‘I don’t know. Think it came in last night.’
‘I like that. I think that’s my favourite one,’ she says.
Carol is like an inquisitive child in the back and can’t stop asking questions as Elias parks up.
‘So, do you get to meet everyone in the marina?’ asks Soraya.
‘No. You get to chat sometimes, and there are some staff that are quite friendly. The owners tend to keep themselves to themselves, though. But, yeah, I get to meet other captains and deckhands and things. You know how it is when you all work in the same industry,’ says Elias.
‘Yeah, because it’s just like that when you’re a hairdresser,’ says Carol sarcastically.
Elias smiles politely and strides ahead.
We walk along the moorings and past some of the most beautiful yachts I have ever seen. I particularly enjoy looking at the stern of the boats with their names and colourful flags that swing in the breeze. The yachts are registered to so many different glamorous places, including Barbados, Antigua, Dubai, and Corsica; they come from all over. Then I spot one with a British flag that is registered to the UK. I look at the name, and it isLady Jane. I think it must be one of my favourite boats here. Some of them seem too ostentatious and probably have helicopter pads and goodness knows what on them. However,Lady Janeis just perfect. She’s big and beautiful but not too much. If I was a squillionaire, like some of these people, and I wanted a yacht, this is just the type of thing I would go for. It looks more intimate than the others, and you wouldn’t need an army of staff either.
‘Right then. Are we ready to seeLady Jane?’ asks Elias.
‘Absolutely,’ says Soraya.
‘How funny. I was thinking that this is my favourite boat here, and it’s the one you work on,’ I say.
‘How many floors has it got?’ says Carol, looking atLady Janein wonder.
‘Just so you know, we call them decks, and there are only three on here – unlike some of the ones around us,’ says Elias.
‘Yeah, Carol. You should know they’re called decks,’ Soraya teases her.
Elias’s lesson in yachting terms doesn’t deter her and she rushes straight after Elias to walk over a small gangplank to get on board. Soraya and I follow behind her and giggle at how excited Carol has become.
‘Do you mind taking your shoes off? Sadly, that’s boat etiquette – not my rules,’ says Elias as he removes his deck shoes.
We place all our shoes in a pile and make our way to the main deck. Beyond two sliding glass doors is a lounge area with huge comfy sofas and a bar area.
‘Wow. Imagine being sat here, sailing the Med with the man of your dreams,’ says Carol.
‘This is beautiful. Do you mind if I take some photos to show my husband?’ says Soraya.
‘No, be my guest,’ says Elias.
‘Can you imagine Andrew seeing this? It’s just his kind of thing. What a lucky lady Jane is to have a yacht like this named after her.’
‘Maybe her husband bought it for her,’ says Carol.
‘Umm, and why can’t she buy her own yacht? She doesn’t need a man to buy her a yacht. It’s obvious there is a woman of style and class behind this somewhere. I bet she doesn’t need any man behind her,’ I argue.
‘Fair enough. You’re right. She does need a hot captain, though,’ says Carol.
‘Yeah, but that’s only so she can relax and not have to worry about driving. It’s hard enough to park in the supermarket sometimes. Imagine trying to park one of these up in its mooring,’ I say.
‘Are you saying women are bad drivers?’ laughs Elias.
‘No, I’m definitely not saying that. I’m just saying men sometimes have their uses. I’ve never been much of a parallel parker, that’s all. But Soraya here, she can do it in her sleep.’
‘Yeah, I admit, I am pretty good when it comes to parallel parking.’
‘Oh well, I’ll have to give you a go at the controls then. We can have a parking challenge,’ says Elias.
‘Oh yeah. Challenged accepted,’ says Soraya.
