Chapter Twenty-five
Twenty-five
My stomach was a cocktail of last-day-of-school excitement and end-of-holiday blues.
I’d been awake and full of butterflies for what felt like hours; not least because I had a big, sexy man in my bed (good butterflies) who I’d crossed the business-pleasure boundary with once again (bad butterflies).
My cardinal work rule had been broken for the fourth time in a week.
Ooops. At least there was only one day of professionalism left to navigate before I could hide away and think about what I’d done.
Leo looked so cute with his head on my chest, snoring gently.
I had a horrible feeling it was well into breakfast time, but I didn’t want to risk waking him up to lean over and check my phone.
Just a few more minutes of snuggling and then I’d get up.
An alarm started screeching and made us both jump, then Leo lay back down.
‘Is that mine?’ he mumbled, as it carried on.
‘Either that or there’s a fire. Quick! Zach will hear it through the walls!’
He barely moved, reaching one hand under the pillow to turn the alarm off. ‘I didn’t think it could get any tighter than a bunk bed under Zach – yet here I am now sharing one with you.’ Leo pulled me in tight and one of the mattress springs popped.
I giggled. ‘It’s a lesson in gratitude.’
‘Yep. You don’t know what you’ve got until you’ve only got half of it.’
We unravelled ourselves and wriggled out from under the bed, standing and stretching at the same time. Leo could almost get his elbows on the ceiling as he swayed, opening his eyes fully and accepting the inevitable – morning was upon us.
I couldn’t resist kissing his bare chest. ‘You can rest when you’re home.’
‘True. Sleep was never promised. I’ll be back in my own bed tomorrow night. My soft, comfy double bed with two pillows. I’ll be a physical wreck if I stay here much longer.’ He stretched again and checked his watch. ‘Shit! It’s nearly ten!’
‘Is it?’ OK, that was later than I’d thought.
‘Zach and I have got a call – I better run. See you later for our final “test” – whatever it might be.’
He hopped into his jeans and threw his T-shirt on, hitting his head on the doorframe as he left, and the room felt instantly colder without his sunny energy.
I flicked on the radio to fill the void and Spanish guitar music played an appropriate lament while I got ready for our last day on the ocean.
I hated goodbyes and this was potentially the beginning of a goodbye relay – Esmeralda, the crew, Brooke, the Excalibur account, my job, life as I knew it… and Leo.
***
Dahlia was stood on stage dressed as a chicken when I arrived on deck, scrutinising the tables of guests in front of her and scribbling on a clipboard.
Her expression was so serious and her costume so ridiculous, I wasn’t sure if she was in the middle of an arthouse performance.
I tiptoed over to where Brooke was sitting with Leo and Zach so as not to disturb, and Dahlia picked up her microphone as soon as she saw me.
‘OK! That’s everyone here,’ she called, with a grin. ‘Welcome one and all. It’s our last day together here on the Esmeralda, so let’s make it a good one, shall we?’
Everyone cheered as I slid in between Brooke and Zach.
‘Mornin’ Kat,’ Brooke said.
‘Late again,’ Zach joked. I gave him a filthy look and he laughed.
‘Am I?’
‘Only a touch, honey,’ Brooke said with a smile. ‘These boys get up when the birds start tweetin’.’
I nodded over at the chicken. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Dahlia’s announcing it now,’ Leo said.
‘We have the activity to end all activities here on the ship today. If you are not on a table of four then please get up and move. This is a team game, and each team needs four players.’
I smiled around the table. ‘Sorted.’
‘I hope it’s not a triathlon,’ Leo said. ‘I haven’t got the energy.’
Zach shook his head. ‘Nah. Not enough activities.’
‘A quadathlon then.’
‘Any ideas for a team name?’ Brooke asked.
‘How about the group chat?’ Zach said. ‘Life’s a Pitch.’
We all laughed.
‘Brilliant!’ Brooke said, delighted.
‘The keen-eyed among you will have noticed I’m dressed as a chicken,’ Dahlia shouted.
Squawks and pock-pocks emanated from the crowd as she continued. ‘Which is a big clue to today’s challenge… “Crown the Portuguese Cockerel”.’
‘Crown on the cock!’ someone heckled.
‘Thank you – I prefer my title. I thought of it myself. One of you will be the team cockerel and will stay where you are for the entirety of the challenge. The rest of you will have one hour to dress your teammate up as the Galo de Barcelos – which is the official name.’
‘Not a chicken then?’ someone else shouted.
‘No. There is a photo of what we’re looking for on each of your tables, but to make sure everyone is super clear, we have a full-size version being modelled for you by none other than… the fabulous Barbie Queue!!!’
Barb strutted on stage wearing a voluptuous black dress, a feathery cape and platform boots. She had a beautiful yellow beak made from cardboard, white tissue paper to mark out the wings, a rubber glove red crest and shiny blue tights.
‘Alright, cockers?’ she shouted, stalking up and down like America’s next top model and pouting at the audience.
There were wolf whistles galore as she flapped her wings and pretended to lay an egg.
She pulled a paper bag from between her legs and started throwing Cadbury’s Cream Eggs into the crowd, shouting: ‘It’s a miracle! ’
‘The winning team will get a voucher for a future cruise of their choice,’ Dahlia shouted.
‘Subject to availability; terms and conditions apply,’ Barbie Queue quickly added.
There were excited oohs and aahs from the crowd and the noise level went up as teams started discussing tactics.
‘I’ll be the cock,’ Brooke announced. ‘You guys work as a team and let’s see what we can do.’
‘Is it bad form for head office to win the holiday?’ Leo asked.
‘Definitely,’ I said.
‘Why? We’re here as guests!’ Zach said. ‘All’s fair in cocks and cruises.’
‘No, good point… it’ll look like a fix. Let’s gun for second place just in case,’ Brooke said. ‘We can have a free cruise whenever we like, after all – within reason.’
‘Everyone ready?’ Dahlia shouted. ‘Starting in THREE… TWO… ONE… GO!!!’
She sounded a Klaxon, and everyone started running except us.
‘Shall we write down the colours we need then split out and gather?’ I said, pulling out a notebook.
‘Blue legs, black body, yellow beak, white and yellow patterns on the wings…’ Zach reeled off the list. ‘Red crown.’
‘I’ll take black and white,’ Leo said. ‘Zach – black as well? And red?’ Zach nodded as Leo turned to me. ‘Any ideas for blue and yellow?’
‘Yellow, yes…’
‘I’ve got a blue feather boa that will work for one leg,’ Brooke said, handing me her room key. ‘Top right in my wardrobe.’
‘Barb has one too,’ I said, thinking back to her treasure-filled wardrobe. ‘Is it cheating to borrow from her?’
‘No such thing,’ Zach said. ‘All’s fair in—’
‘Alright, alright,’ Leo said. ‘Let’s go. Back here in twenty minutes, yeah?’
Brooke gestured to the waiter for another drink and the three of us raced off in different directions.
I ran to my room and dragged my work bag out from under the bed, along with a pair of Converse trainers Heidi must have forgotten to pack.
I had a lump of Post-its for brainstorming, which would make a brilliant beak, and I whipped the mustardy laces from the trainers in case we could use them too.
Then on to Barbie Queue’s dressing room.
Her ‘Enter at your own risk’ sign hit different going in alone.
It was her private space after all, and it was a bit cheeky to ‘borrow’ without permission.
But it was a feathery emergency. She’d understand.
I knocked a couple of times even though I knew she was at the cockerel contest, then slipped in and grabbed two feather boas in turquoise and navy, before making my way to Brooke’s suite.
How the other half live. Even her key was a posh electronic bracelet and made a satisfying tinkle as I bleeped my way in.
Her room was cool and calm, with a gorgeous flowery fragrance and the air conditioning on full blast even though no one was home.
Brooke had one of the corner suites, with dual aspect and a panoramic view and her bathroom alone was bigger than mine and Heidi’s room.
She had a four-man Jacuzzi blowing steam into the air, waiting for her to get back.
I almost forgot we were on a timer as I stared around the room gobsmacked, the four-poster bed, the floor-to-ceiling mirrors, the beautiful furniture, the chaise longue.
I mean, I’d seen photos of the suites before – of course I had – but they’d taken it up a notch on Esmeralda.
This was like a mini hotel-for-one on the sea.
I opened her wardrobe and took in the rail of beautiful dresses, black with feathers, gold pinstripe, icy blue, chocolate strapless…
and all the shoes! Eight different pairs on show, each one unique and immaculate – my shoes looked like they’d been chewed by dogs in comparison.
It was all too beautiful and neat to go ferreting around.
I stood on the chair from her dressing table to get a closer look and spotted a bundle of feathery blue at the back.
I made a grab for it, pulling the boa out like a beautiful soft snake.
The feathers were so fluffy, they felt real, not like the gaudy sparkly numbers from Barb’s box of tricks.
The boys had already started dressing Brooke by the time I got back and she was stood in a long black shirt and a New York Yankees baseball cap. Zach was sellotaping cotton wool to her ‘wings’ and Leo was fashioning a red crest out of four packs of Rennies.
‘She’s back!’ Zach called.