Page 16 of The Cruise

‘You can change tables, if you prefer.’ Nathaniel explained that guests didn’t have to sit with the same dinner companions each evening.

‘I’m happy here,’ Selwyn replied and leaned back in his chair to watch the arrivals suddenly filling the room. After a day ashore, many had sun-reddened faces and elated expressions. He wondered if the three ladies who’d dined at his table the previous evening would be joining and hoped they would. Anne, the pretty blonde, had mentioned an island tour, and he looked forward to hearing about their adventure.

‘Cooee!’ A voice called out, and Selwyn saw Bridgette approaching. ‘I could eat my hat, I’m so hungry,’ she said as he pulled out a chair, towering over the petite woman. Dressed in a floor-length gown patterned with leaves and foliage, Selwyn thought Bridgette resembled one of the many plants she spoke about so knowledgeably.

‘I’ve been up on the crew deck all day, practising my talks,’ she said as she slid in beside him. ‘Hotter than hell up there, no shade, but I’ve topped up my all-over tan.’

Pouring water for them both, Selwyn did a double-take, ‘All over?’ he asked.

‘God, yes, good to be at one with nature,’ she replied. Ignoring the water, she reached for a bottle of wine. ‘I told the purser that I must have my own private corner, away from prying eyes.’

Selwyn nodded, confident that the purser wouldn’t refuse this bossy little woman.

‘There’s plenty of room up there, if ever you care to join me.’

‘Er, thank you, I’ll remember your kind invitation.’

Selwyn reached for the wine too. The image of a fully exposed Bridgette required something more robust than water. He visualised her strutting about in the sunshine as she rehearsed her lines.

‘I took to naturism whilst staying at a spa, it’s so freeing,’ Bridgette explained.

And as Selwyn sipped his sauvignon, he wondered what the next revelation would be.

* * *

Kath, Jane, and Anne entered the restaurant and greeted Nathaniel like old friends. ‘How beautiful you ladies look,’ the maître d’ said as he guided them. ‘The sunshine suits you.’

Kath gave Anne a knowing look. Earlier, they’d given Jane a pep talk, encouraging her to be more outgoing and friendly with the other guests. As they sat down, they left Jane no choice but to sit beside Selwyn. Unable to manoeuvre away, Jane bit her lip and acknowledged Selwyn and Bridgette, forcing a trace of a smile.

‘My word,’ Bridgette exclaimed, ‘you’ve brought sunshine into the room.’ She was wide-eyed at the transformation of Jane and Kath, who wore gowns in a kaleidoscope of colour. ‘I take it that you discovered the west coast boutiques on your day trip?’ Bridgette smiled her approval. ‘My favourite designers are at the Lime Grove mall.’ Bridgette touched her waist and stroked the gold H of her Hermes belt.

‘We had a wonderful shopping trip,’ Kath interjected. She was reluctant to explain that Errol, acting on their request for a shopping spree, had taken them to a tiny back-street shop way off the tourist route in a salubrious area of Bridgetown, a million miles from the expensive designer stores that Bridgette mentioned. ‘Our driver took us to a very exclusive shop specialising in bespoke garments,’ Kath assured Bridgette.

Kath wove a tale about their exclusive shopping experience. But as she smoothed the skirt of the new dress, she remembered the purchase of the outfits.

Following their beach exploit, they’d climbed back into the taxi, which Kath had nicknamed the weed wagon. ‘Errol likes his whacky baccy,’ she’d whispered, wafting her hand to ward off the fug as Jane eased a window open.

Focusing on the road, Errol puffed on the remains of a spliff he’d begun whilst relaxing in the beach hammock. Anne, sitting forward, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, ‘It takes me back to being down-route in Lagos.’ She grinned. ‘Wonderful stuff, I lost three whole days...’

‘And you in charge of a first-class cabin.’ Kath tutted.

Kath listened now as Anne, joining in with the duplicity, explained to Bridgette that their driver had taken them to an exclusive boutique. She failed to describe the dark, poky room that Errol had led them to at the back of a derelict building. Jane was about to bolt, but Kath and Anne, both nervous too, frogmarched her into the room, stacked high with bales of cloth, where an old Singer sewing machine stood in one corner.

‘Er, we need something bright and comfortable for our friend,’ Kath stammered as a colossal woman came forward. She towered over Jane in both girth and height, her eyes like satellites as she stared at the trio.

‘Whatcha bought me?’ the terrifying figure spoke to Errol.

‘Auntie, these ladies need your help, I come back soon,’ he replied and disappeared into another room.

With beefy hands on her generous hips, Auntie circled Jane. She pursed her full lips and nodded, ‘As yuh land, yuh come ashore…’ she said, eyeing Jane as though mentally measuring her size.

‘What did she say?’ Jane asked and crossed her arms across her chest to form a barrier between herself and the female, who circled a finger intimately around Jane’s middle.

‘I think she means she’s going to utilise whatever resources she has,’ Kath replied. In truth, she hadn’t a clue what Errol’s auntie meant, but, with any luck, she’d sort Jane out.

Auntie disappeared. Within moments, she returned with a length of grey fabric in her hands and indicated that Jane take off her T-shirt and trousers. Encouraged by Kath and Anne, who pulled at her clothing, Jane soon stood in the middle of the room in her bra and knickers.

Auntie knelt and manipulated the fabric into place. Her lips gripped pins snatched at with nimble fingers as she moulded a garment around Jane. Looking around the room, Auntie stood and selected a bale of fabric. Sharp scissors tore a neat length, and, unpinning her pattern from Jane’s body, she sat at the sewing machine and began to work.

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