An Unsinkable Love(10)
An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
various employee gathering places and identifying the areas people worked in by the type of uniform they wore.
They called it an early night and climbed wearily into their bunks.
* * * *
The next day began as a repeat of the previous one, with the exception of waking in the pitch black darkness of the cabin. Bree sighed thankfully when Anne managed to slap the light switch on her third try. She found it disconcerting not to see her hand waving in front of her face without the dim fixture on the ceiling. A momentary jolt of fear flashed through her mind at the thought of being caught in the maze of dark corridors if the ship's lights were to somehow turn off.
She shuddered.
Anne laughed at her fears and pointed out emergency lights. They went their separate ways after breakfast, agreeing to meet in the cabin when their shifts ended.
After work, Anne wheedled Bree into donning her second-best dress for a visit to the larger common room after dinner, pointing out there were only a few more days aboard ship to meet other employees. When Bree reminded her of her vow to stay out of trouble, Anne just laughed and said, "I didn't say we had to go to bed early every night! Come on, Bree.
We'll have to stay in a rooming house in New York right by the docks. If we don't find someone who knows the city, we won't get to see any of it before we sail again. It'll be ever so much more fun if we have a local to show us around. Please, please, please?"
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An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
Bree finally gave in to her roommate's ardent pleas with a laugh, shaking her head ruefully.
* * * *
Seated in the packed dining hall, Bree gaped at the menu, amazed at the wide variety of dinner options allowed. She had her choice of fish, lamb, chicken or turkey—the same menu offered to second class passengers. For dessert, Bree tried American ice cream.
"This is the most wondrous thing I've ever tasted!" she declared as she licked the frozen concoction off her spoon after scraping the bottom of her bowl clean.
Anne countered, "It can't be as good as these coconut sandwiches!"
They still argued good-naturedly as they headed to the lounge. As on her first night aboard ship, the large room filled quickly. More singles and couples strolled into the room until all the tables, sofas and chairs were filled to overflowing. The same man plopped down at the piano amid clapping and hooting, and pounded out more raucous show tunes. Couples streamed out onto the dance floor.
Bree and Anne exchanged looks and giggled as a phalanx of young males headed toward their table and vied for dance partners. The rest of the evening became an exciting whirlwind of dancing, laughing, and fending off more than a few eager advances. Anne kept reassuring an inexperienced Bree the evening was perfectly normal for young, single females in the company of young, single males. Pulled, yet again, onto the dance floor by an Italian first class steward, 40
An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
Bree laughed out loud, amazed at how much fun she was having.
They danced late into the night. Bree, completely tuckered out, had to drag Anne back to their cabin, amid sighs and entreaties for "just one more dance" from the group of zealous partners they left behind.
Bridget fell asleep as soon as she snuggled down into her hard mattress.
* * * *
Malcolm wandered the shadowed deck, breathing in the salt-tinged air. The sound of chamber music from The Parisian Restaurant drifted on the wind. He wore a heavy wool coat, collar turned up against the chill. The temperature had plummeted when the sun went down and few other passengers braved the open promenade.
He'd been making the rounds of all the public rooms for the past two days, searching for a jaunty tangle of coppery hair. So far, his efforts were for naught. It seemed quite strange he hadn't been able to find even one person who recognized his description of Miss Barry, or who had heard of her. Malcolm shivered as he rounded a protective bulkhead and caught the stiff breeze full in his face. He decided to give up the hunt for the night and resume on the morrow.
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41
An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
Chapter 4
Sunday, April 14
Bree felt like she'd only just crawled into bed when she awoke to the annoying pounding on the door. She had to rouse a gently snoring Anne and physically push her out the door for their morning ablutions. After she downed a second cup of strong coffee, her roommate responded to conversation without constant yawns. They parted after a quick breakfast and a few minutes later Bree stepped off the last tread to F Deck.