The second pair of eyes belonged to Brian McDermott, the lifeguard for the pool. Each pool had its own lifeguard crew - four young people trained in CPR and other first aid skills. Supervising all these individuals was the lifeguard Captain - an older individual who not only knew all the life-guarding skills but was also skilled in getting young people to do their job, and make schedules for them all. This was Brian McDermott's job.
He'd already run into a problem with one of his lifeguards for this particular pool - a young man who'd been partying the night before the ship left, and who was now nursing a hangover and unfit for duty.
McDermott had stepped into the breach.
McDermott was about 5 ft 8, forty-ish, with a trim stomach, covered now by the white sleeveless lifeguard t-shirt he wore, and blue swimming trunks. He sat in a high chair which gave him a complete view of the pool and the surrounding area.
If he'd been at a pool with children he would not have taken his eyes off it - but the pool, while crowded, was crowded full of adults, each of whom was doing nothing more strenuous than playing catch with beach balls, except for one poor sap who was apparently trying to swim laps and weaving in and out of the other bodies.
Then he'd seen the woman walking slowly along the deck...exactly the kind of woman who caught his eye...walking with such confidence, but with no excessive swaying of the hips in an effort to attract any and all men's attention.
He hoped she'd come back to the pool...this time in a swimsuit.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Chase Me Faster, part 6
Three pairs of eyes followed Michelle Bravo as she walked along the cruise ship's deck.
The first pair belonged to Peter Silva. Silva had wasted no time putting on his swimsuit and heading out to the swimming pool on the Lido deck. This cruise ship had several pools. The one in which he was relaxing was for adults only. The pool was seven feet deep at its deepest point...and long enough for him to be able to do some decent lap swimming, in the later hours when there wasn't anyone else in the pool Right now, it was rather crowded.
Silva, six feet tall, had the leanly muscled build of a life-long swimmer. Indeed, he was a coach for the Master Class swim team in his home town of San Jose, California. His favorite movie - The Swimmer, starring Burt Lancaster.
Silva's hair was cut short and framed his long face nicely. He had been compared, a time or two, to Nicolas Cage, although he flattered himself he had a full head of hair and knew how to style it properly!
He had just signed the papers to end his two-year marriage in divorce. It had been an amicable parting...they had simply grown apart. But he had decided to take a month-long sabbatical from his job and tour Europe on his own.
So although his eyes had followed along as Michele Bravo had walked along the Lido deck, finding her rather attractive...he had no intention of pursuing her. He was not on the rebound, he told himself.
He turned away from Michelle and dove deep into the water.
The first pair belonged to Peter Silva. Silva had wasted no time putting on his swimsuit and heading out to the swimming pool on the Lido deck. This cruise ship had several pools. The one in which he was relaxing was for adults only. The pool was seven feet deep at its deepest point...and long enough for him to be able to do some decent lap swimming, in the later hours when there wasn't anyone else in the pool Right now, it was rather crowded.
Silva, six feet tall, had the leanly muscled build of a life-long swimmer. Indeed, he was a coach for the Master Class swim team in his home town of San Jose, California. His favorite movie - The Swimmer, starring Burt Lancaster.
Silva's hair was cut short and framed his long face nicely. He had been compared, a time or two, to Nicolas Cage, although he flattered himself he had a full head of hair and knew how to style it properly!
He had just signed the papers to end his two-year marriage in divorce. It had been an amicable parting...they had simply grown apart. But he had decided to take a month-long sabbatical from his job and tour Europe on his own.
So although his eyes had followed along as Michele Bravo had walked along the Lido deck, finding her rather attractive...he had no intention of pursuing her. He was not on the rebound, he told himself.
He turned away from Michelle and dove deep into the water.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Story resumes Sunday
Sorry for the delay - just got back from visiting relatives and have to catch up on sooooooooooo much stuff.
Soon...very soon...thanks so much for your patience. The story will be worth it, promise!
Soon...very soon...thanks so much for your patience. The story will be worth it, promise!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Chase Me Faster, Part 5
Michele returned to the outer air and walked to the stern of the ship, which was taken over by the Lido Deck - the deck on which a large swimming pool and an even larger sunbathing area resided.
Even this early in the cruise, there were passengers in the pool and sunbathing in the chairs that surrounded it.
There were two such decks on this cruise ship, Michele knew - one that catered to adults, and one that catered to adults and their children.
She continued her walking tour of the ship. It had everything - a jogging track around the ship's superstructure, several balcony type protuberances on which one could stand for whale and dolphin watching, and for skeet shooting (using environmentally friendly skeets, of course.)
Michelle paused here - that might be fun. The skeet shooting wasn't open yet. It would probably take another day, until they were well out at sea, before it was. Well, she'd come back bright and early tomorrow and give it a go.
As Michele continued her perambulations of the decks, she was the cynosure of a few male eyes....
Even this early in the cruise, there were passengers in the pool and sunbathing in the chairs that surrounded it.
There were two such decks on this cruise ship, Michele knew - one that catered to adults, and one that catered to adults and their children.
She continued her walking tour of the ship. It had everything - a jogging track around the ship's superstructure, several balcony type protuberances on which one could stand for whale and dolphin watching, and for skeet shooting (using environmentally friendly skeets, of course.)
Michelle paused here - that might be fun. The skeet shooting wasn't open yet. It would probably take another day, until they were well out at sea, before it was. Well, she'd come back bright and early tomorrow and give it a go.
As Michele continued her perambulations of the decks, she was the cynosure of a few male eyes....
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Chase Me Faster Chapter 4
Michele returned to her cabin, which was hers alone. She'd had to pay a higher price for the privelege, but the privacy was worth it.
On a ship with 1,000 people, she should be able to have all the privacy she wanted. And with the innocuous name under which she'd purchased her ticket, there'd be no fear of her being invited to the Captain's table... not that she had any identity where that would ever have occurred.
Indeed, she wouldn't spend any time in the formal dining room at all, Michele decided. The liner was like a vast running buffet, she'd go into one of those side dining rooms where you could grab your food and leave, without the hassle of being set next to people at the dinner table and having to make conversation.
She didn't feel like conversation.
Michele turned to her wardrobe and eyed it critically. She'd brought a dozen pairs of shorts, a couple of summer dresses, a few pairs of slacks, and several pairs of jeans. She closed the door on the wardrobe - her current clothes - a white collared shirt tucked into royal blue slacks, were just fine to explore the ship.
Michele looked at herself in the mirror. She pursed her lips for a second...then pulled her long hair back into a ponytail and secured it with a white ribbon. With her hair off her face, it made her look five years younger...not that she looked her age anyway.
Michele's lips quirked in a smile. At least, she didn't think she did! She'd made it a habit - throughout her years as an agent - to always look older, and fatter, than she was. Now she was going to spend a few weeks just being herself.
Michele's smile faded.
Whoever that might be...
On a ship with 1,000 people, she should be able to have all the privacy she wanted. And with the innocuous name under which she'd purchased her ticket, there'd be no fear of her being invited to the Captain's table... not that she had any identity where that would ever have occurred.
Indeed, she wouldn't spend any time in the formal dining room at all, Michele decided. The liner was like a vast running buffet, she'd go into one of those side dining rooms where you could grab your food and leave, without the hassle of being set next to people at the dinner table and having to make conversation.
She didn't feel like conversation.
Michele turned to her wardrobe and eyed it critically. She'd brought a dozen pairs of shorts, a couple of summer dresses, a few pairs of slacks, and several pairs of jeans. She closed the door on the wardrobe - her current clothes - a white collared shirt tucked into royal blue slacks, were just fine to explore the ship.
Michele looked at herself in the mirror. She pursed her lips for a second...then pulled her long hair back into a ponytail and secured it with a white ribbon. With her hair off her face, it made her look five years younger...not that she looked her age anyway.
Michele's lips quirked in a smile. At least, she didn't think she did! She'd made it a habit - throughout her years as an agent - to always look older, and fatter, than she was. Now she was going to spend a few weeks just being herself.
Michele's smile faded.
Whoever that might be...
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Chase Me Faster Part 3
A cruise ship is like a floating city. The largest ships have room for over a thousand passengers, and as many crew members to serve them over the course of the cruise.
Her cruise ship had left from Ft. Lauderdale that morning, and she was on a 25 day cruise that would take in the British Isles and the Canary Islands.
The cruise included five days at sea, then a one day stop at the Azores Islands, Portugal. There there would be 3 more days at sea, followed by a day in Scotland, a day in Dublin, a day at Cornwall, a day at Paris, and a day in London.
Then, back to sea for 3 days, before three days hopping between a few of the Canary Islands, than Madeira in Portugal, at sea for another day, then Vigo, Spain, then antoher day at sea before being dropped off in London again, from whence all passengers would have to find their own way home.
Michele had not yet decided how she would return home...or even where her new home would be.
But she intended to make her decision over the next 25 days.
Her cruise ship had left from Ft. Lauderdale that morning, and she was on a 25 day cruise that would take in the British Isles and the Canary Islands.
The cruise included five days at sea, then a one day stop at the Azores Islands, Portugal. There there would be 3 more days at sea, followed by a day in Scotland, a day in Dublin, a day at Cornwall, a day at Paris, and a day in London.
Then, back to sea for 3 days, before three days hopping between a few of the Canary Islands, than Madeira in Portugal, at sea for another day, then Vigo, Spain, then antoher day at sea before being dropped off in London again, from whence all passengers would have to find their own way home.
Michele had not yet decided how she would return home...or even where her new home would be.
But she intended to make her decision over the next 25 days.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Chase Me Faster, Part 2
"Im my beginning is my ending," thought Michele Bravo, as she leaned against the railing of the cruise ship.
It had been on a cruise ship, 20 years ago, that she'd learned how easy it was to pretend to be someone you weren't...had felt the excitement of such deception...and that had set her on the road to where she had eventually become an assassin and master thief... although those roles, while real, had only been her deep covers - she'd actually worked for a top secret world-wide justice organization.
But now, after her identity had been discovered by Gus Keller aka the false Mr. Largo, and the debacle that had followed, she had decided that her "mojo" had left her, and it was time for her to retire for good.
A couple of her alter egos had been compromised, but she had plenty of money socked away in untraceable bank accounts, and would be able to go on living her life in the style to which she had become accustomed.
But what was she to do with herself?
After you'd spent the better part of 15 years living life on the edge, to suddenly be tossed into a life of calm and uneventfullness... the new life could get a little dull.
Michele hadn't reached that point yet...but she didn't want to reach it.
To celebrate her retirement, and to take her mind off things, she'd decided to take a cruise, from New York to London and back.
She would rest, she would relax. She would decide what to do in the next chapter of her life.
Michele gazed down at the dolphins following in the wake of the cruise ship. They were so beautiful....
Life was beautiful...or at least, it could be.
Sighing, Michele turned away from the rail and returned to her cabin.
It had been on a cruise ship, 20 years ago, that she'd learned how easy it was to pretend to be someone you weren't...had felt the excitement of such deception...and that had set her on the road to where she had eventually become an assassin and master thief... although those roles, while real, had only been her deep covers - she'd actually worked for a top secret world-wide justice organization.
But now, after her identity had been discovered by Gus Keller aka the false Mr. Largo, and the debacle that had followed, she had decided that her "mojo" had left her, and it was time for her to retire for good.
A couple of her alter egos had been compromised, but she had plenty of money socked away in untraceable bank accounts, and would be able to go on living her life in the style to which she had become accustomed.
But what was she to do with herself?
After you'd spent the better part of 15 years living life on the edge, to suddenly be tossed into a life of calm and uneventfullness... the new life could get a little dull.
Michele hadn't reached that point yet...but she didn't want to reach it.
To celebrate her retirement, and to take her mind off things, she'd decided to take a cruise, from New York to London and back.
She would rest, she would relax. She would decide what to do in the next chapter of her life.
Michele gazed down at the dolphins following in the wake of the cruise ship. They were so beautiful....
Life was beautiful...or at least, it could be.
Sighing, Michele turned away from the rail and returned to her cabin.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
