by Mignon Mykel
“I’ll see you later, Chief,” I vowed. I left the tiny bathroom, I left her tiny cabin, and I left the floor both our rooms were on, before I could change my mind and stay.
Sydney
I watched Caleb leave from my perch on the sink.
He loved me. He was going to say he was falling in love with me.
Why did that make my heart hurt so badly?
I rubbed a hand over the ache and took a deep breath. I didn’t have a choice but to move forward, so that’s what I was going to do. Keeping Caleb’s shirt on, I went about packing and putting my things together. When it was time for me to go, I pulled off his shirt and neatly folded it before donning a pair of leggings and a flowy tank, my hair up in its bun.
I debated leaving the shirt. Did I really want the reminder?
Deciding that yes, I did, I packed it away with the rest of my things and took one last look around the room to ensure I was leaving nothing behind.
I glanced in the mirror, glad to say my face was back to its normal complexion, and headed out.
With one glance to Caleb’s door, I headed the opposite direction.
It was time to go home.
Caleb
I was going to give her space.
I wanted nothing more than to walk her off the ship, see her into a taxi, and kiss her good and well one last time. But I understood Sydney’s need for space.
Didn’t mean I was giving her three months’ worth of space, but I’d give it to her now.
I would find a way to get back to her. It wasn’t like she was going to be worlds away from me; we just had to get through these next twenty-odd days, and she would be back in my arms.
I went up to the deck to watch the vacationers disembark.
I hadn’t gone up there intentionally to scope out a certain redhead, but when Sydney left the ship, my mind went on full alert. I crossed my arms on the railing in front of me, wanting to shout out but also wanting to respect her wishes.
So I stood, leaning on the rail.
And I watched her.
I didn’t think she’d turn, but she did.
Before reaching the end of the row, she turned her head over her shoulder, her eyes meeting mine without searching. She gave me a sad smile and a little wave, and disappeared into the port building.
“Love ya, Chief.”
It was lost in the wind, but it didn’t make it any less true.
I stood there for some time, wanting her to come back. Or even for just another glimpse of her. Just one more.
Eventually though, the crew was on the deck, sweeping and cleaning, hosing the deck and getting it ready for the next tour. I checked my watch and saw it was only nine. I pushed away from the rail, unsure what to do with the time. The meeting ceremonies wouldn’t begin until four, with dinner and a luau at seven. I was due to get ready at one, so I had some time.
It wasn’t like I could go to my room though. I was instructed to leave my key in the room and that my belongings would change into my new suite by three.
Which meant I wouldn’t be able to get into my room until the end of the night.
Remembering the camera I turned in to be developed and berating myself for not getting to it before Sydney left, I decided to check on the pictures. I made my way to the developer on ship, pushing open the closed door. Thankfully, someone was still around.
“May I help you, sir?”
“I turned in a camera to be developed yesterday. I was wondering if it was finished.”
“We don’t accept developments on the last day due to time constraints,” the worker informed me, much as the one did yesterday before I explained the situation.
With a sigh, I repeated the conversation yesterday, explaining who I was, not that I wanted to ever pull that card, and shortly after, with a grin and apology, I had the developed pictures in hand with a complimentary disc of the digital images as well.
I thanked the worker and tipped him before heading to the upper-most deck. Surely there wasn’t a lot of cleaning to be done on the sport courts. I passed the busy workers and took the deck stairs two at a time until I was on the clear and empty deck. Finding a bench to sit on, I sat and put the disc on the seat beside me.
I leaned forward to rest my elbows on my thighs, and opened the small white envelope, pulling out the images from a few days prior. I hadn’t forgotten a moment, but the flooding of emotion as I pulled through them surprised me. There was one image I was surprised to find, one of me sleeping on the beach. I must have dozed off at the beach before we headed back to the ship.
There were a few pictures I absolutely loved, but the one that was my favorite was of her standing in front of me, her back to my chest. My chin was on her head and my arms rested over her shoulders as they reached out in front of us to snap the picture. Both of us were looking at the camera with goofy looks on our faces. I put the image on the top of the pile and pushed the pictures back in the envelope. As soon as I found the media center, I was putting that one on my phone and sending Sydney a copy.
I put the envelope under the disc and leaned back into the bench seat, stretching my legs out in front of me. I was under strict orders I couldn’t leave the ship, for fear of media catching wind of the star of this show.
Apparently they had managed to keep my identity under closer wraps, but were putting media feelers all over, waiting for excitement with the people.
I looked around the quiet deck before looking beyond. Behind me was Honolulu’s cityscape, and to my left was the opening of the port way. Not a whole lot to see, to be honest. I had a few hours before the contestants were to board and the true filming would begin, but I only had two hours before hair and makeup wanted me.
I shook my head lightly at the thought.
Scratching at my temple, I sighed again and stood. I was over the silence.
I missed Sydney’s voice, her laughing, her touches. The silence in her company was much louder than the silence of being alone. Maybe I’d call Jonny.
But then again, he was probably wrapped up in that fucking Jenna.
I could Skype with Avery, ask her how her last game went. Maybe talk to Kenna. Porter probably didn’t have the time of day for his oldest brother, the fucker, I thought with a genuine grin.
Deciding that was the best thing to pass the next two or so hours, I headed back down to go to the ship information desk where excursions were booked. Surely someone there could point me in the direction of public computers.
When I was finally settled in the quiet public media room, I pushed the disc in the drive. Quickly, I emailed my favorite image to myself then picked up my phone. The moment it hit, I set it as my wallpaper and sent the attachment to Sydney.
Just the picture.
No words.
I felt the picture spoke volumes.
She was probably on a flight back to Utah so rather than stare at my phone for a response I wasn’t going to get at the moment, I uploaded the entire gallery to my phone. After the images uploaded, I ejected the disc and tried to pull up Skype. Thank goodness the connection was quick on this ship.
It maybe had something to do with the show and cast being on board, but I would be thankful for the time being.
I scrolled through my limited contacts, wanting to see a green check mark next to at least one of my family members. The only check was next to Porter.
Probably gaming.
I clicked the call icon and hoped the kid would accept it. He was hit or miss like that sometimes.
The screen turned black and the ringing changed to dry open air, signifying that the call was accepted.
“Hey, Ports,” I said to the black screen, waiting for the image to open up. When it did, I saw my kid brother move his Beats by Dr. Dre to around his neck and watched one of the first smiles the kid gave in the last year.
He was always in some mood or another lately, but I liked to see the kid smile. I was almost eleven when he had been born, so we hadn’t been close when we were living u
nder the same roof. Even now, I wouldn’t say we were close like Jonny and I, or even Myke and I, were, but he was still my baby brother.
“You meet your chicks yet?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “You would go there first.” I rubbed my hand up and down the side of my face as I grinned. “No, not yet. That’s later today.”
“What the fu-heck have you been doing then?”
That was the other thing. I knew I was swearing at thirteen, but it made me feel really old to hear him playing with the words. He tried to censor himself, but it was only a matter of time before he slipped in front of mom.
I remembered the first time I slipped in front of her…
Good luck, Porter.
I grinned wide at the thought but answered his question. “Just cruising. It’s kind of fun. There’s almost always something to do.”
“Well that’s boring. I would be bored out of my mind by myself that long.”
“I didn’t say I was by myself…”
Porter grinned. Looking at the kid was like looking at myself in the mirror ten years ago.
“So you did meet a girl? She hot?”
I held up a finger and thumbed open my phone before holding the screen to the camera.
“Shit, man.”
I chuckled. “Watch your mouth, Porter. Don’t let mom catch you with that filth.”
“What’s her name? If you spent the week with her, she must not be on the show, right? So what, you just sleep with her? She any good? I bet she is. She looks tiny.”
“Watch your mouth, Porter!”
“I didn’t swear!”
I put my phone back down and again, looked at the happiness on our faces before returning my attention to Porter. “No, she’s not on the show. I met her back in April. She did the casting for the show and I asked if she could be on this first leg, because I wanted to get to know her. And you can’t talk about girls like that, Porter. They take offense to it.” As did the guys who wanted to claim those girls, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.
“Is she a bitch? Jenna’s hot but she’s a bitch. She’s probably real good in bed, or else Jon Jon wouldn’t keep her around.”
I tried not to laugh at him. Porter had a point about Jenna but he really had to keep some of his opinions on the down low. “No, she’s not a bitch. Besides, what the fuck do you know about sex? You’re thirteen years old,” I said at the exact same time the door behind Porter opened and in walked mom.
“Watch your mouth, Noah Caleb Prescott! You are not too old for me to soap.”
I looked Porter in the eye, as best as you could on camera, and lifted my brows. He just grinned the same cocky half grin all of us Prescott boys had and pushed his chair to the side so mom could stop in front of the computer.
“I thought I heard Porter talking and then I heard your voice too. How are you, Caleb?”
Mom leaned into the desk with her hands perched in front of the computer.
“Good. Glad that a quarter of it is done, I guess. Three more weeks, right? I will never cruise again after this is over, I swear to it.”
Mom grinned. “You may change your mind if you find the right person.”
“He did,” Porter cut in. I wasn’t going to tell my parents about Sydney yet.
Mom’s green eyes lit up as she smiled. “You did?” She turned to push at Porter until he stood and then took his chair. Porter sighed, crossing his arms as he stood behind her. “But how does that work? You haven’t started the show so you haven’t met the contestants? What does that do for the show?”
I held up my hands. “Just slow down, ma.”
Mom turned to Porter, told him to go get my siblings and dad. I watched as he moved out of his room, only to holler down the hall. Mom shook her head and I chuckled.
“Some things don’t change, do they?” I asked her.
“Nope. It’s sure going to be quiet the year that it’s just him at home. He’s not going to know what to do, or who to yell for.”
“I’m sure he’ll find his own set of problems to keep life loud.”
Mom grimaced and nodded. Porter had been giving her trouble since conception.
And that wasn’t an exaggeration.
“Stop talking about me.” Porter came back toward the computer screen. Soon, his room also included my dad, my sisters, Avery and McKenna, and surprisingly Jonny. I was about to ask him what he was doing at the house when Myke burst into the room.
“Don’t start without me!”
My big sister was…
Something else.
Myke was a girly tomboy, if there were such a thing. She was loud and always on the go. She put herself in places but never had you feeling like you didn’t invite her. She was actually pretty fun to be around.
“Why are you home?” I asked her when she pushed toward the computer. Avery and Kenna brought folding chairs in and I watched as my family rearranged themselves to be a part of the conversation.
Mom sat on Dad’s lap, Jonny sat on a scowling Porter’s lap, and Avery and Kenna shared a chair, side by side like normal people. Myke stood.
But that didn’t surprise me.
“We were discussing travel plans.”
Myke answered, but Dad further explained. “We had to rearrange games and other obligations, but we should all be flying out together.”
“Who’s all playing summer hockey? I know Avery is. Porter?”
He nodded. “Just the club league.”
“I’m coaching Avery’s team,” Myke said, and I watched as my youngest sister discreetly flipped Myke the bird. McKenna’s eyes widened and grabbed at Avery’s finger, pushing her hand down.
My face broke into the biggest grin it had since before Sydney left.
Damn, I missed my family.
“So you were saying there was a girl.”
Leave it to a mother to remember those things.
“Yes, there’s a girl.”
“She’s effing hot.”
“Porter!” Mom and I said at the same time. He simply shrugged and pushed at Jonny’s shoulder. Porter hadn’t hit his growth spurt yet, and if Jonny and I were any indication, he wouldn’t until he was almost sixteen. Therefore, Jonny sitting on him was fucking hilarious. He pretty much blocked the kid.
Dad must have caught a glimpse of them in the monitor because he turned his head. “Jon Jon, get off your brother.”
Jonny stood and play punched Porter in the shoulder before moving to sit on Porter’s bed.
“So this girl,” Mom repeated.
All three of my sisters looked excited. Any man with a sister knew that if a sister didn’t accept a guy’s girlfriend, the relationship was doomed from the start. I didn’t see any issues with the three of them and Sydney though.
“She is actually the casting associate for the show.”
“The pixie?” Jonny sat up straight on the bed.
Mom turned to him. “Wait, you met her?”
“Dude, she’s cute. She’s tiny as hell but her voice…”
“You talked to her?”
Mom and Jonny seemed content to have their own conversation, so while they talked about Jonny talking to Sydney on the phone the first day and then meeting her in the tunnel, I simply found a normal picture of the two of us and held up my phone so my family members who were paying attention could see.
“Aw, she’s really pretty!” came from Avery.
“You look so happy, Cael!” was McKenna’s response.
Myke simply smiled. I watched her face for any signs but she just nodded. “I want to meet her.”
“And you doubted the timeframe,” Dad said.
“Technically, I’ve known her for more than a month.” It sounded lame to my own ears, but still…
“That looks like she’s in Hawaii with you. How’d that happen?” My dad, sisters, and youngest brother all had their attention on me. I figured Jonny started the story for mom, so she wasn’t missing anything.
“She’s from Utah
and for a side-gig she interned her last semester for a media group. She was given the job to cast for this show, but first she had to convince me to do it. I agreed to meet her over the phone and didn’t realize it.”
“That’s ‘cause you’re a nod and agree-er,” McKenna said with a couple nods to her head. “You have to pay attention, Caleb.”
I grinned. “Anyway. So I agreed to meet her. It was after a game, Jonny met her first, and then I met her. Still didn’t want to do the show, but I wanted to talk with her, so I agreed to meet up the next day. In doing that though, is how I ended up agreeing to the show. Long story short, I asked real nicely if she could be on this first part of the cruise. She was, we spent time together, and now here I am. On a boat. By myself. Waiting for twenty girls I don’t want to meet.”
“Aw, you sound sad! You really like this girl, don’t you?” McKenna asked.
I nodded. “I really like this girl.”
“Wait! I missed it!” Mom returned her attention back to the computer.
“He met her, he spent time with her, and now she’s gone. I’ll fill you in later,” Dad told her. “So what’s the plan, then?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I have no clue. The producer stated if Sydney interfered with the show, he’d have some sort of repercussion for me, and I guess he threatened Sydney with the same.”
“Can you just, you know…fake it?” Avery asked.
“You’ve watched these kinds of shows, Ace. Can I just fake it?” It was more of a snarky, rhetorical question but I knew she’d answer it.
“Probably not. They have cameras and microphones everywhere. And people will be wondering why you aren’t kissing the girls. Wait! You’re not going to kiss them all then, will you? Or what about those late nights that the girl and guy spend time alone together? Don’t be a dick, Cael.”
I shifted a bit uncomfortably in my seat. This wasn’t the type of conversation you had with you sister. “I don’t know. I told Sydney that I was going to fly out to her when all was said and done. I will do what I have to do to get through this show, but she’s my end goal.”