We are soon back at the ship and the excitement radiating off of every person here is palpable.
We contemplate the beast in front of us and wonder what the night will bring.
Almost as soon as we step foot on board, I notice that Mark comes rushing up, smiling.
“You made it. It’s good of you to come.”
Pete smiles. “Thanks for asking us. Hopefully, we won’t cause a drama tonight.”
Mark laughs and looks at Jo.
“How are you feeling today after your experience last night?”
She just laughs and squeezes Pete’s hand.
“Like a new woman, actually. Fainting was the best thing that could have happened to me.”
He grins and I watch as his eyes zone in on Rachel. A look passes between them and the warning bells ring loudly around me. Oh no, that look is trouble for everyone involved. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
I watch helplessly as he moves across and whispers something to her.
She throws her head back and laughs and gazes at him with the look of a woman very much interested in what stands before her. I feel the blood rushing to my head as I picture poor Lorenzo washing dishes in the restaurant, while his wife gets cosy with a fit sailor. No wonder he wants her to give this up.
Luke whispers, “Come on Becca, I’ll grab you a drink.”
We head towards the officer’s mess where the party is underway. Most of our crew are now attacking the ship’s bar. The atmosphere is different to last night. Tonight, appears more relaxed and the uniforms have been replaced with more casual attire, failing to disguise the hotness of the men wearing it. They may be dressed as regular guys but they are still hot men in uniform. Surely every girls’ dream come true.
I notice many female sailors are here and I whisper to Luke, “How many sailorettes are normally at sea? Do they have their own wing of the ship, or do they have to bunk up with the men?”
Luke laughs loudly and pulls me close, whispering,
“Firstly, they are sailors, not sailorettes. You may want to amend that entry in the Thesaurus. Secondly, it’s against the ship’s law to bunk up together. The women have their own, all-female cabins, and just work alongside the men. They would hate it any other way.”
I grin and allow him to pull me close as a slow song comes on. Once again, we hug dance in the middle of the officer’s mess, not caring who sees us. Jo and Pete are also dancing in a similar way and Jenny and Flynn are doing their usual sex dance to entertain the gaping crowd. Soon others join in and as the ship gently rocks I allow myself to be held by my very own anchor. Luke keeps me from harm as the ship rolls with the waves. I close my eyes and savour the feeling of his hard body pressed against mine. The trouble is, when I open them again, I see the sight I was dreading. Swaying nearby and so close you couldn’t get a finger between them are Rachel and Mark. They are hug dancing with the rest of us and her head is on his shoulder and his hands are rubbing circles on her back. Code red, Defcon three, world war 3 is about to break out, man overboard and what the hell? Rachel is playing a dangerous game and I know the fallout will be huge.
I must stiffen because Luke looks around to see what I can see. I hiss, “What’s she playing at? Has she left all morality back in London? I can’t believe my eyes.”
Luke looks concerned. “Mark should know better. He knows she’s married and should stay away. I’ll have a word if you like.”
Shaking my head, I sigh. “It’s not our place to play parents to Rachel. She’s a grown woman and can make her own mistakes. I know she’s hurting but I can’t condone what she is doing. When you get married in my opinion, it’s for keeps and there should be no room for passengers.”
Luke pulls back and says huskily.
“I’m glad to hear that. I feel the same. What’s the point of marriage if you give yourself the odd hall pass here and there? It should be a lifetime commitment, despite the problems it may throw up. Don’t get me wrong, if it doesn’t work out then I wouldn’t blame anyone for calling it quits and moving on. You should be honest up to then though and stay faithful. It doesn’t include slow dancing with a sailor who obviously has a lot more than that on his mind.”
I look at him in horror.
“You don’t think they would… um… you know…?”
Luke pulls a face. “Who knows? Like you say, it’s a bit of a bubble out here, for them as much as us. These guys are locked up together for months at a time. Mark won’t be thinking about Rachel’s situation at all. He is way past that point. He is just concerned that he has a hot woman in his arms and won’t want to pass up on the opportunity.”
I don’t know why but warning bell starts ringing in my head. I wonder if Luke would feel the same in similar circumstances. Maybe this is what life is like dating a member of the armed forces. Accepting that they may stray when the urge takes them. I’m not sure I could bear that.
I keep it in and just try to enjoy the time we do have. Maybe it won’t be my problem anyway when we return to London. Luke may sail away and never return - to me anyway. Pushing the unwelcome thought away, I just try to relax and enjoy the evening.
Soon the drink takes hold, and the party is in full swing. Marcus and Elvis are out of control and having the time of their life. It appears that one or two of the sailors on board are more than happy to party with them both, making all of Marcus’s dreams come true. I just enjoy spending time with Luke and try to absorb the whole experience to keep me warm when I return home.
I suppose it must be a couple of hours later that I get chatting with a couple of female sailors at the bar. Luke is laughing and joking with a crowd of guys nearby and Rachel and I are grabbing a drink. I smile at the friendly face of one of the girls and she smiles back.
“Hi, I’m Samantha and this is Kate.”
I introduce Rachel and I and look at them with interest.
“It must be exciting working on this ship.”
Kate grins.
“It has its perks.”
Samantha rolls her eyes.
“More like pitfalls. The trouble is, these guys are out of control most of the time. If you let one of them in you live out a whole relationship in a matter of weeks. They never last though.”
I look at them with a worried expression.
“What do you mean, they don’t last?”
Kate snorts.
“There’s nowhere to go on here. It’s hard having a relationship with someone under this microscope. A lot of them do but they rarely work out. As soon as we return home they seem to fizzle out.”
Samantha shakes her head.
“Not all of them. I’ve known many a sailor wedding. The hardest thing is making it work if you get posted on another ship.”
Kate grins.
“Mainly they let the married couples stay together but sometimes it doesn’t work out. No, mark my words, never marry a sailor. In fact, don’t even trust them because the temptation thrown their way at every opportunity doesn’t make them the most loyal partners out there.”
My warning bells are now deafening me and I can see that Rachel is feeling uncomfortable at the turn the conversation is taking.
The girls laugh. “Look at them. They don’t have a care in the world.”
We look over and see the group of guys laughing and joking nearby.
Kate sighs irritably.
“It’s ok for them. They have the life of Riley. The girls fall at their feet dropping their knickers on the way down. When you’re a female sailor, things are very different. Most normal guys don’t want to date a woman doing a man’s job. Especially as she spends most of her life cooped up with the likes of them. It’s no wonder most of us get sucked in by their fellow sailors. There’s no other option.”
I am starting to feel a little green around the edges in every way. I wish they would stop but they carry on, their words shattering my happiness by the second.
Samantha laughs. “Yes, they certainly talk the talk. I’ve known them promise a girl the world to have their moment of fun and then as soon as they head back to sea she is forgotten. If they haven’t found a better alternative by the time they return, she may get another shot out of him but it probably won’t be for long.”
She shakes her head sadly. “I pity any poor girl who loses her heart to a sailor.”
Rachel is quiet and if anything good has come out of this conversation, it’s that I hope it brings her to her senses. Me on the other hand, well, I’m devastated. The euphoria of my relationship is being battered by the grim realisation that they are probably right. I suppose I have known it all along. Of course, this won’t last. I was a fool for thinking it would. I have known Luke for a few days and dropped my knickers, as they so kindly put it, quicker than a respectable girl has every right doing. I feel ashamed of myself for thinking that I was different. Luke is just passing the time with a willing partner before he heads off again. I was so gullible in believing that it was more than it is. It’s taken the words of those who know to bring me to my senses.