What Happens on the Cruise

22. I've Had the Time of My Life

"...so hard, but so rewarding," Earl was saying. "I was just telling my boyfriend on the phone last night--"

"Your boyfriend?" Tim asked.

"Yes. You got a problem with that?" There was a note of accusation in his voice.

"Of course I don't have a problem with that," Tim replied, sounding defensive.

"Tim," Austin said quietly, laying a hand on his arm.

"Sorry. I just get tired of the assumption that Texan equals homophobe."

"I shouldn't have jumped down your throat. My bad."

Tim waved the apology away. "You were saying?"

Earl noticed Austin hadn't moved his hand, and Tim was making do with eating left handed. "Yes, well, anyhow, I was telling him how Ben said to put the song first."

"Just serve the song," Geoff said.

"Such good advice on these emotional numbers," Honey commented.

"It's been good to kick us out of our rut," Tim said.

"Yeah. It's really made us find our passion, dig down and find what's in our hearts," Austin added.

Tim gave Austin a soft smile.

***

"So, a movie song," Rob said. "Thoughts?"

"Please, don't say something from a Western," Tim pleaded.

"I could pull out my old arrangement of 'Pretty Woman' and modify that," Chris suggested.

"That could work," Austin said. "It's a fun song."

Adam looked at the time on his phone. "We've got fifteen minutes to get to choreo."

"Wonder who they'll pair us all with this time," Austin said before downing the last of his cup of coffee.

"They never pair anyone but you and Tim," Rob complained.

"Could we give Rob a lead in this song?" Austin asked as they cleared their table.

Chris paused in thought for a moment. "That'd take a bit of a rewrite."

"I'm not sure the production team would go for it," Rob said.

"Fuck the production team," Tim growled. "We're not two lead singers, two backup singers, and a beatboxer."

"Yeah, they can't just make you 'the beard', man, that's not fair," Austin concurred.

"We'll discuss it later," Chris said. "We've got to hurry."

***

"It's going to start with Mr. Foust singing the first phrase by himself, while standing in the archway, lit from behind."

"That's going to look iconic," Austin whispered. "So sexy."

Tim blushed.

"Meanwhile, various couples will be crossing the stage, one right to left, then the next left to right, and so on. Ms. Larochelle will pick up the second phrase, crossing to Tim as he moves downstage. They meet, she takes his arm, and they continue as a duet."

"Looks like I'm stealing your boyfriend again," Honey teased.

"Just so long as you return him in better condition than when you got him," Austin joked back.

"Can you keep it down?" Tim whispered.

"Sorry, hon."

"Is there a problem?"