by Annie Seaton
He waited patiently and gradually he caught a glimpse of Gracie appearing in the gaps between the boats lining the boardwalk across from him. She walked purposefully and confidently, swinging her bag looking as though she didn’t have a care in the world. A pair of skimpy, white shorts showed off her legs and a tight, dark blue singlet top hugged her curves and revealed too much skin. Her blond ponytail poked out through the gap in the back of a baseball cap pulled low over her eyes and she carried a dark blue bag with a large gold crown on it. Even from that distance his body responded with a hit of blood to his groin.
Christ, he really needed to get out and get rid of this frustration eating at him.
As soon as this job was over and Gracie went home to the outback, he was having a break and catching up on some much-needed recreation. The temptation to indulge in a bit of fun with her was biting away at him but he knew that would be a big mistake. She was the sort of woman who cried out for commitment and stability: a house, a couple of kids, and a husband.
Way more than he was interested in giving. A few nights of hot sex, lying round the pool, a few drinks, a couple of nice dinners, and then back to reality. That’s all he needed…with someone else.
And wanted.
It was.
He pushed away the pang of regret that shot through him, and he limped over to the small stove, without taking his gaze from Gracie. She was almost to the end of the dock and only five boats away from the Midas. His stomach churned with every step she took closer to it.
If he hadn’t known, he would have picked her for another backpacker looking to make a few dollars and have a good time while she did it. In that skimpy uniform, the last thing she looked like was an innocent kindergarten teacher.
The first time she’d shown some spark in the supermarket a couple of days ago, she’d called herself boring, plain Gracie. He’d like to find the guy who had done the number on her and sort him out.
Keeping his gaze fixed on her, he picked up his cell phone and pressed the quick dial button for Ben, while he filled the coffeepot with the other hand. The call picked up immediately.
“Where are you, mate?” he asked Ben.
“Working, what’s up?”
“Are you in town?”
“Yup.”
“That’s cool, just wanted to know you were around.” Jake flicked the gas on the stove and moved the coffee pot onto it.
“What’s happening?” Ben’s tone was cautious. “You’re not doing anything you shouldn’t be, are you?”
“No. Just on my boat. Just want to know I can call on you if needs be.”
“I’m here.”
“Good.” Jake ended the call and threw the phone back on the table and waited for the coffee to heat. His gaze was still fixed on the huge white boat across the narrow strip of water and he considered going up on the deck.
No, that was stupid. He didn’t want to blow his cover and he wouldn’t see or hear any more from out there anyway. He poured his coffee and stood staring out the hatch, waiting.
It was going to be a long morning.
…
Gracie bit down hard on her lip as she took the final turn toward the Midas. The marina was busy this morning and the activity had slowed her progress. A crowd of tourists dressed in sarongs and swimming gear carrying bags full of diving equipment were heading for the Camira, the big purple yacht that headed out to the reef every day. All the boat berths were full and boats were either being hosed down or had a cleaning crew on them. Trolleys filled the boardwalk loaded with food, clothes, and linen, heading toward the charters they would take out midmorning. A couple of men were pushing trolleys of provisions along the final pontoon toward the charter yachts on this side of the Midas and she had to wait to let them past. Now she was taking the last steps toward the huge white cruiser and her stomach churned.
“Look out!” A high-pitched squeal and a rattling noise behind her followed the words.
Gracie turned and quickly reached out to grab the side of a trolley careening past her toward the water. The girl running along behind it caught up to the back of the trolley and pulled back hard on the handle. The trolley laden with folded, white linen stopped inches from the edge of the water.
“Oh, jeez, thanks.” The girl puffed out. “These friggin’ trolleys are hell on wheels. At least three of them go into the water every day.”
She was dressed in the same white shorts and blue shirt as Gracie and looked at her with interest. “Hey, you’re the new girl on with me this morning.”
“Yes, I’m supposed to start at eight o’clock,” Gracie replied. “So, I’d better hurry. Can’t be late on my first day.” She smiled trying to hide the nervousness in her voice.
“Oh, no worries. You’re on with me. So you can start now. Grab the other end of the trolley and consider yourself on duty.”
Gracie moved around to the other side and put her bag on top of the pristine linen. Neat piles of white towels and sheets filled the trolley, all embossed with a gold crown. She turned to the girl who was straining to pull the heavy load back to the center of the concrete walkway.
“I’m Gracie.”
“I’m Shannon. Good to meet you. We’ve got a huge day ahead.” She chatted nonstop as they pushed the trolley together and covered the last few yards, finally bringing it to a halt in the shadow of the huge cruiser. Gracie looked up, pleased to see that Jake’s description of the morning’s activity on the boat was correct. Crew scurried over the boat polishing the trim, hosing down the top deck, and sweeping down the middle deck. Three more deckhands dressed in the white shorts and blue-topped uniform were beside the boat on two Jet Skis and a small speedboat that had the Midas insignia along the side.
“She’s a beautiful boat, isn’t she?” Shannon said. “Come on. We’ll leave the trolley here and get you sorted.” She waved to one of the crewmen polishing the trim.
“Lars, watch the trolley doesn’t go in the drink until we come back?” she called out as she led Gracie to the back of the boat.
Gracie’s nerves settled and she looked around. No wonder the boat looked so magnificent if this was the effort that went into maintaining it. She put her hand up to shade her eyes. The reflected sunlight off the curved white cover over the back deck was bright and Gracie squinted to see above the deck. No sign of anyone she had seen on the boat before…and no sign of Regan.
“Follow me. Bring your bag.” Shannon led her through the doors she had entered yesterday and turned down the staircase. “I’ll show you the crew quarters.”
Gracie looked around as they walked along a wide corridor beneath the deck. The doors were open and all the cabins were empty and the large portholes gave her a glimpse of the marina. She could see Jake’s sloop just across the water and wondered if he was watching.
“Mr. Cabal, his guests, and Clive have all gone up to the Eungella Rainforest to the waterfalls to give us a good go at cleaning the boat.” Shannon paused outside the door of a large cabin. There was a small table in the middle and cupboards and benches around the curved wall beneath the two small portholes. “We’ve got access to everything today.”
She led Gracie over to one of the cupboards and opened it. “Put your bag in here. This is a sort of lunchroom. And if you get too hot, come in here for a breather.”
“Thanks. It is hot.” Gracie took her phone out and slipped it down the front of her shorts. “Isn’t the boat air-conditioned?”
“Yes, but it isn’t switched on while it is only us. Only when the posh people are on board.” Shannon grimaced and then pointed to the bulge in Gracie’s shorts. “No point carrying your phone. Cell phones don’t work on the Midas.”
“Don’t work?”
“No, something to do with the radio signal from the bridge.”
“Oh, okay.” Gracie reluctantly took the phone out and hesitated before she put it back in her bag. She quickly scrolled through the photographs and turned to Shannon. “Do you know this girl?”
“Yeah, looks like C
arla. The owner’s girlfriend.” Shannon looked at her curiously. “Do you know her?”
“Er…no. She’s a friend of a friend. My friend…er…sent me her photo and told me to catch up with her if I came to Airlie Beach.” Gracie knew it sounded lame but she wanted to have one last try at finding out what Regan was doing.
Shannon nodded and stepped through the door. “Come on. I’ll show you around and then we’d better get started. Just you and me inside today.”
Gracie’s stomach sank and she tried to concentrate on what Shannon was saying as she tried to decide what to do.
Was it worth staying on the boat on the off chance she’d still be here when Regan showed up? Or should she just be satisfied that her sister was okay, call it quits, and head for home?
Unease prickled the back of her neck and she looked around at Shannon who was waiting for her outside the door. She had nothing to lose by staying on the boat and helping Shannon out for the day and if she hung around long enough, she could see Regan and find out what the hell she was playing at.
“Okay. You’d better show me what to do then.”
Gracie followed Shannon as she led her back up the stairs and through the saloon. They walked across to the other side and Shannon turned to Gracie with a smile.
“Close your mouth. You’re gaping. Welcome to how the other half live.” Shannon pointed out where the table linen was stored beneath the bar that divided the living area from the formal dining area, before pushing a button beneath the timber counter. The burgundy-colored drapes that covered the large windows slid open noiselessly. Plush white leather sofas formed a square around a circular glass table with a huge arrangement of sweet-smelling white lilies in the center.
“We don’t have to clean in here. Clive looks after this area.” Shannon crossed to a wall at the edge of the room and when she pulled a set of keys from her pocket, Gracie noticed the door at the end of the wall.
“We’ll have to clean in here first, just in case they get back earlier than we expect.”
Shannon opened the door and stepped through into a darkened room and moved across to the windows, which were set high in the front wall and curved around to follow the shape of the front deck. “We’ll do this together. It’s the master cabin. It overlooks the main deck and has amazing views across the front of the boat. Look.”
As Shannon pressed a button on the wall, the dove-gray fabric blinds concertinaed up to the timber-lined ceiling and sunshine poured through the large windows. Gracie bit back a gasp as the room lightened.
“Yeah, it’s a mess, isn’t it? Like I said…how the other half live. You strip the linen off the bed and clear the bathroom and I’ll go and get the fresh sheets.”
She disappeared through the doorway, and Gracie walked over to the timber bureau that lined the side wall. It wasn’t the mess that had shocked her—it was seeing Regan’s possessions thrown carelessly on the bureau that had sent a jolt running through her. Gracie reached over and picked up the glass-backed crystal mirror that had belonged to their mother.
She shook her head in disbelief. Nothing made sense. If Regan had brought her personal possessions on to the boat, it meant she was here.
So why all the secrecy? Why hasn’t she contacted me?
Slowly, the truth began to dawn as Gracie looked around. She thought of Jake’s intimations of criminal activity and his absolute concern that she not work on the Midas.
Whatever he knew, Regan knew too and didn’t want Gracie to know. What had Jake said about Cabal?
From all accounts he was trouble.
It looked like her dear sister had got herself tangled up in something shady once again. Just as well she hadn’t reported her as a missing person. Doubt and uncertainty took over her thoughts. Who was Jake working for and how was he connected to everything? And just what was it that they were all doing?
If Regan had simply answered my messages, she could have got on with her life and I wouldn’t have had to come running. Anger began to build in her stomach. Just let me go back to Ashby Downs and let me get on with my life.
Ha, such as it is. The thought of going back to the school and dealing with David didn’t appeal either.
Reaching across the bed, she angrily pulled off the sheets and dumped them on the floor before going into the ensuite bathroom and collecting the wet linen. She gathered the sheets and towels and headed back out to the stateroom as Shannon appeared at the door, her arms full of fresh linen.
“Wow, you’re quick. We’ll get this knocked over in no time. Want to come out for a drink later?”
Why not?
Jake could wait till she was ready to go home with him. And she could ask Shannon questions about Cabal and Regan…or Carla, without seeming too keen.
“Love to. Now what’s next?”
Chapter Fourteen
They worked steadily together, stripped and remade beds, and replenished the towels in four guest cabins on the lower deck before Shannon loaded up the trolley with the used linen and left Gracie with a dusting rag and furniture polish.
“Just do all the surfaces,” she instructed. “And if you want a laugh, check out what’s in the drawers beside the beds.” With a chuckle, she headed out to load up the trolley.
Gracie finished in Regan’s cabin and moved back to the first queen-size stateroom. She was fuming. Regan’s clothes filled the wardrobes in the master cabin and she recognized the toiletries in the bathroom, including a set Gracie had sent her for her birthday in October. Pressing the button next to the window, she opened the window blinds in the first guest suite to let the light in before wiping down the bureau under the window. As she moved the arrangement of fresh flowers to the side, a small plastic bag that had been leaning against the side of the ceramic base dropped to the carpeted floor. She bent to pick it up, and white powder dusted her fingers and covered a patch of the floor as the bag spilt. Putting her fingers to her nose, Gracie could detect a faint smell of ammonia.
Thoughtfully, she placed it back on the bureau and moved across to the small tables attached to the bed head, deciding to ask Shannon to bring up a vacuum cleaner. If it was ammonia, it would bleach the carpet. She polished the gold knobs on the front of the drawers and curiosity won out. Slowly sliding the drawer open, she swallowed a chuckle at the array of sex toys neatly lining the compartments inside.
“Up for a bit of fun?”
She pushed the drawer shut and a deep voice from behind preceded a soft click as the door closed. Gracie turned and caught her breath.
The guy with the blond buzz cut was leaning against the closed door and running a lazy gaze over her legs and butt. A cold shiver ran down her back as he stepped away from the door and moved slowly across the room toward her.
“Uh, no. I’ve got to get finished here,” she replied trying to sound confident but her voice came out in a squeak. He passed her and opened the drawer and pulled out a black vibrator before tossing it on the bed.
“I never can understand why these are on the boat. I can show you a good time without that. What do you say, babe?”
He ran his finger down her throat and let it linger on the front of her singlet, before he hooked his thumb in the front of her shorts. He lowered his face to hers and pulled her hard up against him. The smell of stale sweat hit her nostrils as his hot breath fanned across her mouth.
“You and me, later? I enjoyed running my hands through the panties in your suitcase the other day too.”
Cold fear gripped her, and she stood stiffly in front of him, unable to pull away. He was brazenly admitting he had been in her hotel room.
Before she could answer, Shannon pushed open the door.
“You in here, Gracie?” Her face colored when she saw Mick and Gracie standing close together. “Oh, sorry.”
Gracie gave the guy an almighty shove, and he landed on his back on the bed behind them. She ran to the door and called out to Shannon as the woman disappeared down the corridor “Hey, Shannon. Wait for me.”
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br /> She hurried along the corridor until she caught up with Shannon.
“Who is that jerk?” She raised her hand and smoothed her hair with shaking fingers.
Shannon looked back at her with a strange expression on her face. “Sorry, I thought you were enjoying Mick’s attention. He tries it on with all the new girls. He must have seen me leave with the trolley. Do you want me to ask him for a drink too?” Her voice was cold.
“No way,” Gracie said.
“Come on. Let’s get finished. We’ve still got to do the crew’s quarters.” Shannon threw her a curious glance. “You okay? You’re a bit pale. Don’t let Mick upset you, he’s harmless. Wait till tomorrow morning. That’ll be an eye-opener for you.”
“Tomorrow?”
“After the party. It’s one of the best times to be a housemaid on this boat.” Shannon tapped her finger against her lips. “Keep your eyes shut, your mouth shut, and you’ll keep your job. That’s why it pays so much higher than the others.”
“I thought the party was tomorrow night.
Shannon colored. “Oh, yes…er…you’re right. It is.”
Gracie reached out to the trolley loaded with cleaning gear. “If Mick or whoever he is, tries anything like that again, I won’t be back.”
“You did know what you were getting into when you took the job? They make it pretty clear in all the interviews and you signed the confidentiality agreement? Right?
“Oh, yes, right,” Gracie replied with a confidence she certainly wasn’t feeling. She didn’t have a clue what Shannon was talking about—interviews and agreements? All she’d done was fill out a previous employment form.
Before they got back to the bottom level, Shannon turned to her, and Gracie waited for her to speak.
“A final word of advice. No matter how much you want to, don’t accept the invitation to the parties on board. It’s a surefire way to lose your job. Play with the crew but not with the guests.”
She nodded and followed Shannon down to the lower deck.
Four hours later, Gracie’s back was aching, her feet were burning and she’d broken three fingernails tucking in the crisp, white sheets. Everything on the boat was top quality and monogrammed with the Midas gold crown, even the toilet tissue, for God’s sake. She’d stuck to Shannon like a limpet all morning in an attempt to avoid Mick, and spent the last couple of hours trying to figure out why he’d admitted going through her stuff at the hotel. Was it a warning, or had he been trying to show her how important he was?