Page 9 of The Cruise Club

Dawn broke to a beautiful day in Argostoli, and Carmen was up early, having checked on Betty, who was mercifully still asleep.

Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, Carmen slipped her feet into comfy trainers and crept out of her room to take a stroll around the ship before everyone was awake for breakfast.

Early morning exercise enthusiasts jogged past Carmen, and she stared as they went by.

It had been years since Carmen had jogged, and as she strolled on the exercise deck, she remembered running cross-country at school, where treks over the Cumbrian fells were as torturous as the rest of her lessons.

Whenever she felt the need to improve her health, Carmen attended aerobics sessions in the Butterly Community Centre, and she’d even tried yoga.

Walks with Slipper, her dad’s labrador, had been enjoyable but Slipper ascended to doggy heaven soon after her father died, and Betty had insisted they didn’t have another dog in the house.

Other exercise was in the form of swimming, and Carmen escaped to the local pool whenever she could.

That morning, as the sky lightened into soft shades of pink and gold, Carmen felt a sudden surge of determination and, removing her glasses, she broke into a slow and gentle jog.

A passing jogger scowled, while another raised an eyebrow and stared curiously.

It wasn’t until she reached halfway around the deck that Carmen paused and, replacing her glasses, noticed arrows pointing to the direction she’d come from, accompanied by the wording: Joggers, please run anticlockwise around the deck.

She’d been jogging in the wrong direction!

There was a cruise ship etiquette that she’d been unaware of.

Carmen felt foolish. Like the wi-fi signal the comedian had joked about – alone with no one to connect to.

With her hands on her hips, feeling hot and sticky, she lowered her head to catch her breath.

Suddenly, a man came rushing by and, unaware of Carmen’s presence, collided with her, knocking her off balance and sending her spinning to the floor.

‘What on earth…’ He towered over Carmen and removed earbuds from his ears.

Carmen was winded and didn’t look up as she angrily replied, ‘But what were you doing, careering along, not paying attention to where you were going?’

‘I was listening to my audiobook,’ the man said. ‘I’m terribly sorry. Are you all right?’ he asked and held out a hand.

Carmen felt firm steadying fingers circle her own as she wobbled to her feet.

But her heart almost stopped when she looked up at the stranger.

Panic surged as Carmen stood face-to-face with Ruskin Reeve.

Her cheeks flushed as she struggled to find her voice in the shock of the encounter with her hero.

‘It was m… my fault,’ Carmen muttered as she pulled her clammy hands away. ‘I wasn’t looking where I was going.’

‘No, it was my fault entirely. I realise I was accidentally running in the wrong direction, and will no doubt get a telling-off if I keep going.’

‘Oh…’ Carmen was tongue-tied, momentarily stumped that her hero had made the same mistake as her.

‘Are you sure you’re all right?’ Ruskin asked.

‘I’m fine, really.’

‘Well, if you’re sure?’

‘Yes, quite sure, thank you.’

‘I hope you enjoy the rest of your run.’

Ruskin’s smile was like a burst of sunlight, and Carmen felt her heart flutter. It wasn’t just the curve of his lips but the way his blue piercing eyes softly crinkled at the corners. She watched him replace his earbuds, and with a courteous nod, move swiftly away.

‘Good grief,’ Carmen muttered. Pinching herself to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming, she set off again and soon got into her stride.

It was a most unexpected start to her day.

The Deck Café was busy as passengers gathered for breakfast, many eyes bleary thanks to a late night.

Outside, under the shade of vast canopies, gentle conversation mingled with the distant call of seagulls swooping gracefully around the ship, their white and grey wings catching the morning light as they glided above.

‘These birds are a bit different to the gulls we get at home,’ Fran commented to Sid as she buttered a croissant and popped a chunk into her mouth. Dressed in a flowing kaftan in vivid shades of orange and yellow, she wore a wide-brimmed hat with a flower pinned to one side.

‘Aye, the Blackpool birds would have whipped your breakfast right out of your hand,’ Sid laughed as he tucked into bacon and eggs. ‘Today’s excursion looks like it’s going to be good,’ he added as he studied a copy of the Diamond Star Daily News and read out loud to Fran.

The Diamond Star Daily News

Today’s Excursion: The ancient village of Maxos

north of Argostoli, on a peninsula surrounded by the Ionian Sea, the charming village of Maxos, described as the jewel in the Ionian Crown, nestles at the end of a long and twisting road.

Visitors are invited to relax on the beach, find Venetian buildings and dine in quaint tavernas.

Your daytime excursion will leave you with many lasting memories.

Limited places available.

‘It’s a good job we booked early,’ Fran said as she licked butter from her lips and dabbed her mouth with a napkin.

‘Peter said the trip was full. Oh look, here’s Carmen and her mum.

’ Fran held up her hand to wave and together with Sid, helped Carmen negotiate Betty’s wheelchair to a place at the table.

‘Did you sleep well?’ Fran asked as Carmen sat down, ‘You had a very long day yesterday.’

‘Blissfully, thank you, my room is lovely,’ Carmen replied.

‘I was up all night and didn’t get a wink,’ Betty grumbled. She demanded attention from a passing server. Insisting that she couldn’t go to the buffet table as her arthritis was playing up, Betty ordered lightly poached eggs, tea and two slices of toast.

Fran and Carmen exchanged glances.

‘I’m going to grab another croissant.’ Fran pushed back her chair. ‘Carmen, why don’t you come with me.’

As they moved through the room, Fran, a vibrant splash of colour, traded pleasantries with other passengers. At the same time, Carmen, feeling dull in khaki shorts and shirt, hovered behind.

‘Fill your boots,’ Fran said as Carmen stared at the sumptuous buffet table.

With a blend of Mediterranean and traditional breakfast staples, fresh fruit and newly baked bread sat alongside pastries and Greek delicacies.

‘Why not try a slice of spanakopita,’ Fran suggested, sliding a slice of spinach and feta pie onto Carmen’s plate.

‘It’s delicious,’ she added, helping herself.

‘Goodness, there’s so much choice,’ Carmen said. Her plate was full of mouth-watering concoctions as she stood beside Fran, who was ordering coffee. ‘I’ll need new clothes if my waistline expands during the cruise.’

Reaching for sugar, Fran studied Carmen and thought a few new outfits might brighten her appearance. So far, she’d only seen Carmen wearing the drabbest of colours in clothes that had seen better days.

‘We can soon sort that out,’ Fran said, gently patting Carmen’s arm.

‘There’s a boutique on the ship, and I must confess that I treated myself as soon as we came onboard.

’ Fran smoothed her kaftan over her generous hips.

‘You’d look lovely in something like this, and there will be shops and boutiques on the islands, I’m sure we can find something similar for you. ’

Carmen stared at Fran. She was like a tropical sunset on legs and Carmen knew she’d never have the confidence to wear such an outfit.

‘Don’t look so worried, I know I’m a peacock, and you don’t have to dress like me.’ Fran added two sugars and stirred her coffee. ‘Tell me something,’ Fran lowered her voice, ‘is your mum a bit difficult?’

Carmen sighed. ‘Where do I begin?’ she asked. ‘Mum is very bossy. She used to rule the roost when Dad was alive and likes to dominate me.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Fran frowned. ‘When did Dad die?’

‘He passed away a few years ago. We had a hardware shop.’ Carmen was thoughtful.

‘I used to work alongside him, and a lady called Marion helped too, she was a bookkeeper, and I liked her. Marion was very kind to me.’ She gave a shrug.

‘I miss Dad terribly. He was the only person who gave me any confidence. Mum just knocks it out of me.’

‘I imagine your mum misses him, too.’ Fran gave an understanding nod.

‘You’d hardly think so, she turns everything into a national emergency and has me running around after her.’ Carmen paused. ‘That’s the only way I can keep in shape.’ She smiled and thought of her feeble attempt at a jog earlier.

‘You have a lovely figure and you’re an attractive woman.’ Fran resisted the urge to give Carmen a cuddle. She was like a tightly wound spring. Nervous and sad.

Carmen took a step back. No one had ever commented on her figure or described her as attractive, even on the rare occasion that she’d had a boyfriend.

‘What’s wrong?’ Fran asked. ‘You can confide in me, I’m good at keeping a secret.’

Carmen sighed. ‘I thought that this cruise would be a lovely holiday all by myself, but Mum gate-crashed my booking.’

‘Then why don’t we find you a bit of “me-time”.’ Fran’s tone was bright. ‘The cruise offers lots of activities, and I noticed a group called the Golden Oldies Gang. We could see if we can involve Betty?’

‘That would be as difficult as teaching a cat to swim.’ Carmen shook her head. ‘Mum never mixes these days and insists on tagging along with anything I do.’

Fran noticed that Carmen’s shoulders had begun to relax and had an inkling that she was winning her over. ‘Don’t worry,’ Fran reassured with a conspiratorial wink, ‘we can sort it out. Are you going on the excursion to Maxos today?’

‘Yes, I’m looking forward to it, though Mum is coming too.’

‘We can chat more then, perhaps over a nice cool drink and a bite to eat.’

Carmen looked at Fran and for a moment, sensed that she had an ally. Fran’s eyes were soft, and her expression warm. Beyond her garish makeup and flamboyant clothes, Fran appeared to genuinely care. Perhaps Carmen’s holiday wouldn’t be ruined after all.

‘Thank you,’ Carmen said, ‘you’re very kind.’

‘Aw, don’t go thanking me,’ Fran chuckled, ‘but we should get back. I have a feeling that Betty is chewing Sid’s ear off.’

Carmen gripped her plate and hurried to keep up with Fran. ‘Oh dear,’ she muttered as she saw Betty lift her cane and prod Sid’s foot, ‘I think you might be right.’