“And apparently is the only noteworthy thing about this baby.” Fiona matches my tone. “But seriously, ask away. The more you know aboutEmpress, the easier it is to market it. We’re selling something, after all.”
“Which is?”
“Luxury, of course. Look at this thing. We’re not selling a ridiculous houseboat yacht. We’re selling lifestyle porn.”
I decide I like Fiona. “How long have you been a content creator?”
Fiona sips her beer and thinks. “Oh, a while now. I’ve been onEmpressnearly since the beginning. Viv found me when I was working as a coat-check girl at a club in Miami. Do you know how terrible that job is, Charlie? A coat-check girl. In Miami.Florida.” She rolls her eyes. “The only things I was ‘checking’ were purses full of coke and the occasional suit jacket.”
I laugh. “How’d you end up there?”
“Dropped out of college,” Fiona says, grimacing. “It wasn’t my thing. My parents were so mad, they said I had to find a way to support myself. Makeup always came easily and naturally to me, but Ididn’t want to be a makeup artist either, you know? They work awful hours. I’m not a morning person.” She drinks again, shrugging. “I ended up at the club, working for pennies. I was like, seconds away from being evicted from my apartment when Viv hired me.”
“I can relate to that.” And I can. Deeply. Fiona and I might be more alike than I realized. “Well, this is a step up for both of us, I guess.”
Fiona nods. Her lipstick isn’t getting on her beer like mine would. Maybe I should watch some of her tutorials. “I was super broke. My makeup influencer page was doing well, but it was Viv who helped me make real money from it. Brand partnerships and sponsored posts and all that.Empressisn’t perfect, but I owe it everything. And Viv. Like, I have legit money now. I could never go back.”
A bead of hope forms in my chest and beats alongside my heart. This experience might be off to a peculiar start, but Fiona is soothing me. Maybe in a year I can be like her: comfortable in my niche, making real money, helping onboard a newbie.
Inspired, I continue asking questions. “Viv saidEmpresscan move?”
Fiona nods furiously. “Oh, yeah, that’s a selling point for these things. You can invite all your rich friends for a yacht trip and settle down when you find a nice enough place. On a real yacht, anchors can drag, you always need a captain onboard, yadda yadda.Empressis self-sufficient.” Fiona gives me a look, perfectly plucked brows raised. Her voice drops a few octaves, and she glances around once to make sure we’re alone before continuing, “Of course, we don’t talkabout how big of a production it is to set up or retract the caissons. You need a whole other boat to help with installation and takedown. But we don’t mention that much. Not in the ‘brand vibe.’ ”
For the first time, I wonder if this job aligns with my morals. And then I decide I don’t get to pretend Ihavemorals. It’s not like I am being entirely honest here. They don’t know everything that went down with Sage and me. They don’t know I’ve struggled to give a shit about my account in the past six months.
“You should go get settled,” Fiona tells me, sipping again from her beer. Her tone is casual, but I notice her quick glance up, toward the top level. She wants to check on them, I can tell. “Take a beat. Relax, unpack. Then we can have some drinks with the whole fam later, okay? Do a proper welcome for you.”
I’m not in the inner circle yet, I realize.Viv hired me, but they don’t trust me.
“Yeah, that sounds good. I could definitely use a shower.”
“Go on then, girl. I’ll come grab you in a little bit.”
“Sure. Thanks.” I can’t help it. I add, “I hope everything’s okay up there.”
“Me too,” Fiona says absently before realizing what she’s said. She quickly smiles to cover up the crease of her expression. “Like I said, it’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
They’re all lying to me. Whatever is happening with Piper clearly isn’t “okay.” But I can’t blame them for keeping secrets.
After all, I’m a liar too.
Chapter 5
The shower is amazing.
The sweat and dirt from my travels sloughs off my skin under the hot water and steam. After, I wrap myself up in a cozy white towel and flop on to the bed that is now mine, the contents of my duffel bag already strewn across the room.
How long does this gig last anyway?I wonder, looking at my belongings.
Viv said it would be a contract position that would likely go by a monthly basis, but she never gave me an estimate or a number.
I open my phone’s Notes app and begin to list all the things I’ll need to get taken care of back home at my apartment, and all the supplies I’ll need for my stay onEmpress. Fiona gave me the Wi-Fi password before leading me down to my room, and now I am getting a stream of notifications as my phone comes back online.
I shoot off a message to my sister, giving her an update on the new job andEmpress.
She replies surprisingly fast:
Are you serious? I follow that Viv girl! I need details later.
