Love on the Horizon ✎

3

Phoebe calls me up Monday mid-morning when we're both at work. I plug in my headphones at my desk and answer the call, checking around me if anyone is watching, but thankfully the few that are near me are all busy with their own stuff.

"Hey", she says, but doesn't wait for my reply, "you still have that money saved up from when we couldn't go on holiday last year?"

"Yeah, I've got most of it because I figured we'd just reschedule." I wonder what's she's found for us to do.

"I've found something we can use it on, and I think you'll love it."

"Okay. I'm both intrigued and a little terrified."

There's silence on the line for a moment and I look up from my game of solitaire to see Jackson eyeing me from across the room. I pretend to growl at him, still not over the fact that he basically tried to pimp me out to his friend on Friday. Apparently, he saw nothing wrong with telling his friend I had been single for a while, which was apparently code for horny and desperate, and even had the nerve to confront me at the coffee machine this morning asking why I just up and left his pal Steve without an explanation. So, I'd just huffed, turned on my heels and left him with his stupid foamy latte.

There's muttering on the other line and I can faintly hear a guy saying something in the background and then Phoebe's voice cuts in.

"Peter, I told you that server kept crashing. Switch to number three and do a reboot. I'm not your mother so you shouldn't need me to tell you what to do."

I wait patiently as Phoebe finishes her scolding.

"Okay I'm back."

"Poor Peter. You're so hard on him."

Phoebe laughs "That guy needs to toughen up or nothing will be hard on him."

"Gross. Let's get back to why you called me, please."

"Right. I found something we could do that does not involve staying in this shithole of a town."

"Okaay?"

"A cruise!"

"A cruise?" What is she on about?

"Yes. I found us a ten-day cruise in the Caribbean. Doesn't that sound fantastic? Getting out of this crappy cold weather and soak up some sun and tan?"

Well, I've always wanted to go the Caribbean, but never thought it would be by boat. Ship? Whatever.

"The Caribbean part does. I'm not so sure about the cruise part. Aren't those ships just full of old people and tired families with screaming children?"

"It's a big ship, besides, I've been checking out trips that have a great program for single people."

"So, you want to go on a cruise to look for dates?"

"Yes! Just promise me you'll think about it and not immediately turn it down. I'll forward the links so you can check it out for yourself. But Ellie, it looks incredible. Visiting gorgeous tropical islands, no cooking, just straight up relaxation and flirting with guys. What's not to like?"

"I've never been on a boat for a more than an hour or two. What if we spend the whole trip barfing in our dark, windowless room?" I am not keen on spending thousands of dollars on something so big that I may not even get to enjoy.

"There are pills and bracelets for that and for the room part, we'll look into getting one with a window. We should splurge a little."

A pause.

"So, will you at least think about it?" Phoebe puts on her sweet voice, or should I say her I-want-to-get-my-way voice, but it has the desired effect.

"Yeah, I'll think about it."