Gotcha. Just mingle and see what happens.
‘Come here often?’
I chuckle politely. Yes, it’s cheesy but full marks to the man in the white jeans who wasn’t anywhere near me three seconds ago and is now close enough to smell. That shower gel has got a lot to answer for.
‘I didn’t know people were still using that line,’ I tease.
‘What line?’ he asks. ‘I wasn’t using a line.’
I laugh again. ‘Do you come here often? It’s the oldest line in the book!’
He frowns. ‘What book? I was just asking a question. I’ve never attended one of these events. I was asking if you had.’
Shit. This is already off to a bad start. ‘Isn’t this the first mixer?’ I ask.
‘No, there’s already been two.’
Damn. They must delete events after they’ve happened.
‘My mistake,’ I reply. ‘And no, I haven’t been before. First time here, first time on a cruise.’
‘All right,’ he huffs, his eyes already focused somewhere else.
And he leaves. He’s either entirely clueless with regards to using that line in any other context or I annoyed him by not immediately playing along and falling for his charms.
I turn and face the other direction, hoping that future conversations go a little better. A woman to my left gives me a little nudge.
‘Ah, so you’ve met thecome here oftenguy. Don’t worry, he asks everyone that. Thought he might have started wording his question differently by now. Obviously not.’
I smile as a wave of relief washes over me. ‘Oh, thank God,’ I reply. ‘Honestly, I wondered if I was just old and no one actually uses that line any more. I felt a bit silly.’
She laughs. ‘No, it’s still a thing and he’s the one who’s old. Dude must be at least late forties.’
‘Yeah,’ I reply, pretending she did not just say that. ‘He must be.’
I don’t know whether to feel insulted by her statement or happy that she thinks I’m not in the late forties category.
‘I’m Harper, by the way.’
‘Sophie,’ I reply. ‘Well, thanks for the heads up.’
‘No problem. There are some decent people here,’ Harper informs me. ‘We mainly come for the awesome snacks. But just be wary of the pineapples.’
‘Sorry?’
‘The pineapples.’ She grins. ‘If you see someone with a little upside-down pineapple pin, or one on their room door handle, hell, even a shirt with pineapples on it, I’d move on. Well, unless you’re into that.’
‘Into what? Sorry, I don’t understand.’
‘Swingers! You know, couple swapping. Good timers.’
My jaw hits the floor. ‘You’re joking, right?’
‘Nope. It’s their secret code. A lot less common on this kind of cruise, but it still happens.’
‘But I’m not in a couple, so—’
‘They play with singles too. It’s a lifestyle thing. See the girl in the pink dress over there. . . by the bar.’
