PART I
THE CRUISE
Chapter 1: The Love Boat
"I can not believe it!"cried Gi gleefully, "An entire week of rest and relaxation on an island cruise!"
She pulled the bulky suitcase she was carrying over to the geo-cruiser , graciously thanking Wheeler who took the heavy bag from her and loaded it into the cargo hold of their small yellow vehicle.
"Da, Gi!" exclaimed her best friend from behind her, "This vacation is just what we needed!"
Gi turned and smiled at the young blond who was struggling with her own large bag, though it did look somewhat neater than Gi's.
Wheeler jumped down from the wing of the small yellow aircraft to lend her a hand.
"Here Babe," he extended a toned arm to her, taking the bag that she had struggled with all morning with considerable ease and slid it almost expertly into the craft's remaining cargo space. He then offered his arm to Gi, helping her board, before doing the same for Linka.
She smiled and blushed, taking his arm quite readily, before thanking him sincerely for the assistance.
Not too long ago, she would have declined this offer of help, being almost offended at the idea of her requiring his aid. Now however, she had come to appreciate and understand that this was simply thoughtfulness of the American's part, and perhaps was a way of showing her that he cared for her; something else she was becoming quite partial to. (Though she still did not feel that she could let him know about this. Or anyone else for that matter.)
Having based all prior decisions in her life around logic, Linka still had trouble getting in touch with her emotional side, a facet which Wheeler tended to bring out in her rather alarmingly.
Once the last three Planeteers had boarded the geo-cruiser, Linka took her seat towards the back, and looked around at her fellow environmental helpers.
Ma-ti, the youngest of the group sat right up the back, on the opposite side from her, his chin on his chest as he dozed soundly. His pet monkey lay in his lap, also snoozing peacefully. The bearer of the heart ring had been up before dawn, helping Kwame out with the systems check of the vehicle.
In the seat directly in front of him and opposite from Linka sat Wheeler, who was now gazing serenely out the window. It had not taken the other planeteers long to realise that Wheeler was not a morning person – he'd never quite adjusted to early morning starts – despite how frequently they were required being a planeteer.
Gi had now taken her place, two seats in front of Wheeler's at the control panels, the young Thai being the elected co-pilot for this particular trip.
Linka could not help but smile as she watched Gi and Kwame talk quietly between themselves, cooperating to man the ship as it began to take off.
'Such different people,' she mused, as she settled back into her seat before drifting off into sleep herself...
The flight was quiet and uneventful; the planeteers were only a few hours away from their destination when a small jolt from an air pocket caused Wheeler's head to bump lightly against the window beside him, stirring him from his sleep.
Stretching in his seat, the young American stole a glance at the woman sitting across the aisle from him. Linka was dozing peacefully, she had let her hair out from the usual pony tail that she wore it in to be more comfortable against the headrest. Her golden hair glittered and shone in the morning light, making her look almost ethereal.
Wheeler sighed watching her. He had always had feelings for the young blonde Russian sitting so close to him. Yet just when things started to go right between them, they always quickly went very wrong afterwards.
Wheeler knew what his feelings for her were, he'd come to realise that he felt more than just a crush or infatuation; however, given their rocky history, he highly doubted that they'd ever be able to get it together and be anything more than friends.
Sighing as he stared at her, he settled back into his seat, willing himself back to sleep.
"Okay my friends, it is time to wake up! We will be touching down onto the luxury liner's landing bay in just moments!" Kwame called, rousing his friends from their sleep.
"Are we there?" asked Wheeler groggily.
"Da! Look!" exclaimed Linka as she leaned over the narrow aisle, trying to get a better view of the enormous cruise liner.
Wheeler breathed in softly as she hovered above him, enjoying the close proximity. He could smell her faint perfume, her hair. It tickled his face lightly, causing him to take a sharper breath.
As Linka realized how how close she was to him, she blushed and apologized, stepping back a little.
"It's okay," He smiled gently, not wanting her to withdraw any further. Linka felt her blush deepen slightly at his gaze, and was grateful when Wheeler reluctantly looked out at the giant luxury boat now before them.
"Wow!" he exclaimed a little over enthusiastically, "I can see three pools just from here!"
Trying with all his might to give her some reason to stay close by, he continued to point out attractions visible on the boat. Linka however now had to regain her seat so that Kwame could begin landing procedures.
The yellow aircraft touched down onto the landing pad and after a brief systems check and rundown, the geo-cruiser's door lifted open and they filed out onto the ship's deck.
Gi breathed in deeply, closing her eyes to take in the full extent of the sweet tropical air. This cruise was going to be great, she decided. And it was exactly what she needed to push things along a little for Linka and Wheeler.
Gi's plans were interrupted as a young woman with dark hair and brown skin came hurrying over to where the group was now unloading their luggage.
"Kwame! Planeteers!" she called excitedly, smiling widely as they all turned to see who it was.
"Georgie!" Kwame dropped his carry case to embrace her in a big hug. The rest of the Planeteers exchanged glances, grinning knowingly at one another.
Georgie was the one who'd invited them along, she and Kwame had kept in touch ever since the Planeteers had helped her defeat Dr. Blight and stop the experiment that Blight had stolen from her for her own evil gains.
Georgie was now a renown scientist, but when she and the Planeteers first met, she was just beginning to make her mark on the scientific community.
She specialized in plant sciences mainly, and after her last scientific break through, she had been awarded to Nobel Prize, winning a place on this cruise, sharing it with a great deal of other highly respected scientists.
She'd been able to invite the Planeteers due to her influence in the scientific community, but also because of the growing popularity and acknowledgment that the Planeteers were receiving these days. Because of the media, there were few people now days who hadn't heard of them, and so, the Planeteers had warranted an invitation aboard the luxury vessel.
"How are you all?" she inquired as she finished hugging Kwame.
"Well, things haven't been too bad on the eco-emergency front." Smiled Ma-ti.
Wheeler grinned, "Yeah, to tell you the truth, we were so stoked at this invitation, we were starting to get a little bored from all the peace and quiet."
"Well," laughed Georgie, I highly doubt that any of you will be bored on here!"
The others agreed, looking around the spacious, luxurious cruiser.
"Here, I'll show you guys to your rooms and then, if you like, I'll show you around the ship!"
The others smiled and nodded at this idea, picking up their luggage, they followed Georgie as she led the way.
Georgie led them across the crowded deck, women milling around in swim wear and sun dresses. Wheeler made a few appreciative comments, receiving playful slaps from both Gi and Linka before the party of six entered the ships main foyer.
They breathed in in awe at the beautiful interior. The Foyer opened up to reveal two symmetrical sweeping stair cases, curving elegantly up to the next level.
The could see very clearly from where they were standing, a very formal looking restaurant and dining area.
Under this, sat the reception area, and Georgie led them confidently over to the young man sitting behind the desk and told him that the Planeteers had now arrived. He greeted them warmly and handed over a number of swipe cards to Georgie, politely giving her a brief set of instructions before bidding the group a lovely stay.
Georgie now led her friends out of a beautiful set of double doors off to the side, and then further into the great body of the ship.
Wheeler whistled in admiration as they finally reached the area their rooms were in, Georgie opened one of them up to give her friends a look inside.
"So you can see every thing's there, the "rooms" are actually like small apartments. This room is for you boys, there's one room with a king size bed, and then the other bedroom has two doubles in it. There's a bathroom and an en suite, a kitchenette, small dining area and even a washer and drier tucked away in the main bathroom for any laundry. Gi and Linka, your room is the same, except that you each have your own room with a king sized bed.
"Now, at first it'll probably be a little difficult for you guys to find your way around; this ship is enormous. But each deck has a certain color. You obviously are on the blue level."
"Color coordinated levels – like a car park." mused Wheeler.
Georgie smiled, "I guess so. Now, which keys... Ah, there, now each of you boys have your own key, room 302... And Gi and Linka, these are yours, room 303. That way you can all come and go independently."
A passing girl in a red top and black skirt pushing a linen hamper paused when she got to the little congregation standing in the hall.
"Excuse me, you must be the Planeteer party? I was asked to come by with extra pillows and blankets for you if you require them. Have you all got your own beds, or is anyone having to share?" she asked politely.
"Oh, no they're all..." began Georgie...
But Wheeler cut in quickly, sliding his left arm around Linka's middle, pulling her close to him. "Oh, sharing is not a problem, if that makes your job easier..." He winked at the crew attendant cheekily.
"Oh." she said a little taken aback by his display of audacity. "Uh, well..."
Gi stepped forward now, seeing the look of pure embarrassment Linka was wearing,
"No no, we all have our own separate beds to sleep in, which is where we'll all be sleeping." She added pointedly to give the crew attendant the right idea, before adding "Don't mind Wheeler, we don't often let him out into public places."
The crew attendant gave an unsure smile before informing them of the internal phone system so that they could call each other's rooms, or the attending staff if they required anything extra like pillows, sheets or blankets.
As soon as she left, Georgie bid them a hasty farewell, letting them know that she'd be having drinks with colleagues at the "Banana Bar" in two hours time and that they were all welcome to attend.
Following their friend's clued in move, Kwame, Gi and Ma-ti all quickly grabbed their bags, and filed into the appropriate room, leaving Linka and Wheeler standing out in the hallway together. They all knew what was going to come next, and none of them particularly wanted to see it.
Linka rounded on Wheeler now, fixing him with an icy stare.
"That was not a funny joke, Yankee. Do not embarrass me like that!"
In all honesty, the young American was surprised that his feisty friend had managed to hold her temper for that long, but her words still stung him.
"So it's embarrassing to be with me?"
"Nyet. It's embarrassing to have non-existent sex-life eluded to in front of a complete stranger!"
"What's your problem? She didn't care. It probably gave her something interesting to share with her crew attendant buddies."
"Wheeler, the last thing I want is to have the entire crew here talking about our sex-life!" raged Linka, only becoming aware of the implications of what she'd just said after she'd said it.
"So... We have one then?" he asked, giving her his most seductive and devilish grin.
"Not now, and not ever, Yankee!" she retorted, yanking up her carry bag and storming into 303.
Wheeler stared after her for a moment, a little stunned, and very hurt.
Considering they'd only ever shared a handful of kisses and romantic moments, her last words really stung. More than he would have like to admit.
And it wasn't to do with sex he realised. He'd always thought they had a future together...
He'd always thought that despite how much they grated each other and how much they fought that they'd eventually end up...
Exhaling slowly, he bent down and picked up his own bag and moved into room 302.
Kwame and Ma-ti had kindly each taken the double beds, leaving him the King bed in his own room, he could hear them talking quietly as they unpacked and hung their clothes. He moved into his own room, placing his bag down by the wardrobe before sinking down onto the bed. He shut his eyes for a moment, trying his hardest to pull himself together, and brush the overwhelming hurt aside.
After a few moments, the young redhead took a deep breath and stood up, removed any trace of negative emotion from his face and left his room to go and join the other two young men in their unpacking.
Gi poked her head out of her room as she heard the door slam.
"You okay?" she asked, sounding a little hesitant.
"Da." said Linka darkly, roughly throwing her bag down onto the floor.
"And is Wheeler okay?" She asked, not surprised by Linka's responding glare.
"He is still breathing, isn't he?" she asked coming out of the room to join the young Russian who had thrown herself none to gracefully down onto the lounge.
"Unfortunately."
"Linka!" scolded Gi, "I know that what he did was stupid, and very childish... And he should never make jokes about that kind of thing, especially in front of people, but you know that he didn't do it with the intent of embarrassing you."
"He shouldn't have done it at all!!" huffed Linka.
"Look, Wheeler might not be able to control his sense of humor, but you know that that's all it was, he didn't mean it with any malice. He cares for you a lot, you know."
"Why are you always on his side?" she demanded, turning to Gi.
"I'm not" said Gi simply, "But I see how you are around each other when you're not fighting and..."
"When does that ever happen?" snorted Linka, her anger and frustration at the situation finally fading.
"Hey, I know you like him." Gi sat on the elegant blue lounge beside her.
"I'd like him better if he wouldn't make stupid jokes about our – about – us." finished Linka, staring at the floor. Gi smiled.
"So, how badly did you tear him down?"
Linka recounted their little confrontation in the hall, describing to Gi almost word for word. Gi winced a little at the end of it.
"Ouch, you really showed him."
Linka paused, thinking about it now. "I was very harsh." she admitted. "Do you think... Do you think that he will talk to me after this?" she asked quietly.
"My advice, let it blow over. I'm sure things'll sort themselves out." Gi smiled at her. "Now let's get unpacked and get changed!!"
"Hi!" greeted Georgie, as the party of five made their way to her table.
She introduced the two work colleagues she was sitting with to the Planeteers who took their seats around the table.
Wheeler made sure that he sat a safe way away from Linka, two seats up from her and on the same side so that he wouldn't have to look at her.
The young blonde had picked up on the fact that he was avoiding her like the plague, and felt frustration mounting at their current situation. She'd thought that this cruise would be good for them to relax around each other and spend time in a non- work related environment, but they really hadn't gotten off to a good start.
She sighed and picked up the mock tale strawberry daiquiri that the waiter had just put in front of her and sipped it thoughtfully.
She had to do something, she decided, but what? She hated to put herself out there by making the first move. In her experience, that was the best way to end up getting hurt. She turned this idea over in her head.
Yet how often had Wheeler done that, and gotten shot down by her in the process? And yet he just kept trying. She sighed. Why did his timing have to be so terrible? And why couldn't the young American be more discrete? If he was just willing not to rush her and make stupid jokes...
But then, that's who he was... And she did like him like that...
She looked up now, interrupted from her thoughts as she realised that one of Georgie's work friends was addressing her.
"I'm sorry?" she asked, being too caught up in her own thoughts to have heard what he was asking her.
"I said Linka, isn't it?" she smiled and nodded.
"And you come from Russia?"
"Da." she nodded again.
"I heard that you've studied ornithology," he began, waiting for her response, to which she nodded again.
"That was my secondary study at Cambridge university, I originally majored in plant biology, but found that birds were really fascinating."
Linka let herself become engaged in the conversation, grateful for the distraction it was causing to thoughts about her red-haired companion.
Finally, things were wrapped up, as Georgie's friends had to meet with other people and Georgie and the Planeteers were left there together after the other two moved on.
"So," grinned Georgie, "you ready for a little tour?"
"Little?" laughed Gi, "what are you going to show us? – the ships' broom closet? I highly doubt it's possible to give any kind of little tour on this thing!"
Georgie laughed, "No, you're right! It won't be a little tour, in fact, it'll probably take over an hour to really show you around... Are you up for it?"she asked, watching intently as Gi, Kwame and Ma-ti bobbed their heads enthusiastically.
"Wheeler?" she asked, trying to catch his eye, his gaze downcast at his hands resting on the table in front of him.
"You know what, I might just stay for another drink on my own, Georgie, and then maybe I'll have a look around for myself." he smiled at her, or at least, made his best effort to.
"O-okay- sure... You okay for the rest of us to...?"
"Yeah, of course, you guys go on." he said before taking the last swig of his apple juice.
The others stood and made their way to the bar's exit when Linka paused. "You know what, you guys go on, I'll try to catch up with you a little later, okay?"
Smiling at her, the others nodded, knowing that she was going to try and make amends with Wheeler, they bid her goodbye and wandered off, talking excitedly about what the cruise liner had to offer.
"Hey." she said as she took the seat directly across from the young American.
He looked up at her in surprise.
"Hey." he said before averting her gaze to look around the bar and then fix his expression back on the beer he'd just ordered.
"Alcohol?" she asked, "But you never drink..."
Wheeler's father had been an alcoholic, and as a result had not been the best, nor nicest father -or husband. It had caused Wheeler's family a lot of heart ache over the years, and even now, continued to take it's toll as his father battled with a bad liver from the vast amounts of alcohol that he had consumed. Wheeler as a rule never drank. And Linka had never seen him do so. Until now.
"Did... Did I hurt you that badly?" she asked tentatively, not wanting to hear the answer, though she already knew it.
"You know what hurt the most," He burst out, surprising her with his response,
"Not just the rejection, but that so soon after it, you can be sat in front of me flirting with that stupid egg head."
"Vincent?" she asked incredulously, "You think that I was flirting with..."
"Surely you saw how he was looking at you, how he made a point of talking about something he knew you were interested in."
"Wheeler," she began, almost wanting to laugh at the ridiculousness of her flirting with, well... Vincent.
"How could you possibly think that? Vincent?! The man is academically flawless, sure, but he has no clue!"
He looked up at her. "Is that what you want?" he asked quietly.
"A Vincent?" said Linka now, actually laughing. "Bozhe moy, no! Wheeler, where has this even come from?"
"Well," he said still looking down at the un-drunken beer before him, "I know that you don't want me..." he said sadly.
Instinctively she reached over the table, placing her hands over his, clasped in front of the beer he was contemplating drinking.
"Please do not think this." she looked at him pleadingly.
"How can I not? You shoot me down every time I try to get close to you, every time I try be a couple or do couple stuff with you." he sighed in frustration, pulling his hands away from hers.
"Wheeler!" she started, grabbing the drink away from him before he could pick it up. "Stop being silly." she frowned at him, holding the drink close to her.
"I do not pull away because I dislike you, I just... I just..." she sighed now, not sure of how to proceed. To finish her explanation would mean she'd have to divulge more than she was willing to share.
"I just think that we need to be careful how we interact with one another seeing as how we work together and live on the same island, and have the same friends, and..." she knew what she was saying was a cop out, but there was a grain of truth in it.
"So... What are you saying then?" he asked, " You like me, but you won't consider dating me at all because we're both planeteers and we both live on Hope Island and we both like Kwame, Gi and Ma-ti? Coz if that's the case, those are crap reasons. If anything that'd be a bonus in our relationship. We'll always have things to talk about, we're always working towards common goals, we have a strong group of friends who'll support us and our relationship. I think you're lying. There's something else, and seeing as how you don't share the feelings I have for you, I wish you'd just come out and say so, rather than finding week excuses."
Linka looked at him, hurt by his directness. "I-I just wanted..."
"Wanted what?" he demanded, "To try and let me down gently, not to hurt my feelings? To give me a string of week excuses in the hopes that that way, you wouldn't have to deal with any of this? WHAT!?"
Linka slammed her fist down on the table, causing the redhead to stop.
"What I want is for you to accept that I can not just go barreling into a relationship with out giving it a second thought. What I want is for you to be able to like me despite the fact that I do not find this as easy as you do. And what I want, more than anything is for you to just accept where I am at, that I need to take these things slow because despite the fact that I really, really, like you, I am really, really scared."
She stopped now, her anger subsiding as she realised what she'd just admitted to him. She had not meant to say it. Not that it wasn't true, it was, but it was something she'd rather have kept to herself.
Wheeler looked at her with the most peculiar expression. "What did you just say?" he asked, leaning forwards in his seat.
"You heard what I said, Yankee." he replied testily, slamming the beer down and folding her arms in front of her chest angrily.
"You like me?" he asked, still unable to fully comprehend what she'd just admitted.
"You heard what I said." she repeated, moving to stand up, wanting to retreat back to the comfort and safety of room 303...
"Hey, babe, wait." he said, standing up as well, moving around the table to stand in front of her.
"Did you mean what you just said?" he asked, probing every inch of her face with his eyes for an indication that she was not lying.
"Da, Yankee, I meant what I said, now will you let me..."
"So... You do like me?"
"Yes." she said exasperated, avoiding his eye as she tried to move past him.
He gently put a hand on each arm, refraining her from moving, moving his head down slightly so that he could see her face. "but you feel like I'm pressuring you?"
She stopped now, and stood up straight, looking him directly in the eye, "I think that you want to move faster that I can in a relationship." she admitted, "That is why I can not..."
"But, If I were to give you the space you needed and just take things slow?" asked Wheeler, excitement welling at the progress he was making.
"Then... then... da..." She looked away again, helplessly embarrassed at having just admitted her feelings to him.
"Babe," he looked at her, "I'd give you the moon if you asked for it and it meant that we could – that we were – If you need time or space, I'd gladly give it... just so that - I mean, if there truly is a chance that you and I could be..." He sighed in annoyance at his inability to voice what he meant to say.
"You mean it?" she asked suspiciously, looking at him directly now, her turn to probe his face in case of a lie.
"Yeah," he said, "I mean it. No pressure on my part, as slow and well paced as you're happy with."
"So..." she started, trying to comprehend what this meant for the two of them,
"What does this mean? Are we..."
"Let's take it one step at a time," he said with a smile, determined to try and get things right between them, "At the moment, we're not fighting. How's that?"
Linka looked at him, happy at how the conversation had turned out. "That sounds great, Yankee."
"Wanna explore this boat now?" he asked her, offering her his arm in a very gentlemanly manor.
Linka nodded, taking his arm, "Da," she agreed, and the two strolled off arm in arm, leaving the un-drunken beer on the table.
The next couple of days were like a dream for the Planeteers, they swam and dined and shopped in complete luxury.
Things between Linka and Wheeler seemed to be blossoming, no more fights, he was polite and courteous, trying his hardest not to be too full on towards her, while she began to stop pushing him away, and started accepting his thoughtful gestures more and more.
The same could be said for Georgie and Kwame. It was no secret that they were both very interested in one an other, or that they thoroughly enjoyed each other's company.
The Planeteers had been asked to bring formal attire on the cruise with them, as on the fourth night of the cruise, there was going to be a formal dinner, where there'd be music and dancing and speeches by the more prominent guests.
And after a day of fun, rest and relaxation, Georgie, Gi and Linka locked themselves away in their room two and half hours before the event in order to get ready.
This left the boys with the after noon to themselves, which they passed away a little time by playing darts and pool in one of the ship's bars.
After an hour of this however, the novelty of having a bit of "bloke time" wore off, and they headed back to their own room, nominating Wheeler to see what time and when the group would meet for the dinner, and to try and get a sneak peak of what the three girls were doing locked away in there together.
Wheeler knocked on the door of Gi and Linka's room. "Hey girls," he called, before pausing for a response. Gi opened the door ajar, wrapped in a towel.
"Mmm?" she asked, eyebrows raised.
"Dinner's in an hour, do you want us to meet you here so that we can all walk over together?"
"Uh, can we meet you guys there?" called Georgie from somewhere in the room.
"Da!" called Linka, moving towards to door, Gi smiled at her red-haired friend, "We may need a little extra time getting ready."
"Alright," said Wheeler thoughtfully, "we'll have to meet somewhere then, the dining room is enormous."
"Perhaps just inside the main entrance?" suggested Linka, now standing beside Gi, directly behind the slightly open door.
"Okay," agreed Wheeler, "So... we'll meet you a little after six just inside the dining hall's main entrance."
He hovered a little awkwardly. "So - guess I'll see you then?"
"Yep," said Gi with a knowing grin, "you will."
Gi knew that Wheeler was curious as to what they were doing, and the fact that Linka was hidden away in there getting ready must've been encouraging his curiosity.
"Well, okay..." said Wheeler, still hovering. Linka moved directly behind Gi now, so that she could see him, and he could just see her. He could see that she was wearing a bathrobe and had her hair wrapped in a towel.
"Alright Yankee, we will see you in a little over an hour, okay?"
Wheeler just smiled. From where she was standing, he could smell the faintest whiff of her manderine body scrub.
"Sure Babe."
He managed finally, his senses slowly coming back. He turned and walked away, moving towards the boy's room down the hall, inevitably to tell the rest of the boys the arrangements for meeting up with the girls for dinner.
Gi giggled as she closed the door.
"Wow!" stated Georgie, coming over join the other two with a look of amusement, "He'd got it bad!"
"Got what?" exclaimed Linka, feeling a little lost. Gi smiled at her,
"I think what Georgie means is, it's obvious how much Wheeler likes you."
Linka blushed, looking a little embarrassed. "Shall we get ready then?" she asked, changing the subject.
Gi and Georgie exchanged glances before Gi disappeared into her bedroom, emerging with a beautiful Asian style gown. "Look at my dress! I got it last time we were in Hong Kong. Isn't it gorgeous? I haven't even had a chance to where it yet!"
"Oh wow!" breathed Georgie, examining the fine fabric and beautiful embroidered patterns,
"It's stunning, Gi, this fabric is amazing!" she ran her hand over the soft material.
"I ordered my dress especially form Paris." she shared, picking up the neat suit bag she had brought with her, carefully opening it to extract her dress. She gave the other two girls an sneak peek. A beautiful green silky dress was hidden inside the dark folds of the bag.
"What are you wearing?" Georgie asked the young Russian, who was now carefully sorting through her cosmetics on the small dining table.
"Oh,"said Linka absently, "A dress I found in a small store. When we were on one of our missions a few years ago."
Her concentration on the question was barely there, giving the other two girls the impression that she did not even particularly like the dress.
"Shall we start on our hair now?" she asked as she removed the towel from her head.
The three girls spent the next forty-five minutes doing each other's hair and make-up.
Feeling pampered and totally relaxed, Gi looked in the mirror at their reflections. "Okay, I guess it's gown time now, before we add our jewelry and other finishing touches."
She made her way into her room to once again take out her dress. Linka and Georgie followed her lead, also going to retrieve their dresses.
"Is it okay if I get changed in the bathroom?" called Georgie, clutching her suit bag.
"Of course!" chorused Linka and Gi in unison, from their separate rooms,
"By all means!" called Gi and the young African woman moved into the bathroom, lightly closing the door behind her.
Linka smiled to herself as she removed her dress from the closet, and carefully undid the zip, before stepping into it. She slowly pulled the sleek, silky fabric up over her body, feeling it cling to her curves as she pulled it up.
She did up the zip on the back, before carefully adjusting it so that it sat perfectly.
Gi, having just done the same with her dress came out of her room and knocked on Linka's door. "Linka, do you need a hand?" she called through.
"Nyet, but you can come in Gi".
Turning the knob, the young Thai stepped into the room, and gasped. "Linka! That is the most exquisite dress I've ever seen!"
Linka smiled and blushed, just as they heard the bathroom door open. Georgie, having heard the voices, joined the pair in Linka's room.
She saw Gi first, "Wow, you weren't kidding about that dress, GI! That is..." but she stopped when she saw what Linka was wearing.
The young Russian had chosen a beautiful dress of pale, shimmering blue. It was strapless, hugging close to her slim, curvy figure, right down until it reached her knees, and then it flowed out into graceful folds around her feet.
"That dress is magnificent Linka!" she breathed.
Her own dress was very impressive, and obviously very expensive. Reflecting her line of work, Georgie's dress had flowers and leaves embroidered into the bodice.
"Alright! It's just gone six o'clock now, we need to get our shoes and jewelry on and get over to the dining! I know we said we'd be late, but we don't want to be too late!" exclaimed Gi, passing Linka her dainty pale blue stilettos, before picking up her own shoes.
The three quickly donned their earrings, necklaces and bracelets before hurrying out the door.
Chattering excitedly, the girls made their way to the hall's main entrance. The large double doors stood open, revealing a magnificently decorated room. It seemed as if everything shone and sparkled.
Georgie was the first to enter, gazing around, taking it all in. As promised, the boys had been standing waiting just inside the door.
Kwame drew a sharp intake of air as he saw the pretty scientist step into the glittering lights of the great hall. Stepping forwards, he gallantly offered her his arm, trying with all his might to conquer back the use of his tongue.
"Wow, Georgie, you look... Amazing!" he breathed, too awestruck to even be embarrassed that Wheeler, Gi and Ma-ti were all laughing at him.
Georgie smiled, obviously very pleased by his reaction. It had been a reaction from him that she had wanted in the first place, thus spending over two hours getting ready.
She smiled at the other planeteers now, "I have to go and mingle," she said apologetically, "Do you mind if I steal him?" she asked, holding tightly to his arm.
"He's all yours, Georgie!" grinned Wheeler with a wink.
The three waved the couple off as they disappeared into the throng of well dressed people.
Wheeler now turned to Gi, "Nice dress Little Mermaid!" he encouraged approvingly, "You look great!" Gi smiled happily and gave Wheeler a very demure thank you.
"Where is Linka?" asked Ma-ti, voicing the almost sole thought that had been running through Wheeler's mind since he, Kwame and Ma'ti had first entered the hall, some fifteen minutes ago.
"Gi turned around confused. "She was right behind me."
And sure enough, there through the shadows behind the grand doors, pausing hesitantly was the silhouette of the young blonde.
Having seen the large crowd of people and the stunningly beautiful hall, Linka had lost her nerve to enter. Hanging back self-consciously.
Gi beckoned to her friend. With tremendous grace, despite her uncertainty, Linka stepped through the doorway and into the hall.
It almost seemed like a hush fell over the room as she entered, letting the shadows fall away.
Wheeler stared. He'd never seen a more beautiful or incredible sight in his life. She looked magnificent. Her dress glittered and shone, the gentle blue picked up the blue highlights of her blue-green eyes, making them appear to sparkle too.
Her golden hair had been elegantly arranged into a charming french roll, with the prettiest, daintiest tiara sitting atop her head.
Linka shifted uncomfortably at the awkward wealth of attention she was receiving.
Finally, snapping back to reality, Wheeler managed to pick his jaw up of the floor and offer the young Russian his arm with his most charming smile. She steeped back a little uncertainly, but took his arm with a shy, upward curve of her lips.
"You look fantastic, Babe!" He whispered in a low tone next to her ear.
He then turned to Gi and Ma-ti, "Well, I propose we go and get drinks and then find our table."
With a laugh and a nod, Gi turned to Ma-ti and offered him her arm jokingly.
"Shall we?" she grinned.
"We shall." grinned back Ma-ti, taking the offered arm, and the four planeteers made their way to where the drinks were being served.
Wheeler was elated to have the beautiful young Russian hanging tightly onto his arm. Her self consciousness causing her to cling to him, in what he found to be a very endearing manor.
"Relax Babe, it's just a party." he whispered, trying to ease her tension.
"I would be relaxed if everybody would stop staring!" she whispered back unhappily.
Sure enough, as they made their way through the crowd, many heads were turning (particularly male ones) and giving either envious or appreciative glances as the young blonde passed by.
"It's because you look goddamn gorgeous! Just relax and have a good time, Babe. What would you like to drink?" he asked her.
She looked at the selection and shrugged. "Perhaps a glass of white?" she asked, hoping it might help her relax.
"Sure," he smiled reassuringly at her. He got a glass of white wine for her and a sparkling mineral water for himself.
Meanwhile, Gi and Ma-ti had each elected a glass of champagne for themselves, and the three then made their way through the mingling guests, checking the tables as they went.
Finding their seats, Wheeler sat his glass down to pull out Linka's chair for her. Playing the true gentleman, he then did the same for Gi before settling into his own seat. The four chatted as they sipped their drinks, Linka was glad she'd chosen the wine as she felt her nerves calm after the first few sips.
Enjoying the conversation, she snuck a glance at the young American sitting beside her.
She could not deny that she was attracted to him, or that she had very strong feelings for him. Feelings that seemed to be growing every day now. This trip has been good, she decided, glad to have gotten the chance to relax around him. She smiled as she watched him tell a joke.
Both her thoughts and the conversation was interrupted as a young, good looking Asian man politely came up beside Gi. He checked the name place beside hers, smiling apologetically at having intruded, he introduced himself.
"Forgive me, I did not mean to interrupt, my name is Xiang," he gestured to the name on the elegant piece of folded paper sat beside Gi's name place. "I'm a marine biologist and I believe that that is my seat, I hope I'm not..."
"No way man, it's no intrusion. Please, sit down." greeted Wheeler.
Gi looked at the new-comer. Very good looking...
"Did you say that you're a marine biologist?" she asked.
"Yes, I am. I earned my place here through a thesis that I wrote life span and cycle of coral reefs."
From a few tables away, Georgie watched as her friend Xiang took his seat beside Gi. 'Perfect,' she thought silently as she watched them start to talk, before turning back to her own conversation.
Eventually the host of the evening took his place on the raised platform at the front of the hall, and asked everyone to find their seats.
An entre of soup was served before the first set of speeches were made, followed by the main course.
Still more speeches were made before dessert, and once the last speech had been done, and people were finishing their creme brule, the lights were dimmed and gentle music began to play. A few people who had either finished their dessert, or didn't want it got up and began to dance.
Xiang and Gi, who had really hit if off took to the dance floor as soon as they had finished eating. Wheeler held back from asking Linka to dance in the fear that Ma-ti would feel left out and be left to sit with strangers - or by himself.
As if sensing his friend's hesitancy, the young Kyapo turned to his friends. "You two aren't dancing?" he asked, fully aware of the want, and their guilt of leaving him.
"Nah, it's cool Little Buddy."
"Da," agreed Linka, smiling warmly at him.
"You should at least have one dance!" he exclaimed, watching Wheeler's resolve crumble and Linka's eyes waver longingly.
"We don't want to desert you..."
"You will not be, I was thinking of finding a partner myself." he smiled encouragingly, "Go on, it's too nice a night not to!"
"If you're sure..." agreed Wheeler watching him.
"Do you want to dance, Linka?" he turned to her, offering her his hand. She accepted it with a smile and a slight blush and the two rose from their seats and moved to the dance floor, both silently very grateful to their friend.
A particularly slow song came on as they reached the floor, giving them the chance to get close. Wheeler gently rested his hands at her hips, as Linka slid her arms around his neck. They swayed slowly to the music.
Linka, now feeling almost drowsy in her relaxed state, rested her head on the American's shoulder, giving the young man the sensation of butterflies in his stomach.
With a sudden impulse, Wheeler brought his lips down to the blonde's ear. "Let's get out of here." he suggested quietly...
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Let's find a nice quiet spot to go to. The night's pretty much over, it'll just be people drinking and mingling for the next hour and a half. Let's go for a walk or something!"
Feeling a little taken aback by his impulsiveness, Linka went to say 'no' as she always did to his crazy ideas, but stopped, thinking back to her thoughts earlier on in the night.
This wasn't an assignment, wasn't a job – she could relax here. No one was watching – the cruiser was huge. Plenty of space for privacy...
"Okay." she agreed, a little surprised at herself.
"You mean it?" he grinned. "Da, lead the way!"
The two quietly and discretely made their way through he crowd to the door.
"So, where are you taking me?" she whispered as they slipped out the entrance.
"You'll see, I have the perfect spot!"
Wheeler led the way to the small theater he'd found one morning when he'd gone out exploring on his own. Sammy, the old guy who sat at the admissions counter wasn't there, but by the sounds coming from inside, the old man hadn't been lying about movies being set to play 24/7.
Wheeler pulled the door open and the two entered the cinema.
"Wow!" breathed Linka, looking around.
"Awesome, hey?" grinned Wheeler, pulling her by the hand, "it's like we've got our own personal cinema!"
He pulled her into the mid-section of the back row and collapsed into a seat, looking for her to do the same.
She hesitated for a split second, mainly out of habit, but thought better of it. Besides, she thought, we're completely alone, no one here to pry or watch...
She smiled shyly at him as this last thought ran through her mind, she took her place next to him.
Because it wasn't a commercial cinema, there were no adds, just a few short previews for other movies that would be screening later on in the week.
Linka stopped and looked at Wheeler thoughtfully. As if sensing her gaze, the young American turned and looked at her quizzically.
"Thank you." she smiled.
Unsure of what she meant, Wheeler cocked his head, "For what?"
"For being patient with me, and for such a lovely evening..."
The redhead paused now, before lifting the armrest between them and slipping his arm around her middle. He gave her a quick squeeze, before daringly placing a kiss atop her forehead.
"I told you – I'd do anything for you if you asked for it."
Unsure of how she'd take his bold gesture, he was surprised when Linka sighed happily and relaxed back into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder as the movie began to start.
Half an hour went by, and try as he might to watch the movie, Wheeler could not stop thinking about the girl lying so peacefully in his arms. The movie seemed good, but he just couldn't get into it, the sound of her soft breathing so close to his ear was making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He'd always liked Linka, always been interested, but the extent of his reaction to her being so close was surprising even to him!
He sat in the dark, tossing up whether to act of his impulse – feeling his heart rate increase as he tried to hold himself back. But everything seemed too right, the last four days on the cruise had been so prefect. He was still trying to decide on a course of action when he leaned down, tilted her head up to meet his lips with his free hand.
Linka felt her own pulse accelerate as she realised that he was about to kiss her. It struck her though, that now she didn't mind. It felt right and she relaxed into the kiss, responding naturally.
His lips were warm and inviting, his embrace soft and gentle, letting her know that she could stop at any time.
It was a sweet kiss, though not a very long one, and both seemed a little unsure as they pulled back. Studying each other's faces for a moment, as they both came to terms with the situation, Wheeler gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry Babe, couldn't help myself."
Linka smiled back, "No you are not, and you shouldn't be. I... uh..." losing her nerve slightly towards the end of her sentence.
Wheeler's smile curved a little more, finding her shy, unsureness completely gorgeous. He brushed her golden fringe back from her eyes lovingly.
"I'm really glad that you came with me tonight." he admitted honestly.
"Me too." Linka surprised them both now by leaning forward and kissing him.
She moved her arms up, sliding them about his neck, running her fingers through his hair.
Wheeler felt like his heart had stopped beating. It was so rare that she was the one to initiate any kind of intimacy between them, and usually when she did, it was quite brief. This time, however, she mad no indication that she would be stopping any time soon. Wheeler shifted slightly in his seat to get closer to her, pulling her closer as her did so.
After a few more romantic hugs and kisses as they sat together in the dark, the two settled back into their seats and attempted to watch the movie.
After about ten minutes, Wheeler turned to Linka, "I have no idea what's going on. I couldn't even tell you what this movie is about." he admitted.
Linka giggled. "Well, from what I have gathered, that woman is in love wit him, but he does not know this, and she thinks that he is in love with the brown haired girl, and..."
Wheeler laughed, causing her to look at him questioningly.
"What?" she asked him, moving her gaze from his face down to her hands, which she had clasped tightly in her lap.
Wheeler put his hand over hers, just like she'd done in the Banana Bar days earlier, "Wanna go for a walk?"
"Okay." she agreed, perfectly happy to trust him.
The two took a romantic stroll on the upper deck, beneath the stars, looking out onto the ocean, sparkling under the starlight. They stood a little while, looking out at the ocean together, Wheeler standing behind her with both arms wrapped around her middle, resting his chin on her shoulder. She breathed in, feeling his soft warm breaths against her ear. She hadn't imagined it could be this good.
"I wish that we didn't have to end this." She sighed.
"What do you mean?" he whispered, worried at what she meant.
"Tomorrow is our last night on the cruise, before it docks on the island." she sighed sadly, wrapping her arms around her middle, over his.
He took his head of her should suddenly, and she turned her head as far as she could to try and see his face. He gently turned her around so that she was now facing him.
"Can things stay like this?" he asked, looking down into her eyes.
"What do you mean?" she asked, repeating his earlier question back to him.
"I mean, once we get back to Hope Island, do we have to – go back to how things were between us, or..."
She looked up at him, reading the neediness for an honest answer to his question.
"I- I do not know," she faltered, unsure of how they would deal with this once the vacation was over.
"Can't we be a couple and be Planeteers?" He asked. "I don't mean to pressure you, but I don't want to give this up. And I don't think that I could handle any more of the ups and downs after this..."
His honesty touched her.
"I want things to be like this for us," she admitted, "But can we still take it slow on Hope Island?"
He smiled widely now, "Of course!"
He leaned in to kiss her again when they were interrupted as someone came flying up the steps behind them as fast as they could, they both turned to see Gi, running towards them with her high-heel shoes in her left hand, waving with her right.
"Too much champagne?" whispered Wheeler and Linka giggled, as the young Thai approached them excitedly.
"Come on! Come on! You'll miss the competition!! Quick!!"
"What's going on?" asked Wheeler with a laugh, engaged by Gi's tipsy enthusiasm.
"Singing!" She exclaimed gleefully, "Karaoke! - In the Starlit Lounge Club! Come on!" she urged, looking at the like they were being stupid – what was wrong with these people?
Wheeler and Linka stared a little dumbly.
With a slightly exasperated sigh, Gi grabbed onto Linka's wrist, figuring that Wheeler would follow, and began pulling her friend towards the stairs.
"They announced before everybody left the hall that there was going to be a karaoke competition with great prizes!! The others are already waiting for us. Come on!"
"Alright, alright, Gi!" laughed Wheeler, freeing Linka's hand from her grip as she pulled her towards the stairs. "We're coming."
He shot a quick, apologetic look at Linka. The most romantic evening he'd ever had had just come to a sudden halt... Linka looked back and gave him an understanding smile, and he knew then that she felt the same way about the two of them as he did.