I see a steward approaching but before he arrives, I feel a presence at my back. On the other side of the table, Joanie and Melissa freeze at what they see. I stand quickly, shoving my chair back with more force than is necessary, hoping to hit whoever is standing beside me. I’ve already guessed who it is.
“Duck, good to see you again.”
I ignore the hand he offers. Bob Overbridge flushed any goodwill I felt toward him as a friend of a friend after he fucked over Melissa. If a man wants out, he calls it quits with whoever he’s with. If he cheats, he deserves what he gets. “Bob.”
“Happy anniversary to the lovely couple. May I steal Melissa away for a moment?”
“No, you may fucking not. You weren’t invited to this party.” I expected Mel to be the one to respond, not a fully loaded Joanie. I’m glad to see loyalty still runs strong between the two women.
“What are you doing here, Bob?” I ask.
“We’re—I’m on vacation. I didn’t realize you’d all be on this cruise,” Bob says. He has aged hard and has more lines on his face than any two people at the table combined. “Mel? I just need one minute.”
“No. Go away. Leave her alone.” Joanie’s voice is rising from pissed off to furious. Heads at the table next to ours turn.
“Please?”
Melissa puts a hand on Joanie’s forearm. The bride looks ready to vault across the table. Josh stands and lays a meaty palm on Joanie’s other shoulder. Jennifer’s husband and Michael shift in their seats, ready to move their women out of harm’s way. That leaves me to deal with Bob. It’ll be my pleasure. “The lady made herself clear, Overbridge,” I say. “You should go.”
“Sweetie, what are you—” A high, Southern-accented voice says. “What are you doing here? Bob, what isshedoing here?” A young redhead latches onto Bob’s arm. She glares at Mel, who looks deeply absorbed in sipping her water. “I don’t know how a failed chef can afford a cruise like this, but I don’t appreciate you stalking us and ruining our vacation, Melissa. We need to have a talk about your behaviour and?—”
“We’re done,” I say. “Remove yourselves or I will.”
Bob looks pissed, but he knows he’s outnumbered by very fucking hostile forces. Once I’m sure that they are halfway across the dining room, I take my seat again. Melissa gives me a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “I saw a ship’s office talking to a waiter, who pointed to our table. I think they’re ready for us. Let’s finish up so Joanie and Josh can start their second honeymoon.”
We make our way to a private meeting room on the Opal deck that has its own balcony. The woman leading us in a white uniform identifies herself as the ship’s purser. “Normally I process the ship’s regular administrative paperwork. It’s a lovely treat to handle different paperwork for such a special occasion.”
Captain MacLeod is waiting for us in a formal white uniform of his own. Joanie is going to love it in the pictures. “Mr. and Mrs. Klein, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I understand that it’syour twentieth anniversary. It’s my privilege to preside over your ceremony. Twenty years is a wonderful achievement, and we on the Tropical Wave are honored to be a part of it. Will the bride stand here?”
Melissa takes a wobbly step forward, “Here!” she calls.
“Trouble, you’re the bridesmaid, not the bride,” I whisper, trying to keep her beside me.
“Oops. Not here!” she giggles.
Maybe Melissa was right to turn down that last glass of champagne. Otherwise, she’d be on the floor already.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here together…”
I don’t hear the rest of it. Melissa has a two-handed grip on my arm and is holding onto me like a lifeline. We’re both swaying, and I’m not sure if it’s a result of me trying to hold her upright, or if the ship is rocking. I’m sporting a good mood myself. While the ladies drank bubbly, Josh order the men a reunion flight: our old friends Jack, Jim, Johnny and José all appeared to offer toasts during the meal. It didn’t stop Melissa from pressing at least one glass of champagne on me, which I pretended to sip from when she toasted the happy couple.
If the swaying wasn’t enough of a distraction, Melissa puts her head on my shoulder as the captain continues. “I wish I’d had something like that. Imagine twenty years,” she whispers.
“You deserve it.”
“So do you, Wade.”
Josh and Joanie exchange rings. When Josh kisses the bride, we burst into applause. Tears shine in Joanie’s eyes as she accepts hugs from all of us.
“That was beautiful,” Melissa gushes.
“It’s too bad you two never got together in all of these years. You’d make the perfect couple,” Joanie says. “Wade, why didn’t you ever put a ring on this prize of a woman?”
“Bad timing. I was with somebody when we met, and then she met Bob.”
“Bob’s not here now,” Joanie notes. “Don’t you like each other? This is the weekend to grab a good thing with both hands. Like Josh did.”
Melissa shocks the hell out of me when she says, “Oh, I’d climb Wade like Mount Everest if I thought he was interested in anything more than exchanging quips.”
