Page 15 of The Cruise Club

Carmen sat on a velvet banquette in the Neptune Theatre, her fingers pulling nervously at the piping on the armrest. Three rows away from the front, she had a clear view of the stage, and glancing around, she heard a low murmur as passengers searched for seats.

‘Anyone sitting here?’ A man pointed to the empty space. Before Carmen could reply, he lowered his body and shuffled into place. ‘Theo,’ he said, ‘pleased to make your acquaintance.’

Carmen winced as a beefy hand shook her own. ‘Carmen,’ she muttered and edged away. Theo was like a mountain, solid and unmoveable.

‘On your own?’ Theo asked.

‘Er, well, yes, at the moment,’ Carmen stuttered, unwilling to explain that her travelling companion, Betty, was probably three sheets to the wind in the Mermaid Theatre bar and upsetting anyone within earshot.

‘Me too,’ he said.

Unsure of whether Theo was attempting to make a pass at her, Carmen clamped her legs tightly and gripped the notebook on her knee.

‘Lost my partner a year ago, never felt so lonely.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ Carmen said and turned to Theo.

He looked familiar, but unable to place him she noted his ebony skin and short, tightly coiled hair, speckled with strands of grey that peppered his well-trimmed beard.

‘It’s a strange thing when you lose your partner. Grief is like trying to clear smoke with your hands.’

Carmen stared at Theo’s hands, which looked large, strong, and accustomed to hard work.

‘One minute, the smoke is thick with your loss, and you can’t breathe,’ he continued, ‘then, the next, the smoke clears and he’s there, like he never left.’

Carmen relaxed her grip. There seemed less danger of Theo hitting on her. ‘Is that an Irish accent I detect?’ she asked.

‘I live in Donegal.’ Theo’s eyes, a deep brown, turned to Carmen. ‘I still talk to Ruari, and often I feel as though he’s right beside me.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s madness.’

‘Is that why you came on the cruise, to help you get over Ruari?’

Theo let out a breath. ‘Yes, and I miss him something fierce.’

‘I’m so sorry.’ Carmen’s tone softened. ‘What happened?’

‘A heart condition, we had no idea. It was very sudden. He died in his sleep.’

Carmen reached out and patted Theo’s arm. ‘Perhaps this talk will help you forget for a while.’

‘Maybe…’ Theo smiled. ‘But I had a long flight and am very tired and that’s when memories hit me.’

A spotlight beamed onto a podium and Carmen turned to the stage.

Strutting confidently, Peter appeared, and Carmen felt her heart flutter as the purser began the introduction. She was here! Moments away from experiencing Ruskin talk about his work – words that could inspire her own writing journey. This was what she’d been waiting for!

Carmen adjusted her glasses and opened her notebook. She wondered if she would ever stand on a stage like this – would her own stories create the buzz required to secure a huge following, eager to hang off her every word?

‘So please, let’s have a Diamond Star welcome, as it gives me great pleasure,’ Peter called out, ‘to bring to you the world-famous author, Ruskin Reeve!’

Carmen almost sprang to her feet, but fearing she’d shunt into Theo, she held her hands high and clapped. Gone was the memory of the unsociable man on the beach in Maxos. Here was the great author, Ruskin Reeve!

‘Cruise Club members on the Diamond Star , friends, fans…’

To loud applause, Ruskin stood before the podium, tall and poised, his trendy linen suit as cool as his confidence. Pausing, he stared at the audience.

For a moment, Carmen felt sure that she’d caught his glance, and her breath quickened. She felt the air charged, full of anticipation as everyone waited for the great man to speak.

As his eyes swept the room, a smile played on Ruskin’s lips as though telling the guests they were lucky to be in his presence. He raised a hand, and the room became silent.

‘I imagine you all want to hear wise words on writing?’ Ruskin gave a knowing chuckle and allowed a beat to pass.

‘No doubt, many of you would like to understand the secret to my success. How did I dream up stories that have sold worldwide?’ Ruskin shrugged and moved from the podium to slowly walk towards the audience.

Carmen sat forward and her hair fell softly onto her shoulders.

As Ruskin came closer, she felt a magnetic pull as though being drawn into a world created by his imagination.

Theo no longer sat beside her; instead, the Rainbow Sleuth had taken his place, and Carmen felt a fire of creativity burn in her pounding heart.

‘But first,’ Ruskin said as he scanned the crowd, ‘let me tell you about the space between the words…’

Spellbound, Carmen’s pen danced across the page as Ruskin talked about his life and what inspired him to write.

He dropped nuggets of advice like gold coins, and Carmen collected them gratefully, each stroke of her pen capturing the wise and motivating words as his talk glued in her mind.

Lost in the magic of his knowledge, nothing else mattered.

As the talk came to an end, she closed her notebook and took a deep breath. Ideas and plots filled her excited head. At last, she could start writing again! Ruskin Reeve had inspired her, and she’d begin what she set out to do on this cruise.

Maybe her writing block was over.

As Ruskin left the stage to thundering applause, Carmen turned in her seat.

Beside her, the imaginary figure of the Rainbow Sleuth had gone, and instead, Theo, his head to one side, was slumbering quietly.

Not wishing to disturb the man, Carmen placed her notebook in her bag and, with a smile that could light up the darkest night, slipped quietly out of the theatre.

The Mermaid Theatre was situated at the stern of the ship, and unlike the tiered seating in the Neptune Theatre, guests sat at circular tables grouped around the stage.

The room was large, with two generous platformed areas and a well-stocked bar.

Fran and Sid had chosen to sit by a window that offered stunning views during the day, and with Betty parked beside them, they ordered a round of drinks.

‘If the Corinth Cocktail is free, I’ll have two,’ Betty said to a server, ‘not too much ice!’

Her face was set in a permanent frown, and she sat upright in her chair, her bag like a shield, clamped to her knee. Betty’s silver-grey curls were drawn back with a tortoiseshell band.

‘I think I’ll have the same,’ Fran said, looking around. ‘Isn’t it lovely in here?’ she added, admiring the theatre’s theme, which blended with the ship’s colour palette, where bright and bold blues reflected the sea and sky.

‘It’s very bright,’ Betty complained. Dressed in a beige patterned blouse and slacks pressed to perfection, Betty’s feet tapped impatiently. Pink toenails peeped out from her summer sandals.

‘There’s a good crowd gathered,’ Sid said and picked up his beer. ‘This is where the Golden Oldies Gang meet each day for quizzes and the like.’

‘How exciting,’ Fran said, ‘I’m hopeless at quizzes, but it will be fun to join in.’ She watched as the server slid coasters onto the table, reached for the cocktails on his tray, and placed them carefully beside a bowl of salted nuts.

‘I’m not breaking my teeth on those,’ Betty snapped, pushing the nuts away.

Fran thought that Betty’s dentures could probably crush rocks, as she remembered the mounds of food she’d seen Betty consume in the last twenty-four hours. She watched the elderly lady reach for her glass and flip the garnish of mint before raising the drink to her thin lips and gulping it down.

‘Steady on!’ Sid smiled as he retrieved the mint. ‘That’s mostly vodka.’

‘And lime and honey.’ Fran took a sip. ‘It’s delicious,’ she said and grabbed a handful of nuts.

The room had begun to fill, and as passengers gathered around tables and found their seats, Colin and Neeta arrived.

‘Come and join us, we’re having cocktails.’ Fran inched her chair to make room. ‘That’s a lovely shirt.’ She grinned at Colin and admired the pineapple pattern print, which matched Neeta’s eye-catching minuscule vest.

Neeta pulled up a chair next to Sid. ‘Hello, Sidney,’ she whispered and fluttered her butterfly lashes.

‘Ahem…’ Sid nervously coughed. ‘I think the quiz is about to start.’

All eyes turned to the stage, and seconds later, Dicky Delaney appeared.

‘Hello Golden Oldies Gang!’ Dicky called out. He stopped in his tracks, waiting for a response. ‘Hello… Anyone out there?’

‘Hello Dicky!’ Fran enthused.

‘You’ll have to do better than that.’ Dicky grinned. ‘Are you all awake? Blink twice if you’re conscious.’

Laughter began as everyone watched Dicky with amused anticipation.

‘I hope you all had a second helping of lunch and are ready to stretch your brains because we are about to dive in at the deep end of trivia.’

‘Get on with it!’ a voice sliced through from the back of the room.

Dicky squinted and looked around the crowd until his eyes rested on Don. ‘Ah, it’s our Yorkshire friend,’ he said. ‘Did someone leave the farm gate open?’ Dicky paused. ‘I’m glad you’re not giving me directions. Last time a Yorkshire man told me to “Tek a reet”, I ended up in the sea.’

Dicky beamed. Everyone was enjoying his banter. ‘All right, gang, let’s get started,’ he said. ‘Has your team captain got a pen and paper, and have you chosen a name?’

On Fran’s table, Betty whipped a notebook out of her bag. She tore out a page then reached for a pen. ‘I’m in charge, and we are the Trivia Titans,’ Betty declared as she wrote the name down. ‘Everyone, up your game!’

Eyebrows lifted as guests around the table exchanged glances. The speed with which Betty took charge left the group speechless.

‘Question number one,’ Dicky shook out a sheet of paper. ‘You’ll all know this one,’ he smirked. ‘What year did the Titanic sink?’

Sid held his hand over his mouth, ‘I think it was 1914,’ he whispered.

‘No, nearer 1920.’ Colin frowned.

‘1912,’ Betty snapped and wrote it down.

‘What famous amusement park in California opened in 1955?’ Dicky looked around the room where the competitive spirit was thick.

‘Universal Studios!’ Fran smiled.

‘I’m sure it’s Sea World,’ Colin said.

‘Mickey Mouse Land.’ Neeta yawned.

‘Disneyland,’ Betty hissed and penned the answer.

‘One for the astronauts amongst you.’ Dicky nodded to the audience. ‘What was the name of the first manned mission to land on the moon?’

‘I know this…’ Sid drummed his fingers on the table.

‘It’s Apollo 10, I’m certain,’ Colin was adamant.

‘I really don’t care,’ Neeta sighed.

‘Wasn’t it Gemini something?’ Fran was puzzled.

‘Apollo 11,’ Betty spat out.

Tensions rose as Dicky switched the questions to a music round, and a man with a hearing aid banged his walking stick when he misheard a Frank Sinatra question.

On Don’s table, a scuffle almost broke out over Elvis’s first hit, and when Don insisted that he knew the correct answer he was silenced by a dig of Debbie’s elbow.

When the quiz ended, Dicky took a break as he collected papers. ‘Time to refresh your drinks,’ he called out.

Betty, on her third Corinth Cocktail, had a smug smile.

‘I’m very impressed, Betty dear,’ Fran said, ‘you put us all to shame with your knowledge.’

‘My late husband, Des, and I weren’t known as the Quizards of Butterly for nothing.’ Betty was confident in their victory. ‘There’s many a trophy on my dresser at home.’

When Dicky returned to the stage, any camaraderie in the room was forgotten as The Smartinis , shaken not stirred, pinged olives at the In It To Win Its.

Drink coasters flew like frisbees from The Correctors, who aimed them at the Smarty Pints, while the Trivia Titans, awaiting news of the winner, held their breath.

‘There have been some interesting answers,’ Dicky chuckled and smiled at The Brainy Bunch. ‘For example, in reply to “What was Elvis’s first hit?’ these good folk wrote, “Jailhouse Rock because Elvis accidentally locked himself in the bathroom…”’

‘I don’t think that’s very funny,’ Don said, ‘didn’t he die in there?’

‘Exactly.’ Dicky shook his head.

‘What was the correct answer?’ Fran asked.

Before Dicky could reply, Betty shouted, ‘“I’m All Shook Up!”’

‘So, I’ve heard,’ Dicky concurred.

‘I knew that!’ Don shouted and stared angrily at his team.

‘But that doesn’t take away from the fact that…’ Dicky held up his hand for a drum roll. ‘Betty Cunningham, you and your team, the Trivia Titans, are today’s Golden Oldies Gang Quiz Winners!’

Fran and Sid leaped to their feet, and as Fran kissed Betty’s powdered cheek, Sid patted Betty on her shoulder. Dicky carried a bottle of champagne to the table and Colin and Neeta clapped their hands.

‘I’ll take charge of that,’ Betty said and snatched the prize from Dicky. Standing triumphantly, all ailments forgotten, she held the bottle as though she’d won the lottery.

There was a murmur as numerous Golden Oldies, already plotting revenge, grudgingly clapped the winning team.

Don and Debbie came over to congratulate the Trivia Titans, and Fran asked Debbie if her necklace had been found.

But before Debbie had time to reply, Don shook his head.

‘I told her not to bring the expensive stuff on holiday. It’s a goner, I’m afraid, but if I catch the culprit, I’ll skin them alive. ’

Debbie rolled her eyes.

‘Do you have any idea where you might have lost it?’ Fran asked.

Debbie explained that she hadn’t a clue. An officer from guest services had taken a description and checked Lost and Found. He’d frowned when Debbie mentioned that she hadn’t used the safe in their room but assured her that a thorough search would be conducted and checked in the public areas.

‘It’s so upsetting for you,’ Fran said, ‘but someone will be sure to pick it up and hand it in.’

Debbie said that she hoped so and, taking hold of Don’s arm, led him away.

Colin and Neeta said they were going for a rest and, holding hands, disappeared too.

‘We must find Carmen,’ Betty gave orders as she drained the last of her cocktail. ‘She needs to press my outfit for tonight, and I want her to do my hair.’

Sid raised his eyebrow as Fran shrugged her shoulders. Releasing the brake, Sid took charge and wheeled Betty away.

‘What a smashing afternoon,’ Fran said as she linked Sid’s arm, and they moved through the ship to Betty’s cabin. ‘I hope that Carmen had a lovely time too.’