Cruise 2


Tigress was relaxing on the top deck in her casual clothing. She looked at the sunset sinking over the horizon. "Working on your tan? I'm pretty sure that's not going to work at sunset," said a voice. Tigress turned around and saw Po sitting next to her in a deck chair.

"I thought you were going to rest," Tigress said.

"Yeah, but I have this other doctor friend who's a party animal and right now the room's occupied if you know what I mean," Po sighed.

"Oh, sorry about that. You must be really tired," Tigress said.

"Actually, I've never felt more awake. I guess being with you is kind of... energizing," Po replied. Tigress cleared her throat as she looked away for a moment. "Sorry if that's rude or-"

"No, it's fine. I just never had someone compliment me this much," Tigress confessed.

"Really?" Po said shocked.

"Well, not in the way you do it. Most times it's in a rude perverted way like someone slapping my butt for example," She growled while looking out at the horizon. Then she saw Po's frightened face. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. I understand that women go through a lot of stuff with men. It kind of makes me ashamed to be one," Po admitted.

"I don't mean to make you feel bad," Tigress said.

"I know." Po looked at the sunset. "It really is beautiful. I didn't think it would be this beautiful."

"You act as if you've never seen a sunset," Tigress said, "Have you been working that much?"

"I know what a sunset looks like. I just never thought it could be this beautiful," Po replied. They were silent for a moment. Then Po sat facing towards Tigress on the sundeck chair. "Your grandfather, he said he still worked when we were playing chess. What does he work as?"

"Oh, he's a professor near the place I live. I live with him so I can take care of him," Tigress explained.

"And where do you live? I mean, what state," Po asked. He didn't want to get too personal on the first day.

"I live in Florida," Tigress said, which greatly surprised Po. "My family moved from Bangkok to live in the United States. I could ask you the same question, though."

"True," Po replied. "Wait, how did you know I lived there?"

"You told me, just now," Tigress smirked. Po was about to say something but quickly found himself arrested.

"Okay, you got me. I used to live in New York, then I finally moved to Nashville," Po replied.

"That's a big change from the north city to the southern city," Tigress commented.

"Yeah," Po smiled. Tigress saw that the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon and the ship's lights came on. She turned towards Po.

"So what is it like to be a doctor," Tigress asked. "You must be very skilled and knowledgeable." Po seemed a little surprised.

"I could say the same about you," Po replied. "But being a doctor really just depends on how much you love helping people. I've been with and worked with a few, just a few, doctors who were just in it for the money and they didn't care for the patient. Most doctors care about the patients but the moment some political figure or hospital manager threatens to cut their pay and make the caring more affordable, they get really ticked off."

"And you?"

"I could care less about the money. All I want to do is make sure I ease the pain of people and help in the best way I can," Po replied. Tigress just sat there in awe as the panda explained his medical life.

"I've never heard someone so passionate about helping people," Tigress commented.

"Yeah, but it's why I'm here now," Po sighed. "I hope I'm not talking too much."

"It's fine. Why do you say the patients are the cause of you being here?"

"Because I work TOO much. I worry so much about other people that I don't really take care of myself. My head doctor told me that the vacation was so that I could learn to relax a bit and tend to my needs as well. And he hoped that me being with my friend, Dr. Monkey, would help. He's a children's doctor and he's relatively relaxed and cheerful." Po felt he was talking too much of himself. "So what about you? What's it like to be a personal trainer?"

"It's always challenging, which I love a good challenge."

"You should play chess with your grandfather sometimes," Po joked. Tigress smiled.

"I like getting people in shape and I also work with women a lot so they're able to protect themselves from predators," Tigress said.

"Wow, that's great."

"Yeah, but I do want to relax a bit. It takes a lot out of you when you're constantly working out. Sure I get use to it, but I like making some time for relaxation."

"And what do you do to relax?"

"Stretch, go to a spa sometimes, I really like swimming. What about you?"

"I... eat," Po tittered. Tigress smiled.

"What do you do to relax?"

"Well, I volunteer at a soup kitchen. Most times, I sleep when I can get some."

"That's it! You don't read a book, play an instrument, play a game, or workout? Well, you don't have to work out, you have to eat."

"I don't really have much to do outside of the hospital. Oh! I know. I talk with my patients," Po said. Tigress rolled her eyes.

"That's not relaxing."

"No, I mean, I talk with them, chat with them. I don't always get medical on a person."

"That's not acceptable. You need to learn how to relax," Tigress said. "And I know just the thing."

"What's that?"

"A dip in the sauna with me," Tigress said. Po stuttered.

"Well, I-"

"No buts. You're going to the hot tub and that's final. First thing tomorrow. We're still at sea on that day," Tigress replied.

"Tigress, I-"

"Please," Tigress asked. Po could usually say no to puppy eyes or cute gentle faces, but he found himself captivated by the plea of Tigress. He sighed.

"Fine."

"Great! What's your room number?"

"Huh?"

"I have to make sure that you don't flake out," Tigress replied. So Po reluctantly gave it to her. When Po finally got to his room, he noticed that Monkey wasn't there. He looked at the bed to see a note: Gone for a while, will come back in the morning. Don't worry about me. Po could also tell that the woman he was with saw the note as well because her lipstick was on it.

The next day, Po woke up. He always got up early in the morning. Something that he couldn't shake off. Then he heard a knock at the door. He opened it to see Tigress in her bathing suit. Po would always stutter when he saw her in that. "Ready?"

"But I didn't have breakfast yet," Po complained.

"Then what's that plate doing in there," Tigress said, spotting the plate on the floor. Po turned around and saw it. "Also, why do you have on your swimming trunks anyway."

"I um..."

"You really don't lie too well, do you?"

"I've been told I suck at it," Po sighed. Tigress grabbed Po's hand and rushed him to the hot tub. "Wait, we're going to the public ones near the pool?"

"Yeah."

"I know somewhere a little more... private," Po said, directing her this time. They made their way to a private hot tub, not really known by many people.

"How did you find this?"

"I wander a lot," Po said.

"Well, come on in," Tigress replied, already getting into the tub. Po took a deep breath and slowly went into the tub.

"Ahh, HA! Haha," Po finally relaxed.

"Feel better?" Tigress smirked.

"Yes," Po said lazily. "I never knew I was this tense." Tigress chuckled.

"Po, why did you want to find a private hot tub," She asked. Po looked away.

"I don't feel comfortable with many people noticing me. I had a habit of doing clumsy things in school and it always left me to getting laughed at. I didn't take it to heart. Sometimes, I would purposely do it to make people feel better. But nowadays I try not to get noticed as much," Po replied.

"Oh, well that explains a lot," Tigress realized.

"Why did you want to see me relaxed so much?" Po asked.

"It's not good to take care of the whole world and you yourself be forgotten," Tigress said sympathetically. Po smiled.

"Ah, this feels very good. I'm glad you dragged me here," Po said. Tigress became curious.

"Po, what is your love life like since you're a doctor," Tigress asked. Po's eyes popped opened. "I'm sorry if it's too personal."

"No, I was just taken off guard by that. It's kind of hard because, like I said before, everyone expects you to have this large amount of money. So I get a lot of women asking to be in a relationship and it turns out they're out for my funds. So I generally tell them I'm the janitor at the hospital," Po explained. "What about you?"

"Ha, everyone either runs away from me or thinks I would be too... judgmental if I was dating them."

"What do you mean?"

"When people hear 'personal trainer', they think I'm going to rearrange their eating habits and force them on a strict healthy diet," Tigress explained. "Truth is, I could care less what you eat. As long as YOU don't interfere with what I eat. Forcing people on a strict healthy diet is my job, not my life. If I don't get paid to do it, I'm not doing it. If they ask me then fine, but it's difficult for me."

"Okay, but what do you mean by judgmental?" Po asked.

"People also think that because I'm a personal trainer I don't like weak, thin, fat, short... basically anyone from the ideal person. They think I would judge them on their weight, strength, or whatever if I got closer to them," Tigress replied.

"But you don't?"

"Of course not. I could care less if I could wrestle down my own boyfriend. I don't need someone like me. I'll be honest that I kind of hate men who are strong, tall, and handsome."

"Oh no, I'm in trouble," Po joked. Tigress smiled. "But why?"

"When I use to work with men who were weak or wanted to lose weight after I trained them, they become more confident which should be good. But the problem is they don't know how to properly use that confidence. And they come out to be real jerks and bullies."

"So what kind of guy do you like?" Po asked.

"To be honest, someone who's just nice and great to be around," Tigress said. Po swam over to her side and looked her in the eyes.

"And what about me?"

"You're not like other men," Tigress replied. "So far, you've been the kind of guy I like, besides the funny fowl-ups you do." Po nervously rubbed the back of his head.

"HELLO!"

"AHH!" Po and Tigress jumped away from each other. Standing out on the side of the hot tub was a large snow leopard. Tigress huffed in annoyance.

"Uncle Tai-Lung why did you do that?" Tigress said. Uncle? Po thought. The man looked like his thirty-year-old brother and fit too. This must have been Tigress's inspiration to do physical training.

"I was just wondering how my niece is. And who may you be?" Tai-Lung asked Po.

"I'm Po," Po smiled.

"Nice to meet your boyfriend, Tigress. I knew you would make friends here," Tai-Lung cheekily said.

"I um..." Po found himself in a bind. Tigress was more readily prepared.

"We're not dating. We're just friends who are talking to each other. Now, why are you here?"

"Well, since you ask, I've been wondering what you were going to do for the first place we're stopping at?" Tigress looked a little confused at the question.

"I don't know. I hadn't considered it."

"I could show you around. I've know the islands we're going to. I could give you the back island tour," Po said. Tigress smiled.

"That would be lovely," Tigress replied.

"Okay! I'll leave you two alone," Tai-Lung said backing out of the conversation. Tigress and Po looked at each other and laughed nervously.

"Family," Tigress said.

"I know," Po replied.

Continued...