As they made their way up to the restaurant on the Lido Deck, Ben insisted on a detour to the uppermost deck so Katie could see the horizon in all directions. She giggled as she looked over the railing to the water several stories below, and then she pointed toward the rear of the ship, where she’d spotted a somewhat secluded pool and hot tub.
Along their way to take a closer look, they found the basketball court, the bowling alley, the runner’s track, the arcade, and the shuffleboard court.
With each new revelation, Katie became more astounded by the sheer size of the ship and how much there was to do.
“It really is like a floating city,” she said as they stood at a railing and gazed down at the main pool and the people swimming or milling about on lounge chairs, at bars, or seated at tables surrounding the pool.
“I’d say a big resort hotel that happens to be on the water but has all the same amenities one would have on land.”
“I’ve never been to a resort this big,” Katie said.
“You have now.”
They filled up at the Lido buffet, and once they’d finished, Ben texted his dad to find out their whereabouts.
“They’re at a lounge on Deck 5, Midship, and they’re ready to meet up if we are.”
Katie watched the tension creep into his face, tightening his jaw as the light in his eyes dulled, and his ever-present grin faded.
“Boy, they really get to you, don’t they? And I thought I had it bad with stressing out about my mom.”
“I’m okay.” He shrugged as though it was no big deal, but the gesture was less than convincing. “I’m used to it. I just want them to be nice to you.”
“Well, I plan to be nice to them, so if they’re not…like I said before…that’s on them. Not on you.”
“Right. Okay.” He leaned forward, his eyes somber as they searched hers. “This is your last chance to back out.”
Neither of them had mentioned her idea since she’d first suggested it in the hallway and he’d ended the conversation. She’d assumed it was a no-go, but had he decided to give it a try?
“What do you mean by back out?”
“I mean this is your last chance to change your mind.”
“About what? Meeting your parents? Or telling them we’re involved as more than just friends?”
With a grin that was half-smirk, he said, “Both, I suppose. If you’ve decided you don’t want to meet them at all, I’d understand.”
“So, then were you saying you do want to try my plan?”
He bit down on his lip, shaking his head slowly as though he was still struggling with the decision. “The way you laid it out made sense, but like I said before, I don’t know that it will charm my mother the way you hope it will. This thing with her and me, it’s complicated. Scheming to win her favor could blow up in our faces, and the last thing I want is for you to be collateral damage because of me.”
“I thought we committed to think positively and expect the best outcome while we’re on this trip.” She smiled at him, and then she smiled up at the young man who had offered to clear their dishes. Once the man finished and departed, she leaned forward with her arms folded on the table. “I can’t promise to be as convincing as Maya might have been, but I’ll do my best. I’m in if you are. It’s your family, so it must be your decision.”
“Yeah, and that means I’ll be responsible for whatever happens. Let’s go. I’ve kept them waiting long enough.”
“Okay, but what are we doing? Are we dating or not?”
“I don’t know. I’ll decide on the way over. C’mon.”
Gone was the charming tour guide he’d been before, and as she followed a silent and broody Ben to the lounge on Deck 5, the change in his mood caused her anxiety to escalate.
This was crazy. There was no way she could lie to his family. She’d never pull it off. As a teenager, she’d tried to lie to her mother once, and that had ended horribly. She’d convinced Rosalyn she was going to a study group at a friend’s house, but on the drive over, she’d burst into tears out of guilt and confessed it was really a party.
So, as much as she wanted to help Ben, and as bad as she felt about how his family messed with his head, it would only make things worse for him if she screwed up and they determined they’d been lied to.
No, they needed to just stick with Plan A and tell everyone they were friends. Which was still a lie. Not counting the concert she didn’t remember, they’d only just met that morning. They weren’t friends. Not yet, anyway. But based on what she’d learned of him in the short time they’d been talking, and based on how Maya already felt about him, she was certain they would be friends in time.
So that was an easier lie to pull off.
“Hey, hold up a minute,” she said, laying her hand on his arm as she paused in the hallway outside the lounge. “Let’s forget about the whole girlfriend scheme. You’re probably right. It’s a bad idea, and it could totally blow up in our faces. I’ve never been that good of an actress, and I am a terrible liar. I don’t want to make things worse for you.”
“Okay.” Ben smiled, giving her a single nod. “Then that settles it. I’ll tell them we met about a year ago through your sister, who’s a close friend, and that we recently reconnected. We discovered we enjoy each other’s company and became fast friends. Friendly enough that we decided to travel together. Is that close enough to the truth?”
“Um, yeah. For sure. Thanks.”
“No problem.” He gave her upper arm a light squeeze of reassurance. “Don’t worry. It’s gonna be great.”
“Yes. It is,” she said in a confident voice she hoped would reassure them both.
Ben smiled, but there was something in his eyes that she couldn’t decipher. Something that made her feel sad.
“Ready?” he asked, thumbing toward the lounge.
“Yeah.” They started to walk again, but then she stopped him once more. “Oh, there’s a restroom. Let me duck in and check the mirror. My hair’s probably blown all over the place from when we were out in the wind, and even if we’re just friends, I’d like to make a good first impression.”
“You look great, but yeah, do whatever you need to do.”
Katie walked behind the built-in partition in front of the ladies’ room door, stepping aside so the woman exiting could pass. Once in the restroom, she ran her fingers through her hair, straightening it as best as she could, and then she brushed on a bit of lip gloss.
She’d just opened the door to exit when she heard a woman exclaim, “Benjamin! There you are. We thought you’d gotten lost. All the hallways on this godforsaken ship look the same. Where’s your friend?”
Katie paused, steeling herself for the moment she’d been dreading. What was the best approach? Should she say hello and introduce herself or wait for Ben to make the introductions? She wished she’d thought to ask him if Lydia was a handshaker, a hugger, or a hands-off person who preferred no contact when first meeting someone.
“She’s in the restroom,” Ben said as Katie stood hidden behind the partition determining her plan of action.
“Not powdering her nose, I hope.” Lydia said in a nasally tone.
“Why would you even say that?”
“Well, you do have a history of choosing poorly when it comes to women and addicts, do you not?”
Katie had just started to emerge from behind the partition, but the shock of that question stopped her in her tracks.
“She’s definitely not an addict,” Ben said, the frustration obvious in his voice. “But hey, thanks for bringing that up within the first five minutes of seeing me. I was nineteen. I didn’t know any better.”
“Please. You knew better. You dated her to embarrass me. And you weren’t nineteen the other time, were you? So, who’s this one? Where did you find her?”
“This one is different, and I would really appreciate if you could at least try to be nice to her.”
“Different? Different, how?”
“I’m serious. I’m really interested in this girl, and I don’t need you causing any problems for me.”
Katie’s brows lifted in surprise. What was he doing? Had he changed his mind and decided to say they were dating? But they’d just agreed to go with the truth. Crap! Now that he’d said it, she had to go with it. She had to back him up. But how? She hadn’t met a boyfriend’s mom since high school. She was sorely out of practice.
“Benjamin, what problems could I possibly cause?” Lydia asked, her voice sickeningly sweet. “And you can’t be that interested in her if you’ve never brought her home to meet your family.”
“You’re meeting her now.”
“You’ve told us nothing about her. Not even a mention other than a vague comment that you’d be bringing a friend. You certainly never called Allison a friend. She says hello, by the way. Your father and I had her over for dinner before we left. She’s doing well.”
Okay, time to act, Katie thought.
What would a normal person do when meeting their boyfriend’s mother for the first time?
Or better yet, what would Maya do?
That one was at least easy to answer.
Stepping out from the partition, Katie strode over to Ben with all the confidence she knew her sister would exude.
“Hey, babe. Sorry it took me so long.” Without taking too much time to think, she just acted on impulse the way she thought Maya would, cupping Ben’s face in her hands as she pressed her lips to his.
He froze, momentarily stunned, but then his arms were around her, and his hands were in her hair, and suddenly, she wasn’t sure who was kissing who.
“Excuse me,” Lydia said. “I’m standing right here.”
Ben released Katie from the kiss but kept her in his arms.
“Sorry. Um, Mother, this is Kate. Kate, my mother, Lydia.”
“Oh my goodness,” Katie managed to say, even though she was unexpectedly dizzy from the kiss. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
She knew instinctively that Lydia Reyes was definitely not a hugger, and though she honestly thought the correct answer was no-contact, she offered a handshake so as not to appear rude.
“Have you now?” Lydia accepted the handshake offer but lifted her chin to peer down her nose at Katie, who was shorter by at least three inches. “I’ve heard absolutely nothing about you.”
Wow. This lady was a piece of work. This was going to be a challenge, for sure, and Katie had always excelled at challenges.
“Hey—” Ben said to his mother in reproach, but Katie laid her hand on his chest to quiet him.
“That’s my fault,” she said, keeping her voice chipper and light. “I told Ben I wasn’t comfortable with him telling people that we were dating. I didn’t want to jinx things. I thought it would be best if we got to know one another without the pressure of a label or other people’s expectations. But I am thrilled to finally meet you and to tell you how wonderful your son is. But of course, you already know that.”
She’d tried to stick to the truth as much as possible, which she’d always heard was a technique the best liars do to keep track of the story. It was also what Maya did when they were growing up, and it had worked for her most of the time.
Lydia smiled, but her eyes remained cold and serious. “Come. Let me introduce you to the rest of the family. They’ve been very curious to know who Ben was bringing.”
What was that? Ben mouthed to her as they followed his mother inside the lounge.
Katie didn’t dare answer out loud and risk Lydia hearing, so she just shrugged. Had he not expected her to follow his lead? Had she misread the situation somehow? Or was the kiss maybe a step too far?
He definitely didn’t seem to mind it at the time, but now that the adrenaline of the moment had passed, she wondered if perhaps it had been a bit much on her part. Maybe in hindsight she should have just walked out and said hello.
Yeah, that was probably what the normal person would have done.
That’s what old Katie would have done, for sure.
But this was new, adventurous Katie. She took matters in her own hands. Literally.