As Amelia had advised, they were already moving.
But Chloe was thoughtful, trying to appear as if nothing more than dessert was filling her mind.
There was something different about Celia since she’d seen her last, but Chloe couldn’t figure out what it was.
And since both Amelia and Darlene wound up between her and Celia when they moved up their tables to start their lesson, she didn’t get a chance to figure it out.
The bakery chef welcomed them all, thanking them for being there, assuring them that their reward was getting to eat what they cooked.
They were creating bananas Foster!
“Ingredients!” he announced. “Always using the freshest ingredients in any creation is of the utmost importance! Now, on a ship that isn’t easy, but thankfully, we have a demanding master chef aboard, so will be working with the finest ingredients possible! And now, a creation from a city where delicious food is a given, our recipe is straight from the finest chefs in the incredible city of New Orleans!
The lesson began. They worked, they listened and each and every one of them created bananas Foster.
Nothing in the least bit dangerous was said during the work. Darlene did note that she wasn’t sure that bananas Foster passed for dinner, but she was sure going to impress her roommates.
It was an intensive workshop, flambéing their bananas, creating the look of their plates, arranging the rum sauce and bananas over the ice cream.
It was a great idea for such a class since there was no oven time when everyone just sat around.
Instead, they were soon eating their creations and enjoying coffee, sodas, cocktails, beer or wine provided to go along with their culinary delicacies.
And it was finally, when they were sitting, eating and chatting, that Chloe realized what was bothering her.
Celia was wearing more makeup. A lot more makeup.
And despite that, Chloe could see that she was wearing it to cover the bruising on her face. She didn’t quite have a black eye, but there was some dark bruising around her right eye, almost invisible beneath the foundation.
Chloe waited until Amelia and Darlene had risen, offering to refill their coffee cups since the four of them had determined that coffee went best with the dessert and if they wanted to have a full day of fun at sea, they should leave the alcohol for later.
But when they were gone, Chloe leaned forward, looking at Celia just as any concerned friend might.
“Celia! What happened?” she asked in a low whisper.
“With what? I did nothing wrong. My dessert is delicious!” Celia said.
Chloe shook her head. “Celia! I can see it. You have a bruise on your face. Oh, no, no—Jeff didn’t freak out at something and slug you in the eye, did he?”
“No!” Celia said, horrified at the idea. “No, no, of course not. Never. I—I’m a klutz! I was hurrying up—I’d forgotten to get my premier pass. You know that thing that says we’re cleared for all the classes and upgrades—and I was hurrying and... Well, of course, that was dumb because I slipped and fell against the door and... and, oh, no, of course not! Jeff would never!”
“Should you see the doctor?” Chloe asked.
“No, no, I’m fine, really. I promise.”
“And you tripped?” Chloe asked. She was purposely letting Celia know that she didn’t believe her.
“I tripped! That’s it!” Celia said.
Darlene and Amelia returned to the table with coffee. They talked and laughed a few minutes more, and then it was time for the experience to be over—to give the galley back to the real chefs.
When they exited the galley, Edward’s class had ended as well and Edward, Wes, George, Sally and both McClintock brothers were standing outside the doorway, talking and waiting.
Chloe determined that it was time to shake things up.
She greeted them with a friendly smile, as did the others. But she managed to get close to Jeff and say, “You know, I may look skinny and all, but I must say, if I ever knew of a man taking his fist to a woman, I’d knock his socks off!”
Jeff stared at her and then Celia with dismay.
