“Flunking out at speed dating,” Nina replied quietly.
“I doubt that will happen,” he said reassuringly.
“If you say so.” Obviously, Nina had not picked up on the fact that he just might be interested in her.
Everyone was handed a card and a small pencil. Nina counted the women in the room. There were eighteen. Then she counted seventeen men. Pretty good odds, and all of them looked respectable. The women were assigned their tables and took their seats. The moderator spoke into the microphone, giving the instructions. “Because we have such a good turnout, we are going to have to limit the interaction to eight minutes. When you hear the bell, the men will get up and move to the next table in ascending order. So if you are at table ten you will move to table eleven, then come back around until you’ve been at all the tables. After each session, please mark the cards accordingly. We’ll collect them after the event and notify the participants. Any questions?”
A few mutterings but nothing audible. “OK. Your time starts now.”
Frankie cringed, thinking that eight minutes is a very long time if you’re trying to make conversation. But it wasn’t a whole lot of time to get to know someone. Striking a balance was key. She decided on topics that would weed some of them out. “Do you like to hunt?” If the answer was yes, she would cross them off the list pronto. “What kind of music do you like?” Innocuous but important. If they said “goth” or “heavy metal,” she’d scratch half their name off the list. Maybe they could expand their horizons. Having a job was key. “What do you do for a living?” She wanted specifics. She remembered one fella she had met online who said he was an engineer. Turned out he worked on car engines. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but “mechanic” would have been more accurate. Then there was the doctor who really wasn’t a doctor, who also wanted to be friends but sent the Valentine’s Day card.
She realized that if she approached this speed dating like a game, it would be a lot more fun. “What’s your favorite movie?” That, too, tells a lot about a person. Any of the Halloween slasher movies would immediately disqualify the suitor. She didn’t expect them to express interest in a romantic comedy like Sleepless in Seattle, but a good, campy, well-written comedy like There’s Something About Mary was one of her favorites. It was a good laugh for men and women looking for love.
Nina caught Frankie’s eye. Frankie bit her lip, trying not to laugh. One after another, the men sat, asked questions, and moved as soon as the bell rang. Everyone was busily marking their cards. In approximately two hours, the anxiety-provoking event was over. The mood was palpable. There was a sense of relief in the room, not the panic Nina had expected.
“Thank you very much for joining us. We’ll have your results to you before midnight. They will be slid under your doors. Enjoy the rest of the evening.”
As they were leaving the ballroom, Nina dropped back slightly, wondering how Richard had fared. He was a nice-looking man. Definitely in his favor. He also had a nice baritone voice. Another plus.
They had had the opportunity to speak uninterrupted for eight minutes, which gave her some additional insight into him. And it also sparked some interest. She found out that Richard was an attorney who specialized in environmental law. He was one of the good guys who went after the bad guys. The ones who polluted the rivers and groundwater. He liked to play tennis. Had done a bit of horseback riding when he lived in Arizona. Now lives in Philadelphia, with a dog he rescued from a junkyard. Major plus. She hoped he would check off the same box for her as she had for him.
Frankie connected with two men. One was a writer from Huntsville, Alabama. Fortunately, he wasn’t looking for a publisher. He wrote technical manuals for NASA. Who knew that was a real job? He had a good sense of humor, but Alabama was a bit of a stretch when it came to fostering a relationship. The second one was a bit quirky. A musician from New Orleans. Another geographically undesirable situation, but she was learning how to be comfortable around men again. She might not have met a love match, but it was good practice.
Amy connected with a guy who collected comic books. You wouldn’t know it by looking at him, if comic-book collectors had “a look.” Truth be told, many were nerdy, and some got way too involved with the identities of fictional characters. But fortunately, Evan was in it for the financial aspect of collectibles. He had started collecting graphic novels when he was a kid and was able to pay for his college tuition after selling half his collection. Evan lived in St. Petersburg, Florida. Another geographically undesirable situation. But Amy enjoyed meeting new people. All in all, she had enjoyed the experience. She hoped Evan would mark her down as “interested as a friend.” She wanted to see the latest Star Wars movie playing in the theater on the boat, but she knew none of the other women would want to go.
Rachael connected with one guy. He was a software developer from Chicago, but they had a common interest in dancing, and she encouraged him to take Henry’s class. She didn’t say why or what they were working on, but she assured him he would have fun.
Nina asked Richard if he had enjoyed the musical-chair humiliation. He laughed and said he had enjoyed himself talking to a variety of women and getting to know more about her. But that’s all he said. Nothing about meeting up or reconnecting at some point. Maybe he was waiting to see what she wrote down on her card? She hoped so.
The three women waited for Nina to come out to the open foyer area. She was smiling and ushered them off to the elevators.
“Everything all right?” Frankie asked.
“Yes. Keep walking,” Nina instructed her friends.
When they were far enough away from the rest of the speeders, she suggested they go back to the Stargazer Lounge, recon and review the past two hours.
As they entered the star-glistening space, someone was playing “Clair de Lune” on the grand piano. “Oh, that is one of my favorite pieces,” Frankie cooed. They made their way to a table as far away as they could so that other people could not overhear them. They waited for the server to take their drink orders, then they huddled close together to share their experiences.
“The one thing we should have thought about is the ‘geographically undesirable’ locations. Not that where they live is horrible, but a long-distance relationship is hard to maintain even with all the technology we have. Zoom, Skype, Face-Time are all good to fill in some gaps, but it can’t hold an intimate relationship together,” Nina observed astutely.
“I think it was the simple idea that there would be single people, people like us. Workaholics, failed relationships, wanting to make a human connection,” Frankie said, tossing her thoughts into the conversation.
“To be honest, I wasn’t particularly banking on meeting Mr. Right. Just meeting people. Getting back into the game. Interacting with the opposite sex in a social atmosphere instead of being covered in protective clothing and a face shield,” Amy explained.
Rachael cleared her throat. “I like being around men.”
The other three gave her a sideways look at the same time. It was a synchronized “No kidding” statement. “Oh, come on. I don’t mean it in a salacious way. I mean I like their company,” Rachael said, defending herself.
“Until you realize they’re jerks,” Nina interjected. “It’s no wonder the past tense of ‘fling’ is ‘flung.’ After you have your fling, they get flung out the door.”
The women tried to contain their laughter.
“I’m still happy we’re on this trip,” Frankie announced. “It’s a nice change from the daily grind. The ship is beautiful, the service is impeccable, and I have to say, the food has been top drawer. There is no lack of things to do or people to meet. Even though we haven’t made any love connections, it was a good warm-up exercise.”
“Warm-up for what?” Nina asked.
“The rest of our lives,” Frankie said, waxing philosophical. “Think about it. All of us are about to make big moves. Everyone but me, that is, but that’s OK for now. I may not be making a
big move, but it’s helped me get out of my funk. And that, I hope, will get me to move on, too.”
Rachael was about to disagree concerning big moves, but she realized that her big move was literally a dance move. She had met her dance idol. She had danced with him. And now she would be working with him and his foundation. That was a huge move. She was circumspect. “I believe this trip is changing my life for the better.” The women raised their glasses and toasted their good fortune and a happy, fulfilling future.
Frankie peeked around the room. She hadn’t noticed Marilyn in the lounge when they had first arrived. And now she was leaving with someone. A man. Frankie craned her neck to see who it was, but he was holding the door open for Marilyn, and Frankie couldn’t get a good look at his face. “Hey. Marilyn just left with some guy.”
“Who?” Amy squeaked.
“I don’t know. Couldn’t see his face.”
“Was it the same guy from lunch?” Rachael asked.
“I dunno. Nina couldn’t get a good look at him either. All we know is that he’s about six feet tall and has salt-and-pepper hair.”
“That describes about a hundred men on board,” Nina reminded them.
“Should we follow them?” Rachael was in a mischievous mood.
“Tell you what. You stick to your mistletoe operation, and Amy and I will tail them. It’s a lot easier to duck behind a door if there are only two of us,” Frankie commented.
“OK then. Let’s go.” Rachael checked her bag to see how many bunches of mistletoe were left. “I’ve got four more in here.”
Amy handed Nina the tape. “Let’s meet back in our rooms in an hour.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Frankie got up and scurried toward the door. “Come on, Amy. Shake a leg.”
They made a hasty exit, hoping they could catch up with Marilyn and the mystery man without being discovered. The couple went outside to walk along the deck. Amy and Frankie weren’t sure how they could stay cloaked, but there were several deck chairs stacked along the wall just high enough for them to squat behind and observe. Marilyn and her suitor were leaning on the railing, but Marilyn’s position obscured his face. Amy was leaning as much as she could to get a good look at them when her foot slipped on the deck and she stumbled onto the walkway.
As the couple turned to see what had caused the commotion, the man yelled, “Amy? Amy Blanchard? What are you doing here?”
“Dad?” came the equally shocked response from the young woman sprawled on the deck. He rushed over to his prone daughter and helped her up. Both started talking at once as Marilyn looked on in shock.
“Dad. I thought you were going on a golfing trip?” Amy was in a state of disbelief.
“I was, but Gary came down with some kind of stomach thing and couldn’t make it. I didn’t know what I should do for the next few days, but since I was already in Palm Beach, I thought I’d check out any cruises leaving from Miami. I realized it was a last-minute thing, but this one still had a few available staterooms. I decided a cruise would be relaxing.”
“Yeah. About that, Dad.” Amy was now standing with her arms akimbo. “What are you doing on a singles cruise?”
“I could ask you the same question, my dear.” William Blanchard smiled at his daughter. “You said you were going on vacation with your girlfriends.”
Frankie came out of her hiding place. “Hi, Mr. Blanchard.” She waved sheepishly. Marilyn hadn’t moved; nor had her expression of total confusion changed.
William Blanchard continued. “And yes, the bonus about this cruise is that it’s not filled with sugar-crazed kids or couples mooning over each other.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “I thought this would be a nice way to meet new people, relax, and see some sights. Is that all right with you?”
Amy gave her father a big hug. “I am very much all right with it.”
Seeing the look on Marilyn’s face, Frankie immediately jumped in. “And this is the mystery man you were having dinner with tonight?”
Marilyn began to walk toward them. She gave them a dry, wary look. “If I didn’t know better, I would say the two of you were spying on me.”
“Uh-oh. Busted,” Amy quipped.
Frankie began to ramble about gigolos, lotharios, and how they prey on vulnerable women. They wanted to be sure she was safe.
Marilyn took a moment to digest what Frankie had said. “You mean you were concerned about me?”
“Yes,” Amy said. “I just went through a similar thing with my mother.” She looked at her father. She jerked her thumb in the direction of her dad. “Not this guy.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Marilyn said, with an air of skepticism.
“Seriously. After my parents got divorced”—she pointed at her father—“my mother got involved with a guy who was taking advantage of her and her money. Thankfully, she dumped him fairly recently. We didn’t want the same thing to happen to you.”
William Blanchard resisted the urge to say, “My money, too,” but he thought better of it. He didn’t want to seem petty in front of Marilyn.
“But we just met.” Marilyn was stoic.
“True. But we like you. And we know life can be kind of crummy when a relationship is over.” Amy defended herself and her friends. “You seemed lonely, and you clearly didn’t want to be on this cruise, so when you suddenly found someone, we didn’t know if you were being duped by some suave Don Juan.” She looked at her father, then at Marilyn. “Just so you know, he is not that kind of guy. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my dad.”
Frankie immediately came to her aid. “She’s right. I’ve known Mr. Blanchard all my life. He is kind and decent.”
“I think I should go back to my stateroom. This is a bit much for me to digest. If you’ll excuse me. Good night.” She turned and went back into the main lobby of the deck.
“Marilyn, wait.” William wanted to go after her, but he needed to sort this out with his daughter.
Amy looked at her father. “We can sort this out some other time. You go after her.” Amy crossed her arms across her chest. “Now. Hurry up. Go. Scoot.”
He shook his head in bewilderment. “Fine. We’ll talk later. I assume you are registered under your real name?”
“Of course. Are you?” she asked, sneering.
“Yes. Of course.” He turned on his heel and hurried to catch up with Marilyn.
“Holy mackerel.” Frankie exhaled. “You OK?”
“I’m not sure.” Amy grabbed the railing. “I surely wasn’t expecting this.”
“You should be happy your dad is out and about and not sulking alone for New Year’s.” Frankie put her arm around Amy’s shoulder.
“Of course, you’re right. I’m thrilled he’s not moping. I think it’s just the jolt of seeing him. Here. And with another woman. As far as I know, he wasn’t much into dating. I think the shock of my mother’s divorcing him threw him for a loop, and he stayed away from women in general.”
“So it’s good that he’s finding interest in being social.” Frankie turned Amy around and looked her straight in the eyes. “You know, it seems that the older we get, the harder it is to find an acceptable mate. Partner. Let him enjoy his newfound freedom.”
“But they’ve been divorced for years. He should have found his freedom a while ago,” Amy whined.
“I didn’t mean it in the legal sense. I meant that he is finally comfortable and feels he can be free to engage in social interaction with women.”
“I know you’re right. When my mother met Rusty, I thought my father was going to have a seizure. Not that he wanted her back, but he was frustrated that she would fall for some ne’er-do-well. I never believed Rusty’s story about being related to the Jacobs family in Switzerland.”
“See, everything is turning out OK,” Frankie reassured her friend. “Come on. Let’s go back to my stateroom. I have a bottle of prosecco in the minifridge.”
* * *
William Blanchard could hardly catch his bre
ath as he hurried toward Marilyn. He could understand her being upset. Who would want to discover someone’s daughter lurking in the shadows? Marilyn moved closer to the elevator, William close on her heels. She pressed the UP button, and the doors opened. Two people got out, leaving the elevator car empty. As Marilyn was about to step in, William scooted in behind her and quickly pressed the DOOR CLOSE button so no one could get into the car with them. She stood motionless and silent.
“Marilyn, I feel I owe you an apology, but I’m not sure what I’m apologizing for.”
“William, I enjoyed your company very much today. And I enjoyed Amy’s last night. Quite frankly, I don’t know what to think.”
“How about not thinking about it and let me explain as much as I can. You heard most of the conversation. I was supposed to go on a golfing trip, but it got canceled. I didn’t want to spend another New Year’s Eve sitting in a bar with a bunch of strangers. Nor did I want to spend it in a hotel room by myself. This cruise seemed like a good alternative. Granted, the people on the ship would be strangers. Well, not so much anymore.” He gave a soft chuckle. “It was an opportunity to relax, be in warm weather, and be around people like me.”
Marilyn seemed to soften a bit. “I suppose I may have overreacted. But you can certainly understand my surprise.”
“I do. Please let me make it up to you somehow.” William had a pleading look in his eyes.
“I suppose you can start now.” She pointed to the mistletoe dangling above the doors.
William took her in his arms and gave her a sweet, gentle kiss on the lips. It didn’t linger, but it was enough to say, “Heck, I like you. A lot.”
The elevator doors opened, and several people hooted at the couple, who were still in each other’s embrace.
William led Marilyn out of the car and pointed at the mistletoe. “Enjoy.”
* * *
Frankie knocked on Nina’s and Rachael’s doors. “Come in. You’ve gotta hear this.”
“What’s going on?” Rachael asked. She was clad in pink pajamas covered with sketches of musical instruments.
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