Chapter 1: A New Beginning
As Ava walked down the dock, the sun beat down on her skin, warming her from the inside out. The marina was peaceful with the gentle lapping of water against the boats filling the air. She couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement in her stomach as she took in the sight of the mega yachts, each one more luxurious than the next.
As she walked, her eyes scanned the boats, looking for the one she had been sent to work on. And then she saw it, the sleek lines of the yacht, with a gleaming white hull, contrasting navy accents and the name emblazoned on the side “Sea Emperess”. She was certainly impressive and dwarfed the neighbouring vessels.
Ava couldn’t believe it, after years of working on smaller boats, she had finally made it to the big leagues and had the opportunity of earning big money. She couldn’t wait to see what the next few months had in store for her.
As she approached the boat, she felt a sense of awe wash over her. The yacht was even more impressive up close, the size, detail and craftsmanship of the boat were truly something to behold and she couldn’t even imagine how rich the charter guests she would encounter were going to be.
She felt a pang of nerves, her mind racing with the possibilities of what was to come. But she pushed the thoughts aside and took a deep breath, ready to take on whatever the next few months had in store for her.
Gripping her suitcase tighter she pulled it to a stop alongside the walkway bridging the gap between the dock and the yacht. Kicking off her shoes into the rope basket on the dock, and being careful not to entangle the billowing folds of her long maxi skirt as the split rode up against her leg she stepped off the dock to begin an unforgettable journey on the high seas, filled with adventure, drama, and a life-changing romance.
Stepping off the gangplank onto the spotless teak deck my hand and gaze were caught by a tall, muscular man with a firm grip. He grinned and introduced himself as Matteo, the bosun.
“Welcome Aboard……” he spoke with a hint of an Italian accent then trailed off awaiting my response
“Ava, I’m the second stew” I replied
“We’ll see” he chuckled but before I could ask what he meant began talking excitedly about the boat.
“She’s is Bellissimo, no?”
I took in the elegant surrounding, but also the specimen of a man in front of me. He had an air of authority about him whilst still being approachable despite having striking Latin features including dark eyes and dark eyes. He looked to have strong arms and I guessed legs, but it was hard to tell as he was wearing jeans. I thought it strange he wasn’t wearing a deck uniform or more appropriate clothing but I guessed he had maybe not long arrived himself. He continued speaking passionately about the boat and his experience whilst peppering his chat with questions about me.
As we walked about the deck he pointed out what storage was available and the water toys and equipment that would be available to the guests, he headed towards a young-looking deckhand who was washing down the sides of the boat and motioned for him to join us.
“This is Dean, one of my deck team. He can show you to the bridge, I think Captain Sterling wants to see you right away.
Dean grinned, trying to look reassuring. Despite his boyish good looks and impish smile I instantly felt a knot in my stomach.
“Hi Dean, I’m Ava”
“Hey Ava, good to meet you” he replied drying his hands and pointing towards the mirror doors that led to the interior.
The Captain is on the bridge but I’ll take you up through the boat so you can start to find your way around.
We started walking together exchanging details and I learned that Dean had just started in the yacht charter industry but he had experience teaching wealthy clients to sail. Basically the exact opposite of my background, I had never made it into the world of the ultra-rich before but had been working my way up the ladder working as a yachtie on vessels since I left home at 16 over 7 years ago.
Suddenly distracted from my conversation with Dean, I noticed another figure had appeared on deck in my peripheral vision. I couldn’t help but notice this particularly handsome deckhand. He had blonde streaked, tousled hair, an angular jawline, his torso uncovered that seemed to have been chiselled from marble and particularly golden green eyes that shone in the sun. He looked like he had just stepped out of a magazine cover, and I couldn’t help but stare, but before I could even get a proper look he had disappeared again.
I shrugged it off, almost wondering if I had imagined this vision of perfection half-naked in the bright sunshine and continued my tour of the yacht. I followed Dean, as we quickly made our way to the bridge, wondering what could be so urgent.
As we made our way through the interior quarters, taking in the opulent surroundings and admiring the craftsmanship of the yacht, Dean pointed out the way down to the galley and crew quarters and took me upstairs to the bridge deck. Knocking lightly on the door marked “wheelhouse” he gave me another of his cheeky grins and scampered back down the stairs, leaving me alone to hear the reply “Come in”.
