After he stepped onto the boat, Martin checked his ticket to make sure this was only a three-hour tour. He noted that the name of the ship was the Aphrodite II.
He wondered what had happened to Aphrodite I. The plague on the side of the main cabin said the ship entered service in 2020. So it was new, and that gave him a sense of relief. His mind wandered back of memories of another three-hour tour that lasted for three seasons on television. He hoped his luck would much better than that.
The caption’s voice came over the loudspeaker giving the usual safety briefing, and shortly afterward, the engines roared to life. The gentle swell of waves pushing against the stern of the ship as they pulled away from the dock took over his imagination.
Martin leaned back in the deck chair, closed his eyes, and for the first time in far too long, he relaxed. As the ship eased its way out of the harbor, he began to drift off to sleep.
“You’re missing it.” A female voice woke him from his nap.
“You’re missing it.” A female voice woke him from his nap.
“Uh, what?” He blinked his and tried to remember where he was.
“The whale on the port side.” She pointed to the other side of the ship.
Martin remembered where he was and sat up but didn’t look where she was pointing. The voice belonged to a young lady who was sitting on the lounge chair next to him. Her floppy hat and sunglasses did nothing to hide the rest of her figure.
“Hi, I’m Martin.” He no longer cared about whales or other sea creatures. The creature in front of him had all of his attention.
“Hi, I’m Anne.” She held her hand out, and he noticed no ring on her left hand.
They didn’t move the rest of the tour.
