Cabin One, Owner’s Suite: Kassia and George
Thomas’s parents.
Since they had chartered the boat, it was only fair that they get the biggest suite.
LOWER DECK
Cabin Two, VIP Suite: Nikos and Thomas
The best man, a.k.a. my future husband.
And the groom.
Cabin Three: Rachel and Joseph
My aunt and uncle.
Cabin Four: Naani and Isabelle
My grandmother and my cousin, the bride.
Even though Isabelle and Thomas were getting married, sharing a room before they tied the knot was a big no-no. Both sets of parents liked to pretend their kids had never slept together. I guess that’s fair. You don’t want to think about your parents having sex either. Ever.
Cabin Five: Dolly and Moti (pronounced with a soft ‘t’)
I smiled at Rachel Auntie’s handwritten note, the reason Hannah pronounced my name correctly.
Cabin Six: Teri and Sofia
Teri was the hired maid of honor. I met her at Isabelle’s bridal shower. She was also a professional hair and makeup artist, which worked out great for Isabelle. That left Sofia as the mystery guest Isabelle had been talking about.
Six cabins, twelve passengers, all paired up and ready to rock and roll (hopefully not in a motion-sickness kind of way). It seemed fittingly symbolic—two cabins for the groom’s side and four cabins for the bride’s side. In other words, Isabelle managed to negotiate double the share. Thomas would do well to heed that ratio when it came to everything else—double the maintenance, double the drama. On the flip side, Thomas managed to hold on to the biggest staterooms for his side of the family, so maybe he wasn’t a complete pushover.
“Thank you.” Dolly handed the clipboard back to Hannah.
“You’re welcome,” Hannah replied, as she ushered us into our suite. “One of the deckhands will drop in shortly with your bags. I’ll stop by later to help you unpack and give you a quick tour of the yacht. We’re waiting on a delivery for Isabelle and one of the passengers, Sofia, is yet to arrive. Once they’re here, it’s anchors up!” She mini-hopped out of the room like she couldn’t contain her enthusiasm.
“Wow.”Help you unpack?Had I known, I would’ve rolled my bras up more carefully.
I plopped on the sofa and surveyed the cabin. Sliding doors with a private balcony on one side and an en suite bath on the other. We had two twin beds, a wall-mounted TV, a fridge, snack cabinet, and a double closet. The bathroom was just as spacious, with double vanity sinks, a heated towel rack, shower cubicle, toilet, and a soaking tub. Every amenity had been thought of, including an iPad to control the thermostat and entertainment system.
Dolly lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. “Moti?”
“Yes, Ma?”
“I’m sorry for what I said to you on the plane earlier.”
My heart softened like it always did with the slightest bit of affection from her. “It was a long flight. We were both tired.”
“So, this Nikos fellow, with the three thumbs. Is he as rich as Thomas?” She turned on her side and faced me. “Can you imagine? My Moti ending up with someone like him? You can’t be your plain, boring self on this trip. Guys like mystery, adventure, someone who’s worth the chase. You should take a few tips from Isabelle. She knows how to play her cards right.”
All the warmth seeped out of me as my plan to get together with Nikos was twisted into something ugly.
“I’m not interested in him for his money, Ma. I’m interested in him because he’s the only one I can be with, without feeling like I’m going against your wishes—”
“Moti!” The door to our cabin flew open and Isabelle swept in. “I’m so glad you’re here. My wedding dress needed alterations and the tailor is here with it, but they won’t let him into the shipyard. Would you mind collecting it from him? He’s waiting on the street. In a silver Toyota Yaris.”
I wanted to ask what a Toyota Yaris looked like. Instead, I found myself nodding.
