At ten minutes to six that evening Flossie and Sterling met in the corridor outside their cabins and prepared to go to dinner. They left Waldo in Sterling’s cabin, stretched out on his mat beside the sliding door where he would most likely stay until they returned for his walk before bedtime. Even if he was a pseudo service dog, Waldo deserved a night off.
“So, what do you think? Am I still a hot chick?” Flossie did a little turn to show off her light blue silk dress.
“Yep, you’ve still got it, Old Girl. I’d chase after you myself if I swung that way. But you know my heart belongs to Leonardo.”
“Oy vey, a girl doesn’t stand a chance with you Hollywood types,” she snickered. “What’s it been now, thirty years with that old lion tamer?”
“Thirty? It’s closer to fifty, but who’s counting?” Sterling looked down at Flossie’s white orthopedic shoes, “Nice touch with the light blue bows on your shoes.” He took a closer look. “Say, isn’t that the ribbon from one of Waldo’s bows?”
She looked a little embarrassed. “Um, leave it to you to spot that with your impeccable fashion sense. Yes it is, but he likes his red bow better, so I figured he wouldn’t miss it. Besides, he does have the rhinestone collar and I’ll put his pretty silver bow on it when we take him to the formal night banquet.”
A light gust of sea breeze ruffled Sterling’s shock of white hair, but Flossie’s blue-gray curls, stiff with hairspray, didn’t move an inch. Sterling had opted for an ascot instead of a tie and looked like a suave old dandy straight out of a 1940s movie. He extended his elbow and said, “Shall we, my dear?” Flossie made a big show of taking his arm and they headed to the dining room.
Sheik Ali Kazaam and Jade Moon were already seated at the Captain’s table beside Red. Next to them sat a handsome young stockbroker, his rather plain looking wife and their boy who appeared to be about ten years old. Across the table were an elderly couple who introduced themselves as Moe and Greta Winkleberry from Moose Harbor, Maine. Most evenings Red picked out a few people from small towns to sit at his table, knowing they would probably rave about it to friends and family who might book future cruises.
“We are just thrilled to pieces to be sitting at the Captain’s table,” gushed Greta. “Taking this cruise and dining with Captain Red Pepper is the highlight of our lives.” Red graced the Winkleberrys with a broad smile that made his copper mustache wiggle.
Sterling took the seat next to Moe Winkleberry, directly across from Ali Kazaam. He fixed his gaze on the Sheik’s turban while Flossie gave Jade the once over.
Red got up and helped Flossie take her seat, then leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. Kazaam raised an eyebrow and muttered in a condescending tone, “Flirting with a passenger, Captain?”
“Just between you and me, Sheik,” Red said with a conspiratorial wink, “I don’t kiss all the beautiful passengers, but this one’s special. She happens to be my mother-in-law.”
“And I’m his wonderful uncle-in-law,” Sterling quipped.
Once the old vaudevillian was able to tear his eyes away from Kazaam’s flashy outfit, he turned his attention to Jade. She was definitely a beautiful woman who kept her eyes fixed on her pompous boss, even when she was speaking to others. He suddenly thought about Pearl Woo, and said to the Shiek, “Kazaam, I’ve got to tell you, Flossie and I were shocked when we read about that horrible accident that took your assistant’s life. Poor girl, what a sad final act for her.”
The sheik’s haughty demeanor changed for a moment as he looked down at his napkin and mumbled, “It was a devastating loss for me, especially right before this cruise.”
Sterling studied the man’s piercing eyes—so dark they appeared black—his neatly trimmed black mustache and goatee accented his handsome swarthy face and slim, erect carriage. The turban gave Sheik Ali Kazaam an exotic air of mystery that Sterling envied. He may be a mediocre magician, he thought, but the Sheik certainly looks like a star.
“What a tragedy!” said Captain Pepper, “How did you happen to find Jade so soon after the accident?”
The sheik’s velvety voice was deep and resonant. “It was a stroke of unbelievable luck. She actually found me. I was consoling Pearl’s mother at the funeral when Jade came over and gave her a hug. Turns out she was one of Pearl’s friends.” He gave his new assistant a nod and a half-smile. “Jade expressed her sympathy and asked how Pearl's death would affect this upcoming cruise. She wondered if there was anything she could do to help—”
Jade joined in as everyone at the table listened, even the fidgety ten-year-old boy. “Yes, Pearl had been really excited about the magician’s cruise. To tell the truth, I was a little jealous. So when the Sheik said, ‘The only thing that would help me would be a new assistant who could join me on the ship,’ I jumped right in.”
Moe and Greta leaned forward so as not to miss a single word. They appeared enthralled to be hearing inside information.
“Well, I guess I surprised the Sheik when I said I could do it. You see, when I was in college one of my boyfriends loved magic, so just for fun I helped him in his act and I was pretty good at it. I said I could duck out of my business for a few weeks because this sounded like a cool thing to do.”
“And here she is! What a gem Jade turned out to be. Too bad it’s just for a short time. She is really good, and has so many talents. She even makes costumes.” He patted his turban like a diva with a fancy tiara. “She made this new turban for me.”
Flossie leaned forward and said, “So Jade, darling, what kind of business are you in that you can just take time off whenever you want?”
Before she could answer, the waiter brought beautiful plates of Alaska king crab appetizers and everyone turned their attention to the succulent seafood. Jade hurried through her dinner and before dessert was served she stood up and folded her napkin on the table. “You know, I think I’ll go back to my cabin and look over some of the illusions again. I’m new at this and I don’t want to mess up tonight. See you in the showroom.”