Free Dreamboat by Judith Gould Page A

always some interesting younger people, too. I’m not sure about it, but—”
    â€œListen,” Jenny said, grabbing her shoulders in her hands and looking her in the eye, “I’m going with you tomorrow to the travel agent. Okay? Because I want to make sure that you choose something that’ll really be fun. What do you say?”
    â€œI’d love that, Jenny,” Crissy said. “I don’t know much about what there is out there, you know?”
    Jenny’s dark eyes sparkled. “Oh, I do,” she said. “I have a question for you, though. Are you going to go by yourself?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Crissy replied. “I haven’t even thought about it. Besides, who do I know that could go?”
    â€œYou know who could go,” Jenny said, “and might be a lot of fun to have along?”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œThe answer is staring you right in the face.”
    She shook her head. “Who? You?”
    â€œYes, me. I’m bored, and I’m tired of having nothing but time on my hands.”
    â€œThat would be perfect,” Crissy exclaimed. “Oh, I’m so excited. I’m just so thrilled that you showed up at my doorstep tonight. I feel like . . . like a new person.”
    â€œYou’re the same wonderful person you always were, Crissy,” Jenny said solemnly. “Hopefully, you’ll start living out some of those dreams of yours real soon.” She winked. “I have a few dreams of my own.”
    The next day at lunchtime, Jenny picked Crissy up. When she got in Jenny’s Jaguar convertible, she was carrying her shoulder bag, in which she’d placed her check book and an envelope of cash.
    â€œThey do have banks nowadays, Cris, or didn’t you know that?” she said.
    â€œYou know I do,” Crissy said. “But this is all tip money that I’d rather not show up as income. You know what I mean?”
    â€œSmart girl,” Jenny allowed. “Hiding it from the government, aren’t you? Hard to do that with alimony.”
    â€œEverybody does,” Crissy said. “Waiters, hairdressers, people like us, but I do declare some of it or else it would look odd. A hairdresser who never gets tips?”
    â€œI don’t think they’ll come looking for a small fry like you,” Jenny said.
    â€œYou never know,” Crissy said.
    They reached the travel agency and gave the young man the deposit for the trans-Atlantic cruise that Crissy and Jenny had decided on. “I’ve been studying up on this ship,” the agent said, “and did you know it’s the fastest passenger ship on the seas? Other ships can reach its speed, like the Queen Elizabeth II and the new Queen Mary II , but they can’t maintain it. They’d vibrate all to pieces. But this little wonder is like a Jet Ski. Wish I was going myself.”
    Jenny gave Crissy a look, and Crissy knew what she was thinking. I would jump ship if somebody as nerdy as you are was onboard. She nudged Jenny with her elbow.
    â€œMaybe you ought to try to book the same cruise then,” Crissy told him. She noticed that his name tag said MELVIN , and thought that the name suited him somehow.
    â€œNaw,” the young man replied, “no way I could ever get a month off work at this point. Only been working here a year.”
    â€œOh, well, maybe later on,” Crissy said optimistically. “I hope you get to someday, Melvin.”
    He nodded. “So do I, but I don’t think it’s in the cards for me.”
    â€œGet yourself a new deck,” Crissy said in a kindly voice.
    Jenny laughed.
    â€œIt should be so easy,” the young man said. He paused and looked at them. “Well, you’re all set, ladies. Make sure your passports are in order and that you’ve got the visas required for Brazil. All the pertinent information you need is in the folders I gave you. Oh, and don’t