Petra sunk her head into her hands ‘Why?’ she moaned. ‘Why do I never learn?’
Declan gave her a reassuring rub on the back. ‘At least you’ll have another pair of hands soon to help out,’ he said optimistically.
Petra shot him a look. ‘Oh yeah great, another green-gilled teenager to train up.’ Declan looked dejected, and Petra bit her lip. ‘Sorry, Dec, I’m in a foul mood. It’s nothing personal.’
‘I guess I better get to planning this menu. Hopefully Jack will have appeared by the time I need to get my supplies.’ She hadn’t meant it to sound as accusatory as it did.
‘Don’t worry, Sofia. I can help.’
Sofia eyed Declan suspiciously. ‘How are you so perky this morning?’
Declan broke into a cheeky grin. ‘Well if you must know, I was only drinking lemonade yesterday. After you had to step in for me on the boat trip, I thought I better get my act together. You inspired me actually.’
‘Huh, I’m not feeling much like an inspiration today.’ Sofia’s temples had begun to throb ominously. ‘But good for you, kid.’
Declan frowned for a moment and then recovered himself. ‘Just let me know when you need me.’ He bounded to his feet and left the room, leaving Sofia, Petra and Stuart. The atmosphere immediately became tinged with something loaded. Sofia didn’t have the stomach for whatever it was – awkwardness or sexual tension. She made her excuses and a swift exit.
‘I’ll leave you two to clear if that’s OK?’ Petra shot her a dirty look but she was already out the door.
Chapter Twenty
On her way back to the cabin, she bumped into Jack. He was rushing down the hall, staring at his phone, and he came towards her so quickly that despite trying to stand to the side, his shoulder crashed into her.
‘Watch it.’ She felt irritated by him not noticing her.
‘Sorry, Harlow, I’m in a bit of a rush.’ He tried to push past her but she blocked his way. She felt like picking a fight.
‘Where have you been then?’ She didn’t try to hide the accusatory tone from her voice this time. There was something about the arrogance of his being late and everyone simply laughing it off that rubbed her up the wrong way.
‘Christ, Harlow, is this an interrogation? If you must know, I bumped into an old family friend last night – Luchiano. He used to work for my grandmother when we were younger.’ He stopped abruptly. ‘Not that it’s really any of your business.’
Sofia kicked herself. Why had she made assumptions? And why had she taken it so personally that Jack might have spent the night with someone anyway? Her anger turned inwards and darkened into shame.
She dropped her head. Any amicable advances they may have made yesterday, she had dashed in a moment. ‘Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t realise. It’s just that Petra and the captain were making all these jokes and...’
‘And you thought you could come out here and accuse me of something, something that I am well within my rights to do anyway, might I add.’ It was his turn to be angry. ‘I don’t really know what I have to do, Sofia, to convince you that I am not some horrible monster of a man, and to be honest I’m a little bored of trying.’
‘I’m really sorry, Jack, I don’t think you’re a monster. I think I’m just in a horrible mood today.’ Sofia felt awful. She had not included ‘grovelling apology’ in the list of tedious chores she had to do that day, and it was draining an already low reserve of self-worth. This, she noted, was just one of the reasons she had stopped drinking in the first place.
Jack sighed heavily. ‘It’s OK, Sofia, I’m just... It’s been an intense couple of days. Capri it’s... There’s some family stuff that always comes up whenever I’m here and...’ He trailed off and ran his hand through his hair exasperatedly. ‘Apology accepted. I don’t really have time for this right now, Sofia, but it’s fine, we’re cool.’ He was not very convincing, but Sofia was more than happy to let the conversation end there.
‘OK, sorry again. I’ll radio you when I need help with the supplies later?’
‘Sure,’ he said coolly and then he looked down at his watch. ‘Until then.’ He strode off.
It was a stark realisation to consider that men like Jack had ‘baggage’ of their own, inner lives and family drama that sat somewhere below the charm. Sofia wasn’t sure she was enjoying the revelation. It was far easier to think of Jack as purely two-dimensional. She stood alone in the corridor, fretting anxiously about her tendency to mess up her work relationships. She resolved to be friendly from here on out. He might be infuriating at times, but he had also really looked out for her and saved her from some tight scrapes. His personal life was none of her business, and now that she thought about it she wasn’t sure how she’d convinced herself otherwise.
‘Sofia, Sofia.’ Declan’s voice cracked through the radio. ‘We’re going to get supplies now, so if there are any last-minute changes to the menu speak now or forever hold your peace.’ Damn, she didn’t have time for contemplation. She had a whole new ingredients list to write up; mussels needed to be swapped out for chicken fillets, lobsters for steaks.
‘Give me ten minutes, Dec. I’ll bring the new list up to you.’ She marched towards the kitchen.
‘Copy that.’
Something about the need to distract herself from her run-in with Jack turbo-charged her ailing brain into gear. When Petra wandered into the kitchen, she didn’t even notice; she was scribbling away on her notepad so furiously.
Petra stood quietly, and when Sofia looked up, she jumped. She was making a habit of it – things on this boat always seemed to be creeping up on her.
‘Damn, Petra, you can’t creep up on me like that. I’m in a delicate state today.’
