AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tristan’s scowl was fierce. “I will be ignoring any and all comments from Ms. Norris from this point forward.”
“Ah, lighten up,” Pierce said. “She’s only making jokes because she’s nervous.”
“I am not!” I replied. Pierce pretended like he didn’t hear me.
Okay, so I’m a little nervous. I took another sip of my wine to cover it up, and a servant rushed forward to refill my glass.
“The trip will be ten days,” Tristan continued. “We will be within helicopter range of several major cities during the trip, should we need anything.” He glanced at me as if I were the one who might need something.
“What happens when we get to the island?” I asked.
“We will be staying there for most of the summer,” Tristan replied.
“We have flexibility, depending on how we’re all feeling,” Pierce told me. “I have some business meetings to handle when we first arrive, but after that, we can do whatever we want.”
“I’m sure this private island will be up to my standards,” I said. “But it’s good to know I can send it back like an overcooked steak if I need to.”
Pierce and Andrew chuckled again. Tristan almost smiled.
“What do we have planned for the ten day trip?” I asked.
“Whatever we want to do,” Pierce replied. “Relax. Enjoy yourself.”
You mean relax and sleep with you. I wondered how long before Pierce made a move on me. Day three was my guess.
“Sounds good to me,” I said.
I woke up the next morning feeling relaxed and refreshed. The yacht was so large that it was unaffected by waves, even at cruising speed. I used the remote control to open the curtains on my windows, and was greeted by a flawless Atlantic sunrise.
“I guess it wasn’t a dream,” I muttered while admiring the view. “This is really happening. I’m traveling with a billionaire for the next six months.”
I let out an excited squeal.
Up in the lounge, I asked a servant when breakfast was served. He frowned at me and asked, “What do you mean, ma’am?”
“What time do you serve breakfast? And when do you stop?”
His smile was polite. “Ma’am, the Bellerophon’s kitchen never closes. You can request anything you’d like at any time. The only set meal is dinner, and even that is flexible depending on Mr. Benning’s preferences.”
“I can request anything? Surely you can’t accommodate any request.”
The servant smiled in confidence. “We’ll try our best.”
I was craving the comfort food I usually got at my local diner on Saturday mornings, so I ordered French toast, crispy hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, and bacon. The meal was brought out to me in ten minutes, perfectly plated like it was the kitchen’s specialty. As I dug in, I made a mental note to try more creative food tomorrow.
I spent that first day sunbathing on the sun deck of the Bellerophon, which was cruising at a more comfortable speed during the daytime. I didn’t even read a book or listen to a podcast; I simply stared off at the water, and at the distant strip of land that Google Maps told me was New Jersey.
The second day, I pulled out my laptop—which Linda had brought from my apartment—and tried to do some planning for my marketing company. But after an hour of staring at the screen, I put the laptop away and decided to give myself a break. I had spent the past year working nights and weekends to get New England Digital Marketing ready for the Bobs. I deserved to enjoy myself for a few days. My batteries desperately needed recharging.
Linda had also brought my Kindle, so I relaxed in the breezy shade on deck and caught up on my reading. Andrew ate his lunch out on the sun deck—a club sandwich, which he insisted he ate every single day—and chatted with me for a little while.
“It’ll get busier when we’re on the island,” he told me. “When Pierce has business meetings, I have to ensure that everything is perfect. For now, I get to relax.”
I saw Tristan several times per day. He was always polite to me, but his comments were curt. I decided that he would’ve reminded me of a young James Bond if he didn’t have a stick up his ass.
Pierce, meanwhile, gave me plenty of space. He was friendly when we did cross paths, which was several times per day, but he didn’t try to force any interaction.
After dinner on the second night, I wandered into the entertainment room on the boat. There were eight recliners, one row raised up behind the second like stadium seats. Two of the chairs were occupied by Andrew and Pierce.
