The place was packed. Millie joined the long line off to the side of the buffet area.
The line moved quickly, unlike Waves, the buffet area for passengers, where it seemed to take forever to make it through the food line. The crewmembers were on a tight schedule and didn’t have time to lollygag.
She grabbed a couple pieces of soggy wheat toast, some watery scrambled eggs and something that slightly resembled sausage patties. The last thing she placed on her tray was a cup of coffee before she cautiously turned to search the dining area for an empty seat.
Millie spotted Nikki and Sarah, her former roommate, off in the corner. Sarah waved her over and pointed to an empty chair at their table.
Millie shuffled to the table and slid her tray on top before pulling out the chair and plopping down.
Sarah eyed Millie’s plate of food. “The eggs are gross. You’re gonna need a lot of salt and pepper to doctor them up.”
“Thanks for the tip.” Millie grabbed the saltshaker and shook some on top of the eggs before spreading a spoonful along the center of her limp toast. She folded it in half and took a bite. “Did you ever find out what the suits were doing in the bridge?”
Nikki shook her head. “Nope, but I can tell you some of the security guys have been hanging around the atrium. It’s weird. We hardly ever see them in our area. There’s also this other guy who keeps hanging around. He doesn’t look like security, though.”
“I better go.” Nikki glanced at her watch, pushed back her chair and reached for her tray. “Should be a busy port day.”
“Yeah, I have to go too.” Sarah shoved her chair back and reached for her tray. “See you later.”
Sarah followed Nikki to the exit where the girls dropped their dirty dishes in the bins and disappeared from sight.
Millie quickly finished her breakfast and headed to Andy’s office, anxious to find out if security had figured out who had broken into Andy’s cabin and why.
Chapter Five
Millie stepped inside the dark theater. As she got close to the stage, she could hear the sound of voices. She hurried up the steps and made her way to Andy’s small office located in the back.
Danielle was already there and seated next to Andy. Their heads were close together, as they spoke in low voices.
Millie cleared her throat. “Ahem.”
Andy’s head shot up. “Millie! We were just talking about you.” He waved her to the seat on the other side, directly across from Danielle.
“I heard you two did a bang-up job last night for the first show intro,” he said.
“Thanks to Danielle.” Millie gave credit where credit was due. She quickly changed the subject. “What happened last night after we left? Was Dave Patterson able to figure out who broke into your cabin?”
Andy’s expression grew grim. “No. I heard this morning not only did someone break into my cabin, but they also tried to break into Donovan Sweeney’s office.”
Nikki’s words echoed in the back of Millie’s mind, how someone had been hanging around the guest services area. The door leading to Purser Donovan Sweeney’s office was behind the guest services desk. Was the person Nikki noticed the same one who had tried to break in?
Millie made a mental note to stop by guest services and ask Nikki if she could keep an eye out for the man, to see if he was hanging around again today.
“…and she can handle bingo since there aren’t any youth activities scheduled until the guests are back on board later today.”
Millie pulled herself from her musings and tried to focus on Andy’s words. “What will I do?”
Andy leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “I already told you while you were a million miles away. What’s going on in that head of yours, Millie?”
Millie shifted in her chair and glanced at Danielle. “Well, I’ve been thinking…the suits that came onboard yesterday; Nikki Tan said she escorted them to the bridge. You said there were some extra security guards onboard for this cruise. Nikki said this morning security was hanging around the atrium. Last night someone broke into your cabin and tried to break into Donovan Sweeney’s office.”
She went on. “Something is going on, that’s all. I’m just curious.”
“Whatever it is, it’s none of our concern, Millie. We need to focus on doing our jobs. If there is something going on, let security handle it.”
He turned the conversation to the day’s schedule. “You and I are going to the gangway to assist the first wave of passengers disembarking for the day. After that, I would like you to help Alison and Tara with the line dancing class.”
Andy slid Millie’s schedule in front of her and she glanced at the sheet. It would be a full day, not that she minded. She shifted her gaze to the evening schedule and breathed a sigh of relief. Andy had given her a few hours off close to the dinner hour so she could have dinner with Captain Armati.
“Looks good.” She started to fold the sheet in half when something caught her eye. “Acupuncture at two in the spa!”
“Thanks for reminding me.” Andy tapped the end of his pen on top of his black book. “A few weeks ago we brought in a new company for this service. We received several complaints from our last round of guests on the acupuncture sessions so I want you to go in incognito for a treatment and report back.”
Millie frowned. “It sounds painful. Can’t you send Danielle instead? She likes pain.”
Danielle kicked Millie under the table.
“Ouch!” Millie glared at her.
“Unfortunately, Danielle was in the area earlier for the Sunrise Stretch yoga class and I’m afraid the spa employees will recognize her. They haven’t seen you yet.”
“Plus I have a couple hours off,” Danielle explained. “I’m going to get off the ship and head into Old San Juan.”
“Danielle has some time off this afternoon. She reports back to work before the dinner hour and in time for trivia.” Andy explained. “All you’ll need to do is change into some street clothes and then run up there around two. They won’t be busy since the majority of passengers will be off the ship. It shouldn’t take long, may be fifteen or twenty minutes.”
“Twenty minutes of torture, while someone sticks needles in my body?” Millie placed her fingers against her temples and began to rub. She could feel a major migraine coming on. “What am I going to tell them I’m there for?”
Danielle lifted a hand to her mouth to hide her grin. “You could say you have stress and anxiety.”
“Or are coming in for fertility,” Andy teased.
Millie’s eyes widened. “Fertility! As in having a baby?”
“I’m kidding,” Andy said. “Tell them whatever you want.” He slid a key card across the table. “You’ll have to use this temporary guest card to pay,” he explained.
Millie glanced at name on the card. “Doris Ficklebomb…Doris Ficklebomb! What kind of crazy name is that?”
Andy closed his planner, placed his pen on top and stood. “Don’t let me down, Doris.” He winked.
Millie popped out of her chair. “You owe me one!”
The trio strolled out of the office. Danielle headed upstairs to check the youth areas, and Andy and Millie headed to the gangway. They made it just in time for the first wave of passengers to exit the ship.
She caught a glimpse of Gloria and her entourage as they exited the ship, dressed for a day of island adventures.
“You should have dinner with them one evening,” Andy suggested as they watched them leave.
“Good idea, but not tonight,” she said.
Andy shifted his gaze. “Why? What’s tonight?”
Millie’s face reddened and she clamped her mouth shut.
“Ahh.” Her boss slowly nodded his head. “Captain Armati invited you to dinner?” Andy correctly guessed.
Thankfully, a passenger approached, unsure of what she would need to get back on the ship and the conversation ended.
After the initial rush of passengers exited the ship,
Millie headed upstairs and Andy headed to a meeting with Donovan Sweeney, Captain Armati and Dave Patterson. He swore it was a planned meeting and nothing out of the ordinary.
The lido deck was deserted. Millie passed Danielle on her way to the back of the ship and the adults-only pool area.
Siren of the Seas sister ship, Baroness of the Seas, was docked directly beside them, which was another reason Millie was glad she hadn’t gotten off. San Juan would be packed with thousands of passengers descending on the small island.
The morning passed quickly and as the hours slipped by, Millie’s dread over the acupuncture session grew. She hated needles!
At 1:45, she headed back to the cabin to change into a sleeveless blouse and shorts for her session. Her steps dragged as she exited the cabin and shuffled to the stairs. It felt as if she was making her way to her own execution. What if the acupuncturist was a crackpot and he scarred her for life?
Millie almost backed out but forced herself to climb the stairs to the spa deck. She made her way to reception desk and the woman who was standing behind the counter. “Yes. I’m Doris…Ficklebomb…and I have a two o’clock appointment for torture, I mean acupuncture.”
The woman glanced at the page, her finger following the line of names. “Ah. Yes, Ms. Ficklebomb. The session lasts roughly thirty minutes and the cost is one hundred twenty-five dollars. You can leave a tip if you enjoyed the service.”
Millie handed the woman her fake card. Enjoyed the service? People actually tipped someone to cause them pain? What kind of sick profession was this?
The woman swiped the card and handed it back, along with a copy of the receipt to sign. “You can hold this until after the session ends and then add the tip,” she suggested.
Millie was gonna tip all right, depending on the level of pain she felt. The greater the pain, the greater the tip would be. If Andy was gonna make her do this, he was gonna pay, she determined.
The woman went on. “Dr. Stephen Chow will be right with you.”
Millie shoved the card and receipt in her front pocket and began pacing the floor, still uncertain what she would tell the good doctor was wrong with her. She was leaning towards anxiety, which wasn’t far from the truth. This whole acupuncture exercise had her extremely anxious.
“Ms. Ficklebomb?” A man wearing a white lab coat and holding a clipboard stood next to the reception desk.
“Yes.” Millie’s armpits grew damp and a wave of fear coursed through her body.
“Follow me.” The man motioned her to the back.
Millie took one last longing glance behind her. What in the world had she gotten herself into?
Dr. Chow stopped in front of an open door and waved her in. Inside the room was an examination table. In the corner was a small counter and on each side of the counter, a chair. Millie sidestepped the table and headed to the chair.
The doctor closed the door behind them. “I have a few questions before we begin.”
He clicked the end of the pen and settled into the other empty chair. After asking her several questions regarding her health and the reason for the visit, to which she almost answered that she had been forced against her will, he asked her to open her mouth and stick out her tongue.
Dr. Chow turned on his pen light and looked inside her mouth. “You appear to be in good health.”
The doctor opened a cabinet drawer, reached inside and pulled out a box. Inside the box were several long needles. On the ends of the needles were colored caps. “We will only work on your facial nerves so if I could get you to make your way over to the examination table.”
Millie reluctantly rose from her chair and approached the table. She climbed on the step and backed onto the end of the padded table.
“You’ll be more comfortable if you lie down,” Dr. Chow told her.
Millie eased onto her back, closed her eyes and began to pray. “Dear Lord. Please don’t let this hurt.”
A pinprick sensation on the corner of her left eye caused it to start twitching. It was quickly followed by a pinprick near her right eye. “How many needles are you using?”
“Only twelve.” Dr. Chow’s voice was close to her ear.
Only twelve? Millie swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Only. Twelve. It might as well have been a hundred!
“Sometimes I use twenty but we start with twelve this time. If the symptoms persist, you may have to come back and we will try more needles.”
Come back? There was no way on God’s green earth she was coming back for another round of this!
The sharp stinging, a sensation akin to a bee sting, continued as he inserted a needle above each eyebrow, under her nose, in the corners of her mouth, then her chin. He finished with needles on both sides of her cheeks and under both eyes.
Millie felt like a voodoo doll and Andy was the one inserting the needles.
“I want you to relax.” Dr. Chow’s voice was near her ear.
Millie didn’t dare open her eyes, lest the pain, which had subsided somewhat, returned with a vengeance. She laid there and quietly plotted her revenge on her boss.
Two sharp, quick pains radiated from her forehead. “I’m just going to twirl these needles while we wait.”
A flash of fire coursed through her forehead and quickly shifted to her mouth. The sensation moved around as Dr. Chow apparently decided to twirl all the needles.
Millie began contemplated bolting from the table and pulling the needles out herself when the good doctor spoke.
“I take them out now,” Dr. Chow said.
She braced for more pain but it never came.
“We are done. You can open your eyes.”
Millie’s eyes opened and she stared at the ceiling before shifting to a sitting position.
“It may take a few hours for the acupuncture to begin to work,” he said as he helped her from the table. “If you aren’t feeling relief from your severe anxiety by the end of today, you can call the desk and make another appointment.”
Over my dead body!
Dr. Chow walked Millie to the front counter, handed her papers to the receptionist and disappeared down the hall.
Millie pulled the receipt from her pocket. “Can I borrow your pen?” She smiled sweetly at the young woman behind the desk, certain that droplets of blood were dripping from her open wounds causing her to look like some sort of apocalypse zombie.
“Yes, of course.” The woman handed her a pen.
Millie had forgotten her reading glasses. She squinted at the tip line, jotted down a twenty-five dollar tip and signed her “name,” Doris Ficklebomb. She handed the receipt to the girl, who asked for her cabin number.
Millie drew a blank. “My cabin number?”
“Yes. We will send other papers to your cabin.”
Millie blurted out the first number that popped into her head…Gloria’s cabin number. “Eleven two one two.”
As she headed out of the spa, she made a mental note to let Gloria know she might be getting something delivered to her room with the name Doris Ficklebomb, but first, she wanted to stop by the guest services desk to see if Nikki had spotted the stranger hanging around again today.
Chapter Six
Now that Millie’s torture session had ended, she realized she was hungry and hadn’t eaten since early morning when she’d wolfed down the dry toast, tasteless eggs and rubbery sausage disk.
She made a quick pass through the buffet where nothing caught her eye and headed to the grill station out on lido deck. The lines were short and only a few passengers were milling about.
Millie skipped the tray, grabbed a plate and started at the end. The aroma of sizzling burgers caused Millie’s stomach to growl and she slid a burger patty, topped with lettuce and tomato onto her plate, right next to a large sesame seed bun.
The french fries looked crispy and fresh so she placed a small mound next to the burger and topped both the burger and the fries with melted cheese sauce.
Millie placed two chicken
tenders on her plate, ladled a small amount of honey mustard dressing into a small plastic cup and eased the cup next to the tenders.
She strode over to an empty table for two next to the large ocean view windows and settled in. From where she was seated, Millie could see the deck layout of Baroness of the Seas, docked next to them. The ship was a couple years newer than Siren of the Seas and slightly larger.
Baroness of the Seas’ lido deck was two decks up and a pool slide meandered along the side while strategically placed tiki bars surrounded the spacious pool area.
She wondered if someday she would get a chance to work on one of Majestic Cruise Lines’ other ships. The thought of leaving Captain Armati and Scout, not to mention Annette, Cat and Andy, made her sad. Millie hoped not but knew from talking to other crew, there was a good chance it would happen.
She popped a cheesy fry in her mouth and chewed.
Soon, it would be time to head down to greet returning guests. The ship was scheduled to set sail at four o’clock. Millie planned to stop by her cousins’ suites to check on them after heading to her own cabin to get ready for dinner with Captain Armati.
Her pulse quickened as she remembered the passionate kiss that made her toes curl. She wondered if he would kiss her again.
Her whole body warmed at the thought. She picked up a Cruise Ship Chronicles daily schedule someone had left behind and began to fan her face.
The deck grew crowded as returning passengers descended on the area to grab a bite to eat or settle in for a few hours of sun and take an afternoon dip in the pool.
Millie cleared her table, dropped her dirty dishes in the bin and headed down to guest services on deck five.
Apparently, everyone was eating because guest services was deader than a doornail.
Nikki Tan was behind the counter, talking on the phone. She waved Millie over and hung up the phone when she approached.
Nikki leaned forward. “The guy I told you about earlier…he’s over there.” She jerked her head and pointed to a corner of the room that contained a small sofa and two cushioned high back chairs.
Cruise Control (Cruise Ship Christian Cozy Mysteries Series Book 6) Page 4