Sierra gave me updates here and there, but it seemed like Theo’s depression was under control and they weren’t too worried, just sad that he was suffering. Apparently, his dog, Bucky, was by his side at all times, which…good boy.
The job continued as they tended to. Ravi hadn’t been able to make it in the beginning of the trip after all, but his flamboyant self boarded the yacht in mid-June.
He gasped dramatically when I stepped inside the boat, carrying a crate of produce.
“Oh, I should’ve known!”
“Known what?” I asked, knowing better. “Nice to see you, Ravi.”
He followed me like a puppy and batted his long lashes at me. “That Elise would know I need my nighttime snacks.”
I chuckled under my breath. “For the final time, Ravi, I amnota nighttime snack.”
“Some of us here are professionals,” Halley stated dryly from the table where she was working.
Ravi turned his piercing gaze to her and raised a brow. “There are many opinions on that, my dear.”
Halley shot him the finger just as Elise came downstairs from the deck.
“Opinions on what?” She’d clearly heard some of it.
“On food,” I said quickly before Ravi could say anything snarky.
The fact that he and I could see Halley’s emotions clear as day didn’t mean I could let him bully her.
When Ravi looked at me, I gave him the expression my friends had told me was scarily effective in reining someone in a bit.
Ravi blinked and then subtly nodded. He didn’t seem actually scared or even intimidated, more like he understood how serious I was about this.
“Oh, what are we having today for dinner?” Elise came to give me a side hug.
“Well, since Ravi is here, I thought soft tacos?”
Ravi let out a truly indecent sound that made even Halley laugh.
* * * *
Time rolled on. I emailed back and forth with my friends and family, I cooked my ass off every day, and I even took some time off at Elise’s insistence.
My contract actually gave me one day off each week, but since the work wasn’t strenuous, I preferred to just not take them. Until Elise forced me.
On one of those days, I was reading under a fancy sail shade to keep the sun off my skin, when Edgar sidled up to me.
“Hey, what’s up?” I asked, knowing he’d been refueling the boat and we were just waiting for Elise, Halley, Izzy, and Ravi to come back.
“So now that Ravi is leaving in two days, do you think I can give in?”
I shook my head, chuckling at him. “You know it would’ve been pretty okay if you’d done that before? He’s not the boss, Elise is.”
“Well, let’s just say I’m not into guys often, but that boy is…” He did the chef’s kiss thing.
“To each their own and go for it. I think the girls have bets going though.”
He rolled his eyes. “Of course they have.”
“But hey, I know Elise will offer you other jobs in the future whenever she goes yachting, so maybe you’ll meet Ravi again, too.”
He shrugged. “Let’s not plan ahead.” He smirked. “It’s not like either of us is after anything more than a bit of fun.”
