2 comments/ 7816 views/ 1 favorites SS Valentine By: wallcleaver [author's Note: this story starts slow and ended up longer than I expected. There is no graphic sex, hence the reason it is posted in romance. Thanks for reading and please enjoy.] Frank Johnson was a drone – one of the many thousands of worker bees that commuted into Manhattan each morning to toil with the others. His contribution by itself was insignificant, but together all the individual parts made up the whole that was the engine of prosperity. Frank was one of about 2000 people who worked for Global Underwriters in Manhattan, a worldwide insurance company with 6000 employees scattered throughout 26 different countries. He worked in the accounting department though he was not an accountant. He had started to get the degree out of high school, but lack of money and motivation caused him to give up a couple of years into the program. He knew that getting the degree would mean more money, but also more responsibility and right now he was not looking for any more responsibility. He made enough money to pay his bills and to save for his yearly week's vacation down at the jersey shore. Penny Jonson was a drone – one of the many thousands of worker bees that commuted into Manhattan each morning to toil with the others. Her contribution by itself was insignificant, but together all the individual parts made up the whole that was the engine of prosperity. Penny was one of about 2000 people who worked for Global Underwriters in Manhattan, a worldwide insurance company with 6000 employees scattered throughout 26 different countries. Penny worked in the Human Relations department, mostly keeping track of various employee benefits and making changes to employee records as necessary. She had started work at GU right out of high school, hoping that the large company would have enough eligible bachelors that she might meet someone to marry. At least this is what she told her mother who was always commenting on other women her age who had already started their families. Frank was sitting at his desk early one Monday morning when the phone rang. Answering, he found himself speaking to a customer services rep from a ticket consolidator he had registered with after reading about them in the company newsletter. The rep asked if he was still interested in the cruise he indicated in his registration, saying that there were cabins available if he could leave this coming Sunday. Frank had never taken a cruise, but friends who had told him how great it would be and with the cold of early February getting him down, he figured why not. He knew his work was not so important that he would be able to take a week off without much trouble, so told the rep to hold a cabin for him. "Confirm your mailing address for me and I will send out the necessary paperwork right away. You did say you have a valid passport, right?" the voice asked. "Yes, my passport is valid for 4 more years. You can send the material to Frank Johnson, 8934 222nd St. apt. 4C, New York." "Is that Queens?" the rep asked. "Yes, lived in Queens all my life." Frank responded. "If you don't get the packet by Wednesday, give me a call back." Frank hung up, he would have to get a few things in order, but did not expect to have any problems and was looking forward to a nice week in the tropics. Penny was coming back to her desk from the coffee machine when the phone rang. She answered and spoke to a customer service representative from a ticket consolidator. She had registered with them after she had heard of their services and put a story into the company newsletter that she helped to edit. "We have a few cabins available for a cruise to the Caribbean leaving this coming Sunday. Are you interested and can you be ready to go by then?" the rep asked. Penny had always wondered if what she had heard about cruises was true and the cold weather and snow here in the city early in February had her thinking about warmer climates even before the call. "I can be ready, what do I need to do?" Penny asked. "I will send out a packet of information with everything you will need. You do have a valid passport don't you?" "Yes, my passport is good." "Can you confirm your mailing address for me?" "Send mail to Penny Jonson, 8394 222nd St. Apt. 4c, New York." Penny instructed. "I'll get this right out. Let me know if you haven't received it by Wednesday." The rep concluded. As he had suspected, Frank did not have any problems getting a week off with short notice. He would need to pick up some things at the store, mostly summer shirts and maybe some shorts, but felt he was pretty much ready to go once he got the info and saw exactly what they would want. His thoughts turned to warm tropical weather and cold fruit drinks for the rest of the week, his work suffering due to his lack of attention. Friday he stayed late in Manhattan and managed to find 3 new Hawaiian shirts and some shorts, not an easy task this time of year. He would pack tomorrow and be ready for an early flight to Miami Sunday morning. Penny didn't think she would need too much to go away with, but after telling her fellow coworkers of her plans, they decided to go shopping on Saturday morning. Penny's best friend since 6th grade, Gloria, and one of her other coworkers, Inez, were to accompany her. They fancied themselves the three musketeers of HR and often went to lunch together or just gossiped at one of their desks during the day. Penny had thought maybe a few summer weight blouses and some sandals, but she didn't expect to need much. Really the only reason she was going out was to spend the day in the city with her friends. On Saturday morning, Frank was starting to get his suitcase packed. He put in his usual socks and boxers, then the new shirts and shorts he had picked up last night. He remembered noticing that his usual size seemed pretty snug, and he had to get a larger size for some of the shorts he bought. He told himself that he just had to walk 6 or 8 blocks further down the line before he caught the train into the city and he would be back in his old size in a few months. He had gone over the list of things the cruise company suggested and put in his aspirin, sun block, tooth paste, and other necessities. He took a 6 pack of condoms from his drawer that had one missing, and then saw the box was 4 months out of date. He tossed them and pondered making a trip to the drug store to pick up some new. He always had this thought whenever he had to throw outdated condoms away. With what he had heard about cruises, he figured there would be condom machines every 50 feet on the boat, so decided to put off buying any here. He went over everything 2 more times to be certain he had not forgotten anything before closing the bag and setting it by the door for tomorrow. Penny started putting her clothes into the suitcase after she returned from her shopping trip. She had planned to take her old granny panties and bras, but Gloria had said that they would not impress any young male she might find on the trip. Both Gloria and Inez had insisted that if she would not go for the thongs and lacey bras, at least bikini panties and sexier bras. She had let them talk her into the underwear, and then the subject of sleepwear came up. Inez said to just sleep naked, but Penny would not even consider that possibility. Penny was going to take the old faithful flannel nightie she wore in the winter, but both her friends reminded her that the tropics would not be cold enough to require flannel anything. She had found a nylon baby doll outfit that showed a lot of skin and even though she wasn't too sure about it, the others convinced her to buy. The final item was a nice dress for the formal dinner. Penny had some at home, but most had not been worn in years and none was very fashionable. Gloria insisted she needed one of the 'little black dresses' that one always hears about. They looked and found something the other 2 liked, but Penny was shocked. The top was cut low and the skirt a lot shorter than she thought appropriate. She tried it on and even though it fit well, Penny wasn't sure. The dress was not meant to be worn with a bra, but Penny remembered that her mother and grandmother had said only sluts went out in public without wearing a bra. She said the only way she would get the dress was if she could find a bra to wear with it. A little looking and they found a strapless black bra she could wear. The dress did not look right with her wearing the bra, but Penny was insistent so it too went to the checkout. As she was putting items into her suitcase, Penny started having second thoughts. She put in some of the granny panties and bras she was comfortable with, the flannel nightie, her full length terry cloth robe, the best of her old dresses and more. When she looked at the pile of clothes that would have to fit into the case, she saw she would need at least 3 more suitcases to fit everything. Penny did not want to have any more luggage than she could handle easily, so started taking out the bulkier items. In the end, even though she was not as comfortable with the choices, the lighter, newer items would make the case easier to handle. As she was trying on different items, she looked at herself in the mirror. She noticed that her behind was getting larger, a result of sitting so many hours at her desk. She vowed to dig out the old 'Buns of Steel' video she had packed away somewhere and follow the program. Her breasts were still in good shape, no real sag to them. They were not as large as some, but she still noticed men checking them out which secretly made her happy. She was sure that she would be attractive enough to someone someday and that she would be able to start a family of her own. She took a few minutes to shave her underarms, her legs and trim up her bikini line, even though she was not sure about wearing the more revealing 2 piece suit Inez insisted she buy. She had packed it along with her more conservative 1 piece just in case. Frank took the train to Newark International where he caught the Spirit air flight to Miami. He had never flown before and was a bit apprehensive, but was looking forward to getting away and spending time in the warm tropics. Penny had Gloria drop her at JFK International so she could catch the AirTrans flight to Miami and get on the boat. She also had never flown before so this was a new experience for her. At Miami International, Frank found his luggage and went outside to catch the shuttle to the docks. With several cruise ships leaving this morning, there were quite a few people on the shuttle, but the ride was quick and Frank was soon able to hand off his luggage to some crew members who assured him it would find its way to his cabin. He confirmed his documentation and was given a key card to the cabin and told that boarding would start in about 30 minutes. Not having much else to do until boarding, Frank found a spot out of the way and just hung out waiting for the call. Penny got to the airport in Miami a few minutes after Frank's flight landed. She also retrieved her luggage and took the next shuttle to the docks and went through the same process Frank had. She was a bit intimidated by the number of people hanging around, strange since being in Manhattan with its crowds did not bother her at all. She also found an out of the way spot to wait until the call for boarding came. ***** Right on schedule, several cruise employees started circulating through the crowd, encouraging the mass of people to start heading for the ramp to board. Those closest to the ship started first, and soon there was a crush of people walking toward the ramp. Frank and Penny each got caught up in the moving crowd and although not more than 20 feet apart, did not see the other as they made their way onto the ship. Frank was thinking it a bit odd as he followed some seniors up the ramp, most of those he had seen were rather older than he was. His vision of a Caribbean cruise had involved a lot of hot young women who would not be wearing much, but here he only saw several groups of seniors. Penny was standing in line behind a woman who was slowing the progress as she moved with a walker, her companion walking slowly beside her. Since she was not in any hurry, the slowness of the line was not concerning to Penny, although she remembered seeing a group of others in wheelchairs going to a special entrance. She thought the talk of the others boarding was kind of loud, and noticed more than one person with a discrete hearing aid in his or her ear. What Neither Frank nor Penny realized was that the ship had been reserved by AARP for a promotion they offered to their members. The one criterion for reserving a spot on the ship was that it was for couples only and that those couples had to have been married to each other for a minimum of 50 years. The average age of the passengers was about 80. Several last minute cancellations had made a few cabins available and those were the ones that Frank and Penny had been offered. Once Frank made his way onto the ship, he moved away from the crowds and started looking the ship over. The decks above the main deck housed the better cabins and from his research, Frank knew that they cost a lot more than the simple one he was assigned to well below decks. He wasn't bothered by this, he was only planning to sleep there so who cared how nice it was or wasn't. As long as he could get a good night's sleep and maybe have room for one more (if he was lucky), the cabin would be fine. He knew the ship would be leaving Miami harbor shortly and that most stayed on the deck to see things as the ship passed by. After walking about and getting a feel for the layout of the ship, he found a spot he felt would offer a good view and just sat in one of the deck chairs to wait for the ship to set off. Penny was finally on the deck, the slowness of the passengers in front of her had started to annoy her after a while. She talked to herself to calm down, it would be a long week at sea if she did not learn to let a few inconveniences go. She had made it on board and the ship was huge. She also realized that the weather here in Miami was warm, a nice change from the frigid days of the cold northeast winter. She wandered around for a bit and also decided to find a less crowded place to stand and watch as the ship pulled out of the harbor. Boarding had taken longer than normal due to the slowness of some of the passengers. Some were quite spry for their age, but there were quite a few walkers, canes and even a number of passengers in wheelchairs. Soon, however, the ships horn blew its first blast of many as the large vessel was pushed into the channel by 2 tugs. Once away from the dock the ship started to move on its own and soon was slowly making its way out of the harbor, the decks filled with those watching and waving to others who were there to see them off. One knew the ship was moving since it was passing other ships and stationary objects, but there wasn't a hint of roughness as the ship glided toward the open sea. They would be at sea for the next 2 days until making port for the first time. Frank and Penny each watched the progress of the ship and were struck by the immense size of the vessel. This ship could accommodate 1800 passengers and the crew that would take care of all those passengers. ***** As the ship left the harbor, the crowd of passengers started to thin out. Some went for a tour of the ship, others found their cabins and settled in. Penny decided to find her own cabin and figure out where the dining rooms were and what time meals would be served. She knew that food would be available just about 24-7, but she wanted to stay on her own schedule and not contribute any more to the big butt she had noticed earlier. She took the folded map of the ship out of her purse and looked to find her way below. She had gone over the map many times before this, but being here on the ship was a lot different than reading it in the comfort of her kitchen. Frank watched the harbor and the last of the Florida coast disappear behind the ship as the light of the day started to fade. He wasn't sure what to do first, but decided to check out the bar scene. He wasn't a big drinker, but did like a few cold ones at home with his buddies. The idea of a fruity tropical drink was appealing, but right now, just out of the states, he decided to grab a quick brew before he checked out his cabin. He looked at the map of the ship that had been included in his packet of information and found the closest bar. It was early in the evening and there were not many people drinking so he was able to order and get a cold one without any delay. The beer was charged to his cabin and without the need for much cash, Frank decided this cruise wasn't a bad idea. He left a dollar for the bartender and finished his drink shortly and then decided to find the cabin and see what his accommodations were like. Penny followed a maze of corridors until she came to the door that was marked with the number corresponding to her assigned cabin. As she took her key card out of its protective wrapper, she noticed that someone had spelled her last name with the 'h'. This happened often enough that she had learned to let it go unless there was a specific need for accurate spelling. It used to bother her a lot, but once she realized that her sanity was more important than someone else's error, she learned to live with what was only really a minor annoyance. The card opened the room and she went inside to see where she would be spending the next week. The inside of the cabin was a lot smaller than she had expected. She was on the lowest passenger deck and supposed that the low cost of the ticket was due to the lesser desirability of the room. The bed filled most of the space, with little room on the sides to move around. There was a bathroom that also seemed small, but she could live with it for a week without being too cramped. The crew had delivered her luggage to the cabin and it was sitting beside the small closet on the wall next to the bathroom. Penny sat down on the edge of the bed and looked over some of the information she had received and wondered what they might be serving for dinner. Frank finished his beer and after checking his map, started to follow the same maze of corridors that Penny had walked a few minutes earlier. As he got further down into the bowels of the ship, he was seeing fewer people. He found the floor his cabin was on and then the actual number. He took out the key card and inserted it into the slot, hearing the lock click open as he pulled the card out. He turned the knob and walked into the room. Penny heard the door click and had a flash of panic. As the door opened, she saw a man she did not recognize and put her hand into her purse quickly shouting "I have mace. Get the hell out of my room!" "Your room? This is my room, I have the key card right here." Frank answered with a feeling of total confusion. Penny still had her hand in her purse and tried to look as intimidating as she could. She felt the panic starting to intensify as they glared at each other, but neither seemed to be willing to back down one bit. "This is my room! I have the key card right here." Penny answered. She had seen in the info packet that the steward was a quick call away, but did not think she could get to the phone in the room and call for help without this intruder preventing her from doing so. Frank was confused, he did not expect anything like this to occur on a simple vacation. The woman seemed to be insistent that this was her cabin, but Frank knew that it was his. Looking around, he spotted his suitcase, the handle wrapped with orange tape to make it easy to identify when amongst other cases. SS Valentine "That is my bag, see the tape on the handle?" Frank said, pointing to the bag on the side. As he pointed, he saw not one, but two bags with orange tape on the handle. The tape was a suggestion in the company newsletter to make it easier to identify one's bag and he thought it a good idea. As he was noticing the two nearly identical bags, Penny also realized that there were 2 bags and she had only boarded with one. Each of them came to the same conclusion at the same time. Someone had screwed up and had given each the same cabin. Whatever the reason, the cruise company would have to sort things out and put one of them into another cabin. Penny still had her purse on her lap, one hand buried inside to convey (hopefully) the presence of the aforementioned mace. She did, however, noticeably relax and some of the tension between them started to disappear. Frank let his guard down some, the threat of a faceful of mace now lessened. "Look, someone has made a mistake here. Can you call for the steward and see if we can get things sorted out?" Frank asked Penny. Penny realized that she would have to take her hand out of her purse to do this, but reluctantly decided that this was indeed a simple mistake and that Frank was not here for some nefarious reason. She slowly pulled her hand out and closed the purse before Frank could see that there really wasn't any weapon there to deal with. She set the purse down, but kept it within easy reach as she picked up the phone and pushed the button for the steward. Within 2 minutes, a pleasant man in the uniform of the cruise company was at the door. Frank took the lead and tried to explain the situation as he knew it. The man looked at the key card and info each had received and saw that both were in the same cabin. He asked why the problem, weren't they married, each had the same last name. Frank and Penny looked at each other, they had not even exchanged names before this. "You're Frank and Penny Johnson, right?" the steward asked. Frank and Penny each had a confused look on their faces as he asked the question. "You live on 222nd St. in New York, 8934 to be exact. I don't see what the problem is here." The steward continued. "Yes, that is my address." Frank said At the same time, penny stated "No, it is 8394." Frank and Penny looked at each other, but now the steward was the one who looked confused. He asked each to confirm their name and address, discovering the different spelling of the last name and the nearly identical addresses where they lived. "I'll have to talk to the chief bursar and figure this out. Give me a few minutes, please." He said as he left to pursue the issue. By themselves for the time being, Frank and Penny had calmed a bit and even smiled at the coincidences. "I bet this would never happen again in a million years." Penny started. "You have to admit that it is easy to understand how someone might get us confused. I'm sure they will just find another cabin for one of us and we can get back to our vacations." Frank added. Penny didn't say anything, but this was not a good start to her vacation, she thought. She could understand the confusion, but a big company like the cruise line should not make little mistakes like this. She still had a feeling of apprehension about Frank but tried not to show it. Their conversation died and each waited in silence for the steward to come back and sort out the problem. About 15 minutes later there was a knock at the door. Opening the door, Frank admitted the steward and an older man who was wearing more braid on his company uniform. The man introduced himself as Gerard, the ship's bursar. "I think I understand the problem here, but unfortunately, there is little we can do right now." Penny broke in with "What do you mean you can't do anything now. Just find another room for him and that will settle everything!" Gerard looked a bit embarrassed, saying "That would be the best thing to do, but we have a full ship this time. Normally, we might have some free cabins, but the ship was fully booked and all who confirmed have come aboard. There is not a single free cabin that we might move one of you to." "Well, you're going to have to do something. I am not going to share a cabin with someone else, especially a man I don't even know." Penny stated emphatically. Frank had stayed out of the conversation so far, but offered "How about the crew's quarters? Any chance you have space there?" "Unfortunately, we have a full complement of crew this trip as well. Even if we didn't, our insurance regulations prohibit passengers from going into the crew area." "So what do we do?" Penny asked. "Right now we don't really have many options. For the time being, I am afraid you will have to find some way to share the cabin. We will be at sea for the next 2 days, but we will put into St. Thomas late Tuesday night. Sometimes we have passengers who want to get off during the middle of a cruise, so perhaps a cabin will free up. If not, one or both of you can get off and catch a flight back to the states." Frank asked "What about the money we paid for the cruise? Will we get any kind of refund?" Before the Bursar could respond, Penny put in her opinion "We damn well better get a refund. This is crazy... You deal with thousands of people every week and can't even get 2 names straight!" Gerard tried to calm the situation, but there wasn't much he could do. "I am sorry about the mix-up. Normally, things go smoothly, but this time things are not normal. I don't want to make excuses, but there do seem to be quite a few coincidences here. As for a refund, I would guess you will get one, but that decision is not mine to make. We will have to talk to someone at corporate, but now it is late Sunday evening and we aren't likely to be able to find someone who can make that decision now. I can see to it that some of the items charged to your cabin, such as drinks, are taken off the bill. For now, that is about all I can offer. Again, I am sorry about the mix-up. I know it hasn't been much, but if I can do anything else, just let me know." He and the steward left, leaving Frank and Penny to their own thoughts. "This really sucks!" Frank started. He looked at Penny, and then added "I don't mean anything against you by that." Penny nodded "I know what you mean. Don't take this the wrong way, but I really don't want to spend my vacation sharing a room with you." Frank was a bit insulted, but he could understand the sentiment. He had taken a minute to check out Penny earlier and although she was not the hottie he had envisioned spending time with, she wasn't that bad looking. He tried to let that thought go and wondered if he was to find that hottie just how could he fulfill some of the fantasies he had been having with Penny in the room. As he pondered this, he remembered that he had not seen a single woman young enough to even think about having a fantasy meeting with. "Have you seen anyone on this ship, except for crew, that is close to our age?" Frank asked Penny. "I haven't thought about it much, but to tell the truth, this looks like a convention of the old folk's home." "I wonder why that is?" Frank finished, but wasn't sure how to find out. He thought just asking someone might be seen as insulting or insensitive so let it go for the moment. ***** There was an uncomfortable silence between them as each tried to digest what had happened and how they would have to adjust to changes. "So what do we do now?" Frank started. "I guess you'll just have to find somewhere to stay until we get into St. Thomas." Penny answered. "Excuse me? Why should it be me who has to find somewhere else to go? And just where do you suggest that place might be?" Frank replied, his tone a bit strained. "Not my problem! Just get your bag and you can leave." Penny countered, trying to sound more imposing than she knew she really was. "That's not going to happen. If anyone leaves, it will be you!" Frank was getting agitated. He thought the cruise line should have been more helpful, but right now, this woman was not going to dictate to him what he was going to do. They sat glaring at each other, neither willing to back down. Penny thought about calling the Bursar again, but he had not been that accommodating earlier and she doubted if he would offer anything else at the moment. Frank was having similar thoughts. He didn't have any suggestions that might make things easier, the situation was just too bizarre. Finally Penny backed down a bit. "Is there any way we can share the room but keep the time we both have to be here to a minimum?" Frank thought about it for a few seconds, and then offered "I think we can find enough things to do around the ship during the day that we won't have to run into the other. Sleeping will really be the only time we might have to both be here." That didn't sit well with Penny, but she kept her concerns silent for now. She was not anxious to share a bed with a man she did not know, particularly one who was unwilling to compromise with her. Of course, her idea of compromise was not very even sided from Frank's perspective. "Maybe we can put together a schedule so that we won't have to be here together very often." Penny reluctantly suggested. "I think we can do something like that. Let's check when meals are served and we can decide just how early to go out and how late we can be out before coming back to go to bed." Penny inwardly winced at Frank's choice of words, but hoped it was just a poor choice, not any intention he may have had of doing anything but sleeping. "I can't stay up any later than 11. I want to stick to my normal schedule so usually get up at 7." Penny put in. "That is about what my schedule is also. I think we can stay out of each other's way during the day and just spend the nights in the cabin together. Hopefully, things will be sorted out in a couple of days and we can each have our own room by then." Penny nodded, hoping that she could make it that long. Frank did not look like a serial killer, but she hoped he was gentleman enough to respect her space. Frank said "I have a couple of things in my bag that need to be hung up. How about if I do that now, then I will find something to do for the next few hours until about 11. You can use that time to put away anything you need to and we will sort out things as necessary." Penny agreed, so Frank looked more closely at the 2 cases and found the one with his name on it. He took out his sport coat and slacks that he brought for the formal dinner and a couple of shirts that needed to be hung. After he was finished, he put his case back against the wall and said he would see Penny in a few hours. Penny nodded as he left the room, and then gave a huge sigh of relief at being alone. She was a lifelong New Yorker and had as many balls as most men, but right now she was just short of crying as she reviewed the circumstances in her mind. This certainly wasn't the way she had envisioned the tropical cruise starting out and wondered how it could possibly get better if she had to share a cabin with a strange man. She continued to wonder as she hung up some of her own clothes and started putting some of her cosmetics into the small bathroom. ***** Frank also gave a sigh of relief as he left the cabin. He was not one to seek confrontation and was glad to be anywhere else for the moment. He wondered what to do and then decided another beer was the best idea for now. He would see what was his best option for dinner in a bit and after that, who knows. Penny had calmed some as she worked to get her items put away, but her stomach was still in knots. Some of it was the situation, but Penny realized she had not eaten anything since an early breakfast this morning. Hoping dinner would help to settle her stomach, she took out the familiar map and looked for the nearest dining room. She ran a comb through her hair and reapplied her lipstick before leaving the cabin and heading for the dining room. Penny found the dining room and entered, finding a young woman there to direct diners to their tables. The woman seemed surprised to see Penny by herself and even more so when Penny confirmed that she would be dining alone. The woman told her they were set up for couples, but led her to a large round table with 10 chairs and place settings. 8 of the seats were occupied by some rather old looking people who all turned to look at Penny as she was starting to sit down. "You're going to have to find somewhere else to sit, missy." A rather large woman told her before penny had completely seated herself. "George and Irene will be coming in soon and we are saving these seats for them." The large woman continued as all the others at the table nodded to emphasize what she had said. "The hostess brought me here. George and Irene can find some other table to sit at." Penny responded. "Look here, missy. I said that these seats were taken and I don't care where the hostess said you could sit. You find yourself another seat and get out of that one now!" The fat lady ordered. The New Yorker in Penny was about to tell her where she could go and what she could do with herself, but she noticed all the others at the table glaring at her and even some at other tables were noticing. They all seemed to be taking the fat woman's side and Penny did not see a friendly face in the surrounding area. Forgetting her mother's instructions to 'respect your elders', Penny got up and left, saying as she walked out "I hope you all choke on your food. And that includes George and Irene too!" She heard them commenting on her lack of manners and poor upbringing as she walked to the door. Normally, Penny would not let something like this affect her emotionally, but after the events of earlier in the day, she was not ready for another blow to her vacation plans. She wandered the main deck for a bit before finding a shop that sold ice cream and sweets. Forgetting her earlier thoughts about not contributing to her big butt, she found solace in a large sundae with all the gooey toppings. She washed it down with a diet soda, her concession to the many calories she was consuming. As Frank sat at the bar with his beer, he started to relax. The events so far had not been what he was expecting, but hoped that things might get better, though it looked as though that might not happen until at least Wednesday when they would make port in St. Thomas. Trying to put the negatives into the back of his mind, he took a look around the bar. There weren't too many here now, but those who were all seemed to be senior citizens. He also noticed the background music was a medley of Big Bands from the 30's and 40's. He was again struck by the thought that he had not seen a single passenger, other than Penny, who could have been younger than his grandparents. Frank's beer was almost gone and the bartender had noticed as he passed by. "Ready for another yet?" Without much thought, Frank just nodded and then he said "Can I ask something?" The man stopped getting the beer and answered "Sure. What's on your mind?" Trying not to be too loud, Frank asked "What's with all the old folks. I don't think I have seen anyone even close to my age here." The bartender answered "Come to think of it, you are the only young person I have seen. The boat is booked for a promotion for older citizens. We get special groups booking occasionally, so it isn't too unusual." "I didn't hear anything about senior groups. How come I ended up on a cruise with a bunch of old folks?" Frank asked, again keeping his voice low. "I assume that there were some cabins that were not filled and the line sold them to whomever to fill the ship." Was the reply. Frank thought about this for a minute and knew why the trip had been so cheap and why it had been a last minute thing. The cruise line must have given its empty cabins to the ticket consolidator to find passengers to make sure the cabins were all filled. Those cabins were sold to whoever had the time and money to take the trip without concern for any factors the rest of the passengers might have in common. "Have you seen anyone else this trip who isn't on Social Security?" Frank asked the bartender. "Nope. You are the only one, though since this is the first day, maybe there will be others." "How many cabins do you think were not filled originally? Any place where one might go to find any others like myself?" Frank asked. "Sorry, I don't really get that kind of information. After a few days there might be more information floating around with the crew, but for now, the only ones who know are the officers and you won't likely get them to offer any help." Frank thought back to Gerard and how unhelpful he had been. True, maybe his hands were tied at the moment, but still, he could have tried a bit harder. The bartender went back to washing glasses and filling an occasional order as he worked. Frank sipped his second beer and worked on a bowl of peanuts that was sitting on the bar. He thought about dinner, but the beer and peanuts were filling him up so decided to forgo a formal dinner tonight. He thought he might stop at the grill he had passed on his tour and maybe get a burger before he went back to the cabin and had to deal with Penny again. Penny had finished her ice cream and it was doing its job of sending her brain toward a sugar coma. She made her way back to the cabin, grateful that Frank was not there and turned on the TV. She did not have far to look before finding a tear jerker on the Lifetime channel and sat musing about the lousy day and how life in general just sucked. She thought about an early bedtime, but didn't want to be asleep and defenseless when Frank came back. She gave some thought to how she could fortify herself against any attempts he might make to get too friendly. Frank finished with his second beer and left $5 for the bartender, the cost of the liquor charged to his cabin. He hoped the words Gerard had left with about taking some of his room charges off the final bill were accurate. He did not want to seem to be taking advantage, but if he could drink for free he was going to do his best to find the limit of Gerard's generosity. He had seen the casino on his tour of the ship earlier and decided that he might kill a couple of hours there before he had to go back to the cabin. He checked the map to be sure he remembered which way to go and then walked to the casino entrance. Inside, he was reminded of the casinos at Atlantic City he would occasionally visit during his summer vacation. The low light of the room, the flashing lights of the machines and the sounds of bells and all the other sensory stimulants were just the same here. Frank wasn't a big gambler, but would drop $20 or $30 into the slots at times. He still had a few quarters in his pocket from earlier, so wandered around looking before he found a machine that looked promising. He went up to the machine, dropped in his quarter and soon 5 quarters were falling out into the tray. Frank reached into the tray to get his 'winnings' when a voice from beside him startled him. "What the hell are you doing with my machine???" Frank looked at the older woman next to him, her white hair a light shade of purple in this light, a cigarette dangling from her lips. "What do you mean your machine? You are playing that one." Frank answered, pointing to the machine the woman was standing in front of. "I'm playing them both!" She turned to try to get into Frank's face, although he was a head taller than she was. Frank guessed she outweighed him by 75 pounds, but wasn't about to let some old lady push him around. SS Valentine "You play that machine and I will play this one. You can only play one machine at a time anyway." "I can play as many machines as I want. Now get the hell away from my machine!" the woman responded, almost shouting at Frank and dropping her cigarette from her lips as she did. Like Penny with the others in the dining room, Frank's lifetime of living in New York had given him an attitude of not taking crap from anyone. He was about to tell this woman where she could get off, but again like Penny, noticed that all those around him were agreeing with the fat lady and he was surrounded by older folks, some even holding their canes menacingly. Deciding not to provoke any more argument, he took the quarters he had won with his first spin and started to leave. "Put my money back. It came from my machine and is my money!" The woman shouted with even more anger in her voice. Now Frank was really getting pissed, but felt he needed to get out of the crowd. He took the quarters in his hand, and saying "You want them, you go get them!" threw them into the crowd, away from the exit. As the seniors watched the flight of quarters, Frank pushed his way out of the circle and walked purposely toward the door where he shoved it open and walked through. Out of the casino and the danger it contained, he felt his pulse start to slow. Frank walked aimlessly for 10 minutes before he took time to stop and take a moment to sort things out. So far, he had only been able to find some kind of peace in the bar and this would be a long trip, even if he left on Wednesday, if he had to spend all his time there. The cabin was not the complete solitude he hoped for, but maybe he could find at least a bit of rest if Penny had calmed some from earlier. It was getting close to 11 and Frank decided to end his wandering and make his way back to the room. ***** Penny had spent the last 2 hours wondering how she was going to protect her honor from Frank when he came back. She wanted to get changed before he came in but as she thought about her sleepwear, she remembered the baby doll set she had brought along. Why couldn't she have put in the flannel nightie and her full length robe? Right now, there was no way she would wear that nightie. But, what to wear instead. She decided to sleep in her clothes, they would be the best defense against some sex crazed stranger in the room with her. She knew it would not be comfortable, but this was not normal so she would have to adjust for the 2 days until he would leave. Penny wanted to put some sort of barrier on the bed between them. What to use – she tried putting the suitcases there, but they would not stand up on their own. There wasn't anything in the room that would serve as a suitable substitute so she piled all the clothes she had into a wall of sorts that she intended to use to separate each one's side. She would have had more clothes to use in the wall, but decided her underwear would not be suitable in that role. The line wasn't what she would have liked, but it would have to do. The lock on the door clicked shortly before 11 and Penny's feeling of dread returned. The sugar high had peaked and was now pulling her mood down. Lifetime's subliminal message that all men are pigs had made her even more conscious of some impending event, though she could not find any evidence from earlier that such an event would occur. Frank came into the cabin slowly, he also was uncertain what to expect. He looked at the line of shirts and shorts on the bed with an uncertain feeling. Penny saw him look and decided it was time to set the rules. "You stay on your side of the line and I will stay on my side. I will have my mace under the pillow and if I even think you are trying to get fresh, I will use it. Understand!" Frank was taken aback, this woman was really over the top. She must have some pretty good insecurity issues if she was worried he had any designs on her. True, he thought she wasn't bad if he didn't have any alternatives, but he was less worried about taking advantage of her than he was about just getting some sleep. With the clothes barrier he did not think that there would be much room left to sleep. He did not really want to wake with a faceful of mace if he happened to roll over a bit more than necessary. The bed wasn't that large to begin with but he wasn't going to argue, especially since he knew any argument on his part would make Penny even more certain he would be after her body. "You can change first and then I will get undressed when you are done." Frank started "I'm not changing in front of you and this is what I am wearing to sleep in!" Penny replied emphatically. "I assumed you would change in the bathroom. What you wear to sleep in is not important to me, I just want to get some sleep. Frank countered with fatigue from the day and some alcohol in his words. "If you are ready, I will turn the lights off then get changed myself. I promise to stay on my side." Penny was nervous, but this was the moment she had dreaded. She had to decide if she could sleep or if she needed to stay awake to make certain Frank did not try anything as she slept. She decided that she would try to stay awake at least for a bit. "Go ahead and get changed, I am ready to turn the lights out." Penny said. She turned the light switch off and Frank followed the wall into the bathroom. He took off his shoes followed by his pants and shirt. He would sleep in his undershirt and boxers, just as he did at home. If Penny did not like it she would just have to get used to it. This is how he slept at home and this is how he would sleep here. Once undressed, Frank found his way out and got into his side of the bed. ***** Penny did not have much luck trying to stay awake to be certain Frank did not do anything untoward and Frank himself dropped off to sleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Each slept without bothering the other and when morning came both were on the proper side of the clothes wall and each was gladdened they had made it through the night without incident. Frank got up first, his search for clean clothes in his suitcase causing Penny to wake. She watched as he went into the bathroom and soon heard the shower running. She was still tired and felt as though she did not get much rest. The clothes she slept in had not allowed her to get very comfortable, particularly the new bra she had been wearing. She got out of the bed and took the opportunity to get out clean clothes while Frank was still taking his shower. She also put the remaining blouses and shorts that had been their line of demarcation back into her suitcase where they would remain until time for them again tonight. Frank emerged from the bathroom with all his morning duties finished. He noticed penny had awakened and that she did not look as though she had gotten much rest. Her hair was mussed and there were light circles starting under her eyes. He assumed she had stood guard over him the entire night and now would be paying the price for her insecurity. He was insulted she did not trust him, but could see what she was concerned with also. "Good morning." Frank started, trying to make an uncomfortable situation a bit less so. Penny looked up from her worried musings, she had not expected a greeting. "Hi. Are you finished in the bathroom?" she asked. "All done. I will put away some of my things then be out for the day. Any plans for you?" Frank was surprised at his own words. He wasn't trying to be unfriendly to Penny, but didn't expect himself to be concerned with her activities either. Penny was also surprised by his question. "I don't have anything specific planned, maybe just sit by the pool and read." She hadn't really given the matter any thought, so wasn't sure exactly what might be around to occupy her time. "Well, have a good day." Frank offered as he left the cabin. "Thanks." Penny answered from habit as the door closed behind Frank. Frank went up to the main deck and thought about what he would do for the day. He had not given his plans much thought and decided to get a bite to eat. He found the grill he had passed yesterday and ordered a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich he could eat without having to find a formal dining room. Right now, he was not ready to face any crowds. Once he finished the food, he thought he might do a lap or 2 around the ship and get a head start on that walking program he had thought about to get rid of some of the extra weight he had added over the past couple of years. Frank went to the outer perimeter of the ship and started to walk as he gazed out to sea. The sun was up and he could see nothing on the horizon in any direction. The sea looked endless as they continued to sail south. He was walking idly as his thoughts were floating from one idea to another when he heard a voice behind him. "Watch out! Coming through!" Frank looked over his shoulder to see a line of older passengers in shorts and sweats walking toward him at a brisk pace. Before he had a chance to consider their presence, the first pushed him out of the way and the group moved past him without breaking stride. Frank was surprised and angry at the same time. His first reaction was to give them a piece of his mind, but they were already a hundred feet away and moving further away quickly. He remembered such groups walking around the malls early in the morning and realized that these were those same people, maybe not the individuals he had seen before, but right now all these people were interchangeable. He was about to get back to his walk when he heard "Out of the way!" again. This time, the group was women and they did not look like they were any friendlier than the men had been. Frank moved out of their way in time to avoid being pushed aside and decided his plan to walk the deck would need to be cancelled. After Frank left, Penny went into the bathroom to get her shower. She locked the door to prevent any surprises, but decided the lock on the bathroom door was there more as a formality than any kind of security. She hurried in the shower, not certain Frank would stay gone. He had stayed away yesterday though so perhaps he might be considerate of her privacy. Once dressed and made up for day wear, Penny emerged from the cabin and thought about breakfast. She remembered the events of last night in the dining room and did not want to chance another encounter with the territorial seniors. She made her way topside and soon found the same grill Frank had visited for his breakfast. She ordered the same bacon, egg and cheese sandwich along with a coffee, extra cream and Splenda. She had a book with her, one she had been meaning to read even before the cruise. Finding a deck chair in the sun, she set her book aside as she finished the sandwich and coffee, and then started to read. When Penny had sat down, there were no other passengers sitting in the area, but soon some started to arrive. She was not worried, although she did keep vigilant to be certain nothing unpleasant might happen. The other women sitting in the deck chairs were just talking among themselves and did not seem to notice Penny sitting outside their circle. Penny was trying to read, but the women's conversation was not letting her concentrate. Normally, there was a jumble of sound in New York and she could filter out just about anything, but here the women all seemed to be speaking louder than she thought necessary and much of what was spoken had to be repeated as someone would ask what someone else had said. This was annoying enough, but soon Penny was drawn into the conversation. She was not actively participating, but she was aware of everything they were discussing. Mostly, the discussion consisted of each telling of her own ailments and those of friends and family. Not only was this enough to disturb Penny, but the conversation soon moved to talking about who had died and who might be next. After the subject of death and dying had been discussed sufficiently, they moved their conversation to problems they had with the ship's menu. From too frequent bathroom trips to constipation, the women continued to talk as Penny was getting more and more annoyed. She had hoped to just get some sun and finish a book, but somehow she could not filter out the background noise of these women. After deciding to pack in his idea of a morning walk, Frank thought he would head over to the pool and see what was going on over there. It wasn't until he had found a seat and taken a good look around that he remembered that he wasn't going to find those hot babes his vacation fantasy had promised him. He saw a group of elderly women in the pool doing water aerobics and the sight of flabby arms, drooping breasts, and bony legs soon made his idea of a fun filled fantasy cruise go dead in the water. He tried not to watch, but like that train wreck you can't look away from, Frank found himself examining these women and wondering if someday he would be spending time with a woman with similar looks. The thought was enough to make him forget about finding that special someone on this trip. ***** Penny gave up on her attempt to read about the same time Frank decided he had enough of watching the women doing their aerobics. Neither had any idea of what they wanted to do for the rest of the day, but since it was getting close to midday, each decided on lunch. They met each other as both headed for the familiar grill, not wanting to endure a more formal lunch. "Hi, Penny. Having a good time?" Frank started "Sure. There are lots of things to do around here." Penny answered. Then, without waiting for her earlier statement to sink in completely, "You know, this ship really sucks!" Frank looked at her, not understanding what had caused that outburst. He assumed it had to do with their cabin arrangements. "Maybe we should find that bursar guy and see what they have come up with." Frank suggested. "Yeah, we should. But other than the cabin, the people on this ship are really nasty." Frank nodded as he listened to Penny, remembering his meetings with various passengers from last night and this morning. "I know what you mean. I realize most of these people are probably someone's grandparents, but they don't act anything like I remember mine acting." Frank stated. "Yeah, my grandmother was always nice and gentle. These old ladies act as though they own the ship." The path to the counter was clear so Penny went up and gave the clerk her order. She asked Frank what he wanted so he added his own. Their order was given to the cook and each moved off to the side to wait for lunch to cook. "How about if we take the food back to the cabin, I don't really want to be among all these old people right now." Frank said. "OK, I know what you mean." The food arrived and Frank told the clerk to charge it to his cabin. Their burgers had been placed into a single bag and the drinks were in a cardboard carrier. Frank took the drinks as Penny picked up the bag. She led the way back to their cabin. In the cabin, Penny got out the burgers and set them on the small table. Frank put the drinks next to them and each took what they had ordered. They were sitting on the bed as they ate when Penny started. "I almost felt like punching a fat woman last night when she wouldn't let me sit at the same table she was hogging. She said they were waiting for others, but the hostess sat me there. She didn't even ask me to move somewhere else politely, just ordered me to get out." Frank finished chewing the food he had in his mouth before adding "sounds like my night. I went into the casino and a woman told me I was playing her machine like she owned it. Next thing I know, they are all surrounding me and I felt like I was going to get roughed up. I'm not sure how, but these old people look so nice and pleasant by themselves, but get a bunch of them together and they might as well be a street gang in Brooklyn." "I didn't come on this cruise to hide in my room, but what do we do?" Penny asked. "Well, maybe we might find them a bit less threatening if we stick together. You know strength in numbers." Frank suggested. "I am not sure how much strength we will get from just the 2 of us, but it has to be better than each one individually." "OK, what do we do together to occupy our time?" Frank asked. "I really am not sure about the dining room, but the food from the grill isn't what I was expecting." Penny put in. "Well, maybe we can get a table to ourselves in the dining room, but how about this afternoon? Any ideas? The bar doesn't seem too bad, but I really don't want to spend the week there. The casino is out and you take your life into your hands trying to walk around the decks when they are mall walking." Penny took the brochure from her packet and opened the pages. "I see a lot of shops but don't really have the money to do much shopping. The night club might be something to check out, but it is pretty early for something like that. You said the casino is out, but how about a movie? There are several theaters that might have something showing that will be different." "I think we can at least check to see what film is playing. Hopefully, we can find seats that George and Irene are not planning to sit in." Frank offered. Penny laughed, but it was a laugh of nervousness. She had been talking comfortably with Frank as they ate, but now they might be heading to a movie together and she again thought back to her initial fears about a strange man. Still, he seemed pleasant enough and so far had not done or said anything she found problematic. The thought of facing a boat load of angry seniors by herself was enough to allow her to calm her fears and try to find something pleasant to pass the time. They looked at the ship's information feed on the TV and found a movie that each thought they could watch. Penny was pulling for a chick flick and Frank wanted a shoot 'em up, but in the end they decided on a suspense thriller that looked interesting enough. ***** After finishing lunch, they cleaned up and headed for the theater that was showing the film they had decided on. The movie would start in about 15 minutes after they arrived, so they found seats near the rear so they could leave easily enough if things got out of hand. Fortunately, there were not many other patrons in the theater and they were able to sit far enough away from anyone else to be able to enjoy the movie without distraction. During the movie, Penny would occasionally brush against Frank or he against her, but each time it was an innocent movement and not intentional. Penny was concerned the first couple of times this happened, but seeing that there was nothing beyond incidental contact, soon relaxed and did not pay any more attention to normal happenings. Frank did not even consciously notice any contact between them and just sat watching the movie, one that each later said they had enjoyed. Frank and Penny went back to the cabin after the movie ended, talking more casually without some of the discomfort that had originally colored their first meeting. "Want to try the dining room together?" Frank suggested. "Maybe we should wait until a little later. You know, all of those old folks will be there early just like the early bird specials back home." Penny laughed. Frank laughed with her, commenting she might be right. While they waited to head to the dining room a little later, they started talking about work. They each had suspected they worked for Global Underwriters, but now this was confirmed and it didn't take long before each was laying out his or her plans on how the company could be made better. When next they checked the time, an hour and a half had passed and each decided it might be safe to try for dinner.