First Mates. Cecelia Dowdy

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      They sat in companionable silence as they finished their food. The waiter returned with the breakfast cart, asking if they wanted more, but they declined as they finished their coffee.

      As the breakfast food settled in Winston’s stomach, his fatigue returned. He stifled a yawn as he pushed his cup away. “You know, I was going to go on a swim at one of the pools this morning. But now I think I might go back to sleep for a few hours.”

      He watched her as she gathered her belongings and placed them into her large tote bag. “Well, I’m wide awake so I’m going to sit up on the deck and read for a bit.”

      “Okay.” He made a note to look for her later when he did take his swim. He watched her lithe body as she exited the dining room. He then stifled another yawn before he trudged back to his cabin. The sunlight was now brighter as it spilled through the small round window. After changing into his nightclothes, he fell into a deep slumber.

      Later that day, after a long nap, Winston returned to one of the pool areas, eager to take his swim. He removed his T-shirt and was about to plunge into the water when he noticed Rainy lounging on a chair, wearing a one-piece black bathing suit. Her hair was twisted into a bun, and she was sporting a pair of sunglasses. She was reading a book and when she looked up and saw him, she dropped it on the floor. Smiling widely, he hurried to her lounge chair, sitting in the empty seat beside her.

      “Hi.” He lifted her book and when she took it, their fingers touched. Her skin reminded him of warm, soft butter.

      “Hi, yourself. Did you have a nice nap?” She placed a marker in her book and set it on the table.

      He sighed and ran his hand over his face. Feeling his stubble, he realized he hadn’t shaved. “Well, about as well as can be expected. This boat is always rocking.”

      “Does that bother you? I can barely feel it.”

      “No, it doesn’t really bother me. Sometimes I have trouble sleeping in strange places. Whenever I’m on a business trip, I always wake up in the middle of the night.”

      Rainy sat up in her chair and placed her chin in her hand. He could barely see her gorgeous brown eyes behind her shades. “That reminds me, you still haven’t told me what you do for a living. You know all about me, but I barely know anything about you.”

      “Well, I work with numbers, like you do. I’m a financial analyst. I like it well enough. It’s a job.”

      An orange beach ball crashed between them, knocking her iced tea off the small table.

      A young girl approached and retrieved her ball. “Sorry about that.” She ran back to the pool, her pigtails flying in the wind. A waiter appeared with a fresh glass of tea and cleaned the mess.

      She sipped her drink. “It’s so hot out here that I’ve had to drink a lot of liquids.”

      He wiped sweat from his brow. The clear blue water in the swimming pool rippled in the light breeze.

      An Asian couple walked by, holding hands. She frowned and bit her lip.

      “Sometimes you seem happy and sometimes you seem sad, Rainy. Why?”

      Her hand shook as she sipped her iced tea. “I told you last night that I just ended a relationship.” She paused as she placed her tea back on the table. “Well, that’s not true. I didn’t end the relationship, Jordan did.”

      “Oh?” He leaned back in his chair and listened intently while children’s laughter rippled in the afternoon breeze. “If you want to talk about it, you can. I’m a good listener,” he urged.

      She removed her sunglasses, wiping away tears. He found napkins at an adjoining table and he pressed the paper squares into her palms.

      “It just hurts so much. Sometimes I’m fine and I don’t think about Jordan at all. Other times, Jordan will just pop into my mind suddenly. I just don’t understand why it’s taking so long to forget him.”

      She gripped her armrest and gazed at the sea. “I can’t believe I’m acting like this in front of you. You’re practically a stranger.”

      His fingers brushed her shoulder, wanting to offer her comfort. “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to find fault with you. I can tell that you’re hurting. Jordan’s obviously a fool. You said last night this happened a few months ago?”

      She nodded as she blew her nose.

      “Well, that’s not very long ago. It takes time to get over these things.”

      Children continued frolicking in the swimming pool, splashing tiny drops of water onto the passengers. She seemed to be thinking—weighing his words of advice. “Have you ever been in love?”

      He sighed. “Yes, a long time ago. Things didn’t work out between us. We were both young and in college. She joined the Peace Corps after she graduated. It’s been years since I’ve heard from her.”

      He continued. “Tonya was my first love. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if we’d gotten married.”

      “How long did it take for the pain to go away?”

      He smiled fondly, remembering. “I don’t remember. I do know it took longer than a couple of months. Just give it some time. I’m sure you’ll forget all about Jordan soon enough.”

      He returned to his seat. “I know we’ve just met and everything, but I enjoy spending time with you.” Her dark brown eyes widened at his remark. She leaned back into the chair and put her napkin aside.

      “Winston—”

      “No, you don’t have to say anything. I just feel that there’s a connection between us. I don’t like seeing you sad. I think we should do something to get your mind off of Jordan.”

      She shrugged. “Like what?”

      He chuckled. “Like having some fun. Why don’t we play some games? There’s lots to do on this ship to keep us busy, I’m sure.” He helped her out of the chair and they walked to the shuffleboard game. A cruise director taught them how to play. Delight erupted in her laugh as she learned to ace the match.

      Later, they sat in the Jacuzzi and enjoyed the rushing water as it tickled their brown skin. They visited all three pools on the ship so that Winston could swim his laps. Drinking fragrant cups of steaming coffee in the café, they watched the ocean view.

      He ran along the lower deck, and she vowed to catch him. “You can’t get away from me. I was a track star in high school.” She flew down the deck, grabbing his arm as they shared a rich hearty laugh.

      They stopped on the terrace as they enjoyed cookies for afternoon teatime. Rainy grinned as she gazed at the vanilla and chocolate cookies, coated with sugar. “These look great.” She pulled a chocolate cookie from the tray. “They feed you an awful lot on these cruises!”

      As he poured coffee, they watched the sea before munching on their snack.

      The workout room was nearby, and he spotted a group of women sweating through an aerobics class. The instructor yelled so loud, he could hear her through the window.

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