Against the Tide: High Seas Weddings

by Cheryl Phipps

  “I heard the company asked for a token amount since Marilyn had done quite a bit of work, but Mr. Grant gave them half. I think he was generous, but he was so relieved the wedding went the way it did. You did a great job.”

  He’d said it before, but she would never get tired of it. She was going to contact the Grants in a couple of weeks and get a review from them, and she would inquire after her first cruise bride and groom.

  “For all the drama, it was one of the best weddings I’ve been to,” she told him. “It might’ve been the location, as much as I hate to admit it.”

  “Why would you hate to admit that?”

  “Darn, I didn’t mean to say that.”

  “Too late now. What’s wrong with Majestic?”

  “Nothing's wrong with her. It’s me. I hate the water and get seasick.”

  “I would never have picked up on that. You did a good job of hiding it.”

  “That’s the thing. I felt mostly fine the whole time, which is odd.”

  “Maybe not. You were incredibly busy, after all. There wasn’t enough time to dwell on the motion, and the water was particularly calm that day.”

  “This next wedding is going to be a heck of a lot busier. There will be more people, and the theme needs closer attention over the afternoon and evening.”

  Aiden’s face clouded. “Oh hell. I just remembered it’s a themed wedding.?”

  “It is, and you don’t like that sort of thing, do you?” She tried to keep her look somber and sympathetic. It wasn’t easy.

  “That’s an understatement if I ever heard one,” he complained.

  She shrugged. “I’m sorry. I have to go with what the couple wants.”

  “I know, but I don’t have to like it.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “No need to look so miserable. I’ll keep them under control.”

  He scowled. “You said that last time, and it’ll be more people for this one.”

  “But I did look after them,” she protested.

  “We still had a couple in the out-of-bounds area.”

  Keira gasped. “Really? I didn’t know. I’m sorry. I’ll do a better job next week.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “On your own?”

  “No. I’ll have my assistant.” It was an impulse decision, but there would be no other way to work the party and keep an eye on everyone. The idea was already solidifying in her imagination.

  “All of a sudden you have an assistant?”

  “Yes, Chloe. She’s great. You’ll love her.” Keira bit her lip and winced. Hopefully Chloe would agree.

  He nodded. “Well it’s too late now to change things, but I’m glad you’ll have help, and Ryan will be available.”

  “Great. I was hoping he would be. Ryan's an excellent worker, and so good with the guests.”

  “I hope you don’t have plans to steal my staff.”

  “Pardon? Oh, you’re joking.”

  “Only a little. Now, shall I come with you, or would you rather have a look around by yourself?”

  He had come closer, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to concentrate with him beside her, but then the phone rang inside the office and he gave her a rueful smile.

  “I guess I’ll be staying here. If I don’t see you before, then I’ll see you next Saturday.”

  “Sure.”

  Equally relieved and disappointed, she went back down to the wedding deck. Some of the decorations were large, and she would need help setting them up, so she’d find Ryan first to ask where she could store things.

  Once that was sorted, she went back to her office. It was after three, and as she’d anticipated, Margaret and Jane were gone.

  Chloe smiled and immediately made coffee. “How’d it go?”

  “I might ask you the same. What happened after I left?”

  Chloe sighed dramatically. “They grilled me about your plans and didn’t believe anything I said, so about the same as usual.”

  Keira laughed as she flopped into her chair. “I’m glad you’re in a good mood, because I need a favor.”

  “Sure.” Chloe placed a cup in front of her and pulled a chair closer.

  Keira screwed her nose up at the coffee, but it was better than nothing. “You don’t know what it is yet.”

  Chloe leaned back in her chair. “Is it that bad?”

  “Depends on your definition of bad.”

  “Now I’m scared. What is it?”

  “I want you to help with the wedding on Saturday.”

  “The Mardi Gras-themed one?”

  Chloe had helped out with sourcing decorations, so she was nearly as involved as Keira.

  “If you're not busy?”

  “I’d love to. It would sure beat what I do now.”

  “The thing is, I don’t want to run this by the other two. If Margaret and Jane don’t know about it, then they can’t refuse. If you’re okay with that, then you can come to the harbor just before sailing. You can help with the theme and also keep an eye on the guests, keep them from straying too far from the wedding deck. The captain’s a bit worried about that aspect.”

  “I bet they would say no. Count me in, and I’ll do my best not to let you down.”

  “The thought never crossed my mind. I’ve seen you in action, and I know what you’re capable of when it comes to dealing with disgruntled customers. This will be exactly the same.”

  “I hoped one day to get my own wedding to plan, but I never imagined I’d be involved any time soon. Thanks, Keira.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. I’m being selfish because I need you. You’ll earn every penny, I’m sure of it. ”

  Chloe’s chair rocked precariously. “I’m getting paid?”

  “Of course.” Keira frowned.

  “Awesome! Hey, don’t look so shocked. You know how stingy the other two are when it comes to paying for overtime. The timing is great. I could certainly do with the extra money.”

  Keira did know. She had a base rate and made commission, but it wasn’t a high salary, and she guessed Chloe earned even less. That bothered her because Chloe was worth her weight in gold for the amount of work she did.

  “Did something happen?” she asked.

  Chloe took a long sip of her coffee and pulled a face. “My landlord is raising the rent. I only signed for six months, so I’m stuck with it or I have to move.”

  “Places are hard to find around here.”

  “They are, but I can’t go home a failure.”

  “I hear you. Let’s get the wedding done, and then we can talk about finding you another place to live.”

  “Thanks, Keira. I like the way you think.”

  They clinked their coffee cups, and Keira proceeded to explain all the small details of the wedding.

  Chapter Nine

  Keira was on deck early. The setup for the wedding would take hours, and she was on her own until Chloe could get there. It meant locking up the office earlier than usual, but hopefully Jane and Margaret wouldn’t find out, and Keira would pay Chloe from her share.

  Ryan met her and carried her bag. “Everything else was dropped here an hour ago, and I’ve unpacked them and done an audit. Everything seems to be in order.”

  “I could kiss you.”

  Ryan reddened but laughed good-naturedly. “I was sure you’d want to get the setup underway. Everyone’s ready for you.”

  “Fantastic. Could I stow my bag somewhere while I get things rolling?”

  “I’ll take that.”

  Keira jumped at the sound of Aiden’s deep timbre. She turned slowly and nodded, not trusting her voice. It was Aiden who she most wanted to see.

  “You’ve obviously created a good impression with my crew. They’re glad to have you back, and to work with you again.”

  “Maybe I’m a better option is all.” Yep, her voice had a definite rasp to it, like she’d been smoking a pack a day.

  “Don’t sell yourself short. Marilyn was a nightmare, that’s true, but you did something with that
wedding that was nothing short of a miracle. For people who make a living getting told what to do, your approach was superior in every way.”

  Keira was flattered, but it was something she prided herself on. “I’ve always found it easier to have people listen to what you’d like from them. They’re usually happier to follow through when it doesn’t sound like a demand.”

  “Well, whatever you did besides that—and you and I both know it was so much more—you should keep doing it. You’ll have the crew eating out of your hand, if they aren’t already. I’ll put your bag in the room the bride will be using.”

  “Thanks,” she called after him, still glowing under his praise, then followed Ryan around the wedding room to where the staff had assembled, waiting for her instructions. She pulled out a sheet of paper from her voluminous handbag and attached it to the board by the entrance to the main salon.

  “Good morning, everyone. I wanted to thank you all again for helping me with the last wedding we did together. Without you, it wouldn’t have happened, or certainly not in the beautiful way it did. I think we all understood what a lovely family the Grants were and how much they appreciated all your efforts.”

  There were several shouts of “Thanks” and “Here, here” from delighted men and women who had clearly felt undervalued working under someone like Marilyn.

  “We have three hours for setup, and we’ll start with the tables and chairs. They should be placed in the positions I indicated on the layout I’ve posted here.” She pointed to the board, and the team crowded around her. “Could I please have a couple people set up the chairs outside? Perhaps the same group who did it last time I was here, as it’s that configuration again.”

  They jostled each other good-naturedly for all the positions as she outlined them, and before long, everyone had their tasks. The ship positively hummed with their bustling, interspersed with the team leader’s orders.

  Because they were so good at their jobs, Keira was astounded by and appreciative of the difference in timing compared to the previous wedding. Within an hour and a half, the tablecloths were on and cutlery was being placed.

  The flowers had arrived, so Keira busied herself with their placement and then the decorating of the two main areas. Which was when she noticed Aiden. Sleeves rolled up, he was unloading alcohol and setting up the bar. It surely wasn’t part of his job, but it would certainly help get things done quicker.

  Finished with the two major tasks, Keira headed to where the boxes of decorations still held the beads and masks she had decided to lay out on a table by the walkway. They were for the guests who may have forgotten theirs or wanted more. And she would do her best to shame the ones who had decided not to play along with the theme.

  She found the table already covered in a cloth and proceeded to attractively arrange the accessories on the black fabric.

  Checking her watch a while later, Keira realized the wedding party was due to arrive in half an hour. She took a look around Majestic to make sure all was in order, and she wasn’t the only one. The crew delightedly stood back to admire their efforts. The ship was stunning before, and now that she was decked out in her wedding finery, Majestic twinkled and shone in the afternoon sun like she was a part of some lavish fairy tale.

  “Looks pretty darn good to me.”

  Aiden was back, moving to stand beside her. Any other man wouldn’t have had such an appealing scent after the physical work he’d been doing. Keira was drawn to him like a magnet, her body leaning toward him of its own violation.

  “I think so. Of course, it only matters that the people paying for it—and the bride and groom, of course—are happy.” She wished he wouldn’t look at her so intently. It made it so darn hard to concentrate.

  “That’s true.” He smiled as if he knew what she was thinking.

  “What time will you set off?”

  “Like last time, we’ll wait until we have everyone on board and they have their first drink. It’s a lovely clear night, just as the weatherman promised, so I expect another smooth sailing.”

  “Good to hear.”

  They stood for a minute or two. Close. Very close.

  Then Aiden frowned. “I need to get back to the wheelhouse. Are you all set here?”

  “I’m ready. I’ll get changed and do a few tweaks while I’m waiting for them to arrive.”

  “Do you need to use my cabin?”

  She didn’t need to, but she would like to, most definitely.

  “Not this time, thanks. I can use the one you’ve set aside for the bridal party since we’re more organized this time.”

  “Okay. Good.”

  Does he sound disappointed?

  “See you later, then.”

  Still, he lingered until they both felt awkward. Flirting might’ve been fun, but it always led them back here, where the question of just how far they were prepared to go was on both their minds.

  That time, Keira left. Since she was using the room set aside for the bride to change, she needed to be ready before they arrived, a perfect excuse to try to clear her head of Aiden before she did something she’d regret.

  Alone in the cabin—which was more significant than Aiden’s, but not as cozy—Keira twisted to get a better view of her dress. It wasn’t as elaborate as some would be, for sure, but she needed to be easy to find and still blend in with the theme. The sequined green dress sparkled and clung in all the right places. She had a bit of cleavage on display, but nothing to worry about, and to give her some much-needed height, her sandals were high and also sequined.

  Satisfied, she added green and black beads, which were also dusted in glitter. Not too many, just enough to keep with the spirit of the theme.

  Her mask replicated the old Venetian style and was actually handmade. The first time she’d seen its lace-like beauty, she’d felt compelled to buy it. An odd thing to do when most people rented their costumes and props, but since she’d used it several times since then, it had proved worth the hefty price tag. She attached the mask to a small hoop she’d sewn to the hip of her dress, since she needed both hands free for the lead-up and the service.

  Giving her hair a last spritz of hairspray, Keira grabbed her bag and stepped out into the fading sunlight.

  “Wow. You look amazing.”

  Aiden always seemed to be around at the right time. She couldn’t deny she was happy to see him, because he was under her skin whether she liked it or not.

  “Thanks. You look, umm….”

  “The same?”

  “Sorry, it’s not a bad thing. It’s just that you’re wearing your uniform, and I was kind of expecting that you’d dress up.”

  Aiden laughed. “I’m the captain. This is as dressed up as I intend to get for any night I’m in charge of Majestic, and everyone needs to know and respect that.”

  “I guess it makes sense.” What didn’t make sense was a very explicit picture she had of Aiden being in charge of her one night on Majestic. And not in a crew kind of way.

  “More than you can imagine. If something happens, the guests need to know who’s giving the orders,” he said gravely.

  Her seasickness, which was up until then under control, raised its head. “Has anything ever happened?”

  Aiden grabbed the railing. “No, but let’s not jinx it.”

  “Hah. I never took you for being superstitious.”

  His blue eyes twinkled. “I’m not overly, but hey, this is Mardi Gras, even if it’s only for one night.”

  Now it was Keira who laughed. “I’m looking forward to seeing how much effort the guests put into this. Most people get involved in a theme, but you still get the odd one or two who won’t.”

  “Is that why you have the spare masks and beads?”

  “Partly. You’d be amazed how many people lose their masks before the proceedings start. I imagine it could be even worse out at sea.” She pointed over the side.

  “That’s true. I’ve even been asked to stop and look for some false teeth.”

/>   She gasped. “You haven’t. Seriously?”

  He crossed his heart. “I promise it’s the truth.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Apologized and then carried on. Majestic doesn’t stop that easily when she has a full head of steam on. Besides, most sane people would understand that a) whatever they lost will most likely have sunk, and b) we’ll never find the exact spot it hit the water.”

  They were both laughing hard when a voice jarred loudly behind them.

  “Aiden, there you are! Looking hot as usual. Did you miss me?”

  A tall, elegant woman with a lot of black hair teased to an inch of its life and dressed in a skintight circus showgirl outfit was making her way over to them. She stood very close to Aiden and gave the impression that she had every intention of devouring him. On the other hand, he looked a little worried to see her.

  “Hey, Chantelle. It’s been a while.”

  “That’s not the right answer, sweet cheeks.” She ran a bright red fingernail down his cheek.

  He took a step back. “It’s the best I have.”

  “Well now, you were much friendlier on the last cruise we went on. And the one before that.” Chantelle gave Keira a pointed look.

  “What can I say? I’ve changed.”

  “That’s a darn shame. I was hoping we could dance a little, then spend some private one-on-one time together.”

  Keira was now open-mouthed. She’s never heard a woman talk so blatantly in front of a stranger. It was very awkward for her, but how did Aiden feel? Was this a turn-on for him?

  He shook his head as if she’d asked the question out loud. “Sorry, but that won’t be happening, Chantelle.”

  “Do you have a girlfriend? Is that it? You know I’m not asking for marriage.”

  The woman’s voice had risen a little, and Keira decided she’d had enough of the show. Intending to walk past Chantelle, she surprised herself by what came out of her mouth.

  “Actually, I’m his girlfriend, and I don’t like to share.”

  Everyone was stunned, including Keira, her face burning. Where did that come from?