Ocean Victory Yacht
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New York, NY
August 5th, 2027:
The yacht was docked in the East River and I had just stepped off with the others. The crewman on deck had been quite friendly when we came aboard so I gave him a generous tip for his help. He’d told me the boat would take us to an area of New York called Governors Island. From there we’d have to walk from one place to another. It sounded easy enough.
We had to leave our things behind as we entered a door that led us into a large room filled with tables and chairs. At least two hundred people were already sitting at their table, chatting and sipping drinks.
The atmosphere here seemed different than other bars I’d visited before. People weren’t shouting and getting rowdy like they usually did back home—everyone here was calm and relaxed. It felt nice.
I spotted my friends immediately and waved them over. When I got close to them, I realized they each had an empty glass in front of them—I didn’t even think about bringing mine along. Oh well…
“What’s going on?” I asked the guys when I arrived. “It seems like everyone knows where they’re headed.”
My two good buddies shook their heads. “I don’t know what’s happening,” said Jack, the guy who always had a beer in hand and a big smile on his face. His eyes lit up when he turned to me next. “You brought your own drink! Let me get you a refill.”
As I watched Jack pour the beverage into my glass, something clicked in my head; it took me a second to realize the reason why everyone was gathered together. This is where all the rich kids go to mingle and party, right? But why am I here? And why do I feel so out of place?!
“Is this where the yacht owners are meeting?” I blurted out.
The others looked at me strangely, confused by my sudden question.
Jack nodded. “Yeah. These are some of the top people in the business world. They meet up every summer to see what they can come up with to make more money.”
I glanced around again and saw dozens of beautiful young women walking up to men and starting conversations. It looked like a scene straight out of Gossip Girl!
This wasn’t what I was expecting; it was nothing like anything I’d ever seen or done before. I thought these meetings would be serious, maybe even boring. I couldn’t believe all the pretty girls in here…and not a single guy to be found!
“Are we waiting for someone?” I asked, hoping to change the topic away from all the eye candy surrounding me.
Both Jack and Will shook their heads. “No, we’ll find our own way over there once we’re ready to start drinking!”
They laughed, and then both of them went back to their conversation—the girl in front of them noticed their empty glasses, and she started to approach their table.
I tried to act casual while watching them talk but I could see the man in front of them laughing, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling at his obvious charm. She smiled back at him—she obviously liked her drink!
After the girl finished speaking to the pair of men, she walked over to me next.
“May I join you?” Her eyes sparkled as she sat down at the table, placing her hands on either side of the table. She wore a bright red dress and had long, dark hair tied into two pigtails that hung down to rest near her shoulders. “You must be new here.”
Oh, yeah…new…I guess I’m kind of new around here. I nodded my head.
The girl smiled warmly and continued talking. “This is an annual party hosted by a lot of the yacht owners in this city. We get to meet them, learn about what they’ve been working on over the past year, and maybe strike a deal if we think it will benefit both parties.”
She reached across the table to shake my hand and added, “My name is Rose—it’s nice to meet you.”
Before I could respond, Rose turned to Jack and Will, asking if they wanted to grab a drink next door with her.
Will shook his head no, but Jack said yes.
Rose stood up to go to the bar with him, leaving me alone at the table with them.
“Did you meet Rose?” Will asked, still focused on Jack.
He shook his head. “Nope, haven’t seen her around today.” He turned to me. “So…what brings you here?”
I hesitated, trying to decide how much to say, before eventually deciding on the truth: “I’m a student from London and was invited to stay with one of my professor’s relatives here for the summer.”
Jack nodded his head at that and leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “Sounds like you might have met some wealthy friends already…”
I didn’t miss the implication. Did he just say, rich friends?
“Do either of you know anyone who lives like this?” I asked. “People who drive sports cars and live in mansions all year long?”
Jack smiled. “You mean yacht owners?” He shrugged. “Yeah, I know plenty of them.”
I looked at Will. “Can you introduce me to them tonight?”
He grinned. “Sure, I think they’ll be happy to speak with you.”
We spent most of the day wandering around the resort looking for Rose and Will’s wealthy yacht owner friends. I tried to blend in by wearing one of Will’s old t-shirts that barely covered my ass—which made it hard to walk around without tripping on it! Thankfully, Jack carried my suitcase and bags while he walked next to me.
We were finally able to spot some of Rose’s acquaintances at a private cabana overlooking the beach. After Will introduced himself, several of the guys got up to leave the area to continue talking about boat parts with another group at a nearby pool bar.
Will told us he would stay put with Jack and me and watch our stuff while we took a few minutes to check things out and talk to Rose.
Once we were out of sight, I approached Rose, who was now sitting next to her boyfriend, a tall older man named Richard. She smiled at me. “Rose has to leave,” she said quickly.
Richard nodded toward me. “Meet our guest.”
The three of us shook hands before I sat down beside Rose. “Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, I’m sure. What brings you here?” Richard asked, looking at me intently.
“I’m just visiting for the summer. I’ll be staying with a friend of mine. His name is William.”
Rose nodded her head. “William’s my brother.”
She explained to Richard how I’d come over here for the summer. When she mentioned Will’s name, Richard frowned. “Your friend doesn’t look much like his pictures.”
Jack laughed and nudged me playfully in the ribs with his elbow. “He looks more like Will than his other pictures do,” he whispered so only I could hear.
I blushed and looked away, pretending not to notice the exchange between them.
Richard sighed and then turned back to me. “It sounds like you’re having a great time here in Florida. I hope you enjoy your trip while you are here.” He stood up to leave, motioning for us to follow him. “If you ever want anything to eat or drink, don’t hesitate to ask. There’s a small kitchenette on the second floor.”
We followed him through a large doorway that led to the second floor. Once we stepped into the hall, he stopped abruptly and pointed to an ornate elevator behind a wooden screen on the wall next to us. “You can take that right down to the main level where there’s a food buffet and lounge area. You’ll find it easy to make yourself at home with all the amenities we offer here.”
As soon as we got off the elevator, I saw Will and Jack waiting for us next to a large wooden door that opened onto the open-air deck.
I gave Rose a quick hug goodbye and thanked her again for introducing me to Richard. She told me she had to get going—she had plans for dinner later with Richard.
Will smiled at her. “Don’t forget about us, okay?”
“Oh yeah, totally forgot!” Rose replied. She hugged me one more time and waved to Will and Jack before leaving with Richard.
Will smiled at me and held out his hand to lead me out to the deck. “Welcome, welcome!” he greeted me with a smile. “How’s the weather up there?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Not bad, actually.”
“That’s good because you’re going to love this view,” he said excitedly. “I have a feeling you’ll be spending quite a bit of time up here if you stay with us for long. It’s just amazing.”
He opened the door, allowing a blast of hot air from outside into the room.
I looked out over the deck railing and gasped. Directly below us was a large pool with several smaller pools connected to it by bridges and waterfalls. The ocean sparkled in the distance.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” I breathed.
“This is the private part of the hotel that’s only accessible by guests,” Will explained. “Most people go swimming at the beach.”
“What about the other side?” I asked as we strolled across the wooden deck toward a set of stairs that led down to the sand.
“There’s another pool and a restaurant on the other side. But they aren’t open during the summer months, so we usually use the main pool and the beach.”
We reached the bottom of the stairs and walked to the edge of the white sandy beach. I looked around, taking in the beauty of it all. There were dozens of brightly colored umbrellas spread out along the shore. Palm trees swayed in the wind, providing shade under their broad fronds.
I couldn’t help but imagine myself walking barefoot down those sandy shores, soaking up the sunshine and relaxing with a book in my hand and nothing else to worry about. I could feel the warm rays of the sun caressing my skin.
Jack came over and gave me a hug before wrapping his arm around my waist. “Are you ready to take a dip?” he asked excitedly.
I nodded and we walked toward the water together.
I took off my shoes and started running my feet through the gentle waves of the surf. As we walked deeper into the water, it went from being cool to refreshing, and then finally to hot as the temperature rose. The salty tang of the sea washed over my tongue and nose as I ran my fingers through my hair, making sure to shake out all the knots that formed when I spent days at sea with my crew.
Jack laughed when he noticed me doing that. “Is it always like this for you on the ship? No matter how well you try to wash it, your hair ends up knotty and dry.”
“Yeah, no matter what,” I agreed with a grin. “I don’t know why they call this place paradise because for me it’s more like hell.”
We waded further out into the ocean. The waves lapped at our legs gently. We stood there in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the tranquility of the moment and the sound of the ocean. It seemed so far away from everything—the hustle and bustle of the city, the busy port, and even from my family.
Suddenly Jack grabbed me and spun me around to face him. When our faces were almost touching, he dipped down and captured my lips with his. His kiss was full of passion and tenderness at the same time; his lips were soft against mine as he deepened the kiss, deepening his tongue past my lips and into my mouth, sweeping me along with him.
He pulled back for a moment, breathing heavily. I looked at him with surprise, but he smiled at me with mischief dancing in his eyes and gave me a nod, urging me to come closer. I leaned forward and let him draw me back into his embrace once more, returning the passion with equal measure until we both felt breathless and had to stop for fear we would pass out from lack of oxygen.
He turned me around so I was facing away from him and pushed me into the water. I shrieked as the cold water hit my back, but then I realized he’d ducked under and swam underwater with me. I tried to kick to follow him, but couldn’t get enough momentum or direction. I kicked and flailed, trying to keep my head above water and not drown.
When he surfaced a few seconds later, he grabbed me by the arms, holding them steady while he held his breath. My heart hammered hard against my ribcage. Then he dunked me again.
This time I screamed and kicked as wildly as possible until my lungs were screaming for air and he released me from his hold, pulling me up out of the water and wrapping an arm around my waist to keep me close.
As I lay there sputtering, he looked down at me with amusement in his eyes.
“That wasn’t nearly as fun as it looks,” I accused, wiping water from my cheeks.
He nodded seriously. “It isn’t supposed to be fun, silly girl.”
My jaw dropped open in shock. Was he serious? Did he really think I was having fun being dunked in the freezing cold ocean? That was the last thing I wanted to do!
Jack shook his head and laughed. “You have a very skewed perception of things, don’t you? What are you thinking when you’re running the ship? Are you thinking about whether or not it will be fun?”
I thought about it and shrugged. “No, not really. I guess I’m focused on how much work there is and what needs to be done. How can you focus on something that isn’t fun?”
Jack grinned at me and then kissed me tenderly. “So it’s important to you to make everything fun?”
I shook my head. “No, just life.”
“And yet it still gets hard sometimes.”
“Yes,” I sighed. “But it’s still worth living.”
He pulled back to look down at me. “Well, now I’ve got a new reason to keep living,” he said, kissing me softly on the lips.
I smiled up at him. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, I need to go take a quick shower,” I told him with a laugh. He nodded, looking pleased with himself. I pulled myself out of the water and began drying off, but Jack stayed where he was, treading water near me so I could lean over and spit out the saltwater in my mouth.
It was the least I could do after he’d taken me swimming without letting me put any kind of clothes on. I looked down at him, admiring his body as he moved gracefully through the water. The wet, salty strands clung to his skin, creating a natural frame around his face.
His long dark hair hung over his forehead, partially obscuring his eyes. As I watched, he lifted his head out of the water and looked at me curiously.
“What?”
“Nothing,” he murmured, shaking his head slightly. His voice was a low murmur that sent shivers across my skin.
“Are you coming?”
He hesitated for a second before nodding. “Just give me one minute.”
“Okay.” I smiled, watching him as he swam back toward the shore. He stopped a couple feet away from the sand, then turned back to me, lifting his hands into the air like a diver, bringing his fingers to his nose and inhaling deeply.
I followed his movements, watching as he took in some air, then held it for a moment before releasing it out through his nostrils. I mimicked him, watching the bubbles rise in the water as I breathed in and out. Then I glanced up at him curiously, wondering if he wanted me to do something similar. But instead of asking, I kept my eyes locked on him, waiting.
The End