Just one wish, p.5
Just One Wish, page 5
‘Well,’ Gralice pushed herself to her feet, ‘the more the merrier I guess,’ but her tone and the expression on her face didn’t quite match her words.
Coffees in hand, we joined the line of what seemed like thousands waiting to check in.
‘You mentioned you’d been on a cruise before?’ Gralice said to Rosa as we waited our turn.
‘This will be my tenth, or is it eleventh? I can’t get enough of them.’
‘Who do you normally go with?’ I asked.
‘My ex-partner got me into them originally—we went on a few together—but when we broke up, I started cruising with friends.’
‘Are you with anyone now?’ I hoped I didn’t sound rude; sometimes I had a habit of overstepping the line in conversation, forgetting I wasn’t meant to be interviewing the person.
‘Nope. Not at the moment, but I’m happy with my own company.’
Finally, we got to the front and a young, dark-haired guy gave us all plastic tags on lanyards. ‘Wear these whenever you’re out of your cabin.’ He explained it was not only our room key but could also be used to charge any drinks or other purchases to our total bill. ‘You’re all set. Have fun.’
We progressed to security and deposited our handbags in little tubs so they could go through the screening machine. I put my laptop in a separate one.
One of the officers chuckled. ‘Don’t think you’ll have much time for work this weekend.’
I smiled politely, planning to get plenty of work done over the next few days. It wasn’t like I was interested in any of the themed parties I’d heard some people in the line raving about. No amount of fancy cocktails would be enough to get me singing Elvis karaoke.
Escaping security, we stepped out into the open air with the ship looming in front of us. Gazing up at its majestic size, I felt very, very small. Noting the many lifeboats suspended from the decks, an image of Titanic landed in my head, but knowing a little (thanks to my grandmother) about the physics of cruise ships, I quickly discarded it. Gralice led the way, striding onto the bridge—according to Rosa the correct term was ‘gantry’—that led from the dock to the ship.
‘Stop!’ Mum yelled when we were halfway across. ‘We need a photo for Instagram before we go any further.’
Somehow, I managed not to roll my eyes as she forced Gralice and me to ‘cosy up’ so Rosa could take the shot.
‘We’re holding up the traffic,’ Gralice growled a few minutes later when a couple in their mid-thirties appeared at the edge of the gantry.
‘Oh my God,’ squealed the woman, rushing forward. ‘Are you the Happy Happy Housewife? Can I get a selfie, please?’
I will never get used to people recognising my mother, never mind them fawning over her like she’s some kind of pop star.
‘Of course.’ Mum beamed, almost shoving Gralice and me aside.
‘What’s your name, love?’
‘Jayne, with a Y,’ the woman added, as if that extra letter made all the difference. ‘And this is my husband, Trent.’
‘Pleased to meet you.’ Trent blushed as he offered his hand.
‘I just love what you do,’ Jayne gushed. ‘In fact, we owe you for saving our marriage. Things were pretty bad, but then, after watching some of your videos, I quit my job and am now loving life as a full-time homemaker. Trent, myself and our two little girls are so much happier for it.’
‘That’s wonderful.’ Mum pressed a hand against her heart and looked as if she were about to cry.
Gralice coughed—obviously trying to cover a snort. I linked my elbow through hers and we continued up the gangplank, or whatever it was called.
I looked back in bemusement and clutched my grandmother’s arm. ‘Oh my God. Is she signing that woman’s handbag?’
While I found this highly amusing, Gralice cursed and shook her head as if she had grave concerns for the state of the world. Thankfully, a few moments later, Mum and her groupies were forced to move along.
‘Welcome, welcome aboard,’ sang a man at the entrance to the ship.
‘This is the atrium,’ Rosa said as we emerged into an area that looked very similar to the grand lobby of the hotel where Christos and I had our last tryst. I’d thought he might seek me out at work yesterday, but he hadn’t.
My heart twinged and, as I fought the lump of emotion that rose in my throat, I vowed to exorcise him from my mind; I would not let that bastard ruin this adventure.
Mum let out a whistle as she gazed around. ‘This is impressive. Doesn’t even feel like we’re on a ship.’
The atrium stretched up four or five levels and everything was so damn shiny—it must have been someone’s full-time job simply to keep all the golden balustrades gleaming. Already Elvis’s voice drifted from hidden speakers, where I guessed all of his songs would be on repeat. Surely they couldn’t play only Elvis?
Could I survive four days and three nights of the King?
Mum had played him on repeat on the stereo while I was growing up and you know what the best thing about moving out of home was? Leaving her Elvis obsession behind.
‘Let’s go find our cabins,’ Gralice suggested, fingering her lanyard as she glanced down at the number on her plastic card.
Rosa led the way towards the elevators and we took one up a few levels, emerging into a much smaller foyer. Still ornately decorated with gold and polished wooden panelling, this area led off into two long corridors of cabins on either side. Ours were on the starboard side of the ship.
As we arrived, a steward introduced herself as Raquel. She had a lovely Spanish accent and told us she and her colleague Felix would be looking after us and our rooms for the duration of the cruise.
‘Just find me if there’s anything you need. Nothing will be too much trouble,’ she finished with a swish of her long, dark ponytail.
Gralice thanked Raquel and then, her hand poised to insert her key card into the lock, said, ‘Let’s all settle in our rooms and meet for lunch in about an hour.’
My cabin was far lovelier than I’d imagined. There was a queen-sized bed, a TV, tea and coffee making facilities, and a bathroom with the tiniest shower I’d ever seen. I checked out the mini-bar (which, devoid of anything, was a bit of a let-down) and crossed to the glass doors that led out onto my own private balcony.
Cool air gushed at me as I stepped outside, so after a quick glance down at the people still boarding the ship, I retreated inside and began to unpack. I didn’t bother with my clothes—I could happily live out of a suitcase for three nights—but took great care in unloading my laptop, notebooks and pens, and setting them up on the tiny desk. I imagined Gralice and I would do most of our interviews at various bars throughout the ship, but this was such a monumental project we were about to embark on, I wanted to be as professional and organised about it as I was about my day job.
Once the desk was to my liking, I went to grab my mobile from my handbag so I could take a photo for Instagram. Unlike Mum, I had only a small number of followers, but one of them was Christos and it would do him good to know I wasn’t home alone pining after him.
That’s if my phone wasn’t currently back at my apartment, smashed into a thousand tiny pieces. Bugger. I’d ordered a new one online before I left and it should be waiting for me when I got back on Monday. Although I wasn’t exactly happy about this forced digital detox, apparently we’d lose coverage out at sea anyway. And perhaps it was a good thing; at least I wouldn’t be able to embarrass myself by sending drunken texts to my ex.
I picked up the TV remote and aimlessly scrolled through the channels, my mind boggling when I found two solely devoted to Elvis—one for his movies and one for his music. Mum would be in heaven, but finding nothing of interest to me and not wanting to be alone with my thoughts in my cabin, I decided on a walk around the ship instead.
I took the elevator down a couple of levels to Deck 5 where people were still boarding and slowly progressed upwards, checking out the restaurants, the many bars, boutiques, food courts, theatres, and even a casino on the middle levels.
‘The pokies don’t open until the ship sets sail,’ said a stout man wearing a Hawaiian shirt and leaning against the wall next to the entrance as if he were counting down the hours.
‘Good to know,’ I replied and kept walking. One of the bars boasted not only incredible spirits but also special gin-making classes. Now perhaps that was something Gralice and I could do on a break between interviews.
By the time I neared the top of the ship, my ankle was making known its disgust at the exertion and I drifted towards the bow, where on Deck 12 there was apparently a day spa. Maybe I’d treat my poor foot to a long overdue pedicure. I passed the pool and made my way into the area that housed the beauty salon and day spa. Finding a queue at the reception desk I went a little further, peering into the fitness centre.
The ship hadn’t even left port but there was one lone guy in there sweating it out on an exercise bike as if he hoped pedalling hard enough might take him someplace else.
With his buzz-cut ginger hair, stern expression, broad shoulders and larger than average biceps (not at all hidden by his tight white tee), he didn’t look like anyone else I’d seen on board so far. I tried to imagine this guy in an Elvis costume and instead found myself thinking about what Sophie had said about redheads. Maybe she’d rethink her position if she saw this one. He wasn’t good-looking in the tall, dark, handsome way Christos was, but he had a hard, kind of dangerous edge that appealed to something carnal inside of me.
The man cleared his throat and I realised he’d caught me gawking. He yanked one earbud out. ‘Can I help you?’
‘I was … I was …’ Never usually lost for words. ‘Just trying to work out what kind of person comes on holiday and heads straight for the gym?’
‘Maybe the kind of person who didn’t want to come on holiday,’ he shot back without a moment’s hesitation. ‘Now, if you don’t mind.’ He nodded towards the door, shoved the bud back in his ear and resumed pedalling.
I was tempted to stand there and watch just to annoy him, or maybe to progress further into the gym and take to one of the machines myself. My foot injury aside, I might have done so if I didn’t have a lunch date to get to. Without another word, I turned and walked away, keeping my head high.
The others had already found a table and by the time I arrived, Mum and Rosa were sipping cocktails.
‘They look good,’ I said as I took the seat beside my grandmother.
My mother giggled. ‘They taste even better.’
‘Do you want me to get you one?’ asked Rosa.
I looked to Gralice. ‘Are you having one?’
She shook her head. ‘Too early for me, but you go ahead if you want.’
‘I might hold off a little longer.’ I wanted to have my wits about me when we started the interview. ‘But I will get something to eat. You coming?’
Gralice nodded and pushed to a stand.
The food hall boasted an array of choice and we did the full circle of the perimeter before Gralice chose an Indian dish and I had good old-fashioned fish and chips. Their cocktails near empty, Mum and Rosa took their turn and returned a few minutes later with fresh cocktails and their meals.
‘Do you all like your cabins?’ Gralice asked as she picked at her lunch.
‘I love mine,’ I said. ‘Everything is so compact. Have you seen the shower?’
‘I know.’ She chuckled. ‘Lucky I’m shrinking in my old age.’
I bristled. What was with her sudden obsession with age?
‘What does everyone want to do this afternoon?’ Rosa asked, picking up a serviette and wiping a little hot sauce off her chin.
‘There seems to be so much on offer I don’t know where to start.’ Mum glanced down at the information sheet on the table: today’s ship news sheet, which informed about all the various shows, movies, tribute singers and other activities on board. ‘So many parties, and what’s the muster drill?’
‘That’s a safety briefing before the ship leaves port,’ Rosa explained. ‘There’ll be an announcement over the loudspeaker and we’ll need to fetch our life jackets and meet on the deck nearest to our cabins.’
‘Does that mean you won’t be with us?’ Mum looked a little put out at the prospect of having to part ways with her assistant. Did she expect Rosa to carry her life jacket or ward off possible fans in want of selfies?
‘It won’t be for long,’ Rosa reassured her. ‘Afterwards we can grab another drink and sit out on one of the decks to watch as the ship leaves port.’
‘Sounds lovely.’ Mum leaned back in her seat and smiled like the cat that had the mouse between its teeth.
‘Is that what most people do?’ Gralice asked.
Rosa shrugged. ‘Everyone’s different. I suspect a lot of this crowd,’ she gestured around us, ‘will be hitting the pokies the moment they can.’
I thought of my guy in the Hawaiian shirt downstairs, wondered if he was still there waiting, and smiled. A quick look around showed that he wasn’t the only one sporting a loud shirt. I guessed they were a tribute to Elvis’s many beach movies. I was glad to see that the vast majority of people were plain-clothed like us, but there were a few others already getting in the tribute mood. Some of the women were wearing beautiful 1950s dresses.
‘Elvis wasn’t in Grease, was he?’ At Gralice’s question, I followed her gaze to see a group of women at another table dressed as the Pink Ladies from the iconic high school classic.
‘No, but the girls in the movie were fans, remember?’ I quietly broke out into ‘Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee’.
Gralice laughed. ‘Good God, girl, don’t quit your day job.’
‘Not planning on it any time soon, unless I get a six-figure advance for your bio.’ I winked, knowing this was unlikely and knowing that even if I was a billionaire, I’d still work. I loved everything about my job—interviewing people and investigating nitty-gritty topics sent my blood racing more than an upside down rollercoaster ever could. My job opened me up to new things and helped me make sense of the world. Writing my grandmother’s biography would simply be an extension of this.
‘Speaking of which,’ I said, pushing my now empty plate aside. ‘Did you want to get started on the interviews this afternoon? We could find a quiet place to get a drink and—’
‘Let’s see how I’m feeling after this muster thing,’ Gralice interrupted. ‘I might need a little nap. It’s been quite a day.’
‘Okay.’ I tried not to frown. Did she look older all of a sudden? Sure, she’d just turned eighty, but I’d never known Gralice to take a siesta in her life. ‘Are you okay?’
‘What? Yes,’ she said tersely. ‘Why wouldn’t I be? I’m allowed to have a rest if I want, aren’t I?’
‘Of course. You tell me when you’re ready.’ I turned to Rosa, not wanting to push things with Gralice. ‘So how did you and Mum meet?’
‘I was presenting an Instagram course and Marie was one of the attendees. She was so eager to learn and we hit it off instantly.’
‘Have you been working in social media long?’ This from Gralice.
Rosa rubbed her lips together as if in thought. ‘About five years. As well as teaching the odd course, I’m a virtual assistant and have my own business helping people with their newsletters, websites, social media posts, that sort of thing.’
‘So, Mum’s not your only client?’
‘Oh no,’ Mum exclaimed, looking up from where she’d been tapping madly away on her phone while we still had good coverage. ‘Rosa has a very full stable of clients. I’m lucky she squeezed me in.’
‘I do have plenty of people on my books, but Marie is my most successful. In fact if her career kicks off the way it looks like it will, I might have to hire another employee and hand some of my other jobs onto my staff.’
Mum beamed. ‘Rosa thinks we should launch a Happy Happy Housewife line of merchandise—tea towels, aprons, maybe even some T-shirts—to sell on my website.’
‘Since when do you have a website?’ I couldn’t hold back my surprise.
‘Since last week. Rosa helped me set it up.’
‘That’s wonderful,’ Gralice said and asked them about statistics—downloads, page views, that kind of thing. Did she know what Mum’s website was about?
Not long after, we were interrupted by a short siren, immediately followed by a request boomed from above that everyone report to muster.
As we scrambled up and joined the hordes of people heading to their cabins to collect their life jackets, a buzz of excitement shot through me. Soon the ship would set sail. I could leave all my man troubles behind as we cruised out to sea, and focus on Gralice’s biography instead.
5
Following the muster, which had made me feel like a sardine squashed in a tin with a bunch of over-excited strangers, Gralice went off for her nap and Mum was eager to locate Rosa ASAP.
‘We need to film a quick vlog before the ship heads out to sea and we lose coverage. Do you want to join us?’ she asked me. ‘My fans love when I have guest appearances. And afterwards we could go grab a cocktail.’
While the cocktail appealed, making a cameo on The Happy Happy Housewife did not. ‘Thanks, but I think I’ll go back to my room and work for a bit. Catch up later?’
‘Sure, but …’ Mum cocked her head to one side. ‘All work and no play makes Jill a very dull girl.’
‘Lucky my name’s not Jill then. And what exactly do you call what you’re planning to do?’
She looked perplexed as if she’d forgotten her vlog was ‘work’, but then almost puffed up her chest and nodded. ‘Touché. Come and find us for pre-dinner drinks later.’
I kissed her goodbye and hobbled back to my cabin. Putting my feet up for an hour or so was probably a good idea, but I found my room painfully quiet and cold. I turned on the in-room heater and picked up the remote, trying to find some sort of music channel that wasn’t playing Elvis and would give me a little background noise. Stopping on some classical music station—hey, it was better than ‘Jitterbug’ and ‘Blue Suede Shoes’—I made myself a coffee and sat down on the bed with my laptop and notebook.
