Agent505

At the café a short distance from the beach, we sat inside where the place was mostly filled with locals and a few who might’ve been tourists. The menu was written on a white board, indicating a place that featured whatever was fresh rather than standard, though the decorative sketches near the Cubano sandwich indicated a daily special. Unsure of what to get, JM suggested a plate of fried grouper, an order of BBQ ribs and a plate of empanadas that all came with sides of rice, beans and plantains. The fare reminded us of food we saw in Columbia, though there was more emphasis on the citrus. While JM had a Cubano to himself, the rest of us picked at the other dishes. No diner went hungry, and though our drinks were limited to water and limeade, we still had a good meal. Oh, and did JM get to see any photos? I stopped him before too long, making sure Michelle’s photos were not on the table - literally. Forty minutes later, my watch indicated a quarter past one. “Where to

Though none of us were exceptionally tired after the show ended around 8:30 that night, we made our way to the staterooms. Shelly did not come back to our room, though, choosing to hang out with Tessa and Michelle in Tessa and James’s stateroom on Deck Two. About a quarter to ten, then, I was surprised to hear my phone buzz with a text from Shelly. It indicated that James would be staying in Michelle’s stateroom while Michelle, Tessa and Shelly all had a sleepover together. Fortunately, I did not have to change rooms, though I could only wonder why our Ocean Suite was not chosen for this moment of inspiration. Suppose at the end of the day - literally - a bed was a bed. Perhaps Tessa did not wish to leave her wardrobe? I didn’t ask why I was able to enjoy the large bed by myself - or the quiet view of the ocean under the crescent moon, either. However organic their plans had been, it meant I didn’t have to do anything. As you can imagine, I wasn’t about to give them a

Outside of the conference room, I wondered if the temperature issues within the space had been resolved. Fortunately, as he was Michelle’s photographer, Jackson was in the hallway. Unfortunately, so were most of the contestants. These women were easily identified by their Carnival bathrobes, but also their sandals. I drew Jackson away from the line near the front entrance to the conference room, which had been marked with a printed EXIT sign that likely had been printed out by one of the organizers. “From what I heard, yes, they did make adjustments to the temperature of the room,” Jackson said in response to my inquiry. “However, I think they may still have a warm room, given that half of the people who will be using the space are going to be wearing swimsuits.” With a nod, I realized then and there that we may be facing an issue. “Michelle might have a tough time, then, as will our new friend.” “Yes,” Jackson said. “Michelle left a note on the app about Alyssa and

A moment later, Jackson went off to find the cruise line’s security office as Agents Hannibal and Wilson stood by to man the door to the conference room we had just used. In the meantime, Tessa and James stayed with us a moment as Michelle, Alyssa, Gary and I all began clearing chairs. “They were saying that we needed to do this anyway,” Tessa said as she stacked some chairs onto a cart near the back of the room. “You know, so the crew can vacuum and all that.” “Do they have the room for the length of the cruise?” Alyssa asked. “It’d be nice to have a safe spot.” “Spot for what?” Tessa asked. “I’ll tell you in a minute,” I said. “I’ll have to check with Griggs to see if they have it for the length or not. Alyssa? This is Tessa, we met her when she won a pageant in Hawaii about two years ago.” “Hello,” Alyssa said as she nodded to Tessa. “But yeah, I hope you’re right, Greg, it’s stressful enough just being here.” Tessa seemed to wonder what we were up to, but went to

Though it felt like we hadn’t quite done more than eat and sleep - the two activities a guy really cared about on ship, though this meeting would occupy my nap time - Jason and I went over to the port side hall of the ship and made our way to room 7300, finding the room ajar though Jason informed me that his Ship & Sail card worked on it, as would any individual who had been listed as a judge in the CCSC contest. “Your card should work too, Greg,” Jason said as we approached the room. “But of course, we’re keeping a lot of equipment in here, so you’ll understand if anything goes missing, you’ll be a suspect.” Are we expecting to lose equipment? “I’ve got my own photography equipment,” I replied. “Well, just be aware of it,” Jason said as he pushed open the door. Inside of the suite - a Grand Suite, if you must know - was the usual bed and a larger couch. Filling the extra space between the couch and the bed, someone had brought in a folding 6’ table. Several extra chairs had

Michelle, Shelly, Raine and I were all of our group that I could see as we made our way through the ship, but Mandy and Nick loosely followed their way behind, near as I could tell. That’s not to say we were the only folks on board; naturally, we were hardly the only guests. Would it be a full house? Only time would tell. On Deck Five, then, Raine suggested heading outside as we made our way around the starboard promenade, rather than navigating through the casino, which allowed smoking. Working our way aft, we passed by the Hat Trick Casino, an exterior stand identified as Guy’s Pig & Anchor Barbecue, and the Ocean Plaza - an interior common space - before reaching the Starlight Lounge. If one had divided the ship into six sections, the Starlight Lounge occupied the interior of the farthest section aft, with the exterior deck continuing around the stern and to the port side of that last section. Similar to the front atrium, the lounge was just as shiny and elegant with lots

Ceylara helped me keep on track during that week to come, bless her. She had given each of us simple checklists for the cruise, and we didn’t hardly have a chance to use the pool table or even the dining room, though this was less about having the time but the space. You see, Michelle laid out her luggage on the pool table while Shelly and I prepared our bags across the dining room table. And we’d all be packing as efficiently as possible. My largest duffle was unfolded and spread with clothes, but not nearly as many as Shelly packed. She ultimately packed a second bag just with her swimsuits for the photo shoots. “Where did you get all of these?” I asked. “Didn’t you go through the closet while the girls and I were visiting Daddy?” Shelly asked. “I must own about as many swimsuits as Stephen Colbert has ties.” “How many of his are made of natural materials like seashells?” Shelly giggled. “Not a one.” Michelle, meanwhile, would pack two suitcases same as Shelly had.