Love Overboard

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Sofia slid into the spare seat next to Declan at the table, feeling flustered and suddenly forgetting what normal people are supposed to do with their gaze. She decided to fix it resolutely on Captain Mary.

‘First of all I’d like to thank you all for being here. We have a challenging season ahead, as two of our crew are acting up for the first time. Petra and Jack, I have no doubt you will both rise to the occasion. And for our chef Sofia and our new deckhand, it will be both of their first times working on a boat. Tabitha too is joining us for the first time, although she has worked a couple of seasons in the Caribbean. So welcome to the madhouse!’

Sofia smiled at Petra, who did not return it. Declan held up his palm, and then thought better of waving and put his hand down. ‘Can’t wait to get stuck in. It’s an honour to be here.’ He grinned.

‘Hi, everybody,’ said Tabitha weakly. She was another Brit, petite with hair that was somewhere between brown and blonde. She had a pretty face but it was clear she wasn’t feeling her best. That is why you don’t want a hangover on the first day, thought Sofia, with a tinge of smugness.

A wry chuckle from Jack, but Petra seemed concerned.

‘Sorry, Captain, I wasn’t aware we had two...’ she shot a look at Tabitha ‘...almost three greenies onboard. What happened to Toby?’ Petra had a thick Australian accent. Sofia wondered how she’d ended up on this boat on the other side of the world.

‘Toby is getting married actually.’ By way of clarification Captain Mary turned to Sofia and Declan and said, ‘Toby was our old deckhand, but the yachtie life isn’t for everyone, especially those who want to settle down.’

‘Not everyone is cut out for a lonely life out on the open seas, hey, Captain.’ Sofia dared to glance over at Jack as he spoke. Though he sounded as bolshie and self-assured as he had last night, he looked different. His hair was combed back from his face, he’d shaved and his uniform made him seem older.

‘I don’t know if it counts as a lonely life if you have a girl in every port, Jack,’ quipped Petra. Captain Mary chuckled at that, and Sofia noted a warmth in her eyes as she smiled at Jack. The effect of his charm extended to women of all ages, thought Sofia, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

‘So as you all know we are operating with a skeleton crew for this charter, as there are only two guests, although might I remind you they are, as all our guests are, VIPs, so it cannot “feel” as if we’re offering anything less than an all-inclusive service.’

Petra nodded in agreement, glancing again at Tabitha, who was now sweating profusely.

‘For those of you newcomers who enjoy the job you might be interested to know that I am looking to take on two new permanent staff to join me and First Officer Carter for the rest of the season.’ This was news to Sofia. She’d been told that this was a six-week gig, that might extend to a second charter, but a whole season? She hadn’t realised that was on the table, and that the prospect excited her.

‘Petra, if you could show Tabitha and Sofia to their quarters? Jack and I will need to steal Declan for a more detailed tour.’ Declan bounded to his feet, knocking the table in his excitement and spilling the remainder of a half-drunk glass of water down Sofia’s light blue T-shirt.

‘Oh no, sorry, Sofia, I didn’t mean to...’ Declan reached for a napkin and went to dab at her before he seemed to realise he would have to touch her chest.

‘It’s OK, Declan, it’s only water.’ Petra’s words were kind, but Sofia could see she was mentally resigning herself to all the work she was going to have to do to get this virgin crew up to scratch.

Sofia had taken over dabbing at the thin cotton so she was looking down when she suddenly felt a presence looming over her.

She looked up at Jack, with an eyebrow raised. The embarrassment and surprise she had felt earlier had evaporated, and in its place a quiet sense of dread had settled. She was going to have to put up with this guy for at least the next six weeks.

‘Don’t worry, I’ve found that cotton dries pretty quickly in this weather,’ he said with a mocking smile.

‘Yes, I have heard that sunshine and wind have that effect.’ He laughed lightly, but it seemed forced. Maybe he wasn’t used to being met with anything other than a giggle and a blush.

‘And anyway,’ he continued, ‘you’re lucky that it’s water. Drinks like, say, Aperol stain pretty badly.’ She held his gaze for a moment, daring him to say more. To her surprise he was the first to look away, his eyes following Captain Mary as she left the room. When he looked back, a sort of distance clouded his gaze, and Sofia felt his retreat.

‘I’ve been terribly rude,’ he said flatly. ‘I’m first Officer Jack Carter. It is very nice to meet you.’ He held out his hand, and she shook it, noticing how rough his hands were.

‘Sofia Harlow, but you can call me Chef Harlow.’ She had meant it as a joke, in an attempt to lift what had suddenly become an uncomfortably heavy mood. There was no flicker of humour in his face, which he had set into an impervious mask.

‘Well, Chef Harlow, I’ll see you around.’

‘I suspect you will.’

He walked off, following in the direction of the captain. Sofia was irritated. Jack was one of those men who insisted on setting the tone. When he wanted to banter, everyone was expected to laugh along, but the moment she tried returning the volley he got sulky. She was only ever allowed to be on the back foot.

‘Sofia, can you come with me.’ It was Petra, and it wasn’t a question. ‘And bring your things. I’m going to take you to your room.’

As they walked down the hall Petra reeled off a list of things that Sofia would really have liked to write down. The main takeaway though was ‘preference sheets’.

‘They’re your gospel. Always always look at your preference sheets. I know a lot of chefs come in here with a lot of fancy ideas about their menus.’ This last word she said scathingly, and Sofia began to gnaw anxiously at her thumbnail. ‘But the guest is king, or queen in this case. Have you had a good look at Ms Cox’s preferences?’

‘Yes, she said she enjoyed “fine dining”, wants to avoid heavy carbohydrates and loves seafood.’

Petra didn’t seem convinced. ‘Really? Ms Milly Cox always struck me as more of a burger and fries kind of girl.’

‘So you’ve watched the show then?’ Sofia hadn’t pegged Petra for the reality TV type.

‘I mean, I’m not like a fan.’ Was that a hint of defensiveness? ‘But it’s kind of hard to avoid, and if I’m being totally honest—’ they were standing in the narrow hallway, and their proximity had chiselled away at Petra’s spikier edges ‘—I actually have a bit of a thing for Brian,’ she said with a grin that lit up her whole face.

Sofia sensed that as soon as the words had left Petra’s mouth she regretted them. Sofia needed to get her back on side. Petra was someone you wanted to have in your corner. She could feel the coldness sinking into the small space between them, and she wasn’t about to let that happen again.

‘You know what, so do I,’ declared Sofia, and to her pleasant surprise, Petra giggled, her no-nonsense facade cracking to reveal something a little girlish.

‘Who knows, maybe I’m just jealous, or just nervous about meeting him in real life?’ Petra’s voice had gone up in pitch and she kept tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind one ear as she spoke. ‘Obviously, it goes without saying that there is ZERO crew-guest fraternisation allowed.’ Her voice was verging on breathless.

‘Obviously,’ parroted Sofia, happy to have cracked the case of Petra’s excitement, ‘but it doesn’t hurt to look eh?’

Petra looked Sofia dead in the eye. ‘You know, I think we’re going to be friends.’

Sofia blushed at the directness, her Britishness getting the better of her. ‘I’d like that,’ she said, unable to hold Petra’s gaze.

‘Well then enough gossiping. I’m supposed to be showing you to your room, and then I have literally a million things to do on this boat before the guests arrive tomorrow.’ She opened the door. ‘And I don’t want to make a bad first impression on Brian.’ She gave Sofia a knowing look, her eyebrows raised playfully.

The room was even smaller than the kitchen. A set of bunk beds jotted out from the back wall and the remaining floor space was mostly taken up by one tiny bedside table and a chair. Everything was beige. A pile of nylon-heavy looking clothing was neatly folded on top of the pristine sheets.

‘Cosy,’ said Sofia unconvincingly, and Petra bristled.

‘Well I know this is all new to you but you’re actually the only one who even has a room to yourself. Usually you’d have to share.’

‘No, no, it’s lovely, thank you.’ Sofia couldn’t seem to stop putting her foot in it. She needed to reign it in with the wisecracks and knuckle down. She was the chef, not the damn jester.

‘The bathroom is that door there, and those are a few uniforms.’ Petra pointed to the stack on the bed. Sofia picked up what turned out to be a cream polo neck with a navy trim.

‘Is this a... skort?’ Sofia gingerly held up the matching bottom half.

‘That’s right.’ Petra was standing with her hands on her hips. ‘Don’t worry you only really have to wear that when you’re interacting with the guests, which for you is pretty much only on the first day.’

Sofia sat down on the bottom bunk. There was barely enough room for two people to stand.

‘I need to go work out what’s wrong with Tabitha. She better not be goddam seasick – we haven’t even left the dock.’ Petra turned to leave.

‘OK, do you know when my ingredients will be arriving?’ Sofia imagined a pile of scallops, rotting in the midday sun somewhere on the marina.

‘I’d ask Jack. The deckhands usually bring all supplies on board.’ She looked like she was going to say something else on the matter and then decided against it. ‘Dinner is at eight. We’d usually eat after the guests but seeing as it’s just us tonight, we can eat at a civilised hour.’

‘Oh great, what are we having?’

Petra stared at her a moment and then burst out laughing. Sofia grinned.

‘Yeah OK, fine, that’s kind of funny. See you later, Chef.’

As Petra closed the door behind her, Sofia congra-tulated herself on a joke well delivered. Maybe she and Petra could be friends, she thought. Usually women like Petra intimidated Sofia. She admired, and envied, the honesty in their brusqueness, the seeming lack of self-consciousness that comes with being ‘no nonsense’. The surety with which they can decide what they do and do not like. Sofia often found it hard to distinguish between actually liking someone and enjoying someone liking her. She supposed that made her a people-pleaser, but she was determined to change that. With a friend like Petra at her side maybe she could learn a thing or two.

What better way to test her new alter ego than to track down Jack and get her new kitchen set up for dinner.