by A. E. Radley
“I thought we’d do something different for the welcome aboard tonight,” Dominic suggested.
“Why?” Caroline knew she sounded petulant, but it was the one event she had any say over.
“Jazz it up,” he said.
She slowly met his gaze, exhausted with the constant need for everything on board to be dialled up to ten.
“It’s perfectly well-jazzed. Can’t we leave it as it is?”
“But if we—”
“Dom, remind me what it’s called?” Caroline interrupted.
“The welcome aboard—”
“No, say the whole thing.”
He sighed. “The Captain’s Mix and Mingle Welcome Aboard Gathering.”
“There,” Caroline said. “My mix and mingle. Mine. And I like it the way it is. It’s elegant and perfectly balanced. People mix and mingle, everyone is welcomed. We gather. It’s faultless the way it is.”
“Okay, but at least when I welcome you, let me get the crowd—”
“No, whatever you’re about to suggest, no. Let’s just leave it the way it is, shall we?” It may have been phrased as a question, but she knew Dominic was left in no doubt that it was anything but.
Caroline stabbed the button again. Still red.
Dominic was forever trying to change certain events, tweaking things based upon customer feedback. Caroline usually didn’t mind, but this was her event. She got to introduce the key members of her team, welcome the guests properly, and then talk with them one on one.
For an hour, she had the entire promenade to herself. She controlled the music, the speeches, the drinks. Everything.
If Dominic had his way, the bridge crew would probably be asked to arrive on a float of golf buggies with glitter cannons firing from the sides. Or possibly a conga line.
She shuddered.
“Fine,” he allowed. “I do need to talk to you about the drill tomorrow. You said eleven, but I was wondering if we could make it ten-thirty? We have a round of lightning bingo starting at eleven.”
Caroline pressed the button again. She never thought she’d be in an environment where bingo would take priority over her crew safety drills.
“Sure, let Thomas know. He is organising the drill,” she said.
Safety obviously came first, but the drill could easily be moved. Presumably the bingo schedule was already printed and in the latest edition of DreamFinder.
The phone rang and she picked it up. “Caroline West.”
“Captain, we have a call from one of the buses. They’re delayed.”
Caroline looked at Dominic. “A delayed tour bus? I see.”
Dominic mouthed an apology and then jutted his thumb towards the door as he stood up to make his escape. She rolled her eyes. Tour buses, delayed or not, were definitely his remit.
As he opened the door, Thomas entered, and the two men passed each other. Caroline gave instructions to the crew member on the end of the phone and then hung up.
“A bus is delayed,” she explained. “They think they’ll be ten minutes delayed.”
“So, about thirty minutes then?” Thomas asked.
“At least.”
Thomas nodded. “Okay, I’ll keep an eye on it. What did Dom want?”
“He wanted to jazz up my mix and mingle.”
Thomas smothered a laugh behind his hand. “And?”
“I told him it’s suitably jazzed, and we agreed to leave it. He also asked to move the staff drill tomorrow forward by half an hour because of bingo. I told him to talk to you about it.”
“Okay, I’ll let everyone know. Do you still want me to take your place at the early dinner tonight?” he asked.
“Yes, please. I need a couple of hours break before the welcome aboard in the promenade,” she explained.
In truth, Caroline was hiding from Serena in case the Shelbys managed to twist her arm and encourage her to attend dinner again. For some reason she seemed to be getting tongue-tied around the woman.
It wasn’t like she attended every dinner anyway; it was usual for her counterparts to take her place at any moment in case she had to deal with ship’s business. Which was sometimes a cup of coffee in the blissful silence of her stateroom.
“No problem. Then I’ll see you behind guest services to go up to the walkway around ten to eight?”
She nodded. “And, I think I’ll take a couple of hours ashore when we get to Marseille tomorrow. I have some shopping to do.”
She didn’t need a specific reason to go off the ship, but she always gave one, even if it was completely fabricated. She had no shopping to get; she just wanted a bit of time to herself.
She didn’t mind admitting that the whole Serena Rubio business had unsettled her a little. Her reaction to the woman was unexpected. Caroline wasn’t used to someone distracting her so easily. Some time off the ship and away from Serena would surely do her good.
“Get me something nice,” Thomas quipped.
“I will,” Caroline promised, her mind already on the tackiest possible souvenir she could find.
The Best Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches in the World
Annie slammed her stateroom phone down. Graham Shelby was a persistent man, she’d give him that much. He’d left two voicemails and then called to invite her to dine with him and Louise that evening.
When she’d said no, he’d sounded very confused, and Annie had to admit she’d found that very satisfying. He’d floundered for a few minutes, explaining that he’d already, presumptuously, reserved a space for her at the captain’s table.
Annie stuck her ground and said no. She even said she’d call him if she was interested in dining with them in the future and asked him not to call again. Then she’d hung up. Forcefully.
She didn’t care about Serena’s reputation; Graham was only interested in her for her apparent celebrity. To use her as a trinket to show off.
The whole thing made Annie feel cross. It was too similar to what Diego had done with her, using her youth and looks as an adornment for himself. Unfortunately, Annie had been in a bad place when she’d met Diego, and so she’d gone along with whatever he’d suggested.
Looking back, she was disgusted with herself.
A knock on the door pulled her away from her thoughts. She looked through the peephole at Elvin’s smiling face. Annie couldn’t help but feel delighted at seeing him.
She opened the door. “Evening, Elvin. How are you today?”
“I’m good, Miss Serena. Did you have a nice day? Enjoy Palma?” Elvin held out an envelope.
Annie took the envelope. “I stayed on the ship. Enjoyed the sun. Do you get to do that?”
Elvin nodded. “Yes, when I am off work. I go to the quiet areas by the sports pool and sit on the chairs overlooking the water. Listen to music and watch the sea.”
She tore open the envelope. It was an invitation to the casino.
“Would you like me to come back later to clean the room?” Elvin asked.
“You can do it now, if I’m not going to be in your way?” Annie suggested. She had no idea where she’d eat dinner or what her schedule would be. She didn’t want to send Elvin away only to return at the same time he did later that evening.
He dropped a plastic doorstop to the floor and wedged it under the door. He entered the room and started to make the bed.
“I’m not eating in the main dining room tonight,” Annie said. “Do you have any suggestions where I should eat instead?”
“Café Cruise,” Elvin replied quickly. “It’s on the promenade. They have the best hot roast beef sandwiches in the world.”
Annie laughed. “In the world?”
“Yep.” He smoothed down the sheets on the bed. “And I’ve travelled everywhere, so I know.”
“Well, then Café Cruise it is,” Annie said.
She opened the wardrobe and looked at her outfits. It was still surreal to be looking at someone else’s clothes; each time she opened the wardrobe she expected to see her own outfits, but they we
re gone, probably ripped to shreds by an angry Diego.
She shook her head and returned her attention to the wardrobe and what she would wear that evening. The purchase of underwear, swimwear, and a new pair of heels in the on-board shop that morning meant that she now had everything she needed.
She was no stranger to going commando now and then, especially in a tight dress, but she wasn’t prepared to do that for the entire cruise.
“Are you going to see Marseille?” Elvin asked.
“I wasn’t planning to,” Annie confessed.
“It is a very nice town,” he explained. “Very… history.”
“Historic?”
He snapped his fingers. “Yes, historic. Lots of boats in the marina. Churches, old buildings, museums. Very nice.”
Annie pulled a pair of skinny jeans and a T-shirt from the wardrobe.
“Where are you from, Elvin?”
“Haiti, ma’am,” he replied.
“How long have you worked for Dream?”
“Eight years.”
“Wow, do you like it?”
Elvin stopped fluffing the pillow and looked up at her with a wide grin. “I love it. I get to see the world, meet all kind of people. This ship is like my family.”
“Do you have a family back home?”
He nodded. “My parents. I Skype with them every day.” He looked down and carried on making the bed.
Annie felt a tightness in her chest. She shook it off and sat on the sofa to remove her strappy sandals.
“Eight years. Have you been on Fortuna all that time?” she asked.
“No, only for three years.”
“Always the same job?”
“Yeah. They try to promote me, but I like it here.”
Annie chuckled. “You’ve turned down a promotion?”
“Every year they ask, every year I say no. I don’t want to be supervisor, all the stress and responsibility. No, I like my life. I clean in the morning and then again in the evening. My nights I spend with my friends on the ship; in the afternoon I sometimes go ashore. It’s perfect.”
“It does sound pretty perfect,” Annie agreed.
Elvin left the room to get something from his cleaning trolley. Annie looked again at the casino invitation he’d handed her when he arrived.
“Does everyone get these?” she asked when Elvin came back in.
“Not everyone, a lot of people,” he admitted.
“So, I don’t have to go?”
“You don’t have to do anything; you’re on holiday,” he told her.
She put the invitation back into the envelope, folded the whole thing in half, and then placed it in the wastepaper bin.
“Tell me about your family,” she asked. “They sound lovely.”
The Mix and Mingle
Elvin had been right. It was the best sandwich in the world. The view was pretty exquisite as well. Café Cruise was right in the middle of the promenade that cut through the centre of the ship on deck five.
Sitting at the table just outside the café, it would have been easy for Annie to have completely forgotten that she was on board a cruise ship. There were New York, Italian, and French influences as you walked along the promenade. The floor was designed to look like a stone walkway, the sculptures looked like trees, and the walls were heavily themed with murals.
Café Cruise was in the middle of the promenade, not too far from where Annie had entered the ship. Those doors were now sealed off; a mural of a Tuscan vineyard made the exit practically invisible unless you knew what you were looking for.
The ceiling was high, allowing for two extra levels of bars, each with a balustrade looking down onto the promenade. Portions of the ceiling were glass, letting in natural light from the garden which was located directly above them.
Annie knew precisely nothing about ship building, but she assumed the Fortuna was an incredible feat of design and engineering. She’d never expected a cruise ship to have so much open space.
Farther along the promenade, on the opposite side of the street, was an Irish pub. On a balcony above the pub a band was playing jazz music. Annie tapped her foot along to the tune while tucking into her second sandwich.
“Ma’am?”
She looked up to see a waiter with a tray filled with Champagne flutes. She looked around and noticed that other passengers were grabbing glasses and milling around the area.
“Thank you.” She took a flute. He moved on to the next person before she had the chance to ask what the occasion was.
She shrugged and took a sip. It was nice, much nicer than the cheap Champagne that she’d been given when she boarded the ship.
Suddenly the band’s speakers were cranked up, and they played some kind of introduction music that made Annie jump in surprise. On a balcony that crossed the promenade, a man wearing a tuxedo and holding a microphone appeared.
Annie had seen him on the television; he was something to do with the entertainment team, and his face was everywhere.
“Good evening, good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I’m Dominic Yang, your hotel director.”
That’s it, she thought. Dom.
She placed the flute on the table and took another bite of her sandwich, waiting for him to introduce whatever band or singer was about to perform.
“We are so pleased that you are here with us on Fortuna. We know you could have chosen other cruises; we know you could have chosen another ship. We’re grateful that you chose us because we feel, and we hope that you’ll agree, that we are the best.”
Passengers around Annie started to applaud loudly.
“The best ship,” Dominic said over the applause. “The best crew!” He shouted to more applause. “And of course, the best captain!”
Annie coughed around her sandwich. She looked up at the balcony, hoping that Dominic wasn’t about to do what she thought he was about to do.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together and welcome our wonderful captain, the best in the business, Captain Caroline West, the master of Fortuna!”
Caroline, clutching her own microphone, stepped out onto the balcony to thunderous applause. She wore the formal white jacket that Annie had seen her wear at dinner, black pressed trousers, and the ever-present crisp white shirt and black tie.
Annie looked around the promenade. Passengers were clapping loudly and even whooping with excitement, many staring up at Caroline with adoration. To these people, Caroline was as popular as any rock star.
“Thank you, thank you,” Caroline said.
Annie turned her attention to Caroline, unable to stop herself from smiling. She’d tried to avoid the woman but somehow ended up with a front-row seat for some kind of captain’s party.
“Welcome to Fortuna,” Caroline said. “On behalf of all of the crew, thank you for choosing to sail with us. Believe it or not, there are five thousand six hundred and thirty-seven guests on board. And you come from thirty-nine countries.”
The audience whooped in excitement.
“And a special ‘welcome back’ to the two thousand seven hundred Dreams Plus members who have again chosen to sail with us. Thank you for your loyalty; we appreciate it more than we can say.”
Annie sipped her Champagne and watched Caroline’s casual movements. The way she turned back and forth to address all the people in the promenade below her. The way she smiled and waved at people who waved to her. The way she seemed so poised and in control.
She’s magnificent, Annie thought.
“While I’d like to take all the of credit myself…” Caroline winked. “I have to admit that I do have the best crew in the business. You’ve already met our fantastic hotel director, Dom, but now I’d like to introduce you to the core team that ensures this cruise will be the very best cruise. Firstly, please welcome my second-in-command, our staff captain, Thomas Barridge.”
The band played some welcome music, and Thomas walked onto the balcony, waving to the applauding crowd below.
“Oh,
isn’t he handsome in his uniform?” Annie overheard an elderly lady saying.
“I bet he’s handsome out of it!” another lady quipped.
Annie shook her head and laughed. The crew of Fortuna really were celebrities to everyone on board. It was fascinating to see. In the small ecosystem of the ship, there was still hierarchy.
Thomas gave a little speech about himself before introducing the activities director, who did the same before introducing someone else. Annie tuned out as the introductions went from person to person.
All she could focus on was Caroline.
Which irked her no end. She shouldn’t be focusing on Caroline; she shouldn’t be anywhere near her, but she couldn’t bring herself to get up and leave.
In the end, a dozen people stood on the balcony, including five women, a man in a chef’s hat, and someone in engineer’s overalls.
The promenade was full of applauding guests, happily scooping up the free alcohol and toasting the people who made the ship run smoothly.
Dominic encouraged people to applaud more loudly before announcing that the captain and her crew would be entering the promenade to socialise with the passengers.
Annie’s heart rate spiked.
She’d thought Caroline would remain on her lofty balcony, but now she was coming down to Annie’s level. She didn’t know if she should run or if she should stay and act aloof. She didn’t even know if she could act aloof.
She was frozen in her inability to make a decision, watching as the crew members descended a staircase. Annie had practically made her mind up to leave when she noticed a woman in a white lab coat whisper in Caroline’s ear as they approached the final step.
Caroline threw her head back in laughter, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
Who is she? Annie wondered.
The jealousy that surged through her was unmistakable. She snatched up her glass and sipped more Champagne, glaring at the mystery woman over the narrow rim.
Clearly a doctor, she thought.
Whoever she was, she was close with Caroline. They walked side by side, hands touching. Annie tore her gaze away. The flash of possessiveness was another warning sign that she was far too close to Caroline.