Edge of the Water

With an apple in hand, Zoey stepped through the kitchen’s chrome doors. The doors slung behind her, back and forth, before closing.

The kitchen was busy, to say the least. Chefs were running about, throwing potatoes into pots and chickens into ovens. There was screaming, cursing, and the sizzling of grease in pans.

In the corner, Belle stood in front of an empty countertop, chopping broccoli.

“Something you need, Miss Douglas?” Karl stood in front of her, his white chef’s cap in his hand.
Zoey shook her head. “Nope, I’ve found what I’m looking for.”

Pointing to Belle in the corner, Zoey stepped away from Karl. She tried to shimmy her way past the worried chefs in the least disturbing manner possible, but they still seem annoyed.

When Zoey reached Belle, she hopped onto the counter, sitting next to the bits of broccoli. Belle rolled her eyes without ever having looked up at her.

“That is so unsanitary.”

Zoey laughed, tugging a piece of Belle’s hair. “Oh, please. I just showered and these jeans are fresh out of the wash.”

Placing her knife onto the counter, Belle looked up at Zoey, a soft smile on her face. “Shut up and help me chop.”

Zoey smiled, before hopping off the counter to help her friend. She pulled a knife from the cupboard and began slicing the broccoli, in a fashion similar to Belle. Of course, her chops weren’t near as straight and even, but they were clean, and a lot more efficient.

Zoey’s pile had been chopped in half the time of Belle’s, and after a few minutes, the two had prepared the perfect plate for Jenna.

Belle looked up at Zoey, the plate in her hand. “I’m going to give this to Jenna, then we can head back to the room.”

Shaking her head, Zoey grabbed the plate from Belle’s hand. “No, no. I’ll take it.”

“Why are you suddenly being so helpful?” the brunette asked, placing her hands on her hips.

With a smile on her face, Zoey responded. “I’m just trying to help my best friend, and if I get to see the beautiful boys of the Chicago Blackhawks in the process, then that’s just a plus.”

Belle laughed, shaking her head. “Off with you, then.”

Turning on her heels, Zoey carried the plate gracefully out of the kitchen. She even managed to avoid running into any of the chefs.

The dining room’s soft ambient lights were much easier on Zoey’s eyes than the luminescent ones of the kitchen. The red floral carpet masked the clicking of Zoey’s shoes as she walked. Her eyes scanned the room for Jenna’s red hair, which she spotted at one of the round tables off to the left.

As she walked, she kept to the outside of the room, away from the guests, whose loud chatting filled her ears. She reached Jenna’s table, and placed the plate on the white tablecloth. The redhead looked up at her.

“I hope you enjoy your dinner, Miss Masters,” Zoey said, smiling at the girl.

Jenna pulled the plate in front of her. “It looks lovely, thank you.”

Zoey nodded her head, stepping away from the table. She stepped quietly across the room, back towards the kitchen. Her eyes roved around the room, looking for the group of handsome men. They didn’t appear to be anywhere in the room. Zoey assumed the team wasn’t fond of white tie affairs.

Instead of heading back to the kitchen, Zoey stepped out of the dining room and into one of the ship’s many long hallways. She wanted to bring Belle, but she knew the sweet brunette would never agree.

When Zoey reached the end of the hallway, she pushed the heavy door open. The ocean’s soft breeze immediately hit her, giving her a new wave confidence.

As she stepped onto the ship’s large deck, her shoes clicked against the wooden surface. There were only a few people left on the deck, as most of them were in the ballroom eating dinner. The stragglers were standing around, either looking out at the ocean water or visiting one of the bars.

Zoey made her way over to the bar, sitting at an empty seat at the edge.

Behind the bar, Tito smiled at her, while running a cloth over a martini glass. The sweet bartender was a native of the Caribbean islands, and knew his way around. He was handy to have, but more importantly, he gave off a relaxed, tropical vibe that Zoey was drawn to. The two had connected almost immediately, and Zoey loved having someone friendly to talk to.

“What can I get for ya, kiddo?” Tito asked, showing off his wide grin.

Zoey threw her elbows on the bar, widening her eyes. “Nothing, I’m on a mission.”

Tito laughed, his large belly jiggling as he did so. “Another one?”

“This one is important.” Zoey looked around the ship’s deck once more, hoping to catch a glimpse of the players.

Lifting his eyebrows, Tito smiled at her. “Oh, I know what this is about.”

Of course, Tito knew. He knew Zoey almost as well as Belle did.

Zoey bit her lip. “You haven’t seen them, have you?”

Tito ran his towel over the glass once more, before placing it on the bar top. “Other side of the ship, last I heard.”

Smiling, Zoey stood up from her seat. “Thanks, Tito.”

Tito nodded. “Anytime.”

As Zoey made her way across the ship, the deck’s population seemed to decrease, as more people headed to the lower deck for dinner. Luckily, her jeans and light blue top were similar to the outfits the passengers were wearing, and she was able to blend in with the stragglers easily.

At the far end of the ship, a few of the players sat around the tiki bar. Their loud laughter could be heard all the way from the opposite end, and Zoey recognized it almost immediately.

The blonde made her way towards the bar, her hands at her sides. She took a seat at the far end, away from the boys, and the bartender approached her.

“You’re not supposed to be out here, are you?”

Zoey rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Jeff.”

Jeff began wiping down the bar. “What’s the rule again? No coming into contact with passengers outside of your zone, isn’t that right?”

Glaring at the man, Zoey threw her elbows onto the bar top, slamming her hands down with them.

“It’s a stupid rule,” she said. “Where else am I supposed to go? It’s either my room or the employee hall, and I dread them both.”

Jeff said nothing. Instead, he threw his towel on the bar top, and gave her one of his pointed looks.
Sighing, Zoey stood up from her seat. “Fine, I’m gone.”

As she stepped away from the bar, a voice called behind her. She turned on her heels.

“Hey, blondie. Come here a second.” A man sat at the bar, waving Zoey over to him. The man was clearly drunk, but still sober enough to form a coherent sentence.

Zoey looked at Jeff, who was glaring at her from behind the bar, before turning back to the drunk man.

“Hey, do you need something?” Zoey asked, approaching the man.

“You’re my yoga teacher,” the man said, pointing at her. “Bartender, a drink for my yoga teacher, please.” The man slammed his hands against the bar top. “Get her something good.”

Zoey shook her head, laughing. “That’s alright. I’m good, thanks.”

“No, really. I insist,” the man said, waving his arms in an odd manner. “You deserve a drink after dealing with my crazy teammates for an hour.”

Next to the man, his blonde teammate laughed. “Ignore him. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Jeff walked towards the counter, standing in front of them. He looked at Zoey, his mouth crooked. “Don’t you need to go fold towels or something?”

Glaring at him, Zoey nodded. “I’ve gotta get going now, but I’ll see you gentlemen later.”

Zoey turned on her heels, facing away from the bar, and silently cursed at Jeff. He had a way of ruining everything.