Second on the Right (3 page)

Eileen admitted to herself that she did find
James rather attractive, but did not believe. It seemed too hard
for her to believe a man like James would be even remotely
attracted to her. In fact, she was finding the entire cruise
unbelievable.

Christened the
Destiny
, the enormous
white vessel, trimmed in blue, was awe-inspiring. The inside was
equally if not more impressive than the outside. A sweeping grand
staircase spilled into the lobby, where towering fluted columns
adorned the corners. As she crossed the exquisite marble and stone
floor that led up to the reception desk Eileen could hear the
tinkling sound of a grand piano being played for the enjoyment of
boarding guests. Her eyes were drawn upwards to the room’s focal
point, a cascading chandelier of stained glass and crystal beads,
and she nearly collided with another passenger whose attention was
similarly diverted. They laughed and apologized simultaneously
before continuing down the red-carpeted avenues of shops and
entertainment areas that led to the cabins.

A sign read "Welcome Business Attendees to
the 13th Annual International Business Conference". On a table near
the entrance stood an easel with the itinerary of the conference
and cruise.

13th Annual International Business Conference

12 Night Caribbean Cruise

Itinerary

Day 1 - Departs from Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ

Day 2 - At Sea / Keynote Speaker: Cindy Black, VP of
Harvard Visa

Day 3 - At Sea

Special Guest Speakers:

James Benedict, CEO of JAS Freight Services

Discussion of his new book: "Strategies for
Envisioning the Future: Trends in Social Media and Multicultural
Marketing"

Pat Barrieman, CEO of Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Discussion on his new book: "Spurring Innovation in
Business through Research"

Henry Maynard, VP of Business Strategies, Inc.

Discussion: Governance and Business Ethics

Day 4 - Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

Day 5 - Basseterre, St. Kitts

Day 6 - Castries, St. Lucia

Day 7 - St. Johns, Antigua

Day 8 - Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Day 9 - At Sea / ABP Education Forum

Day 10 - At Sea / Workshop

Day 11 - At Sea / Panel Discussion

Day 12 – Arrival at Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ

Eileen gave the sign only a cursory glance.
Her attention remained on the interior of the cruise liner. She
strolled down the hall towards her room. The cabin was small,
perfect for one person, with one full-sized bed, a night stand, a
mini refrigerator and a modest bathroom, minus an annoying
roommate. She had a view of the ocean from the aft section of the
ship.
I think I may just stay in the cabin throughout the
trip,
she thought as her smile grew.

“I can’t believe I’m here,” she said.

Only a week ago, she had been sent on the
typical morning errand for a quad-shot espresso. On that
particularly bad day, she woke up late, missed the subway, dropped
her purse, stepped in gum, was two minutes late to work and had to
hear the never-ending rant from George. She had been pushed too
far. So when Daria, the barista, again encouraged her to enter the
contest, Eileen readily handed over one dollar and placed her name
in the container. A few days later, she discovered she had won.

She was surprised her luck had changed.
Disappointment seemed to rule her life. Only a few years ago,
Eileen had passed the MCAT with a score of forty four and completed
her medical classes to become a physician. One doctor, her mentor,
said she had no initiative, no drive for what it took to become a
successful physician. Respecting his opinion, she gave up.

Shaking the thought of failure, Eileen
searched her room until she found her luggage that had been placed
there ahead of time for her convenience. After organizing her
clothes in the drawers and closet, she fell back onto the bed. With
a smile on her face, she closed her eyes. Winning the cruise ticket
had been easy. The thought brought to mind the day she had asked
for the time off. When George, her current boss, had refused her
vacation request, she lacked the confidence to fight for it.

She remembered being near tears when George
sent her out for his coffee. Daria seemed to know exactly what the
problem was. Eileen had been surprised by Daria’s confidence that
it would all work out. Eileen didn’t have the same feeling. A few
hours after speaking with Daria, Eileen struggled to focus on her
job. Daria’s recommended sea salt caramel macchiato had been
discarded. In the middle of responding to a client’s email, Eileen
heard her intercom chime.

“Eileen, would you come into my office,
please?” At the time, she noted the strained, disembodied voice of
her boss, George.

No one had been acting particularly
suspiciously, but she had the sinking feeling that her job was in
jeopardy. She had been fired once before when her kindness had
landed her in trouble at her previous job.

“Sit down,” he had said quietly. He was
leaning forward, his arms on his knees. He was gazing at, or
possibly through, the fish tank he had on display on the right side
of the office. The fish, oblivious to their observer, continued to
swim about.

Eileen had done her best to keep her
expressions and actions neutral, whilst waiting for her supervisor
to speak. When she looked up at him, she noticed a pained
expression on his face, as if he were struggling internally. She
waited patiently, afraid to disrupt his thoughts and make things
worse.

George cleared his throat, then glanced at
Eileen briefly before returning his attention to the tank. ‘It,
uh…” He stopped, wiped the sweat off his brow, and then took a long
drink of water. Placing the glass down, he continued, “It has
occurred to me that I, uh….I might have been too
hasty
in my
decision yesterday. The workload you have endured….What I mean to
say is I don’t seem to have a choice—” He stopped and jerked at his
collar as he gasped for air. Through a hoarse voice, he pleaded,
“All right, all right! I’m sorry!” But his pleas didn’t appear to
be directed at Eileen.

“Sorry?” Eileen recalled asking, feeling even
more uncomfortable than before.
What is the matter with him? Who
is he talking to?
She wondered, noticing he was looking in the
direction of the tank.

George composed himself and said, “I’ve
approved your vacation time. G-get out.”

Eileen opened her mouth slightly, planning to
respond.
Did he just say what I think he said?
The
excitement began to rise within her.
I can go?

George looked up at her angrily. “I said, get
out!” he shouted.

Eileen scrambled out of her seat and the
office. She could not understand the change of heart, but she did
not care. She would finally have a vacation. She recalled his
sudden onset of what she assumed was asthma. As soon as she had
left the office, his wheezing started up again.
He really should
buy shirts with larger collars.

Eileen was startled by the sound of the
ship's horn. The memory of her meeting with George dissipated. The
overhead announcement requested all passengers to check in for
safety guidelines and procedures before getting underway. She
finished her glass of wine, but too quickly and felt dizzy when she
stepped out onto the deck. She balanced herself against the wall,
staring at the floor while people milled all around her.

James had been standing with another group.
At one point during the drill, he had turned and seen Eileen from
the corner of his eye. He nearly gave himself whiplash as he
attempted to steal another look. A smile immediately crossed his
face. He did his best, but failed to suppress it.

There she is!
He had to see her again.
Please, hurry up with this ridiculous farce for emergency
procedures.

James began to inch his way closer to where
she was without making his maneuvers too obvious. Once everyone was
excused, James scurried to catch up to Eileen. In his enthusiasm,
he bumped into her. He smiled and apologized. She nodded without
making eye contact and moved towards the door to the inner part of
the ship. James used his body to partially block her path. She
tensed.

"Pardon me," he began, his English accent
evident now, giving him an air of chivalry. "My name is James." He
extended his hand to her.
Please take it, please! Give me a
chance.

"Eileen," she replied. She gasped when he
turned her wrist, bent down and lightly kissed the back of her
hand. Her grip tightened, to which he gave a faint smile.

"Eileen, I was wondering… well, hoping,
actually, that you might do me the honor of accompanying me on a
short walk around the ship?"
Why am I talking this way? I sound
like I’m stuck in a Victorian novel. Ugh!

Eileen’s lips pressed into a tight line. She
swallowed. Taking a step back, she stammered, “S-sure.”

Waving a hand in the direction they should
begin, James offered her his arm. Eileen looked away. James
realized he might be coming on too strong, so he withdrew the
proffered arm and clasped his hands behind him.
Relax, James.
Just be yourself. Be calm. Don't be too forward.
He was willing
to go slowly to let her warm up to him. Something inside told him
she was worth it.

For a while, silence reigned as they took
their stroll. Eileen played with a button on her shirt. James
struggled to maintain a nonchalant attitude. The truth was he had
butterflies in his stomach as he walked close by her side.
I'm
losing her. I need to secure a time to see her again.

James cleared his throat, his lame attempt to
broach a subject. "Hey," he began.
Hey? Hey?
"If you aren't
busy, would you like to have a drink with me tonight? The
entertainment is '80s Night’, out by the pool." He smiled as he
waited for her answer. He was not keen on attending the party;
however, any pretext would have been fine if it meant he could see
her again.

She managed a weak smile and shrugged, still
avoiding eye contact. "I'll try," she replied.

James could tell from her tone that her
response was actually code for “no”. Despite her apparent refusal,
he could not help but smile.
She's beautiful. I can't… no, I
don't want to take my eyes off her. She's the one.

After a while, Eileen gathered up the courage
to take a quick glance at James. At that moment, he was staring at
her and their eyes locked when they met. She felt her heart flutter
and looked away. James cleared his throat again, hoping to gain her
attention, but she would not look back.

"I, uh…" He was at a loss for words.
Come
on, James! Pull yourself together. You wanted to see her again and
now you’re losing it!
He found himself falling in love with a
woman he knew nothing about. He stopped walking and she followed
suit. "Forgive me if I’m making you uncomfortable."

"Oh, no!" She managed a weak smile. "I'm not
uncomfortable."

He groaned internally. Eileen’s hands were
clenched tightly together. She took in a few deep breaths before
she managed to look back up into his eyes.

Seeing her sway slightly, he stepped closer
to offer assistance. "Are you all right?" he asked. She nodded and
took hold of his arms to steady herself. As he held her in support,
his eyes ran over the features of her face.
So beautiful. Her
hair, her blue eyes, those lips…

"That glass of wine didn’t agree with me, but
yes, I’m fine."

She held her breath. Everything around them
seemed to have stopped in that moment. His lips parted slightly as
he leaned in, nearly brushing her lips. Eileen pushed away
suddenly, stumbling back as she looked around the open deck. "I… I
have to go."

So much for not being too forward.
Though James was disappointed, it was more from his own lack of
patience than from her reaction. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…" he
said, afraid he had just ruined any chance of spending more time
with her. "Let me walk you to your cabin?" he offered, hoping she
would agree.

"Thank you, James, but I think I can manage."
She hastily made her way to the inner hallway that led to her
cabin. "Nice to have met you," she called out, as the outer door
closed behind her.

Alone on the deck, James chided himself.
Idiot! What were you thinking, trying to kiss her after you had
barely met?
He guessed she was probably not going to show up to
the party. Still, he planned to wait there for her, all night if
necessary. Seeing her disappear down the hallway, he turned to
continue his walk around the ship.