Love Overboard

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three

When Sofia woke up in the bottom bunk, the sheets beside her still warm from Jack’s body, she smiled into the darkness. It usually took her body some time to feel comfortable enough to sleep through the night with a man in her bed, perhaps it was an instinct to be on guard. With Jack she had slept soundly; in fact it was his absence that had stirred her. She figured he must be on deck. She slipped on her shoes and a jumper and left the cabin.

Out in the mist she couldn’t see him. She did a circuit of both decks and then decided to head to the kitchen to make coffee; perhaps he had already come back inside by now, or popped to the bathroom.

She made coffee for two, in a Bialetti on the stove, the smell reminding her of home. Thinking about sharing her pre-dawn morning with him in the bunk made her heart beat a little faster. She was impatient for the water to boil.

Holding the two mugs, she skipped down the corridor. As she turned the corner she almost spilt both down the front of Captain’s Mary’s uniform.

‘A close call there.’ Captain Mary chuckled. Sofia burned with embarrassment. She felt flustered, caught out in her pyjamas, the two cups in her hand a telltale clue as to her indiscretions.

‘Oh sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going!’ she babbled. ‘I thought I might as well make one for Jack, as I was in the kitchen anyway. Not sure where he’s gone but I’m sure he’ll be back any moment.’ The words tumbled out.

‘I’m sure he will. He likes the dawn, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. How is the room sharing going anyway?’ Captain Mary seemed politely curious. Sofia blushed.

‘It’s going well,’ she said brightly. ‘He’s umm, very knowledgeable about the boat and everything, so we’ve had some good chats about the yachtie life.’ Half true, she thought.

‘He’s a great boatsman,’ Captain Mary said. Sofia could hear the pride in her voice. ‘And a hard worker. He can be a bit shy though, as unlikely as it seems, so it’s nice he’s been opening up to you.’

Sofia looked down; she couldn’t meet the captain’s eyes. ‘Yes, he’s been... very welcoming,’ she enthused.

‘And how are you finding your time on the boat so far? You seem to have taken to the lifestyle like a duck to water, pardon the pun.’

‘I mean, it’s been amazing. Thanks again for the opportunity. I know I have messed up a lot but everyone has been so helpful, and I’m learning.’ She laughed anxiously. ‘I won’t be making the same mistakes again.’

The captain seemed taken aback. ‘Messed up? I have only heard glowing reviews from the guests and crew alike. I think maybe you need to stop being so hard on yourself, Sofia.’ The captain laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. ‘Learn to live a little, as they say.’ Her tone was sincere but Sofia let out an involuntary snort.

‘Sorry, I don’t know where that came from. It’s just... that’s not the first time I’ve heard that. Jack said it to me a little while ago.’

There was that proud smile again. ‘Yes, well he does sometimes provide a few kernels of wisdom. You could say he’s learnt from the best.’ The captain smiled broadly at her before walking off.

Sofia stood still for a moment, running through the conversation. She’d slipped up by admitting to messing up, remembering too late that the others, especially Jack, had covered for her. Overall though she’d played it pretty well, she thought. Back in the cabin, Jack was still nowhere to be found, although the bathroom light was on, so he must have been there sometime this morning. She sat on the bunk and sipped her coffee.

She knew they had to talk to the captain, but she was feeling optimistic. It was clear to her that Jack loved his job, and he understood how much her career meant to her, so maybe they could prove to the captain that being together wouldn’t affect their work. With his established relationship with the captain, she felt that together they could come up with a plan. This didn’t have to be the doomed ending she’d feared.

As if she had willed them from her thoughts, she heard both their voices, from somewhere on the other side of the cabin door. Her first instinct was to go out and join them, but as she opened the door, she overheard a snippet of their conversation.

‘I promise that it’s just sex, one stupid night,’ Jack was saying, his voice hard and unfeeling. ‘After we dock today, we’ll be back in separate rooms and I will barely see her.’

Sofia’s blood ran cold, and she shut the door quietly. She sat back down on the bunk, staring at the full coffee cup, and waited for the tears to fall, but her eyes were dry.

A light knock on the door. ‘Sofia, may I come in?’ she scoffed to herself quietly. Just hours before he had been inside her, and now here he was performing as ‘the gentleman’.

‘Give me a moment,’ she said flatly, quickly changing into her chef’s whites and pulling her hair back into a tight bun. She would shower later. For now she just wanted to get away from him as fast as possible.

She opened the door to find him leaning against the opposite wall. He smiled at her gingerly. ‘Are you off to cook breakfast already?’ he asked sheepishly. His arms were crossed and he couldn’t quite meet her eyes. She stomached a wave of disgust. How could he just stand there, as if last night had never happened?

‘Yes,’ she said stonily. She hoped he might say something else, but he just stared at his feet. She took it as her cue to leave and marched to the kitchen.