28 The necklace..

I flirted heavily with that Spanish boy. He had some interesting stories to tell. His father was one of the wealthiest man in their country but was a commoner so he married his mother, an Aristocrat whose grandmother was once a lady-in-waiting for the then Queen of Spain.

The marriage was doomed from the start because his mother was in love with another man with no money. Her enraged father made sure to banished that poor young man and forced her to marry the wealthy banker, Jose Manuel's father who died when he was just 10 years old thus making him a very wealthy boy at a very young age.

His mother became overly protective on him and their fortune. She never remarried but had different young lovers in secret.

All the time he was talking, Karl was looking at us. I asked the Spaniard to take me for a walk while Alexei returned to our room.

We left and it was a little triumph on my part. Then the sun finally hit me and everyone saw through my almost transparent dress. Karl was fuming.. he was insanely jealous.. Jose Manuel was staring straight into my body.. I knew he imagined me naked at that very moment.

Then we walked and walked.. I saw a nice necklace at the shop inside the ship.. I never said a single word.. He immediately asked the shopkeeper to give him the necklace and he presented it to me as a token of his appreciation. I pretended to refuse at first but of course, he insisted.

I told him that it would be sweet if he helped me wear it so I pulled my hair up and he placed it around my neck.

I could feel his hands shaking..

I looked at the mirror and admired myself.. Slowly but surely, I was beginning to learn how to use my body to get what I want..