Chapter 7
“The Bimini tour was the bomb.” Gloria hugged Millie. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Dot patted Scout’s head. “You’re spoiling us rotten with all these VIP tours.”
“We know your time off is a precious commodity,” Lucy said. “Thank you for spending it with us.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Millie adjusted her backpack. “Don’t forget you’re invited to the captain’s table for dinner this evening. Seven sharp.”
“We’ll be there with bells on,” Gloria promised.
“I bought a new dress for the occasion,” Liz said.
Ruth opened her mouth, ready to fire off a witty reply.
Anticipating it, Liz promptly shut her down. “I love shopping. Floyd loves making me happy. It’s a win-win.”
“Never change.” Millie patted her shoulder. “You’re a one-of-a-kind original, and we love you the way you are.”
“Thanks, Millie,” Liz sniffled. “At least someone understands me.”
“We understand you and love you too,” Gloria said. “Maybe we’re a smidgen jealous. I mean, you have it all.”
“We wouldn’t be here without you,” Margaret added. “Both you and Millie.”
“I’m so excited you were able to cruise with us again.” Millie reminded them of the dinner time before parting ways to drop her pup off and change into her work uniform.
While she dressed, she thought about Liz, Gloria and the others, each with unique and quirky personalities, yet complimenting one another, not unlike her own close-knit group—Danielle, Cat, Felix, Sharky and Annette.
Having friends was as important as having family, and Millie was convinced she had the best.
*****
Millie’s eyes flew open. She instinctively reached for Nic, only to find his side of the bed was empty. She rolled over, a groan escaping her lips as she glanced at the clock: 6:15 a.m.
She threw the covers back and swung her legs over the side. First things first, she opened the curtains to check their location. South Seas Cay, Majestic Cruise Lines’ private island, sat off in the distance. Bright sunshine. Sandy beaches. Swaying palm trees and…towering waves.
Stepping closer, Millie guesstimated the wave height. “Those are some pretty big waves,” she told her pup, who sat watching her. “I hate to say it, but something tells me we’re in for a sea day.”
Moving quickly, she showered and dressed. Making the bed in record time, she hurried downstairs to find coffee and a note from Nic, telling her he loved her.
She let Scout out onto the balcony and discovered Siren of the Seas was sitting offshore, not moving closer to port. Although the skies were bright and sunny, a brisk wind loosened strands of her hair.
Millie finished her coffee, poured what was left in the pot into her to-go mug and hustled onto the bridge. Nic stood at the control panel, radio in hand and a somber look on his face.
She crossed the bridge, catching the tail end of his conversation. “…too risky. We’ll have to continue to our next port stop in Grand Turk. Full steam ahead to avoid the cold front that is creating these less-than-perfect sea conditions.”
“Yes, Captain.” Suharto signed off, promising to let the gangway crew know their private island stop was a “no go.”
“Another sea day?” Millie asked when he was done.
“Unfortunately. It’s too rough to dock or tender to shore.”
“I’ll let the passengers know. I’m sure they’re hanging out near the gangway, eager to get off.” Millie assured him she would make the announcement immediately. Exiting the bridge, she made a beeline for the sound booth.
Instead of Cameron, another technician sat inside the small room. “Morning, Millie.”
“Good morning.”
“You’re here early.”
“To break the bad news we won’t be getting off in South Seas Cay.”
“Bummer.”
Millie reached for the headphones. “A big bummer. South Seas is a favorite port stop.”
The technician adjusted the microphone. “Let me know when to hit the ‘live’ button.”
“Count of three.”
“One…two…three.” He gave her a thumbs up.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is your cruise director, Millie. As you can see from looking out the windows, we’ve reached South Seas Cay.
Unfortunately, although the skies are clear, the seas aren’t cooperating, which means the captain has deemed it unsafe for us to dock or shuttle to shore.
The good news is we have a day of fun-filled activities for you to enjoy on board.
The pools will be open with deck games and live music—everything to keep you entertained while cruising on the high seas.
” She wrapped it up by listing several more popular activities and signed off.
“Nice spin,” the tech said. “It makes me want to play hooky and go hang out by the pool.”
“You and me both. However, my day has not even begun.” Millie's next stop was the buffet to grab a few slices of bacon, scrambled eggs, and a bowl of mixed fruit. After gobbling her food, she topped off her coffee mug and headed to her office.
Because of the unplanned sea day, she would need to “fill in the blanks,” adding activities, uploading a revised app schedule, all within the hour.
She settled in at the desk, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Years of practice meant Millie had an arsenal of “for emergency use” activities on standby. She added another round of bingo, guaranteed to thrill Liz, no doubt.
Leaning back in her chair, she double-checked the schedule to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. A familiar figure appeared, interrupting her train of thought.
“I figured I would find you here, scrambling to come up with activities seeing how passengers aren’t going ashore.”
“Not counting my cousin Liz, our guests are only going to want so many rounds of bingo.”
“Or trivia.” Danielle plopped down in the chair. “I stopped by the galley to grab a ready-to-go breakfast meal and ran into Amit. He was finishing up a batch of chocolate croissants. Have you tried them?”
“Yes, and they’re divine,” Millie said. “He has another hit on his hands. Too bad we don’t have more cooking activities planned for this voyage.”
Danielle snapped her fingers. “That’s it.”
“What’s it?”
“Why not add a chocolate croissant creating class? It’s fun. It’s new.”
“I’m sure Annette’s Culinary Creations class has already sold out. I wonder if Amit would be willing to host his own class, but on a larger scale.” Millie reached for her radio. “Amit, do you copy?”
“I’m here, Miss Millie.”
“How are your chocolate croissants doing?”
“I have them all made for the VIP party. Do you want me to save you another one?”
“No thanks. The reason for my call is Danielle and I are brainstorming. We can’t dock at South Seas Cay because of the weather. I’m trying to fill the day with extra activities. What do passengers love more than food?”
“I don’t know. They are always hungry,” he replied.
“Always,” Millie agreed. “How do you feel about hosting a class of your own, teaching passengers how to create your delicious croissants?”
“I have helped Miss Annette host her class many times. As you already saw, it is easy with simple ingredients. When?”
Millie glanced at her schedule and the open spot she hadn’t yet filled. “How does one o’clock sound?”
“I can make it happen.” Amit’s voice grew muffled, and Millie could tell he was on the move. “How many people?”
“How many can you handle?”
“Thirty, maybe thirty-five will fit in my bakery area.”
“I’ll post sign-up sheets for thirty for a one o’clock chocolate croissant-making class in the galley. Thanks, Amit.”
“You are welcome. I might need a hand.”
“You’ll have two. Mine.”
“I would very much enjoy working with you,” Amit said. “I will be waiting.”
“You’re the best.” Millie thanked him and triumphantly waved her radio in the air. “I’ll add the chocolate croissant class and send out the revised schedule.”
“We are talking about Amit, here. He tends to be a little.” Danielle paused, struggling to find the right word. “Klutzy.”
“He is, but his heart is in the right spot and he cheerfully agreed to help. Plus, I’ll be on hand to assist in case things go sideways. What’s a day at sea without a little improvisation?”