Page 21 of A Perfect Disaster

I tell myself that the butterflies have nothing to do with the way Helen said “good work.” Nothing to do with having felt that, for a couple of hours, our worlds weren’t incompatible, but fit together perfectly. Nothing to do with the absurd wish that she had turned around one last time before walking through the door.

And with that thought, my heart—which is a traitor and knows nothing of official ranks—decides that the night in port has just become a little brighter. At least until the real chaos of the passengers boards my deck tomorrow.

7

Helen

The next day.

Passenger boarding is going flawlessly. Too flawlessly. And although that orderliness should put my mind at ease, it only keeps my alarm system on high alert, waiting for the organized chaos of a cruise ship to claim its space. But the truth is, nothing happens.

The flow of people is moving wonderfully. The lines in the atrium dissolve before they can form. Passengers find the reception desks, the elevators, and their respective cabins without that tense friction that usually reigns during the first few hours on board. And I, much to my regret, know exactly who to give the credit to.

The mobile entertainment stations Maika suggested yesterday are working. The dynamic routes Maika designed are so intuitive that the passengers move along relaxed, relieving the main arteries of the ship. I won’t admit out loud that she’s done an extraordinary job, but as I watch from the railing on Deck Eight while Lara redirects a large family toward the starboard panoramic elevators before they clog the central access, I have to accept that Maika was right.

Again.

When the Marine IV casts off and sets course for Marseille, I finally allow myself to release the tension in my shoulders. The port shrinks to a geometric line on the horizon and the Mediterranean opens up before us, immense and cobalt blue.

The cruise passengers begin to shed the stiffness of their routine on land. Voices grow louder, laughter becomes more unrestrained, and that anxious rush from the beginning fades away. I, on the other hand, continue to scan the surroundings for any potential risks. Someone has to keep a cool head on board.

I’m in the officers’ mess with an untouched tray of food and my laptop open when Maika plops down—literally—in the seat across from me. She’s carrying a plate of pasta, a bottle of water, and her characteristic energy.

“Don’t tell me you’re drafting the watch orders while you eat,” she remarks with a half-smile, unscrewing the cap of the bottle without taking her eyes off me.

I look up from the screen.

“I’m checking the gathering areas and traffic flow for tonight’s party.”

“Sure. How naive of me to think you’d be taking a break,” she says sarcastically.

I try to focus on the floor plan, but the afternoon light streaming through the glass partition hits her face full on, casting perfect shadows. She’s wearing the dark blue sleeveless T-shirt from the entertainment uniform, which hugs her body.

Although I really shouldn’t be paying attention to that.

“The boarding was a resounding success,” she adds, twirling the spaghetti with her fork. “You can take it easy, Müller.”

“I breathe at the pace my job demands,” I reply.

“Helen, you need to relax.”

Maika smiles, and the meeting of our gazes no longer triggers the usual surge of irritation in me.

“What exactly is worrying you?” she asks, leaning forward so that her shoulder almost invades my personal space.

“The side entrances to the main stage on Deck Nine,” I reply, pointing at the screen. “The DJ is going to draw most of the young crowd up there.”

“Too many people according to your contingency manuals, or according to the reality of a summer night?”

I stare at her. She chews slowly, keeping me on edge with that feigned innocence.

“Both variables tend to coincide, Maika.”

“Right…” she murmurs, running the tip of her tongue over her lower lip.

I decide to ignore the gesture and focus on the screen; my authority depends entirely on pretending that her proximity doesn’t affect my heart rate.

I zoom in on the safety map of the aft section.