shoulder.She calculated the number of people on the ship and the number of lifeboats there were.It took a few minutes, but she solved the puzzle.A porthole opened and the next clue had been wedged inside.

“See, you can do everything by yourself,” Amy told Charlie.“You don’t need Rick.”

“Who’s Rick?”Collin asked.

“Charlie’s ex.They just broke up.”Charlie nudged Amy.

“Just like Collin,” Colby said.“He and his girlfriend broke up last week.”

Collin shrugged and smiled warmly at Charlie.

As Collin made his way over to the next puzzle in the third-class quarters, Charlie looked at him.Even in this low light, she could see how attractive he was.He had a perfectly oval face with symmetrical features and a dimple on his right cheek.He had stubble on his chin, but the kind that looked sexy, not scratchy.He was thin but not muscular, and she could see the glint of sweat on his forehead, but not one piece of his hair looked damp.Collin reminded her of the guys she dated before she met Rick.The ones who were not athletic, loved to read novels and bent over backward to be accommodating.

Collin turned, and Charlie quickly looked down at the ground.I’ve barely been single, and I’m all but drooling over this guy.She hoped he had not seen her staring at him like a diabetic eyeing a donut.

Charlie emerged from her reverie when a happy yell erupted from Amy, Colby, and Collin.While Charlie was fantasizing, they had solved another puzzle.When Charlie high-fived with Collin, she felt his soft palm against hers.She hoped there were many more puzzles to complete so she could keep touching him.The thought made her skin grow slightly warm.

As Collin walked toward the next puzzle, Charlie slowed down behind him, admiring how his jeans hugged his body.I need to get ahold of myself here.

“Ladies first,” Collin said, turning around and gesturing for Charlie to go in front of him.

“I’m surprised that this is way more—” Charlie said.

“Fun than you thought it would be?”Collin said, finishing her sentence.

Charlie nodded and laughed.

“You have a great laugh,” Collin said.“That guy that broke up with you must be a real moron.”

“Actually, I broke up with him.”

Collin nodded as if that made much more sense.Charlie continued.“We’d dated for a long time, and it should’ve ended over seven years ago, but I didn’t want to hurt him, so it took me a while to say anything.”

“I get that.When I finally ended it with my ex, we both knew it was time to move on.”

“How long did you date?”Charlie asked.

“Eight years.”

“I got you beat; my ex and I were together for eleven.”

“At least you and I finally saw the light.”

“And now we’re single,” Charlie said, then realizing it sounded like she was being more forward than she wanted to be, she blurted out, “I mean, we’re unencumbered, not attached--you know what I mean.”

“I do,” Collin said.

Charlie and Collin kept talking, their conversation flowing easily as if they had all the time in the world.Charlie found herself flirting, something she hadn’t done with Rick since the beginning of their relationship.She was glad she remembered how to or hoped she did because otherwise, she had been making a fool of herself.Neither she nor Collin noticed that Colby and Amy had already moved on to the engine room.

“So, what do you do when you aren’t trying to escape from a sinking ocean liner?”Collin asked.

“I’m a psychologist,” Charlie said.

“Seriously?”Collin laughed.

“Why is that funny?”

“Because I’m a psychiatrist.”