Nic placed a light kiss on top of her hand. Millie could’ve sworn Liz swooned. “It is our pleasure to have you, Gloria and your friends cruise with us again.”
“And even more mine,” Liz coyly replied.
Gloria nudged her arm. “Floyd.”
Millie covered her mouth to hide her grin. Liz was Liz and it tickled her every time a female passenger flirted with Nic. Not that she could blame them. Tall, with golden brown eyes and streaks of silver highlighting his jet black hair, he still madeherswoon.
“Thank you for the tour. I’m even more excited now.” Margaret glanced at the clock. “The pool deck is calling.”
Gloria gave Millie a warm hug. “Thanks for the tour, for helping book such awesome suites. We’ll get out of your hair.”
She trailed them to the exit. “Turnaround days tend to be hectic.”
“Don’t forget about dinner,” Nic reminded her.
“Yes.” Millie snapped her fingers. “You’ll be dining at the captain’s table tomorrow evening.”
Lucy whistled loudly. “Count me in.”
“I bought several new dresses I can’t wait to wear,” Liz said.
“An everyday occurrence,” Ruth laughed.
Liz bristled. “What’s wrong with wanting to dress up?”
“As long as you can afford fancy clothes, go for it,” Gloria said.
“Have fun.” Millie held the door, waiting for the women to exit. She turned to find her husband watching her, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “You’re giving methe look.”
“What look?”
Millie bounced on the tips of her toes and kissed his cheek. “The one I get when I’ve done something that gets me into trouble.”
Nic ran the back of his hand across her cheek. “I was thinking about the Garden Girls’ previous voyage and how much they remind me of you. Curious, inquisitive minds with a dash of disaster mixed in.”
“Mr. Bautista is off the ship. We should easily steer clear of trouble on this voyage.” She tapped the top of her watch. “On that note, it’s time for me to run down to the gangway.”
After checking in with Suharto, the head of gangway security, Millie made a beeline for the lido deck. The sailaway party was in full swing with “DJ Felix” at the helm, cranking out tropical tunes.
Millie glimpsed Gloria and the others lounging poolside, sipping fruity cocktails and mocktails. Noticing pool towels, beach reads, and sunglasses nearby, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. She quickly reminded herself that she had plenty of sun-drenched island days both in the past and in her future. Fall weather in Michigan meant cold nights and cool days, making South Florida’s balmy temps a special treat.
Up next, she hosted a meet-and-greet. The next few hours passed by in a blur. Despite Millie’s jam-packed schedule, she managed to grab a quick bite to eat after an impromptu staff meeting to handle a minor issue.
“Millie, do you copy?”
She plucked her radio from her belt. “Go ahead, Cameron.”
“Are you skipping your welcome aboard announcement today?”
“Whoops! I’m on my way.” Picking up the pace, she jogged to the stairs, making it to the sound booth in record time.
The technician met her at the door. “You forgot,” he guessed.
“Completely.”
“I think we’re all struggling with a lack of sleep today.”
“Last night, or should I say early this morning was a rough one.” Millie reached for the headphones and took several deep breaths.
