Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
KELSEY
Iwake up bright and early, excited to work with the crew on a fun project and trying to not think about the fact that Bruno immediately thought I was holding him over a barrel for more money.
And he could not have been crabbier about my questions on what aesthetic he wanted for the celebration.
Figure it out!
Why was that such an obnoxious question? You have to know the personality of the girlfriend to know what kind of celebration she would create.
He and I are clearly an “opposites attract” couple, so I have decided to lean into that. I’m fun and unexpected and out of control in a good way.
And it has to be elaborate.
I throw on my favorite lounge pants and a tank top, a couple things that I had luckily brought from home.
I grab sunglasses and my tablet and head out to the beautiful, sunny deck.
Bruno is, naturally, nowhere to be seen.
I settle myself down on my favorite lounge chair and there is Annie, strolling up with a glass of orange juice.
“For me?”
Annie sets the orange juice down. “Can I get you some coffee? There’s a full breakfast menu on there of course.”
I rub my hands. “I’d love some coffee with cream and sugar, and did Bruno inform you as to our project today?”
“He said that we have to help you set up your anniversary celebration?”
“Yes, and we can just talk normally because obviously we’ll be working together on this job.”
Annie nods. “McGillicuddy informed us that we were to consider you our manager today.”
“Awesome! So what I’m going to need from you is yes, all the coffee. If you have some sort of almond cherry scone—”
“We have almond cherry.”
“Okay, lots of coffee, two scones, and come back prepared to brainstorm.”
“Me?” Annie squeaks.
“Bruno wants an elaborate anniversary celebration, and event planning is no fun as a solo activity.”
Annie gives me a pitying look. “Of course it’s not. I’ll do my best. You deserve a nice event. Congratulations, by the way.”
As I watch her leave, it comes to me that the crew thinks I’m his real girlfriend, and this really is our one-year anniversary.
What else would they think? And he put me in a below-deck cabin, and he ignored me all of yesterday, and I couldn’t play my music, and now he’s apparently instructed me to arrange an elaborate anniversary celebration.
They must think I’m pretty desperate for a billionaire boyfriend, to put up with all of that!
But I can’t worry about that. There’s a job to do!
A few minutes later, Annie and I are thick into it over coffee and scones. Or at least I’m drinking the coffee. Apparently, Annie’s been up for hours.
“I guess I need to figure out what we have on board that can be used to create a celebration atmosphere. I suppose that’s our big limitation.”
“Not at all! We are passing near Portland, Maine around lunchtime, I think. We can take the tender boat over there.” She pulls a phone from her pocket. “Let me just connect with Fernando on that.”
Access to a midsize city! That expands the possibilities. I show her a picture from Pinterest, all hearts and garlands. “What do you think about garlands of hearts strung all over the aft deck?”
“And perhaps some fairy lights?”
“Love it. And maybe a big banner. Something like… ‘Our love is timeless.’ Because sometimes I kind of tease him about how serious he is about watches and the concept of time.”
“Or until the end of time,” she says.
“Or maybe we go with a simple, ‘Heart my Chumpywumpy’ or something.”
She blinks.
“Too much?” I decide on a simple “Happy Anniversary, My Sweet.”
The dark-haired guy who has trouble controlling his expressions wanders up and Annie introduces him as Fernando. Fernando informs us that we can definitely take the tender out to Portland and make it back without the ship having to weigh anchor.
Annie looks energized. Alive. She pulls her phone from her uniform pocket. “I found a party store! And a bakery.”
“Yes, a bakery! Obviously we need a cake. A really big cake,” I say.
“With tiers,” she says.
“Right.” I smile, imagining a giant cake. “Three. Minimum.”
Annie is typing into her tablet. From the way she’s mumbling, she seems to be making some sort of list, organized by store.
I tap my chin with my index finger. This has turned out to be kind of fun. “What else.”
“Music?”
“Yes! A celebration needs music. Is there a stereo system? I’m the kind of person who would put together a serious playlist if I was celebrating a one-year anniversary.”
“Not hooked up,” Annie says. “There’s a PA, like an announcement system. But playing music over that would sound terrible.”
“Terrible,” Fernando agrees.
“Other owners I worked for had us fly musicians in from the shore for things,” Annie says.
“What kind of musicians?”
“There’s a lot of variety up and down the coast, but wait...hold on...” She bites her lip as she checks her phone, looking excited. “There’s this amazing duo in the area.”
“I don’t think Bruno would want extra people on board,” I say.
“You could do a serenade boat,” Fernando says.
“Yes! These guys could come out in a boat and play from the water below! That’s romantic!” Annie is grinning ear to ear. “Do you have a budget?”
I text Bruno.
Do we have a budget for this?
No answer.
He’s probably in his workshop where he doesn’t want to be bothered, but I’m going to need an answer. He asked for elaborate, but I don’t want to go overboard. According to Fernando, we need to leave within forty-five minutes.
We go and talk to the chef, an English fellow named Phillip who studied in France and Japan and whose culinary talents are clearly going to waste here with the Monday chicken and all of that.
Phillip has some very ambitious suggestions for the menu, including a seared salmon dish and “a charcuterie board that will put that Hamptons hotel charcuterie board to shame.” He, too, will be going to Portland.
The tender is ready to go, and we still haven’t heard from Bruno about the budget even though I’ve texted him several times, and McGillicuddy is no help at all.
“I guess I’ll go ask him,” I say.
“In his workshop?” Annie asks, surprised.
“I guess,” I say.
Fernando looks concerned. “He’s not to be bothered in his workshop.”
Annie links her arm in his. “But Kelsey is his girlfriend.”
I put on a brave smile.