“Um…” I curl my bare toes into the thick carpet. “With everything that happened earlier, I wasn’t prepared for the trip. So I don’t have a change of clothes with me,” I admit in a small voice.
“Oh, I see,” James says, while he pulls his phone out of his jacket pocket.
“Abby, I thought you went shopping with Holly,” Miss Opal cuts in.
“I didn’t have a chance to find anything for myself.” Then I turn to James. “And what I saw yesterday was way out of my price range.”
“I understand.” His eyes widen a bit. Likely, he’s also been taken aback by the exorbitant prices at the shops on board.
Miss Opal leans forward. “Can you take her shopping, James?” she suggests. “She needs proper clothes for the rest of our trip.”
“I’ll contact Mr. McClelland to see about?—”
I shake my head. Being in a different time zone is bad enough. Add to that the wine, and she’s lost track of everything. “It’s nearly midnight, so everything’s closed right now, Miss Opal.”
James hesitates, seeming to consider his words, then leans in closer. “I can bring you something of mine,” he offers in a whisper, a glimmer of sympathy in his eyes. “If you’d like.”
The blush I’ve been fighting starts crawling up my neck again. “Oh, n-no, that’s okay,” I stammer, flustered at the offer to use his clothes. “I have something to sleep in, so I’ll be fine until tomorrow.”
Please, Miss Opal, don’t ask to see what I’m wearing.I’m not sure I could handle the inevitable questions and curiosity about the skimpy lingerie.
He straightens, adopting his usual neutral expression. “I’ll go by the laundry before I bring breakfast.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you.” This time, I offer a small, relieved smile in spite of being mortified.
“You’ll be able to find plenty of affordable options when we dock tomorrow,” he continues in a reassuring tone. “I’ve never thought to look for jeans, but the stores right off the pier have casual wear and all kinds of souvenirs.”
“Clothes?” I ask, hopefully.
“T-shirts, warmups, shorts, and pretty much anything else they can put an Alaska logo on, at reasonable prices.” He grins.
“That sounds amazing,” I admit, feeling the weight lift off my shoulders. I’m glad I thought to ask. At least I have some hope of finding regular clothes to wear without ending up broke.
“I’ll leave you both to rest, then.” He gives us a quick glance. “Good night, ladies.”
“Good night,” Miss Opal and I call out in unison.
Once James leaves the room, I get the towelettes with makeup remover and bring them to the bed.
“Are you able to handle using these on your own?” I ask Miss Opal, holding up the packet. “I’m not used to the nail tips, and I don’t want to accidentally scratch you.”
“I can do it.” She reaches for the package. “I’m not that addled,” she assures me with a slight slur.
“Mhm.” I swipe the towelette over my lash line to remove the stubborn liner. I’ve never seen Miss Opal more than slightly tipsy before. She’s always so poised and elegant. “Do you need help to change?”
She waves me off. “No, dear. I’m fine. I had more wine than I should have tonight.” She chuckles. “Goodness, the last time I had this much to drink, Barron was born nine months later.”
I stifle a surprised laugh at her unexpected admission. “It has been a while, then.”
“And now he leaves before they even serve dinner,” she adds, her cheer fading.
“He left you?” Anger twists in my stomach. How could he walk away, leaving his own mother to manage on her own? Doesn’t he realize how lucky he is to have his mother? And she’s such a lovely woman.
“He has responsibilities,” she says, covering for him again.
How I’d love to give him a piece of my mind. I tighten my hands into fists out of sheer frustration. I should have gone with her. Though she wouldn’t have allowed me to sit there in little more than a robe.
“I know you didn’t sleep well last night, dear,” she says, her tone reverting to her motherly cadence. “Would you like to stay here tonight? There’s plenty of room.”