“Oh what?” She looked lovingly at her big pooch. “Is there something I can get you, sir?” He nudged her arm again. “OK. OK. Gee, I wonder if all pet owners have conversations with their pets? What do you think, Winston?” He gave a woof of agreement. “I thought so.” Coming up empty-handed, she closed the fridge and pulled out a can of dog food. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous,” she addressed Winston. “I have no intention of eating your dinner. I just need to figure out what I should fix for myself.” She spooned out his wet, grain-free chicken-and-beef medley and placed it in his bowl. “You’re welcome, mister.”
She scratched his head and looked in the pantry cabinet. Pasta. “That’s a start,” she mumbled. There were still some fresh herbs in her kitchen window. She knew she had olive oil, butter, and Romano cheese. “Remind me to thank Frankie’s mom for her instant-dinner tricks.” Winston barely acknowledged her statement as he lapped his bowl clean.
Chapter Five
October
Frankie’s Apartment, New York City
The women were due for another Zoom call. Rachael had already dumped Jimmy and was on to Miles, but it didn’t seem serious. Frankie couldn’t wait to hear the latest. She sent out the Zoom online invitation for everyone to dial in.
Nina was the first to do so. “Hey, babe! What’s shakin’?”
“Not much. Working like a maniac. We have a new cookbook to go with the latest diet trend. A mash-up of keto, Atkins, paleo, and South Beach. If you ask me, they’re all alike anyway. No carbs. No sugar. No fun.”
“Whatever happened to low-fat?” Nina asked absently.
“That was also a bit of a scam. If you look at the labels of some of the products, what they lack in fat they make up with in sugar, corn syrup, and a lot of other multisyllabic words you can’t pronounce. I must say, I am glad the vegan craze has leveled off. Our editors bought a slew of vegan cookbooks last year. Trouble is, you can get so many of those recipes online. And how many vegan cookbooks does one need to own?”
“Sounds like a total snooze festival to me,” Nina joked. “Some vegan things are OK, but I’m still a carnivore, thank you very much.”
“I have a cookbook for that,” Frankie retorted, laughing.
A chime came over the speakers indicating another person was logging in, and Amy’s face appeared.
“Amy! What have you done to your hair?” Nina exclaimed.
“You like it?” Amy was sporting a new look. It was a drastic but stylish blunt cut to her chin, in a pale pink. Surprisingly, it was quite attractive on her. “Pink! Like the singer!”
“Fab-oo,” Nina exclaimed.
“Looks terrific,” Frankie added. “What made you do it?”
Amy perked up. “I was going through my closet and decided I needed a total makeover. My clothes were so blah. I went to a boutique in the Bay Area over the weekend and told the sales associate that I wanted something for a cruise, but definitely not cruise wear. She fitted me with some cute skirts and tops and a couple of maxi dresses from this century. Then I realized my hair didn’t go with the new hip clothes. I asked her to recommend a hairstylist, and she did. She even brought me there and introduced me to Magill, the owner of Crowning Glory. She showed him the outfits I bought and he clapped his hands with glee. He said he knew exactly what I needed.”
“Well, he was right,” Nina exclaimed. “Loving the makeup, too!”
“Yeah. Can you believe it? Me? Makeup?”
“And I’m digging those new glasses,” Frankie chimed in.
“They’re still big and black but much more stylish.” Amy was ecstatic about her new look.
The computers chimed, signaling that Rachael had joined the call, and her face appeared on their screens. “Hola, chicas!” she exclaimed. “Amy! Is that you?”
“Yes. You like-y?”
“¡Mucho gusto!”
“Oh cripes. Are we going to have to listen to you show off your language skills?” Nina wrinkled her brow.
“Me rogarás cuando lleguemos a Cozumel,” Rachael replied.
“I think she said something to the effect that when we get to Cozumel,” Frankie offered.
“Sí, señorita. You will be begging me when we get there.” Rachael folded her arms smugly.
“I am sure we will,” Frankie said. “So what’s the latest in the boyfriend category?” Everyone knew her question was directed at Rachael.
“Danny and I had a great time the other night.”
“Danny? What happened to Miles?” Amy asked.
“He was too clingy,” Rachael replied.
“I swear, you have had more boyfriends in the past few months than I’ve had in the past four years.” Frankie sighed.
“We’ll fix that once we get on that ship, chica.” Rachael’s enthusiasm for meeting men never waned. She didn’t seem to be able to keep them, nor did she choose wisely. It was always a crapshoot with her.
“Whatever you say,” Frankie countered. She had lowered her expectations for a love connection. That way, she wouldn’t be disappointed. But she was looking forward to a seafaring adventure with her gal pals and visiting places she hadn’t been before.
At the end of the month, the women were back on Zoom for an update. Frankie gave them more details.
“OK, ladies. We are booked on the Medallion of the Seas cruise ship, scheduled to depart Miami on December 27. That means we should all plan on flying in the day before. I’ll book two double rooms at Vie Vay, a small boutique hotel fifteen to twenty minutes from the port. There’s a great Peruvian restaurant nearby where we can grab dinner. It’s low-key. And, yes, Rachael, we’ll expect you to order our food in Spanish.”
“¡Mucho gusto!” Rachael exclaimed, and started singing “Vaya con Dios.”
Nina rolled her eyes. Amy snickered. Frankie knew it would be just a matter of time before Nina would lose her patience with Rachael’s penchant for theater, and not the kind Nina was accustomed to in her profession.
Frankie was about to say something to Rachael but thought better of it. No need to start a squabble two months before their trip. She decided at that moment she would bunk with Nina the night before they set sail. Amy had the patience of a saint and could tolerate any over-the-top behavior from Rachael.
Frankie continued, “Have you guys taken the virtual tour of the ship yet?”
Everyone answered in the affirmative. “And the list of activities is incredible. I think I might take one of those cooking classes they are offering at the culinary studio,” Amy exclaimed.
“Certainly better than shuffleboard,” Rachael squealed.
“Do they actually have shuffleboard?” Nina asked.
“Yep. Bocce, croquet, darts, pong, a pub crawl, wine tastings, and bingo,” Amy added. “And that’s just when we’re on the ship. There are tons of things to do when we get to each destination.” Amy’s exuberance was contagious. They could each feel the other’s excitement. “Snorkeling, visiting ruins, glass-bottom-boat rides.”
“Let’s not forget shopping.” Nina chuckled.