Chapter 10
A Complicated Man – Kayla
“ O h, my god. Mol, it was terrible.” Since we’re docked, I still have time to call her.
“I told you this could be bad, Kayla.”
“I know.” And I thought I understood that. But I didn’t expect for things to go that badly. “He accused me of wanting to blackmail him. Can you imagine?”
“Well, someone with his kind of wealth and success has to think about that kind of stuff.”
“I know that too.” She’s kind of irritating me. I’m not some stupid kid. Despite people’s belief that I am. “But I would never do something like that.”
“So, what are you going to do now?”
I pause before responding with, “Try to avoid him at all costs?”
I then hear her chortle on the other side of the phone.
“What?”
“Well, tell me if I’m wrong, but unless he’s got some massive yacht, it can’t be that big.”
It isn’t. Although it’s still very impressive, seeing as it’s owned by one man.
“So, I don’t think avoiding him is going to be the answer. Especially since it’s kind of your job to be his beck and call. No?”
I wince. “Sure, but there are other stewards on board.”
“Well, whatever you do, I’ll be thinking about you.”
“… thanks.”
That night, I toss and turn—and not just because we’re floating on water.
Instead, my subconscious mind keeps cooking up steamy scenes between Jack Shelley and me.
“I want you, Kayla,” I hear his voice say as fog dissipates, and his gorgeous face comes into view. “Do you want me?” His dark eyes fix on my lower lip as he bites down on his.
“Yes,” I answer, breathlessly. When I wriggle beneath him, I feel a sandy texture. Then, I glance away from him and see a sunny sky and seagulls above us.
Next, he lowers his head and kisses me—his beard delightfully scratching my face.
“Ugh!” I sit up and grunt after waking up from that one. It felt so real. I swear I even felt his pelvis crushing down on mine as he laid on top of me.
But over and over again, similar scenes would be conjured in my mind.
I resolve that I have to make a batch of my dad’s sleeping elixir that he would make for me whenever I was sick as a child. It’s god awful, but it works.
Fortunately, the next day is all business, so I don’t have the time or opportunity to daydream about him. Well, until I see him, that is.
I’m standing on the main deck, and Captain Bryant just gave me and some others a walkie talkie to communicate with him and each other. Jack, who just so happens to be torturing me with his shiftlessness, is standing against a railing on the sun deck.
I have to raise my hand above my eyes to see him. But when I do, I notice that the red undertones in his otherwise brown hair are glistening in the sunlight.
“Just make sure to stay in constant communication,” Captain Bryant says before turning to leave.
My attention, however, is still on Jack.
He takes a pair of aviator glasses out of a case and puts them on.
“He’s gorgeous, right?” A voice from behind my shoulder says.
“What?” When I look back, I see a small woman, obviously wearing the same uniform as me, with dark brown hair that falls at her chin, and big, soulful brown eyes. “No.” I shake my head furiously.
She flicks her wrist at me. “Oh, come on. We all think so. It’s fine.” She then smirks and offers her hand out to me. “I’m Calliope. But you can call me Callie—all my friends do.”
What an interesting name. “Nice to meet you. I’m Kayla… just Kayla.”
We giggle for a moment or two.
She then looks back up at him. “Yeah, he’s a looker. That’s for darn sure. Too bad none of us can ever have him.”
I squint at her. “What do you mean?” He kind of alluded to the fact that he doesn’t date his employees, but I didn’t realize it was a hard and fast rule or something.
“Come on, let’s get some breakfast. I’ll tell you in the galley.”
Galley? Denver didn’t show me that part of the yacht. Immediately, I picture a big room like you eat in at camp.
When we get in there, it isn’t like a ratty, run down chow hall at all. It’s actually quite stately with fresh white walls, pretty metallic sconces hanging off of them, and tableclothed, round tables all around.
The hum of animated conversation and clinking dishware fills the air as crew members gather around long tables laden with food. The enticing aroma of maple syrup and coffee wafts through the room, making my stomach rumble in anticipation.
“Grab a plate and help yourself,” Callie encourages as we join the line of crew members. I do so, and I take my turn loading it with French toast, bacon, and fruit slices.
I then follow her to two open seats.
“Everyone,” she clinks her mug with a knife, “This is Kayla.”
As I look around, I recognize some faces from the day prior, especially Denver’s. He smiles and raises his glass of orange juice at me. I was so appreciative that he, without question, tried to get me out of the meeting last night. I smile back at him.
Then, a sandy blonde-haired woman, bumps shoulders with Callie. “Have you warned her about Harper yet?”
Harper?
Callie then sighs, as if she’s been through this explanation too many times before.
“Harper used to be a steward like us,” she explains, her voice low and cautious. “She and Jack were together for a while. But she ended up cheating on him.”
“That’s awful,” I say, then noticing as the same man we’re talking about enter the room. He has a shirt on now, and his sunglasses have been pushed up into his dark hair. He sits down next to Captain Bryant before someone rushes over with a glass of what I assume is coffee for him.
“Yeah, it was. It just about destroyed him, I think.”
The girl I don’t know swoops her head in. “Rumor has it that he tried to ‘off’ himself on this very boat.”
Callie rolls her eyes. “Gwen! I think all of that is exactly what you said… just rumors. Anyway, he’s sworn off getting involved with another one of us again.”
“I don’t know,” Gwen shrugs, raises her eyelids, and corners off a bite of her pancake. “I’ve heard more than one consistent story about him jumping into the ocean—wearing nothing but that precious ring of his.”
Callie then waives her hands frantically. “We really shouldn’t be talking about any of this here.”
After that, I watch him with sympathy from across the room as he sips his hot beverage, seemingly unaware of the whispers surrounding him. Or, if he is aware, he just doesn’t care. My fingers brush against my lips, remembering our almost-kiss from last night. A pang of disappointment hits me as I realize that moment will never happen again.
Despite Callie’s warning, Gwen continues, “Regardless, it was a messy situation. Ever since then, Jack’s been pretty closed off when it comes to relationships. So, trust us, getting involved with him isn’t worth the risk.” Her fork bounces as she talks.
“I wasn’t planning on it,” I say defensively, but her words still leave me feeling uneasy. After squirming in my chair a bit, I add, “I’m here to work, not get caught up in some forbidden romance.”
“Good,” Callie jumps in and says firmly, giving me a reassuring smile. “Just focus on your job and everything will be fine.”
I nod to confirm my intentions.
“Well, come on. Eat up,” my new friend then insists.
I dig in, and I can hardly believe my taste buds. “Oh, my gosh!” My eyes bug out, and I have to hold my hand up to cover my mouth and conceal the view of food inside of it.
Callie and Gwen look at each other and snicker.
“Seriously, who made this?” The bread is sweet and practically melts in my mouth. There’s also a delicious bite of cream cheese in the whipped topping.
Callie nods toward Jack’s table. It’s still only him and Captain Bryant there.
“Captain Bryant?” I can’t imagine a dignified captain also cooking for the entire ship.
“No,” Gwen shakes her head. “Jack.”
I drop my utensils. “You’re kidding me. Jack? Jack Shelley?”
This time, she nods. “All three meals of the day as long as we’re here.”
“There isn’t an official cook?”
“Nope,” Callie reiterates. “He wouldn’t hear of it.”
As we continue eating, I find myself constantly stealing glances at Jack, trying to reconcile the charming stranger from the complicated man he actually seems to be.
However, I also note the dark circles under his eyes that I’ve never noticed before.