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"You bet. Very important with these parties. You never know when you might need some muscle. " He smiled at me and I returned it.
"Let's hope not." I hadn't had much interaction with Rob these past few weeks. He wasn't really in my sphere of work detail. But he seemed like a very nice and super-efficient guy.
"Well, I'm here if you need anything," I told him. “Oh, and I’ve made sure all off limit areas are locked. Intrepid is ready for visitors.
"Thanks, Cap, you’ve got your own duties to take care of. Like running the ship?”
His grin was pleasant and I nodded and smiled. "That’s all part of it. But holler if you need anything."
"Thanks. I appreciate that. And one more thing, I just wanted to let you know that I think you're doing a great job. Filling Fletch's shoes isn't easy, but you've done well."
I valued his words and thanked him. I never looked for praise or commendation, but it was nice to be recognized.
Beck had been greeting the arrivals for a little over an hour. The tenders pulled up at the aft swim platform and the crew assisted the guests aboard. They were ushered up to the two decks set up for the party. Security wandered the hallways to make sure nobody ended up where they weren't supposed to be.
He'd been told there could be a poker game in the meeting room. He didn't want that headache and would have to keep a close eye on the situation and had advised the crew as such. Already the music was loud, and who cared anyway, it was July 4th, and parties were everywhere. The yacht club was doing the fireworks which relieved him of the duty.
He watched the tender leave to pick up more people who waited on the dock. He knew Rob would be keeping a close eye on the number of people aboard. Sure, Intrepid was big. But there were still safety issues. And he was a stickler for safety.
So far today he hadn't seen Micki. In fact, not having seen her since that night of the storm unsettled him. He knew she was aboard, but she'd made herself scarce and he needed to know why. He'd waited for her to come around, and it was evident she was more stubborn than him. He was going to fix it tonight.
It was coming 6 o'clock and the smell of fried chicken was on the air. His stomach grumbled, the last time he'd eaten was breakfast.
"I'm going to go grab something to eat. Then I'll come back down so you can go and get some dinner," he told the crew member greeting guests with him.
"Sure, boss, no rush."
Making his way up through the decks to where Chef laid out all the food, he saw a few wayward guests on the decks they weren't supposed to be and he'd make a note to have them moved along. He didn't want anyone winding up in a cabin. The crew had strict instructions cabins were off-limits to non-crew folks.
Dancing was on one deck and it was packed. Music, music piped through to the designated party decks, thumped the air with throbbing beats and even though it was still daylight, strobing lights made him blink as he walked by and up the stairs to the next deck. The buffet was set up underneath a canopy and mist fans kept the area cool. Everything looked delicious.
Beck filled his plate with fried chicken, potato salad, biscuits, and corn. He grabbed a beer from the large steel ice-filled barrel and carried everything to a table under an umbrella that gave him a clear view of the swim platform.
He dug into his food, not realizing how hungry he was. Others were eating but most were still on the party deck.
He took a bite of the chicken. Heaven.
Even with the yacht party, and current business deals he was working on, as well as the everyday running of BFR, Beck was determined to focus on Micki tonight and get to the bottom of her sudden change. He was concerned, which normally wasn't in his repertoire, but she was different. What she was doing, how was she feeling? And yes, he missed being around her. Not just because of his attraction to her, but because he liked how she made him feel when they were together. And dare he admit it…he cared.
She was fun and challenged him, and he felt alive around her. She wasn't impressed by his status or money, and it was very refreshing. Her work ethic was excellent. She was smart, talented, and gorgeous — the whole package. Only two things marred their situation, her age and her relationship with Fletch.
He drew in a sigh, took a sip of beer, and picked at the food. Another group of guests was arriving. He should probably get back down to greet them so Jonas can get dinner. Beck quickly finished his food and placed his tray on the rack.
He wondered where she'd been spending her time. He figured on the bridge or in her cabin and if she didn't turn up for food and a bit of dancing, then he was going to get her.
Beck glanced up to the bridge wing. It was empty. He knew she liked to stand out there and he'd put a chair there a couple of days ago for her to use. As he was turning away, a flash of sunlight bounced off glass and caught his attention. The door opened and she stepped out.
Did his heart really almost jump into his throat at the sight of her?
He willed her to look at him. Moments later she did. He froze and smiled, lifting his hand in greeting. She pushed her hair off her face and held it back, the sun glinting off it. Slowly a smile spread on her lips and she nodded her head. Dropping her hair so it tumbled around her shoulders, she waved back to him, then leaned her elbows on the railing, chin resting on her cupped hands, and maintained eye contact.
If he didn't have to go to greet the new arrivals, he would have marched right up there, swept her into his arms, and carried her off somewhere private. Seeing her after days of not, was a balm to his soul.
He tapped his watch and mouthed 'later'. She straightened and her grin widened into laughter. He found himself chuckling as well although he wasn't sure why. She touched her fingers to her brow in a salute then disappeared inside.
He was puzzled. What the heck did that mean? Damn that woman! She kept him constantly guessing, but he'd find out later.
On the walk back down to the launch platform, the image of her on the deck was planted in his mind. She'd hooked into him and was holding on. He craved more time with her. There was no doubt about that.
