by S J Crabb
Luke laughs. “They will love you on sight. In fact, don’t be surprised if they start talking about wedding bells before they’ve even made you a cup of tea. I told you, they are desperate for me to settle down and leave the Navy.”
I look at him thoughtfully.
“And what about you? What do you want?”
He pulls me close and growls, “I think you know the answer to that. What I want is right here and I am never letting you go.”
As we cement our newly formed relationship alliance, I think I am the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.
We spend the rest of the day sunbathing. It would appear that most of us are now worn out and need to rest and recharge before our wild night out with her Majesties’ Navy. Luke is sprawled out next to me on his sunbed with his headphones on and there is not a more heavenly sight. Rachel lies next to me and I decide to have a chat with her in advance of tonight’s temptations. Nodding over to her I say, “Do you fancy a cocktail?”
Grinning, she grabs her sarong and we head off to the bar.
As we sit waiting, she sighs.
“This is all so perfect, Becca. Out here we have no ties or obligations. There is no daily routine to follow and no demands on our time. We can be whoever we want to be and there are no consequences. I couldn’t give this up and live tied to a pram or a kitchen sink. It’s just not me.”
I agree with her, it’s not. But the trouble is, she has made her marital bed, and she does have responsibilities and the consequences of her actions waiting for her back at home. I smile reassuringly.
“You know, all of this isn’t real, Rachel. It’s just a bubble we live in for a few days before real life comes to claim us back. Trips like this happen so few and far between. Take it from one who knows, it's lonely living on your own and waiting for something good to happen. You’ve had an argument with Lorenzo and are feeling bitter. Just remember what made you fall in love in the first place. How would you feel if he was here now, sharing all of this with you? Would you look at anyone else, or would he be everything to you? You have to weigh up the short term with the long term and I’m sure you will see things aren’t that much better.”
Her eyes fill up again and she takes a sip of her margarita. “It’s not just an argument. We’ve been having a lot of them lately. I can’t seem to do anything right and he appears disappointed with me. I have tried to fit in but his family is so close. They make me welcome, of course they do, they are lovely people; but I know they are disappointed in Lorenzo’s choice. I’m too much of a free spirit to settle down so soon to family life. I want us to travel and experience things together, but he won’t hear of it. Maybe all we have in common is lust and sex. That’s not enough to build a solid foundation for a marriage - is it?”
Before I can answer, I do a double take. Nudging Rachel we look at the sight coming our way. If I didn’t see legs underneath it all, I would think a huge moving, magical carpet was heading our way. Escorting it through the sun-kissed bodies lying worshipping the sun is Marcus, looking very pleased with himself.
Rachel looks as confused as I am as they stop before us. I gesture to the carpet mountain.
“What’s going on, Marcus? Is this your new business or something? Surely things aren’t so bad that you must resort to bed to bed selling for your tequila money.”
Marcus grins and wags his finger at me.
“Now, now, Becca, this isn’t anything to do with me. Underneath all this woven cotton is Elvis. He has been charged with distributing Mexico’s finest Artisan crafted rugs to all the poor sick sailors from yesterday’s boat trip. They are by way of an apology from Captain Elviras who was inconsolable with grief that we didn’t enjoy his trip of a lifetime. Just pick one each and we can carry on.”
I look at Rachel and she shakes her head in amazement.
“I’ll never get this in my Samsonite luggage. Tell him it’s fine, I couldn’t possibly accept such a kind gift.”
Marcus looks annoyed.
“It would be insulting to him to refuse. Even if you have to fashion a uniform out of it like in the Sound of Music, you’re having one and be grateful for it.”
Rachel rolls her eyes.
“Ok, I’ll have the one on the top to save Elvis from a rug avalanche.”
I smile incredulously.
“I’ll have the next one. Tell your uncle that we are extremely grateful and not to worry at all about the trip. It wasn’t his fault that the sea wasn’t very hospitable yesterday.”
I hear a mumbled response from underneath the stack and then watch with amusement as they carry on with their mission.
Rachel grins. “What are we going to do with these? I must say, I quite like mine, actually. I’m sure it would look lovely in my conservatory.”
I have to agree. “Yes, they do have a certain charm about them. Maybe Pete will let us stow them in the hold. One thing about being crew you don’t have to worry about baggage allowance.”
Rachel snorts. “Yes, do you remember when we bought a bike each in Orlando? The looks we got as we pushed the boxes through customs. I think every member of the crew bought one on that trip.”
I grin. “Yes, the trouble was when we unpacked them they were all in pieces. It cost me a lot more to get the local wheelies bike shop to put it together. Not to mention that I had to put it on eBay a few months later because it was taking up valuable space in my lobby. Sometimes a bargain isn’t really a bargain after all.”
Rachel giggles.
“Yes, what about that CD player I bought in Miami? I completely forgot that the plugs and voltage were different and it was useless at home. It was a total waste of money.”
Laughing, I roll my eyes. Despite everything, we have a great life and I can see why Rachel doesn’t want to give this up. Despite the mundane job, this life is exciting in a lot of ways. Anything else would seem dull to memories like these.
I look at her with concern.
“Will you be ok, Rachel? What will happen if you can’t work things out with Lorenzo?”
She shrugs sadly.
“I don’t know. I was brought up to believe that marriage is for keeps. You work at it and resolve your problems and move on happier for it. I never thought it would be this hard. We’ve only been married for a few months and I’m already looking for flats to rent in estate agent’s windows and wondering if I could afford them on my own. That’s not normal, is it? Surely, we should still be in the honeymoon period. It’s as if my life is on fast-forward. What if Lorenzo doesn’t turn out to be my Prince Charming, and it ends up that I’ve kissed a frog instead?”
She gulps her cocktail miserably and I don’t have an answer to her question. I am running out of good advice and platitudes. The problem is greater than I first realised.
~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 27
We spend the rest of the day sunbathing. I think we are all exhausted and far from being a restful trip, this has turned into party central. I enjoy spending my day with Luke beside me. We enjoy taking refreshing dips in the pool together and by the end of the day, I feel as if I have known him for ages. We feel comfortable around each other and have fallen into an easy relationship.
It must be about 3pm when Jo and Pete finally make an appearance. They walk towards us holding hands and looking very pleased with themselves. Jo smiles at us all as she places her towel on the other side of Rachel.
“So, what did we miss?”
I laugh. “Nothing but a day of relaxation and gifts from Captain Elviras.”
She raises her eyes and we quickly fill her in.
Pete looks over and grins.
“We’ll find a corner for them in the hold. That was kind of him, he didn’t have to do that.”
Rachel nods. “It was sweet. I suppose at least we will have a nice memento of our trip. A bit like Mr Ben used to. I loved that bit at the end when he always found a memento of his adventure in his pocket.”
Luke laughs. “I loved that cartoon. I always
wanted to find the changing room and go out the other side into an adventure.”
We giggle and look up in astonishment as Jenny races over, looking as if she has just run a marathon. Jo says loudly, “What’s happened to you, Jenny? You look exhausted.”
She rolls her eyes.
“We had a party of twenty for para-gliding. I’ve been at it for most of the day. Flynn is just putting everything away and said I should come and grab some rest. It’s certainly exhausting working non-stop all day in this heat.”
Rachel looks thoughtful.
“This would be your life. Are you sure you could do it day in day out?”
Jenny nods emphatically.
“As long as I’m with Flynn, I don’t care if I work 24/7. The thought of leaving him in a couple of days is tearing my heart out. I can’t believe we have to give a month’s notice. It will seem like agony.”
Looking over at Luke he catches my eye and nods sadly. Yes, I share Jenny’s concerns. The trouble is, her one month is six to us. How can I bear to be away from him for so long?
It must be an hour later that Luke jumps up and holds out his hand.
“Fancy a walk along the beach, Becca?”
I smile up at him and take his hand quickly. As if I’m about to turn down a romantic stroll with this love god, tempting me with his body at every twist and turn in the day.
We leave the others to it and start the slow walk along the sand. The beach is quite busy, and it isn’t the dreamy experience I thought it would be. I had hoped we could find rare shells. Then we would make matching love necklaces, binding us together for all eternity. All we find are lots of locals trying to sell us things that we don’t need or want. After about fifteen minutes, Luke growls angrily.
“Come on, let’s head back and grab a drink. At least we won’t be pestered there.”
I nod miserably. “Surely the hotel should have a private beach for our enjoyment. It’s meant to be one of the best. If I was a star giver by trade, I would deduct one of their five for this outrage.”
Luke laughs and grabs hold of me playfully. "That is what I love about you, Becca. You say the strangest things in the sweetest way. I never know what is going on in that crazy mind of yours.”
Ok, let’s just take a moment and rewind this conversation. "THAT IS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT YOU.” Luke said the love word. He may not have meant it literally but I’ll take it. In love with Luke. Luke and Becca in love. I love you, Becca. I love you, Luke. Why is it so important to a person to hear those words? I know it was just a figure of speech but it has left a warm glow inside me.
Luke grins and pulls me close, kissing me in full view of everyone on the beach. How I must be the envy of every red-blooded woman here. I kiss him back with a passion I never knew I had. Dreams don’t come better than this. Dreams have a habit of changing into really weird events though. I mean, in my dreams Luke would be kissing me like this and would then change into Brick Man or First-Class man. Then we would be living in the jungle with the apes or something. No, this dream is reality, for a few more days at least and they can’t pass slowly enough for me. I never want this to end.
We are eating at the hotel tonight before our party with the Queen’s men later. It’s funny how my room has become a sort of meeting room to get ready in and Luke’s has become, what it is, our Love Palace. He watches me apply my make up while leaning back on the bed, looking far too tempting to be allowed out for his own safety.
“You know, Becca, I never thought I’d meet someone like you. It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it?”
I nod. “It sure is. Just think, if your brother had got married we would never have never met. Quite a scary thought when you think of it. Life is a lot about fate, isn’t it?”
He looks thoughtful.
“Yes. I wonder if this was fate intervening and taking us down a different path. I mean, look at Jenny. Her life has changed so much in the few short days she has been here. It’s like watching someone on fast-forward. Do you really think she will give it all up and move out here?”
I shake my head. “Who knows? Things have a habit of changing when you return to the familiar. Out here we are in a bubble. Ordinary life is left at home and we get to experience the freedom of those with no cares or worries. You have to return to face it sometime though and that’s what’s worrying me the most. What if things change and we lose the joy of this moment? It’s not a nice thought is it?”
I sit down heavily next to him and he turns my face to look at him. My breath catches as I see the look in his eyes. He says softly.
“We will make sure we keep what we have alive. I may have to return to sea but this time I will be taking you with me in my heart. I can bear the endless days cooped up in that pressure cooker if I know that you are my prize on my return. The trouble is, I’m not sure that you’ll want to wait for me. It’s a lot to ask and I have no right to ask it of you.”
Once again, I see the worry in his eyes and trace his face with my fingers, kissing him gently on the lips.
“I’ve waited a long time for this, Luke. Corny I know, but true. Six months is nothing. Even if you only get one day off in six months, it will be worth the wait. You don’t get rid of me that easily.”
Luke’s eyes shine, and he lowers his lips to mine. “Then we shouldn’t waste a minute more.”
I think I glide into the restaurant one hour later with Luke’s hand tightly in mine. Wow, what an hour that was. My feelings for him are growing by the second, if that’s possible. We see the others sipping cocktails at a large table and take the last two seats. Jo winks and grins knowingly.
“You took your time.”
I grin and roll my eyes.
“Sorry guys, something came up. Have you ordered already?”
They laugh and thrust the menus towards us. “Yes, so hurry up. We’re starving here.”
It doesn’t take long before our food arrives. Luke is chatting to Flynn so I turn to Jo and smile.
“I’m glad to see that you made things up with Pete. You must be so relieved.”
She nods happily. “Yes, I can’t believe I let it get to me so much. Pete is definitely the one for me. In fact, we have even started planning our wedding already.”
Gosh, they don’t hang around. She smiles. “Yes. We’ve chosen the venue and as soon as we return I’m going to see what dates they have available. I would love a summer wedding and Pete agrees.”
I lower my voice.
“Um... about your... um ... condition. Won’t that dictate the dates for you?”
Jo looks a little sad. “Not really. It turned out to be a false alarm. I suppose it was the stress I was under keeping me from being regular. Now that stress has gone so has the dream of a baby.”
I look at her sad face and say softly.
“I’m sorry. You were both so happy at the thought. You would make lovely parents.”
She smiles sadly.
“One day we will. Once we are married, we will try non-stop until our family starts to grow. It’s probably best this way. It means we can have our wedding first and then think about our life together.”
She looks around with excitement and says loudly.
“Listen, girls, talking about the wedding. I was wondering if you would all be my bridesmaids.”
The shrieks are deafening as we squeal madly. The guys laugh as we look at Jo with excitement.
She laughs. “I’ll take that as a yes. Now, remember, as my bridesmaids you will be involved in everything. We will have to go dress shopping, plan a fabulous hen night and do lots of girly wedding stuff.”
I nod happily. This is right up my street. I love a good wedding and am more than happy to dive head first into this one. Jenny looks worried.
“I would love to, but you may have to leave me out. I will be out here and won’t be able to fulfil my duties. I would obviously come back for the wedding but I’m not sure I’ll be able to afford to come back multiple times.”
Jo r
olls her eyes.
“Of course, you must be one. It doesn’t matter if you can’t be there for everything. I want you there on the one day that counts and that’s good enough for me.”
The rest of the meal is spent discussing the upcoming nuptials and I almost feel sorry for the guys. They must be so bored as we chatter away incessantly. They soon talk amongst themselves and leave us to it.
~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 28
We are soon back at the ship and the excitement radiating off of every person here is palpable.
We contemplate the beast in front of us and wonder what the night will bring.
Almost as soon as we step foot on board, I notice that Mark comes rushing up, smiling.
“You made it. It’s good of you to come.”
Pete smiles. “Thanks for asking us. Hopefully, we won’t cause a drama tonight.”
Mark laughs and looks at Jo.
“How are you feeling today after your experience last night?”
She just laughs and squeezes Pete’s hand.
“Like a new woman, actually. Fainting was the best thing that could have happened to me.”
He grins and I watch as his eyes zone in on Rachel. A look passes between them and the warning bells ring loudly around me. Oh no, that look is trouble for everyone involved. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
I watch helplessly as he moves across and whispers something to her.
She throws her head back and laughs and gazes at him with the look of a woman very much interested in what stands before her. I feel the blood rushing to my head as I picture poor Lorenzo washing dishes in the restaurant, while his wife gets cosy with a fit sailor. No wonder he wants her to give this up.
Luke whispers, “Come on Becca, I’ll grab you a drink.”
We head towards the officer’s mess where the party is underway. Most of our crew are now attacking the ship’s bar. The atmosphere is different to last night. Tonight, appears more relaxed and the uniforms have been replaced with more casual attire, failing to disguise the hotness of the men wearing it. They may be dressed as regular guys but they are still hot men in uniform. Surely every girls’ dream come true.
