Chapter 4
“Vanished into thin air,” Millie repeated.
“The rescue crew and Coast Guard located the exact spot where the distress signal came from but couldn’t find anything.”
“It’s dark. They may have drifted,” she theorized. “Or their transponder stopped working.”
“Our team did the best they could given the circumstances.” Nic’s radio went off. He excused himself to return to the bridge.
Annette consulted her watch. “I suppose I should head back to the galley to prep for breakfast.”
“And I must finish my batch of chocolate croissants, the ones for this week’s Diamond Platinum party.” Amit pressed his fingertips to his lips. “So exquisite.”
Millie perked up. “Chocolate croissants? I don’t remember ever having seen them on board.”
Annette proudly patted her former protégé’s shoulder. “Amit is rocking his new position. He’s been hard at work perfecting the recipe.”
“If you have time, I will show you. Not only are they delicious, but they’re easy to make.”
“Dinner consisted of a ham and cheese slider I grabbed on my way through the buffet. I wouldn’t mind taste-testing for you,” Millie hinted.
“Two expert tasters are better than one.” Amit promised to meet them in the bakery while the friends began the arduous climb to the upper deck.
As a general rule Millie avoided elevators, easily reaching the upper deck without breaking a sweat. To her surprise, she found Annette was also barely winded.
“I’m impressed.”
“By what?” Annette reached for the railing.
“You climbed those stairs like a champ.”
“I’ve been making a point of avoiding the elevators seeing how they’re always crowded. I find the stairs easier to navigate. The exercise is an added bonus.”
“Good for you.”
Strolling along the corridor, they reached the galley and veered right toward the bakery section.
Amit stood at the counter alongside two members of his team.
Half of the prep counter was filled with rolled pastry while an array of stainless steel mixing bowls lined the other.
The tantalizing aroma of melted chocolate filled the air.
A tray of golden-brown, fresh-from-the-oven croissants sat cooling in nearby trays.
“Look at those yummy croissants.” Annette leaned in for a closer inspection. “You nailed the golden-brown part.”
“I have finally figured out the exact temperature and baking time for them to reach golden goodness. As I said, I have perfected the chocolate croissant.”
“I’m curious,” Millie said. “You mentioned how easy they were to make.”
Amit lifted his fingers. “There are only three ingredients—pastry, chocolate, and eggs, plus powdered sugar if you want a pinch more sweetness. I will show you.”
He walked to the opposite end of the counter. “The first step is to thaw the pastry dough. When it is thawed, gently roll it out. You’ll also need to break up chunks of semisweet chocolate.”
“I bet the hardest part is figuring out exactly where to place the chunks of chocolate,” Annette said.
“You are correct.” After arranging the pieces, he rolled the dough over the top. He repeated the steps, strategically adding the chocolate and rolling the dough until forming a flawless croissant. He finished by tucking in the ends and placing the ready-to-bake pastry on an empty baking sheet.
“Where does the egg come in?” Millie asked.
“At the end. Once the tray is full, I whisk water and an egg and brush it over the top.”
Annette licked her lips. “Now for my favorite part. Sampling the finished product.”
Amit grabbed a clean plate and eased a golden croissant on top before handing it to her. He passed another croissant to Millie before taking one for himself. “Bon appétit.”
Millie lifted her croissant. “Bon appétit.” She nibbled the corner, savoring the flaky croissant filled with a generous amount of rich chocolate.
Balancing the plate in one hand, she took another bite, digging into the sweet treat. The gooey chocolate, mingled with the buttery croissant, melted in her mouth. “Oh my goodness,” she groaned. “Chocolate croissant…where have you been all my life?”
“It is very good,” Amit said.
“The best.” Millie gobbled the rest of her treat. “You knocked this one out of the park. Do you mind if I take one home for Nic? I bet he would love these.”
Amit promptly placed two more on a plate and covered them with plastic wrap. “What do you think happened to the boat in distress?”
“I don’t know. Either they fixed the issue and took off, lost signal and floated out of range or…”
“Sank.” Annette finished Millie’s sentence. “Hopefully they resolved the issue and are on their way to port.”
Millie’s scheduler app chimed. “I need to get back to work. Thanks for the delicious treat, Amit. You have a hit on your hands.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Annette said. “I’m proud of you for enthusiastically embracing your new job and running with it.”
“Thanks to you, Miss Annette.” Amit placed his hand on his heart. “I would not be here if not for your guidance. You are my very best friend.”
Annette blinked rapidly. “You’re my best friend too, bud. And on that note, I better go before I start blubbering all over the place.”
Millie thanked Amit again and headed home to drop off the special treats, thinking about how proud Annette was of Amit, how she’d helped him by taking him under her wing and teaching him the “tricks of the trade.”
She still remembered the day when he’d been promoted to overseeing the bakery. He’d stepped in with confidence, enthusiasm, and ideas of his own—the chocolate croissants being a perfect example.
Dropping off the goodies, she ran downstairs to host her next event before tracking down her special guests. She found Gloria and friends in the lounge taking part in a round of trivia, all about “Siren of the Seas.”
She lingered off to the side until the room cleared. “How’s it going?”
“So far so good,” Gloria said.
Millie counted heads. “Where’s Liz?”
“Lurking somewhere around here,” Dot said. “My guess is wherever bingo is being played.”
Gloria turned, giving her cousin her full attention. “We noticed the ship stopping and what appeared to be a smaller boat out in the water. Is everything all right?”
Millie explained what had happened, how the bridge had received a mayday signal. “Our security team dispatched a rescue vessel. The Coast Guard joined in the search, but they couldn’t find anyone.”
Ruth’s jaw dropped. “Did the boat sink?”
“I don’t know. I hope not.” Millie’s radio went off.
She unclipped it from her belt. “Go ahead, Danielle.”
“Where are you?”
“In the lounge, chatting with Gloria and the others.”
“Could you meet me at the coffee bar?”
“Now?”
“Yes, please. Your cousin, Liz.” Danielle lowered her voice. “She’s having some sort of meltdown.”