Page 34 of Hearts Aweigh
Gerry joined her at the rail. Her eyes surveyed the splash pad. “You found Abby.” She pointed at the pint-size woman wearing a purple rain poncho. Their client was manning a giant overhead bucket, hung between two poles, that routinely drenched the people below with a crashing wave of water.
Emily’s lips twisted. “My attention was diverted elsewhere. What’s the male equivalent of a hussy?”
Her friend’s brow crinkled. “A reprobate?”
“Sounds too cultured.” Emily shook her head. “There must be a more humiliating word for a cheater with his tongue hanging out.”
Gerry followed her gaze to the man on the lounge. “Who is that?”
“Nobody important.” Emily sniffed. “I—”
She paused as a waiter appeared at the man’s side with a tall, frosty drink in a decorative glass. The employee passed him the beverage, along with a square black envelope like the one that had ruffled Daisy’s feathers.
“Look.” Emily clutched Gerry’s arm. “It’s another black note.”
They watched as the man took a sip of his drink before opening the delivery. He slipped the card out and tossed the envelope on the deck. His satisfied leer disappeared as he read. His head jerked like a child afraid of the Big Bad Wolf.Abandoning his drink on the side table, he stuffed the paper in his pocket, scrambled to his feet, and speed-walked away.
“Hey!” his youthful companion called. “Where ya goin’?”
She raced after him, but he didn’t slow down until he reached the doors to the interior of the ship.
Gerry glanced at Emily. “Should I be taking notes?”
Emily’s jaw set. “Do you even need to ask? It’s time we investigate what’s in these disturbing envelopes.”
Children swarmed past Abby as she and a male coworker manned the MSBuckingham’s gigantic splash pad. Positioned dead center, their job was to prevent any accidents from occurring. She stood under a bucket the size of a Volkswagen that rocked over her head. Her shoulders tensed as it creaked. Its lip tilted all the way, and a cascade of cold water doused her body. Abby tugged the hood of her royal-purple rain poncho lower on her forehead. The pad was a popular destination for the kids, but cruise workers counted it a punishment.
“This isn’t your usual station.” Her friend Amari clenched the lapel of his raincoat closer to his throat as the giant bucket returned to its upright position. “Did you get on the supervisor’s bad side?”
“I guess so.”
“What did you do?”
“I’m spending a few days as a nanny valet, and Twila isn’t happy about being a worker short.”
“It’s not like you can help it. Monarch makes your assignments.”
“I know. She feels—Sweetie, please get off there!” Abby hurried to a five-foot-tall, fluorescent, fake fire hydrant a youngboy was scaling. As she drew closer, she recognized Jason, the soda fanatic. He climbed the tower with a superhero beach towel tied like a cape around his neck. He’d almost made it to the top when she grabbed him under his pudgy arms. His chubby cheeks bunched in an exaggerated grimace as she set him on the ground. Abby squatted in front of him. “You might hurt yourself. Please don’t—”
He bolted before she finished her sentence. Abby returned to her station, and a little blond head caught her attention. She smiled as Madeleine skipped among the streams of water jetting from the deck floor. At least the child wasn’t dressed for a party this time. Her frilled cotton top and matching shorts were still elegant but appropriate for a fun outdoor activity. Her hunky father sat on a nearby chair, close enough to see her but far enough away to keep his laptop dry.
“Doesn’t that man ever stop working?” Abby muttered.
“Who?” asked Amari.
A new deluge from above saved her from answering. She shook the streams of water from her plastic coat and moaned.
Amari rubbed his arms. “I wish they’d heat the water.”
“It’s a splash pad, not a hot tub.”
“Jacuzzi duty.” He grinned. “Sounds way more my speed.”
“Sweetie!” Abby rushed back to the fire hydrant, where Jason was starting his second climb. “I told you to stay off. You might get hurt.”
He crossed his eyes, stuck out his tongue, and ran away. Abby groaned. There was one on every cruise. She glanced at Spencer who sat a few feet away. He looked up from his computer.
That’s a good enough invitation for me. Time to stick my nose in.
