Post by RitaLittlewood on Jul 13, 2007 19:46:02 GMT
Part 1
It was October 2007 and Reet was exhausted. She looked out of the window over the depressing, gloomy Weatherfield horizon and decided it was time for her annual three-five week break. She finished touching up her make-up and six hours later went down to the shop to break the news to her aggravation.
"You're always going away," Norris whined.
"Yer what?" Reet screeched. "They've been working me into the ground for the past two years giving me ridiculous storylines while making sure I never wed Mike Baldwin or Fred Elliott before they killed 'em off, forcing me to miss out on more inheritances. They wouldn't treat a dog they way they treat me. I need a proper break and I don't mean yer neck for once. Though that can easily be arranged too."
Norris noticed the way she was looking at him, swallowed hard and loosened his collar. "Would you like me to come with you? You know single supplements take a huge chunk out of your millions and you don't like that."
She picked up a copy of the Weatherfield Gazette and walloped him with it. "After what happened in Budapest? Do yer think I'm cracked or summat? I'd rather..." It was her turn to swallow hard as she felt the pain, "...pay the single supplement that put up with yer again."
"Suit yourself," he shrugged. "But who will you get to carry your bags?"
She was about to hit him again but stopped herself somehow. "Good thinking."
"I aim to please," he grinned.
"For a peasant," she added which made his face fall then hit him anyway for good measure.
"Where were you thinking of going?" he asked. "I've always fancied St Petersburg myself."
"I don't care who yer fancy," she snapped. "We'll have none of yer kinky ways on me trip. Yer under sufferance to do the menial tasks."
"It's a place in Russia," he tutted.
"Oh," she said. "I knew that. I were just testing yer. Do yer think I'm thick or summat?" He said nothing. "In't Russia where all them kayaks are?"
"You mean cossacks," he corrected.
"Well done, moron," she grinned. "I were testing again."
"Course you were(!)" he replied in monotone.
"Oh belt up, peasant!" she yelled, hitting him again. "What do yer want to go to St Petersburg for anyway? It's flamin' cold in Russia."
"As you already have the hat I'm sure you'll fit right in," he said. "Not to mention blubber to keep you warm," he mumbled.
"That does it!" With that she belted him with the paper repeatedly until he cried for mercy from the floor.
"Please, Reet," he whimpered. "Enough's enough."
"It's never enough where yer concerned, yer snivelling little runt," she barked before stopping.
"Thank you," he said.
"I only stopped because all this fun has given me a raging thirst," she snapped. "Now where's me vodka?"
Norris pulled himself up as she disappeared out the back. "What sort of holiday are you thinking of then?"
She returned with the bottle to her lips and guzzled as if her life depended on it. "A cruise," she told him once the bottle was empty.
"A cruise?" he asked nervously. "Can't we go to St Petersburg? All that culture."
"And all them poor Russians," she said.
"I didn't realise you cared so much about the starving millions," he replied.
"I don't," she snapped. "I'm thinking of the few billionaires about. A cruise is what I should've had last year." She looked directly at him. "Only they saddled me with yer and sent me to flamin' Budapest instead. So tomorrow we head down to Southampton. As no cruise lasts five weeks except them world ones, I've booked consecutive trips. First off it's sixteen nights in the Med followed by twenty-two to the Caribbean. If they don't want me back till mid-December then it's another twelve to the Canaries. I quite fancy going back to Tenerife."
"Wish you'd have stayed there," he mumbled to himself.
"Yer'll love it and I can get into me cossie," she continued, oblivious to his remark.
He curled his lip at the thought of her in a swimsuit. "Hang on. That's six weeks. Yer usually gone only five."
She belted him. "My show. I'll be gone as long as I want. Now get packing!" She noticed he hadn't moved. "Want me to force yer through they door head first?"
"I'm not very good on water. Can we go somewhere else?" he whimpered.
"Yer not very good on land either," she snapped.
"But I can't swim," he pleaded.
"Good," she beamed. "Perhaps then yer'll be less likely to annoy me so yer don't get chucked overboard. Get gone!"
The next day Reet insisted on a taxi all the way to the Mayflower Terminal from Weatherfield. Norris had been ordered to stay silent or else during the entire journey. As the driver turned into Dock Gate 10, Reet leaned forward.
"There's our ship, peasant," she beamed. "Aurora. Named after a goddess they say. I should have been called Aurora seeing as I'm a goddess. Think it's too late to change me name?" Norris rolled his eyes and said nothing. Reet scowled and whacked him with her carry-on bag. "Oi! I'm talking to yer. After I were nice enough to let yer come with me after what happened in Budapest last year I expect you to answer me."
"Oh you're letting me speak now, are you? How considerate(!)" he replied.
She whacked him again. "Less of yer lip, peasant. Remember yer on a promise."
Norris swallowed hard, eyes wideneing as all sorts of nightmarish thoughts ran through his head. "A promise?"
"That's right," she nodded. "I promise to chuck yer overboard if yer don't behave and treat me with the respect I deserve."
He breathed a huge sigh of relief, though being thrown overboard would have been a better option to what he had imagined. "I'll do my best."
"Yer best in't good enough, moron!" she yelled as the taxi pulled up. "Ah we've arrived. Pay the man, peasant." And with that she got out.
"How do you stand her?" the driver asked.
"I have no idea," Norris said despondently.
"If she was my wife I'd have divorced her years ago," he remarked.
"Oh, we're not married," Norris quickly corrected, sweating profusely at the thought of putting up with her 24/7.
"Oh," was all the driver added.
"No, you've got the wrong end of the stick," Norris pressed. "We're partners."
"Yeah, that's the new terminology for it," the driver replied.
"Business partners," Norris stressed urgently. "Will you accept a cheque?"
After the porter had struggled with all Reet's antiquated steamer trunks housing her sparkley jumpers, tents, sequinned eveningwear, extra make up and hairspray, he took Norris's tiny case and placed it on the top before they went to check in. As Reet had booked the Piano Suite rather than Library Suite because she hated books since her relationship with Anthony Stephens due to the musty smell reminding her of him, she had priority check-in and embarkation. She had reluctantly let Norris share her suite to save money. He began to have palpitations at the cost.
"Is this going to be expensive?" he asked warily as they queued at security.
"Oh stop yer whining," she barked. "I'm offering yer a trip of a lifetime so be grateful!"
"Only if you paid for it," she remarked.
She turned round and hit him round the head. "One more crack like that and I'll make yer pay me share an' all."
He closed his eyes, sweating profusely as images of being thrown in jail for not being able to pay his debts and becoming someone's plaything went round his head. "Couldn't you have gone for something cheaper?"
Her outburst was saved by the scanner. She walked through, picked up her bags then grabbed his arm roughly as soon as he came through. "Do yer really expect me, the greatest person to ever live, to slum it in a common balcony cabin?" she hissed angrily, giving him that look which made him desperate for the toilet. "Now carry that and belt up," she added thrusting the carry-on bag forcibly into his stomach, winding him then stomped to the departure lounge. Her eyes widened when she saw a bar and a big grin broke out on her face. Norris thought she looked like some sort of grotesque Halloween mask but kept his opinion to himself. She plonked herself down. "Go and get us a drink," she ordered. "I'll have a quadruple vodka and tonic. Splash of tonic. Don't want to ruin the flavour." He put the bags on the chair and did as instructed while she looked smug. He really wished he could wipe that grin off her face but knew it would lead to more violence if he tried. After he'd got to the end of the queue he finally returned. "Yer took yer time," she growled, snatching it from him. "Me mouth's like sandpaper. Do yer want me to get dehydrated and die?"
"Wish you would," he mumbled.
She belted him. "I heard that, peasant! Yer on dangerous ground." She downed the drink, gave him back the glass then got up and wandered over to the picture window. She gazed dreamily at the bow of Aurora with thoughts of any single rich passengers onboard or main crew like the captain. She was brought out of her reverie of free cruises for life by a boarding announcement. She marched over to Norris and pulled him up by his ear. "Come along, peasant. Walkies! This is where the fun begins!"
"Depends on your definition of fun," he responded grumpily.
"This," she grinned, walloping him around the head several times. "Now pick up them bags and let's get on. There's me dinner to get before they condescend to let the greatness that is Reet Littlewood-Fairclough-Sullivan into her suite. Maybe I should've told 'em they had a Megastar aboard." She shrugged. "Oh well. Plenty of time for them to find out and worship at me corns. Get a move on, peasant!" She was growing increasingly impatient so grabbed his tie and dragged him through the doors and towards the escaltor. He almost lost his footing trying to get on, not that she even noticed. As they made their way along the gangway, Reet watched the gleaming white 76,000 tonner get nearer, beaming and puffed her chest out as far as she could at the thought of hopefully snaring another bank account to add to her collection. Norris knew there would be hell to pay if she came away disappointed and would take it out on him. As they neared the Deck 5 entrance, Reet looked through the windows at the sea between the ship and dock and her excitement grew. "Not long now, peasant," she grinned. "And if yer suffer seasickness or do owt to ruin me holiday yer'll be sorry!"
"What's new?" he grumbled and began to feel queasy at the sight of water between the ship and dock.
After having their picture taken at security they emerged at the bottom of a staircase which housed a 35 foot sculpture of the Goddess Aurora complete with running water spanning four decks. Norris was less than impressed and wished she'd left him to run the shop instead of Ken Barlow.
"Ah," she sighed, gazing up at the statue. "Just think, peasant, if I'd been called Aurora that would've been of me." Norris rolled his eyes in silence. "Imagine that. Me image going round t'world with umpteen millions looking adoringly at me."
"You're certainly old enough," he remarked. She slowly lowered her head, turned, glared at him with hooded eyes. He knew what was coming next. "Ow!" he yelped as her handbag connected with his head. "What have you got in there? Bricks?"
"Just me make-up, peasant," she growled.
"What? Cement?" he chuckled. "Ow!" He decided to change the subject. "I'm hungry. I heard someone say we can get lunch at the Orangery."
She was about to yell but her stomach rumbling stopped her. "Where's this food?"
"I told you," he said. "Orangery."
She hit him. "I'm not deaf or stupid, yer know. I heard what yer said. I want to know where it is? Cos if yer think such greatness as me will go up t'stairs, yer've got another think coming unless yer wanna carry me."
He grimaced at the thought of breaking his back trying to lift her even an inch so went to find a deck plan. He returned. "Deck 12 on the Lido Deck next to the Pennant Bar."
Reet's eyes lit up. "Bar? What yer moaning about grub for? Take me to the vodka, peasant!"
"But, Reet," he whined, "I'm hungry."
"Tough!" she yelled. "I'm the star and I want a proper dinner. Come on!"
At 2pm there was an announcement the cabins were now available. Reet had used the lift to go down the two decks to Britannia while she made Norris use the stairs. She was not happy. The Pennant Bar had been at the stern while the suite was as far forward as you could go. "Should've forced the little runt to carry me greatness," she grumbled to herself as she made her way down the long corridor. Once she finally reached the end she slumped against the door to get her breath back. "I need refreshment," she puffed. "Miserable beggars confiscating me provisions till the end of the cruises. I really must tell them they can't treat a Megastar this way. I'm not a peasant after all." She summoned up all her energy to delve into her back, dug out her key card, put it on the slot and opened the door. Once in she beamed at a corner sofa as she staggered over and collapsed on it, panting heavily. She closed her eyes. "Peace at last." They snapped open after a few minutes when she heard the door open. "Damn. I knew it were too good to last."
"Ah, there you are," Norris said as he put the bags down.
"Stating the flamin' obvious as usual, peasant," she said, too exhausted to yell.
"Where's my bedroom?" he asked. She weakly raised her arm and pointed. "I don't see a bedroom," he noted.
"That's because t'only bedroom is up them stairs, moron," she barked, still quite breathless.
"What are you pointing at then?" he wondered.
"See that piano?" she replied.
"Yes," he said warily.
"Yer sleep under them stairs next to it," she ordered then her arm fell heavily.
"Are you dead?" he asked hopefully.
"Soon as I've recovered from the exertion yer'll soon find out," she warned.
He swallowed hard. "Knew it was too good to be true," he muttered.
"Oh shut yer face, peasant!" she barked.
"Where's the bathroom?" he asked, surveying his surroundings.
"Why?" she hissed, scowling.
"Do I have to draw you a diagram?" he tutted.
She slowly pushed herself up. "If yer think yer going to use mine, yer cracked. Use one on t'ship. There's plenty. See up there?" She pointed to the level at the top of the stairs. He nodded. "That's out of bounds. Everything up top from the stairs is. Got it?"
"Whatever you say," he sighed.
"I do," she growled, flopping back down again. "Now leave me. Wake me when I have to go to that tiresome lifeboat drill."
"I'm surprised the belt's big enough to tie around your waist," he commented before noticing that look again and hot-footing it out of there.
"Peace at LAST!" she sighed, grinning again before going to sleep.
To be continued.....
It was October 2007 and Reet was exhausted. She looked out of the window over the depressing, gloomy Weatherfield horizon and decided it was time for her annual three-five week break. She finished touching up her make-up and six hours later went down to the shop to break the news to her aggravation.
"You're always going away," Norris whined.
"Yer what?" Reet screeched. "They've been working me into the ground for the past two years giving me ridiculous storylines while making sure I never wed Mike Baldwin or Fred Elliott before they killed 'em off, forcing me to miss out on more inheritances. They wouldn't treat a dog they way they treat me. I need a proper break and I don't mean yer neck for once. Though that can easily be arranged too."
Norris noticed the way she was looking at him, swallowed hard and loosened his collar. "Would you like me to come with you? You know single supplements take a huge chunk out of your millions and you don't like that."
She picked up a copy of the Weatherfield Gazette and walloped him with it. "After what happened in Budapest? Do yer think I'm cracked or summat? I'd rather..." It was her turn to swallow hard as she felt the pain, "...pay the single supplement that put up with yer again."
"Suit yourself," he shrugged. "But who will you get to carry your bags?"
She was about to hit him again but stopped herself somehow. "Good thinking."
"I aim to please," he grinned.
"For a peasant," she added which made his face fall then hit him anyway for good measure.
"Where were you thinking of going?" he asked. "I've always fancied St Petersburg myself."
"I don't care who yer fancy," she snapped. "We'll have none of yer kinky ways on me trip. Yer under sufferance to do the menial tasks."
"It's a place in Russia," he tutted.
"Oh," she said. "I knew that. I were just testing yer. Do yer think I'm thick or summat?" He said nothing. "In't Russia where all them kayaks are?"
"You mean cossacks," he corrected.
"Well done, moron," she grinned. "I were testing again."
"Course you were(!)" he replied in monotone.
"Oh belt up, peasant!" she yelled, hitting him again. "What do yer want to go to St Petersburg for anyway? It's flamin' cold in Russia."
"As you already have the hat I'm sure you'll fit right in," he said. "Not to mention blubber to keep you warm," he mumbled.
"That does it!" With that she belted him with the paper repeatedly until he cried for mercy from the floor.
"Please, Reet," he whimpered. "Enough's enough."
"It's never enough where yer concerned, yer snivelling little runt," she barked before stopping.
"Thank you," he said.
"I only stopped because all this fun has given me a raging thirst," she snapped. "Now where's me vodka?"
Norris pulled himself up as she disappeared out the back. "What sort of holiday are you thinking of then?"
She returned with the bottle to her lips and guzzled as if her life depended on it. "A cruise," she told him once the bottle was empty.
"A cruise?" he asked nervously. "Can't we go to St Petersburg? All that culture."
"And all them poor Russians," she said.
"I didn't realise you cared so much about the starving millions," he replied.
"I don't," she snapped. "I'm thinking of the few billionaires about. A cruise is what I should've had last year." She looked directly at him. "Only they saddled me with yer and sent me to flamin' Budapest instead. So tomorrow we head down to Southampton. As no cruise lasts five weeks except them world ones, I've booked consecutive trips. First off it's sixteen nights in the Med followed by twenty-two to the Caribbean. If they don't want me back till mid-December then it's another twelve to the Canaries. I quite fancy going back to Tenerife."
"Wish you'd have stayed there," he mumbled to himself.
"Yer'll love it and I can get into me cossie," she continued, oblivious to his remark.
He curled his lip at the thought of her in a swimsuit. "Hang on. That's six weeks. Yer usually gone only five."
She belted him. "My show. I'll be gone as long as I want. Now get packing!" She noticed he hadn't moved. "Want me to force yer through they door head first?"
"I'm not very good on water. Can we go somewhere else?" he whimpered.
"Yer not very good on land either," she snapped.
"But I can't swim," he pleaded.
"Good," she beamed. "Perhaps then yer'll be less likely to annoy me so yer don't get chucked overboard. Get gone!"
The next day Reet insisted on a taxi all the way to the Mayflower Terminal from Weatherfield. Norris had been ordered to stay silent or else during the entire journey. As the driver turned into Dock Gate 10, Reet leaned forward.
"There's our ship, peasant," she beamed. "Aurora. Named after a goddess they say. I should have been called Aurora seeing as I'm a goddess. Think it's too late to change me name?" Norris rolled his eyes and said nothing. Reet scowled and whacked him with her carry-on bag. "Oi! I'm talking to yer. After I were nice enough to let yer come with me after what happened in Budapest last year I expect you to answer me."
"Oh you're letting me speak now, are you? How considerate(!)" he replied.
She whacked him again. "Less of yer lip, peasant. Remember yer on a promise."
Norris swallowed hard, eyes wideneing as all sorts of nightmarish thoughts ran through his head. "A promise?"
"That's right," she nodded. "I promise to chuck yer overboard if yer don't behave and treat me with the respect I deserve."
He breathed a huge sigh of relief, though being thrown overboard would have been a better option to what he had imagined. "I'll do my best."
"Yer best in't good enough, moron!" she yelled as the taxi pulled up. "Ah we've arrived. Pay the man, peasant." And with that she got out.
"How do you stand her?" the driver asked.
"I have no idea," Norris said despondently.
"If she was my wife I'd have divorced her years ago," he remarked.
"Oh, we're not married," Norris quickly corrected, sweating profusely at the thought of putting up with her 24/7.
"Oh," was all the driver added.
"No, you've got the wrong end of the stick," Norris pressed. "We're partners."
"Yeah, that's the new terminology for it," the driver replied.
"Business partners," Norris stressed urgently. "Will you accept a cheque?"
After the porter had struggled with all Reet's antiquated steamer trunks housing her sparkley jumpers, tents, sequinned eveningwear, extra make up and hairspray, he took Norris's tiny case and placed it on the top before they went to check in. As Reet had booked the Piano Suite rather than Library Suite because she hated books since her relationship with Anthony Stephens due to the musty smell reminding her of him, she had priority check-in and embarkation. She had reluctantly let Norris share her suite to save money. He began to have palpitations at the cost.
"Is this going to be expensive?" he asked warily as they queued at security.
"Oh stop yer whining," she barked. "I'm offering yer a trip of a lifetime so be grateful!"
"Only if you paid for it," she remarked.
She turned round and hit him round the head. "One more crack like that and I'll make yer pay me share an' all."
He closed his eyes, sweating profusely as images of being thrown in jail for not being able to pay his debts and becoming someone's plaything went round his head. "Couldn't you have gone for something cheaper?"
Her outburst was saved by the scanner. She walked through, picked up her bags then grabbed his arm roughly as soon as he came through. "Do yer really expect me, the greatest person to ever live, to slum it in a common balcony cabin?" she hissed angrily, giving him that look which made him desperate for the toilet. "Now carry that and belt up," she added thrusting the carry-on bag forcibly into his stomach, winding him then stomped to the departure lounge. Her eyes widened when she saw a bar and a big grin broke out on her face. Norris thought she looked like some sort of grotesque Halloween mask but kept his opinion to himself. She plonked herself down. "Go and get us a drink," she ordered. "I'll have a quadruple vodka and tonic. Splash of tonic. Don't want to ruin the flavour." He put the bags on the chair and did as instructed while she looked smug. He really wished he could wipe that grin off her face but knew it would lead to more violence if he tried. After he'd got to the end of the queue he finally returned. "Yer took yer time," she growled, snatching it from him. "Me mouth's like sandpaper. Do yer want me to get dehydrated and die?"
"Wish you would," he mumbled.
She belted him. "I heard that, peasant! Yer on dangerous ground." She downed the drink, gave him back the glass then got up and wandered over to the picture window. She gazed dreamily at the bow of Aurora with thoughts of any single rich passengers onboard or main crew like the captain. She was brought out of her reverie of free cruises for life by a boarding announcement. She marched over to Norris and pulled him up by his ear. "Come along, peasant. Walkies! This is where the fun begins!"
"Depends on your definition of fun," he responded grumpily.
"This," she grinned, walloping him around the head several times. "Now pick up them bags and let's get on. There's me dinner to get before they condescend to let the greatness that is Reet Littlewood-Fairclough-Sullivan into her suite. Maybe I should've told 'em they had a Megastar aboard." She shrugged. "Oh well. Plenty of time for them to find out and worship at me corns. Get a move on, peasant!" She was growing increasingly impatient so grabbed his tie and dragged him through the doors and towards the escaltor. He almost lost his footing trying to get on, not that she even noticed. As they made their way along the gangway, Reet watched the gleaming white 76,000 tonner get nearer, beaming and puffed her chest out as far as she could at the thought of hopefully snaring another bank account to add to her collection. Norris knew there would be hell to pay if she came away disappointed and would take it out on him. As they neared the Deck 5 entrance, Reet looked through the windows at the sea between the ship and dock and her excitement grew. "Not long now, peasant," she grinned. "And if yer suffer seasickness or do owt to ruin me holiday yer'll be sorry!"
"What's new?" he grumbled and began to feel queasy at the sight of water between the ship and dock.
After having their picture taken at security they emerged at the bottom of a staircase which housed a 35 foot sculpture of the Goddess Aurora complete with running water spanning four decks. Norris was less than impressed and wished she'd left him to run the shop instead of Ken Barlow.
"Ah," she sighed, gazing up at the statue. "Just think, peasant, if I'd been called Aurora that would've been of me." Norris rolled his eyes in silence. "Imagine that. Me image going round t'world with umpteen millions looking adoringly at me."
"You're certainly old enough," he remarked. She slowly lowered her head, turned, glared at him with hooded eyes. He knew what was coming next. "Ow!" he yelped as her handbag connected with his head. "What have you got in there? Bricks?"
"Just me make-up, peasant," she growled.
"What? Cement?" he chuckled. "Ow!" He decided to change the subject. "I'm hungry. I heard someone say we can get lunch at the Orangery."
She was about to yell but her stomach rumbling stopped her. "Where's this food?"
"I told you," he said. "Orangery."
She hit him. "I'm not deaf or stupid, yer know. I heard what yer said. I want to know where it is? Cos if yer think such greatness as me will go up t'stairs, yer've got another think coming unless yer wanna carry me."
He grimaced at the thought of breaking his back trying to lift her even an inch so went to find a deck plan. He returned. "Deck 12 on the Lido Deck next to the Pennant Bar."
Reet's eyes lit up. "Bar? What yer moaning about grub for? Take me to the vodka, peasant!"
"But, Reet," he whined, "I'm hungry."
"Tough!" she yelled. "I'm the star and I want a proper dinner. Come on!"
At 2pm there was an announcement the cabins were now available. Reet had used the lift to go down the two decks to Britannia while she made Norris use the stairs. She was not happy. The Pennant Bar had been at the stern while the suite was as far forward as you could go. "Should've forced the little runt to carry me greatness," she grumbled to herself as she made her way down the long corridor. Once she finally reached the end she slumped against the door to get her breath back. "I need refreshment," she puffed. "Miserable beggars confiscating me provisions till the end of the cruises. I really must tell them they can't treat a Megastar this way. I'm not a peasant after all." She summoned up all her energy to delve into her back, dug out her key card, put it on the slot and opened the door. Once in she beamed at a corner sofa as she staggered over and collapsed on it, panting heavily. She closed her eyes. "Peace at last." They snapped open after a few minutes when she heard the door open. "Damn. I knew it were too good to last."
"Ah, there you are," Norris said as he put the bags down.
"Stating the flamin' obvious as usual, peasant," she said, too exhausted to yell.
"Where's my bedroom?" he asked. She weakly raised her arm and pointed. "I don't see a bedroom," he noted.
"That's because t'only bedroom is up them stairs, moron," she barked, still quite breathless.
"What are you pointing at then?" he wondered.
"See that piano?" she replied.
"Yes," he said warily.
"Yer sleep under them stairs next to it," she ordered then her arm fell heavily.
"Are you dead?" he asked hopefully.
"Soon as I've recovered from the exertion yer'll soon find out," she warned.
He swallowed hard. "Knew it was too good to be true," he muttered.
"Oh shut yer face, peasant!" she barked.
"Where's the bathroom?" he asked, surveying his surroundings.
"Why?" she hissed, scowling.
"Do I have to draw you a diagram?" he tutted.
She slowly pushed herself up. "If yer think yer going to use mine, yer cracked. Use one on t'ship. There's plenty. See up there?" She pointed to the level at the top of the stairs. He nodded. "That's out of bounds. Everything up top from the stairs is. Got it?"
"Whatever you say," he sighed.
"I do," she growled, flopping back down again. "Now leave me. Wake me when I have to go to that tiresome lifeboat drill."
"I'm surprised the belt's big enough to tie around your waist," he commented before noticing that look again and hot-footing it out of there.
"Peace at LAST!" she sighed, grinning again before going to sleep.
To be continued.....