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Post by Thursday on Nov 4, 2013 23:57:46 GMT -5
Romance and mystery unfold on a cruise ship adventure!
((That's it. That's all I got. I haven't planned a thing. Bring it on Nano!))
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Post by Thursday on Nov 4, 2013 23:58:19 GMT -5
I could tell from the smell that it was not going to be a good day. It was Wednesday and we were stuck in traffic in the port. Two weeks before, my mother had called me at college. “Charlie! I have come up with the most brilliant idea for the family reunion this year!” Charlie is my nickname. Short for Charlotte of course, although my friends mainly called me Char. “What do mean? It’s in two weeks. I thought it was all planned out to go to the lake house.” The family reunion was an O’Brien family tradition. Basically, it was an excuse for the family to get together and bicker and get wasted by some body of water, while I attempted to work on my tan and forget where I was. Everyone says they have embarrassing families. They have never seen the O’Brien clan. I promise I am not exaggerating here. Last year, my grandmother had about five too many shots of whiskey and decided to go skinny dipping. I still shudder at the memory. “The lake house is so done! We do it almost every year. I thought we could do something completely new.” I sighed inwardly and decided to sit. This was likely to be an involved plan. My mother was a stay at home mom which gave her far, far too much time to come up with schemes like this in my opinion. My half-brother Kieran was eight and was at school or with the nanny much of the time. She had remarried two years after my dad died to a very rich man. The baby was unplanned but they seemed to be happy. David was a good guy. He was level headed and was able to balance out my mother perfectly. To be clear O’Brien is my mother’s maiden name. The craziness is all from her side of the family. My dad’s family were all quiet people from the East coast who invited us for Thanksgiving every year. This was a meal that featured white napkins and family china. Quite a step up from the paper plates and fried turkey we were used to at my mom’s. “What is your plan?” I asked, only partly fearfully. I had been hoping to get out of this years’ event by claiming I needed to study. Silly me. You can never escape the inquisition. Or my mother. “The O’Brien family cruise!” “A cruise? That’s a little extravagate don’t you think? And expensive and short notice?” Panic was starting to set in. Cruise ships were big. But it was still a confined space where I would not be able to escape. “Nonsense darling! I have it all quite worked out. There was a sale and with more than twenty passengers, we get a discount!” “More than twenty?” I responded incredulously. She really meant the whole family. “But mom, not everyone is going to be able to afford it and really-“ She cut me off. “Don’t worry. It’s all worked out. Everyone is in except Uncle Beau. You know he’ll never leave dry land. It’s going to be a week long excursion to the Bahamas! I know you love the beach!” She continued to ramble on and I realized she wasn’t calling to bounce ideas off me. It was already decided. This was just a courtesy call. A week at sea with my entire family. *******
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Post by Thursday on Nov 4, 2013 23:58:53 GMT -5
In the shadow of the cruise ship it was dark and cool. It was only March but it was rapidly heating up already. I was grateful for the shade and that someone else was driving. The smells of the port seeped through the tinted windows. The ocean, which was pleasant and fish, which was not. My mother and I sat in the back of a black SUV while Kieran rode up front with David. The lines of cars to get the terminal inched forward slowly and I tried not to lose my patience. Kieran was bouncing off the walls. My mother was going on and on about details of the cruise and David kept taking work calls on his headset. I was ready to get to my private room, pull on a bikini and drown my sorrows in sunshine. “Now about your room,” I heard my mother said. I was roused out of my daydream. “What about it?” I asked, not a little sharply. “Well, it turns out they didn’t have any private rooms available after we booked everyone up. So you are going to have to share it turns out.” Her voice was conciliatory. She knew I would be upset. Daft as she was sometimes, she did understand me. “With who?” I asked cautiously. “Gina.” “GINA!” I yelled, quite unnecessarily. “Really, Charlie. There is no need to raise your voice. Gina is not that bad.” Gina was my cousin Gina. My mother did not know her as well as I did. Adults seem to somehow be blind sometimes to the things young people did. Gina was a couple years younger than me, a few inches taller, and had a whole lot more attitude. She was wild, annoying, and had called me more names than I could count. I hadn’t seen much of her since I went to school, but rumors did reach me through the family. I slouched back in my seat. Just great. Seven days in a tiny cabin with Gina. Things just kept getting better. The next few hours passed uneventfully. Traveling by cruise ship is pretty much like every other form of travel. There is a lot of standing in lines, a lot of people, frustrated employees, and metal detectors. But eventually, I was walking up the catwalk behind my family onto the ship. I had never been on a cruise before but my mother was a veteran. She had chosen a top of line ship and I could not deny that it was lovely. The wide room we stepped into had a huge, soaring ceiling and bright sunshine spilled in from the windows high above us. I could see the railings of staircases winding up to the upper decks crowded with people. There was elegant furniture spread throughout the room, small chairs and chaises which were already mostly occupied by the passengers who had boarded before us. The floor was shiny wood and I could nearly see my reflection in it. Waiters were circulating through the room offering alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages on silver trays. I gratefully chose the alcoholic option, a bubbly pink drink. Not for the first time, I thanked heaven I had finally hit my twenty-first birthday two months ago. I don’t think I could survive this trip without a few drinks. “Now why don’t we just find our rooms and freshen up a little before dinner,” My mother suggested, one arm entwined in David’s and Kieran holding her other hand. “Mom! Can I go swim? Also, they have games on deck!” My brother was oblivious to tension. One of the reasons I loved him. “Not right now Kieran.” My mother and David had a suite so Kieran was staying with them. My mother had explained that since everything was booked so late all the rooms were spread out over the ship. None was the family was likely to be close together. A little inconvenient but I was grateful. “When are we meeting up with everyone?” I asked hesitantly. It was going to happen sooner or later and I needed to be prepared. “There is a cocktail reception before dinner. The plan is to meet there. And be sure and dress appropriately Charlie. This is a classy establishment.” I sighed. I had worn sweatpants to one family event after studying all night for a test. I had never lived down the shame. “I will, mom.” We split up and I referenced my key card for my room number. Our luggage had been taken at check in and would hopefully be waiting for me in my room or I was going to be wearing my shorts and tank top to the swanky reception. All I had was a small bag and my purse. My room number was R300, pretty much at the bottom of the ship. Great, if we sank, I was going to be like those poor peasants stuck behind the gates in Titantic. I headed for the stairs, looking around me as I went. There were a lot of people. Most of them appeared to be pretty old. I had hardly seen anyone around my own age. I headed down the stairs. And down again. And again. It was definitely going to be the elevator next time. Finally, I reached the R deck. I checked the signs and headed to the left. The hallway was narrow and lined with doors on both sides. About half way down, I saw three hundred. I was hoping Gina had not arrived and I could get ready for dinner in peace. No such luck. As soon as I put in my key and turned the door, I heard her voice. “I know baby! But it’s only for a week and you can call me! I made my mom add the international plan.” Gina was saying into her phone as she pulled various clothing items out of a suitcase and threw them on a bed. Luckily, my mom had upgraded our room. There were separate beds (thank god!), a couch and table and a sliding door out to a balcony. Gina had already made herself right at home. She turned when I walked in. “Babe, I got to go. My cousin is here.” She couldn’t keep the sneer out of her voice. She stuck the phone in the pocket of her miniscule skirt and looked me up and down. “Well, look who’s all grown up and dressing like a girl.” She said with a little clap. I rolled my eyes. I had something of a reputation of a tomboy in the family when I young. But that had been many years ago. I also decided not to mention that I was two years older than her. “Nice to see you too, Gina,” I said nicely and swung my bag onto the couch. My suitcase had not arrived yet so I decided to get comfortable for the wait. I settled down onto the couch and slipped out of my flip-flops, my footwear of choice for most of the year. Gina turned back to her suitcase. “God, I can’t believe the whole family is on this trip! What a drag! At least it’s something fun this year. Not the dinky old lake house.” She held a black dress up to herself and looked in the mirror. At least I think it was a dress. It could have also been a shirt as well. Gina was tall and skinny like a model. Her face wasn’t pretty exactly. She had thin lips and the long O’Brien nose like I did, but her expression was full of energy. “I plan to ditch the family events. There’s a nightclub upstairs and hopefully there will be some good prospects.” I raised my eyebrows. It had sounded like she had been on the phone with a boyfriend. Maybe I was wrong. “Yeah,” I said half-heartedly. “That’s my plan.” Gina laughed a little unkindly. “Sure Charlie!” She laughed again and headed to the bathroom. The door slammed resolutely. It was going to be a fun trip alright. I walked around the room and picked up an itinerary on the dresser. Apparently the cocktail reception was only the start to the evening. Next was a three course dinner in the fancy dining area and then various activities all over the ship, that my family would most likely engage in. I could just imagine my Aunt Casey, Gina’s mom, at karaoke. A knock sounded at the door and I stood up, hoping it was my suitcase. I opened the door to a young flustered looking guy about my age in a uniform. He was the first guy around my age that I had seen on the ship so far, so of course I looked with interest. He was very tall with sandy blonde curly hair. He was a little on the skinny side but he looked like a runner. My suitcase was at his side. He smiled at me. “Hi there,” He was Irish by the accent. “I’m your steward, Tom.” He held out a hand and I shook, surprised. He was very friendly. I didn’t realize the staff would introduce themselves. “Charlotte,” I replied. “That’s my suitcase, I hope.” “Yes, it got sent to the wrong room. We had an entire last minute booking of like thirty people so some of the room assignments.” I cringed inwardly. I wonder who that could be? “No worries.” I was thankful my mother had prepaid all the gratuities. I would feel awkward trying to give this guy some cash. “Anything you need, just give me a ring. The steward station is on speed dial. You traveling alone?” I rolled my eyes. “I’m with my cousin. As you can see, she likes to get comfortable.” I opened the door a little wider and gestured to the mess Gina had made. He grinned. A real smile this time with crinkly eyes and teeth and I immediately responded. That accent gave me shivers. “Good luck to you then! You’ll be seeing me around I supposed. I’m filling in for a couple of guys on holiday.” “Thanks. Don’t worry. I’ll make your clean up her mess. I sure your job is hard enough.” He smiled again, gave me a wink and turned away to walk down the hall. I was still smiling when Gina got out of the bathroom.
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Post by Thursday on Nov 4, 2013 23:59:26 GMT -5
With my belongings returned to me, I dressed quickly for the reception. Heeding my mother’s advice, I picked one of the nicer dresses I had packed, a dark green silk dress with a full skirt. I slipped on my heels, brown leather pumps and examined my reflection. I always appreciated the height of heels. I was short without a doubt, just topping five feet. My grandmother always joked it was our fairy blood that made the women so short. I usually didn’t mind. My hair was a little crazy from traveling but I smoothed it with some water. My hair is brown by definition but has hints of red in the right light. It had a little curl to it and I’m lucky it’s pretty even to tame. I put on a little make-up and I was ready to go. Gina emerged from the bathroom the tiny black dress, big hair, and dark eye make-up. “You ready, Gina?” I asked grabbing my evening purse and switching my belonging from my everyday bag. “You go ahead. I’m going to stop by the bar.” “You’re nineteen, Gina.” I reminded her. I didn’t really care. I drank underage but there were people everywhere. “I’m sure they card on cruise ships.” “That’s what guys are for my poor country cousin.” I was neither poor nor country but I didn’t think it was worth the effort to correct her. I shrugged my shoulders and we separated at the lobby. The reception was up on deck and it was already getting crowded. We had just pulled out of the port and the ship was making its way slowly out of the bay. The sun was just setting and the breeze had picked up. My dress swirled around my legs as I walked around trying to find my family. I accepted another drink from a passing waitress with a smile. “There she is!” I hear a familiar voice cry. There was no mistaking my grandmother Caroline. I turned and headed over to the group. Almost everyone was there. A crazy combination of aunts, uncles, cousins, and a dozen other relatives I had no idea about how they were related to me. I smiled at everyone and made my way to grandma and kissed her cheek. She used a walker now and I had been surprised that she was up for a trip like this but she seemed as spry as ever. My mom and David were talking to Gina’s parents. Kieran, I assumed had been dropped at the daycare center. I didn’t mind. He would probably enjoy it more than a cocktail party. “Where is your cousin?” my grandmother asked squeezing my hand. I vacillated. I couldn’t very well tell everyone she was trying to get wasted. “Hair troubles I think,” I answered evasively. “She should be along soon.” My grandmother gave me a knowing look but didn’t say anything. She was sharp that old lady. I endured the next hour by dreaming of laying by the pool tomorrow. It was an endless parade of “Gosh how you’ve grown!” and “What are you doing at school?” and “are you married yet?”. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family. But as with most things, small doses are ideal. I was relieved when it was time for dinner. The seating in the dining room was randomly assigned by room number so the family was spread out. My mother and David were at a table with Gina and I, but it was a large round table with seats for eight. I guess we were going to be meeting some people.
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Post by Thursday on Nov 5, 2013 20:33:32 GMT -5
The restaurant was very nice. There were white tablecloths and napkins and more than one fork if you know what I mean. Soft piano music filtered in from somewhere. You could just feel the ship’s slight sway as we chugged along out of the Gulf towards the Carribean. I pulled my napkin out and glanced around. Gina had still not made an appearance yet. I hoped for the family’s sake that she wasn’t passed out somewhere. My parents and were chattering away so I was the first person to notice the family headed our way. They were very dressed up as we all were but you could tell from the way they walked that they were far more used to it than we were. There was a couple around my parent’s ages and two boys who looked a little older than me. Twins, maybe? They approached the table and my parents smiled at them. “Hello there. I’m George Collins. This is my wife Mary and our boys, Marcus and Ethan.” I was amused at how the father introduced the whole family. They each smiled when he said their name and nodded. The boys were rather good looking in a preppy, politician kind of way. Gina was going to be sorry that she missed dinner. David took a leaf out of Mr. Collin’s book. He stood and offered his hand. “I’m David. This is my wife Delia and our daughter Charlotte. My niece Gina should be joining us briefly.” I smiled at the family as they all took their seats. The boys took the seats nearest me and their parents joined mine at the other end. A waiter came by and offered us menus. The choices were few but everything sounded delicious. I sipped at my water and turned to the boy nearest me. “ So are you guys twins?” I asked politely. Our parents were chattering away at the other side of the table. They both laughed. The one nearest me, Marcus, I think said, “No, we’re two years apart. But we get mistaken for twins all the time”. Now closer to them I could the difference. Both had dark thick looking hair but Marcus had a crooked nose like it had been broken. They were both and tall and rather muscular but it was hard to tell under the evening wear. “I’m older,” Marcus said. Ethan rolled his eyes. “As he likes to remind me. Charlotte, right?” Ethan added. I nodded and we chatted for a few minutes about school and appropriate subjects like that. Ethan was finishing up his second year at a state college while Marcus had just started at an accounting firm. “How about you, Charlotte?” Ethan asked politely as our first course was served. A creamy, orange soup that smelled heavenly. “History,” I said as I sipped on my water (out of a crystal glass of course). I was thinking about the tank tops and sandals in my bag and was quickly realizing I had not packed enough nice clothes for this trip. I packed for the beach, not an endless reception with affluent families like the Collins’. I looked back towards the door, trying to find Gina. My parents had yet to miss her. But I could see Gina’s parents, my aunt and uncle eyeing our table from across the room. “Excuse me for a minute,” I said to the table and stood. I made it out of the dining room before slipping out of my heels and going barefoot down the deserted halls. Stylish they were, but painful as well. My plan was to run by our room then one of the bars before heading back to dinner. Gina had to be somewhere. The problem was, there seemed to a bar in almost every room on this damn boat. I quickly arrived back on R deck and headed to the room. It was dark and quiet, so for a minute, I thought Gina was still gone. Then I noticed the light shining from under the bathroom door and heard what sounded like…crying. “Gina?” I called out. “Yeah, hang on,” she answered irritably. I heard her blow her nose and then the toilet flushed. Gina stumbled out a few seconds later. Her hair was a little tumbled. But she looked mainly okay. “Everything thing alright? You weren’t at dinner,” I said. “Who are you, my mom?” She sneered. I stared at her curiously. Something was up. I decided not to ask. Drama was not my specialty. “Come on. Your parents are looking for you.” I waited while she fixed her hair and added a sweater to her dress. When I raised my eyebrows, she shrugged. “Not worth the fight.” I could agree with her there. Together, we headed back to the dining room. The main course was just being served. I had ordered something with fish and quinoa. The waiter hurried back and asked Gina what she wanted. I noticed both Marcus and Ethan were instantly intrigued by her arrival. I smirked into my entrée. Figures. Dinner passed slowly. Everyone lingered over desert and coffee. I had had a delicious crème brulee with berries. I discovered that Mr. Collins was in fact a politician. He was on the city council of a pretty big city and was running for mayor in the next election. I knew it. His wife was an interior designer. David and my mom seemed to be getting along just well with everyone. Gina seemed to have recovered herself and was flirting madly with both Ethan and Marcus. I was quiet, just soaking it all in. I looked around the room and spotted our various family members across the room. Grandma was talking animatedly with a young couple, a glass of wine in her hand, her cheeks bright. One of my uncles, Rick was unbuttoning his coat and groaning. Then I caught sight of Tom, the steward. I guess he was doing double duty as a waiter tonight. He looked quite good in the evening attire all the waiters were wearing. He caught my eye from across the room and smiled. I felt a little flustered and could feel myself blushing. God, I thought. You would think I was sixteen and had never had a boy smile at me. I just hoped he never ran into Gina.
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Post by Thursday on Nov 8, 2013 1:14:37 GMT -5
Chapter 2 A big show was scheduled for after dinner. Apparently entertainment was first and foremost for residents of the ship. There was about an hour in between with time to spare. David and my mom were headed to check out the casino. Marcus and Ethan offered to walk Gina and I around the deck and show us around. They had sailed on this ship, the Enchantment before, for Christmas with their grandparents. I agreed. I had no desire to wander around alone or go back to the room. Marcus and I fell back a little from Gina and Ethan as we found a staircase and started winding our way towards the top deck. I guess it wouldn’t be too classy for me to take off my heels here. The ship seemed to be made entirely of stairs. At last we found ourselves on the promenade deck towards the top of the ship. It was full dark this time and the only lights were from our ship and the stars. It was really an eerie feeling, like we were alone out there on the ocean. To be completely honest, it was kind of scary. I brushed off the uneasy feelings and turned back to what Marcus was saying. He offered his hand as we approached yet another staircase. “Thanks,” I said with a grateful smile at him. Marcus smiled back and I realized he was pretty cute. “Heels obviously were not a good choice for this evening.” “But you look great,” he offered politely. I am ashamed to say, blushed. Then came the inevitable question. “So do have a boyfriend back home?” I sighed quietly. “No, not right now.” “So, would you like to hang out sometime while we’re on the trip?” “Well, we will be at dinner together every night,” I said jokingly. He chuckled. “True but there is some dancing clubs and plenty of things to do. I’m sure you don’t want to hang out with your family the whole time. I certainly don’t.” I couldn’t argue with him there. I murmured something noncommittal and looked around with interest as we passed two separate swimming pools and several different hot tubs. I could see what I was going to be doing tomorrow. We walked around for a little more checking out the mini-golf, various restaurants, and a pretty intense looking rope course on the highest point. Now that was truly was terrifying. Then it was time to head back down to one of the lower decks to the theater. Luckily, this time we found an elevator by the dining hall. We joined back up with Gina and Ethan and rode down. We found our parents all together towards the front of the room. The Collins had a reserved row and had graciously invited us to join them. The majority of the O’Brien clan was seated nearby and I stopped to say hello. My grandmother had already gone to bed. Not surprising. She was quite the early bird lately. I grabbed a seat between Marcus and Gina and then excused myself to find a restroom.I spent a little time in front of the mirror in the elegant ladies’ room to attempt to fix my hair that the wind up on deck had wreaked havoc on. It had certainly acquired a new volume that I had never seen in it before. I predicted this was going to be a problem for the duration of the cruise. The hallways were mainly empty as I trying to find my way back to the theater. All the passengers were either in the auditorium or attending other activities. I walked into the theater and found much to my dismay that they had already dimmed the lights in preparation for the show. I paused at the entry way and tried to spot our seats. There was a small glow of light before a pillar a few feet away from me and I was surprised to see Mr. Collins there. He was talking to someone in the shadows who I couldn’t see. He was smiling and appeared to be holding someone’s hand. I looked around and dismissed it, assuming he and his wife were stealing a moment alone away from the crowd. I walked away quickly and made my way awkwardly down the aisles and thankfully found our seats. I started talking to Marcus before I noticed that Mrs. Collins was still in her seat. ****** After the show, which was the typical compilation of singing, dancing, jokes, and audience participation. A little corny but still enjoyable at least to me. Gina and the Collins boys all seemed to be on their phones for the majority of the event. At this point we excused ourselves from the company of the Collins family and made our way to Aunt Belle and Uncle John and a few other members of the family. Everyone was chattering on about the show and dinner. Some were complaining and some were praising, which was typical of my family. You certainly couldn’t make everyone happy. I tried to participate but I was distracted. I was thinking about Mr. Collins and who he could have been talking to up by the doors, while Mrs. Collins was in her seat. Whose hand was he holding? It was hardly a smoking gun. It wasn’t like I had caught the man with his pants down, but something about the encounter struck me as secretive, something that hadn’t been meant to be seen. I shrugged it off for now. After all, it was hardly my business. Plans were made for everyone to meet for breakfast and everyone bid their goodnights. Gina found me in the crowd and grabbed my arm. “Come on! I told Marcus and Ethan that we would be them at the bar,” Gina told me hurriedly and started hustling me out of the room. “Wait, hold on a minute! It’s late I never agreed to this!” “Don’t be such a spoil sport, Charlie! Two boys need two girls! Well, I would be okay with both of them by myself but I guess they don’t like to share.” I started erasing mental pictures that kept popping into my head. “Okay, one drink,” I consented. “And nothing alcoholic for you! I am not getting thrown into cruise ship jail!” Gina rolled her eyes and almost smiled.
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