Due to the hearty breakfast, Christmas lunch was to be served at one o’clock. Mitch and Julio set up the Buffet and waited for the passenger’s arrival. When they entered, the flavoursome aromas drew them toward it. Mitch placed the baked pork and roast potatoes onto the passenger’s plates. Julio spooned his creamy vegétale Mornay.
With everyone seated, Julio went to the Captains Table to join Kristy and May-lee. Jordie left the bar and wandered over to Mitch.
“Nice spread you’ve put on bro,”
“I’m pretty good aren’t I?”
“Yeah,” Jordie laughed and slapped Mitch’s back.
“Hey you two,” Kristy called, “we’ve saved a place,”
Jordie & Mitch grabbed a plate, loaded it with their lunch and strolled over; both thinking that if they couldn’t be with family for Christmas this was the next best thing.
With lunch finished, some of the passengers left the dining room to laze on the sundeck or in their air conditioned cabins. Too enjoy Christmas afternoon in the traditional way of lounging about and dozing. Others stayed at their tables, drinking and chatting away.
Jordie walked back to the bar followed by Julio who ordered a bottle of Champagne and two glasses. When Jordie placed them onto the bar, Julio sent him a shrewd wink then rejoined May-lee, too accompany her onto the sundeck for his promised drink. A slight feeling of envy swept Jordie as he watched them walk out of the door.
After cleaning the Galley, Mitch raced over and ordered two tall glasses of tangy fizz. Earlier he’d arranged with Kristy to have a drink on the sundeck, and was excited about spending some time with her. When Jordie handed them to him, he bolted toward the door.
Mitch arrived on the sundeck and found Kristy lying on a deckchair under a large straw hat. She wore chic sunglasses and a flowery summer dress pulled high to her thighs.
He ambled over, attempting to, but not succeeding in staring at her tanned and shapely legs. Kristy looked up, smiled, and then offered him the seat by her side.
“That was a scrumptious lunch you and Julio prepared,”
“Nothin’ too it,” Mitch bragged and handed her a drink.
As they lay soaking up the sun and sipping on the cool fizz, Kristy asked about Mitch & Jordie’s families. He told her they were in Melbourne, and this was the first time they had spent Christmas away from home. But getting jobs on a Rock n Roll cruise was too good of an opportunity to miss. Then feeling slightly tipsy, and a bit daring from the fizz, Mitch sent her a playful smile and said, “Maddy’s a cool name. I thought Paddleboats were named after Queens, or Princesses,” he hesitated for a moment then whispered, “or sparkling Krryystaal’s,”
Kristy giggled; enjoying his flirting. “No she’s named after my mother Madison, but she departed unexpectedly,”
“So she died?” Mitch asked in a more considerate voice.
“Oh no, she’s gone searching for the meaning of life,” Kristy laughed, with a slight sadness he noted, and wondered why her mother hadn’t realized she’d already had it with Kristy. “Captain raised me on his lonesome,” she added.
Mitch nodded, and thought he did a pretty good job.
After a few moments of silence, and as casually as he could manage, Mitch asked about her and Norman’s relationship.
“He’s like a brother,” she shot him a mischievous smile and added. “Though he did try to kiss me once and I kicked his butt,” deliberately omitting that they were both aged ten when he had tried. Mitch flushed, and decided that he’d be careful to pick the right moment when he did.
As their conversation moved on, Maddy passed by a giant golden limestone cliff; Mitch looked up at the towering wall. “They’re aaamaazzing... like you,”
Kristy sent him a playful wink; Mitch chuckled and sank back into the deckchair.
‘Yeesss, life is good,’ he mused, as Maddy cruised around a sweeping bend into the first port of call, Limestone Ridge.