He glances back at me, one eyebrow raised. "You sure? This thing's heavier than it looks."
He's not wrong. I packed like I was preparing for a month-long expedition, not a four-day cruise. "I may have overpacked."
"First cruise?"
"That obvious?"
"Let's just say experienced cruisers usually pack lighter." There's no judgment in his tone, just easy conversation. "But better to have too much than not enough."
The elevator arrives and we step inside. This time, thankfully, there are no couples making out. Just us and an elderly woman who smiles at us knowingly, like we're together.
My face heats. I study the elevator buttons like they're the most fascinating things I've ever seen.
"First time cruising solo?" the man asks, breaking the awkward silence.
"Is it that obvious?"
"You have t
