The Cruise chapter 2

Nancy looked up from her desk, she was in the middle of a phone conversation and looking up info on the computer for a client.
She waved for Priscilla to have a seat and that she would be with her in few moments.

Priscilla looked at the chairs to choose from in the office. She had learned to be choosy when getting ready to sit down.
She chose the leather armed chair, it would make a loud farty sound as she sat on it. But it was better than squeezing into the other chair next to it that looked kind of delicate and fragile and seemed to scream as she looked at it.
She laughed to herself as she imagined the chair yelling "NO! NO! Don't sit on me, Your way to Fat!" She thought it would have a high pitched female voice with a French accent.
So, Priscilla chose the leather armed chair, and of course it made the loud farty noises when she sat down,but she knew the chair would hold her.

"OK, Mr.Daniels," Nancy said in her polite friendly voice. "I will have that itinerary for you first thing tomorrow. OK Sir, your going to have a wonderful time in the Swiss Alps. Thank You, Good bye."

Nancy hung up the phone and blasted Priscilla with a dazzling smile.

"Priscilla, so good to see you!" said Nancy. She reached forward to give her a welcome handshake.
Priscilla forced a return smile and greeting, but it wasn't enough to convince Nancy that she was happy.
"Why the long face Priscilla? Is everything alright?" Nancy asked her with a concerned look on her lovely middle aged face.
Nancy had large brown expressive eyes, perfect milky white skin and short auburn colored hair. She was petite and always dressed professionally.
Then Nancy heard the group of people in the waiting room.The guy who had made the whale joke was still going on about it. "Shamoo,Shamoo where did you go Shamoo?" he was saying loudly,causing his rude friends to laugh even more.
Nancy got a very angry look on her face.
"Excuse me for a moment Priscilla dear, she said with a soft smile, I will be right back."
Then Nancy got up and went out to the waiting room. Priscilla wanted to just sink into the floor. It always made her feel even worse when someone would make excuses for her or stick up for her. It wasn't their fight.
Priscilla had always been fat. Even in her baby pictures she was fat. She only consumed 1800 healthy calories a day and exercised one hour a day, but she just could not loose any weight.
Much to her and her families relief she had not gained any more weight since she turned 18yrs old.She had managed to stop at 275lbs

Suddenly, all the laughing stopped, and a moment later Nancy returned to her office with a somewhat mischievous smile on her face.
Sort of like the cat that ate the canary look. Priscilla found herself somehow amused by this look and gave a small giggle.

"That's right dear have a giggle or two, your getting ready to leave on the vacation of a life time!" said Nancy with enthusiasm. She daintily made her way back behind her desk.
Nancy's bright smile was infectious and soon Priscilla found herself smiling and getting excited about "the Cruise" once again.
"Just think about it, in two weeks you will be leaving on a Luxury Cruise to the Caribbean for 3 weeks, first class all the way." Nancy bragged to her.

Nancy gave her another dazzeling smile as she gathered up all the necessary papers and tickets,and schedule's.
"I hope you don't mind, Nancy rambled on, but I got you three nights at the Captains Table and she raised her eyebrows dramatically, "You also have a pass to the the Exclusive Singles Bar and Social."
Priscilla sat up straight grinning and interested.

"You my dear are going to have a great time!"

Then she got down to business and told Priscilla all about her tickets, when the plane takes off and lands in Fla. the list of things to take and not take.
Priscilla had been over that part millions of times in her head on sleepless nights.But now it is was for "Real" she thought excitedly and listened to Nancy.
"At 6:30am on Saturday morning a Black Stretched Limo will arrive to take you to the Ft.Smith,Arkansas airport, it will be about a 2 hour ride. There you will check in and be escorted to your First Class seat on the plane.
"I got you the back row, that is two seats, but it looks just like a love seat." Nancy gave her a wink, knowing that Priscilla was worried about fitting into the seats on the plane.
"It's also by the window, so you get to look out as you fly down south. You will arrive at the Fla. airport two hours later, 10:30am."
"Go to the front entrance of the airport and you will find a chauffeur there waiting with a sign that says your name Priscilla Knight.
Show him this I.D tag." She handed her a I.D that was laminated and had her name, picture and all the information about her cruise. Priscilla put it in her wallet.
Nancy went on to tell her, the I.D card could also be used as a credit card on board the ship at all of the shops and restaurants and bars.

After showing her all the other stuff Nancy got another mischievous look on her face , with a friendly smile she said "Priscilla I have a very special gift for you, I have been in this travel business a long time and I know alot of people and I get alot of perks. So I want you to have this."

Nancy handed Priscilla a beautiful Pendant/Broach on a fine gold chain. The stone was a emerald about the size of the top of your thumb to the first joint . It was finely wrapped in a beautiful gold design that looked very delicate but well made.
Nancy showed her how to open the back to put the chain inside so it could be worn as a broach.

"Nancy it is beautiful, Priscilla gasped, but I couldn't take it,it is much to beautiful. It must be worth a fortune."
"Oh no, but you must not refuse it, Nancy said, she got up to come around the desk.
"This gift you cannot refuse, I had it engraved to you from me." She showed her the engraving and then went behind her to fasten the chain around her neck.
Nancy sat down behind her desk again,folded her hands in front of her expressive face, gave a small sigh and encouraging smile. "Priscilla, that is a special locket, as long as you wear it you can get into special places on the ship that are only open to you, and other people with this type of locket.
Priscilla looked at her a little confused, she was already going first class all the way. She had been paying for this trip for two years. How could she get anything more? Nancy chuckled, she seemed to read her mind.
"What, are you going to tell me it's a magic locket?" chided Priscilla.
"In a way yes, now be sure and wear it all the time and good grief! Don't lose it. If you do, it could take a long time to find it. It's water proof, and it matches your eyes perfectly."
Before Priscilla could think of another objection to the gift, there was a knock on the door. It was Nancy's next appointment.
A very homely man opend the door,well dressed but ugly.
Nancy smiled nicely at him, "Frank I will be with you in just a moment."
"OK," he said and closed the door.
Then Nancy got up to give Priscilla a hug and wished her luck and Love on her cruise.
"Be sure and tell me all about it when you get back!"
Priscilla agreed and she was politely rushed out the door into the waiting room.

"Bon Voyage," Nancy said to Priscilla, then quickly turned her attention to Frank her next client, she welcomed him into her office, gave a quick wave goodbye to Priscilla and closed the door.
"So how are you Frank?" she heard Nancy ask him in her bold and friendly way as the door closed.
Priscilla searched for her keys in her purse and got the feeling that someone was watching her.
She looked around the waiting room full of colorful posters advertising exotic vacations. But she was the only one in the room.

Then she noticed a large fish aquarium in the corner of the room. The strange thing about it was all of the fish were gathered together in the corner of the tank closest to her, all of them were looking at her and they seemed to be trying to tell her something.
She could swear they were saying "HELP!" with their little fishy faces pressed against the glass.
7 or 8 of them were large masculine fish, and 6 of them seemed very feminine. A beautiful yellow fish with long graceful fins seemed to nudge a lovely black fish next to it and say something in fish language to her while looking right at Priscilla.
Just then Priscilla heard Nancy come out of her office. When the fish in the aquarium saw Nancy coming they all disappeared quickly ,trying to hide in the tank.
"I am so glad I didn't miss you , I forgot to give you this and she gave her a 4 extra tags for her suitcases.

"Good bye Nancy, thanks for everything." Priscilla said with a big smile.

When Priscilla was walking out the door of theTravell Agencies Office she could of swore she heard Nancy scolding the fish for something?
She thought she heard her say, "You will stay in that tank for the next 5 weeks! For your sake, you had better hope she has a "Great Trip" or you will become a more permanent addition to my office decoration!"

Must be my imagination Priscilla thought to herself and started the engine of her car.
She laughed at herself for thinking such a crazy thing.. Talking fish...vrooommmmm..... she reved the gas
with the car in neutraul on accident.
Priscilla then suddenly had the urge to REV her engine again.. VRooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmm the engine Rpm 's buried in the red . The sound of the engine whining out in her ears gave her a chill of excitment that felt like a icey finger touching the back of her neck and then she stopped and put the car in reverse. Just hit the gas enough to back out.
Then like a NASCAR race car driver PEELED OUT!! of her travell agents parking lot.
No, not just a little squeel out of the drive way!
But light em up and smoke em, blast off, type deal.
She was on the freeway before she remembered that she was not in a hurry.

The next two weeks seemed to fly by.
On Wednesday, time started to drag, so Priscilla decided to do what she hated and go shopping for a swimming suit and clothes for the cruise.
As painful as it was she got a swimming suite that hid most of her blubber, several nice outfits and 3 Dressy outfits for dinner at the Captains table.
She hated shopping at the plus size specialty stores. She had been in several of their fashion shows. But she wasn't interested in being a Plus sized model.She wanted more than anything to be thin,in great shape, and nicely toned with muscle but not to much bulk.


Finally it was Friday night and Priscilla took a sleeping pill to help her sleep. She went over her check list and put her luggage by the front door.
Her long time neighbors and friends next door would cut her grass and water her plants for free as long as she promised to have a great time.
She was now all set to go.
She set the alarm and with the help of a sleeping pill, she drifted off to sleep.


End of Chapter 2.