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Eddie palmed the phone and sighed. He was disappointed. That morning he’d already helped with disembarkation and was now headed to run on-board activities for those who elected to stay on the ship. Later that afternoon, he would be helping people back on board, scanning identification cards and checking bags for banned items until they accounted for each and every passenger. Then a pole dancing exhibition and finally a break for a few hours, right when his captain had a function at The Loft. He could have spent some time with Will, except that he didn’t have the right clothes. He couldn’t very well show up in anything less than the required dress code, which meant that going was an impossibility. He understood exactly how Cinderella felt about the ball now. Deflated and defeated, he knew he wasn’t going to be his bright, chirpy self in the class, but he’d plaster on a smile and fake it.
In the five-minute break he got to move between locations, he’d sprinted up an extra two levels and checked out the onboard clothing stores. Predictably, they only stocked souvenir T-shirts and ball caps. It was no use.
He ran, racing through the staff-only corridor to the open lobby where he was due to preside over a mass game of Twister.
“Hey, Katya,” he called as he sprinted the last of the way catching up with her.
“Why are you running? Class go over time?”
“No, needed to dash up to the clothing store.”
“The guest shops?” she asked, puzzled. “What for?”
“Oh, I was looking for something.” Her eyebrows drew down at the dismissive wave of his hand, and she paused at the door. Eddie took the opportunity to smooth down his dishevelled uniform. “Hey,” he mused, not sounding at all casual like he was trying to be, “What’s on at The Loft this evening? And where do I get a suit?”
She looked at him, and a small smile tilted one side of her mouth upward. “I don’t know, but we’ve got suits in the costumes room. It’s part of your uniform. We rarely use them, so no one keeps them in their staterooms.”
She could have knocked him over with a feather. Shock, excitement—no elation—filled him, and a joyful grin split his lips. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No, not joking. We only wear them if we’re chaperoning the formal nights’ dances or attending the Captain’s Dinner.” Her eyes lit up, and she clicked her fingers. “It’s the Captain’s Dinner tonight. It’s always held at the midpoint of the cruise.”
“Oh, okay. Wow,” he mumbled.
“You’d have to leave early, but you could easily be ready for the seven-thirty show if you got downstairs at, say, ten to seven,” she offered. “I could have make-up do you last.”
“You’d do that?” he asked, giddy at the thought, before it came crashing down. Suspicion muted his happiness. “It’s not because of who my date would be, is it?”
She squeezed Eddie’s arm. “No, I’m just happy for you both. Consider it an apology for snapping at you for the lap dance.” There was a genuineness in her tone that had Eddie believing she really meant those words. Even if she didn’t, he would take it. “Enjoy yourself, okay.” Katya pushed through the door, and they were on.
*****
The day flew by. Helping guests back onto the ship was fun. Eddie was surprised how many people recognized him from up on stage.
After a few hours following the embarkation protocols, Eddie headed over to the main theatre for his pole dancing exhibition. It was the first time he was working with Andrea on the poles, but he’d learnt all the moves, practicing endlessly every spare moment he had.
There were two poles erected side by side in the middle of the stage and a high bar table with a couple of bottles of water and Seamus’s microphone sitting ready, so he could emcee the session. With the curtain still closed, Eddie checked the stability of the setup. He was impressed, but he had been from the first moment on board. Nothing was half-hearted, every effort made to ensure a spectacle for the audience, while making safety a priority.
He had also seen the list of music tracks, playing as a background accompaniment to their demonstration. This exhibition wasn’t a performance like those showcased every evening, but rather a display of the strength and athleticism needed to pull off some of the moves.
When Seamus introduced Eddie and Andrea to the small crowd of people, the performer in him came alive. Feisty, flamboyant, and full of fabulousness, he had a blast.
But it was the close of the curtain he’d been waiting on. It had barely come to a halt when Eddie dashed off stage, heading straight for the showers. Water poured over him, the cool stream refreshing after the heat of working under the spotlights. Time was running short, though. He hadn’t had a chance to look for his suit in the dressing room, and he now had thirty minutes to get cleaned up, find it, and hopefully wear it to dinner. Nerves assailed him. He didn’t want to be late. He also didn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of the passengers or the other executive staff.
Eddie ran through the dressing rooms in a blind panic and rifled through the costume racks until he finally found the hangers that Katya had mentioned. Wrapped in plastic, with his name neatly printed on the label, the black pants and white jacket with matching white shirt and the black bow tie was elegant. He would look smart in it. Shoe boxes lined the bottom of the rack, one marked with Eddie’s name.
Slipping into his outfit, Eddie was instantly pleased—the tailoring was comfortable and near perfectly fitted to him. He gave himself the once over, checking how the slim fit pants followed the curve of his arse and hugged his thighs and calves closely. The black buttons and bow tie were a stark contrast against the white shirt and jacket.
He was kicking himself. His dream had once been to perform on West End. It wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, and Eddie had quickly learnt he wasn’t meant for a life like that. But this—cruising through paradise on tropical oceans and mixing it up between performing and taking activities to keep the passengers entertained—was a blast. Even without dating the captain, Eddie was the happiest he’d ever been. He couldn’t wait to experience everything this career offered.
He made his way up to The Loft restaurant on the top level of the ship. It was uber elegant, and even in a suit and bowtie, he felt underdressed. Uncomfortable in his own skin, he wished he’d put on some make-up or was wearing those heels that made his calves look hot as fuck. Instead, winding his way through men in top hats and tails and ladies in evening gowns, he swallowed hard and hoped he didn’t embarrass the captain when he finally found him.
The lady who stopped in front of him raised her eyebrow. “Can I help you, ma’am?” he asked.
“I think a round of champagne would be nice, would it not?” She was wearing jewellery which had to have cost the equivalent of six month’s rental, and Eddie blinked, taking in her words. Oh. His heart sank, and he looked down at himself. Swallowed hard and faked a smile.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“You made it.” Will eased himself between two groups of people, and when Eddie got a look at him… holy. Fucking. Hell.
