A Ticket to the Titanic: Vintage Voyages, #2

By Ashley Holloway

Take your ticket...

...to the Titanic!

Take a stroll along the promenade.

Relax in the Turkish baths.

Walk down the Grand Staircase.

But keep an eye on the time…

Leaving too late could mean a watery grave.

Join Vintage Voyages today with your Ticket to the Titanic!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bay Window Books
• Release date: Feb 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201725105

Ashley Holloway

While other kids played outside, Ashley Holloway spent much of her childhood devouring as many books as she could. By the time she reached junior high, she decided she wanted to learn how to create fantasy worlds and stories to share with the world, even going so far as to write to her favorite author at the time for advice. A few failed attempts and many, many years later, she has stopped ignoring the writer within to co-author upcoming sci-fi novel The Parnassus Initiative with Tom Chattle. Her interests range from sci-fi and fantasy to murder mysteries. When she's not trotting the globe, Ashley lives in Colorado. Her other passion is clogging - the kind with taps, not wooden shoes!

Book preview

Chapter 1

The crackle of a roaring fire ignited all of Zari's senses. She could almost see the embers soaring away from the flames, smell the woodsmoke coming from the logs, imagine the stars sparkling in the clear night sky. Her mind drifted to a simpler time, when she spent many a night with her parents around the fire pit in their backyard. When her dad had insisted on a log one instead of gas, for authenticity's sake, she had given him a hard time.

Yet years later, the scent and sound of a fire instantly awakened happier memories. Most days, she pushed them away. After her dad died and her mom got sick, they only created an ache in her chest. Now, she allowed them to wash over her, bringing a smile to her face.

The masseuse used her elbow to work a particularly stubborn knot between Zari's shoulder blades, eliciting a small moan from Zari. Despite the twinge of discomfort, it was exactly what she needed after the past few months.

With her mouth close to Zari's ear, the woman asked in a low tone, Are you under a lot of stress, miss?

Zari managed to suppress the snort that bubbled up at the woman's question. A bit.

The truth was, her life had been nothing but stress since her old college friend, Mason Montgomery, had offered her a job leading fully immersive travel experiences to the past. Not a virtual reality tour of reconstructed cities or events like Zari had expected when Mason presented her with the opportunity. He wanted her to travel back in time with clients and act as their tour guide.

Her fascination with history piqued her interest, yet she had worried nonstop since he asked her to join him at Vintage Voyages. She had told him time and again that sending a Black woman traipsing through a sexist, racist past could only end in trouble. Mason had yet to acknowledge her concerns, brushing them off with reassurances they would thoroughly ensure her safety before assigning her to anything.

Although she had yet to take any clients on a trip, Zari had spent the last couple of months working with the company’s in-house research lead, Jessica, to fine-tune their prep plan for future expeditions. Based on the positive response he'd received from his word-of-mouth offering, Mason expected an assignment for them any day now. After what happened on the test trip to the Medieval era, she wanted to leave nothing to chance.

A shudder ran over her when an image of her blade plunging through the mountain man's stomach flashed through her mind. Nightmares had plagued her since their return, a replay of the fatal tournament fight on a violent loop. In her dreams, she had tried a different tactic against her opponent each time. She suspected it was a way for her subconscious to work out whether she could have steered the match to a more favorable outcome. Every one ended the same: the light left the man's eyes with the blood on her hands.

Try to relax, miss.

Relax. Right. That's why she'd finally taken her expedition partner Nathan's advice to focus on herself, if only for a day. With her mother safely transferred to the facility for her experimental Alzheimer's treatments, Zari had no more excuses for why she couldn't treat herself to a simple massage.

After a deep breath, she cleared her mind and forced herself to concentrate on the soothing soundtrack of the campfire in the background. Her body practically melted into the massage table. If she had paid for an hour, she might as well enjoy it.

All done, miss.

When the masseuse shook her lightly on the shoulder, Zari practically jumped from the table. It hadn't been a whole hour yet, had it? A quick glance at the clock told her it had. With the back of her hand, she wiped a line of drool from her chin.

Zari passed the woman an extra twenty and waited for her to leave the room before she hopped to the ground to retrieve her robe. All her muscles felt like jelly. The sense of weightlessness put an extra bounce in her step. For the first time in months, her mind was clear, and her lips naturally drifted into a smile.

The experience gave her a fresh outlook on the new job. Before, she had spent countless hours worrying about where Mason might send them and whether he would recognize the inherent dangers or ignore her advice like he had on their test trip. What if a client wanted to experience battle or a natural disaster firsthand?

She needed to stop worrying so much. Mason had spent over a year developing his business plan and knew what he was doing. Besides, he had Jessica to advise him on whether he should approve a client request. There was no way she would send them to Pompeii in the middle of Vesuvius erupting.

Her thoughts wandered to her plans for the afternoon while she gathered her items from the locker. She had the whole day to herself, the first in a couple of months. After spending so much time with Nathan lately, Zari had earned some peace and quiet. Her work partner sure knew how to talk.

Although she had debated a hike somewhere scenic, she had decided to stop by the art store for a few supplies then spend the afternoon relaxing at her apartment. A bottle of wine sat on her counter waiting for her return. The hardest decision she'd have to make would be whether to read or sketch. Excitement made her hurry.

On impulse, Zari woke up her phone screen to check her messages. With her mom busy in therapy sessions all day, she didn't expect anything. Her life as a cop had left her little time to make friends, so other than calls from Jessica and Nathan, her phone hardly rang.

To her surprise, Zari had a text from Jessica telling her to check her email. The vague request left Zari curious. Vintage Voyages knew she had the day off. Why couldn't it wait until she returned tomorrow?

She sat on the edge of the bench in the locker room. Her leg bounced while she logged into her email on her phone. Frustration built when the poor connection caused the page to load slowly, and Zari forced herself to tamp it down. No use wasting all the money she spent on her massage by letting stress overcome her before she even left the building.

Zari spotted the email Jessica wanted her to see, and her stomach did a flip. The subject line read First Assignment. She had known this day would come eventually. After wiping her sweaty palms on a towel, she opened the email.

Two words caught her eye, and a shiver ran across her body. She was going to need another massage.

Chapter 2

Are you out of your mind? Without bothering to knock, Zari flung open the door to Mason's office and stormed across the threshold. Only two steps inside, she froze. His flustered secretary, right on Zari's heels, barreled into her with an oomph.

Expecting to chastise her boss in private, Zari clamped her mouth shut when she found two visitors across from him. They had both twisted in the plush leather chairs to gawk at her.

A quick study of the man screamed money, from his posture down to his perfectly tailored appearance. If she hadn't known better, Zari would have thought a stylist had individually cut each strand of his white hair. Based on the intricate stitching and rich-looking fabric, he wore a custom-made suit.

Although the man had his head tilted and the corners of his mouth curved upward, his companion seemed more annoyed by the intrusion. Her fire-engine-red lips were pursed, and her nose scrunched like she smelled something foul. In contrast to the man's dark clothes, her skintight dress was covered in a pattern of bright neon colors that hugged her thin frame. The woman clutched a designer handbag in her lap. Her firm grip made Zari wonder if she was nervous or thought one of them might snatch her purse. Who knew where she expected them to run afterward.

I'm so sorry, Mr. Montgomery, the secretary stuttered. Although Marjorie had never been Zari's biggest fan, she had recently begun to thaw her icy exterior, if only a bit, each time they encountered each other. This intrusion would likely make her revert to the terse greetings and wordless responses of old. I told Ms. Freeman you were in a meeting—at this, she gave Zari a pointed glare—but she slipped right past me.

It's quite all right, Marjorie. Mason flashed her a reassuring smile. "It's the perfect opportunity to introduce her to our first clients. Zari, I'd like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. St. James. Gerald and Muffy, this is Zari, the woman who will lead your trip to the Titanic."

It took a great deal of effort for Zari to keep her expression neutral. How could Mason expect her to take anyone seriously with a name like Muffy? She swore her neighbor had a dog called the same thing.

The introduction of the pair as husband and wife took her by surprise. Based on their significant age difference—Gerald appeared in his seventies while Muffy looked early forties—Zari would have guessed father and daughter.

After the curiosity and surprise wore off, annoyance replaced them. These were the idiots who wanted to go to the Titanic. A ship that sank. Violently. What in the world were they thinking?

Before she could speak her mind, Gerald stood and held out a thin, manicured hand to her. Despite its delicate appearance, he had a firm handshake, which she returned in kind. Unlike most people, he didn't react to her strong grip. "Zari, how lovely to meet you. The minute we heard about Mason's enterprise, we knew we had to experience the maiden voyage of the Titanic for ourselves."

Zari raised an eyebrow. You mean the only voyage?

At Mason's reprimanding glare, she forced her mouth into a smile. No matter how idiotic she thought the venture, she had promised him she would do everything in her power—within reason, of course—to ensure the clients had a nice time. Considering they were the first ones, there was no use alienating them before they'd even left the present. Since Mason's desire to stay under the government's radar meant they couldn't publicly market the company's offerings, they had to rely on word of mouth alone to spread through the community of one-percenters.

Gerald threw back his head and let out a jovial laugh. Quite right, quite right. He jabbed a finger at her. I do hope you bring that humor with you on the trip.

Oh, it's all part of the package, Zari said. You can count on that.

After a wink at her, Gerald turned to their host. Anything else you need from us, Mason, or are we all set?

Mason motioned to Marjorie, who had planted herself in the door frame and wrung her hands. My lovely assistant will escort you downstairs to meet Jessica. She'll need to take a few measurements and have you answer some preliminary questions so we can get started on the prep work for your trip.

Fantastic. Gerald clapped his hands together. Lead the way, lovely assistant.

It was only after the pair left that Zari realized Muffy hadn't said a word the entire time. From her demeanor, she expected the woman would be a handful. Zari made a mental note to ask Nathan for his opinion after he'd met the couple.

The second the door clicked shut, she rounded on her boss. "The Titanic? Really? Just how do you expect to pull this off?"

With his pen, Mason pointed to the now vacant chair across from him. He flipped to an empty page in the leather-bound portfolio on his desk and made a few notes. When he continued to write instead of acknowledge her question, Zari crossed her legs and wiggled her foot in the air.

Finally, he closed the portfolio and leaned back in his chair. His elbows rested on the armrests while he twirled the pen between his fingers. Would you like to be more specific about your concerns?

My concerns? Zari blinked at him a few times. "These people want to go on the Titanic. You know, the ship made famous by the fact it sank on its maiden voyage. In the ocean. Killing over fifteen hundred people."

I'm still not following the problem.

Zari pinched the bridge of her nose. Mason, you said on our last trip that we had to return to the present in the same location where we entered. Are you telling me you plan for us to survive the crash, somehow make it onto a lifeboat, and then hitch a ride back to England?

His face brightened, and he let out a hearty chuckle. When his amusement subsided, he said, No. Nor do I expect you to row back to England on your lifeboat, if that was your next question. Over the last few months, we've perfected a new device which will allow Nathan to transport the group from any location.

Zari gaped at him. Why was she only hearing about this now?

I thought you would be pleased. Mason's forehead wrinkled. You made it clear on the Medieval trip how illogical and inconvenient you found it to re-locate our arrival point, particularly in the event of a harried escape. He tilted the top of his pen toward her. See? I listen.

So, instead, you want to use untested technology on a ship that will sink four days after we set sail? Zari shook her head. Tightness spread through her chest. Not a good idea.

A wave dismissed her concern. Nonsense. We've had this device in development since the beginning, but it wasn't fine-tuned until recently. Montgomery Enterprises houses an entire team dedicated to researching, developing, and testing new technology. His eyes softened. I would never send anyone on a trip without thoroughly confirming the technology, including personally testing it at least once.

Although his words alleviated her anxiety a bit, lingering doubt still remained. She bit the inside of her cheek.

Mason narrowed his eyes. You're still bothered. What's wrong?

Heat warmed Zari's face. Deep down, she had known she should tell Mason about her fear when she signed her contract with Vintage Voyages to avoid this exact situation, yet embarrassment had held her tongue. She still hated to admit the true reason behind her near panic, but Mason had to understand why she didn't want to do this expedition. No, why she couldn't do this expedition. I'm afraid of water. At his blank stare, she added, I mean, not any water. Obviously, I can drink it and take a shower. But I can't swim.

Although it wasn't entirely accurate to say she couldn't swim, she hoped the seriousness of her statement would sway him.

Instead, Mason laughed. When she didn't join him, he averted his eyes and rubbed the nape of his neck. "You don't have to swim. You're returning before the ship even hits the iceberg. Gerald and Muffy want to experience the Titanic in all her glory, not the chaos surrounding the sinking."

I understand. Her panic bubbled to the surface and spilled out in a stream of words, although she could barely hear them over the blood rushing in her ears. But I don't like going on boats now because they might sink and I already know this one will, and what happens if we don't get back before it does? Do you really think they'll let a Black woman on a lifeboat? They'll probably laugh me all the way to third-class. Don't make me do this, Mason, please.

The pleading in her tone embarrassed her, but she pushed it aside. Maybe if he saw the depth of her fear, he would concede.

Mason moved to the chair next to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. This is our first client, Zari. Unless they wanted to go somewhere guaranteed to get you killed, it's not smart business practice to decline. He rubbed her back. You won't even have to go on deck if you don't want to. Send Nathan to entertain them near the water. It'll be more like staying in a fancy hotel than riding on a ship. Everything will be fine. You'll see.

Chapter 3

After allowing enough time for her new clients to finish their fittings, Zari headed downstairs to visit Jessica. The pair had become close over the last couple of months after spending hours a day reviewing the company's prep plan and fine-tuning it to avoid future fiascoes like the one she had encountered in the Medieval era. If Mason wanted her to cart wealthy clients around the past, they needed to arrive prepared and organized. No more on-the-fly guesswork.

When she neared the door to Jessica's workspace, housed in the warehouse dedicated to the expansive wardrobe Vintage Voyages had collected, the sound of music drifted to her ears. With her fingers on the doorhandle, Zari finally recognized Celine Dion's sultry voice belting My Heart Will Go On. Although she didn't know Jessica's musical tastes outside work, she found it hard to believe her friend would listen to a 90s pop hit when she normally filled the space with orchestra music to maintain a professional and neutral space for fellow coworkers and clients, as she explained.

Zari opened the door, but instead of the mousy brunette, Nathan sat in the computer chair, his feet propped on the desk. He selected a piece of popcorn from the bowl in his lap and tossed it into his mouth. Based on the sounds emanating from her speakers, he had procured Jessica's computer to watch Titanic.

That's not an acceptable form of research. Zari crossed the room to stand in his line of sight and tilted her head while she stared at him. I'm sure Jessica will send you a more thorough packet with details you actually need.

Nathan straightened and shoved the bowl toward her. Popcorn? he mumbled around a mouthful of food.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, Zari shook her head. I can see what it is. No, thank you. She motioned toward the monitor. Back to the topic at hand. Are you planning to do any actual research for this trip, or have you decided to take the slacker approach and 'rent the movie instead of reading the book?'

Why not both? He slumped into the chair and set the bowl on the desk. With his tongue, he prodded at a tooth. It's not like they threw the movie together without doing their homework. I mean, it's a little romanticized for my taste, but at least I have a visual of the ship details.

Zari twisted her mouth. While she hated to admit it, he had a point. From her understanding, the directors and producers spent a great deal of time ensuring they accurately represented the ship, even if they did throw in an exaggerated romantic plot.

Unsure how to respond without conceding, Zari asked, Did you meet our new clients during your little movie screening?

Nathan snorted. They were just leaving when I arrived. Pretty sure I'm already on Muffy's bad side.

How'd you manage that? The admission surprised her. In the months they'd worked together, Zari hadn't seen a woman yet, single or not, who hadn't swooned over her partner. It had become so common, she had to stop rolling her eyes lest she give herself a condition.

He shrugged. No clue. She came in, gave me the once-over, and passed right on by without so much as a word. Had this look on her face like she smelled shit or something.

Pretty sure that's just her normal expression. Come to think of it, she didn't say anything to me, either.

Well, you, I can understand. At her stony response, Nathan whacked her arm with the back of his hand. I'm kidding. Kind of.

Zari swallowed down a retort. Either way, she seems like a handful.

Nathan lifted a shoulder. Has anyone ever accused the wealthy of being easy to handle?

Fair enough. Zari dragged an unoccupied chair next to the desk and plopped into it. With a sigh, she crossed her arms and legs.

An eyebrow raised, Nathan studied her. Something the matter?

You don't find it concerning that we're going to an unsinkable ship that sank? Although Mason had appeared resolute in their assignment, Zari still held out hope she could garner support from Nathan and Jessica to talk