Page 49 of Tiki Hut Tragedy
“Are you two okay?”
“I dunno. I have to say that meeting up with her in Alaska was an eye-opener for me.”
“She seems slightly obsessed with striking it rich.”
“Slightly?” Sharky rolled his eyes. “Extremely. I guess I’ll play it by ear.”
Millie patted his arm. “There are more fish in the sea. Elvira isn’t the only woman in the world.”
“I’m beginning to think I’m destined to be single for the rest of my life.”
“Do you want me to try hooking you up?”
Sharky’s face turned bright red. “You?”
“Sure.” Millie shrugged. “I know a few single ladies.”
“I’ll need to figure out what to do about Elvira first. I mean, I’m not ready to throw in the towel and call it quits, although dating long distance has its disadvantages.”
“I understand. Let me know if you need someone to talk to.”
“Thanks, Millster. You’re the best.”
“Right back atcha. You’re a good man, Sharky Kiveski. One of the best.”
After Millie left, she said a small prayer for her friend. Living on board a cruise ship could be challenging, especially when it came to affairs of the heart. The perfect person was out there. Was it Elvira or someone else? Only time would tell.
Chapter 20
Millie wrapped up her round of trivia outside the Winning Streak Casino, an event she’d squeezed in between early and second seating dining.
As luck would have it, Brody, the head of night security, strolled past while she was tallying the answers. She presented the winners with a medal…a red, white and blue neck ribbon they could proudly wear around the ship.
Millie had just finished placing the trivia supplies inside the cabinet when her cell phone chimed. It was a text from Nic:Still on for our romantic date this evening?
Millie:Absolutely. I can’t wait.
She added a heart emoji and hit send. Tucking her cell phone into her pocket, she made a beeline for the casino. It took a minute for her to trackBrody down. She finally found him standing in the back chatting with the host.
Shiny, bright, glitzy and noisy, the casino was a place Millie rarely frequented, not only because of the tight quarters but because of the crowds. Weaving her way past groups of gamblers, she eased in next to him, waiting for him to notice her.
“Hey, Millie.”
“Hello, Brody.” She pivoted, studying the crowds. “This place is packed.”
“It’s like this every night, but even more so tonight because of the slot tournament. What brings you to my neck of the woods?”
“An incident involving two female passengers traveling with the same group.”
“Let me guess. You’re talking about the women who were fighting over a slot machine.”
“Possibly. Do the names Dixie or Wendy ring a bell?”
Brody pulled a notepad from his pocket and flipped through the pages. “I keep notes seeing how Patterson likes daily reports, and this helps me remember. Yep. Dixie and Wendy were their names. They argued over Great Grapes.”
“Great Grapes? I shouldn’t be surprised the game is about food. Where is it, if you don’t mind showing me?”
“Over here.” Brody led her to the other side of the ship, to a main aisle where a woman sat playing the machine. Careful not to “hover,” Millie watched as purple grapes dropped down, paying small amounts of money. The cluster of grapes shook. Round purple bombs splattered the screen. The machine whistled, making a loud racket.
