by Ava Dunne
Sebastian was there, with a woman. She wore dark blue pants and a white shirt, and had a badge clipped to her belt. Anna Vallejo. Sebastian leaned towards her, as she said something softly into his ear. He murmured something in response. She laughed, and placed a hand on his chest. The intimacy in the gesture made me catch my breath.
I took a step back. Not my business. I turned and walked back to the beach.
I wanted another drink. Badly. Drinking myself into a stupor wouldn’t help. I couldn’t run a class inebriated.
“You look miserable,” Roz commented, as I sank back down into my chair.
“I’m trying to decide if I can teach a class if I’m drunk.”
“I don’t think another margarita will hurt you.”
“Yeah, but five might, and I’m in the mood for five.”
Roz pulled her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose and peered over the rim. “Want to talk about it?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I don’t gossip about everything I know.”
I gave her a weak smile. “I’ll remember that.”
“No, no, no, I’m really not that drunk.” Gary staggered past us and fell to his knees in the sand.
“You’re beyond it,” said Roz.
“Come on,” said Ernie. “I think it’s time to go back to the ship.”
Gary stared up at me from his bower in the sand. “You won’t forget what I said, will you?”
“I won’t,” I said.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Sebastian, there you are, help me get this clown back to the boat.” Ernie hauled Gary to his feet and slung one arm over his shoulder. Sebastian joined him, threading Gary’s other arm across his shoulder.
“Come on, buddy, maybe you can sleep it off before we leave port,” said Sebastian. He glanced over Gary’s shoulder to me. “You going to be okay?”
“Fine,” I responded. Keep cool, keep friendly, keep a distance.
“I’ll see you back on the ship.”
I nodded.
“I’ll come with,” said Andrew. “I should get back.”
The four men headed back to the golf carts. I watched them load Gary into the back. Ernie climbed in with him, while Andrew sat in the front with Sebastian.
I read until it was time to pack up and head back to the Charisma. Voices were muted, in spite of a day spent drinking, because everyone was tired and trying to prepare for the evening’s work.
“Tomorrow night is the midnight buffet,” Costel grumbled, tromping through the sand beside me. “My least favorite night of each cruise.”
Before I could respond, a cry of pain turned us around. Wendy sank into the sand. Matt dropped to his knees beside her, murmuring soothing words, rubbing her ankle. I hesitated, wondering if I should go back to help, but the look of distaste that crossed Wendy’s face when she looked up at me felt like a physical push. I stepped back, and decided to wait at the fringes.
Matt scooped her up in his arms, carrying her back to the launch, setting her down with gentle care. I hung back, letting others board, and chose, instead, to get into one of the other launches with Roz, Dean, and Bassio. Dean gave me a hand in, smiling. “Water’s getting a bit choppy,” he said. “Don’t want you to fall.”
“Thank you,” I smiled at him. His touch was firm and comforting. No wonder everyone sought him out. Harmonia would say he had a soothing aura.
Roz snickered, and it took all of my powers of restraint to keep from elbowing her in the ribs, as I sat on the bench beside her. The launches headed back to the floating pier in a loose formation. I closed my eyes and leaned back, wishing that I didn’t have to teach a class that night, and could go to bed as soon as we re-boarded.
“It seems wetter than usual in the launch,” Roz complained.
“We’re on the water, cara, and it’s getting rough,” Bassio comforted.
“No, this is coming from the bottom of the boat,” said Roz. “It’s up to my ankles.”
As her words penetrated my sun-and-tequila fog, I realized that my feet, too, felt as submerged as if I stood in the ocean. I opened my eyes and looked down. “There’s a good seven, eight inches of water in the boat,” I said.
Bassio tapped the pilot on the shoulder, and they exchanged urgent words in a language I didn’t understand. The pilot started pointing under the benches where we were seated.
“Put on the life vests,” said Bassio. “Now.”
Roz stared at him. “Are we sinking?”
“He’s going to try to make it back to the pier. But he doesn’t want to take any chances.”
Dean stood up, opened the bench, and handed out the bright orange vests. I strapped mine on, no hesitation, grateful for those sessions in which Sebastian rattled me and hounded me until I got it right. If I’d fumbled here, I would have panicked.
Dean helped the pilot on with his, since the pilot didn’t want to let go of the wheel.
I handed Dean the last vest in the compartment. “Yours,” I said.
“Oh, yeah, thanks.” He gave me a distracted smile.
The water was now up to our knees. “We’re not going to make it all the way in, are we?” Roz asked.
“Time the movement and go over the side,” said Bassio. “It is better than waiting until the boat is too far below us. Less chance of injury.” He smiled at Roz. “Don’t be afraid. We will stay together. We will make it back.”
Roz nodded. “On your signal.” She was tense, but resolute.
Part of me wanted to panic, but that wouldn’t do any good. Besides, the pier was only about a quarter of a mile out. The other launches would circle back and get us, wouldn’t they?
Bassio counted. “Be careful, the chop is not even,” he said.
“That’s why it’s called ‘chop’ and not ‘spread’,” said Roz.
He breathed with the waves, trying to time it. It was fascinating to watch him align himself with the water. “Uno,” he said, letting a couple of chops pass, “Due,” same amount of time in between, “Tre.”
We moved over the side. Unfortunately, a rougher chop lifted part of the curved side of the launch up as I tried to go down over the side. Something metal hit my forehead, stunning me.
I hit the water face down. For the second time that day, I thought my lungs would burst. I couldn’t seem to get my arms and legs to work.
“Hang on.” Dean was beside me, and helped me flip over. “If you need to, just float for a minute, until you catch your breath. I’ll stay here.”
“I’ll be able to swim in a minute,” I said. My voice sounded thin and reedy, and I wasn’t sure I told the truth.
“Take your time,” said Dean. “I’m going to keep hold of you and kick a bit. We don’t want the current to take us back to the island.”
“Yeah. Sure.” Pull it together Batchelder, I told myself. There’s no time for this. “What about Roz and Bassio?”
“They’re almost at the pier. They didn’t abandon us, don’t worry.”
“I didn’t think they would.”
“Good girl.” Dean flashed a grin at me. “We stick together, don’t worry. Can you do a few strokes now?”
“Yeah.” I felt a surge of strength, or maybe it was adrenalin.
“You can always do the backstroke,” Dean teased.
“Er, no, I think I’m okay now.” I rolled over and started doing a freestyle stroke, looking up to eye the pier.
Dean stayed beside me. The pilot passed us, using short, furious strokes. He must be angry and upset. The life jacket kept me from tiring too quickly, although my head hurt, and I realized it was blood running down my forehead, not excess water.
As we got closer to the pier, a round life preserver plopped into the water beside us. Dean retrieved it and brought it over to me. “Hang on, and they’ll pull you in,” he said.
“Don’t need it,” I said.
He smiled. “Indulge me,” he said.
I accepted the preserver
and let it guide me in to the ladder running down the side of the pier. I let go, and started up the rungs, aware that Dean waited until I was halfway up before following me. Roz and Bassio were at the top of the ladder, waiting to help pull me the rest of the way, along with pier personnel and colleagues from the ship.
I staggered a little as I stood. Roz caught me. “We’ve got you, sweetie. Let’s move a few steps this way, so Dean can get up here, too.”
“I think I need a nap. Maybe some Advil.”
“We’re going to have Doc Zhao look at you first,” said Roz.
Bassio put a towel around my shoulders, and I realized I shivered. Roz rubbed my upper arms through the towel. “Can you walk?” she asked. “Can you make it back on the ship?”
“Don’t worry so much about me, Roz,” I said. “We all had a shock.”
“I can carry you,” said a familiar voice.
I looked up to see Sebastian. When did he get here? “How’s Gary?”
“Passed out in his bed. You’re probably concussed,” he said, glaring down at me.
“I’m not, although I have a headache,” I said. I giggled. “My very first shipwreck. Good thing you’re such a good muster master, Sebastian.”
“She’s going into shock.”
“She’ll be fine, Sebastian.” Dean put a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. Although I realized it was a very Dean-like gesture, I wondered. . .no, I wasn’t going to let my thought train derail there.
“I need to get ready for my 6:30,” I said.
“I’ll talk to Amy. You don’t have to do your 6:30,” said Sebastian.
“I want to,” I said, although I didn’t. Except I did, because now Sebastian was telling me that I shouldn’t, and who did he think he was, telling me what to do and not do? “Besides, Amy has her hands full with Wendy’s injury. That looked pretty bad.”
“Wendy sprained her ankle. She wasn’t in a sinking launch,” said Sebastian.
“Let’s just get back on the ship.” I was so weary, I wanted to close my eyes. If I did, I was afraid I’d fall over. “I’m cold, I’m wet, my head hurts. I want to get changed, I need a hot shower, and I want some aspirin. Maybe we can be oh-so-British and have hot tea with sugar. Isn’t that what they do for shock?” I looked at Dean. “Thank you.”
He gave me a shy smile. “Of course.”
“You nearly drowned twice today,” Sebastian insisted.
“But I didn’t,” I said. “You know what that means? Sophie 2, the Ocean 0. But I will catch pneumonia if I have to stand here soaking wet much longer.” Pulling myself together, I turned and forced my feet to take me, step by step, across the pier and back to the Charisma.
I heard Sebastian’s expletive before he followed me.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“I NEED TO TALK TO you.” Amy leaned against the locked door of the yoga studio, waiting.
“Sorry. Am I late?” I unlocked the door, hit by a blast of cold air. I dashed to adjust the thermostat. “Don’t worry. Dr. Zhao gave me a clean bill of health, Staff Captain Christakos and Hotel Manager Garcia both signed off, and I won’t tell the guests I was in a sinking ship.”
“That’s not it.” Amy stepped inside. “I’m glad you’re not hurt. The way Sebastian carried on, I expected you to have bruises all over your body and seaweed coming out of every orifice.”
“That would not be a good look for me. No shoes in the space,” I said. “Not even for you.” I looked at my boss. “Sorry.”
Amy grinned. “No, you’re not.”
“I’m not sorry that you can’t wear shoes in here, but I’m sorry I have to tell my boss something that might piss her off,” I amended.
“Good. Hold your boundaries.” Amy slid out of her shoes and danced into the space in her bare feet.
“Is this about the drying racks?” I walked over, checking the mats. “I know Jacques hates them, but they work for me, and I want to keep them.”
“Jacques gets his panties in a bunch about all sorts of stupid shit.” Amy waved a hand. “Those are adorable, and if you want to keep them, keep them. This is about something else. Wendy sprained her ankle. You need to step in for the nine o’clock with Matt.”
“Doing what?”
“The dance routine at the Supper Club.”
“What?” My mouth dropped open. “I’m not a dancer!”
“There isn’t anyone else we can spare on board. We’re already short dancers, on all the ships. I saw you at the crew party. You were terrific. There’s no time to fly in anyone else for tonight’s performance.”
“Roz. Nicolette. Lorna. One of the waitresses who has a secret performing dream.” I rubbed my forehead. “But not me.”
“You,” Amy insisted.
“Can’t you cancel the performance? Or pull in one of the unattached women who usually dance with the hosts? One of them can partner Matt. Not that I have anything against Matt, he seems like a great guy, but there must be someone else. Harmonia. She moves beautifully. Or Veronika. I bet Veronika would bring down the house.”
“It’s going to be you,” said Amy. “Don’t worry, you’ll be paid extra.”
“It’s not about the money, it’s about the fear,” I countered.
“Wendy’s down on A deck.” Amy reeled off the cabin number. “After your class, go to the theatre and meet Tobias, the wardrobe supervisor. He’ll fit you. Then go talk to Wendy, ask her questions. Matt will have a chance to run you through the routine. It’s not difficult.”
“If it’s not difficult, someone else can do it,” I protested.
“You are doing it,” said Amy. “My decision, and it stands.”
“What if I’m really, really bad?”
“You’ll have another chance to redeem yourself tomorrow night.” Amy gave me a bright smile. “Thanks, luv, so much, it’s a huge help.” Amy scampered to the doorway, slipped into her shoes, and raced off.
I spotted Viktor and hailed him. He came over, smiling. “We get together?”
“What were you and Geri fighting about on the day she died?” It was a shot in the dark, based on a hunch.
“You come to my cabin, I tell you.” He smiled. “There’s a window in my cabin.”
“Not a fair trade. And not tonight. Amy declared I have to go on for Wendy tonight in the Supper Club, because Wendy’s hurt.”
Viktor frowned. “You dance?”
“No.”
“That is odd.”
“You think?”
…
I taught the class in a daze. It was a light class; most of the guests who disembarked to the resort stayed until the last possible moment. I felt guilty for being distracted. When the students thanked me for a wonderful class, and they were sincere, I felt even worse.
“Sophie, I need to talk to you for a minute,” Duncan intercepted me as I locked up the studio.
“I can’t right now, Duncan.”
“We need to talk about—”
“Geri?”
“No. Not Geri.”
“This afternoon? Which part? When I was attacked and dragged under the water, or had to jump off a sinking launch?”
“Yeah, we need to talk about that, but I don’t want to leave things rough between us.”
“What part of ‘no’ are you having a problem with?” I snapped. “I can’t stop right now. They’re making me perform tonight.” Before Duncan could ask anything else, I pulled the door shut and ran for the elevator. If they were going to make me perform, damn it, I was going to use the elevator.
“Sophie, this is great news, you will have the best time!” Roz waited for me at the doorway to the theatre. “Come with me, you’ll love Tobias, he’s fabulous.”
“He can be as fabulous as he wants, but I’m not,” I grumbled.
“Sophie, congrats,” London called out, as Roz swept me past the dressing rooms. “You know we’re all going to sneak out and watch, don’t you?”
“You are not!” I half-shrieked as Roz dragged me further dow
n the hall.
Tobias was a tall, slender man with high cheekbones and spiky blond hair. “Hello, sweetie, don’t you worry about a thing, you’re going to look gorgeous,” he promised. “We can hide the bruise with make-up and style your hair over it. No one will suspect a thing. You’ll look perfect.”
“It won’t matter, once everyone sees I have two left feet,” I moaned. “Especially if people watch me.”
“Sweet thing, you’ll look so good it won’t matter,” Tobias promised.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Roz said. “Matt’s great, you can count on him.”
Tobias flicked through a rack of vintage dresses. “This one,” he said, pulling off a bronze-colored gown. “Take off your clothes.”
“But, with,” I waved my hands.
“We’ve all seen everything before, don’t worry,” said Tobias. “But we’ll turn our backs, if it makes you feel better.”
I sighed and stripped off my yoga clothes. “I am not taking off my underwear in public.”
“No, sweetie, not for the fitting, although you cannot wear those granny panties under this lovely concoction,” said Tobias.
“They aren’t granny panties!” I protested. “They’re bikini cut.”
Roz pulled out a drawer and started rummaging. “If you’ve got a bronze gown, there must be bronze thongs to go under it. I know how you are about under garments.”
“The proper under garments preserve the line,” Tobias agreed. “You won’t need a bra, darling, the cups are built-in.” He dropped the dress over my head. “Give a little shimmy, sweetheart.” I did, the dress slipped down and he gave it a yank. “There we go. Take a look.”
My eyes widened as I stared in the mirror. Except for the straps of my yoga bra showing, the dress was gorgeous and suited my coloring to perfection. I looked good. The terror in my eyes was off-putting, but the dress was beautiful.
Tobias pulled my hair up and back. “We’ll get the hair in period style, and you’ll be perfect. I’ve got character shoes in a complimentary color you can get away with.”
“It’s, wow, I almost feel pretty,” I said.
“Almost?” Roz snorted. “You’re gorgeous.”