Eleanor blinked hard and looked away from her friend, who by this point had gotten the racket and was now exposing the better part of her thighs and buttocks as she scurried to retrieve the ball. She’d never been so thankful for a pair of sunglasses to hide behind. “Why don’t you serve?” Eleanor blushed as her voice crackled in her parched throat.
“But it’s still your turn.”
“It’s just a friendly game, Jeanie. We don’t even have to keep score.”
Jeanie stood up and smoothed her dress, seemingly unaware of the effect it had had on her friend. She tossed the ball in the air and swung, the racket connecting with a solid thwack. Eleanor jumped as the bright green orb sped over the net, swinging and narrowly missing as the ball came at her at twice the velocity she’d expected. Lucky shot? Eleanor’s pulse ticked up. Maybe not. That had been one hell of a serve.
The next time she was more prepared, and managed to return the serve. Jeanie made an impressive dive toward the ball and sent it sailing back. Eleanor swung and missed. “Wow.” She rested her hands on her knees, panting in disbelief. She had not expected to give up two points in a row. “Where did you learn to play?”
“Summer camp, when I was a kid.”
“Oh?” Her breath caught. Me, too. “Not Pine Meadows, was it?” What a coincidence that would be! And if our paths crossed at camp, then maybe—
“The sleep-away camp? As if!” Jeanie chortled. “For your information, Miss Fancy Pants, it was a day camp in the church basement run by one of the high school gym teachers.” She smacked the ball with the racket.
Eleanor missed the ball again and scowled. Damn, she’s good! “Did you play other sports? Like lacrosse?” Miriam had played lacrosse and was about Jeanie’s same age. Could she have been on the opposing team at one of the games? Eleanor had gone to every game. If they could have bumped into each other there, surely that would count?
Jeanie served. “No, nothing like that.”
“Scouts?” Eleanor swung at the ball and it soared across the net.
“Nope.” This time Jeanie swung and missed, and Eleanor grinned.
They took a break, grabbing bottles of cool water. Jeanie leaned beside the net while Eleanor paced. They grew up just a few hours apart, could their paths really never have crossed? The more she thought about it, the less probable it seemed. Eleanor hated improbabilities. She needed to dig deeper.
“You said you lived in Manhattan, after college?”
Jeanie nodded. “Yeah, for a bit while I was in grad school.”
“Washington Square?” It was the neighborhood closest to New York University. If she'd been a student there, she would have been just a few blocks from Eleanor's office in lower Manhattan. There were a hundred ways they could've met!
“Washington Heights,” she replied with a snort, naming a neighborhood clear on the opposite end of the island that was close to the City University of New York.
Eleanor’s fingers twitched in agitation. “Have you been to Central Park?”
“Of course I have. Who hasn’t been to Central Park?” Jeanie cocked her head, fixing Eleanor with a searching look. “Did you have a particular day or location in mind?”
Eleanor’s heart skipped a beat. Jeanie was a bright woman and had clearly caught on to what Eleanor was doing. “Of course not. I was just curious.” She leaned her back against the net.
Jeanie slid closer, still eying her studiously. “And you’re sure you’ve never been to Poughkeepsie?”
“Couldn’t find it on a map.” Eleanor’s heart ached with regret. “I guess there really is no way we could’ve met.”
“Seems like it,” Jeanie agreed, pushing herself up from the net. Eleanor thought she caught the whispered words ‘what a pity’ as they both took their places on the court.
They were partway into the next set when Rolfe wandered up and tapped on the glass barrier separating the tennis court from the rest of the deck. “Ladies?” he called.
“Rolfe!” Jeanie cried. “Any news on when we’ll be leaving for Vienna?”
The steward shook his head. “Soon, hopefully. But the captain’s decided to host a dinner tonight, to apologize. Everyone is invited, even economy passengers,” he added with a smile to Jeanie. He shifted his eyes to Eleanor. “And since you’re in one of our VIP rooms, if you arrive early, I can seat you at the captain’s table. And a guest. If you’re interested.”
“The captain’s table!” Jeanie clapped her hands in glee.
Eleanor took in Jeanie’s beaming face and laughed. “I’m not sure I have much of a choice! That sounds very nice. Thank you, Rolfe.” She felt a flush of pride as she got the name right without a moment’s hesitation.
“Oh my goodness. That’s such an honor! See what happens when you make friends, Elle?” Jeanie commented when the steward had left. “It can be very worthwhile to be nice to people.”
“I’m sure my paying twenty thousand euros for a VIP stateroom had nothing to do with the honor.” Eleanor blushed as Jeanie’s face blanched at the revelation of the price. “But I see your point,” she added awkwardly.
They returned to their game and had just finished another set when the lurch of the ship made Eleanor pause mid-serve. “I guess we’re finally underway!”
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to play if the deck’s going to keep swaying like this.”
Eleanor nodded in agreement. “We should probably head in to get ready, anyway.”
“Already? Dinner’s not for another few hours.”
“But we’re supposed to get there early,” Eleanor warned, her body telegraphing its usual tension at the prospect of running late.
“Fine, you win,” Jeanie agreed. “The argument, that is. Not the match. I was the clear winner there.”
“The hell you were! It was a tie!” Eleanor’s eyes narrowed as Jeanie began to laugh.
“I thought you said we weren’t keeping score.” Her laughter echoed across the deck as she retreated to the door.
Eleanor watched her go, much more hot and bothered than she would have liked. Jeanie’s competitive streak was as strong as hers, and a real turn on. But they’d gone through every place she could think of, and the answer was still the same. There was absolutely no way they would have met in their everyday lives. Like it or not, it was the rule they'd established. Unless there was someway they could've met in the real world, there was no way their relationship could move from where it was now. Two friendly acquaintances on a cruise. Eleanor picked up her racket and left the court with a heavy heart, but there was no getting around it when they had both agreed it was for the best.
Back in her room, Eleanor turned on the shower and stripped off her tennis clothes in front of the bathroom mirror. As the steam fogged the glass, she closed her eyes and caressed her shoulders, allowing herself for the briefest of moments to imagine that it was Jeanie’s fingers instead of her own. A half smile teased her lips as she imagined them both naked, stepping into the shower and—Stop it! She forced her eyes open and stuck her fingers into the spray, contemplating whether, in her current mood, she should adjust it a little colder. Just as she was stepping in, there was aloud knock at the front door. Donning one of the fluffy white robes that hung next to the shower and grasping the top demurely to keep it closed, she sprinted through the sitting room and spied a familiar figure through the peephole of her door. Jeanie?
She opened the door. “What’s wrong?” she asked as she took in the sight of her friend standing in the hall, wrapped in a brightly patterned floral robe and clutching a heap of clothing to her chest.
“May I come in?” Jeanie scooted past, entering the room. “There’s a line a mile long for the showers on D deck. I've been waiting twenty minutes already and I'm starting to freak out.”
“What do you mean there's a line?”
“Every little old single lady on the ship is trying to get first dibs on the captain’s table.”
“You mean, you don’t have your own shower in you
r room?”
Jeanie shot her a sidelong look. “In case you hadn’t guessed, the economy rooms aren’t exactly like this.” She gestured with one hand as she turned to take in the room. “My God, is this like a living room, or something?”
Eleanor nodded, her awkwardness returning as her eyes fixed on the short hem of Jeanie’s robe, and the long bare legs beneath.
“Wow.” Jeanie whistled. “Wait, do I hear running water?”
“The shower! I had just turned it on when you knocked.”
Jeanie’s cheeks colored. “I’m sorry. Go, take your shower! Just, do you mind if I do, too?” Her eyes widened as Eleanor began to choke in response. “Oh, Jesus, Elle! I meant when you’re done!” Jeanie burst into laughter as Eleanor’s face turned beet red.
“I knew that. Obviously,” Eleanor muttered, coughing once more. “I’ve just got something caught in my throat.” Like my dignity. “Yes, fine. Wait here and you can use it when I’m done.” She could still hear chuckling coming from the living room as she scurried back to the steam-filled bathroom and shut the door.
Chapter 19
Jeanie dabbed at her eyes with her fingertips, her laughter having moistened the corners with tears. She still couldn’t stop. The look on Elle’s face! She’d never intended to imply that they should shower together. In her rush to get ready for dinner, flirting with her punctuality-obsessed friend had been the furthest thing from her mind. She was just trying not to be late! Of course, now that she had a moment of quiet to think about it…with the sound of running water coming from the next room…and knowing that Elle was in there at this very second, all naked and…sudsy…
A ribbon of steam escaped the crack in door, wafting into the bedroom and tickling Jeanie’s nostrils with its jasmine scent. A wave of heat hit her as if her internal thermostat had just been adjusted to a thousand degrees. She tossed her change of clothing and toiletry bag on the edge of the bed and fanned her flushed face. All she could think about was soap. Jeanie flopped backward onto the bed and snuggled a throw pillow to her chest. It, too, smelled of Eleanor’s shampoo. When she closed her eyes, she imagined herself back in the inn and tried to recapture the peaceful perfection of waking in Eleanor’s arms. Tears pricked her eyes, but this time they weren't the happy kind. She tossed the pillow aside. Because of her stupid rule, Eleanor was off limits.
The relentless pulse of the shower burrowed through her eardrum, planting one tantalizingly inappropriate vision after another into her brain. Needing a distraction from whatever was taking place behind the closed bathroom door, she set about exploring the stateroom. It was bigger and more elegant than she had imagined, though somehow that didn’t surprise her. Of course Eleanor—who lived in midtown and had spent her summers at sleep-away camps, with her important job and fancy travel—had a room like this. Jeanie wasn’t jealous. She didn’t begrudge Eleanor her money. If anything, it filled her with sadness, because it was just one more thing they didn’t have in common, one more reason that under ordinary circumstances, their paths would never cross.
The memory of Eleanor’s tennis court antics teased a smile from Jeanie’s lips. She’d guessed what Eleanor was up to the minute she’d started listing every conceivable space they might have occupied at the same time in their lives. Central Park, for heaven’s sake! That was a real needle in a haystack. Her heart fluttered to think that Eleanor was as torn up about the situation as her. What she wouldn’t have given to have found that connection! All they needed was one place on the map they could point to, just a shred of proof that they had the potential to be more than just a meaningless fling after their ship reached its final port.
Meaningless? Impossible! Everything about Eleanor held meaning to Jeanie. They were nothing alike, but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. She’d found some of Eleanor’s habits annoying at first, sure, but what was wrong with being on time or planning ahead? Those were lessons Jeanie could do well to learn. Jeanie squeezed her eyes shut to stop them from watering. There was so little time left! And day by day, the more time they spent together, the less she wanted it to end.
What if they had found that needle in a haystack, out on the tennis court that afternoon? Jeanie snickered as the scenario played out in her imagination. She would’ve hopped over the net and given Eleanor a kiss like nothing either of them had ever experienced before. Desire shot through her just to picture it in her head. Half the old grannies on the observation deck might’ve fainted dead away at the sight, and she wouldn’t have cared.
Her tongue touched her lips. The taste and feel of Eleanor’s mouth against hers was all she’d been able to dream since waking up in her embrace. We ended up on the cruise together, isn’t that good enough? Why were they wasting the time they had left struggling to stay at arm’s length instead of taking a chance and seeing where it led? Jeanie cursed under her breath. What possessed me to come up with this idiotic rule? Now they were stuck with it. Eleanor didn't seem the type to renegotiate rules once they were set.
She walked to the French doors in a huff, wrenching them open and stepping out onto the private balcony. The fresh air calmed her, and she took a deep breath as she tried to readjust her attitude. The evening was off to a magical start as they cruised the Danube. Its beauty lifted her spirits. The sun was just disappearing behind the terraced hills of the Wachau Valley. Fluffy clouds, turned brilliant pink in the golden light of sunset, filled the sky. In a few hours, they would arrive in Vienna, the city she’d dreamed of visiting for over a decade. She rested her forehead in her hands, working her fingers through her hair as if they could push the regrets right out of her head. Why dwell on what she couldn’t have when so many of her dreams were coming true?
There was a rustling behind her and she turned to see Eleanor, fresh from her shower, snug in her robe with a towel wrapped around her head. Her serious expression gave Jeanie a start and set her nerves jangling as she tried to think of what she could have done to bring it on.
“Where did you get this?” In her hands, Eleanor held Jeanie’s toiletry bag.
“That?” Jeanie winced as she recalled the pile of stuff she’d thrown on Eleanor’s pristine bed. “Oh, Elle. I’m so sorry I left all my stuff—”
Eleanor waved her off. “No, that’s fine. But where did this bag come from?”
Jeanie frowned, still uncertain where this was headed. “The Katonah Country Club. It’s just some little freebie I picked up last summer.”
“Katonah?”
Jeanie nodded. “It’s a tiny place, maybe thirty minutes from where I live. I'm sure you've never heard of it.”
“My sister and her husband live in Katonah.”
Jeanie's eyes widened at this unexpected revelation.
“They bought a house there last year. She plays tennis at the Katonah Country Club every Saturday. I’ve joined her a few times. I even got the same free bag.” Eleanor's eyes met hers and Jeanie saw her own dawning sense of the meaning of this discovery reflected therein.
“The summer camp where I work is in Katonah. We take the kids to the country club for tennis lessons.” Jeanie laughed giddily. “Do you know what this means?”
Eleanor took a step onto the balcony. “We could’ve met at the club.”
Excitement welled up in Jeanie’s chest. “Or at the coffee shop across the street.”
“The one with the red awning?” A smile teased Eleanor’s lips. “I’ve been there at least half a dozen times.”
A worrying thought struck Jeanie and she frowned. “But I’m never there on Saturdays.”
Eleanor’s shoulders slumped. “You’re not?”
“Camp only runs on weekdays.” Why am I making this harder than it needs to be? She thought for a moment and her spirits lifted. “But I’m friendly with the barista at the coffee place. She might’ve chatted with you one day and decided to introduce us.”
“Me, chat?” Eleanor cocked an eyebrow. “With a barista?”
“Okay maybe not.” Determined not to give up,
Jeanie took a step toward her. “Does your sister play tennis during the week?” She smiled when Eleanor nodded. “Well I chat with everyone, so maybe I would’ve met your sister at the club. I’d definitely mention being single, because you know I’m always telling people personal things that I shouldn’t. And then she would’ve mentioned her sister being single, too. And then she would’ve invited me for dinner the next time you came to visit.” It was a ridiculous scenario, but it was her last shot. Jeanie held her breath.
“That’s exactly what Mimi would do.”
Jeanie’s breath rush out in a laugh. “It is?” She’d been convinced Eleanor would shoot her down.
“Are you kidding? Ever since Sylvia left, my sister can’t stop herself from interfering with my love life. A blind date, a dinner ambush. Hell, she’s the reason I ended up here.” They were just inches apart now. “One way or another, the point is—”
“We could’ve met,” Jeanie breathed.
Their bodies were so close that Jeanie could feel the shower steam that had been trapped against Eleanor’s skin by her terry cloth robe. She closed her eyes and let the jasmine-scented warmth envelop her. It was impossible to tell who made the first move to close the distance. It was less of a conscious choice and more like they were two magnets that, after pushing against each other since the moment they’d met, somehow suddenly flipped and became impossible to pull apart.
Jeanie’s arms clasped behind Eleanor’s neck as their lips met, Eleanor’s hands at her hips, pulling her close. She lost herself in the indescribable sweetness of those lips. From somewhere in the depths of passion, it occurred to her that they tasted unexpectedly of honey. She grasped Eleanor’s bottom lip between her teeth and confirmed it was so.
Waltzing on the Danube Page 15