Snakes On A Cruise: A Cozy Cruise Ship Mystery by A.R. Winters

Author:A.R. Winters [Winters, A.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-06-09T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Brad took his turn to dance with me under the flashing, flickering lights and gut-pounding beat of the music. Dr. Ryan had been my previous partner. The men were either taking pity on me, or the girlfriends made them ask me to dance.

Regardless, I felt like a fifth wheel. A text from Ethan confirmed he wouldn’t have time to take a dance break. I wasn’t sure I had the time, either. Going through the motions, I pulled off some of the dance moves that Cece had taught me in our frequent disco outings.

“What’s a-matter?” Brad asked, face creased with concern. “Are you feeling sick?”

Conversations while dancing always struck me as a little absurd.

“Sorry, Brad, just distracted. I’ve got too much going on in my head,” I said.

“Forget about the stuff in your head. I do. Just get into the rhythm and let your mind drift,” the water aerobics instructor said.

It sounded like good advice. Close to what Cece said about being carefree. But then, not to be judgmental, I didn’t think of Brad as a deep thinker. Very nice, awfully good looking, but perhaps without a lot of internal dialogue. Which might be nice. I couldn’t get away from it myself, feeling the rhythm or not.

Was I losing my instincts? Combover, despite his stalking ways, never occurred to me as a suspect. Even though he proved to have the same penchant and experience with the inner workings of the ship, same as Russel Bates, and to a lesser degree, Ron Forest.

That idea bothered me almost as much as my lack of progress on the case. Perhaps instead of looking at Bates or Forest, I should’ve been looking over my shoulder. It probably wasn’t that tough to figure out that I was tracking down the answers about the two deaths.

I found myself shuffling my feet, hands weakly raised. Not really dancing very much. When the song ended, I felt relieved.

Waldo, rotund and flushed with the activity, approached. “Do you want to dance?”

“Did Cece tell you to ask me?”

He looked away. “Um.”

“I’d rather get a drink. I’m parched.”

With a sigh, Waldo indicated the bar with a wave of his arm. “Thank goodness. I like dancing, but Cece won’t let me stop.”

Looking over the dance floor, I did in fact see her scowling at her co-worker. I let Waldo lead the way to the bar.

“What are you drinking?” Waldo asked.

“OJ. Water back.”

He called over the bartender. Ordered a beer for himself, and my juice. Mostly I wanted the water. I was about to sweat through my nice going-out dress and my hair felt damp when we moved beneath the ceiling fans.

Waldo toasted me. “Don’t get me wrong. I do like you. And I’m aware you’re in a relationship. But if you don’t dance with me, Cece will never let me hear the end of it.”

“Yes, I’m aware of Cece’s predilection for making everyone dance.” Even now, I saw her boogieing toward us, eyeing us like a stage mother.

After we finished our drinks, Waldo and I hit the floor.

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