by L. Loren
“Whatevs Harley, you know you are a gorgeous woman. I can’t tell you how many of Tito’s friends ask about you.”
“Yeah, okay, Dyce. All those old men want with me is to live out some brown sugar fantasy they still have on their bucket list. I am not the check box type. You know, on second thought, I have plenty of swimsuits. I don’t need any more.”
“Those rags you call swimwear are for surfing and the like. I’m talking about designer suits that look great poolside, but not made to get wet.”
“What in the actual hell? Who wants a swimsuit you can’t get wet? That’s the whole point. It’s entire reason for existing is to SWIM!”
“The suits I’m talking about will land you one sexy as fuck sea captain. Have you seen the women that go on his boat? You have to compete with supermodels and the like.”
“I am my only competition. I don’t need to compete with other women. That is a contest I couldn’t possibly win.”
Chapter 2
Mateus
C
harter season was upon us in full force. There’s no telling what type of people it would bring our way. Each time a charter ended we started preparations for the next. It would be an endless cycle for the remainder of six weeks. In the real world, charter season lasted several months, hosting guests for 10 plus days at a time. However, in my new Reality TV world, the season lasted only six weeks. The word ‘only’ is not very accurate in describing the torture I endured during this time period. Being stuck onboard with a bunch of young oversexed kids trying their best to destroy my vessel was no walk in the park. There wasn’t a true mariner in the bunch. All they wanted was fast easy money to fund their party obsession. It wasn’t dubbed the party boat for nothing.
No one cared about the true poetry of the job anymore. Being an authentic seaman meant something in my day. We took pride in our jobs and held our heads high when someone noticed we were a part of a crew. Nowadays, deck crews had no honor. A camera crew replaced the real crew, forcing me to be a substitute Robin Leach on water.
Speaking of which, my phone chimed to alert me of the email waiting for my review. It was the details of our next guests arriving within a few hours. I needed to go over the preference sheets with my senior staff. As I reviewed the paperwork for each guest my eyes flickered in slow motion. The fourth page on the list had a picture of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. Something inside me stirred to the point of distraction. With a name like Harley Madison, she had to be bad news. I didn’t care. I needed to meet this woman. Maybe she would be the cure for what ails me.
She spoke to my soul through the picture on the iPad™ in front of me. Her style was edgy, and she had the kind of eyes a man could get lost in. Her ebony skin was so flawless, she should be a model for a skin care line. I sat there staring at those beautiful lips. They were plump and inviting. I couldn’t stop imagining what they would look like wrapped around my cock, leaving that pink lipstick she wore at the base. I needed her on her knees in front of me taking every inch of me down her throat.
“Captain, captain, Allie.”
The voice of my chief stew blared through the radio, bringing me out of my stupor.
“Go ahead Allie.”
“We’re ready for the briefing and headed your way.”
“Copy that.”
I needed to get myself together. Three members of my senior crew were headed to the break room so we could go over the preference sheets and organize for this charter. I had to find a way to calm the raging storm that was happening in my chest. How was it possible to fall for a woman you have only seen on a computer screen? I was too fucking professional to act like this. I knew better. It was forbidden and could cost me my job, but there was no harm in looking, right?
“Hey Captain G. What kind of charter guests are we expecting this time?”
I greeted my bosun, chef and chief steward with a shaky smile, hoping they couldn’t hear my dirty thoughts about Miss Madison. I handed them copies of the preference sheets and took a drink of water to calm my nerves. My eyes darted all over the room. I was nervous. What the hell man? Get it together.
“This weekend we are hosting Mr. Tito Ruben and his guests. There looks to be four couples on the charter. They are here celebrating Mr. Ruben’s girlfriend’s birthday. She’ll be turning 30, so chef, we’ll need a cake. Allie, it looks like they want to have a party on Saturday evening to celebrate.”
“Great, I can handle that Cap. No problem. Wait a minute! This sheet says the primary is 70 years old. No fucking way! He is 70 and his girlfriend is just turning 30? Can you say sugar baby?”
Allie cackled at her own joke, but it was distasteful to me. Who gave a fuck if the man was older than his girlfriend? Hell, if I had a chance with the lovely Miss Harley, I would be in a similar boat. No pun intended. What was the big deal anyway? If they were happy and not hurting anyone, it wasn’t anybody’s business. Allie droned on and on about a sugar baby party boat. The woman was getting on my nerves. She was good at her job, but her mouth and snarky attitude made me dislike her. I swear I would fire her ass if she fucked this charter up. I needed to make a good impression on Harley Madison.
“Allie, that is enough. Our guests are paying good money to be treated like royalty and that starts here at this table, before they set one foot aboard. You will treat them with respect. Whatever their life choices are is none of your business. Keep your personal opinions to yourself. I will not have that type of fodder on my vessel. Do I make myself clear?”
Her eyes got big and her hand shot up to her collarbone. I believe the expression is clutching her pearls. Well, she’d be clutching more than pearls if she kept this up. She wasn’t used to my rough voice and demeanor. I was laid back as far as captains go, but I didn’t compromise about the level of service the guest were to receive. It was non-negotiable. Treat them better than you want to be treated is my motto.
“Yes. Sir. I apologize for my outburst. It will not happen again.”
I nodded my head firmly and we continued going over the preferences. I noticed that Harley would also be celebrating her 30th birthday that weekend. The primary did not specify hosting a celebration for both ladies, which I found a bit disturbing. The sheet stated the ladies Harley and Paradyce, aka Dyce, were best friends. Their birthdays were a day a part, yet they only requested a celebration that included one person. Maybe it was an oversite. I had an uncontrollable need to correct this error. Miss Harley Madison would not feel left out of her birthday celebration on my watch.
After going over the menus and activity requests, I noticed that Miss Madison was assigned to the same room as another gentleman who would be coming onboard. Was she dating this guy? Fuck that! She wouldn’t be his by the end of this charter. That I could guarantee. Miss Madison would be mine by the end of day one. She was in my sights and Mateus Gallo always got what he wanted.
“Chef, it appears someone forgot to add that it was another guest’s birthday weekend, as well. I need you to make a second cake. Make it smaller than the original birthday girls, so we don’t take away from her celebration, but everyone should be able to celebrate their birthday without issue.”
“Sure thing Cap. I see she loves strawberries, so I’ll make that one for her.”
“Thank you, Jayce. I am sure she will appreciate that. Now let’s get ready. They will be here in a few short hours.”
There was a ton of work to get done before the guests arrived, so I gave my orders to the crew and went back to doing what I do best, being a yacht captain. I had a course to chart and safety drills to run. I needed to meet with the chief engineer and go over some housekeeping tips with the bosun. I liked to keep my crew on their toes. It not only kept them fresh and ready for anything, but it was fun for me. I loved watching them run around getting shit done. It also meant they did not get lax in their duties. I ran a clean ship with efficient staff who knew their shit.
I didn’t care what they did on their off time as long as
it did not bring shame to the boat. I did not believe in mingling with my crew. As the captain I needed to maintain a polite distance. I was fair and we had a good time when warranted, but my crew respected me, and I needed to keep it that way. It was dangerous to get too close to your subordinates. Soon they would forget their rank in file and think they could take advantage of friendships. I had seen it happen before and I refused to allow it to happen again.
Don’t get me wrong, I like to have fun and the crew was privy to this information. There was a feature on me in a Miami magazine that informed the world that I was a fun-loving captain who loved to dance and DJ. Ever since that blasted article went viral, I was constantly asked by charter guests to not only have a sit-down dinner with them, but to party with them, as well. Since our crew depended on the generous tips our primary dished out at the end of the charter, I accommodated them without too much complaint.
I enjoyed the dancing. It took me back to my younger days when I DJed in the clubs of Miami and partied until I dropped. Once I found my love for sailing, I parlayed that into a career and never looked back. However, I never got rid of the party animal. He was simply suppressed until his presence was needed. I had a feeling this charter, he would be making an appearance in a big way. I couldn’t wait to meet the lovely Harley Madison in person.
“ALL CREW, ALL CREW! The charter guest will be here in fifteen. Please change into your whites and meet me on deck to welcome them.”
As I stood on deck awaiting the arrival of our newest charter guests, I felt my stomach flip flop. Truthfully, I was not looking forward to another season of yachting. I loved being on the water, but these guests could be rude and very demanding. I got tired of being treated like a piece of man meat by the ladies who usually chartered the boat. Though I was paid to give the guests what they wanted, I was getting burned out. Since the popularity of the reality TV show, Down Below, I had no privacy. I was thrust into the spotlight of fame. With it came the intrusion of the life I valued so much. I should never have agreed to do this show. They say hindsight is 20/20.
It all happened so fast. One minute I was drinking with a man who I thought was my friend at the time. The next thing I knew, he convinced me to sign this contract for the show. When I woke up the next morning I had more than a hangover. I had sold my soul to the highest bidder and now I was known as Captain G, the man who can dance on water. I hated it! The stupid nickname, the stupid gold diggers and especially the stupid fame. The barrage of women throwing themselves at me was so bad that I made a vow of celibacy. I wasn’t getting caught up in the trap. I wanted nothing to do with it, but seeing the beautiful Harley Madison had my gears going again.
The sight of her made my heart beat faster and my palms sweat. That shit never happened to me. I wasn’t ever nervous. As I caught sight of the beautiful one, I realized the picture from the preference sheet did not do this amazing creature justice. She was tall, at least six feet, slim with curves, a nice tight ass and a fun energy that exuded from her. Her edgy hair cut was noticeable, to say the least. It was very short on top and cropped close to her head, the sides and back completely shaven. It put me in mind of a young Grace Jones, a woman I had once had a crush on in my younger days. A lot of men would call her style masculine, but not me. This woman was the most feminine thing to cross my path in a very long time. She had me on edge. My gears were definitely turning again. I crossed my hands in front of my erection and subtly tried to press on it so that no one would see it until it went down.
Damn it all to hell!
“Good Afternoon Captain Gallo. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
My fantasy woman reached out to shake my hand and my soul lit on fire. I felt like I was riding a lightning bolt as our hands connected. There was nothing on earth that felt as good as her touch. I stared into her eyes to see if she felt it too and the look there said she did.
“A pleasure to meet you Miss Madison. Welcome aboard.”
I went through the motions with the other guest while trying to keep myself from eye-fucking this woman. I needed to keep my composure. It was against the rules for any member of the crew, let alone the captain, to get involved with a guest. It would not be tolerated. Termination was the end result. No questions, no exceptions. So why was I willing to risk it all for Miss Harley Madison? I had no idea, but if she gave me a chance, they could have this job. I would find another one to be with this woman.
“Welcome everyone. I am Captain Mateus Gallo and we are happy to have you onboard. If you will follow our Chief Stew, Allie, she will give you a tour of the boat. We will be underway shortly. I hope you enjoy your time with us here aboard Lady Emma. She is a beautiful vessel and our crew will make sure your time here is amazing.”
Allie began her spiel about the boat’s size and how it was crafted. I had heard it so many times, I could retell it by heart. I even knew when she would tell her little sad joke that no one ever laughed at. I really need to have her update that part of her presentation. I watched the guests’ eyes light up as they viewed the interior for the first time. Lady Emma was an attractive girl, but she had nothing on the angel who hadn’t been able to tear her eyes from mine since we first touched. It appears I wasn’t the only one who noticed because her companion was scowling at her.
“Harley, I would appreciate it if you paid attention to me instead of those deck hands.” The loser of a man stated to the woman of my dreams.
She looked at him in disgust but kept a shaky smile on her face. She attempted to pull her arm away from him, but he tightened his grip. I saw her whence and that set off an alarm in my head. I wanted to kill the bastard for putting his hands on her. I took a step closer to them, placing my hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. She leaned into me and gave me those beautiful pleading eyes that asked for help. I placed my other hand on the man’s shoulder and gave a firm squeeze.
“Don’t you know it’s bad manners to put your hands on a lady when she doesn’t want them there. If you intend to stay aboard this vessel, you will remove your hands from her immediately. Do you understand?”
“Who the fuck do you think you are? You can’t threaten me. My friend paid good money to be here. She’s my date for the weekend and if I want to break her arm I will.”
“You are sadly mistaken. You will not harm one hair on her lovely head. And you’re right. Your friend paid good money to be here, but that does not mean you can do whatever you want. There are rules on this vessel. I am the captain and I am responsible for the safety and welfare of all my passengers. I will not condone any type of violence towards women on my watch. This young lady clearly does not want your hands on her. Therefore, you will keep your distance from her. As a matter of fact, as far as you are concerned, she is off limits. Don’t even breathe in her direction for the duration of your trip. Is that something you can accomplish, or do I need to put you off the boat now?”
The look on the man’s face morphed from hurt to embarrassment to anger all in the manner of less than ten seconds. I watched his reaction carefully to ensure my girl was protected. My girl? In my mind she was, but I was almost the same age as the man she was shunning. She cringed at the thought of him touching her. Would she think the same of me? As I was contemplating my dilemma, the loser’s voice escalated putting me on high alert.
“Listen here you ungrateful little bitch. I have been looking forward to getting some young pussy all week. Tito told me you would be willing to accommodate my needs. You will fulfil our agreement, or I will just take what I want from you. You do realize we are sleeping in the same cabin?”
I was just about ready to take that fucker’s head off when I saw the glint in my girl’s eyes. She was no shrieking violet. She was a badass. Oh she wore her name well. She grabbed him by the balls in a vice grip. I am sure with his attitude it had been a long time since a woman had touched him there. I saw Harley’s hand flex and the muscle in her arm tighten. Is it weird that it turned me on that she was giving the man’s junk a mig
hty squeeze? I grinned at the sight of her handling things on her own. Harley was indeed no damsel in distress.
“Don’t threaten me ever in your life.”
She sauntered her sexy ass over to Allie who had been watching the ordeal along with the rest of the guests and crew. We were all frozen in place watching the scene like it was in a movie. Harley acted as if she hadn’t a care in the world. She looked at Allie, pinning her with her eyes.
“Is what he said true? Was I scheduled to sleep in the same cabin as that old creeper?”
It took a few seconds for Allie to realize she was supposed to respond. Harley snapped her fingers in front of Allie’s eyes as if to ask if anyone was home. I had to fight the laugh that threatened to explode from my belly. There was indeed no one in residence.
“Oh, yes ma’am. I have you assigned to cabin number two with Mr. Fletcher.”
Allie was finally able to answer after snapping out of her thoughts.
“Well, that is going to be a problem. Is there another cabin I can sleep in?”
Allie’s face paled as she shook her head, eyes cast downward to avoid looking directly at Harley. She was my chief stew and I expected more from her. She needed to figure out a solution to this disaster before we set sail, yet she was struggling to even look the woman in her eyes. It was time for me to step in and save the day. I wasn’t going to allow my girl to spend one more uncomfortable minute on my watch. I stepped forward like I was drawn to her. Hell, who was I kidding, I was indeed drawn to this woman.
“You can have my cabin, Miss Madison. I will find other accommodations.”
The smile that graced her face was one I will never forget. It was like she was looking into my soul and liked what she saw. I felt like dancing a jig right there in the luxury dining room in front of the entire crew. In the next moment her luscious body was crashing into mine as she squealed and hugged the shit out of me. Unicorns, rain fucking bows!