Despite myself, I laugh. “You think you could survive in the ocean?”
“Hell yeah I can.”
“What if we get stuck on an island?”
“Well, I’ve watched atonof survival shows. I could provide for you.”
It’s ridiculous to imagine, but I could see him doing it. When it comes down to things, Nate is fiercely protective of those around him. He’d do anything to keep me safe.
“That helps,” I say. “Thank you.”
“Once we’re on the boat, it won’t be so bad.”
I nod. “You’re right. Let’s just get this over with.”
We have to check in with security before we get on the boat. That’s on land, and waiting in line distracts me. Then we step onto the dock, something I don’t love, but it’s stable and I can barely see the water, so I survive.
Nate insists we have the porter take our bags, and then we’re on the boat.
It’s truly a marvel of man-made engineering. I can barely tellwe’re on water at all. There are multiple hallways and decks to explore.
“When can we check into our room?” Nate asks, and I check the app.
“A few hours.”
“We should explore,” he offers. “And get food.”
Everyone seems to be heading to one of the lower decks. I can see a massive room ahead, something so huge that it shouldn’t even fit on a boat.
“Maybe not here,” I say. “Wanna find somewhere less busy?”
To get awayfrom the crowds, we decide to see the ship from top to bottom.
There’s a running trail on the top of the boat. It goes through hallways and has a decent view of the pools. The second I see it, I’m already planning a run sooner rather than later. I desperately need it after forcing myself on this damn thing.
Below are pools and hot tubs. I stay far away from the water as Nate ventures close. I pretend to take an interest in the bars and chairs, and for once, he lets me get away with it. I’m feeling proud of myself for getting on the boat in the first place. Getting too close to the pool will ruin all of that.
We also find a lounge and other shops. There are plenty of places to sit in the sun, and I know that’s most of what I’ll be doing on this level.
One more deck down, we find a rich offering of restaurants. Most of them are far slower than the first one we saw, and I immediately drag Nate toward tacos. It’s not as good as what I make at home, but it’s close enough.
I’m more patient after eating, and when we venture farther down,we find more and more people either eating or trying to find their rooms. We also find a bar and large venues for their shows. The more I see, the more I’m amazed that we’re on a boat of all things. Hell, there’s even a spa. The second I see it, I know I’ll be spending a lot of time there.
Nate wants to explore every corner, and we’re walking until late into the day. While I don’t like being near the deck of the ship, the rest is ... fine. Very fancy.
So fancy that I’m not sure how my parents afforded it on their meager salaries. I really owe them a thank-you.
“So, what do you think?” he asks. We’re in the elevator heading to the room that we’ve been assigned. I got the notification hours ago, but let Nate continue exploring.
“My parents went overboard.”
“Really? Maybe we should check on them.”
I roll my eyes and have to stop myself from laughing. “You know what I mean. This is very nice, and everything’s included. I’m honestly glad we’re using it. Something like this shouldn’t go to waste.”
“And this is just the beginning. We have islands to explore. Entire islands.”
“As long as I can survive the dock. You might have to go with me.”
