What a way to start off the day.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” I repeat my mantra frozen in place until the gust of wind settles. But then the sound of my bag rolling across the concrete walkway of the dock gets my attention. “Shit,” I curse, unable to do anything to stop it unless I’m willing to flash the entire port again.
Which I am not.
This better not be the universe’s way of telling me that shits about to go down, 'cause I ain’t having it. I’m here to have three weeks of a peaceful charter with the most chill owners I’ve ever met. It’s my mother freaking time to reset and I’m not going to let anything ruin it.
One of the best things about working for Dr. and Mr. Olivier is that they are so sweet and kind. Having spent the last several years working on yachts, I’ve seen my fair share of high-maintenance guests and know a good thing when I see it. Maybe it’s because I’ve known them most of my life and they’re old enough to be my grandparents that I’m a little biased.
Let’s just say that going from their yacht into my first charting season was a whirlwind.
Yachting is something that’s always been part of my life. On weekends, my dad would take me to the marina to look at the '“big white boats.” We’d spot our favorites and laugh at their names before getting ice cream. Just thinking about it makes me cry. Those are treasured memories. Ones that will never be made again.
Right before I left for my first charter yacht, Dad died suddenly of a heart attack. Everything at that moment stopped. The world quit spinning because to Mom and me, it did.
The wind settles after several moments and I’m able to try to smooth down my skirt and secure my hat on my head before searching for my bag. Luckily it didn’t go far, but it fell over, the end of it dangerously hanging over the edge of the dock. I watch in horror as a new gust of wind makes my luggage wobble, and I lunge. My knees hit painfully against the concrete of the dock, my arms reaching for my bag before it tumbles into the waves below.
I can’t believe I fucking caught it.
Now that would be one helluva way to start the summer.
Straightening my shoulders and doing my best to not look hungover, I walk down the dock to theSiren. She’s not the largest yacht I’ve been on, but she holds a special place in my heart. I know every nook and cranny of her and stepping onto her deck will be like coming home.
Stopping at the gangway of the boat, I kick off my sandals, bending over to pick them up and examining my scraped knees. Thankfully they aren’t scraped up too bad and blood isn’t dripping down my knees, so I see that as a win. Taking careful steps I manage to hit the teak of the swim platform with a sigh of relief. There’s no one here to greet me, but that’s not all that unusual.
The main deck of the yacht has the aft deck with sunny seating and amazing views of the water, including a swim platform for when the guests want to take a dip. The boat looks relatively clean and taken care of, which is good for me.
Stepping into the main salon through the recessed glass doors, the cool air of the interior hits me. It never ceases to amaze me how luxurious it all is. Windows on the port and starboard sides of the boat light up the interior, and the skylights over the formal dining area are one of my favorite features.
Breathing in the cool air, I remove my hat and gently set it on top of my bag. The first stop, once you get on the boat is to see the captain and I know just where he is.
Captain Lewis is an amazing older gentleman who holds a special place in my heart. By far, he’s the favorite captain I’ve ever had. The Oliviers have employed him for years and I can’t wait to see him.
Finding the spiral stairs off the galley, I practically skip up to the bridge. “Hey, Cap!” I call the moment my foot hits the top step. Just picturing his crinkly face and toothy grin has me beaming.
Rounding the corner to the bridge, I stop in my tracks, my smile fading from my face. My favorite wrinkled and wise captain isn’t the one sitting in the captain’s chair.
“From now on, it’s Captain.”
The deep voice of the stranger sitting in the seat is smooth like honey, sending a delicious shiver down my spine. He swivels the seat to face me and I swear to god I stop breathing. He’s the sexiest man I think I’ve ever seen in real life, and trust me, I’ve seen some sexy men while on charter. His blue eyes skewer me in place and I’m frozen. It’s amazing I’m not drooling at this point.
“Understood?”
Trying to hide my shock, I blink rapidly sucking in discreet breaths to try to even my skyrocketing heart rate. “Yes, Captain.”
I manage to at least not sound like a complete idiot, but honestly what girl wouldn’t be struck dumb looking at this man? He’s got long, strong legs, a trim waist from what I can see, and large broad shoulders attached to some seriously strong arms. Andoh my god, his face is glorious too with a strong jaw, lush lips, and eyes the color of a clear day at sea.
Somehow I remember my manners, stepping further into the room and offering my manicured hand to him. “Hannah Carper, the stewardess. It’s nice to meet you.”
He doesn’t stand but politely takes my hand in his, squeezing it tightly in his large grasp. “Captain Pike. Nice to meet you, Hannah.”
Nervously I glance around the bridge focusing on anything but the man in front of me. The bridge is the command center of the ship with sonar and radar readings displayed on the many screens. Behind me is a small booth and built-in shelves with various notebooks that I assume contain important information. To the left is a door leading to the gangway on the side of the ship making it easy to access the decks.
“Um, sorry for that,” I gesture over my shoulder toward the top of the steps. “I was expecting Captain Lewis, is he doing okay?” As dumbstruck as I am about seeing this adonis in front of me, my heart still worries about Captain Lewis.
Captain Pike releases my hand and nods. “He decided to retire this year. Did his final walkthrough with me last week.”
“Oh, well, good for him,” I stammer as I force a smile on my face and try to seem upbeat. “I’ll just go and set up for the rest of the crew since I’m the first one here.” I turn and reach the top of the steps when his voice stops me.
