Last Christmas for my bonus, my boss gave my wife and I a cruise. My wife was ecstatic about the idea of spending a week aboard a ship relaxing with all the service that comes with the cruise. A week later my wife gave me her dates that she would be able to take off for our trip. I called the travel agent to set us up.
I week later the packet from the cruise ship arrived. We both where shocked to learn the ship were a sailing yacht. Not the typical cruise ship. The Flamboyance was our boat for a week in the Virgin Islands. The 60′ Schooner would sail us around into coves for our overnight stays. With all inclusive gourmet food and drinks. The ship’s captain stated in his letter to us, “to bring minimal personal items and clothing” as the ship spaces would handle only a few casual clothes.
OK, we figured swimsuits, shorts and t-shirts. I’m thinking all the better, for carry-on luggage. My wife and I where so excited we could hardly go to sleep the night before our scheduled departure. Then the phone rang.
My wife’s boss had chest pains and had been rushed to the emergency room. The home office canceled my wife’s vacation. She would return to work to manage until her boss returned.
My wife insisted that I go alone. She told me she would be working a lot of overtime and would not be spending much time home anyway. I was reluctant to leave without her, but on her insistence I did go on with our plans.
The flight was lonely with no one in the seat beside me. But I soon had a smile on my face and a beautiful ocean under the wings.
Terry, a member of Captain John’s crew was there to greet me. He took me to the hotel where during the course of the evening, all of the guests came together for the first time. Terry left us, saying to be ready at six in the morning as he would be back with the van to pick us up. Breakfast would be served aboard the schooner.
I looked about the small crowd of people there. For the most part everyone was in very good shape, physically. Many where already tan. We all had a casual look about ourselves. I began introducing myself to the others in the small groups that had begun to form. Going from one group to another. One couple introduced themselves to me, Alex and Debbie Applebee. Alex was much older than Debbie; she was beautiful, which automatically made Alex very rich. The others, Mike and Lorie Berry a young couple in their early 20’s and the Scott’s, John and Cathy along with their daughter Candice. I felt a little awkward being alone, as it seemed I was the only one there without a traveling companion. I just made the best of it.
I closed the door to my room and turned down my bed. I was unbuttoning my shirt when there was a knock on the door.
I swung open the door finding, I quickly searched my brain for his name, Alex.
Alex invited me to his and his wife’s room for a nightcap. I started to say ‘no thanks’ when I figured a little drink would help me get a goodnights sleep, so I accepted Alex’s gracious invite.
I followed Alex down the hall to his door, and I had no trouble remembering his wife’s name, Debbie.