Viv spent the rest of the day in her stateroom. After resting with a book and a long bath, she selected her outfit for dinner later. Placing each item on her bed, she added a purse next to the ensemble. Then she picked up her room phone. She waited for the pleasant person to stop talking to ask, "May I have a pot of lavender herbal tea and a few shortbread cookies sent to my room?"
"Yes, ma'am," came the voice. "I'll tell your steward. It will only be a few minutes."
"Oh and would you also bring honey?" Viv turned on the television, clicking her remote to find a news station. Global or local, she didn't care. Anything to remind her that there was a real world out there, beyond the sea.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, she waited for the knock on the door. In the pause, she realized that one thing she'd noticed as she aged was how one thing tended to remind her of something else. Like Rex's voice at the gym. He'd done a really good impersonation of the actor Cary Grant. The movie An Affair to Remember came to mind.
And now the phrase “beyond the sea.” She thought of an old song of that same title. She hummed, thinking of a boy in junior high school. How everyone attended the monthly sports nights.
What was his name again… Anyway, he'd asked her to dance on the last song of the evening. This request, due to its significance in the lineup of tunes, would be groundwork for all the gossip the following week.
He held me with both arms wrapped around my body. So close I could smell the peppermint gum he'd tucked into his cheek. He ducked his lips into my neck and dared to take a small bite. That Ricky. He became my badge of honor for the next month—until the next sports night when we’d become old news.
He'd asked her to go steady. Lifting a silver chain over his head to hand her his St. Christopher medal. That's what boys did then. Couples would go steady for a month. She ended their relationship in two weeks because she didn't see the point in it really—he never called or spoke to her after he’d handed over the medal.
A knock at the door snapped Viv out of her reminiscence. She rose and opened the door, standing aside as room service ushered past holding a tray. "Here you are, ma'am," he said with a slight bow. "Would you like me to leave this outside on the veranda or inside, here at the desk?"
"Outside, please."
Once he'd left, Viv lifted the cozy off the teapot and poured a cup. Adding a bit of honey was her afternoon treat to herself. Cup held to her lips, she looked to the veranda next door. The one Rex was supposed to occupy. Viv bit into a cookie as she wondered if Rex's stateroom had been given to another occupant, since he now stayed with staff on the third level.
After she’d finished a second cookie, she heard the scraping of a chair from the other side. Curiosity made her stand and draw closer. She leaned out over the rail and looked over her left shoulder. A pair of bare feet poked over the end of a chaise lounge.
Afraid of being observed, she took a hasty step backward. The feet were large and the toes slender. Man or woman? Viv wondered. I guess it doesn't matter.
The ship unexpectedly lurched, and Viv's stomach clenched. Sitting back down at the table, she reached for the last cookie. I need to keep a little bit of food coming at regular intervals, she concluded. That's the best way to avoid feeling queasy.
If she were at home, she wouldn't allow herself the privilege of cookies with her afternoon tea. But now that she had her stomach to settle, she had the perfect excuse.
The tip of her tongue tingled with sweetness as she swallowed the last bite.
An hour later Viv awoke from a nap. It was seven o'clock. Her stomach growled. I'm always hungry on this cruise, she realized. Instead of eating I'll call Rex. She wanted to hear his voice. Maybe I'll catch him before he has to get dressed for his show tonight.
When the phone refused to ring, Viv frowned. Did he turn it off? I bet he's found other friends in his new location. Though he'd seemed eager at the gym, maybe he'd finally realized they couldn't be seen together and given up trying.
Or maybe someone belonged to those panties, and they weren’t left behind after all…
Viv felt her disappointment keenly. This cruise was not going as planned. No matter how many spa treatments or cookies, she couldn't deny her true feelings about the circumstances.
I'm alone and a bit out of sorts. I'd better make the best of this before I get really angry and take it out on Rex.
Viv reached for her journal and began jotting down some notes. This time she wasn't keeping track of the other passengers on her phone. This time she wrote what she felt. Writing things down had always worked for her, especially when she felt out of touch with her feelings.
Finished with her journaling, she felt better. The one thing she didn't want to do again was to snoop on the neighbor next door. Being left by myself must have made me unnecessarily nosy, she told herself. But a residue of embarrassment still lingered.
She tried to call Rex one more time, with the same result. Then she texted, but it wouldn't send. Maybe another trip to the IT desk, she thought. Ugh. I don't want to wait in line.
Time to get dressed, she concluded. Black slacks slipped on easily. The loose-fitting blouse with the gold accents fell gracefully to her waist. The gold sandals made her outfit look intentional. With my hair up, I'll blend with the other women of a certain age and be comfortable with myself.
She stood in the corridor, feeling self-conscious anyway. Eating alone didn't bother her at home. But on a cruise it felt very different. Pulling her shoulders back, she made her way to the elevator lobby.
The door slid open, revealing several other people dressed for dinner. Viv stepped inside. "Room for one more?" she said lightly, turning to face the closing door.