"This was a great idea, Jen. I think it's going to be fun."
Debbie took a long drink from the straw poking out of a half-empty coconut. The flower attached to a swizzle stick tickled her nose. The scent of rum, cherry and orange invaded her senses.
"Well, I'm glad you decided to come," Jennifer answered. They touched their coconut drinks together as if toasting on New Year's Eve.
The two friends walked down the narrow hall of the cruise ship's fifth passenger deck. Debbie's sheer swimsuit cover waved in the air as she walked. It lay open, revealing her soft pink two-piece suit and tanned body.
Jennifer's shirt was a little heavier and longer, and also was open in the front to reveal her blue bikini. She had a Barbie-like waist, which exaggerated the ample breasts and hips on her tall frame.
Both had fine blonde hair that was still damp from their recent swim. Three more days in the Caribbean sun would lighten the hair even more. The twenty three year old women had planned the cruise for almost a year and both were excited on this first day at sea.
"Good afternoon, ladies."
A dark-haired young man in a light blue cruise line uniform stood outside an open cabin door, smiling broadly at the two women. A second uniformed man, even younger looking than the first, stood in the doorway.
Jennifer and Debbie smiled back and said "hi". Two pairs of eyes watched them proceed down the hallway until they stopped at their cabin, unlocked it and entered.
"5032. Maybe that's the one," the man outside the cabin said. The other man nodded silently.
Inside the cabin, Debbie put down her drink and pulled open the shade covering the porthole. Deep blue water below and lighter blue sky above met her eyes. In the distance, the outline of another cruise ship could be seen on the horizon, near the setting sun.
She curled one leg under her body and peered out.
"It's so peaceful," she said softly.
Jennifer already was out of her swimsuit and was pulling on panties. Debbie turned to see her friend dressing and secretly admired her features. At a petite 5'2", Debbie often yearned for a tall, shapely body like Jennifer's. Jennifer, of course, often craved a small frame with well-proportioned parts like Debbie's.
Debbie slid off the couch that doubled as a bed and slipped past her roommate in the tight cabin space. Jennifer was finishing pulling on shorts and a t-shirt. As Debbie rummaged through her drawer for clothes, Jennifer blow-dried her hair.
Neither girl felt uncomfortable in the confines of the cabin…yet. They had worked together for two years and socialized often. They didn't expect any problems sharing the room, but time would tell. So far so good.
As Debbie finally settled on an outfit and dressed, Jennifer brushed her hair and looked once more at herself in the mirror. Her nipples pressed firmly against the shirt she had tucked into her shorts, which were fashionably short. "Very nice," she thought to herself.
Debbie chose a tank top and shorts.
"You look great in that," Jennifer said as Debbie dried her hair.
"Thanks. I wonder why I go to the gym so much sometimes. Then I try to put on summer clothes."
The girls laughed together.
"You ready to go eat?" Debbie asked.
"Yep. Which way to the buffet?"
They pulled the door shut behind them and walked once more down the narrow hall, feeling the boat gently rock below them. As they passed the first hallway leading to the interior staterooms, they saw the two young men in uniforms leaning against a housekeeping cart. This time, there were smiles but no other comments.
Jennifer and Debbie ate a quick snack at the buffet, reminding each other that dinner in the main dining room wouldn't be until 8:30 that night. They both looked forward to dressing up for the dinners, especially the one formal dinner that would be held later in the cruise.
For now, the meal was light and the talk relaxing. Darkness was just beginning to fall on the waters outside as the girls headed for the ship's casino. Each of them put $20 into slot machines with Debbie the only one able to cash out at close to the same amount one half hour later.
"Not only did I blow the twenty," Tiffany whined, "but, there isn't a single guy in here I'd consider spending ten minutes with."
"I know," Debbie agreed. "I think that bar on deck eight may be our best bet after dinner."
"OK. We'll try that."
Below, two men stood inside the darkness of cabin 5032. One of them was placing duct tape over the light switch by the door. The other was fumbling with a small duffle bag. He pulled out two small plastic spray bottles, keeping one and giving the other to his partner. The same was done with two strips of cloth, two ski masks and two switchblades.
The makeshift gags were stuffed in their back pockets along with the knives. The masks were pulled down tight over their heads. In dark jogging suits, they were virtually invisible. Then they waited—one in the bathroom and one in the closet just inside the door.
At 8 p.m., the two women were outside the door to their cabin. Jennifer slid her credit card size 'key' into the lock, withdrew it and watched for the green light to flash. When it did, she opened the door.