Page 3 of Waylaid in Whittier (Cruise Director Millie Mysteries #5)

The spa shower made a whirring sound. The whirring picked up and became more of a steady hum, yet nothing happened.

Millie placed a light hand on the wall, confirming there was a faint vibration. “It’s making a lot of noise, but nothing is happening. Is it broken?”

Andy held up a finger. “It needs a few seconds to crank up.”

A dribble of water dripped on the floor, followed by icy cold air blasting out of the wall vents.

Millie shivered, rubbing the sides of her arms. “This reminds me of what it feels like to stand on the promenade while we’re touring Glacier Bay.”

“The best is yet to come. It should start kicking in any second.” Andy gleefully rubbed his palms together. “The suspense is killing me.”

Plop.

A chunk of part snow and part slush landed on Millie’s head and slid down the side of her hood.

Plop.

Millie turned, noticing a glob of thick snow perched on her shoulder. She lifted her gaze, watching as spurts of snow blasted out of the showerhead. “It’s snowing.”

“Snow showering.” Andy beamed. “Isn’t it bloody brilliant?”

The snow machine was only just getting started and began dropping more of the white stuff on her with increasing speed…on the floor, on the bench seat.

Nic folded his arms, an amused expression on his face. “Millie has entered her own winter wonderland,” he teased.

“It’s creative,” Donovan said. “What’s the purpose?”

“To offer a unique experience, something other cruise lines don’t have,” Andy said. “I’ve done a great deal of research. This snow shower will be the next hottest feature on board cruise ships and Siren of the Seas will be one of the first ones to offer it to guests.”

“Or the coldest,” Donovan joked.

“For a fee, I’m sure.” Millie shifted to the side, watching as the snow continued falling and began piling up at her feet.

“Not only is it fun, but the snow shower offers health benefits, from detoxing to increasing circulation.” Andy removed his cell phone from his pocket and held it up. “This is the perfect photo op. I need a snapshot for the new flyer we’ll be adding to the passenger promo packets.”

Millie started shaking her head. “Oh, no. I agreed to demonstrate it for you…reluctantly I might add. I didn’t sign up to be part of your sales pitch.”

“C’mon, Millie,” he coaxed. “You look great.”

“I’m with Andy,” Donovan said. “It’s a good look.”

“Fine.” She pursed her lips. “But make it quick. My toes are getting numb.”

Camille made her way through the crowd. “I’ll be darned. I’ve never seen such a thing.” Scout wiggled and squirmed until she set him down. The curious pup promptly scampered over.

“I wonder what Scout will think.” Millie coaxed him inside.

Yip. He promptly hopped over the threshold and into the shower, prancing in a circle, a look of pure joy on his furry face.

“I don’t know how passengers will react, but Scout gives it four paws of approval,” Nic joked.

A pile of the white stuff landed on his head. It dripped down the sides of his muzzle, forming a snowy white beard.

“This is one for the printing press.” Andy snapped a picture of Millie and her pup. “The temperature might need a little tweaking. The snow seems a little too wet. I was hoping for more of a powdery shower, a sort of snow globe effect.”

“I disagree. I think the snow is the perfect consistency for…” Millie’s eyes filled with mischief. She scooped up a handful of snow, expertly forming a snowball. She playfully tossed it at Andy, grazing his shoulder. “Snowball fight!”

“You called it.” Andy shoved his phone in his pocket. He swooped down, grabbed a handful of snow and flung it at Millie.

“I’ll have you know I’m an old pro.” Millie scooped up another handful and aimed it above her former boss’s head, skimming his hair and hitting the wall.

“We’ll have to see about that.” Andy hurled the next one at her knee. It landed dead center, sending snow spraying in all directions.

They ran out of snow and the spontaneous snowball fight ended as quickly as it began.

Camille grabbed a pile of clean towels from the bin. She handed one to Andy, a second to Millie, and wrapped the third around Scout, who was soaking wet.

“Thanks.” Millie dried her face. “I don’t know how many passengers will pay for a snow shower, but Nic is right. Scout’s a fan.”

“They’re gonna love it,” Andy predicted. “Think about how refreshing a snow shower will feel in the middle of summer in the sweltering Caribbean heat?”

“I have to give you an A+ for originality,” Camille said. “You might be onto something. Only time will tell.”

“Maybe you can pitch it as a BOGO—buy one, get one free spa snow package.”

“Great minds think alike.” Andy tapped the side of his forehead. “We could pass out snow session vouchers to trivia contest winners.”

“There are hundreds of ways to get the word out.” Millie peeled the raincoat off and fluffed her hair. “Unfortunately, the fun and games are over. It’s back to work for Scout and me.”

The other attendees had already left, and Millie and her pup weren’t far behind. They swung by the almost empty lido deck. Finding a lounge chair close to the pool had not been an issue during their Alaska season. The hot tubs, on the other hand, were an entirely different story, almost always packed from morning until late into the evening.

Although Millie would miss the majestic beauty, the awe-inspiring nature, not to mention the tranquility of Alaska, she was ready for Siren of the Seas to return to a warmer climate. She missed the festive deck parties, the rhythm of the steel drums, not to mention she couldn’t wait to dig out her favorite sundress and pair of flip-flops.

Stem to stern, top to bottom, Millie and her sidekick Scout traveled, checking in on activities and greeting passengers. Skyler Timmer’s “The Sky’s the Limit” travel blog had stopped featuring Millie and Siren of the Seas, which meant the number of passengers seeking her out had dwindled. She’d even been able to cut back on the number of “meet and greet” events.

Although still honored when passengers tracked her down to tell her how much they enjoyed all the activities on board, Millie was relieved her schedule was returning to normal.

Because of the sea day, it was all hands on deck for the entertainment staff. Bingo, trivia contests, an art auction, and an arts and crafts class. There was even a cooking demonstration in the main galley which is where Millie found herself after dropping Scout off at home.

She stood near the back, watching while Amit and Annette whipped up an authentic Alaskan dish, her stomach grumbling at the tantalizing aroma of garlic wafting in the air.

Because of the early morning safety meeting, she’d missed breakfast and realized she was famished.

“I’ll have my assistant, Amit, show you the finished product and then we’ll get down to the best part of today’s demonstration—taste-testing our baked salmon puff pastry pie.”

Amit opened the oven and removed golden brown piping hot pies. Working as a team, he and Annette sliced and plated the generous portions before handing them out.

Millie waited for the guests to enjoy their treat. The presentation ended. She stood by the door, chatting with a few of the passengers on their way out.

Finally, the galley cleared, and Annette noticed her. “Your timing is impeccable. We have a few slices of baked salmon pie left. Would you care to sample a piece?”

“You betcha.” Millie crossed the room and joined her friends at the counter. For the second time in as many days, she noticed Annette had put on makeup, something she rarely did. “Look at you, all dolled up, wearing lipstick and mascara.” She tilted her head. “I didn’t notice earlier, but is it my imagination, or is there something different about your hair?”

Annette tugged on her bangs. “I got a few highlights and dug out some of my makeup. There’s nothing wrong with looking nice.”

“Nothing at all.” Millie noted a hint of defensiveness in her friend’s voice and wisely changed the subject. “I see the culinary presentations are as popular as ever.”

“And so are the cooking classes. We haven’t set off the smoke detectors or fire alarms in weeks now,” Amit said proudly.

“Maybe because I haven’t been around to set them off,” Millie joked.

“You do seem to always be right in the thick of any excitement.” Annette laughed. “Speaking of excitement, any word from Sharky and if he was able to smooth things over with Elvira?”

“Not yet.” Millie dug into her piece of pie, savoring the rich flavors of the Alaskan salmon. “This is surprisingly creamy.”

“Because of the heavy cream we added.”

“There’s something else.” Millie sampled another bite. “I’m tasting garlic with a hint of pepper.”

“Turmeric,” Amit and Annette answered in unison.

“Miss Annette is on a healthy kick,” Amit added. “She has learned turmeric is very good for you.”

“It’s heart-healthy, not to mention anti-inflammatory.”

“The perfect combination. Delicious and good for us.” Millie polished off the rest of her piece and scraped the plate clean. “Between this healthy dish and Andy’s snow shower guaranteed to get rid of toxins, I’ve done my good deed to keep my body shipshape.”

“Andy has a snow shower?” Annette leaned her elbows on the counter.

Millie filled them in on the new feature. “I’m not sure how popular it will be. I suppose once we head back south to more tropical climates, we might have a few passengers and maybe even crewmembers eager to try it out.”

“I would like to try a snow shower,” Amit said.

“Swing by the spa when you have some time off and talk to Camille. Tell her Millie promised you could give it a test run.”

“I will do it. Thank you, Miss Millie.”

“You’re welcome.” Her activity app chimed, reminding her it was time to head down to the theater to oversee the headliner show’s practice run. “Your baked salmon pie is the best. If you want my two cents, you should add it to your regular rotation of culinary demonstrations.”

“I think I will.”

Millie backed up, nearly colliding with a tall, dark-haired man she hadn’t noticed standing in the galley doorway. “Whoops!”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, quickly sidestepping her. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It was my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” Millie offered him an apologetic smile and walked over to the RTG meal rack, thinking a small snack to go along with the salmon pie would tide her over until dinner later that evening.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Annette hurrying toward the man. He leaned in and they began talking in low voices.

Millie’s sharp eye noted their body language, how they stood close together. Trying not to gawk, she furtively studied them through lowered lashes, thinking the man looked vaguely familiar.

Amit did an about-face, catching up with Millie, who had decided on a turkey wrap with a side of fresh veggies and dip. “The turkey wraps are a good choice. I added fresh avocado slices.”

“I’m sure it will be delish. I can’t wait to dig in.” Millie grabbed Amit’s arm and whispered in his ear. “Who is the guy Annette’s cozying up to?”

Amit glanced over his shoulder. “His name is Jose Juan Carlos Garcia Santiago Hernandez. He used to go by the name Gary, but now he’s asking everyone to call him Jose. He worked on board Siren of the Seas several years ago before transferring to another ship.”

Millie repeated his name. She snapped her fingers. “I remember him. I ran into him right after I boarded Siren of the Seas way back when. What’s up with him and Annette?”

“I will tell you.” Amit placed a light hand on Millie’s back and whisked her out of the galley. They crossed over to the other side of the corridor, a safe distance away. “He and Miss Annette, they…like each other.”

“In a romantic way?”

He nodded. “They were a couple. One day, out of the blue, he was gone. Here one minute and gone the next. I asked Annette about it after he left, but she did not want to talk.”

“So maybe he dumped her.” Millie’s brows knitted. “And now he’s back.”

“Between you and me, Jose, Gary, or whatever he wants to be called, is not a good person.”

“Annette is no dummy. You think she’s making a mistake taking up with him again?”

“I do.” Amit nervously licked his lips. “Please do not say anything to her. She would not be happy.”

Millie promised she wouldn’t.

“I must get back to work.” Amit strode across the corridor. He waved goodbye and disappeared inside.

An uneasiness settled over Millie as she stared at the door. Looking back, Jose had given her an uncomfortable vibe way back when.

Call it women’s intuition or an overall uneasiness over finding out someone who had walked out of her friend’s life was now back in the picture. Whatever it was, Millie hoped Jose was on the up and up and Annette knew what she was doing.