by Nathan Rider
Gabe's emails showed the further progress of her marathon project. A few of the vineyards were still not receptive, especially Mike's Excelsior Vineyards. The others along the proposed route had the usual misgivings of too many people ruining the quiet life of the area but willing to give it a two year trial. Moniqa was peppering Angeline for her latest conquest of Paul and wondering if they stopped at any "beaches" together.
Angeline closed her iPad and closed her eyes.
Valletta, Malta
Room service for her continental breakfast woke Angeline at 6:30am. The BBC satellite station said the island would be in the lower 30's Celsius in Valletta, she figured that wearing her swimsuit under her pink shorts and white top would be decent enough for a swim in the Mediterranean. With her floppy sun hat and light jacket, she walked up three flights to get in line for her package number and wait in the ballroom. As she walked in with her number 21 sticker on her top left shoulder, the pursers were calling out numbers for those on earlier packages to leave the liner.
Robert waved his hand to motion Angeline to sit next to him. He wore a silk Hawaiian shirt, blue shorts that ran down to his kneecaps, and running socks and shoes. The baseball hat he had with him was enough to keep his face from burning, if it came to that. The toothy smile he shown last night at the bar was still there as he stood up to meet her.
She looked around the auditorium as people were coming and going through the exits. The moveable seating arrangement made it possible to dance while still having the seats to sit on. The green and gold, half circle booths were big enough to sit five people at a time. Angeline kind of felt sorry for anyone that actually had a cabin below it and tried to get some sleep with the music going.
"Sleep well last night?" he asked.
"Good enough. I thought I never get to sleep after the troubles with movie last night."
" A bit excited about seeing Malta for its glory? I understand the Prime Minister looks like Rob Ford, the ex-mayor of Toronto," he said with an informed tone.
"Interesting. Especially since he's been dead for a few years now. Reincarnation? Body swap? Body double?" she inquired.
As she said the words, the number 21 was called by the pursers to go walk down the stairs to the entry onto Maltese soil. The line was quick and the crews checked their cruise line cards as they left the ship. A local band was playing a tune in welcoming the tourists to their island nation. The light from the sun blinded Angeline as the rest of her group headed for the buses to start their tour.
"Welcome to Malta," the tour guide announced. " My name is Natassa and I will be your guide to the boats that will take you the beautiful island of Gozo. This country has been conquered by the Spanish, Italians, and French. For all that, we drive on the right side of the road. Along the way we will see the set from the movie Popeye starring Robin Williams.
"The island you see along the way is also the backdrop for the TV show Game of Thrones. To the right, the Prime Minister's palace is coming up. This was built by the Knights of St. John's Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette after the Siege by the Turkish Navy in 1564. Every Prime Minister since that time has lived in that house."
Angeline half-heartedly listened as she looked out the window of the desert island. She felt warmth around her and realized Robert had placed his arm on her hand. She smiled at him and he smiled back.
Bold move, Robert. What else you got up your sleeve?
Gozo, Malta
They reached the dock where the tourist boats would take them along the island of Gozo and to the jeeps that awaited them at the port. Pulling out from the pier, the captains of the two boats seemed to be in competition to reach the island first. They passed a freighter anchored outside the shipping lane as the waters were getting choppy between islands.
The crews and passengers reached Gozo fifteen minutes later. The captains steered the boats in position for them to see the water cave features below the island with the waves crashing upon the rocks.
"Above on the cliff is one of the redoubts used in the filming of The Count of Monte Cristo. A you might guess, we Maltese depend on tourist dollars as part of our economy," the tour guide explained to the group Angeline was in.
Angeline was loving the view while Robert was taking his pictures. He then asked her, "Take one together?"
She huddled close to Robert and was surprised how warm he was to her. As he pressed the button, he turned to her and cautiously sucked lightly on her earlobe. Angeline was shocked at what he did, as though struck by lightning. It was one thing to put his hand on hers but this was so forward and liberal to her system. She smiled at him and kissed him as the boats jetted towards the port in Gozo.
As they reached the port city of Ghajnsielem on Gozo, Angeline was comfortable with Robert enough to allow him to put his arm around her. Every once in a while she would snuggle in to enjoy the warm of the other person. And Robert would smile with her against his shoulder.
The passengers from both boats walked onto the pier awaiting their guides to the jeeps for the land excursion. After a few minutes of orientating themselves, the tour operator asked each group to walk over the jeeps behind them. Each jeep had a letter assigned to it. The driver was behind it with the gate open and step ready to help the person onboard.
Angeline noticed the high sun on them and the blue Mediterranean Sea surrounding the island. She was soaking in the atmosphere of the holiday feel. Robert touched her on the shoulder and helped her step up to the back of the jeep. She sat down and buckled in to the seat while Robert climbed in.
They all travelled in a caravan of eight jeeps for the tour of Gozo. There were six people in the jeep Angeline rode in. Her and Robert, then two across from them, the driver and another guest made up the group. They all could hear the driver/tour guide telling them of the countryside as they drove the road to their next destination.
"See the cacti along the road? When the Spanish conquered us, they brought along with them cacti from the Southwestern United States because of the climate here. The average rainfall is 100 centimeters a year in Malta and we are currently in a drought. We in turn put them to good use by using the yellow petals of it for our beer, called Cisk. It is even better than the Australian beers," he said.
Angeline and Robert held hands throughout the first part of tour. The sun was hot for the morning when the caravan stopped a bit further into the town.
"Want to try the Cisk?" Robert asked.
"It's 10:30 in the morning! Why would I want to drink beer this early?"
"It isn't 10:30 in the morning. It's 1am in California. People are partying right now. Come on!"
Robert noticed the little store across the street from the church they stopped in front of. Though it had nice architecture for being centuries old, most of the buildings held no interest. Robert popped into the store, opened the cooler full of cans, and picked out the cold beer. He came out to Angeline with a smile on his face after taking a swig of the beverage.
" A little sweet, in my opinion," Robert said. "Go ahead and try it."
Angeline took the can of Maltese beer from him and sipped it. She looked up to see that Robert snapped a picture of her drinking.
'Thank you for making me seem like a drunk," she laughed.
Together they both walked to the town. They visited the gift shops for little trinkets and a bag of the local coffee to take home. Angeline bought a little Templar knight statue for Gabe for standing by while she was on vacation.
The drive through the countryside was a wonderful experience for Angeline. Feeling free as the local farms rolled by. The hay stacks and rolls that were ready for being picked up. The desert atmosphere with the Sea a few miles in front of her. The cacti were in bloom with their yellow and white flowers. And Robert being there next to her to make her feel completed in this journey.
The next stop was a wonderful local feature called The Azure Window. It was Zion National Park that, instead of looking at the desert through the Arches, you had the b
lue Mediterranean. The group stopped at what could be called a roadside market with booths and food vendors ready to sell to the tourists. Angeline and Robert walked down further along the cliff side for the view.
"Oh my God this is so beautiful!" she exclaimed. They both had to sidestep the large puddles, in which they could see salt forming, like playing hopscotch. Each puddle looked cut to a square or a natural circular feature that were a larger than Angeline's jumps were. So she sidestepped a lot of them as they worked their way to the edge of the cliff.
Looking down, they saw the water-carved curve of the rocky beach. The lighter and deeper, clear blue water made Angeline feel like cliff diving, though it looked shallow to begin with. Together they looked and stared at the majesty of the Sea in awe. They then walked hand in hand along the cliff to a path that led to the Window.
Angeline felt so free and bit naughty now as they walked along the Sea. She looked around below for a path closer to the water. Seeing one, she led Robert down to an isolated area. They stopped at the bottom and to the left was a small isolated cove for the two of them to be together. She turned to him and said, "Love me".
As she unbuttoned her top, Robert snuggled his nose and mouth between her breasts as she leaned against the rock wall.
Angeline uncovered her bedsheet and slipped into bed. The day in Malta with Robert was so satisfying to her in unparalleled ways. It was out of her nature to be that forward with a guy that she met in a singles bar on a cruise. It did make sitting with her fellow passengers more tolerable to eat with.
He seemed so right and timing was so natural, she thought to herself. What else could I have done at the moment?
She looked at her emails that accumulated during the day. Gabe and Moniqa's reports were glowing with minor hints dark clouds in them. The tone in the subject lines gave hints of bad news. But Angeline was in no mood for bad news to ruin her wonderful day. And Moniqa was definitely not going to find out about Robert.
Palermo, Sicily
The cruise ship docked in the Port of Palermo, Sicily with Angeline hearing every one of the engines and screws vibrating as it touched the seawall. The wonderful day turned into a horror of a night trying to sleep with the Party Boys next door slamming at all hours. The continental breakfast she ordered came earlier than what she stated and the porter kept apologizing every time he saw her afterwards.
Palermo and Rome were times where she would be on her own. Robert would not have been able to crash the Rome tour with her booking a private tour while there and he had plans in Sicily that she was not able to join in. She did not know where Mike was to ask if he would like to crash a tour by walking behind a group. Plus she was not sure if he would like to know about Robert after dumping him the night before. Then again they were NOT going together as a couple. She did not even see him in the lounge or on the dock in Malta to say anything go him.
With the cattle call for the different groups leaving the ship, Angeline walked down the stairs to the doors leading out to dock and city. She was concentrating on finding one of the group tours to crash when Mike called out to her on the lower deck near the security stations.
"Angeline! See you outside on the pier, okay?"
She was kind of happy to see him now and waved to him as to say she saw him. As she slowly made her way forward to the light, Angeline got her ID card out for the security officer to scan it. With that accomplished, the guard smiled at her as she left the hold.
"Hey! Whatcha' got going in Palermo?" he asked. The sunlight was glaring down on the passengers as they left the ship. Angeline put on her sunglasses and hat to block out the glare and talk with Mike.
"Not much. I was going to crash one of the tours for the sights and sounds of the city. You?"
"About the same. I'm not a big fan of the place. Too closed quarters for me in a few of the alleys here. I nearly stayed on the boat for this stop," Mike said.
"Well, since you got me out here, let's go find the numbers tour group and follow them."
They ran into a group of passengers and their guide a block up from the pier. Both of them stayed up or behind them, trying to catch pieces of the guide's spiel of the city. They stopped at the plaza outside the Teatro Politeama Theater off the port. There they took pictures of the horse statues along the building.
As the tour went on through the city, Mike and Angeline had plenty of pictures taken together. From one large Plaza that looked like an important building to the arts museum under the shade of olive trees. The alleys of Palermo were full of people working their trade. The Meat Alley with fresh chicken, sausages, and others fresh on the boards. The Fruits and Vegetable Alley with the lettuces, dates, and other foods. The fabric alley was next to a church where they stopped for a rest.
" I don't know about you but we can stop at a café for a bite to eat," said Mike," and I'm buying. I've been trying to remember a beach around here that you would like. Interested?"
"I would love to go. Do you think we have time?"
Mike looked at his watch, mentally computing the time, and said "I figure we would have an hour or two at the beach after a quick stop at the café near the school over there."
They walked a block over from the Fabric alley and found themselves walking back toward a building emblazoned with Liceo Classico Vittorio Emanuele II next to the Palermo Cathedral. From there the café that Mike had mentioned was starting to brim with brunch time customers and tourists. Angeline waited outside as he got their orders. She noticed police cars and officers directing people as she started looking at her phone.
"Oh! Uber is here," Mike said as he walked out of the café with a picnic basket.
Mondello Beach, Palermo, Sicily
After the hassle of getting out of the downtown, the trip along the coast was beautiful as the couple were mesmerized by the landscape along the Sea. The small talk of their respective vineyards was quick and painless. The waves coming to shore had Angeline lost in her thoughts. The surprise of Mike's picnic basket and the trip to the beach was exhilarating to her.
"When did you get the idea for a beach picnic?," she asked.
"Spur of the moment thing. Felt bad about the other night and put this together with a few people I know well in Palermo. Getting the Captain to hold the boat for us is one thing I can't do if we run late."
Mike was fidgety about impressing her after seeing her with Robert in Malta. He had to admit that Robert was in contention for Angeline's heart. He wasn't with her tour group but Mike had seen the couple together at the Window. His jealousy was ignited at the couple that he nearly stormed after them down the path. What stopped him was that his inner sense of control took over so that he didn't look like an idiot in front a mass of people. With the picnic at the beach, he thought that that would give himself a better chance at Angeline than a one-time lover that Robert could turn into.
Mondello Beach was a half hour drive up from Palermo and plenty of time for Mike to sway Angeline's heart to him. The beach and the sand were wonderful under the Sicilian sun. Angeline stripped off her shorts for the bikini bottoms she wore under them. Mike had taken off his shoes and shirt as they walked along the Sea with the basket of food. They settled down for a small lunch of sandwiches, pizza slices, and a bottle of wine to top things off.
The spot was secluded enough for Mike to be private with her. With his brown, puppy-dog eyes stared at her as he tried to work his magical flirting skills. A little on the nervous side and demeanor had gotten him women before his marriage. That it weighed on him to use his rusty flirting skills that had Angeline laughing and loving him at the same time.
" You may have the sand, the Sea, and the Sun. I give it to you, Angeline. There is nothing more than those to give you. My heart is also for you. But you have stolen it away from me. You have hidden it where I cannot find it. I searched the heavens. I searched the deep seas. I have searched the high mountains and low plains. Where have you taken my heart and hidden it from me?," he waxed poetically.
&n
bsp; " I put I there," as she laughed and pointed to his groin.
Angeline lay beside Mike as he took the joke in stride. They then stood on their knees and started kissing ever so passionately. Time stood still for her as his lips made their way around her nape and ears. His tongue wound its way to her jaw line. Angeline began to squirm with the muscle lapping her facial contours to everlasting delight.
Angeline was becoming weak with Mike's tongue making its way down her chest. As the moment came where she was about rip open her top and let him finish her, the phone ringtone went off.
Then his watch alarm went off. As hard as they tried to seal the deal, the mood had become a comedy of errors. Angeline fished through her purse to turn it off as Mike's watch and phone continued playing. Seeing the time that was set for the picnic had ended, they slowly stood up with the clothes they took off whipping with the wind. Arm in arm and her head on his chest, Angeline was falling for Mike.
Rome, Italy
The Sea Dreams docked at the port of Civitavecchia, ninety minutes northwest from Rome. The long break wall announced the ports name with faded letters as the cruise liner docked in its industrial area. Cranes were lifting cargo to and from docked ships. Other cruise line ships were docking on either side of the Dreams for their passengers. Buses lined the pier ready for the tours to commence on their individual journeys.
Angeline once again answered the cattle call of the masses to board with her numbered red tag. Her night with Mike was blissful and wanted to stay with him. The dinner in one of the more elegant restaurants had her emotions on high for him. The after-dinner romance of seeing the stars in full bloom on the Lido deck while lying in the deck chairs. But once again business interfered with his schedule and she was off alone to the wilds of Rome.