Twenty-Four Days

by Janet Albert

  "No I didn't. Is that what the guidebook said?"

  Jamie nodded. "It's one of the many things it said."

  "Then we should try it. I want the complete Greek experience." Miranda grinned and then perused the menu. "I want to try these herb marinated olives and I want something with shrimp in it, I think. How about you? Anything look good?"

  "Everything looks good. Why don't we get a few different dishes and share them?" Jamie waved at their waitress and when she came over Jamie asked if she had any suggestions. She recommended a sampler platter of grilled shrimp, calamari, octopus, stuffed grape leaves, roasted potatoes and spanakopita.

  "What do you think?" Jamie asked Miranda. "That sounds good to me."

  "It sounds delicious." Miranda added crusty rolls and asked for one order of marinated olives. After the waitress left, she said, "If we eat too much, and it looks like we're going to, I'll just skip dinner and work out when we get back."

  "Not me--no exercise, no cottage cheese, no fruit." Jamie's eyes sparkled when they met Miranda's. Reaching across the table, she patted Miranda's hand. "I am not behaving at all today," she said, with a mischievous grin.

  Miranda held her breath for a second or two. Jamie's fleeting touch had reached so far inside of her it scared her. She felt it brush against the boundaries of her soul. God, how does she do this to me? She's such a charmer. Caution took over as questions popped into her mind. How many women had Jamie been with? How many hearts had she captured? How many had she crushed? Why am I always drawn to this type of woman?

  Jamie rested her elbow on the table, propped her chin up with the palm of her hand and appeared to consider Miranda carefully. "A penny for your thoughts," she said as she leaned in closer.

  "Only a penny? My thoughts are worth more than that."

  "I know they are to me." Jamie winked. "Okay, you drive a hard bargain but I'll make it a quarter. That's my final offer."

  "It wouldn't be fair to steal your hard earned money because I wasn't thinking about anything." Seeing the dubious expression on Jamie's face, she added, "I swear."

  "You don't lie very well." Jamie continued to study Miranda. "Please don't get mad at me, but I have to tell you something and I know I'm pushing my luck saying this, but I don't care. I think you're a very pretty woman."

  Miranda felt her cheeks grow warm as she weighed her response. "You should know something else about me besides the fact that I'm a lousy liar. I'm also not very good at accepting compliments."

  "It's easy. Just say thank you."

  "Thank you."

  "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

  "It wasn't hard at all."

  "Now that you've got the hang of it, there's something else I want you to know. I'm having a wonderful time with you and for the first time I feel really comfortable being with you."

  "You mean when I'm not being a bitch."

  "You said it, not me." Jamie's tone was gentle, playful.

  "I'm having a good time, too," Miranda said. "I hope you've forgiven me."

  "Of course I have." Jamie placed her hand on the table near Miranda's.

  Miranda noticed their hands were no more than an inch or two apart on the table. One slight movement and they would touch. She pulled her hand away and tucked it safely in her lap to prevent herself from doing something foolish. Before she had a chance to say anything more, the food and drinks were placed on the table and they got caught up in the business of filling their empty stomachs.

  After devouring every morsel of their Greek feast, they went to check out the shops lining the streets of the Plaka. Some of them were filled to capacity with cheap souvenirs, but they chose to browse in the nicer shops owned by local artisans. At last, they stood in front of the jewelry store Jamie had told Miranda about earlier.

  "This shop is owned by metal smiths who sell their own hand crafted twenty-four carat gold jewelry. It has a reputation as being one of the best in the city." Jamie opened the door for Miranda and then followed her inside.

  In the first display case she came across, Miranda picked out a couple of earring and bracelet sets, one for her sister and one for herself. The sales girl took them out of the case and placed them on the counter so Miranda could see them. "What do you think of these, Jamie?"

  "Nice choice. The workmanship is amazing."

  "Not a bad price, either. I'm going to buy them. I don't wear a lot of jewelry, but I do like to wear some now and then, especially if it's an interesting piece." Miranda asked the salesperson to set her purchases aside while she continued to shop.

  "What do you like to wear?" Jamie asked as they made their way around the shop checking out the contents of each display case.

  "Mostly earrings, sometimes a necklace or bracelet. Let me show you this necklace I saw over here. I think it's extraordinary." She took Jamie to the last display case they'd looked at and pointed to a gold pendant attached to a gold chain. Instead of the pendant dangling from the chain, they were woven together to look like one continuous piece. On the pendant, the jeweler had carved an intricately detailed likeness of a woman riding the ocean waves on the back of a dolphin. "There's so much detail in the design. She looks like some kind of goddess. Look at the fish jumping out of the water around her."

  "I love it. It's very special. Why don't you buy it?"

  "I don't think I should spend the money. I'm already buying the other pieces and I've spent quite a lot today. Besides, we still have other ports of call and I've got the vacation with my sister coming up."

  "But, you won't find this anywhere else and you can't beat the price."

  "I know, but it still costs a lot and..." One glance at Jamie's face and she felt obliged to add, "I know. I'm too cautious, too careful." She always had been. She always did the right thing, always walked along the proven path. It suddenly occurred to her as she let herself fall into Jamie's eyes that she felt liberated in her presence and less bound by the rules she'd set up for herself, even if just for a short time.

  "Maybe you are, but it's your choice." Jamie checked the time and frowned, holding her watch out for Miranda to see. "Damn. We need to get back to the ship."

  "Okay, just let me pay for the earrings and bracelets and we'll go."

  THEY TOOK A taxi to the pier and waited for the boat that would take them back to the ship. Jamie hated that her day with Miranda was about to come to an end, fearing the good feelings between them would recede along with the setting sun and she'd be left with nothing more than the fading memory of their day together. At least she hadn't done or said anything to break the fragile thread of friendship that had formed between them and that gave her hope that there might be more days like this one. "Well, it was an unexpected surprise to run into you this morning. I never thought I'd be spending my day with you. What are you going to do this evening?" she asked Miranda.

  "First I'm going to check in with Toni and see if anything needs my attention and then if there's nothing going on, I'll go to my cabin and take it easy. My feet hurt and I'm kind of tired. What are your plans?"

  "I'm tired, too. I think I'll just hang out and read, maybe."

  Miranda was quiet for a time before she turned to Jamie and said, "I enjoyed today so much. Thank you for everything."

  "I enjoyed it too, more than I can say." Jamie's eyes locked on Miranda's. She longed to know that there would be another time, another place, but she dared not ask for more. Now she knew what it felt like to be on the other side of things, to want to be with Miranda so much it consumed her thoughts and to wonder if and when she'd ever see her again. She said the only safe thing, the only thing she had a right to say. "Stop by the gym tomorrow if you get a chance."

  "Maybe I will." That was all Miranda said. That was all she gave.

  They were mostly silent as they continued to wait and when the boat arrived, they climbed on board with the others.

  Chapter Eight

  "MIRANDA, I'M GOING ashore in a few minutes. Need anything before I leave?" Lynn asked,
standing in the doorway of Miranda's office.

  "Not that I know of." Miranda stopped working and leaned back in her chair. "Check with Toni before you leave and see if she needs anything."

  "I already did. She said for me to go ahead."

  "I guess you're good to go then."

  "Miranda, I've been wondering what you thought of the head fitness trainer after you went to meet her. Did you need a fire extinguisher? I hear she's a pretty hot number."

  "Now that you mention it, she was pretty hot. Anyone with two eyes could see that. Even one eye would do."

  "I hear she has quite a reputation. She's one of the hottest topics on the ship's rumor mill. They say she sleeps around a lot and goes out with loads of women. They also say the passengers are always hanging around her and asking her out."

  "It's not hard to understand why they say those things about her. She's quite good-looking and she has a great body like you said. Quite impressive...really." Miranda clicked her pen a few times.

  "Well, I heard she's charming all right and a great big flirt. She sounds like the love them and leave them type and that kind of woman can be dangerous."

  "She doesn't seem dangerous to me." Miranda clicked her pen a few more times.

  "I don't know her. I just know what I've heard."

  "I don't know her that well, either, but I've talked to her a few times after that first time I went to see her. As a matter of fact, I had her do a fitness assessment on me. I guess you could say she's my personal trainer."

  "Wow, you'll be the envy of all the lesbians on board."

  "I don't mind that, as long as I'm not included in any of the gossip going around about her. I've heard some of it already from one or two of the passengers."

  "So, what was the famous sex symbol like, in person?"

  "She's nice and intelligent and interesting and to be honest, I like her. I ran across her again the day we docked in Athens, while we were waiting for the tour buses to take us into the city. She was alone and so was I, so we ended up spending the day together. She was fun to be with and we had a nice time."

  "She was alone? How did that happen?" Lynn raised her eyebrows. "Just be careful with her, Miranda. You might not want to be seen with her too much."

  "Don't worry, Lynn. I can take care of myself." Miranda smiled. She thought it best to get out of this conversation and fast, so she asked, "Who are you going ashore with?"

  "One of the girls from the spa and that new bartender from the staff bar. I told you about her, remember? She came on board when you did."

  "I remember. What are you going to do?"

  "It's hot enough to go to the beach today, so that's where we're off to first, for a few hours. Then maybe we'll walk around and do a little shopping. They have a nude beach but we all agreed we can't handle that. Topless maybe, but not nude. Being seen totally in the buff, by strangers is too much for me." Lynn cringed and a slight blush tinted her cheeks.

  "You mean out in public." Miranda winked at her.

  "Uh...yeah, I guess." Lynn got even redder. "Now I get it."

  "I'm just teasing you. I couldn't do it either."

  "Couldn't do what?" Guy's deep voice boomed in ahead of him as he snuck up behind Lynn and stood next to her in the doorway. He draped his arm across her shoulders.

  "Go nude on the beach," Lynn told him. "I was telling Miranda I can't do it."

  "Damn, that's too bad." He laughed heartily. "That's something I'd sure like to see. I'd have to beg our doctor here for an extra day off just so I could go with you."

  Lynn jabbed him in his side with her elbow. "You're such a pervert. I wouldn't want to see you naked, Guy."

  "You wouldn't? You don't know what you're missing."

  "Yes we do!" Miranda and Lynn shouted in unison.

  "Relax ladies," Guy said, after they all stopped laughing. "You're safe with me."

  "You can't go to the nude beach anyway, Guy." Miranda pretended to be serious. "We wouldn't want you to burn any of those tender parts that have never seen the sun."

  "Ouch, that's a terrible thought." Guy winced, automatically covering his private area with his free hand. "Let's make it some other time, Lynn."

  "Not on your life." Lynn held her index finger up and shook it in his face. "Well, I'm off for a day of fun in the sun. You all have a good time working while I go out and play." She threw Miranda a kiss and showed Guy a different finger as she left.

  "Have a good time," Miranda and Guy called out after her. Miranda shook her head and smiled. "Well, let's get to work, Guy."

  "Okay. I guess we have to do what we have to do."

  Guy and Miranda joined Toni for morning clinic hours. When the last patient closed the door behind them, Miranda returned to her office and remained there until noon. Then she went back into the infirmary in search of Toni. At first she thought she wasn't there, but then she found her tucked away in the back of the pharmacy.

  "What are you doing, Toni?"

  "Not much. Checking inventory and stocking the shelves."

  "I'm all caught up with my paper work for a change, so if it's all right with you, I think I'll take a break and go do something completely different for a while."

  "Sure, Miranda. Go ahead. See you later." Toni turned her attention back to her work. "Enjoy yourself."

  "Page me if you need me."

  "Will do."

  Miranda went to her cabin and changed into her swimsuit. Today, she thought she'd follow Jamie's advice and swim in the staff pool instead of going to the gym for her usual workout. The day was perfectly glorious and she needed to soak up some rays, get lost in the expanse of the open sky and breathe in the fresh sea air.

  Fortunately, the staff pool wasn't crowded this time of day, so Miranda did as much lap swimming as she could tolerate and then reclined in one of the lounge chairs scattered around the pool. Weary of listening to an endless barrage of physical complaints and tired of constantly thinking and paying attention, she closed her eyes and allowed the hot sun to soak into her body and soothe her sore muscles. She had just entered another zone and had nearly drifted off to sleep when she heard someone speak to her.

  "Hello, Doctor."

  Recognizing Jamie's voice, Miranda smiled, turned her head and without removing her sunglasses, opened her eyes. Jamie stood over her in a two piece swim suit. With her heart pounding, Miranda remained under the cover of dark lenses while she allowed her eyes to gaze openly at Jamie's body without fear of discovery. At first, she dwelled on two perfectly formed breasts that swelled sensuously above the skimpy bikini top before she took in the rest of Jamie's spectacular physique. Then, as if Miranda suddenly realized she'd been silent for too long, she quickly lifted her sunglasses and met Jamie's eyes. "Hi there." Her voice sounded strange to her own ears as if it'd been forced out through a throat stuffed with dry cotton.

  Jamie just stood there for a second or two and stared back. "May I join you?" She pointed to the empty lounge chair next to Miranda's.

  "Please do," Miranda murmured. Jamie looked so comfortable in her own skin and her gaze was so direct, so unapologetic. And she was so stunning. Lord, have mercy.

  Jamie spread her towel out and sat on the edge of the lounge chair. "Alicia said you were in the gym yesterday. I'm sorry I missed you. I had to meet with some of my trainers."

  "I wondered why I didn't see you. Why aren't you in the gym now?"

  "I'm on a split shift, so I have a few hours off before I have to go back to work." Jamie glanced at the sky. "I felt like swimming and being outside."

  "Me too. Who can resist a day like this? It's gorgeous, isn't it?"

  "It sure is." Jamie remained seated on the edge of her lounge chair. "I kept hoping I'd run into you but I haven't seen you in a few days. I guess you've been busy, huh?"

  "Mostly, I've been working in my office. I had a pile of paper work to catch up on and the clinic's been pretty busy, but just the usual complaints, nothing we couldn't handle."

  "I've been
wondering. Do a lot of people get seasick?" Jamie asked.

  "Not as many as you might think. The cruises are planned so the ships travel on calm waters and the newer ships are built with massive stabilizers."

  "You look incredible in that bathing suit by the way." Jamie took a deep breath before she continued. "I knew about the stabilizers, but I didn't know if they really worked. If someone does get seasick, how do you treat it?"

  "We have medications and patches but they make people too sleepy so they don't like to take them. Lying down helps but people don't want to do that, either, so I just tell them to get out on deck, breathe the fresh air, and look at the horizon. The nurses give out a lot of homeopathic remedies, anything that works, basically. Why, Jamie? Do you feel sick?" Miranda asked, genuinely concerned.

  "No. I never get motion sickness. I was just curious and I'm interested in what you do. Have you had any emergencies lately?"

  "No, knock on wood." Miranda knocked on the plastic arm of her deck chair. "I know this is plastic, but it might still work."

  "I hope so, for your sake." Jamie smiled, but only for a moment. "I don't know if I'd have what it takes to be a doctor. You have to be so strong inside."

  "That depends on what kind of doctor you are."

  "You must have to be mentally strong to work in an emergency room, and brave."

  "I guess so. It is one of the more demanding types of medicine, but that's why I chose it. I love the unpredictable pace and the mixed bag of problems."

  "It must be exciting." Jamie's eyes never left Miranda's.

  Miranda laughed quietly. "It's exciting all right, sometimes too exciting. Other times, it can be tedious and boring. People use the ER as a family clinic and we get loaded with all kinds of trivial garbage. I know people often don't have a doctor, but sometimes it's mind-boggling how some people define the word emergency."

  "Miranda?"

  What now? Miranda watched as Jamie took a tremulous breath.