LITMIR.BIZ

      IN THE EMBARKATION AREA, VIP passengers were being escorted on board. Serena d’Andrea, accompanied by her best friend, Pia Fischer, stepped off the ramp and onto the cruise ship Alexandra’s Dream. Although Serena was no stranger to the good life, she gaped at the opulent lobby with its elaborate chandeliers and winding staircases leading to an upper deck.

      She certainly hadn’t been expecting the interior of the luxury vessel to look like a five-star hotel. Her friend Pia seemed equally awed. She used the pamphlet handed to her by the embarkation staff to fan her face.

      “Oh, my,” Pia gushed, speaking in English instead of their native Spanish. “Oh, my.”

      “Awesome, as the Americans would say.”

      Pia nodded her blonde head. “To die for, awesome.”

      An attractive, brunette crewmember, outfitted in a navy blazer and white slacks, scrutinized their boarding passes before handing them back.

      “Welcome aboard, Dr. Fischer and Ms. d’Andrea,” the woman said, her dazzling smile washing over them. “You are in one of our penthouse suites. Let me introduce you to your attendant, who will escort you to Zeus Deck.”

      “My pleasure, ladies.” A woman dressed in a black taffeta dress and frilly white apron, stepped forward.

      “Gracias,” Serena answered, catching herself and quickly switching to English. She was no longer in Argentina and should stick to the language most commonly spoken.

      Pia seemed to be making the transition to English much more easily. “I am so looking forward to these next fourteen days,” she said. “I plan on catching up on my reading and relaxing every chance I get.”

      “What about dancing?” Serena reminded her. “Isn’t that why we signed up for this charter? We came aboard to perfect our rhythm steps and take instructions from professional dancers.”

      Pia flung an arm around Serena’s shoulders.

      “Of course we’ll dance every chance we get. I’m just glad to be away from patients and their issues. After a while you get burned out.”

      Serena nodded her understanding. She knew exactly what Pia meant. Emotionally she was exhausted and had been for the last six months.

      The two were as opposite as two people could be. Pia, a well respected psychiatrist, was petite and blonde with a chic pixie haircut and a vivacious personality that inspired instant trust. She and Serena, the more reserved of the two, had been best friends since nursery school. Serena was tall, with thick, dark wavy hair and wide violet eyes.

      The doors of an elevator opened and the maid waved them in. The glass elevator whizzed them up several floors before stopping on ten.

      “Zeus Deck,” the attendant announced, pointing to a discreet gilt plaque on the wall when they got off. After a short walk down a plush carpeted hallway, the maid used a card key to open double doors leading into spacious living accommodations.

      As they entered, Serena noted the walls of the suite were painted olive, contrasting nicely with the honey-colored furniture. A chocolate leather love seat and matching chair made for comfortable seating. Outside on a wooden deck were teak lounge chairs and a hot tub that might easily seat eight. A small garden with convincing fake flowers had a fountain guarded by a statue of Aphrodite.

      The maid pointed to an area they hadn’t entered yet.

      “Your bedroom, ladies.”

      The room held twin beds and a gigantic console with a television, VCR and DVD player. A huge picture window let in sunlight and glimpses of blue water, as well as the mansions on the Fort Lauderdale waterfront.

      Pia, as enthusiastic as ever, kicked off her high heels and plopped onto one of the beds.

      “I might just get used to this,” she enthused. “I can’t wait to get out of this clothing. When will our luggage arrive?”

      “Your bags are already here, madam.”

      The attendant threw open the double doors of the closet to show them where their luggage was stashed. “I can get the butler to help you unpack,” she offered.

      Both women exchanged looks. No butler, at least not right now. There were just some things a woman preferred to do on her own.

      “We’ll take care of our own unpacking but we’d like help with ironing our dresses later,” Serena said, speaking for both of them.

      “As you wish. If you do not need anything else, I will leave you ladies to relax.”

      Bowing, the attendant backed out of the room.

      When she was gone, Serena poured two glasses of champagne from the bottle chilling in the ice bucket. Next to it was a large gift basket. She handed Pia her wine.

      “To a much needed vacation,” she said, clinking her glass against her friend’s.

      Pia waved the embarkation brochure at Serena. “I’ll drink to that. Let’s hope there are some classy men aboard that we’ll enjoy dancing with. Have you looked at the workshop and competitive dancing schedules? They’re inserted in the brochure.”

      “Yes, just briefly. I can’t believe we found this themed dance cruise. I’ve had this fantasy since I was a little girl about being a professional ballroom dancer. I love my publishing career, but the stress of deadlines is wearing me down.”

      Kicking off her shoes, Serena joined Pia on the bed.

      “Being a psychiatrist is no picnic either, querida,” her friend confided. “There are times I just have to bite my tongue. I’m paid to listen and not to judge.”

      “You’re a wonderful doctor, Pia, and an incredible friend. We’ll use these next two weeks to recharge our batteries.”

      “I’ll definitely drink to that.”

      Serena poured more champagne. For the next half hour, the friends perused the workshop schedule, circling the names of dance instructors they wanted to take lessons from. Although Serena didn’t think she was good enough to enter the competitive dancing heats, she was willing to give it a try.

      The alcohol went down easily, making her relax. She’d been edgy and jet lagged from the long plane trip from Buenos Aires. “Did you see there’s a treasure hunt as part of the cruise?” Pia asked, flipping over the brochure. “It’s based on a legend about the moon goddess and her lover. Whoever finds the hidden pendant is supposed to be lucky in love. Now that’s something we could both use.”

      Serena set down her glass. Love was something she was unwilling to engage in anymore.

      “I was thinking

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