I put my hand on the small of her back and she smiles approvingly.
Unfortunately, that’s when the song ends.
“How are you enjoying paradise, ladies and gentlemen?” Elvis asks in a very fake Southern drawl.
Everyone cheers.
“Well, since ya’ll love to cruise, I’m gonna take you sailing on this magical night to a pretty little place I like to call… Blue Hawaii.”
The band strikes back up and everyone starts swaying along as Elvis croons the ballad. I’m disappointed that we’ve transitioned to a down-tempo number, as I was looking forward for another excuse to press close to Hope.
One of the backup singers hands Elvis a heap of white and pink orchidleis. He steps into the crowd, stopping to put leis around the necks of several ladies as he sings to them about their dreams coming true.
The way they swoon, you would think he was the real deal.
And then he stops in front of Hope and drapes a lei over her head. She accepts it with pure delight. He throws an arm around her. “Sing it with me, pretty lady,” he says.
She joins him for the chorus, and I’m shocked by the loveliness of her voice—a clear soprano. She hits every note, harmonizing off the cuff with Elvis’s baritone. The whole room erupts in applause, and she laughs and curtsies. I’m oddly proud, like I have something to do with the star turn of the woman I’m standing next to.
“Isn’t she amazing?” Lauren whispers into my ear.
“A marvel,” I whisper back.
Elvis walks back on stage and does a powerful cover of “Unchained Melody” that I’m pretty sure makes Hope tear up. And then he transitions to “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”
“Is it bad luck to sing about troubled waters on a cruise ship?” Hope asks over the music.
“Almost certainly.”
“I hope he doesn’t do the theme fromTitanicnext.”
“No? Personally I’d love to hear an Elvis version of Celine Dion.”
A woman in front of us turns around and frowns, so we stop talking.
The next forty-five minutes is hit after hit. “Blue Suede Shoes.” “All Shook Up.” “Heartbreak Hotel.” I had no idea I knew so many Elvis songs, and by the end I’m singing along to “Suspicious Minds” at the top of my lungs with the rest of the crowd. Hope pulls me toward her and sings the lyrics directly to me, so I sing them back to her, both of us belting about how welove you too much, baby.
She collapses into me with laughter as the song ends, and I’m not sure if it’s because the ship is tossing or because she wants a hug.
I err on the side of wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Hope
I have always loved Elvis for his kitsch factor. Now I love him for allowing me to cuddle with Felix.
By the time the fake King takes his final bow, I feel so light I’m unsteady on my feet.
But as Felix and I walk back into the lobby with Lauren and his sisters, I realize my wobbliness isn’t just crush endorphins. The boat is rolling—gently but noticeably—back and forth.
And then it surges to one side dramatically. A senior with a walker in front of us grips the wall for balance.
“Shit,” I say.
“Something wrong?” Felix asks.
“I meant to get one of those seasickness patches and I forgot.”
“Give her yours, Felix,” one of his sisters says. (I feel terrible, but I’m completely baffled as to which one is Prue and which one is Pear.) “You know the rules of the sea,” she goes on. “Save the women and children first.”
