“I had better intervene before a brawl breaks out.” Millie pasted a smile on her face and approached the elevator filled with more passengers than she could count. “The elevator is overloaded. One or more of you will need to wait for the next one.”
A brief debate ensued. Finally, reluctantly, the couple closest to Millie exited. The doors shut, and the elevator went up.
“It will take forever to get another empty elevator,” the man grumbled grumpily.
It was true. During the minor kerfuffle another large group of passengers, lugging backpacks and dragging carry-on bags, appeared.
“I’ll try to speed things up.” As soon as the next elevator arrived, Millie hurried past the others and held the door, motioning for the couple to enter. The new arrivals followed suit, cramming inside.
As soon as the doors closed, she returned to where Danielle stood watching.
“Crisis averted.”
“At least for the moment.” Millie nudged her friend’s arm. “You’ll be leaving soon for your break. Will you miss me?”
“Like a lingering case of indigestion,” Danielle teased. “Of course I’ll miss you. Felix will do a great job filling in. Hopefully, not too great though.”
“No one can fill your shoes.” A familiar voice coming from the gangway caught Millie’s ear. “I think I hear them.”
Gloria appeared, with Liz by her side. The other Michigander friends followed close behind, all moving at a quick clip as they boarded the ship.
Gloria spotted Millie first, a bright smile lighting her face. She rushed forward, wrapping both arms around her cousin and hugging her tightly. “We made it!”
“Yes, you did.” Millie hugged Liz next, followed by the others. They all began talking at once, excitedly chattering about their flight to Florida and the previous night’s hotel stay.
Danielle lingered off to the side, not wanting to interrupt the joyful reunion.
Millie reached behind her, pulling her into the mix. “You remember my friend Danielle, who is also the assistant cruise director.”
“Danielle,” Gloria beamed. “Congratulations on your promotion to assistant cruise director.”
“Thank you. It’s been a while now but it’s also been a while since your last cruise.”
“Too long.” Gloria said. “Thanks to Liz’s generosity and the sweet suite upgrade Millie snagged for us, we’ll be spending the next seven days living the life of luxury.”
“The suites might look familiar. I was able to get you the exact same cabins you had last time.”
“Hopefully Liz doesn’t flood hers again,” Dot said.
“It wasn’t my fault. Poor Frances. We were cabinless,” Liz sighed dramatically.
“Until you packed up and moved into my cabin,” Gloria said. “Let’s not have a repeat.”
Her sister lifted her chin. “Might I remind you this cruise was a gift from Floyd and me. You could show a little more appreciation.”
“You’re right.” Gloria’s tone softened. “I’m sure we won’t have any issues. What’s the saying? Lightning never strikes the same place twice.”
“Without further ado, I’ll escort you upstairs to your home away from home. Grab your gear and follow me.” Millie led them to a quieter set of elevators opposite the gangway. She held the door, careful to stand out of the way to give them room.
Liz plodded along behind the others, dragging her designer suitcase and clutching her Hermes Birkin shoulder bag.
As soon as she crossed the threshold, Millie pressed the button for the upper deck. “What a beautiful suitcase.”
“Thanks.” Liz twirled it around. “It’s a Bric’s.”
“Your suitcase is a brick?” Dot joked.
“No. The brand…Bric’s.” Liz ran her hand over the handle. “Top of the line Italian luxury, made to last.”
