Undead Honeymoon Read Free Page B

couldn’t help but shudder as I remembered what the last batch was like. How could someone make gravy that came from a packet taste like burnt silly putty? And how do I know what burnt silly putty tastes like?
     
    “I love you, but I don’t feel like trying to survive another culinary experiment right before a cruise.” 
     
    Finn‘s shoulders drooped as he closed the pantry. “What did you have in mind?” 
     
    “Well,” I began, “I sure could go for some hot chocolate.” I gave him my best smile, the one I reserve especially for him. He calls it my siren look. 
     
    “If we ever have kids, I really hope we don’t have a girl,” Finn said as he grabbed the car keys from the hook near the pantry.
     
    “Why not?”  
     
    “Because she’ll have me just as wrapped as you do, probably more,” he said dryly.
     
    I couldn’t help but smile, partly because it was true. I could just picture a little girl having him at her beck and call by the time she was old enough to lift her head. It would mean I’d have to be the strict parent in the relationship. Maybe it would be better if we had a boy first.      
     
    Finn didn’t have to ask where I wanted to go. The second I said hot chocolate he knew I wanted our favorite breakfast spot, “Honestly Appetizing”. It’s a quaint little mom and pop shop near the ocean. The restaurant used to be a small beach house, and the owners simply gutted it and stuck a dozen or so tables inside. It’s a very cozy place to sit and relax while enjoying some home cooked food.
     
    We were sat at our favorite table, too; the one right next to the window facing the beach. Nothing beats being able to watch the waves crash as you eat a good meal. It was the perfect start to our day.  
     
    We’d planned on going straight to the ship from breakfast, but Finn forgot his laptop. He said he’d have time to study during the sea days when we weren’t at port. I told him we’d probably be too busy, but decided not to argue. Once we got to the house Finn left the car running as he darted inside. He came out carrying a banana and his laptop case.
     
    “You’re already hungry again?” I asked incredulously as he hopped into the driver’s seat. He’d had a heaping mound of stuffed waffles for breakfast. How could he already want more food?
     
    “No. This is for you,” he said.
     
    “I’m not hungry.”
     
    Finn cocked his head, “You will be. Boarding can take hours, especially with the bigger ships.”
     
    I nodded and put the banana in my bag.
     
    The port recently built a new multi-level parking garage for the cruise lines, so parking was actually quite pleasant. I tried not to think about the $150 we’d be shelling out when we paid at the end of the week.     
     
    “Don’t you get benefits or something?” I asked as we waited to board. Finn had gone on several cruises before we met, and I remembered him saying there were perks. Hopefully one of them was the preferred boarding Elliot talked about. I’d decided not to tell Finn about his brother’s advice, but the ones and fives I brought with me did come in handy when the porters offered to carry our luggage. 
     
    Finn shrugged. “They sent me that pamphlet a few weeks ago that outlined what perks I get, but I never read it.”
     
    I sighed as he waved a nearby woman over to us. She wore a gold tag bearing the Imperial Cruise Line’s logo. The word Italy was neatly embossed directly below her name. “Excuse me, is there a line for members who’ve cruised before? I’m a Jade Member.”
     
    The woman perked up and her smile widened.
 
    “Of course, of course! Right this way, sir,” she said with a thick Italian accent. After thanking us for choosing Imperial Cruise Lines she waved us over to a much shorter line, right next to the boarding platform. I felt kind of guilty as I saw the mass of people waiting in the regular boarding lines. They weren’t moving very fast, and it only took