1
Holy shit!
Evan gazed around with wide eyes and a sense of awe. His heart raced at the thought of the next couple of weeks—he wasn’t sure how much was excitement and how much of his thundering pulse could be put down to nerves. But this afternoon, as he joined the throngs of people boarding the ship, it was probably more the anticipation of what the cruise might bring; so many unknowns that he had no idea what to expect.
There were people everywhere!
The excitement was palpable as families and groups of friends filled the air with their chatter and laughter. A lot of people were either looking lost—uncertain of where to go or what to do next—or looking about in amazement. Evan couldn’t blame them. He’d never seen anything like it in his life. The ship was mind-blowing. It was a hotel on steroids, and the brochure hadn’t done it justice.Many passengers were like him: stopped in their tracks, necks craned as they stared upwards.Damn! It’s amazing.
The centre of the ship was a huge open vestibule, much like the central area of a multi-storey shopping mall, with at least a half dozen storeys above and two storeys below where he stood. Eight illuminated glass elevators ascended and descended between the levels. A well-lit grand stairway swept upwards from the lobby to the floor above where Evan could see a multitude of bars and restaurants in addition to the bars on the level where he stood.How on earth am I ever going to find my way around here?
He turned to Amber. “Oh my God—” He stopped speaking, momentarily panicked when he realised Amber wasn’t at his side.
“Over here, Evan. Over here.”
Evan turned at the call of his name to see Amber, arm held high, madly waving from across the foyer. He sidled through the crowd, dodging people and hand luggage, and made his way to the bar area where Amber was standing with a broad grin on her face. He sighed with relief when he saw, despite the crowd, she’d managed to find two vacant seats at a small table: a little haven out of the crowd. Gratefully, he sank into the plush velvet lounge chair, dumping his bag alongside. “I don’t know how you managed to snag this spot. But thank God.”
They’d been queuing all morning. Queues to pass through immigration, lines to check in and get their cabin identification sorted, and then being scanned on board the ship like grocery items at the checkout. And his amazement at the ship’s awesomeness wasn’t enough to let him forget his aching feet or the weariness from cramming in a ton of sightseeing before the cruise.
“We’re over the worst of it now,” Amber said.
Evan looked back towards the foyer. “I’m not so sure about that,” he said with a rueful smile, once again thinking how many passengers there were, most of them seeming to have no idea where they were going as they wandered around. He assumed they were either looking for somewhere to sit, like he and Amber had done, or were trying to work out how to find their cabins.
Amber followed his gaze. “It’s a bit overwhelming, but embarkation always is. The crowd will thin out soon, and the queues for the elevators will lessen. We’ll go to our cabin then rather than brave the crush.”
Evan grinned. “So says the voice of the seasoned traveller.”
“Ha. Ha. I’ve done a lot of research, okay? It’s amazing what you can find out by reading online forums. You know there are even Facebook groups you can join for specific voyages.” She winked and passed him a leather-bound cocktail menu. “And as a bonus, while we wait for the frenzy to end, we can relax and enjoy a cocktail.”
Even flipped open the binder with a happy whoop. “All right, let’s get this party started.”
It didn’t take long before Amber was back from the bar, and they were both sipping on fruity concoctions.
“What do you think?” she asked, indicating the Mai Tai.
Evan held up his glass with its overload of tropical garnish. “I’m more a beer man myself, but when in Rome…”
Amber giggled. “Or Hawaii, as the case may be. But not for long; we leave at midnight. Pretty soon we’ll be in the middle of the Pacific.”
Evan swallowed heavily as his stomach plummeted. “Yeah.”
Amber’s smiled faded. She leaned across the small table and placed a hand on his knee. “I’m sorry, hon. I know you’re nervous.”
“Not about the ship itself. I just can’t shake the fear that I’m going to get seasick.”
Amber raised her brows. “Have you ever been sick on the ocean in the past?”
“No. But I’ve never been on a boat this big before or been out into the middle of the ocean. And once we’re there, there’s no getting off for over two weeks. That’s the bit that freaks me out—no escape.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Amber patted his knee reassuringly. “Plus they have great meds these daysandyou’re wearing the bands.”
Evan toyed with the purple strap on one of his wrists. He’s taken every precaution under the sun and had a travel bag full of anti-nausea medication. “I hope you’re right and it’s all in my head.”
“I hope so too.” The smile left her face. Amber slumped back in her chair and sighed. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you came with me on this trip. I feel horrible that you’re anxious about seasickness on top of the whole thing.”
The reminder of why they were on the cruise ship in the first place pushed his fear of sickness to the back of his mind.
The television show.
