Cruising Through to Fulfilment

by Ann M Pratley

  Cruising Through to Fulfilment

  Ann Pratley

  Text copyright 2015 Ann Pratley

  All Rights Reserved

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Thank you!

  New Release: The Golden Desires

  Introducing: Painful Deliverance

  Introducing: Darkness of Heart

  Introducing: Friendship of Desire

  Introducing: Alessandra

  Bonus Extract: Total Freedom

  Upcoming Release: Total New Beginnings

  Bonus Extract: Drab To Sex Goddess In 365 Days

  About The Author

  Chapter 1

  It should have been a joyous day, boarding a luxury cruise liner for the first time in Tanya's life, but instead it was full of hustle and bustle, and the more she explored her new home for the week, the more she realised that she would be one of a very few passengers on board under the age of 60. Not that she had anything against her parent's generation, but this holiday she had planned to be for 'fun in the sun' and had arranged to travel by herself with the intention of meeting new people her own age, from all over the world. Already she thought that the cruise would not be half the fun she wanted it to be.

  As she unpacked her luggage, Tanya's room steward introduced himself. His name was Roberto and he came from Mazatlan, Mexico. It was nice to know someone's name, at least, she thought. She was expecting a room mate to arrive at any time - someone she had never met - but there had been no sign of her yet. It would be another three hours until they set sail for the first port, Juneau, and the excitement was now starting to grow.

  Tanya's primary reason for going on the cruise had been to have a holiday, but it was also to learn a little about the wildlife that was commonly found in Alaska over the American summer. Tanya's father had always had a love of the American Indian tribes and she found that in Alaska she could learn a little about the local tribes in the area as well. The cruise was a special treat for her since her father had died only six months before and Tanya's mother eight years before that. Now she was alone in the world, there wasn't any real reason why she shouldn't go out and see some of it. When one loses one's parents, it certainly makes you realise that life can be short, so you may as well make the most of it while you can.

  * * * *

  Wandering around the ship was a new source of confusion for Tanya - every corridor seemed to look the same as the last, and it took her a few hours to get some sort of built-in direction so that she knew which was the front of the ship and which was the back. The Glacial Sun was only two years old, and although very big, was also very glamorous. For someone who lived such a simple life, it made Tanya feel like she was a princess, going to the ball.

  Tanya looked at her watch - it was now only another hour and a half till the ship left Vancouver - a beautiful city which had been her home for two days before now. She had always wanted to visit Canada and when she flew into Vancouver she was not disappointed. Even having the two days there by herself had proved to be a vacation in itself. No hassles about work problems, no one making her wonder what terrible thing was around the next corner ... it seemed like so long since Tanya's mind had been at rest.

  When she finally found her cabin again, she lay down and decided to just enjoy the peace and quiet. Soon that peace and quiet was replaced by the opening of the door and Tanya's new room mate walking in - drenched.

  "Hi!" she announced, throwing her coat and umbrella in the bathroom.

  When she came back into the bedroom, she drew in a deep breath and started again.

  "Phew! Hi, I'm Tracey. I thought I was going to miss the ship - my flight from London was delayed by four hours, can you believe it? And now I get stuck in a rainstorm ... what a way to start a holiday!"

  And that was Tanya's first impression of Tracey - great, she thought to herself, this will be a wonderful week.

  * * * *

  Tanya had long ago decided that at the time of sailing she would be lounging by the swimming pool, drinking an exotic beverage from one of the outdoor bars. Although the lounging didn't take place because she was so excited, drinking a fancy cocktail certainly helped to bring up her spirits. She was standing on the top deck of the ship, watching the city move away, when Tracey came up behind her.

  "God, isn't this fantastic! Here's to a great trip to Alaska!" she said, and to that they drank.

  Soon enough the city had disappeared and all that could be seen was the coast in the distance, and ocean as far as the eye could see. The sun going down over the horizon was absolutely stunning and that, combined with the sound and smell of the water rushing by, enabled Tanya to relax in a way that she hadn't been able to for as long as she could remember.

  Tracey broke into her thoughts. "Tanya, I'm going to go down downstairs and get ready for dinner. I'll see you later, okay," she said and was gone, leaving Tanya to perfect quiet for a few minutes before she also started to feel hunger, realising she hadn't eaten since breakfast.

  * * * *

  Once in the cabin together the two girls found they both had a similar sense of humour - maybe the cruise would be okay after all, they both thought.

  "Come on, girl, let's go eat ourselves some fine food and get the evening rolling!" Tracey said as she pushed Tanya out the door and the two of them laughed. "I've heard you Kiwis really know how to party!"

  When they were seated at their table, their waiter came over and introduced himself.

  "Good evening ladies, my name is Carlos and I will be your waiter for the week."

  Tanya looked from Carlos to Tracey and for the first time in the few hours they had known each other, Tracey was quiet. In fact, she was stunned as she looked at Carlos, but being the gentleman he obviously was, he graciously avoided seeing her blush and excused himself.

  Tracey turned to Tanya, who was trying to hide her smile.

  "Wow, did you see him? He's beautiful!" She put her hand on Tanya's and leant in to whisper, "I think I'm in love."

  Tanya laughed and soon Tracey joined her. "No-one told me about the waiters on board!"

  * * * *

  After dinner the girls went to see the welcome aboard show in the theatre, and from there walked around from bar to bar, in an attempt to at least try and find some other passengers their own age.

  "Tanya, do you think we are the only young people on board? Surely not ... there must be someone." But everywhere they went it was the same, until they found the disco.

  As soon as they sat down, two guys came over.

  "May we join you, ladies?"

  A bar steward came over. "Would you like something to drink?"

  The steward looked from one face to the next and finally Tracey spoke up. "Four cocktails of the day, please."

  "I'm Greg and this is Paul," one of the guys said and Tanya looked at him closely. He had a lovely deep voice a
nd when he looked right at her, as if really noticing her for the first time, she could see he had a tiny gleam in his eye. "Where are you girls from?"

  Tracey spoke up. "I'm from London and Tanya here is from New Zealand."

  Paul spoke up, for the first time. "New Zealand? Wow! I'd love to be able to travel down there. I've heard it's really beautiful, and great for skiing ... is that right Tanya?" he asked, and he and Tanya spoke for a long time about her home country and his desire to see the 'other side of the world'.

  All the time Tanya and Paul were talking, she could sense Greg watching her, even though she knew it meant nothing. After all, when was the last time any man went out of his way to make her feel wanted. The last three relationships she'd had, had been only two or three months long and they had all died out when Tanya realised she couldn't be happy with anyone who had no excitement about a relationship. To Tanya, meeting and going out with someone new was something that should be a fun and almost childish time, and when she found men who just wanted to treat every day the same as the last, she knew they would never be good for her.

  It had now been three months since she had told her last boyfriend they should just be friends. At least she was lucky about that - almost all boyfriends she'd had were still good friends to her. Still, it didn't quite compare to finding true love.

  Tanya was snapped back to reality when she heard her name mentioned.

  "What do you think, Tanya? This place isn't exactly rocking. Would you and Tracey like to join us for a drink in our cabin?" Paul asked and everyone looked to her for an answer.

  "Actually I think I am going to call it a night. All this excitement is a bit too much for one day."

  As she stood up to leave, Greg stood up also. "Can I walk you to your cabin?"

  Tanya felt all eyes on her and became more uncomfortable.

  "Thank you but I think I will be okay," she said, trying to smile and make light of the situation.

  Walking back to her cabin she felt like a true 'party pooper' but once in her bed she relaxed and was glad she wouldn't have too much of a hangover the next day.

  It wasn't long before Tracey also came through the door.

  "I thought you would be out till dawn," Tanya said, laughing.

  Tracey replied with a pulled face.

  "After you left I didn't feel quite so easy in the guys' company so thought I'd catch a few hours sleep too. No worries, we've got a whole week to get to know gorgeous men, right?"

  Chapter 2

  Next morning the girls were up bright and early, sorting out their tour plans over breakfast at the outside buffet.

  "Tanya, whatever you book, I'll do too because I'd like to see some wildlife while here but I also want to have fun, so please don't make me go on any tours with only old people!" Tracey pleaded and Tanya laughed.

  "Okay Tracey, we'll do some wildlife tours and I want to learn a little about the Indian tribes so I'll have to ask the tour office professionals about that."

  Right then two sadly looking boys sat down beside them and both girls smiled.

  "And what time did you two get to bed?" Tracey asked and Paul groaned.

  "About four hours ago. The bars didn't pick up so Greg decided we should just drink in our cabin ... I vow I will never listen to him again!"

  Greg picked up the tour brochure.

  "Are you two going on some tours?" he asked and Paul's ears picked up.

  "Are there any tours going to Indian reserves, in there?"

  Tracey glanced at Paul, then Tanya, and then back to Paul.

  "Tanya wants to do that too, Paul," she said with a small mischievous smile on her face.

  "Oh yeah? Is there one in there, Tanya?"

  Once again Tanya was caught out from looking at Greg, who now and then glanced at her with an intense stare.

  "I was going to ask the staff about a couple of the tours. I can't see anything in particular in there but maybe they will know of something."

  "Well, let's go down and ask, huh? Although some people think a cruise in Alaska is for getting drunk every night, I have other plans," Paul said, as he and Tanya stood up.

  "Shall I book yours, Tracey?" Tanya asked and Tracey smiled.

  "Yeah, I trust your judgement Tanya. Whatever you want to do, that's cool."

  Paul and Tanya left the other two behind, talking on the way downstairs about their mutual interest in the Alaskan tribes and wildlife. Tanya looked at Paul and was glad she had found someone who could actually relate to her interests. Maybe she could even learn new things from him.

  They booked their tours and once happy to get the ones they wanted, Paul asked, "Would you like to get a coffee and sit somewhere, Tanya?"

  "I think we should go back to the buffet to see what the other kiddies are doing," Tanya replied and off they went.

  Meanwhile, Tracey and Greg had begun getting to know each other, but Greg's motives became clear when he asked Tracey, "Do you know if Tanya has a boyfriend or not?"

  She looked at him for a moment, suddenly not knowing if he were someone to be trusted or not. There was something in his eyes and his tone of voice that wasn't quite as charming as he had been a few minutes earlier.

  "Greg, a question like that you would have to ask Tanya herself. But even if she doesn't, well, maybe you'd be better off looking elsewhere for some action."

  Greg looked at her with a surprised look on his face. "What do you mean?"

  Tracey smiled at him. "Well, firstly, from first impressions I don't think Tanya would be the kind of person to have a fling for just a week, whether she has a boyfriend or not. And secondly, I think you would have to be more knowledgeable in the field of Alaska."

  "Why?" he asked again, just as Tanya and Paul came into view.

  Looking at Tracey, he saw her nod at the two walking toward them and knew what she was saying - if Tanya were interested in anyone, it would be someone with her same interests, and it seemed that Paul certainly had that. They were still talking about Chilkoots and Tlingits, and were deeply engrossed in each other.

  Greg watched the two as they sat down - watched the way Tanya moved and laughed at something Paul said. Yet when she looked at Greg, he thought he saw something registering in her eyes, and that wasn't anything to do with Paul. That was between just Tanya and Greg and it was a natural attraction, one that didn't need words.

  He smiled at her as Paul told them what tours they had chosen. Now Tanya felt stronger, like she could face a man liking her once again. And the way Greg was looking at her, surely she couldn't be mistaken? Yes, she decided, she could. Just as she had been many times before.

  When that thought passed through her mind, Greg saw a shadow pass over her face and she looked away, focusing on the conversation going on. It was such a dramatic change he wanted to reach out to her and ask what just happened. But he didn't; he couldn't. He, too, turned to the conversation going on, trying to put his previous thoughts out of his mind. Tracey was right, why would someone as beautiful and obviously intelligent as Tanya, want someone as simple minded as him.

  "How do you know so much about Alaska's people, Paul?" Tracey was asking and Tanya was entranced once again as he spoke.

  While everyone focused on Paul, Greg thought back to his ex-girlfriend, who he had been with for four years and had split up with only two months earlier. He could remember her smile, her shining eyes, the way she smelt and the way it used to feel when they made love. When he'd found out that she had been intimate with someone else, his world had felt like it would crumble, but he had used his hurt to get over her. He knew he could still love her, but he would never forgive her or trust her again, so what would have been the point of trying to go on?

  Now, as he remembered her again, he yearned for someone to hold. Someone to say nice things to in the middle of the night. That brought him to look again at Tanya. She really was beautiful, yet so distant. And if he were to show an interest in her, why would he really be doing it? Because of the person she was, or ju
st because he was lonely? If it were the latter, was that so wrong?

  As if sensing his stare again, she turned and looked him directly in the eye. A bold move and almost a defiant one. Like she could see right through him and wanted to tell him that she wouldn't want to be anywhere with him if he were to try more than friendship.

  But that wasn't what Tanya was telling him. All she really was doing by looking at him, was trying to read what he was saying with his stare. In her opinion, it would be typical for a man to want to have a quick affair with a woman if he could, and certainly a one-week cruise would be an ideal way of doing it. And if she were to be approached by anyone during this week, what would she say? There had been times in her life where she had felt like going out and having one night affairs, just so she could be blasé and not get hurt anymore, but she had never done so. A large part of her heart told her not to give up on love, and that when it came her way she would be glad not to have wasted time on anyone who meant nothing.

  "What do you say, Tanya? Do you think you could handle an innocent session of bingo this morning?" Tracey was asking and Tanya laughed.

  "Bingo? Well, I guess I never thought I'd be doing that on a cruise, but yeah, it sounds like fun. What time does it start?"

  "Eleven o'clock, so we still have some time to kill. Anyone for a swim?" Paul asked, grinning at everyone cheekily but all he got back were a few doubtful looks as everyone regarded that idea as intensely silly in the vicinity of Alaska.

  "Okay, you guys, but I am going for a swim. It is a beautiful day and the pool is heated..."

  He glanced around everyone one more time to try and encourage them to change their minds.

  "Okay, I will see you all at bingo at 11 ... be there!" he said as he waved and walked away, leaving three lost souls at the table.

  Tracey looked briefly from Tanya to Greg, wondering whether she should leave them alone or not, but something about Tanya's level of comfort told her that idea was actually on Tanya's mind and she didn't want to face Greg alone. As if he too were aware of the thought, he excused himself, saying he wanted to go for a walk. Only after he had left did Tracey see Tanya relax.