Despise to Love

“I’m going on a cruise!” Faye shouted into her cell phone to her best friend Ryan.

“What! Yesterday you said you were going to stay in your house and adopt a cat to grow old with.” Ryan said while holding back a chuckle.

Faye shook her head. “I know, but I decided I’m not going to waste my youth on that scumbag. I need to enjoy life and if I happen to find a guy in the process that will be just fine.”

“You spent 10 years with him. Your youth is gone.” Ryan said in a straightforward way, his usual style of delivering the news you needed, but didn’t want to hear.

Faye looked around her apartment seeing memories of John and her on every wall and every corner. Faye met John when she was in college and decided right then and there that he was it for her. They were going to get married, have 5 kids, along with two very successful careers. As the years passed Faye realized that John did not share the same idea of their future together. Faye wanted commitment, John wanted Faye and also Hannah, his co-worker. Now at thirty years old she had to start over and try to forget all about John and their life together.

“Whatever. You should totally come with me. I found a great deal on the internet about this cruise. I can send you the link.” She bit her lower lip hoping Ryan would say yes.

“Tempting, but I have a kid to care for and a husband that is practically helpless without me. So you have fun on your discount cruise.” Ryan said as he placed a straw in a juice box.

“You know, I will. It’s going to be great and I’m going to come back as a new woman.” Faye placed her orange bikini in her suitcase.

“River put your underwear back on! Faye I have to go, good luck with being a new woman and drink one for me.” Ryan said as he grabbed his son’s underwear off the floor and chased him down the hall.

….

“What’s the name your reservation is under, miss.” The receptionist asked from behind the desk.

“Faye Williams.” Faye said nervously excited as the ship’s horn blew.

“Yes, miss. Hmmm we seem to be having some technical difficulties, give me one second. Okay, you will be in room 56. Here is your key, have a fabulous stay.” The receptionist handed Faye her room card key with a strained look on her face as the ship set off to sea.

Faye walked down the hall rolling her luggage behind her and stopped when she saw room 56. Faye rolled her luggage in the room hearing a click from the across the room as she shut the hotel door. As Faye walked to the hotel bed to lay her luggage on. A man with curly red hair and a unruly beard appeared out of the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around his waist.

“Ahhh!” Faye said grabbing a notebook off the nightstand to throw it across the room at the red headed man.

“Ow! Why did you do that?” The red headed man said as he rubbed his head.

“Who are you? Why are you in my room?” Faye said with her brows together.

“I booked this room weeks ago. Why are you here and hurting me?” The red headed man walked towards the edge of the bed to sit down.

“Don’t sit on the bed, you're all wet.” Faye said feeling stressed about the situation.

“Well you should have waited to hit me until after I dried off.” The red headed man cracked his neck as the bed creaked as he sat down. 

“This is a mistake, we need to go to the front desk and sort this out.” Faye said with her arms crossed in front of her.

The red headed man stood up grabbing his towel. “Let me put on some clothes.”

“Eww. Don’t do it in front of me.” Faye said feeling disgusted as he almost removed his towel.

“You’re in my room, if you don’t want to watch turn around.” The red headed man dropped his towel and Faye took a deep breath and turned towards the wall.

“My name is Henry, by the way.” The red headed man said as he put on his white underwear.

“I don’t care.” Faye said, tapping her foot. “Sorry, I just came on the vacation to relax and get away from everyone, and now I’m stuck in this room with you.”

“You know I’m not a bad guy. Some might say I’m nice and a good listener.” Henry smiled as he buttoned up his floral shirt.

“Can you please just quit talking and finish getting dressed.” Faye said looking at her pink toenails.

“If that’s how you want it to be...sure.” Henry drew his mouth in a line.

…

“I’m so sorry for this mistake, but we don’t have any rooms available. For our mistake we can provide these free meal vouchers.” The receptionist said with a nervous smile across her face.

“So I’m stuck rooming with this guy for two weeks?” Faye said, feeling annoyed.

“We can provide a cot in the room.” The receptionist said, still smiling.

“This is ridiculous!” Faye shouted out.

“”I’ll take the cot and the vouchers.” Henry said with a smile.

…

Faye laid on a lawn chair on the front deck of the ship, trying to relax and enjoy what she could on her vacation. Faye knew fighting was just pointless the ship was moving and surrounded by water, she was stuck.

“Do you have sunscreen I can borrow? My skin burns so easily.” Henry said looking at his pale skin on the lawn chair next to Faye.

Faye sighed trying to ignore him. Henry looked around feeling awkward. “So what’s your story, Faye”?

Faye sighed again. “I’m thirty years old and alone for the first time in ten years and when I thought I was going to have a nice vacation, you showed up.”

Henry smirked. “You’re not alone, you got me.”

Faye raised up and turned her head towards Henry. “You know we don’t have to be friends. You can do your own thing and we never have to see each other.”

“Where is the fun in that? Isn’t life all about the people you meet and the connection you make with them?”

“I don’t need any more friends. I have enough.” Faye raised up and walked away from Henry.

…

Faye walked around the ship wondering why her luck had been so bad lately. All she wanted was a faithful man to spend her life with and when that didn’t happen with John, she had no idea what to do next. She walked into shops and thought about how mean she was to Henry. It wasn’t his fault that they were in this situation and out of all guys to be stuck with, he wasn’t the worst. Granted he wasn’t a GQ cover model, but he seemed like a gentle man from what she gathered. It was only two weeks and then she will never have to see him again. 

“Oh sorry. I was just walking, not wanting to be your friend or anything.” Henry said avoiding eye contact with Faye.

Faye took a deep breath. “Listen, I’m sorry. I’m just really upset about how this trip is going so far and I took it out on you.” 

“I accept your apology. Do you want to go eat some crab legs?” Henry  smiled and moved his eyebrows up and down.

Faye rolled her eyes and started walking. “Does anything bother you? Or are you always this happy?”

“You say “happy” like it’s a bad word.” Henry said walking face paced trying to keep up next to Faye.

“It is to someone who is miserable.” Faye turned a corner hoping she would eventually lose Henry.

“Wow you move fast! You know I can help you become more happy.” Henry checked his pulse as he power walked.

“No, thanks. I’m perfectly fine.” Faye said as she walked to the bar. “Gin and Tonic please.”

“Jack and Coke also.” Henry said to the bartender. “Just because you're newly single doesn’t mean your life is over.”

“Please don’t give me a motivational speech right now.” Faye took a seat at the bar and avoided eye contact.

“You’re a very...stern woman. Some man out there is just waiting for you to come along.” Henry said as he watched Faye sip quickly from her straw.

“Mmmhmm.” Faye put her drink down. “I think we have talked enough, let’s drink.”

“What about the crab legs?” Henry’s face looked puzzled with a hint of disappointment.

…

“I’m taking a shower, what are you doing?” Faye said as she heard the bathroom door open.

Henry lifted up the toilet seat and began puking.

“Oh my gosh, really? You barely drank anything!” Faye said as she continued to shampoo her hair.

“If I ate crab legs or anything before the five tequila shots this wouldn’t be happening.” Henry lifted his  head from the toilet bowl.

Faye rolled her eyes as she turned off the water. She felt slightly bad for Henry. She wrapped her towel around her and slid the shower door open to see Henry resting his head on his arms on the toilet seat. “Wash up we are going to get breakfast.”

“That sounds terrible.” Henry said with one eye open.

“Well you look terrible.” Faye said as she walked out of the bathroom and closed the door.

…

“What’s your story?” Faye asked as she walked alongside Henry.

“You want me to tell you my life story or why I came on this cruise?” Henry said sipping on a lemonade through a straw.

“The latter.” Faye adjusted her ponytail.

“I was supposed to be on my honeymoon right now, but my fiancé decided four weeks ago she was in love with her kickboxing instructor. So I decided to go on the honeymoon by myself.” Henry said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Oh my goodness. We have more in common than I’d like. I left my boyfriend two weeks ago because he was cheating on me with his coworker.” Faye said as her eyes fell in a daze.

“I guess this is the lonely hearts cruise.” Henry said with a smile.

Faye smirked. “Are you always so cheesy?” 

Henry eyebrows went together. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

….

“You don’t strike me as a person as a person who can dance. How did you know the waltz?” Faye said as she opened the hotel door.

“It’s something I learned when I was sixteen. I also know the tango.” Henry entered the hotel room and shut the door behind them.

“Well I’m glad you were my dancing partner tonight. I can’t imagine having to dance with Eugene again.” Faye sat on the edge of the bed to take her shoes off.

“Eugene is pretty light on his feet for an 80 year old.” Henry began to unbutton his Hawaiian short sleeve shirt to relieve a white v neck underneath.

Faye couldn’t help but watch his muscles flex as he pushed the shirt off his arms and started to feel uncomfortable for watching. “I’m going to hit the sheets.” Faye walked quickly to the bathroom with her pajamas in hand. She looked in the mirror not knowing what came over her, it had been eight days since they met and for the first time she felt attraction. He was sweet, funny and easy to talk to.

Faye walked out of the bathroom to see Henry on his cot reading a book. “So…what are your plans when you get back home?”

Henry put down his book. “Well I’m going to redecorate my apartment and try to go on a few dates. I think it’s time to get back out there.”

Faye felt a tinge of jealousy in her throat. She wondered what the hell changed to make her feel this way. She laid down in bed and looked across at Henry, he was definitely not her type, but something about him was alluring. “Yeah, you should.”

“Is everything alright? You seem nicer than usual.” Henry had a flash of concern written on his face.

“Just tired. Goodnight.” Faye turned on her side away from Henry. How was she going to make it six more days with the feeling she had stirring around? She closed her eyes hoping the feelings would disappear in the morning.

…

“Here’s to our last night.” Henry said, clinking his wine glass to Faye’s glass.

Faye smiled and felt as though she had been shot. Her feelings had developed from despise to ‘I don’t want to spend my life without him’ throughout the two week vacation. She took a drink of wine as she prepared her speech to win his heart. “Henry, I need to tell you something that’s been weighing on me.”

“I snore, don’t I?” Henry asked with embarrassed eyes. “I thought if I laid on my side you wouldn’t hear it.”

Faye smiled. “You do, but it’s not bad. Kinda sounds like a puppy snoring, but actually I have developed…”

“Henry, come and dance with us!” The people from the dance floor called out.

“Be right there! What have you developed?” Henry stared into Faye’s brown eyes.

“It’s not important. Go have fun.” Faye said, fighting back the urge to kiss him.

Faye walked back to the hotel room and laid down in bed feeling as though she was about to lose Henry forever.

Faye woke up to hear Henry stumbling around the room. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry, just a little tipsy.” Henry said as he sat on his cot only to have it collapse in the middle.

Faye stifled a giggle. “Just share the bed with me tonight.” Faye scooted over as Henry hesitantly made his way over. Faye's heart began to beat faster as she stared at Henry’s face laying next to her. “Can I ask you a question?”

Henry nodded as he turned his body to face her.

Faye bit her lower lip. “How long do you think it takes to fall in love with someone?”

Henry rubbed his head as he searched for his thoughts. “I don’t think it happens instantly, I think like all good things it takes time.”

Faye's eyes began to water. “Do you think you’ll ever be in love again?”

Henry smiled. “I do.”

Faye stayed silent to avoid her voice shaking. As tears started to fall she closed her eyes.

…

Faye closed her suitcase and took a deep breath. It was time to leave the cruise and Henry.

Henry walked out of the bathroom to meet eyes with Faye and for the first time on the trip he was silent and what was usually a smile written across his face was now just a line.

Faye put her luggage on the floor and extended her hand out. “Goodbye, Henry. You actually ended up not being so bad.”

Henry smiled as he met her hand. “Bye, Faye. I’m going to miss your compliments.”

Faye and Henry stood there holding each other’s hand, both holding on as if it was a competition, and the first one to let go lost the game. Henry began to smile. “I don’t want to let you go.”

Faye with tears in her eyes smiled back. “Then don’t.”

Henry pulled Faye into an embrace and kissed her softly on the lips, both of them knowing life would never be the same now that they had each other.

Written By:

CJ K