Here Come the Girls by Milly Johnson Page A

mirrored ensuite with the full-size bath in it; there was also a tray full of beautiful complimentary toiletries next to the sink. Straight ahead was a double bed with big fat pillows on it, two TVs – one angled to the bed, one to the sitting area where there was a large sofa and coffee table. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors led out onto a balcony furnished with an outside table and two chairs. Wow. Sixteen days wouldn’t be enough, she knew that immediately. Already she was working out plans to stow away on the next cruise.
    She had just started to unpack when Roz and Ven knocked.
    ‘Glad you came?’ grinned Ven. ‘Or do you want me to get Clive to take you back home on his bus with him? You can pick up some peas and have a wild ride.’
    ‘I’ll force myself to stay for a while,’ sniffed Olive. ‘Might be a struggle, though.’
    ‘You won’t properly relax until we’ve set off, will you?’ said Roz. ‘I know how your brain works.’
    ‘Probably not,’ replied Olive. ‘I know I’m a saddo, you don’t have to tell me.’
    ‘Well, you’ve less than three hours to wait now. We sail off at quarter past five.’
    There was a timid knock at the door.
    ‘Who’s that?’ asked Olive, in a panic.
    ‘How the hell do I know?’ returned Roz. ‘I left my X-ray specs at home!’
    ‘It’ll be Doreen,’ said Ven in a very sinister voice and forming her hands into creepy claws. ‘She’ll have free-wheeled all the way down from junction thirty-seven.’
    ‘Don’t joke,’ laughed Roz. ‘She’ll believe you.’
    Olive opened the door to a beaming-faced, dark-skinned man in an immaculate white tunic.
    ‘Hello, ma’am, my name is Jesus and I am the cabin steward for the rooms in this section.’
    ‘Flaming heck,’ said Roz, raising her perfectly arched eye-brows. ‘There’s the height of luxury – having Jesus as your cabin steward.’
    Jesus laughed heartily, then he proceeded to show the ladies the hairdryer secreted in the drawer and explained how to set the combination on the cabin safe and where the fridge, the kettle and the air-conditioning/heating controls were. He directed their attention to the big blue folder on the dressing-table which had details of all the holiday’s entertainment, what was showing on the in-cabin TVs, the room service menu, stationery, the spa facilities and the card that told them which of the three restaurants, and sittings, they would be dining in that evening: the Olympia at 6.30, as it happened. Then he informed them that they had to attend a lifeboat drill meeting at 4.15.
    ‘That’s comforting,’ said Roz, as Jesus showed them where the life-jackets were kept.
    ‘It’s the law, ma’am,’ said Jesus. ‘Everyone has to go. But I have never had an emergency in the twelve years I have been with the company.’
    ‘There’s always a first time,’ sighed Roz, before Ven tutted at her. Roz’s glass was always half-empty.
    Jesus poked his head out of the cabin and announced that more of their cases had arrived, then he left them to introduce himself to other passengers whom he was also looking after.
    ‘Right, we’ll leave you to carry on unpacking, Ol. Have you rung Manus to say you’ve arrived, Roz?’ asked Ven.
    Roz pulled a pained face and Ven’s smile instantly dried up.
    ‘What?’ she queried, not liking that expression at all.
    ‘Look, you may as well know,’ Roz began. ‘Manus and I are on a trial separation.’
    ‘Oh Roz!’ said Olive and Ven in unison.
    ‘Please.’ Roz held up her hand to stem their flow. ‘Let us just get on with it. It’s been coming for a long time, you probably know that. Anyway, it’s just a trial. Everything is in the air so I’d rather not talk about it. I want to forget home for sixteen days, so . . . let me do just that, will you both? Please.’
    She was right, it wasn’t all that unexpected, but it was still very sad because Ven and Olive thought Manus was a total catch and wished Roz could see him through