Petra chugged down half the bottle and let out a long sigh. ‘So you’re only twenty-seven? That’s crazy, I was so sure we were the same sort of age. I mean I’m thirty-two so not a million miles off.’ She laughed at Sofia’s deep frown. ‘Not because you look old, my God, your skin is incredible, just that you seem, I don’t know, mature? Like you’ve seen some stuff, like you know who you are?’
Sofia let out an incredulous scoff. ‘Hardly – sometimes it feels like I don’t recognise myself at all, let aloneknowmyself. I think it’s fair to say that I’ve tried to reinvent myself a bit since stepping on this boat.’
Petra tilted her head to the side. ‘Huh, well you’re doing a great job, kid – very convincing.’
‘OK, I’m not sure about “kid”.’ Sofia playfully swatted Petra with the tea towel in her hand. ‘Enough of this chit-chatting; these pancakes are not going to serve themselves.’
‘Damn they look good. Any chance of a couple of rejects going?’ Sofia stepped to one side to reveal a pile of slightly misshapen ones on a plate behind her. ‘You are an angel sent from heaven,’ said Petra, blowing her a kiss before picking up the plates.
‘I’m covering for Declan on the boat today, so help yourself. I have to go and get ready with Jack.’
‘You and Jack? Together on a small boat all day? Are you sure that’s a good idea? We’re already a skeleton crew; the last thing we need is a homicide on our hands.’ Petra was teasing, but Sofia felt herself blush profusely. She thought she had managed to keep their frosty relationship under wraps. She didn’t want a reputation for not being able to keep things professional.
‘Oh please, you think I haven’t noticed how the pair of you can barely be in the same room? Well you know what they say, it’s a very fine line between love and hate.’ Petra winked at her and before Sofia could protest, she was gone.
Sofia didn’t have time to dwell on that comment. She had to change out of her chef’s whites and get up on deck for her safety training. The thought of having to be instructed by Jack made her skin crawl but she would have to suck it up.
‘Right on time, Chef Harlow.’ Jack was inspecting the tender. ‘Could you just check that all four of those life jackets over there are operational?’
Sofia walked over to the pile of orange nylon and picked them up awkwardly. She had no idea what exactly she was looking for.
Jack glanced over. ‘Just make sure that the buckles are working and the straps are tight around each vest.’
‘Yes, got it,’ she snapped. She was not going to enjoy this: being in Jack’s world, answering to him, it was the very definition of being on the back foot. Why had she agreed to this? To make a point about not being the damsel, but the knight? Had she really wanted to prove that she could come to Jack’s rescue so badly that she had willingly gotten herself into this situation? She respected Petra but she was starting to think that her assessment of Sofia as somebody who was ‘wise beyond her years’ was way off.
After the life jackets, Sofia had to mop the floor of the dinghy and wipe down the seats. Jack was busy fiddling with the motor and the dials at the helm. Sofia was not convinced he was actually doing anything useful, and thought he was treating her as his dogsbody.
‘So I’m doing all the real work and you just stare at the controls huh?’ She was twisting murky water out of the mop head.
‘Well I know you understand the chain of command, having worked in a “professional kitchen” as you like to keep reminding everyone, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that covering for Declan means that you have to do as I say.’ He was smirking, clearly enjoying himself.
She decided to ignore the pointed comment about her last job. ‘I thought you said I would just be “filling up glasses”.’
‘Once we’re on the water sure, but we can’t have Milly and Brian sitting on – what is it you Brits say –mankyseats while you pour the champagne.’
‘Of course not,’ she said with a bright and unconvincing smile. Once they were done Jack talked her through the safety protocol; basically, don’t fall in, and don’t take your jacket off. Sofia rolled her eyes. She hardly needed to be here two hours early for him to tell her that.
‘And you have the picnic hamper ready?’
Sofia nodded grumpily. Jack ignored it. He was in ‘first officer mode’ now. How quickly he could slip in and out of it, Sofia thought.
‘I was thinking we could go around the north coast, towards the Grotta Azzurra, maybe pull into a little bay for the food and then head back mid-afternoon. They’re spending the night on land at some fancy villa that Milly saw on Instagram, so we need to get back in time to dockLady Shellyand get supplies on board before dark.’
‘Sure, that all sounds good to me.’ She decided she too could be civil and professional. She also had to be. ‘I have a list for the supply run ready, and I’ll bring the hamper up to the boat before we leave. I’d like to keep it refrigerated as long as possible.’
‘That you very much, Chef Harlow. I’ll see you in an hour.’ He strode off and Sofia began to feel a little better about her chances of surviving the day.
She went back to her cabin and changed into the spare stewardess uniform. She admired herself in the mirror. The maroon skort and polo actually looked quite good on her, as she always did in shades of red. The top was a little tight. Tabitha had been very slight, but she felt presentable.
‘Sofia, I need you on deck please.’ She jumped as the radio came to life from where it was clipped to her waistband.
‘Coming.’ She checked her watch. Shit, she was five minutes late. She’d gotten distracted, but she’d have to think of a better excuse before she got to Jack. She couldn’t bear to imagine what he would have to say about the damsel getting lost in her own reflection.
When she got up to the deck, Milly and Brian were already in the boat. Jack was clipping Milly into her life jacket, and she giggled as he tightened the strap around her waist. ‘Easy Captain,’ she said playfully.
Jack wasn’t thrown like Declan had been. ‘You better behave yourself, Miss Cox, or else I’ll have no choice but to throw you in at the deep end.’
‘I don’t think I’d mind taking a dip in the deep end with you, Captain Carter.’
