Chapter 3
“Jeanie of Glasgow”
SeaQuest was known for their ‘ultimate experiencing.’ Before dinner every night, passengers would be treated to live music, on deck or in the piano bar. The ship didn’t sale until seven, or until the last passengers arrived. Sail away time was more than a suggestion but wasn’t set in stone if passengers were delayed at the airport or not yet back from the days excursions. The ships in this part of the Adriatic or Aegean Seas basically just island hop, so a little later departure didn’t mean too much time to be made up to get to the next days’ close by port. Most entertainment on the deck during sail away days was either native to the port of call, or in the theme of the location of the cruise. Tonight it was a traditional Greek band, playing music heard in the islands.
Susan took the elevator up to the pool deck where the band was playing. She could have taken the steps, would have in earlier days in comfortable sandals, but with spiked heels, why not? The thin strap tiny buckled sandals were more comfortable than she would have expected. The customer reviews were right. The black knit, mock wrap halter dress was comfortable too. Dressing sexy was more comfortable than she had anticipated.
“Mrs. Coughlin, can I get you a drink?” One of the waiters asked as Susan entered the pool deck area.
“Yes, please, a Rose’ Chandon. I’ll be sitting near the band.”
“Coming right up. I’ll find you.”
Susan was impressed, the waiter knew her name and he’d ’find her.’ Cosima was right, this was luxury travel. She decided on a little table near the band. She sat down and right away recognized the song the band was playing. Susan’s neighbors growing up were Greek. The Nikititis family had the local diner and the families had been life long friends. The kids had all gone to school together and Mr. Nikititis had immigrated from the islands when he was a teenager. They had neighborhood parties and often went to the Greek Church festivals. After the song, the cruise director, Harriet, gave a few welcome words then introduced the local Greek dancers. The band introduced their next song, “Never On a Sunday” and invited any guests who knew the Misralou dance, to come up and join in. Susan knew it and jumped right up, along with the gal and the next table. Others around the pool clapped, some sang and the band played an extra chorus after a few others joined in. When the song was over, Harriet announced that the ship was beginning to depart, all guests were now on board and “dinner is served in the main dining room.” Susan walked over to pick up her bag and saw Phil near the doorway coming to meet her, she waved. The gal who had joined in asked her if she was Greek.
“No,” I just grew up with Greek neighbors, so maybe that makes me part Greek and she laughed as the two women walked to the doorway to catch the elevator down to floor six.
“I’m Valentina, not Greek, but my family would travel to Greece occasionally. That’s where I learned how to dance. You’re heading to dinner, right?”
“Yes, meeting my husband, he’s right there and we’re going down to floor 6. Are you meeting anyone? Hi Phil, this is Valentina. We were dancing.”
“Growing up next to the Nikitituses had it’s advantages. Hi Valentina.”
“No, not meeting anyone, not planning to, traveling by myself.”
“Well, walk with us. It looks like they are setting up a few tables out on the deck. I think that’s a special thing.”
“Yes, I checked in to that Phil, it’s local dinner, they set up a few tables a night, everyone on board has an opportunity for one night of that, we’re on for next week.”
“Check on that, we wouldn’t want to miss that.”
The three of them talked on the elevator down and then into the dining room, where they waited in the very short line to be seated. SeaQuest had a set time for dinner. There was one other speciality restaurant, Windows, much smaller than the dining room experience and then there was the Sea and Sky they had just seen. In addition to that there was the option of dinner in your room or in the Trattoria, the buffet style set up, more casual and informal served between six and eight, good for passengers coming back from a late excursion or not wanting a sit down dinner set up.
“Mr. and Mrs. Coughlin, I have you at table 10. Ms. Orsini, you as well.”
“Susan whispered to Valentina, I’m impressed that they know our names so quickly.
“We sent them our photo in advance, so they could prepare our key cards, that has to be it,” Valentina said in her Italian accent…
Hugo and Charlotte entered the dining room. The head waiter welcomed them. “Mr. Prince. I know that you requested a private table for you and Ms. Montgomery to dine alone, the message was just forwarded to me. Would you be ok with my honoring that for tomorrow and the following nights of our cruise. I placed you at a table already, if this is not acceptable to you, we can make arrangement at the Speciality restaurant. Charlotte piped in,
“This is good! We’re here, but for the rest of the trip, we’d like our own table.”
“Are you sure Charlotte?”
“Absolutely!” She then whispered to Hugo as they were escorted to their table, “we might want another night at deck top dinner or speciality restaurants, so let’s not make a big deal about tonight.”
“Good thinking.”
“I have you two here at table 10, a few are already seated, the rest will be here very shortly”…
Milt and Rosemarie were already seated. They arrived early to the dining room, not sure as to how long it would take her to get around. She had completed the final stages of her physical therapy, but there was much more walking on a ship, even a smaller ship, than their day to day activity. Milt was thrilled that they were embarking on this new chapter, with Rosemarie’s surgeries and therapy behind them. A new chapter of back to what they hope will be somewhat routine and normal. Milt looked forward to dinner conversations with new people. Maybe it was his missing the patients stories when he worked, but he liked meeting people as they traveled…
Edward Cline entered the dining room and already knew that he’d be seated at table 10. As he was checking into the ship, he confirmed this detail. Edward always checked details. He also knew the menu for the evening and what he would be ordering. The details of the mechanics of life were things he paid attention to. He often thought, it’s too bad that he wasn’t as attentive or as good with selecting a woman. And he laughed it off inside; he was a man who knew his strengths and weaknesses. ‘We all can’t excel at everything in our orbit.’ As he approached the podium,
“Edward Cline, table 10.”
“This way Mr. Cline.” The tall, slender athletic man with grey at the temples in the navy linen blazer, crisp white shirt and regimental tie, looked like a model for a Ralph Lauren ad, all the way down to his travel kaki slacks and fine loafers. He found his seat, next to Susan Coughlin…
“Dr. and Mrs. Banks, we have you at table 10, right this way, everyone else has arrived.”
“Thanks. We are so looking forward to a nice dinner.” Nicholas had on a Seersucker sport coat and navy slacks, a white shirt and yellow tie. Margaux had on a white linen midi-dress with adjustable strap and a light pink shrug over her shoulders. They were both suntanned and looking relaxed after a few days on Costa Dorada…
“I am Christian, I will be your server tonight and every night you are on board in this lovely dining room. Let me know if you have any special preferences or allergies. According to your notes, I did not see any, please inform me though. I do have two assistants, who will help with drinks and serving. Here are tonight’s menu’s, my assistants will get your drink orders while I get your bread, olive oil and butter.”
Milt, surveying the table, realizing that he was to oldest at the table, introduced himself and handed off to Rosemarie. He said that she had had the accident, several surgeries but they were gladly putting it all behind them, looking full steam ahead and ready to get back to traveling and enjoy their life. Nicholas asked Rosemarie to tell them something they really enjoyed about SeaQuest and the first thing that came to her mind was, not at all what Milt was expecting as he smiled at his dear wife that he was so glad to get back after all she had been through,
“It’s funny you ask, Nicholas (each place had place cards so it was easy to learn fellow passengers names the first few night). One of the things I was thinking about looking forward to doing this, our first cruise back, was going out on the deck, and sitting naked first thing in the morning, for a glimpse of the sea and the sun. Yes, that’s what I’m looking forward to, walking, by myself to the sliding door, opening it, sitting on the chair and taking my robe off.”
Milt had a smile, but a little surprised look in his eyes, then started to laugh. His Rosemarie was back. ‘yes!’ He thought…
“Nicholas, go ahead, tell us about your story, you and Margaux.”
“Well, I’m in family practice with my two sons and one son-in-law, the other son works in tech in Silicon Valley. We live outside of Bismarck, North Dakota the kids are all married. We like to travel. Now that it’s the two of us, we try to get away more frequently, I’m starting to move to half time, we like to spend time with our kids and grandkids. Life’s pretty good. Margaux, tell them about yourself.”
Margaux told them about the center and her new move to half time, how she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and was looking forward to more traveling with Nicholas, now that he was talking more time off. Yes, efficient and predictable is how one would describe Margaux. Her days were more regimented than necessary, but she liked that. It helped her utilize her time and get the most out of her days. She looked polished yet effortlessly comfortable, with little make up and happy in her own skin…
Valentina sat next to Margaux. She gave the details of how she ended up on the SeaQuest, hearing about it from her restaurant patrons in Florida. She briefly mentioned he divorce years ago and that she was happy to travel solo and that her adult kids were off doing their own thing. The itinerary appealed to her because she was spending the summer seeing her family in Sicily and the itinerary reminded her of the times her family would go to Greece to visit a friend of her father’s on Paros, usually in the fall, when most of the tourists had left. She thought that would be a good time to do a trip like this, after the floods of summer travelers had gone back to school and work…
“Obviously, you all must have thought the same.”
All of this continued with breaks as Christian and his assistants took drink and dinner orders and began serving…
“I agree Valentina, the fall, in my mind, the best time to travel to Europe, as many, of the the crowds are gone and the temperatures start, just a little, to decrease. A better time in so many ways from the height of summer…I don’t mind traveling solo either. A failed marriage, I take part responsibility in, due to my workaholic tendencies when building and growing my business. Some bad experiences dating, an engagement broken by myself when it was apparent that I hadn’t seen red flags or just neglected to pay closer attention. Either way, having accepted that, time away on a small ship is a good way to travel. My grandparents cruised on the QE2, of course larger, but the quality I recall them describing sounds like what SeaQuest aims for. It was fun to hear them talk about their experiences. I like nice dinners, planned excursions on interesting, historic ports of call and luxury accommodations seems pretty much right.”
Charlotte interrupted-
“But would you ever entertain the thought of romance in your life again, should the right person enter in?”
“Of course I would, it would be foolish to never say never, but I’m just not looking at this point, and it feels good to say that. It seems as if that’s where one has trouble. If it happens, it happens. If not, that’s ok. Maybe, that’s the best way to enter in any relationship. Who knows.”
“I should not have asked such a personal question, that was wrong on me, sorry about that.”
“Well Charlotte, if we’ll all be sitting for dinner together for the next two weeks, it’s probably something that would have come up eventually, not a problem at all…Tell us about yourself”
Charlotte began, “I have never been on a cruise before. Hugo’s parents, my future in-laws, gave us this cruise as an engagement gift. I’ll be honest, a week at a resort in Sicily would have been my choice. However, after reading up on SeaQuest, I’m willing to give it a chance. The ports seems nice. Anyway, we met about a year ago, we were working on the same film, myself as a publicist for one of the actors and Hugo on the crew. We stayed in touch when the film wrapped and we have been together since. I grew up in Buckinghamshire, outside of London and after graduating from University, started working. That’s me. Hugo has had a much more interesting life…”
“I don’t know if I’d say that Charlotte, I’m just one who goes after experiences, as in one thing seems to lead to another. That’s just how I look at life. I grew up in southwest Michigan on the lake, played several sports, crewed at Stanford, left school early, started filming commercials after a few experiences, one thing led to another, wasn’t afraid to make calls, meet people I didn’t know, started filming commercials that were high action, based on my experiences playing sports. Anyway, one thing DID led to another and the next thing you know you’re working on a major movie. Of course, that’s not exactly how it happens, but you meet the right person, who knows the right person, you make a good impression, that’s the way it all seems to happen…As to how we ended up here, Charlotte is right, my parents are the king and queen of cruising. They know every route, every line and my Dad could help anyone find the right cruise for them at the right price…
Phil Coughlin took it from there with his very commanding, former courtroom, now television voice. “Hi, for Susan and I, this is a new chapter for us too. Susan recently retired from teaching art in the public schools in Spring Lake, New Jersey, where we live. We raised four girls, all married and starting their own families now. They all live close. I worked in the city at a big firm, just took a job as a legal analyst with a network and I’ll start when we return. Susan heard about SeaQuest from someone in her book group. That group is quite a source of information, if I do say so myself”…
“He likes to say that and I’d have to say they are. We’ve all been together since the kids were little, it started as a little playgroup, the kids got older, went to school and the book group was an ideas to keep getting together, the book groups were just beginning to be a think, like with the Oprah Book groups when she started her magazine or the show or sometime around then. Anyway, we’re all at the same stage in life, except this new gal we invited, Cosima. I actually invited her, she is the newer wife of one of Phil’s former partners. She’s a nurse and she is the one who recommended SeaQuest. Cosima has brought us all, who were in the kids/mom mode, up to speed on so many things from travel to clothes to “Jeanie of Glasgow.”
“You know Jeanie of Glasgow!!?” Charlotte asked surprisingly.
“Cosima has us all tuning into her podcast. She has caused quite a stir,” Susan replied
“Does she talk about travel?” Rosemarie asked.
“Let’s say that she is the Dr. Ruth to the Brits when it comes to spicing up longtime relationships,” Charlotte added.
“Rosemarie, get that title. Could we find it on Spotify? Our son set up an account for us, and our grandkids showed us how to use it, we like Spotify.”
The conversation went on from there, the gals getting a chuckle out of the interest in Jeanie of Glasgow, explaining about her ‘help’ in keeping a relationship interesting for the long haul. The talk then turned to tomorrow’s stop in Mykonos and what everyone had planned, some shopping some going to the beach to some going on excursions. As they all finished up their dessert the conversation went to where to go following dinner. There was a husband wife singing act in the small theater, with Carole King and James Taylor music, the bar at the back of the ship, out by the pool or they all discovered that their upgraded floor level had a private small pool, hot tub and bar, with access via their key. Small conversations between the ten started to break up. The head waiter approached Charlotte and Hugo and told them that he could accommodate them for the rest of the week at their own table for two, Charlotte piped in,
“No, I think this will work out just fine, we’d like to stay here, if Hugo is fine with that?”
“It’s your call Charlotte, I’m fine with either.”
“Then we’ll remain here, if it’s ok Christian.”
“It’s fine madame. We’d like you to be happy.”
Charlotte looked to Hugo, “I can’t imagine missing the discussion on Jeanie of Glasgow,” she said jokingly, and they all do seem like a fun bunch.
