The show went off without a hitch, although the girls did find themselves running all over breathlessly, putting things together and making the show work seamlessly. Even Jayna was quiet and worked efficiently.
When the show was over, Emmet came over first and profusely thanked them all. “I don't know how it would have happened without you,” he stressed, even giving Jayna a smile. “I mean, you ladies were amazing! Now we have to go greet the fans.” He gave them all a parting smile and walked off with all the other lads.
Colm turned back at the last second and winked at them all. “Catch you later,” he promised, before disappearing around the corner with the other lads.
Alli giggled and glanced at Danielle.
“What?” Danielle demanded. “Why do you always do that when Colm says something?”
She shrugged. “Hey, do you want to go... relax or something?” she asked slowly. “We could go, I don't know, get our nails done or something.”
Danielle glanced at Jayna, who waved her hand. “Go with my twinsie, sis,” she said, grinning. “I'll hang with yours!”
Isabelle smiled at Jayna. “Sounds fun.”
Jayna linked her arm with Isabelle and they skipped out together.
Danielle watched them go in surprise before turning to Alli. “That sounds awesome. I don't think I've ever had so much excitement in my life.”
Alli looked a little surprised at that. “Well, you must have a very boring life. Come on, let's go.” She walked off, expecting Danielle to follow her.
Danielle thought for a moment, What kind of life does she have?! before following Jayna's 'twinsie' out the door.
They wandered around for a few minutes before Alli found a map. “Ah,” she said, stopping and staring at the wall map. “So we're here...” She pointed.
“We need to be here,” Danielle said, pointing at a small square a couple of decks down.
“Okay.” Alli seemed to make a mental note before nodding. “Let's go.”
They began walking towards the elevators. “So, do you think Isabelle and Jayna will be fine?” Danielle asked nervously.
“Oh, sure,” Alli said confidently. “Why wouldn't they?”
Danielle raised her eyebrows but decided to drop it. “How are you enjoying your cruise?”
Alli glanced at Danielle and grinned. “I think it's pretty fun. Lots of cool people, and definitely a perk becoming so close with the lads. I never expected it.” She giggled a little. “Although I can't say the way we met was exactly promising.”
“Yeah, how did you meet, exactly?” Danielle asked. “I was never given a clear version.”
Alli related how she and Isabelle had inadvertently given Emmet a concussion and grinned. “So that started the whole mixup of Ellas. Now I try to call Isabelle by her full name. It's just easier.”
They walked in silence for a bit. At the elevator, they were directed away and told to use the stairs. Apparently, there had been a problem with one of the elevators earlier in the day, trapping one of the fans, and they were making sure the glitch hadn't spread to the whole system. So they took the stairs.
“You want to know why I think it's funny when Colm talks to you?” Alli asked suddenly.
“Yes,” Danielle stressed. “It's getting weird.”
“So Keith had this dream.” Alli giggled. “And what a dream it was.”
“Okay...” Danielle said hesitantly.
“In his dream, he and Isabelle had several children and were married. They were at Jayna and Emmet's wedding.” Alli laughed. “And you and Colm were married.”
Danielle's mouth fell open. “What?”
“Yeah.” Alli giggled. “Here we are.”
Danielle glanced up and was surprised to see they were, indeed, in front of the nail shop. “Oh. Wait,” she said, hurrying in after Alli. “So, seriously, that was his dream? That's... uh...”
“Strange?” Alli supplied. “Yeah. Yes, for two, please,” she said to the receptionist.
“Just get here from the show?” the lady behind the desk asked pleasantly. “This way, please.”
Alli and Danielle were seated and given mani-pedis.
“Yeah, strange,” Danielle continued. “I mean... what? When did this happen?”
“After all the confusion was cleared up.” Alli leaned back and sighed, content. “Ah, this is nice. Quiet.”
Danielle thought through that for a while before smiling slightly. “Emmet and Jayna. What a thought.” She closed her eyes and they were quiet for a while as their nails were buffed, cleaned, and polished.
A while later, Danielle opened her eyes and glanced at Alli. “So, who told you?”
“Emmet,” Alli said, not bothering to look over. “When we were on the jet skis. He was slightly horrified at the thought of marrying Jayna. I mean... Oh.” Her eyes flew open. “I didn't mean that in a bad way—”
“It's okay,” Danielle hastened to say. “I wouldn't want to marry Jayna, either.”
Alli didn't look convinced, but let it go.
“So why weren't you there?” Danielle asked.
“I don't know,” she said in surprise. “Maybe I'll be the sister that escapes.” She grinned.
Danielle shot her a glance. “You aren't a huge fangirl, are you? I really thought you were.”
“Nah,” Alli said, waving her hand.
“Ma'am, please don't,” the nail artist said.
“Oh, sorry,” she said sheepishly. “No, I am not really a huge Thunderhead. I mean, it's fun and I love their music and voices, and... their looks don't hurt, either.” She smiled slightly. “But no, I'm not a die-hard. I came on this cruise because Isabelle and I thought it would be fun to do together. A cruise, plus Celtic Thunder? Wonderful.” She grinned at Danielle.
The nail artist raised her eyebrows and grinned at them both. “True.”
They both glanced at her in surprise before grinning.
She laughed. “You forget that I have ears. Everyone does. But interesting dream Keith had.”
Alli suddenly looked worried.
“Don't worry. Mum's the word.” She put a beautifully manicured nail to her lips. “You're almost done, ladies.”
Danielle and Alli glanced at each other and talked about school for the rest of the time.
When they left, Alli smiled at Danielle. “Where to next?”
“Let's... hmm.” Danielle thought. “What do they have on this ship?”
“I don't know.” Alli shrugged and walked over to the nearest wall map. She began reading aloud. “Water slide. Clothing store after clothing store.”
“I hate shopping,” Danielle inputed.
Alli nodded. “No clothing stores. Hmm. Food. Meh. Mini golf. Underwater gardens. Shuffleboard. Bookstore.” Her eyes lit up and she turned. “Bookstore?”
Danielle smiled slowly. “Why not?”
They headed off in the direction of the bookstore and quickly found it.
Danielle's smile grew at the sight of all the books. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered. “It's beautiful.”
Alli laughed. “Isn't it? Come on. I think the fiction... yeah.” She turned left and walked among the shelves. “What kind of thing do you like to read?”
“I'm a mystery kind of person,” Danielle said, her eyes wide as she looked through the books.
“Here, then,” Alli said. “I found them.”
Danielle made her way over to Alli and smiled, pleased. “Oh, this is fantastic.”
Alli turned the corner and headed down another row.
“What do you like to read?” Danielle asked.
Her head appeared above a shelf. Danielle jumped. “Oh,” Alli said thoughtfully, “I like mystery, and young adult, and biographies, and romance, and science fiction.”
Danielle's eyebrows shot up. “Well, that's... a lot.”
“Yep.” Alli disappeared but Danielle could hear her walking around. They seemed to be the only people in the tiny shop.
Danielle was browsing happily when she heard someone walk up behind her. “Hey, Alli, I found this book that you might like. It seems to be a weird mix of genres, like you enjoy.”
The person put their head really close to hers. She could feel their presence from behind. “Hello, girls,” whispered Colm in her ear.
She turned slowly and put her hands on her hips. “Really?”
“You didn't jump or anything,” he said, disappointed.
“Nope,” she said proudly. “I heard you coming. Besides, reusing pranks, really?”
Alli came around the corner. She giggled. “Hi, Colm. Hi, Emmet.”
Emmet waved. “Hello. These two are going to fight, I think.”
“Cool.” Alli nodded.
Danielle rolled her eyes. “Why are you in here?”
Colm shrugged. “We were wandering and Emmet saw this shop. He loves a little bookstore.”
Emmet smiled. “Indeed.”
Danielle glanced at the other three before turning to Alli. “Are you ready to go?”
Alli held up a pile of books. “After we pay.”
Danielle grinned and held up her own pile. “Of course.”
Both lads looked suitably impressed. “Hey,” Colm interrupted, grabbing Danielle's books. “Let us pay.”
Emmet glanced at Colm in surprise before nodding quickly. “Oh, yeah, let us.” He smiled at Alli.
Alli looked at Danielle and smiled. “Isn't that nice?” she said, her voice raising in pitch. She handed her books to Emmet. “Thank you. So, so much.”
Colm and Emmet went and paid for the books.
“What, you're seriously letting them do this?” Danielle whispered to Alli. “I mean, I don't want to give them ideas.”
Alli shrugged and grinned mischievously. “Come on. That was, like, five books. That's a lot of money that I don't have to pay. Besides, I've never had someone buy me books before.” She glanced thoughtfully at Emmet. “It's more effective than someone trying to buy me a drink, for sure.”
Danielle glanced between Alli and Emmet and grinned slightly. “Well, anyway, next time, don't encourage them. I'm not sure I want Keith's dream coming true.”
“You know about Keith's dream?” Emmet asked, he and Colm walking over to the girls.
Alli glanced up in surprise before shrugging helplessly. “She was suspicious, because of how much I laughed when she and, um...” She hesitated.
Emmet's eyes twinkled and he handed the books to Alli. “It's okay.” He winked.
Colm looked confused but handed Danielle's books to her. “What dream?”
Danielle sighed. “Thanks for buying my books,” she said quietly.
He nodded and smiled. “Anytime.” He paused. “What dream?”
Emmet laughed. “Come on. I'll tell you over milkshakes.” He raised his eyebrow at the girls.
“I have time,” Alli said. “Let's just find it on the map.”
Danielle furrowed her brow but went along with it.
Colm's mouth hung open. “Why didn't he tell us?”
“He told me,” Emmet said. “I don't know why he didn't tell you.”
Colm glanced at Danielle and grinned. “So what are you doing this Friday night?”
“Hmm.” She pretended to think for a moment. “I'll be back in California, living life like a normal person. What about you?”
“Maybe I'll be in California, too,” he teased her. “Living life on Keith's boat or something.”
She rolled her eyes. “And poor Alli has to miss out on this, what is it... playful flirting.”
Alli smiled. “Yeah, poor me.”
“I'm sure we could find you a nice lad,” Emmet said jokingly.
“Like who, you?” she teased him, nudging his shoulder.
He rolled his eyes. “Nah. I'm taken, remember? I was thinking more like... Barry.”
Alli laughed. “Isn't he a little old for me, Cahill?”
Danielle smiled at them. “Maybe Keith got it wrong.”
Alli turned to stare at her. “What?”
“Maybe Emmet isn't meant for Jayna after all,” Danielle said. She smiled at the look on Alli's face.
Colm laughed. “Are we taking Keith's dream as law, then?”
“Flexible law,” Danielle decided.
Emmet rolled his eyes and glanced at Alli. “Do you think Keith's dream is law?”
Alli shrugged. “I don't think anything Keith does is law.”
They all laughed and finished their milkshakes among a lot of slagging, joking around, and general happiness.
What was your favorite part?