Chapter 33
Two Ships in the Night


Anything you lose automatically doubles in value.
His hand that was poised to knock on Annie Joy’s door dropped to his side. Gott! Why now of all times was his brain dredging up one of his Italian grandmother’s favorite sayings?

In any case it didn’t apply to his situation with Annie Joy. Not really. You couldn’t lose something…or someone if they weren’t yours to lose in the first place. Their closeness, their relationship was only a pretense, an illusion. They both understood that.

He took a deep breath and shook out his hands to help himself relax. Urs, stop worrying. She wants a good steak and you’re doing what she wants. So what if one of the quieter, more intimate restaurants serves the best steaks. It’s not as if you’ll actually be alone with her.

She answered the door on the second knock with her purse in her hand. She must be wery hungry Urs thought as she whooshed past him as if the room was on fire. “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse,“ she declared as she claimed his arm even before he could take her hand.

To Urs’ immense relief they’d been seated quickly. Annie Joy’s little black dress was about as little as his heart could take. How could someone so short seem to have such long legs? He was in the midst of pondering this mystery when Annie Joy brought out her own diversionary tactic. She was certain if he undid one more shirt button she would not be responsible for her actions.

Urs read the cartoon Annie Joy handed to him. “I might have known you wouldn’t give up on the karoke.” His lyrical laugh filled the alcove of Cagney’s Steakhouse Restaurant.

Click here: Murder on the High C’s

“I just wanted you to realize what we’d probably missed last night,” she needled.

“You’re right about that. A shipboard reenactment of first round auditions for the X Factor,” Urs shuddered.

“Or American Idol. Sometimes I almost feel sorry for Simon Cowell…almost mind you.” Annie Joy turned her attention back to the menu.

“We thought we recognized that voice,” John boomed as he as Mary came into view around the corner. “No, no my boy, don’t bother to get up,” he added as Urs grabbed his napkin and pushed his chair back. They shook hands.

“How wonderful to see you again,” smiled Annie Joy as John bent over to kiss her cheek.

Urs watched the women greet one another. Was it his imagination or did the hug Annie Joy gave Mary seem more reminiscent of a drowning person clinging to a life preserver than a simple friendly greeting? Her questioning look gave him the answer. Of course it would seem churlish not to invite the other couple to join them.

Another table was pushed together to join theirs and as they studied their menus, Urs was glad to hide his thoughts, or in his case over-thoughts behind his. He did not dispute the fact that he deserved two mental raps on the knuckles. He just didn’t know which one should be harder. Should it be for the selfishness of not wanting to share her company with anyone tonight? Or for the relief he felt in hiding behind the other couple.

He peered over his menu and caught Annie Joy’s grateful look as she mouthed a silent thank you. He had been right; his eyes widened in understanding and he smiled faintly, conceding their shared circumstances. It would be easier if others were around, if they had little chance to be alone. But who did she think was not strong enough, Urs or herself?

They worked their way through appetizers, Urs and Annie Joy’s bungee jumping, John and Mary’s bicycling tour of covered bridges, and an excellent bottle of chardonnay by the time the steaks arrived.

“Typical men, quantity over quality,” Mary teased as John’s over-sized steak arrived followed by Urs’ only slightly smaller cut.

“Only in steak, my dear,” John retorted with a wink and reached across the table to squeeze Mary’s hand.

“I’ll second that.” Urs’ blinked and looked pointedly at Annie Joy. “Often the best things come in small packages,” he observed, glancing down at the filet on her plate almost as an afterthought.

Another time she would have been blushing in embarrassment, but tonight all she felt was flattered. She and Urs had relaxed into an easy give and take… just like the last time they’d been with John and Mary at Prego. That must be IT! With them there was no pressure, no pretense of being married, and it was tremendously freeing. She and Urs were merely two people who met on a ship and were attracted to each other.

On second thought perhaps it was not only Annie Joy that held an attraction for Urs. “Ers, didn’t your mother tell you it’s not nice to steal food?” Annie Joy asked as he swiped yet another of her French fries or as the menu read: Pommes frites cooked in an infusion of white truffle oil.

His explanation was an apologetic little boy grin and a shrug of his elegantly clad shoulders, a combination Annie Joy found impossible to resist.

“I can see why you love to cruise,” Annie Joy murmured as Mary finished describing their romantic New Years Eve in Buenos Aires last year on a South American cruise to celebrate their anniversary.

“We try to do at least one a year,” John explained. “And we always plan on seeing some plays if we sail out of New York. Mary’s love for the theater has kind of worn off on me over the years, hasn’t it love?”

“That must be wonderful,” Annie Joy sighed. “I’m going to do that one day,” she added with a smile big enough to light up the great white way.

Urs thought about the many times he’d been in New York yet he’d never seen a Broadway play either. Of course he was always there as Il Divo and every minute of his time seemed scheduled. It was just the nature of the beast. Well, maybe there had been some free time, he conceded, remembering visits to guitar shops.

He pictured Annie Joy sitting next to him in a darkened theater. She would be immersed in the drama or music onstage. He would take his pleasure in seeing her enjoyment. Was that how John felt in the beginning? He quickly pushed those thoughts from his mind. There would not be a beginning with Annie Joy.

Conversation dwindled as dessert arrived, chocolate fondue. Although Urs came in for some teasing about his unfair advantage in being Swiss and his decidedly ‘professional’ dipping technique, everyone managed to fill themselves delightfully full.


The table was cleared for coffee and the ladies excused themselves.

“So how was your first cruise?” Mary asked as she turned off the water and shook her hands.

“I loved it. The weather, the scenery, seeing all those historical places, the touring, it was all perfect,” Annie Joy raved.

“And Urs, how was he?” Mary prodded then rushed on as she saw Annie Joy’s mouth fall open and her cheeks begin to flush.

“Oh no, my dear, please don’t be embarrassed.” She reached out and touched her arm. “I didn’t mean it that way,” she apologized. “You can tell me to mind my own business., you know. It’s just that you and Urs seem to really like each other. I see the connection you have when you look at each other. I only wondered if you were going to keep in touch,” Mary asked hopefully.

A fleeting smile crossed Annie Joy’s face at the irony of her words. “I hardly think so, Mary. Urs has a girlfriend I’m afraid, so she’s the one he’ll be connecting with and touching.”

“Then that’s his loss. Two ships passing in the night and all that. Never you mind, Annie Joy. Plenty of other fish in the sea.” Mary clucked encouragingly as her mother hen instincts came to the fore.

Meanwhile John wasted no time in cutting to the chase. “You and Annie Joy seem to really hit it off, Urs. Take my advice, she’s a keeper.”

Urs decided some neutral Swiss diplomacy was needed immediately if not sooner. If left to his own devices it sounded as if John would have the ship’s captain ready and waiting in the wings to marry them.

“Yes, Annie Joy is wery nice,” Urs said choosing his words carefully so as not to be misconstrued by John. Suddenly he thought of Annie Joy in the ladies with Mary and wondered if she was getting the female version of John’s speech.

“Nice? Weather is nice,” John said, obviously disappointed in Urs lack of enthusiasm.

Urs sighed and tried to let John down as gently as possible. “I know you mean well, John, but Annie Joy and I are just friends. I’m in a relationship right now and Annie Joy knows that.”

“Oh, sorry then for butting in. We…er I …you get along so well with each other, that’s all,” he finished lamely.

Oh yes, Annie Joy must be getting the same speech from Mary.

“Ah, here’s the girls, just in time for coffee. Cream and sugar Annie Joy?” offered John solicitously.

**********

“…and in the blink of an eye we went from connected to two ships passing in the night,” Annie Joy said with a passable imitation of a chuckle.

“They’re a great couple. Wanting to keep in touch even after we burst their little bubble. That reminds me I need your address so I can send you one of our CD’s. Here’s mine.” Urs handed Annie Joy his card and she tore a page from her notebook and wrote her address just as she’d done for Mary and John.

Annie Joy cupped the snifter to warm the brandy and took a sip. She sat back totally relaxed and closed her eyes and allowed Fabrizio’s music to wash over her.

“I’m thinking of getting a permanent butterfly tattoo.”

“Like…” Urs’ voice made a funny squeak, he cleared his throat and tried again, “Like the one you have?”

“Yeah, It’s kind of growing on me, you know.” She gave a giggle at the unintended pun.

“So do you think I should?” She waited for Urs to answer. When he didn’t, she opened her eyes. His had taken on a slightly glazed look and his fingers appeared to be moving slowly in small patterns on the arms of the chair. She took that as a yes.

“I could never get a tattoo,” Urs declared emphatically after a few minutes.

“Chicken?” Annie Joy accused.

“No, of course not,” he bristled. “It wouldn’t go with our image. Even if it couldn’t be seen when we’re onstage someone might notice if I went to the gym.”

“Hmmm, yes I see your point,” Annie Joy agreed sympathetically. “It could come back to bite you in the bum.” A wicked grin spread over her face. “Unless of course you got one there.” Naturally Urs’ hand flew to his backside. Annie Joy doubled over with laughter.

Fabrizio’s set ended and they took that as their cue to call it a night.

“I think I’m going to sleep in tomorrow since it’s our last day,” Annie Joy decided. “ I need to buy a few more souvenirs and start packing so I probably won’t see you till dinner. We’re eating with Paige and Candi right?”

Safety in numbers, thought Urs, as he seconded the idea. “Yes, of course. We can’t miss our last formal night now can we? I’m going to spend some time with my new guitar.”

The elevator door opened on their floor. “You know Urs, I don’t really think you’re a chicken for not wanting a tattoo. In fact I was very impressed by how brave you were on your first bungee jump.”

Urs didn’t speak until they reached her door. He had never lied to her and he wouldn’t start now. He knew he had to tell her. He held her shoulders lightly. “Annie Joy, that wasn’t my first bungee jump,” he confessed in a low voice as he anxiously searched her face for a reaction.

“It wasn’t?” her voice and her brows rose in confusion.

“No, the first time, I screamed like a girl,” he whispered in her ear, then softly kissed her cheek. “Good night Annie Joy.”

By the time Annie Joy thought to close her mouth he was nearing the end of the hall.

Annie Joy smiled as she got ready for bed. She smiled at the idea of two ships passing in the night. As she closed her notebook and turned out the light she was still smiling. Smiling as she pictured Ers screaming, smiling at his little boy grin of apology, and smiling most of all because he thought it was important to tell her the truth.

Click here: Two ships in the night