After The Silence Ch 03

After The Silence - Ch 3

Secrets shared and truths revealed

A/N - Please enjoy this fictional series. The idea and character came to me while researching a potential vacation. It brings together my love of music, vacations, and the ability for one to express themselves. I'm not certain how many chapters this will be as I want to make Annie an ongoing MC. I do hope you enjoy.

????Sunday Morning????

I woke up before her alarm sounded. I glanced over at her clock; it was just after four-thirty in the morning. Claire stood up from her bed, stretched, and made her way into the bathroom. I couldn't help but smile, a quiet giggle escaping me as I sat up and began dressing. When she emerged a few minutes later, I could instantly smell the fresh peppermint on her breath.

I stood and moved toward her, stepping into her space one last time before the day took over. "You have a crazy day ahead of you," I said softly, "and I do as well, playing traffic cop, as Katya calls it."

Claire smiled beautifully. She leaned in, tilting her head, and kissed me softly on the lips. "I will see you later, Maestro. I promise I will see you later."

I gave her a reassuring nod and quickly stepped out of her suite. Navigating the quiet morning hallways, I made my way down the corridor, found the internal freight elevator, and took it straight down to Deck Three. Once I was safely back in my own cabin, I turned on the shower, stepped into the warm water, and smiled wide as I murmured to myself, "One week down, with many more adventures ahead."

????

I knew I would be early but I needed to plow through the day. I walked from my cabin to the crew mess hoping to get some coffee and a light breakfast. I was refreshed from my shower and in my work day uniform which for today was blue slacks, a white and blue striped blouse.

I was assigned to the F4 Muster station with Katya. We needed to be there at ten o'clock as passengers would be boarding for the next sailing. I learned we'd wear horrific looking bright yellow vests. My cell phone buzzed, a message from Katya asking if I was having breakfast this morning.

'I'm at the crew mess now.' I walked in and saw her against the far back wall. She waved, I nodded and turned looking at the amazing offerings of the morning before deciding on a banana and a smaller bowl of fruit and cottage cheese.

I sat at the table across from her. We didn't exchange another greeting, but she had a look in her eyes. I was a third of the way finished with my breakfast when Rohan came towards me. He was carrying a plate. He had a smile on his face as if he won some sort of championship.

"A good morning to you Maestro." He set the plate on the table in front of me and lifted the silver dish cover. "For your breakfast. I am certain you and the amazing Miss Katya have a very busy day like all of us do. I wanted to ensure you are nourished."

I looked down to see a single egg-white scramble with tomatoes and spinach. I looked at him. "I am so very grateful to Rohan. This isn't necessary..."

I felt Katya's foot gently touch my leg. "Rohan, Thank you from the depths of my heart," I winked, "and stomach, thank you."

He smiled and turned away from us walking back behind the galley doors. "Thanks for saving me Katya."

"My job Annie, till you learn." She winked, "Never bite hand that feeds you." She smiled.

We sat in silence for a few moments. My phone buzzed as did hers. I stood, "It seems we are being called?"

"Yes we set up in front of Boleros, "traffic duty" for guests to leave or it's a madhouse." Katya smiled and stood.

I followed her though the inner catacombs. We popped out of a crew only door into the Promenade next to Boleros. I was amazed that at seven o'clock there were already lines for people to leave this beautiful ship.

Over the next three hours, Katya and I assisted, well less than assisted, we guided passengers, some with luggage, some without through the queues we built using the poles and straps systems that had been waiting for us to set up.

As if Father Time was guiding us, just before ten, a message came across our cell phone with a message to break down and move to our Embarkation or Muster Stations, guests would be let onboard soon.

Part of me watched in awe as the skilled and well talented crew members took to task and flawlessly transformed the Main Promenade from thousands of people leaving to the new thousands that would be coming onboard for their vacation.

????

Katya and I made our way to the Main Dining Room entrance where Muster Station F4 was located. We set the stand in place with the green placard prominently displaying F4. Each of us held a digital scanner, ready to click on and register the passengers' cruise apps or the printed copies of their boarding passes.

I stood there smiling and clicking away, endlessly thankful I had chosen to wear my comfy flats today. Katya was rocking those sleek black sneakers that looked exactly like dress shoes. I mentally noted that I needed to get a pair of those. She had already told me not to worry, once we got back to St. Thomas and the Eastern Caribbean ports, she would take me to the right shops and take care of me.

I was in the zone, scanning app after app, when I suddenly heard someone gasp. A soft voice whispered, "Maestro Marks?"

I looked up. The fresh face of a young Asian woman looking back at me completely shocked me, freezing me dead in my tracks.

"Linh-An?" I breathed.

"Maestro! It is you!" She stepped forward, her eyes wide with disbelief, and threw her arms around me in a warm hug. When we stepped apart, she looked at my uniform, completely bewildered. "Annie... what are you doing here?"

I felt a sudden blush creeping up my neck. "Linh-An, first things first, tell me who this dashing young man is."

It was her turn to blush. She turned to the man beside her. "Lee, this is Maestro Marks. She is the absolute best, we played together at the Boston Pops, she was our Associate Maestro."

I extended my hand with a warm smile.

"Maestro, this is my husband, Lee," Linh-An said proudly. "We just got married."

"Oh, Linh-An, congratulations!" I said, looking between them. They both virtually beamed with that unmistakable newlywed glow. I glanced at the growing line behind them and knew I had to keep the crowd moving. "I'm so happy for you both, but we must keep the line moving. I promise we will see each other on board."

"But Maestro, what do you do here?" Linh-An asked, still trying to piece it together.

I swelled with a sudden, genuine wave of pride, standing a little taller in my uniform. "I am still playing, the orchestra here is mine."

Katya instantly jumped in with a proud grin. "And we love her!"

Linh-An smiled warmly at Katya's enthusiasm. "Yes, we were all so sad when she left Boston for Washington."

She nodded and took Lee's hand. As they walked away, hand-in-hand down the carpeted hallway toward the elevators, I let out a long, slow breath I hadn't realized I was holding. The adrenaline of the surprise was still buzzing under my skin.

I turned back to our station. Katya was standing there clicking away checking guests in. She looked at me with a sly grin.

"Maestro Marks, I've heard you play. I knew you had to be good, but the Boston Pops??" Katya chuckled softly, clicking her tongue as she scanned the next family's boarding passes.

She turned and whispered, "Annie, I knew you were brilliant on the piano. You left out the part where you have a fan club not only on this ship, but out there in the world."

I felt my cheeks burn all over again, though I couldn't help but smile as I kept clicking my scanner. "I don't have a fan club, Katya. It was just... a past life, a different time."

"Uh-huh." Katya's expression didn't look like I convinced her. She kept her voice low so the passing guests wouldn't overhear.

"No fan club huh? First you sneak down the stairs from somewhere before dawn, looking like the cat who ate canary. Next a beautiful woman recognizes you and calls you Maestro, then talks about Boston and how she misses you? You are a woman of mystery, Annie. We are definitely sharing a bottle of wine later."

I laughed, grateful for her lightheartedness. "Deal. But for now, we scan, then practice."

For the next several hours, we stood our ground at Muster Station F4. The wave of incoming passengers felt endless, hundreds swung by F4 as we tallied them. By the time the clock crawled past noon, my feet were throbbing in my flats. However, the hum of the hundreds and thousands of excited faces, with smiles and expressions of wonderment, most with carry-ons or rolling carry-on bags flooding the ship, all of them eager as their vacation to officially begin.

At one point one of the Security Guards approached and let us know that all of our Muster Station passengers had checked in, one of us could depart, if we had other duties.

Katya looked at me. "Go practice, I know you are itching to go play."

I winked and whispered a quick thank you in her ear. Then I said, "Please don't speak about last night. I need that to stay private."

Katya nodded, "Da vault."

????

The exhaustion from my very early morning wake-up call was completely gone, replaced by a fresh, sharp surge of adrenaline. It was time for me to do a final run-through of the sheet music and get everything perfectly locked in for the production show later. Afterward, I had a distinct, lingering feeling that I would end up back in the Schooner Bar.

At exactly four o'clock, I was down in the orchestra pit when I heard the ship's massive horn blast, a deep, booming roar that echoed outside and vibrated all the way across the port of Fort Lauderdale. Over the PA system, I could hear Captain Jonathan making his departure announcements. The passengers' vacations were officially beginning, and my second week on board was officially underway.

Once my preparation was done, I made my way to the crew mess. I needed to grab a quick bite to eat and mentally prepare for tonight. As I walked into the galley, I spotted Amie and Katya sitting together in the far back corner. Amie caught my eye, waved warmly, and pointed to the empty seat right between them. I smiled and nodded, walking over.

I picked at a light salad and some chicken from the buffet line, then carried my plate over to the table. The moment I sat down, I noticed a strange, heavy tension between the two of them. They were looking at me with an expression I couldn't quite make out. Inquisitively, I looked back and forth between their faces, finally setting my fork down.

"Okay," I sighed softly. "What do you want to know?"

Amie glanced at Katya, who took a slow breath and turned her full attention to me.

"You don't have to tell us anything, Annie. But I saw it... and so did Amie." She paused, looking to Amie, who gave a supportive nod.

Then Amie leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a gentle whisper. "I can tell. there was a ring there."

I froze. The air left my lungs in a sharp gasp. Suddenly, a wave of intense heat rushed over me. I began to perspire, and my hands began to shake uncontrollably. Amie moved quickly, sliding her hand over the table to gently press it on top of mine.

"We just want you to know... if you need anything at all, please rely on us."

My stomach churned violently. A sickening twist hit my gut, and a sudden, overwhelming wave of nausea washed over me. I was going to be sick, truly, physically sick. I stood up so fast my chair scraped against the floor, nearly screaming, "Bathroom!" as I clamped my napkin tightly over my mouth.

Katya and Amie quickly pointed toward the back corridor, and I ran.

I barely made it into the stall before my stomach completely turned inside out emptying. Thankfully, I managed to shut the door in time and didn't totally embarrass myself in the crew galley, but the physical toll was immediate.

Not only did I empty my stomach contents, though minimal, my world went entirely blurry around the edges, and the tears came flooding out, heavy, hot and sorrowful.

I had all but forced myself to forget him. I had buried it so deep until this exact moment. The moment they pointed out the shadow of a ring which I used to wear.

The cold of the white tile floor began to warm against my skin while I knelt there, trembling, I heard a gentle, hesitant knock on the bathroom door.

"I'm fine!" I cried out, my voice cracking as the tears streamed down my face all over again.

I stayed on the floor for a few more minutes, forcing my breathing to slow down. Finally, I stood up on shaky legs. I rinsed out my mouth, splashed freezing cold water onto my face, and stared at myself in the mirror until the panic drained away, down the sink with the water. Walking back out into the galley, I paused at their table, keeping my eyes low.

"If you'll excuse me, ladies," My voice barely a labored and near teary eyed whisper.

I walked away from the crew mess and hurried down the quiet pathways back to the safety of my cabin. Once inside, I flipped the lock, pulled off my clothes, and set my alarm for exactly thirty minutes. It was just enough time to take a hot shower, wash away the sweat, redo my makeup, and get dressed. I had to be back in that orchestra pit for the show, no matter what.

????

The welcome aboard show that night went well. I played through without issues but as soon as we were lowered and when Claire walked out to share her welcome aboard announcements with the passengers in attendance, I made a hasty exit thanking this amazing eight member orchestra for their professionalism and quietly walked through the inner catacombs, retreating to my cabin.

I grabbed my dry-erase marker and on the white board on my cabin door I simply wrote, "Please do not disturb."

I opened my cabin door, stepped inside, closed and locked it, disappearing into a world that was just me.

????

I woke up Monday morning realizing I was hungry. I hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday. My mind flashed back to my bathroom incident at dinner yesterday. I woke up and dressed quickly heading to the fitness center, I needed to shake this strain from my mind.

I walked into the crew fitness center, thankfully it was empty. I opened my streaming app and selected a playlist, but this time, it was a special playlist, one I made so many years ago.

You see before Derrick and well after Mary Stevenson, there was Veronica and Michael. Yes, you little "Miss Boring Maestro" was the playmate with a wonderful husband and wife. Veronica was a wonderful lover, we met near Minuteman Park in Bedford. I would jog around the park in the mornings.

I had been living in Bedford for a year, right after graduating from Tufts. We, Veronica and I met innocently in the parking lot when I came back from a jog. It was refreshing to see another petite woman, nearly my exact body composition. After a week of seeing each other after my workout and a full week of casual conversations, she took the assertive first step.

When Veronica kissed me, I was floating on air, I was a flutter of notes from a pianist, drifting free and yet so in tune with what I was feeling. She followed me home, we kissed deeper and deeper and when we made love, she was giving, loving, Veronica was special like no other.

I'll never forget her last kiss that day, it was eternally beautiful. Then came the shock as she invited me to dinner, to meet a friend. She said a 'friend'. I wasn't sure but the endorphin high I was on spoke, well before my brain could.

When I arrived at her house in Concord, I met her friend, Michael. Once inside Veronica greeted me with a soft kiss and a gentle hug. The conversation was as amazing as the dinner, but I soon realized, Michael was more than a friend, he was her husband.

When the shock of learning this wore off, and of course the second glass of wine assisted, I opened my mind, and my body to the love of them and of us. It was magical, spectacular. For months we spent three nights a week together. A trio of lovers, it was sexy, it was passionate, it was amazing.

Michael loved my bisexual side as did Veronica but when they shared with me that Veronica was surprisingly but thrillingly pregnant, we parted ways for them to become a family.

I mentally returned to the fitness center as I pressed play, started my "Never Again" playlist and let the southern rock of ZZ Top, The Marshall Tucker Band and Charlie Daniel's move my body as I ran my heart out. Twenty-five minutes later, I slowed my pace and stepped from the treadmill.

I wiped it down and turned to see Erinn on the elliptical. I smiled and waved, she winked and pressed on as I made my way back to my cabin to start my Monday.

????

An hour later I was in the crew galley enjoying some fruit. I looked up at one point and to my surprise there was Chef Newsome. The smile on his face, his rugged jaw, and those deep eyes made me smile. Yes this is why I left Washington, a man, like him or a man like Karl.

I hated myself and murmured internally, 'What the hell are you thinking.

Chef smiled and winked at me then held up his index finger as if telling me one minute. I smiled and nodded. My body betrayed me as I tingled inside watching him disappear behind the galley. It wasn't more than five minutes later I watched Chef Newsome come out carrying a plate with a silver cover over it.

"A grand morning to you Maestro." He whispered, setting the plate down on the table in front of me. He carefully lifted the cover and locked onto my eyes. "For a woman of beauty, passion, and skills untold, your breakfast Maestro."

And there it was again, a simple egg white scramble, with spinach and tomatoes.

"Chef Newsome, you mustn't continue to treat me wonderfully." I winked. "What shall I do if I ever leave the ship?" I was teasing him now.

I went to finish saying something playful but I heard his name called. Reluctantly, he stood as our eyes broke for the first time, he smiled. "My apologies, duty calls."

He stood straight and turned walking back to the galley. I was swooning now, yes the push pull of my hatred of Derrick, but this man thrilled my body. I was nearly hooked and I was hoping he would one day feel the same about me.

Then I murmured again, 'What the hell are you thinking Annie?

????Late Monday Evening????

I made it through rehearsal and the Broadway show. Just after nine-thirty, I receive a text from Claire.

'Are you free tonight?'

Now don't ask me what I was thinking when I replied, 'I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow. Goodnight.'

I paused slightly realizing what I had done, a woman who I wanted a special relationship with, a woman whom I had already cuddled in her bed with, asked for me, and I declined her affection for the night.

I made my way back to my cabin. I saw my note from yesterday still on my whiteboard. I shrugged my shoulders then left it. I opened my cabin and went inside, closing out the world, to crawl back into my shell and disappear for a bit longer.

I was in an emotional rut.

I stripped from my black slacks, my white blouse and black vest, hanging them neatly. I slipped into a long sleeping shirt. I washed my face, cleaned my bathroom and straightened my cabin. Once satisfied I wasn't a slob, I laid down on my bed, and closed my eyes. I listened to the hum of the engines carrying us through the waters of the Atlantic Ocean hoping to drift off to sleep.

I wasn't certain how long I laid there in the darkness but it was what I needed until I heard the soft knock on my door.

"Annie?" Her soft Eastern European voice cracked the silence of the space.

I said nothing, selfishly ignoring her, I wasn't in the mental frame of mind. But the knock, a bit firmer this time came again. And again it was followed by her familiar voice muffled through the door.

"Annie? It's Katya. Open up."

"I'm sleeping, Katya," I called out, my voice raspy and soft with unshed tears. "I wrote a nice note."

"Yes, we see your note," Amie's soft voice chimed in from the hallway. "Which is exactly why we are not leaving. We have ways, Annie."

She giggled, "Don't make us call for backup or security. We don't want to look like bad girls."

An involuntary smile grew at the corner of my mouth, despite the ache in my chest. They were relentless and I knew they weren't going to budge. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, padded across the floor. I flipped the lock and pushed down on the door handle.

Katya and Amie were standing in the corridor, completely out of their uniforms. Katya was holding a heavy fleece blanket draped over her shoulder and a large tote bag, while Amie was proudly cradling two bottles of a very good Pinot Noir and three plastic crew-mess cups like they were precious cargo.

"You look terrible," Katya said bluntly, though her eyes were swimming with pure warmth. She didn't wait for an invitation; she gently brushed past me into the cabin, Amie following right behind her.

I turned and walked back crawling into my bed again.

"We know you are not sick, Annie," Amie said softly, setting the wine bottles down on my small desk and turning to look at me. "But we know what a heartbreak looks like. And we are not letting you sit in the dark alone and sad."

Heartbreak. The word hung in the air, a tiny thread attached to the massive boulder I had been dragging behind me for two weeks.

Katya pulled the blanket from her shoulder and spread it across the small floor, then dumped her tote emptying a slew of snacks, cheese, some crackers, and of course, chocolate right into the center. She sat down, crossing her legs, and patted the space next to her.

"Crew deck is too windy tonight anyway," Katya murmured, looking up at me. "So, we make fort here. Sit, talk, don't talk, snack and drink, but you are not alone."

God I loved her forceful ways and her accent

I moved from my bed, "Our sisterhood Annie." Amie spoke as she handed me a bottle of wine, "You do the honors Maestro."

I tried, I tried hard not to cry but I opened the bottle and poured each of my "new sisters" a glass of wine. I took a small sip, that's when the dam broke. At first there were soft tears. My friends didn't say a word. They just let me be.

"There are things I'm not proud of but there are other things I am very proud of." I wiped a tear from my face.

"I'm bisexual," I whispered, "I hid that part of my life for so many years and I felt ashamed but then."

The tears rolled out again but before I could stop them. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself, the old fears of judgment rushing to the surface. "Please don't judge me."

I felt a soft hand touch my shoulder. Then a second, my sisters were here supporting me. I opened my eyes to see Katya smiling. I turned to Amie, she just smiled softly, leaning over to bump her shoulder against mine.

"Annie, honey, we work on a cruise ship. A good majority of the ship is, shall we say, open. And you are not just beautiful, you are gorgeous. Now take another sip of wine and tell us who the idiot was that made you run to the bathroom today."

I opened my eyes, a watery laugh escaping my lips. I looked down at my hands, tracing the faint, pale line on my ring finger where my engagement ring used to sit.

"His name is Derrick," I whispered. "We were engaged..."

????

I woke up Tuesday morning with a kink in my neck and a pain in my chest. I opened up to Katya and Amie more than I ever had to anyone, ever. In essence this was a night off for the orchestra, we didn't have a show tonight.

However, like me, several of the members were playing throughout the ship. Amie would play under the canopy in Central Park starting at six-fifteen. Luca would be playing in the Pub starting at seven.

I discovered I had been added to the schedule for the Schooner Bar starting at seven as well. I looked closer at the digital calendar. There wasn't an end time listed for my set. It just said TBD.

I smiled to myself. An open-ended night at the piano, maybe some loose, unstructured playing would do me some good.

I spent most of the morning trying to relax out on the crew deck, letting the sea breeze clear my head. It was just after noon when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, and a familiar shiver ran through me when I saw the name on the screen. It was Claire.

'Are you free for lunch?'

I replied immediately, 'Yes, where?'

'Crew galley in ten minutes?'

I simply sent back a thumbs-up emoji and hurried inside. Back in my cabin, I kicked off my lounge clothes and pulled on a fresh white blouse and a pair of dark jeans, the specific pair that fit my curves just right.

I took a quick look in the mirror, checked my makeup, touched up my lip gloss, and made my way down to the crew galley, my heart beating just a little faster with every step.

I stood outside the galley, waiting on Claire. I had already looked in and walked through not seeing her. I stood watching but then as she turned the corner, not only did she smile I blushed deeper than I had in a while.

We both paused at the galley entrance smiling at the other. "After you please Claire." She smiled and stepped in slowly gathering some lunch. I noticed she, like me, ate very light. We found a central table and sat.

Our conversation was really nice and light. Things like how I was settling and what I would be doing at Coco Cay tomorrow. Then came the big question.

"Captain Jonathan asked me to speak with you."

I was immediately worried and she could see it in my face.

"No! Relax, this is a good thing. He wants to sing at the karaoke event when he is free, but he really loved what you did and wants to continue that."

I smiled. "I'd be honored, Claire. You, of all people along with Geoff, know I love to play."

"And speaking of playing, I saw you are in the Schooner Bar tonight."

I smiled. "I am, are you coming? I'd be thrilled to play for you."

And then she blushed. Claire brought both of her hands to her face and covered her cheeks and eyes. I nearly reached up and pulled her hands down, but I knew we were in public. After a bit she lowered her hands.

She winked. "Will you do a request for me?"

"For you Claire? Anything I am capable of."

She smiled wide and blushed again. But of course her life, as frantic as it was, her phone rang, "Forgive me, I must take this. I'll see you later." She stood and walked from the galley, back to her reality.

????

I walked back from the crew mess after dinner, heading straight to my cabin to change into my past-the-knee black dress. Tonight I was playing in the Schooner Bar, but before my set started, I wanted to stop by Central Park to show some love and support to my friend and partner in our sisterhood, Amie.

I made my way up to Deck 8 through the narrow catacombs of the crew stairs. Just as I popped out of the Crew Only door and stepped into the public area, I spotted Amie standing there, looking as beautiful as ever. She caught sight of me and smiled. As I walked closer, my heart actually skipped a beat when I noticed she was wearing a very similar below-the-knee black dress.

We looked like a matching pair, and I couldn't resist having a little bit of fun with it.

I stepped up close to her side. "I wanted to come up and show you some support," I said warmly. "You know... sisters."

Amie turned and gave me a radiant smile. Wanting to be gentle but sincere, I stepped a fraction closer and whispered softly in her ear. "Forgive me for saying this, and please don't be offended... but you look absolutely gorgeous in that dress."

I pulled back, fully expecting to see my Asian sister blush. Instead, she completely shocked me.

She held my gaze, a playful glint in her eyes, and replied quietly, "Hmm... gorgeous enough to date me? You know, if given the opportunity?"

Yep! She completely flipped the script, and in an instant, I was the one blushing deeper than I had in a very long time. Amie just winked at my stunned expression, completely satisfied with herself.

"Wish me luck, Maestro. I'm going out to play."

I stayed and listened to her play for a few minutes, the music floating beautifully under the canopy, before I realized I needed to head down and get ready for my own set. I weaved my way back through the crew catacombs and popped out of the Crew Only door near the Schooner Bar.

Erinn was already at the piano, warming up the crowd. I looked across the lounge and realized there wasn't a vacant seat in the house. Passengers were standing out in the walkway near the Photo Center and even sitting inside the Next Cruise desk area just across the way.

As I walked over to take over at the piano, an older gentleman in the front row suddenly started applauding. A flush of pink hit my cheeks immediately. "Oh, please, kind sir," I quipped into the microphone, "you haven't even heard me play yet."

He grinned and called back, "Yes we did, last week! We're on a back-to-back cruise!"

Well, I was officially embarrassed, but deeply touched. "Well, thank you, kind sir. I truly hope you enjoy this evening."

I turned and whispered a quick hand-off to Erinn as I opened up my iPad and brought up my sheet music app. Settling onto the piano bench, I adjusted the microphone and looked out across the bustling crowd.

"If you have something specific you want to hear tonight, just come on up and share it with Erinn, our lovely Activities Manager," I announced.

I was just adjusting my seat when I heard a soft, familiar voice from behind me. "Maestro?"

That caught my attention. I spun slowly on the bench, and a wide smile broke across my face when I saw my old friend, Linh-An.

"Do you know how to play Fireworks?" she asked, walking a little closer to the piano.

I leaned into the mic, a playful spark in my eye. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd love to introduce to you Ms. Linh-An. Linh-An is the first-chair flutist for the Boston Pops, and we've actually had the pleasure of playing together in the past."

The round of applause from the lounge was immediate and immense. I couldn't resist teasing her a little. "It's a real shame she doesn't have her flute with her tonight, otherwise I'd convince her to let me accompany her."

Linh-An just smiled and nodded, accepting the challenge. I pulled up the arrangement for Firework on my iPad screen and struck the opening chords. It was as if a giant sing-along had been officially announced. The moment the crowd recognized the pop anthem, several passengers joined right in, singing along at the top of their lungs to my instrumental cover.

From there, I moved into a crowd favorite, Piano Man, but as I played, I noticed Erinn was no longer standing by the stage. She had slipped away. By the time I transitioned into a softer, more bittersweet ballad version of Yesterday, she suddenly reappeared, carrying a ridiculous, triumphant grin on her face.

I slowed the tempo, letting the final notes of the Beatles classic fade out, and took a brief, few-second breather. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Linh-An step forward again, only this time, she was holding a gleaming silver flute and smiling from ear to ear.

I took to the mic immediately. "Well, you truly are in for a treat now. Ladies and gentlemen, I present Miss Linh-An."

The crowd erupted. Linh-An leaned down and whispered in my ear, "You must play with me. What do you say? Don't You, Forget About Me?"

I nodded, my fingers finding the keys. By the third bar, we had completely found our groove, the flute soaring effortlessly over my chords. When we finished, I flipped the digital sheet music straight to Bridge Over Troubled Water. That one had the passengers swaying gently in their chairs, completely engaged as some sang along.

As the final notes lingered, I looked over at her. "One more?"

She smiled and nodded. I flipped the music to Don't Stop Believin'. That, as they say, absolutely brought down the house. The entire bar was on their feet.

When the cheers finally died down, I made certain Linh-An was properly saluted with a roaring round of praise and gave her a huge hug of thanks. As we embraced, she whispered in my ear, "Thank your coworker. She somehow tracked down a flute for me."

I turned to see Erinn beaming from the sidelines. I caught her eye and mouthed a sincere "Thank you."

Left alone at the keys again, I sat back down to keep the momentum going. I slowed things down from the high energy of that epic rock ballad, clearing the air with a sweeping, classical transition, when suddenly my phone buzzed on the bench. I looked down at the screen, and a genuine smile lit up my face.

I leaned into the microphone Erinn had set up for me and lowered my voice to a soft, intimate register. "Well... how about one more romantic power song?"

I found the sheet music on my iPad and eased into the delicate, opening notes of Halsey's 'Finally ... beautiful stranger'. I just let myself float into the melody, pouring everything I had into the keys. Twice during the song, I looked up from the screen, praying I wouldn't mess up the progression.

And the second time I raised my eyes, there she was.

Claire was standing at the very back of the lounge. She was smiling, her eyes locked entirely on me with an intensity that I could only hope was pure desire. When I finished that set, I looked at my phone and smiled wider.

A text from Claire. 'Come tonight?'

I replied, 'Of course.'

????

When I finished I nearly ran down the steps to my cabin. I quickly changed into a pair of fresh panties, shorts and a long sleeved shirt, the shirt long enough to cover my bum. I made my way to the Officers' Corridor and knocked softly on Claire's cabin door. When she opened the door, the smile I saw on her face simply made my smile radiate even more.

As I stepped in and her door closed behind me, she hugged me gently and whispered in my ear. "I heard you, you are truly amazing." She kissed my cheek tenderly again.

"Come cuddle with me for a bit, I have a five o'clock wake up in the morning but we can talk and relax, if that is alright?"

I swooned and giggled like a giddy schoolgirl, "Of course Claire."

We walked hand in hand through her dark outer office and into the quiet privacy of her bedroom area. There was an effortless comfort between us now, an unspoken, playful rhythm. As if we had done this a hundred times before, Claire gently helped me slip off my shirt, and I helped her out of hers. Then, with a quiet smile, we both slid our shorts off, shedding the weight of our long days.

We climbed into the cool sheets of her bed, instantly gravitating toward each other. It felt completely natural as we tangled our legs together and cuddled close. I rested my head just above her heart, listening to its steady beat against her breast.

We just laid there, chatting softly for fifteen or twenty minutes about the crazy days we'd both had and the busy times ahead, including our arrival at CocoCay in the morning. When she let out a soft, tired yawn, I knew it was time to let her rest.

I turned my head ever so slightly, pressing a warm, lingering kiss against her bare skin.

"Sweet dreams, Claire," I whispered into the quiet room.

????End of Chapter Three????

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