He returned his attention to the shoe box. As soon as he lifted the lid and saw the boat shoes inside, he shook his head and laughed. “You’re something else, Nina Lejeune.”
“I feel bad, okay? I can’t live with this guilt. I had to replace the ones I ruined.” I reached into the box and grabbed one of the shoes.“These are top-notch. You wouldn’t believe how much research I did to find these.”
“Thank you,” Ollie said. He put the shoe away, then pushed the little box into my hands again. “Your turn. I just... saw them and thought of you.”
“Well, if it was something that reminded you of me, I’m a little frightened to find out what’s in here.” I grinned at him and flipped the box open. “Oh!” I said at the sight of pink earrings resting on the velvet inside. Each was shaped like a unicorn reared on its hind legs. They were the most ridiculous things I’d ever seen. They were utter perfection.
“You hate it,” Ollie said. “It’s... weird. I can take them back. It’s only... you’re always wearing those long tangly earrings, and these ones reminded me of—”
“The day you called me a big scary animal,” I said.
A look of alarm passed over his face. “That’s not what I—”
“Relax, Oliver. I took it as a compliment.”
“I just meant that, you know, you were like this... cool... magical thing that came out of nowhere and might definitely stab me.”
“Well, your first impression of me was surprisingly accurate,” I said.
“I’ve still got the receipt. I can take them back.”
I held the box to my chest and glared at him. “I’ll kill you if you do, and not even for the life insurance. I’m never taking them off. If I die before you, bury me in them.”
“We don’t have life insurance.”
“Yet,” I said. I took off the earrings I was wearing and slipped the unicorn ones in their place. “You can breathe easy for now. I can’t kill you too soon after taking out a policy. It’s suspicious. How do I look?” I turned one way and then the other.
“Terrifying. Absolutely ridiculous,” he said.
“Exactly what I was going for.”
He reached out to touch one of the earrings, his fingers so close to my neck I could feel the heat of them on my skin. It surprised me. Not the action itself, but the way it made me feel, like I’d stuck a particularly challenging landing in competition, my feet finally touching the ground and staying exactly where they ought to be, a wave of both adrenaline and relief.
When he pulled back, I turned away to look out over the parking lot, desperate for something to smother the spark of the moment. I tried my best to remain calm, but my heart had started tumbling in my chest. Maybe I was dehydrated. It was far too hot out; it messed with the mind. Perhaps I was having a heat stroke.
But a part of me knew that wasn’t the truth, because not even the hideous 7-Eleven parking lot and the Nickelback song starting up again could completely extinguish the unnerving sense that something was growing between me and Ollie. Something I couldn’t allow myself to keep.
13
Present day
After the emergency meeting in the wheelhouse, I don’t catch a moment alone with Ollie all afternoon. Tension ripples through the crew as we sail back to Simpson Bay. We fend off the guests’ questions with vague replies.No, I’m not sure what Chef has planned for dinner tonight. Sure, I can check the itinerary for you. Of course I can get you another drink.
The galley is quieter than it usually is during lunch service. No bickering. No banter. I’m not sure Ollie so much as mutters a single swear the entire time he’s cooking.
Even though Ollie won’t speak to me, over the course of the morning I’ve managed to piece together what happened, thanks to resident boat gossip hound Britt. Apparently, while she and I were running breakfast service, Alyssa pawned off making up the guest rooms on Nekesa, who found the drugs in the primary’s bathroom. Not knowing what to do, Nekesa went to Alyssa, who didn’t want to risk losing our tip by telling me or Cap. Ollie had overheard the conversation and approached Nekesa, telling her he’d take care of it without anyone knowing she was involved.
But, of course, secrets never stay secret on a superyacht for long.
Having so much going on with my team belowdeck without my knowing it was disconcerting. How was it possible that neither of my junior stews had come to me when an issue cropped up? It made me look incompetent. Like I didn’t know how to manage them. And what was even worse was Ollie, whom I trusted more than anyone else on this godforsaken vessel, keeping me out of the loop. How foolish of me to assume he’d be able to put our personal issues aside when it came to work.
But even though I want to be pissed at him, there’s no fire to my anger. I keep thinking about what I said about his creating more problems than he solves, and if I were really, truly honest with myself, I know I can’t blame him for not dragging me into this.
By the time the guests are off the boat, an event that, unlike lunch, involves plenty of profanity, the mood among the crew has reached an all-time low. Nothing kills morale like not getting a tip, and even though I’m sick of almost everyone on this boat, the somber faces are even worse than the constant bickering I’m usually refereeing. There’s only one thing other than a good tip that I know is guaranteed to raise the spirits of a yacht crew.
“We’re going out tonight,” I announce when everyone, save for Xav and Ollie, is assembled in the crew mess for dinner.
The intended effect is immediate. Britt shoots to her feet and does a little dance. “Can we do Lotus? Please, please, please?”
