by Wood, Vivian
She almost doesn’t make it, but I grab her and keep her from falling off the platform. She clings to me, blushing vividly the entire time.
“I got you,” I say, steadying her.
Her light eyes burn into my face. “Thanks,” she says, a little bit breathless.
My blood heats up, just having her so close to me. She feels fragile to the touch, as though she’s made of glass and I have to try not to break her. Still, I hold onto her for a few more seconds before I turn her loose.
Holding her again, smelling her delicate perfume, brings me back to that packed dance floor, reminds me of how amazing Luna felt in my arms the first time I laid eyes on her.
My heartbeat is loud in my own ears. Luna looks up at me for just a second me, her eyes crinkling, biting her bottom lip in a way that drives me wild. Something crackles in the air between us, electrified, just waiting for one or the other of us to make a move.
Does she know that I still dream about her? She sure seems to…
In the next second, she pulls back from my embrace. Her gaze goes down to her feet as she steadies herself. The connection snaps instantly, vanishing like it never existed.
“Hey, captain!” Carlos calls. “Come on, grab me on my next big swing…”
I am caught up in the commotion, helping the rest of my crew mates get across. There are still three big obstacles left to race through, including a big wall and a zip line finish.
Luna avoids making eye contact for the rest of the time. Or maybe I just imagined that moment, the two of us frozen in time. I don’t know.
But when I fly down the zip line as the last person to touch the ground, she’s already taking off her harness. And by the time I manage to get my harness off, she’s over having a very animated conversation with Malkia.
Sighing as I return the harness to Zach, I steady myself. This is just another day. Luna is just another employee. Nothing to see here, nothing at all.
Heading out to my car, I remind myself of that, saying it over and over in my head like a mantra. That doesn’t really make it true, though…
Chapter Ten
Luna
Remember what you agreed to do for me… the closer you can get to him, the better it will be for me… and you, by extension.
I read the text from Dr. Montgomery in the marina parking lot, scowling down at the screen. Shoving the phone in my pocket, I take a deep breath.
His demand sounds an awful lot like something you would pay a hooker to do. I shake off Dr. Montgomery’s weird pressure and struggle to pick up my camping backpack.
Walking down the dock toward the High Hope, I worry that I have packed poorly for our trip. I went off of a much-photocopied list of essentials that Malkia presented the new crew members with. Sweaters, pants, shoes, underwear.
The most basic-bitch list ever, and that’s coming from a white girl who loves Starbucks.
It explicitly stated that no more than one personal bag would be allowed and even specified the measurements. So I stuffed everything I thought I would need into two bags, eyed it all critically, then repacked.
Five repacked bags later, I am hauling basically everything I can take with me on my back. I almost can’t get the damn pack out of the car but eventually I make it down the docks in one piece.
“Need a hand?” Malkia asks as soon as I huff and puff my way up the gangplank. She sticks out her hand, but I’m worried that she will see how heavy my pack is and order me to repack again.
Plus, I’m not sure that I can get it off my back without lying down. I can’t do that and still have the crew think that I’m not crazy, so…
I shake my head, breathing hard. “Where is my room?”
Malkia eyes me skeptically. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
Her footsteps across the deck are thunderous but quick. I struggle to keep up with her as we round the upper deck and she disappears down the stairs.
Making it down the stairs is a special kind of struggle, balancing everything just perfectly. I break out in a sweat.
At the bottom of the stairs, I follow Malkia down the tight corridor and into a tiny room. Four bunk beds take up almost the entire space, with four lockers at the back. There is a roll away door on the whole space, but otherwise no thought has been given to privacy.
“Voila,” Malkia says, waving her hand. “I took the top bunk on the right. I think Julie took the other top bunk.” She motions to the two bottom bunks, only a few feet apart. “So you have your choice of the bottom bunks. Okay?”
I push myself off the wall, launching myself toward the right bunk. Malkia is kind enough to get out of my way. I slip off the straps of my backpack and it falls to a floor with a loud thunk.
That’s the moment at which I feel my period start. And it isn’t a mere trickle either; it’s a thunderous monsoon.
I planned ahead and I’m wearing a super absorbency pad. But still, it’s definitely not the way that I want to start this trip.
Malkia raises a brow, motioning over to the lockers. “You can claim whichever locker you want. I’ll meet you upstairs on deck, okay?”
I nod emphatically. “Yep!”
Stepping around me, she disappears out into the corridor. I lean against the bunk bed briefly, thanking my lucky stars for birth control pills. With the pills controlling my hormones, I’ll only menstruate for a few days.
It’ll just be painful, especially without the hot water bottle and handful of painkillers I usually take. Resigning myself to taking a shitload of acetaminophen, I push my backpack toward the first open locker I find.
Rummaging around in my backpack, I take a couple of Tylenol and then lock everything up. As I head out into the hallway, I take a deep breath.
I jog up the stairs and hit the main deck. Malkia and most of the crew are already there, standing and listening to Gabe talk. I wasn’t really ready for Gabe in uniform, but looking at him now, my eyes drink him in.
He wears all white, from a short sleeve shirt down to crisp white pants. His belt buckle is gold, his tie is solid black. And at each of his shoulders are two black and gold patches.
With his dark hair and his height, he looks utterly delectable at this exact moment. When his blue green eyes land on me, he pauses for the merest second in whatever speech he’s giving.
Then he looks away and clears his throat.
A slow heat slithers through my lower stomach. It’s not just me that feels the pull of attraction, then.
“As I was saying,” Gabe says. “We will have a couple of hours to finish getting settled. Malkia will hand out uniforms to everybody…”
I stand by the railing, my fingers curling around it. My stomach cramps rear their ugly little head. I lift my chin, determined to set off on this trip.
“In two hours, you had better be dressed and ready to sail,” Gabe continues. “Because the clients will board the ship… and then once they are on board, please please consider every single thing you say and do. From the second that they step on board this ship, it becomes a working ship, with you as its crew.”
“Yes sir!” Malkia says, looking at her brother with something like admiration on her face. “Everyone line up here now to receive your uniforms…”
I head to the back of the line, my mind traveling back to my cramps. Damn, I really wish that I’d had them yesterday. Or even tomorrow when we are far enough away from shore that I don’t have to worry about getting kicked off the boat.
My eyes go instinctively to Gabe, who is clapping Malkia on the shoulder. He wouldn’t kick me off for something so minor at this point, right?
As he turns and heads to the upper deck, I repress a sigh. I really should have taken some more pain killers. At home, by now I would’ve usually just taken something heavier, like a sedative.
But that’s not possible here, I think. Somehow the idea of a narcotic and the sea don’t really seem to mix very well.
The line moves along slowly. I stare at a coil of rope that lays on the deck, my l
ower body really starting to ache. My back is in on it too now.
“Luna?” Malkia asks.
I look up, realizing that I’m the last one. I’m about five feet away from her too. I flash her a smile, shaking my head, and walk forward.
“Sorry. I’m a little out of it today,” I explain.
She frowns. “Stay away from the sides of the boat then. We cannot have one of the new recruits falling overboard during the first hour that we are all on the boat, okay?”
She passes me my uniform, which consists of a white polo shirt, a long black skirt, and a black tie. Behind that is a heavy black parka with a large red cross splash over the back.
“Whoa.” I look up at Malkia. “A skirt? I would’ve thought that they would be banned on the High Hope.”
Malkia gives me a secretive smile. “I hope you like it, because Captain Gabriel put the order in to the uniform company all by himself. I had nothing to do with it.”
I raise my brows. “Really? Well, you won’t hear any complaints from me…”
She makes a long mmmmmm sound. “Go change, Luna. We have a lot of work to do today to get this yacht out to sea.”
I bow my head. “Of course.”
I hurry downstairs and change. Malkia isn’t down in our room, but the other two women are. I say hi to them and we all squeeze into our uniforms.
The next few hours are a whirlwind. I sort of wondered what my tasks would be when I am not providing medical aid; today is a good example of the fact that I’m a floater.
Malkia directed that I should help turn down the guest beds. When I am done with that, Sam needs help in the kitchen, peeling potatoes and preparing garnishes.
In between all this, I am running to the bathroom every half hour, praying to god that I don’t bleed on my freshly pressed uniform. I also max myself out on the over the counter pain meds, determined to just breathe through the pain.
I help Sam make little sprigs of thyme, making faces when my cramps get especially bad. By the time I’m done with that, the guests are on board.
Gabe pops his head in the kitchen, summoning me. He’s all business right now, his face lacking a single bit of playfulness. “Come say hello to our clients. Let them know that you are available for anything they need.”
Raising my eyebrows at Sam, I follow Gabe out of the galley and upstairs.
There I see people milling around with champagne flutes. For a second, I could easily believe that this was the gala I attended just yesterday.
“Everyone, this is Luna, the doctor who will be servicing this trip,” Gabe announces. Everybody turns to look at me, nodding faintly. “Luna, these are our guests.”
The oldest man looks me up and down, smiling a little. He offers his hand. “Alejandro Vera. This is my wife, Sofia.” He waves his hand to a very elegantly dressed blonde with literally the biggest fake lips I’ve ever seen in person. Actually, on second glance, I’m a hundred percent sure that she’s had her eyes, nose, breasts, and butt remodeled too. I nod my head.
Alejandro continues. “These four are my daughters and sons…” He waves to several people that are about ten years my senior. “And then the grandchildren are mine as well, of course.”
He looks extremely proud. I know just how to key into that, because he reminds me exactly of my own father.
I smile widely. “How wonderful. It is a pleasure to meet your beautiful family, sir.”
I curtsy, bobbing my head. When I look up again, Alejandro is grinning ear to ear. “Thank you, Luna. Or is it Dr. Luna?”
Bowing my head, I keep the same smile on my face. “Whatever you would like, sir.”
He just laughs, walking over to Gabe and clapping him on the arm. “Well done. I feel safer already, Captain Gabriel.”
Gabe gives him a small smile and looks at his watch. “Speaking of which… we should go over some safety regulations very quickly. Then we can set sail before the sun starts on its downward trajectory.”
“Whatever you say, Captain Gabriel!” Alejandro says. “Just promise me you’ll keep the vino flowing…”
Gabe smiles stiffly. “Of course. Luna, will you just let Emma know when you get downstairs that they are ready for another round?”
“Of course.” I bow again, making a hasty exit.
I scurry downstairs to the bathroom again, almost running into Malkia on my way out. She gives me a look.
“Are you doing okay?”
My cheeks warm. “Totally. I just have to go tell Emma to refresh some drinks…”
I slink away down the hall, feeling very watched. But since I’m not doing anything wrong, what can Malkia even really say?
The pain in my lower body doesn’t stop, but neither does the stream of little tasks slow down. By the time that the guests are finally settled in bed, I’m about to drop where I stand.
My head pounds, my back is killing me, and I’ve run through half the sanitary napkins that I brought for the entire trip. Malkia spots me leaning on the kitchen island, trying to breathe through another set of cramps.
“I’m not even going to ask if you are okay,” she says, startling me.
I straighten, clearing my throat. “It’s just a particularly bad round of menstrual cramps,” I explain, my face going hot. “Nothing serious, I promise.”
She looks at me for a long second, her dark eyes uncertain. Then she shrugs. “Go ahead and go to bed, then. If they are really just cramps you should feel better after some rest.”
I almost sag with relief. “Thank you, Malkia.”
Her lips lift. “See you early in the morning, Luna.”
Hustling myself to my room, I visit the bathroom one more time, shoring up the dam. Then I change into my pajamas and crawl into my bunk.
I’m already asleep by the time my head hits the pillow.
Chapter Eleven
Gabe
The next morning, we set sail just as dawn breaks. The yacht is moored off the coast of Neah Bay, at the furthest tip of the United States. It’s only a couple of hours before we will be in waters that belong to Canada.
After waking and dressing in the dark, I slip down the hallway and make my way up to the main deck. I lean against the railing and shiver as I look out at the dark water. It’s cold this morning, almost cold enough for the jacket that I have slung over my shoulder. There is no moon to speak of, so the sky seems like an endless dark expanse. Water and sky blend together into a twilight morass.
At this exact moment, I miss Michelle so badly that my teeth ache from it.
“Gabe?” Malkia calls softly. She flips the switch that illuminates the stairway. The soft light radiates out into the darkness that surrounds me.
I turn to look at her. My words are quiet against the early morning hush. “I’m here.”
She comes up with a thermos, unscrewing the cap. Fragrant steam escapes the cap, smelling like fresh coffee. She pours a little into the cup formed by the cap, handing it over.
I take it, more grateful than I’ve felt about anything in a good while. “Thanks.”
She shrugs, shivering as the first rays of light turn the darkness a vague gray. “It is my job, Gabe.” She pulls the zipper of her parka up as far as it will go. Malkia is always cold.
“Where is your beanie?” I ask.
She offers me half a smile. “I will be wearing it today, that’s for sure. I do not have such luxurious locks on the top of my head to keep myself warm.”
She nods to my hair. I smile as I sip my coffee. “No, I suppose not.”
There is a noise from the deck below, several thuds and a yelp of pain. I sigh.
“I am going to go check on that,” Malkia says, handing me the thermos. “I should be back up to help you cast off soon.”
“Thank you.” As she heads downstairs, I head up to the pilothouse on the upper deck.
I check my watch; it’s 4:48 in the morning right now. At five, I’ll pull up the anchor so that we can set sail. I stand behind the wheel and look out at the sea. It�
��s calm, as I would expect here in a bay. It has to get pretty crazy out there beyond the land for it to affect these sheltered waters.
As I start going through my checklist in my head, I find the sweet spot. Too busy to worry about anything other than the task at hand, but not so busy that I’m frazzled. If I could just live in these moments… especially as the sun rises on the boat but almost everybody is downstairs getting ready…
I would be satisfied, I think. Maybe I wouldn’t be a whole person, but at least I wouldn’t have to go through any more heartache.
I’ve had enough of that for a lifetime.
As the sun peeks over the horizon, officially making a showing of itself, I pull out of the bay. The clients aren’t up yet, nor would I expect them to be. But Malkia is up here, slouching against the wall of the pilothouse and looking somber.
Standing at the wheel, I look at her askance. “Everything is running smoothly downstairs?”
Her lips curve up. “It seems that way.”
“Sorry, um…”
I turn my head and see Luna in her yacht uniform. Her dark parka jacket and black skirt cling to her body just as I’d imagined when I ordered them for the voyage. Swallowing, I turn back to steering the yacht.
“What is it?” Malkia asks, pushing off the wall.
“Emma is asking for you, Malkia,” Luna answers. “She says that she can’t find the table linens.”
“Ah,” Malkia says, heading down to the lower deck. “I will be back as soon as I straighten this out.”
Glancing behind me, I see that Luna is still hovering in the doorway of the pilothouse. At the moment, she seems to be ignoring me in favor of staring out at the horizon. I look forward with a sigh.
“Are any of the clients up yet?”
She steps forward into my line of sight, shaking her head. “No.”
“Hmm.” I frown. “I guess if I had the money to charter this yacht for almost a month, I wouldn’t worry about what time I got up either.”
