Well I'll Be Damned
After that beautiful pic that Norman posted in IG from the Walker Stalker Cruise, I could not get this out of my head.
I do not own NR as much as I wish I did.
Chapter 1
"Jeez, Chase, I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Chloe said.
"Aw, come on, it'll be fun," Chase replied. "You used to do fun shit like this all the time, remember?"
"I think our ideas of fun have drastically changed over the years," she said. "Tell me, what is going to be fun about working on my one weekend off, bartending on a damn cruise ship?"
Chase had begged and pleaded with Chloe to come with him on this weekend cruise. It was a fan convention for The Walking Dead. Chase had volunteered to work the event and thought his best friend could use some excitement in her life. Plus, he was a huge fan of the show and needed Chloe around to make sure he didn't embarrass himself too much. She had turned into his voice of reason as they had gotten older.
The pair was standing in line waiting to board the ship. Chloe was already regretting her decision to come. She had a full time job as an analyst with an insurance company and tended bar on the weekends at a sports bar. The owner of the bar had given her the weekend off. All she had planned was to relax and watch the big Duke/UNC basketball game. But alas, Chase had this harebrained idea and shot those plans all to hell.
"If you pulled that stick out of your ass, you might actually get laid this weekend," Chase said to her.
"Fuck you," Chloe said. "I'll let you know, I'm perfectly happy with my relationship status."
"What relationship status? You haven't had a relationship since the dinosaurs roamed the earth," Chase poked her in her side.
Chloe rolled her eyes and punched her friend in the arm.
"Chase, I don't watch the show. I have no desire to watch it. I don't know who any of these people are. Now if you had brought me to a True Blood cruise, then I would be excited," Chloe said. They had moved only 2 feet in the past 20 mins.
"You and your vampires," Chase said shaking his head. "Vampires are SO last season."
"Oh bite me," Chloe responded in annoyance.
Chloe and Chase were so wrapped up in their conversation and annoying each other, they weren't paying attention to the people around them, especially the man standing behind them, hiding behind his Ray Bans. He had been listening to everything they'd said, smirking at the exchange, almost laughing out loud a couple of times.
"You'll probably recognize some of the actors," Chase said as they took a few more steps forward. "You liked The Boondock Saints. One of the guys from that will be here."
The man behind them was really paying attention now.
"Sean Patrick Flannery's going to be here? I didn't know he was in The Walking Dead," Chloe said.
"No, not him, the other one," Chase clarified.
"Oh, eh," Chloe said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Now that stung! The man standing behind him hung his head down and shook it. I am SO glad Sean was not around to hear that, he thought to himself. I would never hear the end of it.
Norman had been standing in line to board the ship along with everyone else. No one had really paid attention to him as everyone was in their own little worlds. He was glad no one had recognized him yet. He was exhausted. He had just spent a week in Hawaii filming for the second season of his motorcycle travel show, Ride. He had caught a flight to Miami and was now waiting to board a ship for a 3 day cruise that will include interview panels, photo ops, meet & greets, etc. No, this wasn't going to be a nice, relaxing cruise. He was pretty much working the whole weekend.
He had been focused on an intense game of Candy Crush when the two people standing in front of him starting arguing, well, not really arguing as in a couple's fight, more arguing like siblings. The woman obviously didn't want to be here. Norman couldn't help but stare at her. She had long brown hair with red in it that shone bright when the sun hit it. There was really nothing that made her stand out in the crowd, but for some reason, Norman couldn't stop staring. She had an amazing smile that lit up her whole face when her friend said something that made her laugh. He loved a pretty smile.
When he heard them talking about his movie, The Boondock Saints, and her comment about is co-star, and best bud, Sean, he knew then that he had to have her. Call it a pride thing. He and Sean always had some sort of competition going on.
After what seemed like a day and a half, they finally made it onto the ship. Norman was quickly escorted to a level of the ship that had been reserved for the actors. There was security all around to ensure their privacy. He loved his fans and most of them were very nice and respectful. But every now and then he would meet one that would cross that line.
He entered his suite and put his bag in the bedroom. He laid on the bed thinking he might actually get a nap in before the first interview panel started at 7:00. He started to fidget though. His body was still on Pacific coast time. He decided to head to the bar for a drink to relax him. Maybe he'd see the woman from before and strike up a conversation.