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He’d beefed up too, taking up a rigorous routine of workouts to keep himself fit and focussed. Bulking up had been easier than he’d expected too. Will liked to eat healthily, but his weakness was protein. Give him steak, and he was happy. He’d never aimed for perfect definition in his muscles—getting and keeping the cut look that bodybuilders had was too laborious for his career with its long hours and shift work, but the size he’d gained had done wonders for his confidence levels and his mental health. He understood now that his relationship with Stefan had been toxic right from the start. It wasn’t a partnership of equals. Rather, one of them—Stefan—had held all the cards, demanding something, and Will giving in to him. He’d thought of himself as spineless for years, getting angry at how weak he’d been. But he was young and naïve too. The couple of friends he’d kept in contact with had filled him in on enough gossip over the years to learn that his laid-back, people-pleasing personality had made him a target for Stefan. The man was manipulative to the point of abuse and had no compunction throwing away his toys when he’d gotten sick of them. His relationship with Chad, the political lobbyist, had only lasted a few months, except this time, it was Chad doing the tossing away. When Stefan could no longer afford their old apartment on his meagre wages, and his credit cards were maxed out, Chad had walked, and Stefan had bummed a couch off whatever friends he still had left.
But his history was so far in the past that Will hadn’t thought of his ex-husband in years.
The door to the captain’s office closed behind him, and Will jolted back into the present and looked around. The captain wasn’t the only person gathered inside the spaciously appointed meeting area. The first, second, and third mates were in the room, together with the managers of each of the various divisions on the ship—entertainment, food and beverage, hospitality, and engineering. All were in their dress uniforms. All were standing at attention. Will’s heart beat harder, his nerves ratcheting up. Stopping before Captain Bugeja, Will saluted him and stood at attention, waiting for the older man to speak.
“Marine Captain,” the captain started. “At ease.” Will relaxed his pose, clasping his hands behind his back, and waited with bated breath. Captain Bugeja grinned at him, and Will smiled back. It took everything in him not to plead with Captain Bugeja to explain what was going on. His pulse thundered in his veins, and sweat broke out on his brow as the silence stretched out. Captain Bugeja paced, walking away from him only to turn back again with something the size of an envelope in his hands. “Do you know what today is, William?” he asked but didn’t pause long enough for Will to answer. “Today is the day Head Office made the announcement on staffing for the newest ship in the Dream Liner fleet. We’re having some staff changes as a result of the MV Dreamcatcher’s launch.”
“Yes, sir,” Will croaked, his mouth dry and throat scratchy from nerves.
“Congratulations, William,” he said warmly. “This came for you.” He handed Will a folded piece of paper printed on thick card stock in a rich cream. When he opened the first fold, Will saw the Dream Liner logo, the silhouette of a large capital D in navy blue with two flowing silvery lines representing the swell of the ocean and a sail. On the top right, a star. Will sucked in a breath and, with shaking hands, unfolded the rest of the letter. It was short, barely half a page, but its impact had Will staggering and reaching for the closest chair. It was new orders. A request to report to Finland in two months to begin the final preparations for the maiden voyage of the MV Dreamcatcher. As her captain.
“Sir…” Will began and lost the words in his throat. He hadn’t applied for the position. He didn’t think he was ready. Four years as a marine captain wasn’t enough to make the jump to captain. How had his name been put forward?
“You’re ready for this, Will. I have absolute faith in you. All of us do.” Captain Bugeja held his hands out, motioning to the rest of the people in the room who were standing at ease, wearing smiles to match the captain’s own. “Officers, may I introduce Captain William Preston of the MV Dreamcatcher.”
They clapped, and Captain Bugeja squeezed his shoulder. All Will could do was look around the room in shocked silence. Will reread the letter, hoping he’d understood it correctly, and then looked back at Captain Bugeja. “This isn’t a joke, is it?” Captain Bugeja’s booming laugh and the shake of his head reassured Will that he wasn’t being pranked, but it was a lot to take in. When the champagne cork popped and a glass was passed to him, Will gulped the drink down, the bubbles fizzing his nose and burning a trail down his throat. Stifling a cough, he held his glass out for a refill and looked back at the letter. “Captain, how did this happen? I didn’t put my name forward.”
“I did. William, you’ve given this company your all for, what, six or seven years? You do every educational course you can enrol in, and you have jumped at every opportunity to get more experience. You’re one of the most highly qualified marine captains I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Executive management asked me why you hadn’t applied. They’ve had their eye on you for some time.”
He slid into the chair he’d been gripping, Will’s legs finally giving out at hearing his words. “I didn’t think I was ready.” He looked up at his mentor, still trying to make sense of all that had happened.
“The rest of us did. Congratulations, William, but I’m going to miss having you on my ship.” He held out his hand, and Will stood on wobbly legs to shake it. The man had been a source of inspiration for Will for as long as he’d known him, and Captain Bugeja had just managed what Will thought impossible for at least another five years.
Charcuterie boards and platters of hors d'oeuvres were laid down by wait staff, and Will managed to mingle, making his way around the room. Pure shock kept him upright and still functioning long after he would have been fast asleep, but even as the party wound to a close an hour later, Will couldn’t stop his mind from racing or his head spinning. He made his way back to his stateroom and undressed, collapsing face first into bed in just his underwear. Grinning, he dialled his mum. She’d want to know the moment he knew. He’d rebuilt his relationship with his parents brick by brick over the last decade. They’d been there for him, helping pick up the pieces of his life when his marriage had fallen apart, and he’d moved halfway across the world to come home. Even through their own amicable divorce, they’d been his number one supporters.
“Will, baby, how are you?” she answered on the second ring. “Where are you?”
“Hi, Ma. We’re out at sea, still partway between Brisbane and Bali. We’re about even with Broome,” he explained. “So, I have a suggestion for you. Would you and Brett like to come on the maiden voyage of the MV Dreamcatcher with me? As the captain’s guests?”
“Oh, baby, we’d love to,” she breathed. “And as captain’s guests? That’s incredible. You must know them well to have been given that privilege on the maiden voyage. I didn’t even realize you knew who it was yet.”
“I found out today.” He paused and waited, counted it out in his head until his mum put the pieces together. One, two, three, four—
“Will? Are you there?”
“Yeah, Ma. I’m here. It’s tradition for the captain to give the staterooms on the first voyage to people who mean the most to them. I was going to ask Dad and Pam too. That is, if you feel comfortable—”
“You know your dad and I are still the best of friends—”
“Ma,” Will interrupted, dragging her name into two syllables, his frustration and excitement pouring out of him. “If you feel comfortable with me captaining the ship.”
“What?” she screeched. “Oh my God, holy shit. Will, are you serious? You got your own ship?”
“Yeah,” he said with a laugh. “I did it, Ma. We did it. I couldn’t have gotten there without you and Brett, and Dad and Pam.”
“Oh, baby. I’m so thrilled for you. You’ve worked so hard for this.” A shuffling sounded, and a muffled yell of “Brett” nearly split Will’s eardrum. He conveyed his news to his mum’s boyfriend and hung up, repeating the same with his dad and Pam, his dad’s partner. Smiling broadly when he hung up, he knew the messages from his sister and brothers would begin soon enough, but until then, he needed sleep.
*****
“Oh, hey,” Will said as he answered the door to his mum’s house to a petite lady and two men holding a large rectangular box. They were preparing for that night’s get-together—welcoming Will home and celebrating his promotion—but his mum hadn’t told him anything about a delivery. She’d insisted on catering for the event, and he’d compromised, agreeing to keep it simple with a few store-bought salads and a barbie so she wouldn’t go overboard. He hoped she hadn’t gone to too much trouble.
“Hi, I’m Katy,” she said as if he should know her. She held out her hand, and Will shook it, desperately trying to remember if he’d met her before. His answer came when she asked, “I’m guessing you’re Will?”
“I am.” He nodded, smiling.
“Great! We’re here to drop off the cake for your celebration. These are my partners, Connor and Levi.” She motioned between them.
“G’day,” the taller man, Connor said, giving him a nod while Levi greeted him with a “Hi.”
