Chapter 14
The days pass with sunbathing on the deck and reading. Yvette and Mina read the same book and discuss it every morning before a breakfast of yogurt and fruit. Sometimes it's oatmeal. Despite having all the luxuries in the world and every delicacy at her fingertips, Mina still prefers a simple breakfast. It is usually followed by a reasonable lunch and early dinner.
While Marcel and the crew are often dining on things like steak and potatoes, Mina and Yvette opt for chicken salads or bagel and lox, Yvette’s favorite. They save most of their consumption calories for alcoholic beverages Yvette makes. She’s a novice bartender. They sip pink lavender martinis in the drawing room while practicing Gin Rummy.
Marcel is on his cell phone in the living room which is the next room over. His conversation spills into the drawing room and sounds like some kind of deal because he’s going back and forth about a contract with his agent. Mina wonders if he’s in the middle of buying a house or selling the one he currently has. This alarms her slightly and takes her attention away from the cards in her hand as she tries to listen. Could Marcel be moving away without telling her?
“I won,” Yvette says as she puts her cards down.
Surprised, Mina glances at the cards on the table to make sure Yvette isn’t cheating this time. Satisfied by the cards, Mina gathers them all for a shuffle. Yvette downs the rest of her lavender martini. “Another?” she asks as she rises to her feet.
“Sure,” Mina says as she starts shuffling the deck.
“I can live like this forever. Who needs to work when you can live your life having fun.” Yvette says as she heads over to the mini bar, a long oak buffet table with a display of alcohol on top and a bowl of ice.
“You do. Last I checked you didn’t have a sugar daddy,” Mina says teasingly.
Yvette laughs. “I don’t need a sugar daddy. Maybe someone out there needs a sugar momma.” She scrunches her nose, “Ewe, that sounds like cougar talk. I take that back.”
Mina rises from her chair as Fisher arrives and announces that they are almost at their destination but the Captain wants to speak to her.
Mina looks to Yvette who is pouring a shot of vodka into a shaker. She gives her a sly look which Mina interprets to Yvette feeling tipsy and ready for another drink. Her cheeks are rosy and her skin is dewy-looking- perfect for a photo shoot in Cosmopolitan.
“Another game when I get back?” Mina anticipates that the meeting with the captain won’t take long. It’s noon and another beautiful day on the high seas. Lunch is soon to be served on the deck, Mediterranean style with freshly baked bread drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A display of cold cuts, various olives, cheeses, and grapes. She glances at her Hermes watch.
“About 30 minutes to lunch so if you get back fast we can play another game,” Yvette says, as she pours the liquid into their martini glasses.
Now Mina is thinking of the Mediterranean-style lunch they're going to have. She can almost smell the freshly baked bread drizzled in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Her mouth waters to think about the charcuterie board of olives, cheeses, and sliced meats. She's already thinking of what wine to pair it all with as her stomach grumbles.“Well then, I better hurry.”
Mina takes the stairs. Her Jimmy Choo heels clank against the stairs as she goes up. The weight of her body prompts her to grab the railing. The liquor is working its magic through her veins. She feels heavy, light, and dizzy all at the same time.
As she reaches the top of the staircase, she thinks of an excellent business venture- a speakeasy as a game of Clue. She'll have to work out the details but it sounds fun to uncover ‘who did it’ all while partaking in the adventure of drinking and discovering.
The clouds draw in and a muted darkness covers the yacht. A cold chill sets in and Mina can feel the hairs on her arm stand as erect as her nipples. She folds her arms across her breasts and goes into business mode.
“You wanted to see me?” She walks up to Captain Rodrigo who is sitting in the captains chair eyeing the monitors before him. Fisher takes the other chair and goes back to whatever he was doing prior to summoning her.
“Aye,” he says, never taking his eyes off the screens. She can see his eyes darting back and forth like he’s concentrating hard on what he’s seeing. “We’re entering the North Gate realm. I’d like you, and the rest of the guests to take precaution when going out on deck. The waves are more choppy, and the weather unstable.”
She leans against the desk of the control board. “Sure. Do you know how long the weather will be bad?”
He runs his hand along his jaw in thought. Then his eyes meet hers, intense. She can see a streak of worry in them but she’s not sure until she hears it in his voice. “Just be careful. This area is highly unpredictable. No matter what the maritime weather report is. None of that applies here.”
She looks out the window. Dark clouds have gathered, grey, and ominous. “Is that why the sun dipped out on us? So much for that tan I was working on.”
He slams his hand on the desk. “This is not a joke. I’ve yet to lose one person at sea. One person.” There’s an intensity to his voice that alarms her. His eyes darken and even Fisher stops what he’s doing and turns his attention to Captain Rodrigo.
“Alright, Captain,” Mina says in a sobering tone, “I’ll make sure we stay inside and if matters call us out to the deck, we put on the life jackets. Is that suitable?” She doesn’t want to provoke him, but he’s already rubbed her the wrong way with his outburst.
He nods as his gaze shifts back to the monitors. “Yeah, that’ll do.”
She lets out a breath of air. “Great, then dinner is at seven and we’re having lobster. Seeing how we’ve made it this far, why not celebrate a little?”
He huffs, “That’s probably not a good idea.”
She shifts her gaze back to the windows. The sun tries to peak out of the clouds, only to dart back behind them. “That’s fine. Suit yourself if you don’t care to join us but I do have a bottle of Amontillado picked out especially for tonight’s after-dinner treat. You know, after the Baked Alaska but before the Dom Perignon?”
He raises an eyebrow at her and she knows he’s intrigued.
“Dinner at seven, you say?”
She nods.
“Count us in, then.”
With that, Mina makes her exit and descends the staircase. The weather has gone cold and when she reaches the bottom of the stairs, Yvette is busy closing the windows. Mina plops down on the lush sofa as Yvette makes her way back to the bar to concoct another drink. Instead of lunch being served out on the deck, it is displayed in the main dining room and Mina wonders if this is a precursor of things to come.