Free CRUISE TO ROMANCE by Toby Poznanski Page A

the men and women, who, centuries before, had braved the
unknown to explore and find a new life.  They had set sail in tiny wooden
ships, living onboard for months at a time, often suffering disease and
starvation.  Now life was so different.  She too was exploring, but in comfort
and elegance, with abundant food, hot showers, and air conditioning whenever
she wanted it.
    A cool shower or a quick swim
would feel good right about now.  The sun beat down relentlessly and reflected
off the water.  It was hot.  Too hot to be exercising, she thought as she
finished walking her seventeenth lap around the jogging trail on the sports
deck.  Since it took eight laps to equal one mile, she felt she was ahead of
the game.  Actually, two miles was more than enough.  If she really wanted to
be tough, she’d swim in the current pool.  There she could swim against the
current until her arms gave out.  At least she wouldn’t be sweating.  But she
had about five minutes before she was to meet Helga in the gym for aerobics,
then a workout on the machines.
    The sports deck was separated
into two different deck areas.  The mid deck was open to the three pools below
and offered four hot tubs next to a sunbathing area and bar.  The front of the
sports deck was covered over.  The jogging trail around the perimeter of the
front section of the deck was open to the elements, but the tennis court and
the basketball court were screened and shaded.  Behind the courts, the deck
opened and stairs led to the Sun deck, the deck below, where the lap pool was
located.  The spa and gym were built around the lap pool area, with ceiling to
floor windows, preserving a feeling of outdoors.  Jennifer padded down the
stairs, found her towel and bottled water she’d left in the area near the lap
pool, and headed for the gym.
    When she walked inside, she was
startled by the quiet that greeted her.  Except for the soft sounds of
spinning, the rest of the equipment area was bathed in silence.  She looked out
the windows toward the pool area, but didn’t see anyone she knew.  She turned
to the windows on the ocean side of the gym and saw only an occasional jogger
hustling by the windows.  Did she have the time wrong?  Jennifer checked her
watch one more time knowing she had adjusted her watch one hour forward last
night when the ship entered a new time zone.  It looked correct to her.  Just
then she heard Sheila’s laugh coming from the spa area.  Within seconds Helga,
Sheila, and six other women entered the gym, laughing and talking as they
came.  Sheila waved to Jennifer and proceeded to introduce everyone.  Helga
handed everyone workout mats and signaled for them to get down to business.
    While the women formed two lines
facing Helga, Ryan and Mike sat, spinning on stationary bikes, and watched. 
Pleased with themselves that they had managed to come in unobserved, they
settled back for the show.
    “Coming early was a good idea. 
That babe really gets to me,” Mike breathed while spinning slowly.
    “Sheila’s cute enough, but she’s
not my type.”  Ryan didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t take his eyes off
Jennifer.
    “Not Sheila.  Helga,” Mike
confided.  “But for some reason, she doesn’t like me.  I hate to say it, but
whenever we get around each other, we’re like oil and vinegar.  I just can’t
seem to help baiting her.  She’s so pretty.”
    “She’s that alright.”
    “I wonder how many men she’s been
with.”  Mike increased his speed.  “Considering all the cruises she’s worked
on, it could be in the hundreds.”
    “Don’t let your imagination run
away with you, Mike.  I haven’t seen her mixing with the male passengers.  In
my opinion, she’s been rather aloof.”  When Mike didn’t answer, Ryan dismissed
any thoughts of Helga and concentrated on Jennifer who, with legs spread wide,
was bending over to touch her toes.  Damn.  He could almost see past the hem of
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