Page 4 of Mommy Calls Me Princess (Mommies and Littles #1)

Chapter Three

Darcy

Day one aboard the Magdalena…

Saying goodbye to Mommy this morning was the hardest thing I’d ever done.

Mommy sent me back to work with a new piece of princess luggage and a matching backpack packed full of goodies that she made me promise not to peek at until I was in my cabin.

When we got back to her place from Vale’s, there were a bunch of boxes she said not to open just inside the entryway.

I’m guessing whatever was in them was now in my bags.

Sneaky mommy.

But she was my mommy, and I loved her to the moon and back!

The crew always boarded a day or two before the passengers.

Then we had time to get ourselves situated and make sure that their rooms and the common areas were stocked, cleaned, and ready.

The vendors handled the retail stores and food court stands, the culinary staff took care of the dining halls while the housekeeping staff, which was me and my team, made sure the cabins were clean and up to our high standards.

As soon as we checked in and dropped off our luggage we were called into a meeting with Captain Solis in the main conference room.

We were in for a long cruise this time but at least it wasn’t a kink one, that would give me a bad case of the sads without Mommy here.

This was a twenty-one-day cruise that went from Seattle to Santa Barbara, then to Cabo San Lucas, and the final port at Panama City.

Some of the passengers would depart there and board other cruises.

We’d dock for three days to prepare the ship for another set of passengers onboarding for the trip to Seattle with stops at Puerto Vallarta and San Diego then Seattle.

Then back to another cruise somewhere else.

This was gonna be a long three months at sea but at least as far as bosses went, Captain Solis was the best. He was the reason Vale and I got to bunk together during the last trip. It also helped that he was not only gay but was in the lifestyle and had a boy of his own who got to travel with him.

I just wish Mommy could’ve come with me, but she’d be bored while I worked and wouldn’t be happy with the long hours I put in. Plus, she was busy running the club. The pay increase to become a supervisor was nice but now that I was in a relationship the money kinda didn’t matter as much anymore.

Only my mommy did.

Captain Solis released us to get settled in and changed into our uniforms then it was straight to work. I purposely waited to open the new stuff from Mommy until all my clothes and bathroom stuff were put away. It was hard, but I knew I wouldn’t get anything done if I started there first.

“A Princess bear and she even has a tiara!” I hugged her tight and tucked her in under my favorite rainbow teddy bear blankie, with my axolotl, Loxi, that Daddy Jack got me.

There was a new princess blankie rolled up inside and when I picked it up a card fell out with Mommy’s pretty handwriting on the envelope.

Inside the envelope there was also a key. A key to my new home with Mommy.

Finally, I had a home where I was wanted and loved.

When I unfolded the blankie there was a little box and inside was a picture frame.

Mommy put one of the pictures we took of us at Pride Camp in it.

I remembered that moment. She was trying to take a selfie of us with the sunset behind us, and I was being silly.

Right as she hit the button, I kissed her cheek.

“Mommy,” I ran my fingers over her pretty face, “I miss you already.” I placed the frame on the tiny nightstand beside my bed before my tears ruined it.

How was I gonna last three long months?

Inside the backpack were new coloring books, crayons, some puzzles and a new princess Barbie with a couple of cute outfits. Mommy really thought of everything, and the stuff Daddy Jack got me before would fit inside the backpack with it. I had so many new toys, it was wonderful.

And she loved me.

I snapped a picture of everything and sent it off to Mommy.

Me: Thank you so much, Mommy. I love everything and I love you.

Mommy: I love you too princess and I can’t wait until you get home.

Me: Me too, Mommy. What’s my surprise?

Mommy: Silly girl, if I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?

I shook my head no even though she couldn’t see me.

Me: Guess not… I hate to say this, but I have to go. Can we talk later?

Mommy: Let me know when you’re back to your room and if I can I’ll read you a bedtime story.

Now I had all the reasons in the world to push through our rooms like it was a race.

Me: Yay! Thanks, Mommy.

Mommy: Love you, Princess.

Mommy had a way of giving me warm fuzzies.

Me: Love you too, Mommy.

Hurriedly, I changed into my uniform and met my team below deck where our storage rooms were.

Giving them my usual spiel, I handed out their assignments and paired them up.

Returning stewards with a new one. Though all had already gone through training, teaming up two newbies wasn’t wise.

I’d learned that the hard way my first time as lead.

The day flew by in a flurry of non-stop questions.

Maybe I was a bit hard-nosed today, but in order to get back to my cabin and ready for Mommy to read me a bedtime story I had to be so I wanted everything done today.

They’d thank me tomorrow when we got to sleep in.

After the passengers boarded sleep became a luxury that we’d not get enough of.

“Mommy!” I wiggled and cheered with my princess bear under one arm and Loxi under the other.

“There’s my pretty Princess. How was the first day back?” I sighed. “That good, huh?”

“It was a lot. So many questions my head spun.” I mimed a brain explosion. “I miss you, Mommy.”

“Ditto, Princess. It will be a long three months for sure.”

“Even worse when we hit the areas where there’s no phone or wi-fi reception.

” I hated when that happened. There was nothing to do but read when I’d rather be read to.

“Are you in your office, Mommy?” I loved the pretty artwork that hung on the walls in there.

It was very sensual, commissioned by a local erotic artist.

“I am. Mommy’s had a busy, but productive day as well.” Mommy had the prettiest smile. It lit me up from the inside out and brought my smile out too. I wanted to twist her long hair around my fingers and cuddle up while she read to me. That was my favorite way to fall asleep.

“The Princess and the Frog,” Mommy began. “That was a big yawn, little girl.” When I didn’t respond, not ‘cause I didn’t want to but because I didn’t have the energy too, she started reading again. But the words faded away…

“Rats.” I huffed at the alarm as it blared. “I missed story time with Mommy and Princess Tiana is my favorite.” My day was off to a rough start, and I wasn’t even out of bed yet.

But what made me happy was seeing a text from Mommy.

Mommy: Sweet dreams, sleepy girl. Mommy loves you.

#DayMade

Me: I love you, Mommy. Sorry I fell asleep.

I fired it off then hopped in the shower. Thank the maker of ponytail holders. A little blush and mascara and I was out the door in under twenty.

My teammates funneled in while I double checked the carts to make sure we were ready to roll as the passengers boarded. First calls always came for extra towels even before they’d unpacked. It wasn’t our job to ask what the towels were for. We merely delivered them and went onto the next request.

“Alright, team,” my hand clap gained their attention.

“The next couple of weeks will be unlike any you’ve had, and it all begins in,” I glanced at my watch.

“About an hour. Don’t get sidetracked, don’t overdo it and if you need help don’t be afraid to reach out via the walkies.

Both McKenna and I,” she was my co-lead, “are here for you. Difficult passenger, run out of supplies, don’t have an item they’re asking for—call us and we’ll be right there with it. ”

“We promise, you won’t be in trouble, but if you don’t ask for help and you need it, you put yourself, and the ratings the passengers give us at the end, at risk.

Don’t do that.” McKenna hit that spot on.

More times than I could count a newbie returned to our area in tears all because they were too proud to call us and the passenger got angry at them.

Passengers filed in, en masse at noon. Luggage was still on its way to their rooms as the calls hit back-to-back.

It was up to McKenna and me to keep an eye on our crew.

While breaks most days were hard to come by, we did ensure everyone took their lunches at minimum.

Preferably in two shifts so the floor was always manned.

There was an overnight crew, but that was run by another lead.

Saying McKenna and I handled the day shift was redundant given both shifts ran over a standard eight- or nine-hour slot and overlapped.

Most days we worked twelve to fourteen hours.

The lightest days were the ones where the passengers went ashore for excursions.

Those days were like gold to us.

We didn’t get full days off during cruises, that came during the shift over to a new one. But we were generally on for all sixteen to twenty-one days depending on the schedule. Then we had a day off, another day, sometimes two, to prep the cabins for the next cruise, then we were on again.

The only positive was it left less time to dwell on the fact I’d be sleeping alone at night.

No one to show my pictures to when I colored.

At least when Vale was on the last cruise we played together.

This time I had a smaller room with no roommate.

I both loved and hated that. At the risk of having someone who didn’t understand me, or the lifestyle Mommy and I lived, the hate was minimized.

I promised myself I’d give it my all these next three months.

Not one for doing a job half assed, then it wasn’t worth doing it at all.

And I’d keep that promise. But at only two days in, I didn’t see myself coming back for another season.

Even if it meant fueling the Seattle workforce with their caffeination fix by working in one of the million coffee shops we had here.

Would it pay as well as this did?

Nope. But it kept me close to home and sharing a bed with Mommy each night.

I wonder if I’ll get my own playroom someday…

A girl can dream. Not like I’ve ever had much to begin with. At least this time I’ve got someone who loves me.

“Not sure how much longer you can press that tablecloth for,” McKenna’s voice drew me back, and I glanced down at the iron press. “You’re lucky you didn’t burn it or you.”

Shit. “Sorry, dazed off.”

Not off to a great start.

“Come on, let’s get lunch.”

Begrudgingly, I followed McKenna to the staff dining room fully aware the grilling would commence as soon as we sat down. We were friends at work but away from the ship we’d never once hung out. How much was too much to share?

Even though I wasn’t hungry, I still grabbed a cheeseburger and fries. Lying to Mommy later when she asked if I ate, and she would ask, was bad. I’d have to get a salad later, so I had my greens too. Luckily, that wasn’t a hardship. This silly girl loved salads.

Immediately I took a bite, delaying the inevitable, but McKenna waited me out. Dang it.

“Spill it. We’ve known each other for two years, and we went through training together. I’ve never seen you this out of focus. What gives?”

McKenna had the mommy scrutiny down. Giggling and squirming wasn’t the correct response though. A single brow rose just like Mommy’s did.

“I’ve um, got a girlfriend?”

“Was that meant to be a question?”

“Do you know what a mommy is?”

“You know I do. I’ve worked the kink cruises with you.”

This was getting nowhere fast…

“I moved in with her the day before I left and now here I am, and I miss her. I want my mommy.” Came out in a puff of sobs. Get it together, Darcy, you’re on the clock.

It took McKenna longer than expected to respond and I swear I held my breath until she did.

“Ah, gotcha. That’s a lot of changes for one little girl to make in a month.”

Little girl? Was she a…

Is there a minimum age to be a mommy or daddy? Maybe not ‘cause Chase said at Pride Camp his bestie was a daddy and Chase and him were the same age of twenty-two, or was it twenty-three?

“We went to pride camp for a week, then to Vale’s.

You remember my bestie, Vale?” she nodded, so I kept going.

“He has a big jungle gym and a silly indoor playroom climbing thing in the basement where his daddy works out while he swings around. They live on Whidbey Island in the coolest house. They even built a bedroom with a ginormous bathroom for me and mommy when we’re there. ”

“That sounds awesome. I’m glad it worked out for Jack and Vale.” I forgot McKenna knew Jack too, but at least she was smiling.

“Me too. He just needed the right person to understand him. Just like me and mommy.”

She pointed at my tray. “Alright, your mommy may not be here but I am. We’ve got a busy night ahead of us so eat up. You’ll need every bit of energy you can get.”

“’Kay.” Her order hit me just like mommy’s did and it was on the tip of my tongue to call her that.

Initially, I’d dreaded our lunch, but given the outcome I felt lighter. Maybe it was just talking about mommy that made it that way, but I was able to push through the sads and get through the rest of my shift without incident.

Now for Mommy to read me to sleep.