Chapter 5
5
B eck took his call seated in a small reading area at the central stairs leading to all decks. Just as he finished, she emerged from her cabin.
She approached and Beck stood. His mouth went dry. Fuck, he never responded like this around women. What was it about her?
"You're still here. I thought you'd be long gone," she said as she stopped in front of him, hands on her hips.
"Yeah, well." He held up his phone before tucking it in his pocket. "I took the call here." He turned slightly to the intimate sitting area.
"Right, so… I was about to inspect Intrepid . I know the yacht layout, but I wondered if you'd like to show me?"
How could he resist her invitation? It was a perfect opportunity to get to know her more.
He smiled. "I would be delighted to show you around Intrepid . And how is it that you know the layout?" He asked as they fell into step.
"Fletch. He gave me the specs on her so I didn't arrive cold. I know her almost as well as he does."
They went up to the next level with two smaller guest cabins and a library, the galley, and salon amidships to aft. They, or rather she, inspected until they ended up on the bridge. He watched Micki run her hands across the navigation equipment and look at all the consoles and instruments. Beck had a profound sense of pride watching her appreciate Intrepid . He'd spared no expense to have the newest and best equipment on board and while the Intrepid was modern and new, he had touches of old pirate, sailing ships added to the design with hints of it all over Intrepid . He was especially proud of the wheelhouse. It was reclaimed wood from an old boat, refurbished and installed, with beautifully appointed brass fittings and an old ship’s wheel that worked, but was mainly for aesthetics.
"You approve?" He asked and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back on his heels. "Captain's office is behind us.
Micki glanced at him and smiled, she nodded. "She is gorgeous. I love how you've created the feel of an old sailing ship. Fletch told me I would fall in love with her, and he was right. She is magnificent."
They left the bridge and moved astern. As they were walking, she ran her hands along the polished railings and then turned to ask, "I’d like to see the engine room."
Beck nodded, he wasn't surprised, it was the heart of the ship. "Would you like to lead the way?
She smiled and his chest swelled, she looked so pleased. They descended the decks. She stopped and faced him.
"A day spa? That's new. It's not on the plans Fletch gave me."'
"It was installed very recently. I like a good massage, as do guests. It made sense. Feel free to use it anytime."
"Thank you. I will." Micki continued along the hall until she reached a locked door with a sign saying No Entry. Engine Room Crew Only.
"Ah. I don't have the key. Do you?" Micki turned to him.
"Looks like I came in handy," he said in a low voice and leaned close and pushed the key into the lock.
"Mmm, yes it does," she replied in a voice that set his blood pumping quicker.
He pushed open the door and stood aside, holding it so she could enter first.
She halted a few steps in. "Very nice." She gazed around.
Beck followed a few steps behind her. She inspected almost everything and ran her hands over the equipment. God help him, but he couldn't stop thinking how her hands would feel on him.
I 'd spent the rest of the day and the following one familiarizing myself with the crew and their duties, and schedules. Going through emails, organizing charts, and ordering provisions for the crew meeting this morning and barbeque when all the crew was aboard. I liked to do that in each new job. It helped with the camaraderie and was a soft intro for me.
I was in the crew mess, making sure everything was set up. Rather than have the chef prepare the baked goods, I ordered in. It was important for everyone to be included. Intrepid could go silent for an hour with all of the crew at the meeting. Beck and his staff were also invited but I didn't expect them to attend.
People began to filter in and I watched them interact with each other. So far everything looked peachy and I was relieved. The last thing I wanted was to have to play house mother to them. They were adults, and professionals, and should be well acquainted with procedure. Once they were settled with their beverage of choice and a plate of food, I began.
"Good morning. I'm Michelle Avery. Mainly known as Mick, Micki, Cap. Most of you know Fletch. I learned everything at his knee. Rumor has it he got a nasty break while skateboarding." I widened my eyes and was happy to hear a few chuckles around the room. "That means he'll be out for months to come. He recommended me to Mr. Steele, and I'll be interim captain until Fletch returns.
I paused and gazed around the room taking in their expressions. So far all seemed well and they didn't show any hostility to the situation.
"Once everyone is aboard, which should be tomorrow, I've arranged a special kick-off dinner. It's catered so no one has to do anything except enjoy themselves." I looked at Chef. "You too. Kitchen is off limits."
Chef Cindy smiled and nodded.
I glanced at my watch. "Right, Mr. Steele gave permission for us to have the BBQ on the sundeck, and everything will be ready for 18:00 hours. Since guests are arriving the next day, please enjoy yourselves responsibly. I've gone over Fletch's procedures and won't be making any changes to crew or duties. Everything will stay as is, but I will be interactive with you. If you need to chat about anything, I'm here and I look forward to getting to know you over the next weeks or months. I pointed to the food-laden table. "Please, dig in. The food will be cleared away in an hour."
The crew rose to their feet, some filled their plates and others filtered out the door.
Once the room was empty, I made a plate for myself and grabbed a couple bottles of water to take to the captain's office on the bridge.
"Cap?" I turned to Cindy.
"Hi!"
"I'll get this cleared away in an hour. Since it's mainly pastries, how about I repurpose it so there's no waste?" she suggested.
"What a great idea. And you know what?"
She shook her head.
"You don't have to ask me things like that. You know what's best when it comes to the food. The only thing I ask is to see the provisioning list before fulfilling it."
"Got it. Anything you need, don't hesitate to ask," she told me.
I nodded. "Will do, now I should get back up to the bridge. Thanks again."
I had some final details to go over before the guests arrived. It was a single night at anchor here in Passion Cove. The big event was the cruise to the barrier islands next week. It would be the first time I took Intrepid out and I wanted it to go like clockwork. That meant I needed to be prepared and I didn't want anything to go wrong. Nor did I need any distractions from a certain tall, dark, and sexy boat owner.