Chapter 2
1731 Words
Chapter 2
Ruth couldn’t believe her eyes. She rechecked the number to make sure she had the right cabin. To her detriment, it was, in fact, cabin two-twelve.
Loretta stared at her, unflinching. “Well, I can see this new job isn’t going to be a walk in the park.” The tall woman already had her three bags sitting on her bed, and one of her suitcases lay wide open.
“You’re L. Moron?”
Loretta scrunched her eyes closed, pained by Ruth’s words. “It’s Moran. Like more-ran. Not moron.”
Ruth dug her fingernails into her palms. If she had a rubber band around her wrist, she’d be snapping it like a neurotic smoker trying to quit, just to distract from the tension filling the room. “I—I didn’t mean that. An honest mistake.” As much as she couldn’t stand this woman, the last thing she wanted to do was create any more tension between them. They were going to be cabinmates, and if they couldn’t get along, then they were in for a long and miserable time aboard the Splendor of the Seas.
“I’m sure it was.” Loretta pulled her clothes out of the suitcase and placed them neatly in small piles. “But, trust me, I’ve heard all the jokes before. Though, I haven’t been called ‘Loretta Moron’ since grade school.”
Ruth scoffed, picking up on the subtle jab. “Maybe no one would have called you such names if you weren’t so rude.”
“Me? Rude?” Loretta pulled out several dresses that were still on hangers. “You were the rude one. You were holding up the line.”
“I was trying to—”
“And then you followed me to the receptionist’s desk, verbally attacking me.”
Ruth choked. “Verbally attacking? You know I was only trying to be polite.”
“To whom?”
“The gentleman on the gangway—Gerald. He’s a person too, you know.” Ruth folded her arms at her chest.
Loretta shrugged. “The way I see it, he has a job to do, as do we.”
“It doesn’t hurt to take a moment to be kind.”
“Well then, I guess one person’s kindness can be another’s rudeness.”
Ruth opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. How was she supposed to respond to such a comment? This woman was clearly off her rocker, and there was no reasoning with her. Ruth decided to ignore her and took a step toward her bed to unload her bags, when she tripped.
“Watch yourself.” Loretta gathered up the dresses on hangers and shimmied around Ruth and the second bed to get to the closet. “They don’t give us much room.” She slid open the closet door and clicked her tongue several times. “Well, this is a shame.”
Ruth leaned back onto her heels to see what Loretta was looking at in the closet.
“Honestly, criminal, if you ask me,” Loretta continued. “I don’t understand how they expect us to live like this.” She shoved her clothes into the cramped closet, pushing them back as she attempted to close the door.
Ruth raised an eyebrow. “Where do you suppose I hang my clothes?”
“There’s some room left. Just don’t wrinkle my dresses. Though, judging by your bags”—Loretta eyed the single suitcase and carry-on Ruth had brought—“you don’t have that much anyway.” She skirted around Ruth, her massive feet crushing Ruth’s as she went.
“Ow!”
Loretta turned around. “Oops, sorry.”
“I’m sure you are.” Ruth grabbed her bag, slinging it onto her own bed. She plopped down, taking her shoe off to assess the damage. “You could have broken my big toe!” she said, rubbing it.
“I said I was sorry. If you haven’t noticed, this room isn’t built for a woman of my stature.” Loretta waved her hands in the air, as if to prove her point.
“How tall are you, anyway?”
“Five-foot-nine and a half.”
“You seem taller.” Ruth continued rubbing her toe.
“It’s the heels I’m wearing.” She pulled her foot up to show Ruth. “My mother was taller than my dad. They were an odd pair, but they didn’t care. I guess that’s what happens when you’re in love. You don’t see nor care about those kinds of things.” Loretta swatted the air. “Anyway, I can only assume I got it from my mom.” She continued unpacking. “Maybe you should get some ice, so your foot doesn’t swell,” she added, glancing over her shoulder at Ruth, who was still caring for her toe.
Ruth lifted an eyebrow. “Thanks for the tip.”
Loretta closed her now empty suitcase. “Well, as much as I would love to continue this riveting conversation, I’d like to get the rest of my stuff put away and get ready for orientation.”
Ruth agreed. Orientation was scheduled in the mess hall for all the cooks and chefs on board the ship. Everyone had been instructed to meet there in their uniforms at 10:30 a.m. sharp for their assignments. She slipped her shoe back on, ignoring the throbbing; it was already beginning to ease a bit. Fishing out her clothes, she unrolled them and refolded them before placing them into the drawer. On top of the drawer, she added a single framed picture of her husband, Larry, and her sweet granddaughters, Sarah and Emma. It was a gift they had all given her when she’d learned that she had gotten the job of her dreams.
“A reminder that we will always be with you,” her husband had told her as he gave her a peck on her cheek. She’d hugged them all for the precious gift and vowed that she would display it in her room so she could look at it every day she was gone.
The picture also included a grinning golden retriever named Rugby, who never missed a chance to photobomb a picture. She smiled at the sight of her special family, who were still back at Cascade Cove, managing the pet boutique by the beach. She already missed them terribly.
After adjusting the picture to her liking, she pulled out her makeup bag. She rummaged through it, taking out her favorite tube of ruby-red lipstick, something that always cheered her up. A lovely shade of lipstick to contrast her brilliant porcelain skin. Heels, scarves, bags—these accessories had always lifted her spirits, no matter what challenges she faced in the world. They were like little friends that accompanied you throughout the day and gave you the strength and confidence to hold your head high. It was warm and comforting to have a scarf wrapped around your shoulders. A bag to hold your items for you and heels that could click either with authority or femininity depending on your mood, carrying you through the journeys of life.
At a table mirror on a tiny desk, Ruth applied the lipstick. She stretched her bottom lip to remove the excess with her small finger.
In the bathroom, Loretta belted out some ungodly tune that sounded familiar, but Ruth couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She kicked off her heels and grabbed her uniform. When she slipped it on, Loretta came out of the bathroom, ready.
Ruth eyed Loretta. “Finally. I need to put my toiletries away.” She grabbed a small bag, opening it.
“Good luck. The cabinet space in there is perfect for a mouse.”
Ruth dropped her shoulders. “Of course, it is.”
“It’s not my fault that our cabin is this tiny. I don’t know how they expect two women to get along with such little space. Definitely wasn’t in the brochure.”
“You know, Loretta, this isn’t a holiday. You’re not on vacation. And, as roommates, we need to learn how to get along and live together in these really tight quarters.” Ruth shivered at her own words. What she was asking for felt impossible, even to her. She’d need a lifetime supply of fun accessories just to get through the day-to-day if she was stuck with Loretta for the remainder of this cruise. Or worse, the full contract! The color drained from her face at the mere thought.
“Maybe I can write a letter to management or something?” Loretta shrugged.
After entering the bathroom, Ruth opened a few small drawers and the cabinet behind the mirror, looking for any empty spaces.
“Do you know what kitchen you’ll be working in?” Loretta asked from the other room.
Ruth unloaded a few of her items under the sink. “I think the banquet hall,” she called out.
“I’ll be working at the Blue Dolphin. You know, it’s one of the classier restaurants aboard the ship. It’s on one of the upper decks. Filet mignons stuffed with crab, stylish tablecloths, champagne, and, of course, delicate desserts. I hear it’s where all the classy people go for their cocktails.”
Ruth rolled her eyes as she positioned the last of her items in their place. Then she perked up. A thought had hit her: she wouldn’t be working with Loretta! In fact, they wouldn’t even be on the same deck! The tension in her body eased at the news. She made the few short steps to her bed and smiled. “That’s nice.” She pulled out the last thing left in her suitcase, her nightgown, and rested it on her bed.
“Oh dear, look at the time. We’re running behind.”
Ruth checked her watch. “Oh no! We’ve got to get going.” Ruth scurried, slamming her suitcase shut and fumbling with the zipper.
“Whoa, Nelly.” Loretta blinked rapidly at Ruth’s sudden anxiousness. “It’s not like we’re going to miss the boat or something. We’re already here.”
Ruth shoved the oversized suitcase into a small corner at the foot of her bed, grunting. “Haven’t you heard? They frown upon lateness, especially for orientation.” She gave the suitcase a few final kicks before it nestled snuggly between her bed and the wall.
“Really?” Loretta asked. “We did all the training already. I just thought it would be a quick recap.”
“No, they take this very seriously. They have an entire ship to run, Loretta. They can’t have their staff running late. We can get in big trouble.”
Loretta perked up at the word “trouble.” “Why didn’t you just say so?” Loretta rushed past her, bumping into her again. Ruth lost her balance and fell back onto her bed.
Her new cabinmate opened a small drawer and pulled out a tube of Ruth’s lipstick, painting her lips quickly with a fresh coat. She capped the lipstick, threw it back into the drawer, and pulled her ID over her head, making a beeline for the door.
Ruth’s mouth dropped. Had that just happened?
“Hey!” she shouted. She pulled herself up off the bed and ran after Loretta, barely making it to the door before it slammed shut.
- Writer
