She took out her purchases and spread them on the large bed set against the wall. Besides the bed, the bedroom contained a second, slightly smaller dresser and a dressing table with a large mirror.
She picked up a dress from the bed and wanted to try it on. However, it caught on one of the photos propped up on the dresser. It fell to the floor, onto the soft carpet. The impact was so hard that the glass in the frame broke in half.
It was a photo of her and Tretch. She didn't know why she kept it; it only brought back painful memories. She picked it up and stared at it. A crack in the glass separated them, bringing a smile to her lips. She put it back in its place, still staring at it, remembering the sorrows and joys of her first love. But more heartbreaking events came to mind.
In one swift movement, she pushed it off the dresser, and the photo landed in the basket at the side of the dresser.
She decided it was high time to forget the past. She was in a new relationship now. It wasn't perfect, but it was vastly better than the one she'd had with Tretch. Peter was the half of the apple she'd long sought.
However, she wouldn't be herself if she didn't have a bad feeling. This time, she feared that Peter's sudden departure to visit his family would be the end of their relationship. After all, she hadn't heard from him in a week. And with each new day, she became more convinced that Peter wouldn't be coming back. Perhaps that was why she so desperately wanted to forget him, even if only for a moment, and immerse herself in the fun at tonight's party.
Only she knew how much she longed for her life to finally begin to unfold on a straight and level path.
***
At 8 p.m., after the blazing sun had scorched half the day, all that remained was a slightly pink sky, like the taste of a dish you'd just eaten. A light breeze blew in from the sea, ruffling Arthur's freshly combed hair.
He leaned against the railing of the yacht, gazing out at the quay where his guests were to arrive. He put on elegant black denim trousers and a thin, delicate beige sweater. He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, because despite the coolness, the temperature still hadn't dropped below twenty-three degrees.
He raised his champagne glass to his lips, took a sip, savoring it with all his senses, and then swallowed.
The yacht glowed like a Christmas tree. Several rows of colored lights radiated from the mainmast to the stern. The windows of every room on the ship were also filled with a warm glow.
The lower part of the hull was suddenly illuminated by lights. Julie's black jeep stopped a few meters from the gangway leading to the ship's deck. It parked in one of the spaces designated for cars. The engine stalled.
Arthur straightened, placing his glass on the table. With a faint smile, he walked down to the quay and stopped near the car, waiting for the first guests to disembark
.
Behind the wheel, as had been arranged, sat Chris. He watched Arthur, admiring his outfit and glad he'd worn a black sweater instead of a white one. Other than that, their outfits were practically identical.
He snapped out of his reverie and looked at the girls sitting in the backseat.
"Time to start the show!" he said cheerfully and got out of the car.
The boy ran up to Arthur and shook his hand in greeting.
"Hi, congratulations on your unique outfit!"
"Same to you," Arthur replied, laughing, disbelieving the coincidence.
Chris approached him as if he wanted to share an important secret and whispered softly, pointing at the car so his passengers couldn't see,
"Look now!" He lightly jogged back to the car and opened the rear door on Arthur's side.
First one leg emerged from the Jeep, then the other, both clad in strappy high heels. Brauni emerged in a beautiful black dress that hugged her body and reached to her knees. She held a small handbag in her hand. She smiled gently at Arthur, smoothing her perfectly straightened hair, which now reached her shoulders.
The boy was impressed by her complete transformation from a normally wild teenager to an exceptionally beautiful woman. She smiled at him and waved shyly. He returned the gesture and froze, staring into the darkness in the backseat, waiting for Julie to step onto the asphalt.
As with Brauni, first appeared both legs, clad in almost completely open-toed pumps. The heels were identical to her friend's. Chris offered her his hand, and a moment later, she was standing in front of the car.
As before, the transformation was incredible. She wore a black dress that ended at a slight angle. The straps had been replaced by silver chains that crisscrossed at the back. She had pinned her long hair up, revealing her slender neck, which was adorned with a chain similar to Brauni's. She gave Arthur a shy smile, despite the fact that their relationship had been less than satisfactory lately. He waved at her, speechless at the sight of the women.
After a few awkward moments for the four of them, Arthur approached them. He kissed Brauni gently on the cheek and then greeted Julie the same way, though he was a little hesitant to overdo it.
One of the yacht's crew, who had stayed until evening to carry the guests' luggage to their cabins, appeared at the car.
Chris handed him the keys to the jeep and then offered Julie his arm. In heels and with her hair up, she was almost as tall as he was. She proudly took his arm and smiled brightly.
To avoid appearing inferior to his friends, Arthur offered his hand to Brauni and, acting as host, led her up the gangplank. They climbed the 16 steps and found themselves on the deck of the Tabernacle. The second couple followed them.
Julie sighed slightly, captivated by the ship's splendor. Both she and Brauni were here for the first time. They'd planned to explore it from top to bottom if the party got boring.
The attendant carried their luggage to their assigned cabins.
"We'll wait here for a while until the others arrive. Daniel and Anna, that is, because Pres unfortunately has an important recording today." Arthur shrugged, then offered them each a glass of champagne, pushing a tray of glasses toward them.
They all took one and raised them in a toast.
"To three days of idyll!" Chris said cheerfully, clinking his glass with his friend's, then the girls'.
After they had taken a sip, Arthur spoke seductively, narrowing his eyes at Brauni and Julie.
"Did I already tell you you look stunning?"
"Not yet, but we'd love to hear your flattery, wouldn't you say, Jules?" she asked, nudging her colleague gently in the side.
Julie smiled and, instead of answering, drank more champagne.
Arthur laughed merrily.Pres opened the large iron door and found himself in the bustling recording studio. Almost everyone was there, from the sound technician to the common cleaner.
He enjoyed being here. It had long been his second home, where he could always find something to do, even when he didn't have a recording.
"Pres!" a tall man suddenly called out. "Good to have you here!"
Dan Campion walked up to him and put his arm around him in a friendly manner. He was a tall, slim man with light eyes and blond hair. He had been working at KML for four years, and in that time he had managed to build a meteoric career. He had liked Pres since the day he arrived at the station, even though he knew the young arrival could displace him from his current position.
"Hey, Dan." You weren't supposed to be here today, did something happen?
They stopped for a moment because two people had to pass by carrying a long piece of decoration.
"It happened, and we have a problem," he said in a hushed tone. "Satter got sick, and now there's no one to host the latest newscast.
" "Really? And Rebecca can't? She's good at those blocks. "
Dan laughed sarcastically.
"She probably could have, if she hadn't left last week for that report in California.
" Pres patted his head absentmindedly.
"I completely forgot. What are you going to do now? Are you going to sit in front of the camera yourself?"
They walked through a large hall where the studio was being decorated for the recording of a women's program. On the wall was a large circle resembling a shooting range, the main target in this case being a drawn man.
They reached another door, on which hung a small sign marked "Studio Extreme," marking the entrance to the room where Pres's program was filmed.
"I've outgrown sitting in front of the camera, now I'm producing Collins's new inventions. I thought maybe you could host this news. It's not that difficult, after all."
Pres was a bit surprised by the offer. It would be his first time in this field. However, he liked a challenge, so naturally, he accepted, much to Campion's delight.
"You're saving my life, mate. Seriously," he said, shaking his hand. "Come to Studio 8 by eleven o'clock. Everything will be ready. We'll give you a little training, and you'll shine at West Point hosting a regular news program."
The boy smiled and promised not to be late. Dan returned to his job, which was to give people orders. Pres, pleased with his new opportunity, walked onto the set of his program.
***
Anna, with a little help from Daniel, got out of his car, which impressed everyone watching from the ship.
As before, Arthur approached the guests, along with the man who was supposed to handle their luggage. Daniel handed him the keys to the Buick Park Avenue and shook his friend's hand.
"Great that you came." He smiled. "This party wouldn't be possible without you."
He hugged Anna.
She looked lovely. She was the only one wearing trousers. They were no less elegant than the Brauni and Julie dresses. They clung tightly to her body, gleaming with silver trim. A black tank top with thin straps completed the outfit, which seemed to be tailor-made for Anna.
Daniel's appearance was no different from the other men. Like Chris, he was also dressed in black, but instead of a sweater like Arthur and Chris, he wore a black shirt and a thin jacket.
"Oh my!" Anna sighed, gazing at the gleaming ship. "It's beautiful."
"No more than you," Arthur said, then ordered the man to bring in the luggage.
As host, he led the way, leaving the couple slightly behind.
Anna and Daniel walked arm in arm, admiring the ship's opulence. At one point, the boy spotted Julie, who had just gotten up and was taking something out of her purse. He stopped abruptly, almost making Anna collapse on the ground.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked angrily.
"Julie's here." He gestured gently in her direction.
Anna rolled her eyes and looked at Daniel.
"Fine!" she said firmly. "I've had enough. Either you tell me right here and now that this girl means nothing to you, or you go in there and tell her you can't live without her. I'm tired of hearing about Julie all the time. Julie this...Julie that. Make up your mind.
Daniel was surprised by her attitude. It seemed she didn't mind him talking about his former love. He didn't know what to say, and he glanced around nervously until his gaze landed on Julie. She looked beautiful. He knew it, even though he was too far away to see her clearly. But he himself had pushed her away...
"Julie is in the past," he muttered in a choked voice. "But don't ask me to say she means nothing to me, because so far I've loved her the most.
" "I accepted." It sounded dry, but it didn't impress the boy. "Let's get on that deck now, or they'll think we've changed our minds."
She took his arm, and together they slowly boarded the ship.
They greeted everyone. Anna kissed both girls, bypassing her brother. Daniel limited himself to a single word of greeting to all three of them. They drank champagne and sat down at the table set up on the foredeck.
There were several exquisite dishes on the table, along with bottles of wine and champagne.
They drank a few toasts, and soon their heads were buzzing. They were laughing and joking more and more. Arthur, who had been staying away from alcohol for now, was finally called out by a familiar employee who had previously handled their luggage. The man returned the keys to the Jeep and Buick and bid him farewell as he disembarked. Once at the dock, he put down the gangplank.
The boy returned to his friends, who were chatting loudly at the table.
"But seriously," Brauni laughed. "It's strange that Mommy let you go on a three-day sea cruise, especially with us. She's such a prude.
" "She let him go because I begged her," Anna explained, sipping her champagne. "Otherwise, he'd be sitting there watching us through binoculars."
Everyone burst out laughing.
"So, the same thing you do every night, spying on Daniel." Chris bounced the ball. He meant it to sound cheerful, but it only brought surprise to Brauni, Julie, and Daniel himself, and embarrassment to Anna.
"Do you watch me in the evenings?" he asked.
She didn't answer; she sat with her head slightly bowed, avoiding the eyes of her friends.
Daniel, deciding to diffuse the slight tension that had arisen at the table, laughed and said,
"You didn't see much, because I have the curtains drawn in my room every night.
" The laughter grew louder again.
Arthur approached Daniel and handed him the keys to his car, then handed the keys back to Julie.
"Well, dears, I'll go to the bridge now to take the Tabernacle out of port. Would you like to join me?"
Everyone accepted the invitation and followed Arthur upstairs in a group.
Julie and Brauni reminded Arthur again that he had to show them around the ship.
"No problem, darlings. But first, I'll show you your cabins, where you'll be staying. But that's a bit later."
They entered a wide, dimly lit room, swarming with all sorts of devices, buttons, levers, and handles. The boy explained everything precisely, explaining what each did and the amenities, which undoubtedly included an automatic pilot. It allowed the ship to constantly navigate in a direction predetermined by the helmsman.
Arthur grabbed a small microphone and put it to his mouth.
"This is the Tabernacle, requesting permission to leave the harbor. Over.
" "This is John Evans. Good evening, Mr. Whopper." The Coast Guard officer, who had been warned about the yacht's nighttime escapade, spoke up. "You have permission. You have a clear path to sea. Over.
" "Thanks, John. Keep us on the radar. No Over."
Everyone smiled at each other and went back to watching Arthur.
He grabbed a small lever, and a moment later, the ship was moving from its place in the harbor. Arthur skillfully maneuvered it among the other vessels stationed in the roadstead. As they entered the harbor channel, the great lighthouse came into view, already casting a vast beam of light around its axis. It was the first time they had seen it from such close range. Even Daniel, who had been on this ship before, was deeply impressed.
They passed it in majestic silence and sailed out into the open sea between the mainland and Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke Island.
They sailed two miles west, then Arthur set the ship's course to follow the mainland. He turned and looked at his friends, who were watching him closely.
"We'll now make a course along the mainland, and then we'll take it out to sea and drop anchor. Now I'll show you the cabins where you'll sleep during the voyage.
" "We'll sleep?" Anna asked with a sarcastic tone.
"You can do whatever you want." - The boy said ambiguously, and then ordered them to follow him.
They entered a small corridor lit by stylish sconces, walked a few meters past the ship's employee quarters, and soon found themselves in a large saloon, stretching almost the entire width of the superstructure. They forgot they were on a ship. They felt as if they had been transported back a hundred years. The saloon looked almost like an ancient throne room, designed by a Las Vegas casino architect. It was a peculiar blend of Western civilization and modern technology. The floor was covered with a thick purple carpet, enough to house several houses. The arched ceiling was decorated with figurines of cupids and nymphs. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Massive columns carved with gold leaf lined the sides of the room. Beyond them was a servants' passage. A table was usually set here, but tonight, at Arthur's request, it had been moved to the foredeck. Now there was a large, makeshift buffet spread with a vast array of dishes: roasts, various appetizers, fruit, and even ice cream, which had to be eaten quickly because it melted at an alarming rate. At the far end of the room were two stages. Arthur explained to the guests that the larger one was for dancing. Colored lights and strobes hung from the ceiling. A band usually played on the smaller stage. A DJ console was placed at the rear of the stage. According to the boy, there were about a hundred speakers in the room, carefully hidden from view. On either side of the lounge was a long promenade deck connecting the aft and forward decks.
When the cries of admiration and gasps of delight had died down, it was time to show the guests their rooms. They entered through one of the entrances leading from the hall and found themselves in a corridor, slightly wider than the one leading to the bridge. It was brightly lit. They passed rows of white wooden doors until Arthur finally stopped at one of them.
"This is Julie's room," the host announced. "Come in."
Julie smiled, thanked him, and entered the room, where all the lights were on.
The rest of the group stopped at another door, leading to the room next to Julie's.
"Brauni? This is yours."
Brauni jumped for joy and quickly entered. The others moved on. Brauni's glee could be heard in the background.
The next room went to Chris, to which Arthur commented, "Charlie's Angels should stick together."
"Our rooms, ladies and gentlemen, are on the other side."
He led Daniel and Anna through a small corridor connecting the two larger ones leading from the great hall. They found themselves in a wide twin corridor, where Anna received their cabins first, then Daniel.
"Mine is the one at the front," Arthur announced. And he went back to the bridge.
He checked the ship's heading again, then turned on the intercom.
"When you're all settled in, come to the Hall."
His voice echoed throughout all the rooms, sparking more cheers, especially from Brauni and Anna.
Arthur turned on the running lights and then stepped off the bridge, clutching a glass of champagne he'd found on the counter. He downed it and instantly felt better.
"Time to start the party," he said to himself as he poured another glass
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