Frankie’s mind drifted from the conference room at her office to Giovanni’s eyes. She came out of her trance with a start. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about him? Like it or not, she had to. She was embarrassed about the way she felt the night her legs went all rubbery on her. She strained to remember if she had flirted with him. She hoped not. And this is probably why she avoided romance. Well, too bad. For the moment, she was on a singles cruise. Suck it up and get over it, she told herself. She turned her attention to a fishing boat heading toward the dock and imagined what life must be like for the wife or girlfriend of a fisherman. She guessed it wasn’t as rough as the life of the women in New England, where they had real widows walks on the Victorian homes. The thought gave her the shivers. She saw two women waving at the fishermen from the dock. They looked happy. It brought a smile to Frankie’s lips.
A short while later, she heard a ruckus coming from the corridor. Frankie figured it was her posse returning from their last-minute shopping. She could hear Rachael shrieking with laughter. She opened the door and saw Nina standing on a chair while Rachael handed her a bunch of green leaves. Amy held a roll of tape. “What in the world are you doing?” she called from her doorway.
Rachael held up a shopping bag. “Mistletoe! It was fifty percent off at the Christmas Shoppe.”
“So you had to buy the remaining inventory?” Frankie smirked.
“You know me. I simply cannot resist a bargain,” Rachael quipped.
“I hope you realize there are security cameras on every level.” Frankie pointed to the small round ball that was at the end of the corridor.
“Oops.” Rachael covered her mouth with one hand. “Maybe they’ll throw me in the brig.”
“A brig is for military vessels,” Frankie corrected her. “They just call it jail on a cruise ship.” Frankie smiled wickedly.
“They really have a jail on board?” Amy looked at Frankie.
“They do. It’s the size of a broom closet, with a single bed.”
“And you know this how?” Nina eyed her friend suspiciously.
“I did my homework. With our little ensemble, I had to be sure they could accommodate all of us.” Frankie let out a laugh. The elevator dinged, indicating that someone was getting off on their floor. Thinking fast, they scrambled into Frankie’s stateroom. It would have taken too long for them to find their keycards. Nina carried the chair as Amy and Rachael brushed past Frankie, who was holding the door open for them.
The women collapsed on the bed, laughing hysterically.
Frankie reached into the shopping bag and counted a dozen swags of mistletoe. “So how many of these little things have you planted so far?” She eyed Rachael suspiciously.
“Just one, so far.” Rachael sat up. “Too many people were milling about. We’ll finish our mission later.” She turned to Amy and Nina. “Right, girls?”
Nina moaned. “Am I supposed to be carrying a chair around? That might look a bit odd, don’t you think?”
“Good point,” Amy concurred. “Nina, what if you wear a pair of wedge sandals? Could you reach a few doorways?”
“Oh, so I’m the one who has to distribute these around the ship? I don’t think so,” Nina declared.
“Oh, come on. Don’t be a spoilsport,” Rachael whined.
“Uh-uh. Not me, kiddo. I’m not going to cruise jail.”
“How about this?” Frankie had an idea. “We get a long stick and attach one of the bunches on the stick. This way, Rachael can carry it around with her and hang it over the head of every man she sees.”
Amy and Nina hooted. “Great idea.”
“Very funny.” Rachael pouted. “I’m trying to have a little fun. OK, mischievous fun. But it’s not going to hurt anybody.”
Nina thought for a moment. “If we can cover the security cameras in the elevators, I might be able to reach just above the sliding doors.”
“Aren’t you becoming a criminal now?” Frankie teased.
“Let’s do it.” Amy clapped her hands.
“OK. But remember, all for one, and one for all. I hope there’s room enough in that jail for all of us.” Frankie sighed in resignation. She knew she wasn’t going to win this battle.
“Yay!” Amy shouted. “When should we do this?”
“After the speed-dating thing,” Frankie suggested.
“Right. That thing.” Nina sneered. “I don’t know what’s worse, getting caught hanging mistletoe or getting rejected by a bunch of guys.”
“First of all, they won’t put us in cruise-ship jail. That’s reserved for someone who does something harmful. And as far as getting rejected, you need to change your attitude, missy.” Frankie winked at her friend.
“What’s everyone wearing tonight?” Amy asked, changing the subject.
“I’m wearing a long black sheath with a silver necklace,” Frankie said.
“Is it formal?” Amy asked.
“No. Just wanted to get a little dressy for tonight. Who knows. I might meet Prince Charming,” Frankie added.
“And you’ve changed your tune, too,” Nina chided her friend.
“Yep. That’s what we’re here for. Fun. Sun. And maybe a date,” Amy chimed in. “I have a deep purple jumpsuit that will be a little dressy with some accessories.”
“I have a pair of navy capris with a matching short-sleeve jacket,” said Nina.
Rachael thought for a moment. “And I have a short red fit-and-flare dress.”
“I think we shall make a lovely troupe. Who could possibly resist us?” Frankie joked. The others chuckled. “Dinner is at six at the Kunya Siam Thai restaurant. The event is at eight thirty in the Caribbean Ballroom.”
“Has anyone seen Peter today?” Amy asked. The others shook their heads. “What about Marilyn?”
“Not since we stalked her at lunchtime,” Nina replied.
“Should we call her and see what she’s up to?” Amy asked.
“Sure, why not?” Frankie replied. She picked up the house phone and asked to be connected with Marilyn Mitchell’s stateroom.
A pleasant voice answered. “Hello?”
“Hi, Marilyn. It’s Frankie. How are you today?”
“Very well. Thank you. And you?”
“Just peachy.” Frankie was being sincere. “We were just checking to see if you wanted to join us tonight for dinner. We’re also going to do that speed-dating thing.”
“Thank you for thinking of me, but I already have dinner plans.” It was obvious that Marilyn wasn’t going to give up too much information.
“That’s wonderful.” Frankie hitched her eyebrows as she looked at the other women. “How was your lunch?” She was trying to pry info out of Marilyn without being too pushy.
“It was lovely.” And that was all she said.
“Glad to hear it. Well, you enjoy your evening. Maybe we’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll be at sea all day.”
“You enjoy the festivities. Thanks again for thinking of me.” Marilyn ended the call.
Frankie turned to the others. “She has a date with the mystery man. I’m assuming it’s the same guy. She didn’t offer, and I didn’t want to pry.”
“Maybe we can stalk her later,” Nina said wickedly.
“Looks like we have a full evening ahead of us. We should get a move on,” Frankie suggested.
With that, the women departed to their individual staterooms to get ready for the evening.
Chapter Sixteen
Day 2
Evening
Around five forty-five, Frankie began rapping on everyone’s door. “Ready?” They exited their rooms one at a time. “Should I knock on Peter’s door?”
“Nah. If he wanted to hang out with us, I’m sure he would have said something. Maybe we’ll run into him later.”
“Do you think he’ll do the speed-dating thing?” Amy asked.
“Only if he’s crazy,” Nina quipped.
Frankie noticed that Rachael was carrying one of the small bouquets of mistle
toe. Amy had the tape. When the elevator arrived, it was empty. Rachael removed her scarf and handed it to Nina to cover the security camera. “You realize they will see you do that, correct?”
“Yeah. But this makes it more fun,” Amy answered.
Nina reached up. It was a bit of a stretch, but she was able to drape the scarf over the protruding camera lens. Rachael handed her the bouquet, and Amy ripped off a piece of tape. Another long reach, but Nina managed to secure the mistletoe right above the elevator doors. Amy was trying to control her excitement. “This is fun.”
“As long as we don’t get into trouble.” Frankie eyed Rachael. “This was your idea, remember.”
“It’s not like we’re defacing property. We’re enhancing it. This is a singles cruise, correct?” Rachael responded.
The elevator was about to stop on another floor while the women regained their composure. When the doors opened two other women entered, and said, “Good evening.”
Amy stifled a laugh. The two other women hadn’t noticed the new addition to the elevator car. As it ascended, several more passengers got in. By the time they reached the deck for the Thai restaurant, the car was full, but no one had noticed the green foliage hanging above the doors. Amy, Nina, Rachael, and Frankie excused themselves as they wiggled their way out of the car. They looked up at the mistletoe and shrugged. “We tried,” Amy said.
“Depending on how this event goes, we’ll either have to put some in every elevator or ditch the idea completely.” Rachael looked slightly forlorn.
“Oh, cheer up, cookie.” Nina elbowed her. “There wasn’t anyone in the elevator you would have wanted to kiss anyway. Remember, be careful what you wish for.”
“You’re right.” Rachael sighed, then perked up. “One of mine has already come true. Dancing with Henry Dugan.”
“See? Creative visualization,” Frankie added. “Keep good, positive thoughts in your head. A greater power is listening.”
“Amen to that,” Nina agreed.
Though the ship wasn’t enormous, it was large enough to accommodate as many as eight hundred passengers and four hundred crew members. The women’s staterooms were conveniently located for elevators and the main deck, but the restaurant was on the far side of the ship. It took several minutes for them to get there.
“This thing is massive,” Amy commented, as they passed several other restaurants, a game room with several ping-pong tables, gardens, and a library. “I’m kind of glad we’ll be cruising tomorrow. There’s a lot to check out.”
“Did you check the manifest for tomorrow?” Frankie asked.
“I have another dance class in the morning. I think I’ll sign up to play tennis. The only bad part is that you have no idea whom you’re playing against. You’re supposed to state your proficiency level, but people fib. I don’t suppose any of you would be interested?”
“I’m taking a cooking class in the culinary studio in the afternoon,” Amy informed them.
“There’s a painting workshop I’m thinking of doing,” Frankie said.
“Yoga for me, then going to the spa for a facial and a massage,” Nina replied.
“Seems like we’re taking advantage of the amenities,” Frankie noted.
The Thai restaurant wasn’t as large as the steak house but had a view of the ocean. The ship’s horn blew once, indicating it was leaving port.
“This is great.” Amy looked out at the sunset forming on the horizon. “And don’t forget, we have a full moon tonight, too.”
“A full moon and speed dating. What could possibly go wrong?” Nina joked.
They asked the waiter for suggestions, and he was happy to oblige. They started with mixed appetizers and a green mango salad. Orders of jumbo shrimp tamarind, red curry chicken, and garlic beef were to be shared. After the waiter left, Nina grunted. “Full moon and speed dating à la garlic and curry. We are going to be odoriferous for that party.”
“Oh my gosh. You’re right.” Amy’s eyes widened.
“Love me, love my breath,” Rachael declared. “Besides, I have a package of those breath mints that dissolve instantly. I’m happy to share my ‘life savers’ with you.” Rachael used air quotes to emphasize her pun.
As they were uttering sounds of delight, the conversation went back to Marilyn and her mysterious gentleman friend.
“I wonder why she was being so guarded.” Nina dipped her chopsticks into the chicken curry.
“Maybe she doesn’t want to jinx it,” Amy suggested.
“Or maybe she’s just one of those private kinds of people. We are, after all, just a bit rowdy,” Rachael pointed out.
“You being the rowdiest,” Nina teased.
Rachael raised her hand. “Guilty as charged.”
“Did she give you any indication that she wanted to hang out with us again?” Amy asked.
“Not really. I said that we’ll probably see her sometime tomorrow, but she didn’t acknowledge anything specific.”
“Well, I hope she’s having a good time.” Amy helped herself to another jumbo shrimp.
“She didn’t sound disappointed or anything. In fact, she sounded fine,” Frankie said. “But I am a bit curious about this guy. He seems to have monopolized her time.”
Everyone became silent. Then Nina spoke up. “I think we should leave Marilyn alone. She seems pretty savvy. I’m sure she can take care of herself. She’s sophisticated and well traveled. If she needs company or assistance, she knows where to find us.”
The others grumbled in agreement, all secretly wanting to know what was happening with Marilyn, especially since it seemed to be happening so fast.
“The mistletoe mission is enough trouble for us to get into. Plus, we still have the speed-dating adventure. I vote we limit our escapades to two a night,” Frankie suggested.
“Party pooper,” Rachael bellyached.
“You won’t be happy until we make total spectacles of ourselves, will you?” Nina mocked.
“Correct.” Rachael made a face.
Amy pointed out the window. “Look at that sunset. It’s spectacular! If we hurry, we can watch the moon come up on the other side of the ship.”
“Good idea.” Frankie motioned to the waiter to bring the check. They gave him their keycards and he processed the bill.
Frankie left him an extra thirty dollars on the table. She hoped she wouldn’t end up in the ship’s jail for breaking the rule about no tipping.
They passed through another garden area that led to the pool. Several people were still swimming and lounging about as the full cold moon peeked its way above the horizon.
“I wonder if they still call it the Full Cold Moon in the tropics?” Rachael asked. “Amy, genius of us all. What say you?”
“Since you asked, it’s also referred to as the Long Night Moon because it’s around the longest night of the year. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s called the Strawberry, Rose, or Honey Moon, as in honey, not marriage. I would guess in this part of the world it may be called the Rose Moon, since it looks a little rosy right now. But that is the extent of my lunar almanac knowledge.”
“Very impressive,” a voice from behind said. They turned in unison.
“Richard. Nice to see you again.” Nina had almost forgotten that she had met someone the night before. Not as in the cute-meet they refer to in romantic comedies. But someone other than her group of friends. She introduced him to the others, starting with Amy. “This is our own walking-talking Google search engine.”
“Nice to meet all of you,” Richard replied. “Are you going to the event tonight? The one in the Caribbean Ballroom?”
“You mean the speed dating?” Rachael asked.
He lowered his voice. “Not sure if I want to be that obvious.” He smiled.
“Isn’t that why we’re here?” Rachael was getting a bit sassy with him.
“I’m trying to keep a low profile,” Richard joked.
“You’re not doing a very good job of it.” Rachael continued to
taunt him.
Nina interrupted the bantering. “Don’t mind her. She’s the hooligan of the outfit.”
“I can see that.” Richard gave her a big grin.
“I think we should head down to the ballroom and let the games begin,” Frankie recommended.
The group moved toward the elevator. Rachael eyed Richard. He could certainly reach the top of the elevator doors. “We have a little job for you.”
“Really? What kind of job?” Richard looked doubtful.
Rachael pulled a small bunch of greenery with white berries from her purse. “Here. Tape this to the area above the elevator doors.” Amy took the roll of tape out of her bag and ripped off a piece.
“You want me to put mistletoe above the doors?” Richard questioned the task.
“Yes. Please.” Rachael batted her eyes at him.
“You are the hooligan of the bunch, aren’t you?” Richard took the greenery and the tape and affixed it to the area above the doors. “You realize we’re on camera?”
“Yeah. Yeah. And there’s a jail on the ship. They can arrest us for decorating,” Rachael retorted. “Quick, someone call the foliage police.”
Richard laughed out loud. “You gals are a hoot. I’ll tell them you held a candy cane to the back of my head, threatening to ‘stick it to me.’ ”
Everyone chuckled. “You’re a pretty funny guy yourself,” Nina commented.
The doors of the elevator opened. Richard put his arm across the doors, keeping them from getting out. He pointed at the mistletoe. “Excuse me, but I need a kiss from each of you.”
All four of them froze. “Kidding.” Richard moved his arm away. “But now you can see how much trouble you can cause.” He chuckled.
“Yeah, Rachael. See what you started?” Frankie mocked her.
“Oh, shut it.” Rachael sauntered out.
They made their way to the registration table, resisting the flight reflex the women were feeling. Frankie grabbed Nina’s hand, and Amy clutched Rachael’s arm.
Nina muttered to Richard, “Do we look desperate or terrified?”
He laughed again. “I think ‘terrified’ would probably be an apt description. What are you terrified about?”
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