How the Ball Bounces

827 words
Written for "The Writer's Cramp" 
Prompt: Your best friend talks you into going on a singles cruise. Write a story or poem about the outcome.

I sat stiffly in the lounge chair with my laptop on my thighs. As I logged in to check my office email something nagged at me. It was the voice of my best friend Allen getting louder and louder beside me. I decided to answer him as soon as I checked my mail.

"Detective Mathews!" That caught my attention. I looked up immediately, reflexively. "I thought that would get your attention," Allan smiled smugly. To each side he had a pretty blond woman. "I'd like to introduce you to the twins, Alissa," he nodded to his right, "and Alison," he nodded to his left.

Alissa was a pretty girl in her early twenties with blond curls bubbling up around her face and shoulders. Her eyes were brown suede, soft and inviting. Alison was about an inch taller and held herself like a diva. Her eyes were sharp green and her hair was less lemony but styled the same. Her skin showed signs of age that Alissa's did not.

"No," I replied closing my laptop.

"No what?" Allan gave me a puzzled look.

"Not twins, Alison is either a very heavy smoker or has reached her early thirties. I might buy sisters, but certainly not twins."

"Oh come on Jase, give it a break will you? It's a cruise. Try dropping the detective act for a bit. I thought we could play doubles."

"I don't want to play with him," Alison pouted, "he just called me old."

"You're still younger than me sweetheart," I pointed out, and she was acting even younger than that.

"If you're such a good detective," the cool, composed feminine voice floated over from behind me, "perhaps you can tell me which one of them stole my PDA."

I glanced over my shoulder to see a woman much more to my tastes. Her long black hair reached her elbows and her eyes were deep mocha pools. The modest one piece she sported did nothing to hide her curves and everything to accentuate. Black is the perfect color for bathing suits, and she made a good case for that belief. My eyes ran over her in detail and I gave her a brief smile. I reserved such smiles for important clients and beautiful women. Allen swore that was why I was still single. That didn't explain why he was.

"Neither," I replied, as I'd already discerned the local of said PDA, though I didn't reveal it. Once she had it she would no doubt want to go off and use it. "Join us for a game of tennis?"

"If she plays there will be too many," Alison was whining again. Allan put his arm around her to comfort her.

"We could trade out," Allan suggested.

"I'll sit out," Alissa offered.

"I didn't say I would play. What makes you so certain they're innocent detective?"

"After the game," I told her and gained myself a pleasant partner for the doubles game. Her name was Jessica, and she was very good with her racket. Once we'd had a pleasant tennis game and were sitting down to lunch she brought up her missing PDA again.

"It's in your bag," I told her, but she shook her head.

"I've been over this bag twenty times or more. I'd have found it if it were there." I smiled.

"May I show you?"

She glanced around the table as if seeking out witnesses. Perhaps she thought I'd run off with her bag. Finally she handed it over with some reluctance. I reached into it, all the way to the bottom seam, then through the hole I knew would be there. Finally I came into contact with the PDA wedged between the lining and the outer bag. Pulling it out I handed it over. Her eyes glistened with gratitude.

"Thank you!" she grabbed her bag. "Thank you so much!" She stood and rushed out of the room. I watched her retreat with some regret.

"Well, that's the last we'll see of her," Alison said from the other side of the table.

"Yeah, she's been looking for that thing since before we left," Alissa winked at me. "It has her ex-boyfriends number in it. He's supposed to meet her at the next stop."

"Great job, detective," Allen said raising his cup as if in toast. Alissa cuddled a bit closer.

"Don't worry, I'll be your partner for the next game," she purred. I knew I should be glad to have Alissa's interest, but my eyes were still drawn to the exit which had swallowed the only interesting woman I'd seen on the whole damn boat.

"So how did you know where to look?" Alissa asked later as I returned the ball to the opposite court with feeling.

"Simple deductive reasoning," I replied, watching as she returned the ball. She was not a bad player by any means, but I already missed Jessica. "Besides, I saw it's outline in the bag when we met."