“There won’t be any wrong seats,” he assured her, heading in from the balcony.
She was probably right about that. They needed to observe everyone on board and their interactions with the tech event onboard.
He had brought a casual amber suit. With the vest, it gave him a bit of a dinner-attire look, and minus a tie, it remained proper for him to be casually elegant.
He stepped out of the suite’s large bathroom and pirouetted for Chloe as if he was a model on the runway before pausing and arching a brow.
“You’ll do,” she told him.
“Wow, careful! Compliments like that will go to my head,” he told her.
She just raised her eyebrows and shook her head. “I believe you’re well aware that ‘you’ll do’ under just about any circumstances. So, darling, let’s head out, shall we?”
Their very nice cabin was on one of the upper decks, just down a hallway to the elegant—or higher priced—dining room. A meal here was extra, but could be part of one of the cruise’s executive packages.
Such a package had been bought for them.Taxpayer dollars at work, he thought dryly, except that someone in a powerful position had probably spoken with someone else in a powerful position and it was unlikely that they had paid what those traveling for sheer pleasure—or artful murder—had paid.
Chloe slipped her arm through his as they entered the dining room. “Captain’s table is up by the stage, and I think that he says a few words tonight,” she murmured.
“I see the table,” Wes murmured. “And I see the lovely people we’re about to get to know!”
The table seated eight, he saw. There was himself and Chloe and the captain. He recognized Celia and Jeff Henderson from their case studies, just as he recognized the Milestones VP, Edward Thompson.
Thompson looked like an executive; he was dressed in a suit and tie, and his dignified air was being aided by the iron-gray hair that was neatly cropped atop his head. He stood as he saw them coming, as did the captain—and the Henderson couple. But even as they walked up and shook hands all around, the last twosome to join them at the table arrived. The first was a handsome young man with a lock of dark hair over his forehead. He had warm brown eyes and what appeared to be an eternal smile. The second was an older man, bald as a buzzard, as the saying went, with bright blue eyes and a smile that matched that of the young to a tee. They quickly learned that the younger man, Billy Cliffton, was one of the current cruise directors while the second man was his grandfather, Elijah, retired from the chain that owned the cruise lines and on board for the fun of it—and to learn more about navigating his computer.
“This is amazing!” Chloe said, wide-eyed and happy as they took their seats. “Wes and I just chose this ship a ways back—second honeymoon. And then we found out that Milestones was celebrating employees—and offering classes for everyone on board!”
“Hey,” Captain Millbrook told them, smiling, “I may even be in a few of those classes! Thought it was great fun when I heard about it, too.”
“I hope so!” Celia Henderson said. “I’m hoping that I’m a good speaker and I give several people the help they may need.” She laughed softly, looking at her husband. “I’ve already heard from a few people who are looking forward to learning how to safely make use of dating apps!”
“And there’s a class in dating?” Wes asked, grinning.
“Well, we’re calling it Know your Social Media!” Celia told him.
Wes smiled, studying the woman. He knew she was thirty-eight and that she’d excelled in computing and data research since high school. She might be considered a genius as far as those skills went. She was an attractive woman wearing a mini dress well. She had a quick smile, but...
Something about her engaging energy seemed a bit off. And, at her side, her husband seemed much more like a listener, an obeyer, a lackey?
Chloe laughed softly. “Captain Millbrook! So, social media—”
“Please, at this table!” he said quietly, leaning toward her and interrupting her, but doing so politely with a sheepish grin on his face. “Please, call me Archie! Yes, yes, I know! A captain needs dignity. He’s above it all! Out on the vast seas, a captain needs to instill confidence in his passengers and crew. But, hey, I’m at sea too much of the time. And my dear wife passed away five years ago now. Everyone wants a little company now and then!”
Chloe gave him a sweet grin in return before assuring him. “Oh, sir! Archie. I’m willing to bet that half the people in those classes would be delighted to give you some company.”
“One can hope!” he said. “I’m also aware that there are scams aplenty out there today and that we all need to be careful on the internet.”
“And that’s where I come in!” Edward Thompson announced, throwing a nod toward Celia and smiling. “Celia gets to be fun and games. I get more serious stuff. But that’s why this cruise celebration is so important to us. We shouldbe able to use the internet for fun and games—and be safe on it, as well. The world has turned to business and banking online—we need to do it, too!”
“And my grandson has done an incredible job getting the right combo of fun and games for Milestones—and a true learning experience for the seafarers about this vessel, where they’re old codgers like me and need all the help they can get—or those on the rise!” Elijah Cliffton said, nodding toward his grandson, Billy.
Billy moaned softly. “Gramps! Keeping the passengers happy and busy is the job and working with Edward, well, sir, it’s been an honor!”
“Honor has been all mine,” Edward assured him.
“So!” Celia said, looking from Chloe to Wes. “I’m thinking you two aren’t looking for any help with your dating lives!”
Wes grinned, shaking his head. “No, but, hey, knowing how to use any of the apps out there is a good thing. We like to see our families online—”
