‘Come on. I’ll take you all onto the bridge.’
We follow Elias like he is the Pied Piper and look around in awe at the artwork that hangs around the lounge area. The bright colours of the landscapes perfectly complement the neutral palette of the furniture. Cream sofas plumped up with cushions look inviting and a lot more comfortable than the cheap sofa I picked up to furnish my flat. I notice the hardback books about yachts that appear to have been carefully chosen to adorn the coffee table. It seems they’ve thought of everything.
The boat gently bobs about in its mooring as the three of us spot a sculpture of a panther with a diamond necklace.
‘I can’t make my mind up about that. Bit chavvy perhaps?’ whispers Soraya, as she eyes up the panther.
‘I don’t know. I wouldn’t waste that necklace on a sculpture though. I’d rather wear it than leave it gathering dust like that,’ I say.
‘What if it’s real diamonds?’ says Carol.
‘It can’t be, surely?’
‘It could be. If so, then Lady Jane and her husband are seriously loaded,’ says Carol.
‘I think you’d have to be pretty loaded for the boat alone, without the furniture,’ I say. By the look of the glossy walnut woodwork and the cream and blue carpeted spiral staircase leading downstairs, clearly no expense has been spared. Elias then gives us a sneaky peek into the galley, which is a lot more basic than the rest of the boat, although it still has the best of everything, including a high-tech coffee machine and Smeg fridge.
Meanwhile, stepping onto the bridge reminds me of a spaceship. There are so many screens, knobs and buttons that I don’t know how Elias is so familiar with them.
‘I wouldn’t know where to begin. You must be very smart,’ I say.
‘No, not really. It’s easy when you get used to it all. I was a Boy Scout, it helps.’
He pushes a button, and the engines roar in the water below us.
‘Woah. This thing must be fast,’ says Carol.
‘I can bore you with all the facts and figures if you like?’
‘No, it’s okay. I went on a date once with a guy who didn’t stop talking about his Vauxhall Astra and how fast it could go. He told me five times how many miles per gallon he got out of “her”. It was one of the worst dates ever.’
‘Oh, I’d better stay quiet then.’ Elias laughs.
As Carol flirts with Elias and they get on like a house on fire, I get a burst of jealousy. I feel like reminding her that it was me who met him first. I try to tell myself that would be so petty; besides, I am purely here for inspiration for my book, and I need to make a note of everything I see.
Feeling a bit left out, I turn away from them and look over to the boats to the side of us. A couple board their splendid silver yacht and quickly disappear inside the huge glass doors. With them gone, I turn to watch a deckhand scrub the decks of a neighbouring yacht with a brush as he gets it ready for the owner, no doubt. There are so many people to watch here. The contrast between the yacht owners and deckhands doesn’t go unnoticed. I am definitely in the deckhand category with all the cleaning and picking up I do after the girls.
‘You okay?’ asks Elias, noticing that I have gone quiet.
‘Yeah, I’m fine. Just watching that guy over there. Looks like quite a hard job.’
‘Yeah, that’s why I insist people remove their shoes on here. That and the white carpets, which aren’t very forgiving.’
Elias puts his hand on my shoulder, and I feel his gentle grip. I try to remember how long it has been since I felt a man’s hand anywhere near me. It would have been in the days before Michael became Mickey and wore the Hawaiian shirts. I turn around to look at Elias. He has such lovely, long, dark eye lashes, kind eyes and a square jaw that somehow makes him look like the perfect captain. He seems powerful and calm under pressure. Like Popeye, only much better looking.
‘Shall I show you the cabins,’ asks Elias.
‘Umm, yes. I’d love to see them,’ I say. I clear my throat and let out a little cough at the thought of going down into a cabin with him.
Elias leads us down some polished oak stairs until we reach the lower deck with two doors in front of us. The first door leads us to the master bedroom. As Elias swings the door open, the three of us let out a gasp.
‘Oh my god. I’ve never seen anything so perfect,’ says Carol.
‘There’s definitely more wardrobe space than I have at home,’ I say as I look at the dark wood-panelled fitted wardrobes that line one of the walls. The gloss on them is outstanding. I’m sure you could see your reflection in them.
‘It’s amazing, isn’t it?’ says Soraya.
‘Wow, it really is,’ I say.
