He tapped the control board. “Let me know when you’re ready.”
“Ready.”
“Five…four…three…two…one.”
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Let me be the first to officially welcome you aboard Siren of the Seas, your home away from home for the next seven days.” Millie went into her spiel, a speech she’d memorized by heart, thanking them for completing their safety check-ins, which allowed the ship to depart on time. “This cruise is all about fun, food, and making new friends. We’re going to rock it until we dock it.” She ticked off the evening’s highlights before ending her announcement.
She slid the headphones off and hung them on the hook. “Danielle might be filling in for some of the announcements this week. My cousins are on board so I’ll be taking time off to spend with them.”
“The chill cousins from Michigan?’ Cameron teased.
“You betcha.” Millie thanked him again for the reminder and ran downstairs to her office.
First things first, she pulled up the marine forecast. The fall season meant seas could be somewhat of a roller coaster, causing unexpected port cancellations and adding extra sea days. Although reaching the tail end of hurricane season, the new and equally erratic weather fronts often wreaked havoc on the ship’s itinerary.
Thud.A muffled noise caught her attention. She looked up to find Andy Walker, her former boss, standing in the doorway.
Millie welcomed him in. “I haven’t seen much of you lately.”
“I’ve been working on the new project.”
“Still?”
“It’s being a bit…time consuming.” Andy looked around. “Donovan isn’t here?”
“No. Should he be?”
“You missed the weekly staff meeting. We’ve received several complaints.”
“About what?”
“The love and marriage show.”
Her smile vanished. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Some of the departing guests filled out comment cards, claiming they were offended by the content.”
Donovan arrived, interrupting the conversation. “Hey, Millie, Andy.”
“Andy was telling me we received some complaints about the love and marriage show.”
The ship’s purser reached into his pocket, pulled out a folded stack of papers, and set them on her desk. “I’m almost certain it was a specific group traveling together who weren’t chosen to take part in the games. They also complained about karaoke and the movies played on the big screen outdoors.”
“Chronic cruise complainers,” Millie joked. “After the disaster last night, this is probably only the tip of the iceberg.”
“I’m preparing a report for corporate to explain what transpired,” Donovan said.
“What happened to Angelo Bautista?”
“He’s been taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation. If he’s found competent, he could face criminal charges under maritime law, including endangering maritime safety.”
“Punishable by fines or imprisonment,” Andy said. “Because of the seriousness, the matter will be turned over to the FBI.”
Millie let out a low whistle. “The dude could be in big trouble.”
“Very big,” Donovan said. “Back to the love and marriage show. We suggest you give it a rest.”
“Replaced by?”
