Chapter 34
Lost at Sea


Annie Joy cautiously opened one eye and peered at the clock. Damn! Only five minutes since the last time she’d checked. So much for sleeping in. She mashed down the alarm button and unwound herself from the fluffy cocoon of the duvet. Unfortunately she wasn’t fast enough. Her stomach had seen the time and growled loudly in protest. There was no way it could wait 45 minutes until room service arrived with breakfast.

She padded to the balcony and opened the drapes on the blue gray water, sparkling with pinpoints of sunlight from the wake of the ship. She pulled the sliding door open and stepped to the rail just as she did every morning to personally greet the new day. If her smile was a bit wistful, her lungfuls of fresh sea air a bit deeper, well that was understandable. It was the last day of her freedom cruise.

**********

She stepped away from the jets of hot water and lathered her hair. Her freedom cruise… ripples of excitement replaced her stomach’s grumblings, at least temporarily, and her smile widened. Yes, it had more than lived up to it’s name. She’d buried Dr. Doom and his legacy of negativity and self-doubt at sea. She was free from him, but more importantly she was free for something now and Ers was partly to thank for that.

The encouragement and support of her friends and relatives had started her comeback but then that was what they were expected to do wasn’t it? Not that she wasn’t eternally grateful, but it was the confidence and reassurance that Ers, a stranger, had shown that finally motivated her to explore new career opportunities. It was as if you hear the message from your friends over and over again but when you hear the same thing from someone who doesn’t know you, you think hmmm maybe they’re right and you finally start to believe.

But it wasn’t just Ers words. It was the way he accepted her as is, right off the rack, no alterations needed, a perfect fit. She would miss that. She would miss him She turned off the water, squeegeed her hair with her hands and hugged herself into a white fluffy towel.

That shampoo sure can make a body’s eyes water, can’t it gal? You musta’ not rinsed your hair good. You’d best be dryin’ off ‘less you’re planning on greeting room service as a mermaid.

Sorry, Great Minnie. Mope time is officially over, promise. I’m not going to waste a second more of my last day; too many things to do and opportunities to find. You know what Great Minnie? I’m going to do it. I really am.

Who knew you could get museli from room service? And her omelet was just as light and fluffy as the one served upstairs. Cinnamon rolls however were not an option. Would Ers be eating her half she wondered. Well it didn’t matter. The tall carafe of hot chocolate made up for it…almost.

Annie Joy watched the disembarkation video on the TV as she ate. It seemed pretty straightforward. Later today color coded luggage tags would be delivered along with customs forms to fill out. You put you tagged luggage out in the hall by 11:00pm and it would be waiting for you at the airport. No muss, no fuss. Then tomorrow morning you simply waited in your cabin or the public areas for your color to be called and off you went. She smiled. Non-US guests had pink tags, oh Ers would love that.

Now how should she spend her day? She definitely wanted to spend some time in the internet cafe to start researching job opportunities but that could wait till this afternoon. Let’s see what’s in the daily activities…informal bridge, arts and crafts, learn to samba with Anton & Inga, yes!

**********

“Miss Annie is sick?” Saava asked as he refilled Urs’ coffee.

He looked up from his last few spoonfuls of museli he’d been playing with,” Oh no, she’s having a late morning. The last day, packing, you know,” he explained as much for his benefit as Savva’s.

The waiter’s toothpaste advertisement smile returned, “Yes, it is a busy time, and tomorrow morning will be…” he rolled his eyes espressively.

“You are finished?” he asked motioning to the half a cinnamon roll, remnants of an omelet, and half a piece of bacon on the plate.

“Yes, thank you,” Urs rose, carefully pushed his chair in, and walked off carrying his coffee.

His disembarkation envelope was clipped to his door when he got back to the room. The stewardess had been in and a heavy plastic sheet covered the end of the bed, ready for his suitcase. He grabbed the remote, flopped down on the bed and propped himself up with pillows. Packing could wait, first he needed to find out about disembarkation. As the cruise director droned on he opened the envelope. Pink tags, it figured. Annie Joy would tease him unmercifully. Gott he’d miss that.

Urs’ suitcase sat neatly packed on the corner of his bed. Only his clothes for tomorrow and his formal suit for tonight still hung in the closet. His guitar had captured his attention for while but he still felt restless. Of course, he’d go to the gym.

**********

Annie Joy was about sambaed out. Her butt was dizzy but her speed was improving, according to Inga, and she’d certainly gotten her cardio workout for the day.

Maybe a nice cool drink on the Lido Deck. Her tall iced tea was joined by a healthy chef salad, just to prove she was not totally addicted to burgers and fries as Urs’ had teasingly observed. Too bad he hadn’t happened by when she was eating.

**********

Password? What password? She had Ers cabin number. Wasn’t that enough? Evidently not.

“Do you need help Miss?” asked the internet manager sitting a desk away.

She hadn’t sighed that loudly had she? “Oh, no thanks. I just forgot my password. I’ll be right back.” She checked her watch, lunch or the gym? One gym, many restaurants. It was a no-brainer.

Urs had finished his circuit training and was 10 minutes into his run on the treadmill when Candi and Bob came in. He waved and smiled in acknowledgement of their ‘hellos’. Behind him in the mirror he gave Candi high marks as she put Bob through his paces warming up and stretching.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of red as Annie Joy came bounding through the door. “Hi Candi, hi Bob,” she said as she hurried past them toward the treadmills. “Urs, I need you,” she declared.

Urs slowed the treadmill to a walk and then a stop. He grabbed his towel and dried his face, then slung it around his neck and struck a casual pose holding both ends. Annie Joy wasn’t quite sure if it was his lazy grin, deliberate and flirtatous or the sight of his muscled arms and chest but the combination was certainly lethal and he knew it.

“Liebe, you’ve decided to join me for a workout.” More like,’come into my parlor said the spider to the fly,’ thought Annie Joy as she tried to remember what she was here for. Urs, Candi, and Bob waited patiently.

“No, I don’t have time for that. I just need you for a few minutes,” she pleaded.

“Why Annie Joy, anyone would think you just want me for my body,” Urs winked at Bob and Candi.

Play the game Annie Joy. You’re supposed to be married. Tease him back.

“Actually I need you for your password for your internet account, but here you’d better put on your jacket anyway. I wouldn’t want to get distracted,” she added with a wink of her own as she tossed it to him. “Oh and I just finished a samba lesson so I have had my workout,” she added.

“Samba lesson?” squealed Candi. “You know how to samba? I’ve always wanted to learn. Can you teach me, please Annie Joy. Just one little lesson,” Candi begged.

It’s a good thing this is my last married day. This is getting a little too weird.
“Alright, Candi. I’ll teach you one move. You bend your knees a little, feet together and you make circles with your butt like this. Round and round.”
Annie Joy demonstrated how to do butt circles.
Urs demonstrated how to hold his jacket strategically in front of him.
“Now your turn Candi. That’s right. Try it the other direction. Olga says you have to find which direction is easier for you. There, you’ve got it. Now keep doing the circles and turn around at the same time. When you’ve got that part down, try to go faster.”

Annie Joy left Candi circling and Bob grinning like a fool. Urs, being the gentleman that he is, insisted Annie Joy go first.
“Don’t forget to put on your jacket,” she reminded him.

“I won’t,” he grizzled. “You’re not the only one who gets distracted you know.”

By the time they reached the stairs Urs had his jacket on and Annie Joy had stopped smugging. Oh Yes, he’d been distracted…big time.