Work Text:
Catherine sat at a table near the lounge on deck three, watching the water go by outside the porthole window. A waiter brought her some sort of smoothie that she had charged to Mrs. Allen’s room bill, along with a generous tip. She opened the book she was finally starting to read, and a pianist was just sitting down and started playing something fairly catchy, though she thought perhaps she would be able to read in spite of the music.
As she sipped at her drink while turning a page, she became aware of someone calling her name.
“There you are!” Isabella exclaimed.
Catherine smiled.
Isabella sat down. “Oh! You’re reading that! It’s so good! You won’t believe what happens! But I can’t tell you…”
Catherine listened attentively as Isabella hinted at future chapters.
“But, no time for that!” Isabella exclaimed. “We need to go to the trivia contest! It’s starting in five minutes. Follow me!”
Isabella took Catherine’s hand, and Catherine barely had time to pick up her book and grab her drink. She might be taking advantage of Mr. and Mrs. Allen’s generosity by buying a drink like this, but she wasn’t about to waste it.
They arrived at the lounge one deck up where the trivia was to take place, but discovered much to their disappointment that it had already finished ten minutes earlier.