Angeline's Way

by Nathan Rider

  "Thank you very much in praying for us Anglicans. I'm sure the rest of you need saving much more than we do," Mrs. Buquette said with her lilts. Five of the diners gave a laugh to the quip as the waiter came to the table.

  "We have a special treat with our Things You Would Only Eat on the Ship category: frog legs," said the waiter as he handed each a menu. The groan as to whether to try them or not rippled the table.

  Being on a risky platform of asking Paul out for dinner, Angeline opted to try the frogs legs. Her nervousness had her all over the place. She figured that it would be the least thing to make her vomit. The eyes of the table were on her as the waiter placed the dish in front of her. With Kathy on the left side of her and Paul on the right, she ate the fare with a smile on her face.

  "And?" said Kathy.

  "No meat on them and not filling. Glad I ordered the chicken basil with sauce."

  With that the table laughed at her experiment as no one else tried the appetizer. But something strange did happen during the dinner. At one point she felt Kathy's right hand stroking her thigh under the table as Paul had his hand on the other leg. Angeline felt as though she was being inspected by two cattle buyers at a meat market. This for eating frog legs, she thought.

  She smiled at Kathy whose touch was soothing to her. The slim-built brunette Kathy was the daring one of the pair. She spoke more than Amy did at the previous dinner and was louder. She talked of her adventures on other cruises, cities she visited around the world, and travel tips she picked up along the way. She exuded authority as though God told her personally what to say. Somehow with all those experience she still maintained her humility of trying to do her best in the world.

  The athletic blonde Amy was stand-offish but was able claimed Kathy as her possession. Angeline made a note to never piss her off in the gym. Her body screamed MMA with sleeves and long pants covering up the scars she earned. The callouses on her hands reminded Angeline of her brother's after working the growing season. How the two got together did not click with Angeline in her mind.

  Paul, with his rough hands, glided in the area available to touch her leg. Angeline did not know him very well but this was a surprise. Not wanting to embarrass the ones giving her the leg massages, Angeline coughed a little. With that the hands went back their owners. She stood up and said, "Pardon me. I think the frog is disagreeing with me for the assessment of his legs."

  Barcelona, Spain

  The Buquette's and the older couple had left while Angeline was away. She wanted to give Darcy a hug for the advice she had given her in Rome. Kathy, Amy, and Paul were chatting away as she came back to the group. She could tell that with dessert finished both were killing time. Finally the couple got up to catch a show in the lounge.

  Angeline gave both a hug in being fun shipmates. Amy fished in her purse for something after Angeline let her go. She pulled out a business card and handed it to Angeline. It was their business card that read " Amilene's and Katherine's B&B". It had the San Angelo address where she and Moniqa had their girls only weekend.

  "Thank you, Amy. This is up near where I can escape to," she said with a smile.

  "We did suffer together on this trip. I had never felt so paranoid about eating at a table with others till now. After Formal Night, I kept thinking Ted Bundy was going to be a dinner guest," she said laughingly. "This is for a time that we can have a normal dinner with you. When you are in the neighborhood we can have fun together."

  Before she went to dinner, Angeline had packed her clothes and souvenirs for the porters to pick up and the bags tagged. Since she was staying in Barcelona on extended vacation, she made sure that her ID and passport were available. Her room at the Gavà hotel outside Barcelona was set. Paul was going with her to Montserrat before flying home to Florida that afternoon.

  She had not bothered to check her iPad for messages. Any email or text she received had turned into misery on this vacation. The epic meltdown in Florence in front of thousands of people. Gabe's displeasure of her talking with the French conglomerate in any form hurt her. It was killing her fun. If she was going to have some fun not checking her emails was the rule.

  That lasted about fifteen minutes in line. Unable to get out on any of the early times with her luggage, Angeline was stuck with the thousands of passengers in front of her. That way she was out and about till the tour left for Montserrat. The Catalonian sun was bright for seven in the morning and the temperature was rising.

  Where's Paul?, she thought.

  She scrolled and scrolled as the line inched its way towards the main hatch. The security agents pinged each passenger as they left the area. As she was being pinged by the agents, her iPad pinged for a text. It was from Paul.

  Angeline:

  Sorry I can't come to Montserrat with you. I woke up late for my scheduled leave time. And just a few minutes ago I received a notice that my plane was rescheduled to fly home at an earlier time. It's been a crappy morning all around and I hate doing this to you. I do love you and want to spend more time with you. Will you fly to Florida and be with me?

  Your Bear,

  Paul

  As she finished reading Paul's text, her email pinged. She opened the account and opened the email. It was from Mike. She let out a sigh of disgust and touched the email to read it:

  MikeMo@excelsiorvineyards.net

  Dear Angeline:

  I have attached to you, Gabriel, and your attorney copies of the merger papers that were agreed upon in principle. The details can be worked out as to compensation, contract terms as to when it is fulfilled, bottling and insignia emblems. Management positions, I understand, are being handled by the attorney's involved. Individual labor contacts are coming up on my end of the agreement so that will need to be addressed soon.

  Angeline, on a personal note, I love you. I tried several times to write a note to you to say so. The times we had at in Sicily and Pisa were fun. The ship board games and dinners together had shown me who you really are. You are a fun person who can let loose and not have regrets in the morning. I bet you could even drink me under the table. Florence was a disaster but we can have a redo, if you like. Please let me know your intensions. My number is on this email.

  Sincerely,

  Mike

  Angeline pulled up the itinerary for flights to Florida. There was none till late in the evening and she would be dead tired to leave her hotel room. Mike's proposition hurt the most. Here he was talking business and then has the audacity to say "I love you"! She then put her iPad away and pulled down her sunglasses. As she sat in the bus waiting, she began to wonder.

  What will Barcelona bring me?