* * *
During their cocktail hour, Nina and Richard had a lively conversation about who their favorite comedians were, when it struck Richard why he recognized Nina. “Aren’t you the actress who plays Mitzi on Family Blessings?”
“Guilty as charged.” She raised both her hands in surrender.
“You’re pretty cute and funny.”
“Not much longer.” Nina tried to hide the embarrassment.
“What happened, if you don’t mind my asking.”
“The show is being canceled. A few of the actors want to do other projects.” Nina held on to her dignity.
“What’s next for you?” Richard asked casually.
“I’m considering working on a sitcom as a writer.” Nina was trying to get used to that idea.
“That could be very cool.” Richard was encouraging and enthusiastic.
“I think so.” And she did. Finally. She had made up her mind. Even if she didn’t like the work in progress, she’d make sure she liked it after getting her hands on it. “I’ll be moving back East in February.”
“New York?” Richard assumed.
“Close. I’ll be house-sitting for my parents for the winter until I figure out where I can go with a Bernese mountain dog.” She chuckled. Nina realized that she was very comfortable with Richard. He was easy to talk to, and they seemed to have a number of things in common. Two on the list of “Most Important” to Nina: dogs and humor.
Richard checked his watch. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I have a dinner appointment.”
Nina’s heart sank as she courageously faked not being defeated. The emotional roller-coaster ride was wreaking havoc with her stomach. “As do I. Shall we?” She stood, making sure her legs weren’t wobbly. “Where are you headed?”
“The main dining room,” Richard said nonchalantly.
Oh great. I get to watch him have dinner with another woman. Nina was not going to let her thought-balloon show.
“So am I,” Nina said with confidence. “I wonder if there’s going to be dancing.”
“I guess we’ll find out.” Richard made room for Nina to get into the elevator. Both of them looked up at the same time. The bedraggled mistletoe was hanging by a thread. He didn’t know how to react. He pointed and hesitated.
“I’m not much for tradition,” Nina lied. “But if you are, I would be happy to comply.” Boy, that was so lame.
Richard tilted his head and gave her a peck on the cheek.
“I’m not sure if that counts.”
Nina didn’t know how to respond. Fortunately, the doors opened, and two more people stepped in. Neither said a word to the other until they came to the main dining room floor. Talk about awkward.
When they arrived at the station of the maître d’, Nina gave him her name. Richard was next.
“This way, please.”
Nina was a little puzzled. It appeared that they were being guided to the same table. She was about to say something until she realized they were both being led to the captain’s table.
The roller coaster in her stomach continued. She counted herself plus three friends, the captain, the first mate, and Richard. Who was that other chair for? She thought she was going to puke and hoped it didn’t show.
They were greeted by the captain and the first mate. “Your friends are perusing the items in the silent auction.”
“Excellent idea. Do you mind if I join them for a few minutes?”
“Please do. And sign up for as many items as you want. It’s for a good cause,” Kenzo indicated, with a sweep of his arm.
Nina didn’t wait for a response from Richard. She raced over to the table where Frankie was standing and acted blasé as she gritted her teeth. “OK, let’s pretend we’re not talking about the guy I just had drinks with.”
“OK. I see he’s sitting at our table. How did you manage that? You get double rewards for being naughty?” Frankie kept smiling and pointed to items, feigning interest.
“I had nothing to do with it. He mentioned he had a dinner thing here, and we walked in together.”
“But isn’t that good news?” Frankie made a move to bid on a day excursion to Tulum.
“There is still one empty chair at the table. Maybe it’s his date.”
“And maybe it’s not.” Frankie looked up and saw Peter shaking the captain’s hand.
“Honey pie, it’s old-home week at the table. Hooligans and company.”
Nina pretended not to notice Peter taking the seat between Frankie’s and Amy’s.
“It’s boy-girl-boy-girl. Richard is between you and me. The captain is on your other side, then Rachael, then Kenzo. Perfect.”
“I am so nervous,” Nina admitted.
“Stop. You need to allow yourself to have a good time.”
“I know. You’re right. OK. Let’s bid on some of these things. It’s for a good cause.”
Rachael sidled up to them. “Hope you’re plunking down a lot of coin.”
“We are.” Frankie picked an excursion to Stingray City off Grand Cayman. She really had no interest in swimming with them, but if she won, she’d give it to Amy. She also bid on a bottle of Dom Pérignon, and several gift cards. She was happy to discover one of the plates she had admired in the gallery was also up for auction. The starting bid was $300. What the heck. It was for a good cause. She wrote down her name with $350 next to it.
Frankie reminded the others that they would have to keep coming back to check on their bids. Each prize was accompanied by a clipboard with lined paper. Its purpose was to provide a list for people to add to their bids. Each item had its value labeled on the sheet, together with an opening bid. There was also a notice of what increment was necessary to outbid the previous person. It could be anything—five dollars, ten dollars, or more. Often, the auction came down to two people bidding against each other and going over the actual value, just for the fun of it. It was important to keep checking the item so as not to lose out.
“We can also keep an eye out from our table.” Amy noticed that they were in direct line with the captain’s table. “Nina, I think you have the best line of sight.”
“Please don’t give me a job to do. I’m jittery enough as it is. I can’t deal with the pressure.” She was only half joking.
“We’ll take turns,” Frankie said, ending the debate.
As the women approached the table, all four men stood and helped them into their chairs.
“I hope you don’t mind,” the captain stated. “Chivalry is not dead on my ship. We have total respect for you.”
“As much as I am for equal rights and equal pay, a kind gesture is always appreciated.” Frankie beamed.
Before the first course was served, the waiter checked to see if there were any allergies or food concerns. Everyone answered in the negative.
Fifteen minutes later, the first course of lump crabmeat with a side of avocado toast was served. “I am so impressed with the food, Captain Sideris.” Nina complimented the staff.
“Thank you. We pride ourselves on the finest cuisine at sea.”
“It’s quite impressive.” Richard added to the conversation. “You have such a variety of cuisines, and so far, everything has been delicious and beautifully presented.”
“We are, what I like to consider, a floating village. And I am the mayor.” He raised his glass of a dry sauvignon blanc.
Words of salutation went around the table.
When the last morsels were devoured, the plates were cleared from the table. Shortly thereafter, the second course arrived. It was a grilled vegetable risotto.
The moans and groans of palate delight echoed throughout the large dining room.
“Sounds like a success,” Peter noted. “Tell me, sir, do you have the same crew all the time?”
“We have a corps of seamen and staff. The main dining room is part of our jurisdiction, shall we say. The other restaurants and shops are responsible for their own staffing.”
“They are d
oing a splendid job,” Peter indicated.
“I appreciate the positive feedback.” The captain turned to Richard and Peter. “I assume you have all met based on the conversations, but tell me, did you know about Rachael and Nina’s brush with the law?”
Richard did a double take at Nina.
“The law?” Peter exclaimed.
“At sea. I am the law. International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, Chapter 5, Regulation 34-1.”
Rachael and Nina gave each other sideward glances and started to shrink in their seats.
“Fortunately, I didn’t have to throw them in the brig. Although it’s not officially called a brig on a cruise. More like cruise ship jail.”
“What was the offense?” Richard asked curiously. He was, after all, involved in one of the pranks.
“Apparently, they had some issues with our décor.”
“Décor?” Peter was bewildered. Then he remembered running into them when they were on their mistletoe mission. “Oh wait, you mean the green stuff?”
“Akrivós! Correct.” All four women slid down deeper into their chairs.
Richard looked at Nina. “Criminal behavior. I am a lawyer, you know.”
“Right.” Nina nodded. “I think I’ll go check on the auction items.”
“I think you need adult supervision.” Richard pulled her chair out and followed her to the auction tables.
Rachael tried to give Frankie a kick under the table but knocked into Kenzo’s leg instead.
“Ouch.” He gave a little yelp.
“I am so sorry.” Rachael grabbed his arm.
“Shall we add assault to the charges, Captain?” Kenzo joked.
“I felt my shoe coming off and I was trying to get it back on without crawling under the table.” Rachael was becoming a great storyteller.
Frankie bit the inside corner of her mouth. It appeared it was becoming a common occurrence with her. She set her sights on Nina and Richard. Things seemed to be moving along nicely. Richard had a good sense of humor, and he liked dogs. Frankie knew how important that was for Nina.
Frankie didn’t want to interrupt her friend, who was with potential date material, but she wanted to check her bids.
Rachael fumbled under the table, trying to make her fib seem real. “I think I’ll head over to see how things are going.” She was more specific. “For the auction.” She knew what everyone else was thinking. Maybe not the captain or Kenzo, but the others for sure.
“Let me accompany you,” Kenzo offered. “I am curious to see which of the items are the most popular.”
Amy, Frankie, Peter, and Captain Sideris were left alone at the table.
“I trust you are having an enjoyable trip?” The captain gazed into his wineglass.
“It’s been wonderful.” Amy leaned in. “I’m helping with the dessert tonight.”
“Ah. You took the cooking class today?”
“Yes. It was loads of fun.”
“And, Frankie, what did you do this afternoon?”
“I took the painting class. My painting will be on display tomorrow.” She took a sip of wine as the busboys cleared the table, replacing utensils for the next course.
“That’s marvelous.” Captain Sideris raised his glass. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I’ve dabbled a bit, but I never seemed to have the time to take it on as a real hobby. Besides, my cat, Bandit, would probably think the paints are for him to play with.”
“Cats are interesting creatures.” He turned to Amy. “And you? What line of work are you in?”
Amy blushed. “I am a bioengineer in Silicon Valley. I volunteer at a no-kill shelter, and I have two cats, Blinky and Hop-Along.”
“Bioengineering? Sounds impressive.”
“Nah. It’s actually kind of boring. We get parts of projects; and then the work we do gets sent somewhere else. Most of the time we don’t even know who the end user is.”
Frankie chimed in. “Amy is a certified genius. We’re hoping she gets a professorial position at MIT. We want her back on the East Coast.”
“MIT?”
“Yes, I’m an MIT graduate, a faculty position opened up, and I am one of the candidates.”
“Wonderful,” Captain Sideris exclaimed. “We don’t get a lot of professors on our ship. I’m not sure why.”
“They’re too busy with their heads in their books.” Amy laughed.
The others returned to the table. Nina looked over at Frankie. “I hope you don’t mind, but I increased your bid for the champagne by twenty-five dollars. You’re on the hook for $150 if no one outbids you.”
“It’s still a bargain. We’ll drink it on New Year’s Eve.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Nina said, hoping Richard would want to share a glass with her.
The third course was being served. It was a Caribbean version of surf and turf. The beef was filet mignon, but the turf part was a combination of shellfish in a slightly spicy Caribbean sauce made with a special blend of green herbs served on wilted greens. The conversation wound down as everyone savored the delicious meal.
“Save room for dessert,” Amy blurted out.
The captain smiled at her, knowing already that she was involved in serving the dessert. “Do I suspect you also have something up your sleeve?”
“I’m zipping my lips,” Amy said coyly.
“Speaking of zipping one’s lips. Rachael, you’ve been unusually quiet,” Nina noted.
Rachael was obviously distracted by something. She checked her watch. Five more minutes. “Who, little ol’ me?” She batted her eyes and did her best Scarlett O’Hara impersonation. “I’m simply enjoying the pleasure of your company and the marvelous cuisine.”
A small jazz combo was playing soft Latin music in the background when they were interrupted by a loud bang. A crashing of drums and a horn section filled the room with sound. It was the introduction to “Boogie Wonderland” by Earth, Wind & Fire, with the first word of the song ordering people to “Dance.” Rachael was one of the eighteen guests from different parts of the dining room who jumped up, strutted to the dance floor, and formed a flash mob. They performed the moves they had practiced with Henry in perfect coordination. Not a single misstep. The audience went wild. People were clapping, others were “chair-dancing,” and some stood up to rock with the music. Thunderous applause blasted off the walls. Henry was ecstatic over the proficiency of his class.
Rachael was sashaying back to her chair when a voice came over the PA system. “Ms. Rachael Newmark. You’re not done,” Henry announced from the other side of the ballroom. She stopped short and turned around.
“Me?”
“Please.” Henry motioned for her to come back to the dance floor.
“Ladies and gentlemen. I’d like to introduce you to one of my prima students, Rachael Newmark. She will be joining our foundation when we return to New York.” Then he took her by the hand and led her to the middle of the floor. The music turned to a sensuous tango. Henry gripped her by the waist, and they became a flowing, fluid, organic work of art. It was spectacular. For the first time since she could remember, Rachael felt that she had been validated. She had talent. Real talent. And she would parlay that into working with a wonderful organization that existed to help others. She knew she could balance both her business and this new opportunity. Yes. Rachael Newmark was her own woman.
Henry spun her around and ended the dance with the traditional deep dip. Again, the crowd went crazy, with a standing ovation. He kissed her hand, and they both took a bow. Rachael returned to her table, where everyone continued to clap. It was a cacophony of questions, praises, hugs, and kisses.
“Wow.” Amy squealed. “All I’m doing is setting some rum on fire. You set the whole room on fire.”
Rachael was glowing. You would have thought she had won the lottery. And maybe in her mind, she had.
Between the flash mob and the tango, the servers had quickly cleared the tables, preparing for dessert. An anno
uncement came over the PA: “Dessert assistants, please go to your appointed stations.”
“There’s my cue.” Amy scooted over to the table that held the ingredients for the bananas Foster. There were eight serving tables surrounding the perimeter of the dance floor. She spotted her friend Charlie. They gave each other a thumbs-up.
The instructor gave the rehearsed signal for the group to light their mini torches, and the next signal was to light the rum. The dance floor was encircled with a ring of fiery bananas, and oohs and aahs were coming from the audience. Servers scurried to complete the dishes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve the dessert to the guests.
Once dessert was served, the carts were removed. The sound of jingling bells announced the arrival of a jolly old man in a red suit, with someone dressed like an elf. “Sorry, folks, for being a little late. I’ve been busy delivering presents. We had to deal with a bit of wind, which slowed us down.” The audience chuckled. “As you know, the proceeds of tonight’s auction items will be going to Maestro Henry Dugan’s Let’s Dance Foundation for People with Special Needs.” The crowd applauded. “I’d like to announce the winners, while my assistant will tally the take.” He began to read off the names. “For the stingray excursion, the winner is Frankie Cappella.” Hoots came from the table, and Frankie went over to the area where her certificate awaited. Before she had a chance to return, he announced the winner of the Dom Pérignon. Again, “Frankie Cappella.” Frankie settled up with the elf and happily presented Amy with the voucher.
Amy was gushing. “Oh, Frankie. That is so nice of you. Thank you so much.”
Santa continued calling off the names as people fetched their items. The process took about fifteen minutes. “The final auction item, a helicopter tour of the Blue Hole, goes to Amy Blanchard.”
Amy was beside herself. “Oh my gosh.” She was gushing so much, you would have thought she had just been named prom queen. The two things she wanted to do were now on her agenda. She was jumping up and down like a little kid.
Once she settled down, Santa continued. “Ladies and gentlemen, because of your generosity, I am pleased to announce that we have raised over five thousand dollars tonight.” More applause filled the room. “Enjoy the rest of your evening. And remember, I’ve got my eyes on you.”
Santa Cruise Page 22
