Caribbean Cruising (2 page)

The elevator stopped. "See you around," he said as he and his friends got off.

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As soon as the door closed, Julie squeezed my arm. "He was flirting with you!"

I shook my head. "No way! He was just being nice."

She groaned. "No, he wasn't. Lindsay, you should have given him your name, shown more interest. If you want this to be the best time ever, you've got to stop being so shy around guys."

"I will. As soon as we leave port," I insisted. I'd dated a few boys in high school, but I'd never been serious about anyone. I'd spent most of my time studying, and I'd been rewarded by graduating in the top of my class.

Julie, on the other hand, had always been comfortable around guys. Probably because she had three brothers. She also had a steady boyfriend—Ben.

I saw this cruise as my opportunity to break out of my shell, to meet guys and flirt and prepare myself for dating in college.

I wanted to go places I'd never gone. And I didn't simply mean traveling to islands. I wanted to explore all the different facets of myself…and boys. I wanted to cut loose and do things that I'd never done.

The cruise seemed the perfect place to try new things, because even if I made a fool of myself, I'd never see any of these people again so it didn't really matter if I made mistakes. I could be wild and crazy. I could be uninhibited, stretching the limits, taking chances, completing my list of firsts. And no one would know that wild and crazy wasn't the real Lindsay Darnell.

The elevator stopped. As I stepped out, I shifted my backpack on my shoulder and pulled one of my small wheeled suitcases behind me while Julie dragged the other along with her duffle bag.

With plans to meet up later, Mom and I had parted ways right after we came onboard and checked in.

Mom and Walter were staying in a honeymoon suite. I had their cabin number and could find them if I needed to, but I certainly had no plans to go searching for them. It creeped me out a little to think of my mom on her honeymoon.

"It is too cool that you're going to have a cabin all to yourself," Julie said. "You can do anything you want and your mom will never know!"

Those were my thoughts exactly. I had a feeling this new Cruising Lindsay was going to do some things that Mom definitely wouldn't approve of.

"I think Walter made special arrangements," I explained. More examples of his power to pull strings.

From the research that I'd done on cruise ships, Walter and Mom were supposed to stay in a cabin beside mine since I was eighteen. Twenty-one was the magical age for solo cruising.

I wasn't really certain how Walter bypassed that totally old-school "not without adult supervision"

restriction. He probably pulled some strings or something. For all I knew, he owned this cruise line.

Whatever it was Walter did, I was glad he had done it.

Since Mom had always worked, I'd grown up fast and had acted responsibly for as long as I could remember. I never got into trouble, always did my homework, and as soon as I'd gotten a driver's license, I'd taken on a part-time job at the movie theater. So I really didn't think I needed anyone to mhtml:file://C:\Program Files\eMule\Incoming\+ Hawthorne, Rachel - Caribbean Cruising....

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watch over me on the cruise ship.

Walter apparently felt the same way. He had managed to accomplish the impossible, and that was all that mattered to me. With the ship being as large as it was, once my obligations regarding tonight were over, I might never see Mom or Walter again. It was all going to be perfect. Except I did wish Julie was coming with me.

I reached the door to my cabin and pulled my keycard out of my pocket. I slipped it into the slot, cranked down the handle, and swung open the door.

My first thought was that I'd somehow mistakenly gotten the key to Mom's suite. My second thought was that Walter had spared no expense to see that I was comfortable. My cabin had a king-sized bed, a large sitting area, and an awesome ocean view. Or at least it would be, once we were surrounded by nothing but ocean.

I pulled my suitcase into the cabin. "Julie, is this cabin not absolutely incredible?"

"A small family could live in here," she said.

"I thought rooms onboard ships were supposed to be tiny."

"I'm sure there are some tiny rooms somewhere," I admitted. "Mine simply isn't one of them."

"I bet this room cost a fortune."

"You know, Walter is more than money," I reminded her.

"I know, but geez, Lindsay, it's like you're moving into a totally different world."

I heard in her voice that she thought maybe it was a world away from her. As soon as we returned from the cruise, Mom and I would live at Walter's house. I'd have a big bedroom there too.

"You'll always be my best friend, Julie," I said softly.

"I know. I just wish I was going with you." She laughed. "I keep saying that, don't I?"

"Yeah, you do. And I keep saying that I wish you were coming too."

"But I'm not, and I need to accept that. Although I will totally take advantage of the few hours I'll be onboard. I'm going to hit the pool as soon as possible. Hey! Look at this! You've got a minibar. Can we have one of these tiny bottles of wine?"

"Sure. Have anything that you want. Drinking age is eighteen on the ship."

"Cool! What about gambling?"

"Nope. You have to be twenty-one to get into the casinos."

"That's weird—they'd lower the drinking age but not the gambling age?"

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that was possible. It seemed to me that drinking was the more dangerous vice.

I shrugged off my backpack and walked across the cabin. I unlocked the glass door, slid it open, and stepped onto the balcony. I felt the breeze and smelled the ocean.

I glanced around. Apparently no one was above me. Around me all the cabins on this level had balconies, each separated from one another by a waist-high wall that offered a little privacy. I could sit out here with a good book and be alone in my little world.

No! I chastised myself. That's what I'd do if I were at home. Here, I needed to be hanging around the pool, meeting guys, being completely different from my normal boring self.

Julie joined me on the balcony.

"Is this not great?" I asked.

"Absolutely." Julie handed me a tiny bottle of wine. "I want to make a toast."

"There's probably glasses somewhere in there."

"Nah, this'll do," she said. She lifted her bottle. "Here's hoping you have the best time of your life!"

"I'll drink to that!"

I clinked my bottle against hers. This vacation was going to be perfect. I knew it without a doubt, because I was leaving nothing to chance. I'd made a list of all the things I needed to do in order to have a great time:

+ Soak up the rays.

+ Shop until I drop.

+ Drink margaritas by the pitcher.

+ Dance all night.

+ Climb a waterfall.

+ Snorkel.

+ Kiss a lot of cute guys.

+ Sleep with a guy for the first time.

CHAPTER 2

L
eaving Julie at the pool, I headed for the ship's salon where Mom and I had agreed to meet. We were going all out: manicure, pedicure, facial, makeup, hair. Why not start the cruise being as beautiful as possible? Especially since tonight would be so momentous for Mom, and the start of an incredible adventure for me.

With my list of things to accomplish while I was on this cruise, I knew I was being ambitious by trying to cram a lot of excitement into a few days. But I just felt like this cruise was the chance of a lifetime, arriving at the most perfect moment. I'd just graduated from high school and closed the door on that part of life.

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I was ready to open the door into womanhood. The last item on the list would help me achieve that—

even though I knew that it would be the most difficult to accomplish. And I also realized that it could prove the most disappointing if I wasn't careful.

So although I was in a hurry, I wasn't in a rush.

I wasn't looking for someone to hook up with for all time. I wanted someone who would create fireworks the last night of the cruise, someone who would make this vacation one I would never forget. I didn't want to look back on this summer with regret or with a sense that I'd missed opportunities because I'd been hesitant to reach for what I wanted.

And I so wanted to no longer be a virgin. It was a rite of passage that was hanging over me, and I wanted it over and done with before I started college.

I spotted Mom and Walter standing outside one of the salons. Mom looked incredibly happy. She'd found her soul mate, her second love. My dad had been her first. But he'd been part of her life so long ago that I didn't at all resent that she was getting married again. I was truly glad for her.

Our eyes were the same shade of green, our hair the same light blond. Strawberry blond, Mom always said, because when the sun hit it just right a hint of red glimmered along the strands. Mom's hair was cropped short and curled around her face. I wore mine straight, past my shoulders. It had a lot of body, but very little curl.

When first meeting us people usually thought that Mom was my older sister. She was very young when she married my dad. She had me a year later. It was kinda cool having such a hip Mom.

Walter was a bit older and very distinguished looking—dark hair with silvery wisps at his temples. Gray eyes. Every time I saw him, he was wearing a jacket or a blazer, like he always expected to meet someone important. Or maybe it was simply that he was important.

"Hey, kiddo," Walter said as I neared.

He was always calling me kiddo. At first I thought it was because he never could remember my name.

But then I came to realize that it was his way of showing affection.

"Hey," I said. And it occurred to me that he might want me to start calling him Dad after tonight. I wasn't certain I'd feel comfortable doing that. I liked Walter, but I didn't really see him as my dad. I saw him as Mom's husband.

"Is your cabin satisfactory?" he asked.

I knew Walter wasn't asking simply to make small talk. If I wasn't happy, he'd do something about it. I couldn't imagine having as much influence as Walter did.

I nodded. "It's perfect. Thanks."

"Do you have any questions about the cruise, getting around, what to expect?" he asked.

"No, sir. I think I'm cool with everything. I studied all the brochures you gave Mom, so I know what I want to do." I wasn't going to tell Walter or Mom that I also wanted to do some things that weren't in the brochures.

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"She's probably already created a checklist of everything she plans to do," Mom said with a loving smile. "Lindsay is a great believer in lists."

I was also a great believer in not sharing every list with my Mom. I loved her to death, but it's a fact of life that there are some things parents are better off not knowing. I figured she'd freak if she knew that I planned to have my own version of a honeymoon during this cruise.

"All righty, then, I'm going to leave you ladies to make yourselves more beautiful." Walter leaned over and kissed Mom on the cheek.

"Although I don't see how that's a possibility."

I fought not to roll my eyes. As sweet as he was, sometimes Walter got a little corny, although I'm sure Mom saw him as being romantic. Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind having a guy tell me that I was beautiful.

"Have fun," Walter said.

"We will," Mom assured him.

As soon as Walter had disappeared amidst the throng of people, Mom hooked her arm through mine and marched me down the hall, like we were rejects from
The Wizard of Oz.

"Are you sure your cabin's all right?" Mom asked.

"It's terrific, Mom."

"Are you going to be okay staying by yourself?"

"A little late to worry about that, isn't it?" I teased.

She laughed. "A mom always worries. I'm just sorry that Julie can't stay past tonight."

"Yeah, she's totally bummed now that she's had a chance to see a little of the ship. But I'll make friends.

I'll be fine."

"Walter and I have a two-bedroom suite. You could stay in the other bedroom—"

"No way!" I cut her off. The last place I wanted to be was where Mom and good old Walter could keep an eye on me. As soon as my obligations regarding the wedding were over, I planned to hit my to do list with determination until every item on it was checked off.

"I love my cabin," I assured her. "I've been on my own forever. I love it."

"I know, but this is a little different. You'll be going places you haven't gone to before—"

"I'll find someone to hang around with. A lot of the activities are planned. I can hang out with a cruise director if nothing else."

"You're right. I need to get used to the fact that you're almost a young woman," she said wistfully.

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And before this cruise was over I planned to cross the threshold into complete womanhood.

I followed Mom into the salon. It was way upscale. Nothing like the Cut 'n' Curl where I usually got my hair done.

We planned for this time to be our last afternoon together as mother and daughter before Walter came into our lives on a permanent basis.

Mom and I had a wonderful afternoon of bonding. While we had our facial, manicure, and pedicure, we talked about old times and how our lives were about to change.