The Holiday Cruise

by Victoria Cooke

  ‘That looks relaxing,’ a male voice said. I opened one eye. Ben was waist-deep in the water, his toned, bronze chest glistening. He lay back and floated next to me. ‘They seem like a great bunch of guys you’ve got as friends.’

  ‘They are.’ I smiled. ‘We’re really close.’

  ‘I’m glad Pete invited me today. I didn’t have any plans. To be honest, I was so focused on the places with more well-known cities when we booked the cruise I think I’d shamefully overlooked Malta, but it’s actually very nice. It’s good to have a bit of a rest day, but I might explore Valletta this afternoon.’

  ‘I spent four months exploring some of the most beautiful beaches on Earth over in the Caribbean, so I’ve been pretty focused on cities here too. Today is a lovely reminder that you can’t beat a good beach. I’ve yet to see Valletta,’ I said.

  ‘You could come with me; it would be nice being on a level playing field for once – in terms of knowing anything about a place,’ he said light-heartedly.

  ‘I’d love to but I’m working this afternoon, and there’s not a chance Kristy will cover me today. Look at her.’ She was lying on the sand intermittently chatting to Zac and puffing into a Lilo.

  ‘That’s a shame.’

  I didn’t reply. Instead, I thought back to yesterday and how I’d forced myself to believe Ben was just a guest. It was for the best that I had to go to work. Another afternoon spent walking a beautiful city was the last thing that would help me. I saw Pete and Britney walking away from where we’d set up camp. Zac and Kristy were still chatting, and I was there, with Ben. We could easily have been a couple, floating together on the water like that. Every now and then a wave would nudge us gently into one another, our arms brushing against each other, sending a tingling sensation through my body. I found myself wondering if he felt it too.

  ‘I think Pete’s got me roped into water polo tomorrow,’ he said after a while. ‘If you’re free around noon you should come and watch. I literally have nobody else to cheer me on.’

  ‘Well, are you any good?’ I said. ‘I’m very fickle and tend to prefer the team that’s winning,’ I teased.

  ‘Of course I’m good.’ He grinned.

  I cast an eye over his body and saw another scar running under his ribcage and around in an L-shape. I hadn’t noticed in the dimly lit spa, when I’d caught that first glimpse of his chest. He caught me looking.

  ‘It’s from the accident. A car hit me at a junction and I was thrown in the air. I broke some ribs and my liver was damaged quite badly. As well as having smashed my leg.’ He lifted his leg out of the water to show me the large scar I’d seen in the spa. ‘I don’t remember it happening though. I was put into a coma for four days afterwards.’

  ‘It sounds horrendous.’

  ‘Physically, I’m okay now. Once I’d finished physio I threw myself into the gym to build muscle to protect myself. It’s silly, but I didn’t want to feel, weak.’ He sighed. ‘Then the other day in Rome … I was weak.’

  ‘Enough about Rome. Listen, it did me a favour. Because I used to be weak, and sticking up for myself like that was the proof that I’m not. You get your own proof,’ I joked at the end to lighten the mood but on the inside, I was in shock at what he’d been through. My internal instinct was to hold him tightly and not let go.

  ‘Guys, come over here,’ Pete shouted from the shore. He and Britney had returned with what looked like cocktails. I’d no idea how Pete always found them, but he did.

  ‘You pair of stars.’ I grinned as I walked out of the sea, my body suddenly heavy without the support of the water or perhaps it was leaden with Ben’s story.

  ‘Not sure what it is but it’s fruity and it has alcohol in it.’ He smiled as he handed us ours.

  I took a delicious sip and shook my head. ‘It’s only ten in the morning.’

  ‘It’s five o’clock somewhere,’ Ben said, raising his glass to Pete. ‘Cheers, mate.’

  ‘No problem. If anyone deserves a morning drink it’s you.’ Pete patted Ben on the back.

  ‘Looks like we’ve got a blossoming bromance going on here, boys,’ Britney said.

  I sat down on my towel. The day was getting hotter, and apart from a few twinkly drops of water, I was almost dry after five minutes. Ben flopped down next to me and sat back, resting on his elbows.

  ‘I could get used to a life like this,’ he said. ‘It makes you question whether a nine till five job is enough.’

  ‘I never questioned it,’ I said without thinking. ‘Before, I mean. I never thought twice about a life of working in the salon and then going home to Daniel. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed our holidays, but home was home and in the end, I was always ready to go back there.’

  ‘Do you get homesick now?’

  ‘Not so much any more. I missed my sister at first … and my sofa.’ I laughed. ‘But I speak to her on Skype – my sister, that is, not my sofa – and now it feels normal to be here. I view it as an opportunity. To leave the village, meet new people, try new things …’

  He turned his body to face me. ‘It’s turned into an opportunity for me too.’

  ***

  It’s turned into an opportunity for me too. I replayed the phrase over and over in my head in the taxi back to the ship. He could have easily been referring to the sightseeing opportunities, but something about the way he said it, with such conviction, the way he looked so intently at me with those huge brown eyes as he spoke, gave me a shiver that not even standing above the Grand Canyon could.

  Back in the spa, it was just me, Marion, and a steady flow of manicures to tend to. Since Marion had taken a shine to Ben, I decided it would be safe to bring him up during our coffee break.

  ‘Do you think you can overcome something like that?’ I asked her, referring to his cancelled wedding. Marion and I had never bonded but I couldn’t fight the urge to speak about Ben, waiting until the evening wasn’t an option.

  She regarded me curiously for a moment before I caught a slight shake of her head. ‘I could not.’ She emphasized ‘not’ in her American accent. ‘Can you imagine the humiliation and the waste of money on top of all that heartbreak?’

  ‘I get that, and in most cases I’d agree. God, I would have been an utter mess if Daniel had cancelled our wedding at the last minute. It’s just …’ I paused for a moment, wanting to get my words right. ‘Ben seems to be enjoying himself, when I’ve spotted him around the ship I mean. I’m sure I wouldn’t have even come on the cruise if I were him.’

  ‘I think he’s just making the most of it. What else can he do?’ She shrugged and walked back out to the reception. I supposed she was right. What else could he do but put on a brave face and enjoy the honeymoon at least? It was ridiculous but I found myself hoping he was moving on.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I hated water polo, but a promise was a promise. I had to go and cheer Ben on. Just before noon, I slipped out of my spa uniform and into a casual strapless maxi dress to blend in with the guests. We were allowed to wander the guest areas of the ship provided we weren’t in uniform and didn’t drink, bother the guests, or draw attention to ourselves.

  It was another hot day, but the sea breeze took the edge off. The activity pool area was bustling; it was a full cruise and we were at sea, so the pools and Jacuzzis were the obvious places to be for most people.

  The activity pool had an overflow area around it and a bank to stop the water spreading across the deck. I sat on the wooden-topped bank and took off my shoes, slipping my feet into the inch or so of cool water. There were a few people doing the same as me, except many of them had a beer or cocktail in their hand. It almost felt like I was on holiday, a little micro holiday sandwiched in the middle of a normal working day. Bliss.

  ‘Hey, you.’ Pete approached me, wearing his outdoor activity uniform of navy swim shorts and a white T-shirt embroidered with the ship’s logo. His unruly blond hair flopped about his face. ‘Are you joining us for a game?’ He pulled off his T-shi
rt, revealing his very well-honed physique. I saw a few of the ladies catching a look and had to stifle a giggle.

  ‘Dear God, no. I’m here to cheer Ben on if he shows up – I felt a bit sorry for him yesterday when he said he’d have nobody to cheer him on.’

  ‘You wimp,’ he said nudging me gently with his knee. ‘Zac is coming for a game, which is not very Zac, so I’m wondering if perhaps he may just be interested in the eye candy too?’ He winked and jumped in the pool. What did he mean by ‘too’?

  Britney’s voice came over the Tannoy, urging people to get involved in the game. A few people approached the pool in readiness to play, but there was no sign of Ben. I saw Zac heading over in a pair of swim shorts. ‘Hey, Hannah.’ He sat down next to me.

  ‘Hi, Zac. This is unlike you,’ I said casting my eyes towards his swim shorts and then to the pool.

  ‘I know, I thought I’d help Pete out a bit.’

  ‘Oh did you really?’ I said in a teasing tone. Something seemed to catch his eye, so I followed his gaze. Ben was approaching the pool area, in black swim shorts and no T-shirt. I looked back to Zac, who was still gawping at Ben. There were a few other eyes on him from around the pool too, and I have to say, I couldn’t blame them at all.

  ‘That HIIT class paid off for him,’ I whispered to Zac.

  ‘I know right? I’ve been at it for months and still look the same; he’s done, like, two sessions and gets all pumped up.’

  ‘He went today too?’ I asked, kicking myself because I almost dragged myself there but snuggled back into bed instead. Before Zac could reply we were interrupted by the loud chirp of a whistle being blown and players being called.

  ‘That’s my cue.’ Zac stood up.

  ‘Good luck,’ I said, stretching up to pat him on the back. He went over to join Pete, and I caught Ben’s eye. I smiled and gave a thumbs-up in encouragement. He mouthed ‘thank you.’

  Before long, the game was underway. There was a lot of splashing and it was difficult to see what was going on, but the game remained nil-nil until the second quarter, when Pete blew his whistle.

  ‘Foul,’ he shouted, and tossed the ball to Ben, who was in front of the goal. I sat forward. ‘Come on, Ben,’ I yelled as he took the shot, smashing it into the back of the net. ‘Yes,’ I shouted, jumping up from my seat and clapping like a parent at their child’s football match.

  I sat back down sheepishly when I realized people were staring at me. In the third quarter Ben scored again. I managed to suppress myself and simply clapped that time. Zac was doing a great job in goal, and I cheered him on too. It all went pear-shaped in the final quarter. Zac was clearly starting to tire, and the other team scored three within a couple of minutes. When the final whistle went, the other team had won by one goal, and the players climbed out of the pool.

  Ben headed towards me, once again drawing the eyes of some of the women around the pool. The winning team went up to collect their prizes, which came in the form of key rings with the ship’s logo on.

  ‘You witnessed my woeful defeat,’ he said, slinging a towel over his strong shoulder.

  ‘I know, and it all started out so well too.’

  ‘Thanks for coming though.’ He stopped to move his wet hair out of his eyes. ‘Pete’s informed me that there’s a belly flop contest next, and I’m actually really good at them, much better than I would be at normal diving.’ He grinned. ‘Since you’re such a bad omen and the aim of the game is to be really bad, can you stay and watch?’

  ‘I’m not a bad omen,’ I said, shoving him gently. ‘Maybe I’m just a really good omen for the other team!’ I looked down at my watch. I could stay for another fifteen minutes at the most. ‘I can stay for a little while.’ He sat down next to me.

  ‘This is great fun. I’m going to have a really hard time going back to work when I get home,’ he said.

  Britney’s voice boomed over the Tannoy. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, this is your last chance to take part in our world-famous belly flop competition. If you want to win an amazing Requiescence key ring then make your way over to Pete at the activity pool now.’

  ‘Well, I’d better go. I’m determined to win one of those key rings before the end of the cruise.’ He winked before getting up and heading over to Pete, who had just placed a large box by the pool for the floppers to jump from.

  Two men attempted their world-class belly flops before Ben. The first stood on the edge of the box and sort of just allowed himself to fall forward, but the second took a step back in an attempt to create a run-up effect, and flew like Superman for a very, very short distance before crashing painfully into the water. The sound alone made me cringe. I wasn’t sure how Ben was going to top that one.

  Then it was Ben’s turn. He stood on the box and curled his toes over the edge. Bending his knees, he propelled himself off the edge, arching his back and spreading his arms and legs wide before crashing spectacularly into the water below. There were a number of cheers as he pulled himself out of the water, grinning.

  ‘That may well have secured you a key ring,’ I said as he walked past and back to where the other contenders stood. I checked my watch – it was time to go. I caught Ben’s eye and pointed to my watch before waving and reluctantly heading back to work.

  ***

  Later that evening, I went into the crew bar. It was busy but I spotted everyone straight away, standing in the back corner. ‘Now you’re here, I’ve got an announcement to make,’ Pete said. His face turned serious. ‘You know how my contract is ending in a few weeks?’

  We all nodded, unsure of where he was heading. All of our contracts were ending soon and we’d kind of told one another that we’d reapply and hope we got to stay on the same ship. I’d mentioned nothing about my plans to travel instead.

  ‘Well,’ he continued. ‘I didn’t reapply for a cruise job. I’ve decided to go travelling for a year, and then I’ll probably head back to the States to be a personal trainer, maybe even look at setting up my own fitness business or something.’

  He stopped, waiting for a reaction. I paused too. He was doing what I’d started to dream about – I wanted to see how the others reacted before I told them I hadn’t reapplied either. Britney stood with a look of shock on her face, hurt written all over her beautiful features.

  ‘Well that’s good for you, brother.’ Zac patted him on the back. ‘We can’t do this for ever. Life moves on and seeing the world is a great thing to move on to. I wish you luck, man.’

  ‘That sounds brill,’ Kristy said. ‘I wouldn’t have the guts to swan off travelling like that. I prefer doing it from the safety of the ship, but I think you’d love it. I’m going to miss you though.’ She leaned over to hug him. He turned towards me for my reaction, and as he did, Britney stormed out.

  ‘You didn’t tell her until just now, did you?’ I scolded.

  ‘I’ve been back and forth trying to decide, and I didn’t want to get into an argument about it until I knew. I only just decided and I wanted to tell you guys too. I’m going to miss you all so much.’

  ‘But what about Britney?’ I asked, annoyed that Pete would just treat her this way.

  ‘I was going to ask her to come. It’s just a year out of my life. Who knows if I’ll get the chance again?’

  ‘I get it, Pete, but she doesn’t. You need to go after her and talk to her. She’s upset.’

  ‘Okay, okay, I’m going.’ He downed the rest of his drink and turned to leave.

  ‘But we support you,’ I called after him as he walked off. He didn’t turn back, but he raised his arm in the air in acknowledgement.

  I turned to Zac. ‘Have you reapplied?’

  ‘Yeah. I’m still waiting to hear if and when I’ve been assigned. I’m flying back to LA for a six-week break first though regardless.’

  ‘How about you, Kristy?’ I asked. She was rubbing at the carpet with her toe. ‘Kristy?’ I repeated.

  ‘Hmm?’ She looked up. ‘Oh, I didn’t renew.’

  �
�What? Why not?’ I asked.

  ‘The thought of starting all over again with new people didn’t appeal. I’d want to stay with you guys if I stayed. And to be honest, I’m feeling ready to go home now. Work normal hours and take holidays that feel like holidays – and have a normal relationship.’

  ‘How about you, Hannah?’ Zac asked. My heart rate picked up and my mouth started to feel dry. I took Zac’s wine glass from his hand and took a big mouthful before handing it back.

  ‘Well …’ I smiled. ‘I haven’t actually applied for another contract either. Don’t get me wrong, I intended to but I can’t shake the feeling of wanting to travel, like Pete’s going to do. I have this perfect opportunity to go and do it now. Losing everything back home was like a second chance for me, and if I commit to another contract, it will turn into another and another, and soon enough, I’ll be back in that rut. This is my chance.’

  As I said the words, it confirmed to me that it was the perfect thing to do. ‘I do want to settle down again – maybe I’ll even go back home afterwards, or return to cruise work – but I have to do this before I get too comfortable.’

  ‘It’s a great idea, Hannah. You should go for it,’ Zac said. ‘Gonna miss you though.’ He pulled me into a bear hug, sloshing his wine over my shoulder.

  ‘I agree,’ Kristy said. ‘It sounds like you need this. Maybe you should go with Pete so you’re not alone.’ I made a small non-committal noise. It was an idea, but Pete had kept this to himself for a reason. He’d have spent time trying to persuade us all to join him if that was what he wanted.

  It felt good to have finally disclosed my plans, even though they hadn’t been clear to me before. I went to the bar to get myself a drink and as I turned to go back to Zac and Kristy, Pete came back in, alone.

  ‘Did you manage to catch Britney?’