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The second the Uber door opened, there was a blast of hot, humid air. It smelled distinctly of ocean water, and it was rather pleasant depending on who you asked. Claudia Porter closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the welcome scent.
Back home, the leaves were already changing colors and autumn harvest was in full swing. The air was cool and crisp, particularly in the evenings. Summer had already begun to slip away, and the promise - or threat - of winter whispered in the wind.
Claudia had never been a big fan of Canadian winters, which were far too long-lasting and frigid for her liking. Even though she loved fall, it always felt bittersweet to say farewell to another summer. She was glad to be spending a week in a hot, sunny climate where she could pretend summer was endless.
“Claudia? Are you ready?”
Claudia opened her eyes and saw her boyfriend, Scott Anderson, looking at her expectantly. His black backpack was slung across one of his broad shoulders. She didn’t know how he had managed to pack a week’s worth of clothing in there. She had barely been able to limit herself to her gigantic suitcase and the biggest carry-on bag she owned.
A sudden gust of wind made her long auburn waves dance. Claudia brushed her hair out of her eyes as best she could and moved her sunglasses to the top of her head. She looked around the port, surprised by how many people were there.
“Are we late?” Scott asked.
“Maybe a little,” Claudia replied. “We’re cutting it close, but it should be okay.”
She didn’t add that they wouldn’t have been late if he hadn’t messed up ordering their Uber. How did one even manage to mess that up? Wasn’t it incredibly straightforward? In any event, it wasn’t the time to cast blame. That was not the way she wanted to start their vacation.
A whole bunch of people suddenly streamed through the port, luggage in tow. Judging by their deep tans, they were returning from a cruise to a hot, sunny destination. For the most part, they looked relaxed, well-rested and happy. Claudia couldn’t wait to experience what they had.
“There are people everywhere,” Scott complained, looking miserable and stressed out. “ Where do we even go? This place is so huge. You would think things would be better organized than this. I mean, how many cruises come and go from here per week? They need signs.”
“You mean like those signs right over there?” Claudia asked, not in the mood for her boyfriend’s negativity. She took a moment to get her bearings. “I think that’s where we need to line up,” she announced, pointing.
Scott nodded. “That looks right.”
He pulled off his black baseball cap and ran a hand through his dark hair. It was usually unruly and a little too long, but not this time. Claudia had talked him into getting a haircut the day before their flight to Fort Lauderdale.
After all, he was going to be in wedding photos.
They both were.
“I can’t believe we’re here,” Claudia remarked as she and Scott made their way to the back of the very long line of people. “It doesn’t feel real.”
“Yeah,” Scott agreed. “We’re gonna have a good time.”
“No,” Claudia clarified, keeping her voice low. “I mean I can’t believe the circumstances that have brought us here. Emily is getting married. Our Emily! Emily Graham! Married! We didn’t even know she was seriously dating anyone and then she springs a wedding on us? Not even an engagement, but a wedding! What in the world? Who does that?”
“Maybe she’s pregnant,” Scott joked. “Shotgun wedding.”
“She’s not,” Claudia replied immediately. “I asked.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t.”
“I did.”
He looked surprised. “Isn’t that, like...a faux pas or something?”
“Since when do you, of all people, care about committing a faux pas?”
“Touche.”
“Besides, she’s my best friend. We tell each other everything...or at least I thought we did. Emily is always so secretive when she’s seeing someone new. I mean, I already knew that, but...I didn’t think she would marry a guy she’s known for all of six weeks. That’s questionable even for her.”
“Emily has always been impulsive,” Scott said knowingly. “You look before you leap, Claud. She doesn’t. She closes her eyes, jumps and hopes for the best.” He and Emily had grown up together in the same small prairie town. If anyone ought to know how she could be, it was him.
“Yeah, well this time she might be jumping off a cliff,” Claudia grumbled.
“I hope she knows what she’s doing this time - she’s been burned before.”
“We should keep our voices down,” Claudia advised in a whisper. She glanced around to see if anyone was listening in. “For all we know, some of these people might be wedding guests like us. Maybe some of them are the groom’s friends and family.”
Suddenly there was a kerfuffle up near the front of the line.
Angry voices rang out, echoing as they bounced off the concrete. They cut through the idle chatter of vacationers and sounds of luggage being loaded onto large wheeled carts.
Claudia craned her neck, trying to see what was going on. People’s heads blocked her view. “I’m too short,” she complained, cursing her petite stature. “Can you see what’s happening?” she asked Scott, who was well over six feet tall.
He shielded his eyes and squinted. “Some old white-haired guy in a wheelchair is having a tantrum,” he advised. “He’s shaking his fist at the security guard who’s searching his luggage. That’s never a good idea, is it?”
Claudia shook her head. “Honestly, some people don’t know how to behave. Maybe he’s trying to smuggle something in his luggage that he doesn’t want them to find,” she speculated.
“Or maybe he got up on the wrong side of the bed,” Scott countered.
The hollering intensified.
Claudia looked at Scott expectantly, eager for a play-by-play.
“The old guy just tried to take a swing at the security guard,” Scott informed Claudia, wide-eyed. “I don’t know what he’s so upset about, but he’s making quite the scene. People are filming it on their phones.”
“Yikes. I hope he’s not one of the groom’s wedding guests.” Claudia stood up on her tiptoes, hoping to catch a glance. She still couldn’t see anything. “What’s happening now?” she demanded, eager for an update.
Scott chuckled. “It looks like security is pulling the angry old man out of line - and he was nearly at the front, too. If he had kept his mouth shut and been cooperative, he likely would be on the ship by now. But instead, he gets to sit on the sidelines and watch everyone else board. Ha! Serves him right.”
Suddenly the line began to move.
“Have your passports and boarding passes ready!” a port employee announced as she strode purposefully past the long lineup of people. “Passports and boarding passes, folks! Passports should be open to the photo page. The quicker this process goes, the sooner you can all be in vacation mode. Thanks for your cooperation!”
Claudia and Scott scrambled to comply.
Some of the other people in the lineup seemed to be cool, calm and collected. They were probably seasoned cruisers who knew exactly what they were doing. Claudia and Scott, on the other hand, were new to cruising. The whole boarding process felt foreign, chaotic and overwhelming.
Why did traveling have to be so stressful? Even when it went according to plan, it was downright exhausting. Throw in a few hiccups, such a mix-up with an Uber, and one practically felt like a vacation from the vacation was necessary.
As they stepped forward, the impressive monster of a cruise ship they would call home for the next week came into view. It was a massive structure, with eleven floors and all sorts of fancy amenities. Claudia gazed up at it in wonder, a jolt of excitement rippling through her.
She was shocked and hurt by her best friend’s surprise wedding announcement. But she was going to do her best to set her feelings aside and be supportive. It was what a good friend ought to do, she reasoned.
Why let the wedding nonsense get her down? That would be a waste of a vacation. She was determined to have an amazing time aboard the Mermaid Fantasy.
She was going to spend the next seven days basking in the sun alongside the man she loved. What wasn’t to like about that? Claudia knew they were going to make some incredible memories together. She couldn’t wait to see what the week had in store.
