Love Overboard

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

They stood in parallel rows on the deck, Petra and Sofia facing Jack, Stuart and Declan. Sofia thought the girls versus boys setup was a little trite but she didn’t say anything. She adjusted the collar of her polo shirt and tried not to dwell on how self-conscious she felt in an outfit that seemed better suited to a netball match than a professional meet-and-greet.

As the captain led the couple across the deck, the whole crew took the opportunity to get a good look. Milly Cox’s proportions were perfect but she looked like she had been miniaturised. Her hair was a startling shade of red that Sofia felt could not really have been captured on camera. It fell in a straight sheen to the tops of her shoulders either side of an immaculate middle parting. She wore white from head (large rectangular sunglasses that covered most of her freckled face) to toe (a pair of precariously high strappy, heeled sandals). Brian by contrast stood at least a foot taller than Milly, and was dressed entirely in black. It was the outfit of a man who was reluctant to stand out, but still wanted you to know he’d thought about what he was wearing. Black short-sleeved linen shirt worn open over a black tank top and paired with linen trousers and black flip-flops, which on closer inspection seemed to be made of leather. She wondered idly if Milly had chosen the outfit for him.

The captain introduced each crew member in turn, with the exception of Tabitha who was apparently still throwing up somewhere below where they were standing.

‘It’s absolutely stunning,’ said Milly, an Essex twang curtailing the ‘g’ from the end of her sentence. She was standing at the edge of the deck and looking back towards the boat. ‘Can you believe it, Brian, home sweet home for the next six weeks.’ She squealed with delight as Brian strode over and planted a kiss on her lips. The captain averted her eyes respectfully, but after a moment of silence in which the two of them remained lip-locked, she had to clear her throat.

‘Would you like a tour of the rest of the yacht? Petra can show you to your suite, and Declan, could you take their bags down as well?’

‘If you’d like to follow me,’ said Petra, smiling over at Brian. Milly snapped a selfie and then stared critically at the screen as she examined herself. ‘Come on, baby, this nice lady is going to show us our rooms now.’ Sofia noticed Petra blush and then quickly collect herself.

‘I’m sure you’ll both be very pleased with the amenities.’ Petra caught Brian’s eye and tucked a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear.

Declan busied himself with the mountain of Louis Vuitton–emblazoned luggage as Petra led the couple away. The captain walked off, leaving Jack and Sofia standing awkwardly on deck.

Sofia thought he might just ignore her. She found herself simultaneously hoping for and dreading the idea.

‘All prepped for today, Chef?’ Was he suggesting she didn’t have everything under control? Maybe he was just making small talk? Or sincerely checking in? She scanned his face for a clue about what he might really mean, but his expression was inscrutable.

‘Yes, everything is ready to go.’ She tried to mimic his tone and give nothing away, in case she revealed how much he had unsettled her with a simple question.

‘Glad to hear it,’ he said flatly, and with that he walked off towards the upper deck. Sofia stared at his retreating back, bemused, before getting a hold of herself. She didn’t have time to stand around and overthink; the tour would be done soon and the guests would be expecting their snack in the main saloon. She headed back down below deck.

On her way to the kitchen she bumped into a flustered-looking Petra.

‘Everything OK?’ Sofia asked cheerfully.

‘No, I’ve left the guests to unpack and just had a chat with Captain M, and she thinks we should leave Tabitha behind.’

‘Oof, that bad?’ Sofia was sympathetic. She had worried about the sturdiness of her own sea legs before accepting the job; she would have been heartbroken to have been kicked off the boat, betrayed by her own body.

‘She said it’s my call, and I really don’t know what to do, but whatever I decide, I have to do it soon.’ Sofia was reminded then that this was Petra’s first time as head stewardess. It was easy to forget, when she radiated such confidence. She remembered what it had been like, back at Nakachwa, when she’d first started as sous, the weight of the expectation that you would just suddenly make all the right calls. The sense that you might let down somebody who had taken a chance on you. Sofia knew all too well what that could do to a person.

‘Whatever you decide, Petra, you’ll make it work. If your gut is saying something useful, listen, but I know it can be hard to block out the noise if you’re feeling panicky.’ Petra looked up and smiled at Sofia.

‘You’re very thoughtful,’ she said, already seeming calmer.

Sofia let out a dry chuckle. ‘It’s advice learnt the hard way.’

‘Well thanks for getting it the hard way and giving it the easy way.’

‘You’re welcome.’ Sofia had forgotten how lovely that first flush of friendship was. It had been a while since she had enjoyed the comfort of it at work, and she was grateful for it.

Petra closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, Sofia saw a look of resignation. ‘She has to go.’ She was decided. ‘It is one thing to have to steward this boat on my own, it is quite another to have to do it on top of playing nurse and babysitter. We just don’t have time for her to get a prescription sorted and that over-the-counter stuff never works.’

Sofia nodded reassuringly. She felt bad for Tabitha, but she wasn’t about to put her neck on the line for her. ‘Sounds like good reasoning to me.’

‘Thanks, Sofia, I’m really glad to have you on the team.’

She hadn’t realised how much she’d needed to hear those words until that moment. As Petra marched off to find Tabitha, Sofia’s eyes welled up with gratitude and she hastily swiped a tear from her eye. Her sentimentality would have to wait. She had an afternoon snack to present.

When she entered the main saloon with a large chopping board of cheeses, charcuterie and savoury pastries, Brian could hardly wait until she’d placed them on top of the bar.

‘I’m bloody starving,’ he said, systematically hoovering up one, two, three parmesan puffs in quick succession.

Sofia watched him with satisfaction. ‘Welcome aboard. I’m very much looking forward to cooking for you both.’

‘You’re very pretty.’ This came from Milly, who had looked up from her phone and was walking over. ‘I bet you’ve got gorgeous hair. Shame it’s all tied up.’

Sofia laughed nervously. ‘Oh, thanks, I kind of have to, hairnets in the kitchen and all that.’

Milly was still staring at her intently. Sofia felt like she was being appraised by some sort of knowledgeable dog breeder, or an antiques specialist, each angle of her face being evaluated.

‘Isn’t she pretty, Brian? Doesn’t seem right for you to be trapped down in the kitchen.’ Brian looked anxious, as if a trap had been set and he was trying to work out how to avoid it.

‘You have very nice...’ he paused, looking panicked ‘...teeth.’ He froze as Milly glanced over at him. When she smiled, he smiled back, relieved.

‘She does, doesn’t she,’ said Milly. ‘Do you want a selfie?’

Sofia had never been a big fan of The True Course of Love. She found the format degrading and often cringed at how exposed people were in front of the cameras. But she was not about to out herself as a non-believer.

‘Um yeah, are you sure?’ But Milly already had an arm around her shoulders, pulling Sofia toward her as she grinned, astonishingly naturally, into the outstretched lens.

‘OMG, cute. You look great,’ said Milly although Sofia thought that the picture was distinctly unflattering. Milly actually did look good though, and Sofia supposed that was probably the point.

‘Anyway, I had better head back down. Pleasure to meet you both. I’ll have dinner on the table at eight.’

‘Thanks... um...’ Milly was engrossed in her phone again, pinching and swiping. It was Brian who spoke.

‘Sofia.’

‘Thanks, Sofia, these nibbles are mega tasty.’

Back in the kitchen, Sofia made final preparations for dinner. Eyeing up the lobsters in the tank up against a giant saucepan felt a little cruel.

A voice came through on her radio. ‘Anchors up in fifteen minutes.’ It was Captain Mary. The lobsters would be enjoying a stay of execution. She wanted to be up on deck.

As she walked to the stairs she passed an open door. Inside was a sorry sight. Tabitha was crying as she stuffed her belongings into a suitcase. After just two days of being confined to her cabin she looked an unnatural shade of grey, bags framing her eyes, and her hair developing a sheen of grease at the roots.

‘Hey, sorry to see you go. I hope you feel a bit better soon.’

Tabitha sniffled. She wouldn’t meet Sofia’s eyes. ‘Yeah, thanks. Bon voyage, I guess.’

There was nothing more Sofia could say or do to help Tabitha. She made her way up to the top deck.

From her vantage point she could see Milly and Brian below. It seemed they were trying to recreate the Titanic pose at the bow of the boat.

Declan walked over to where Sofia was standing. ‘It’s so weird to meet them in real life,’ he said, joining her to peer over the railing.

‘I don’t think I really believe that they’re in love,’ Sofia said assuredly. She thought of herself as someone who was pretty good at reading people.

‘Nah sure they are. You can’t fake that stuff.’ They were stood side by side but Declan kept glancing over at Sofia as he spoke.

‘How old are you, Declan?’ He looked a little surprised by the question.

‘Um twenty-two, why?’

Sofia was only five years older, but she felt she had learnt a lot about what people could and couldn’t fake in that time.

‘Just wondering,’ she said, unwilling to offer any sort of unsolicited advice that would invariably sound patronising.

Petra came and joined them. ‘There she goes.’ She was pointing at a figure with a suitcase on the marina. It was Tabitha. ‘I can’t believe I’m the head stewardess, and the only stewardess. Hardly feels like a promotion if I’m just doing everyone’s job at once.’ Her tone was exasperated but she looked relieved. ‘I hope she finds another job soon – something on dry land.’

‘Anchors up, Dec.’ Jack’s voice came through the radio, and Declan jogged off.

As the boat manoeuvred its way out of the dock, Sofia felt a deep sense of calm and, for the first time in months, she knew she was doing the right thing.