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I'd spent the rest of the day and the following one familiarizing myself with the crew and their duties, and schedules. Going through emails, organizing charts, and ordering provisions for the crew meeting this morning and barbeque when all the crew was aboard. I liked to do that in each new job. It helped with the camaraderie and was a soft intro for me.
I was in the crew mess, making sure everything was set up. Rather than have the chef prepare the baked goods, I ordered in. It was important for everyone to be included. Intrepid could go silent for an hour with all of the crew at the meeting. Beck and his staff were also invited but I didn't expect them to attend.
People began to filter in and I watched them interact with each other. So far everything looked peachy and I was relieved. The last thing I wanted was to have to play house mother to them. They were adults, and professionals, and should be well acquainted with procedure. Once they were settled with their beverage of choice and a plate of food, I began.
"Good morning. I'm Michelle Avery. Mainly known as Mick, Micki, Cap. Most of you know Fletch. I learned everything at his knee. Rumor has it he got a nasty break while skateboarding." I widened my eyes and was happy to hear a few chuckles around the room. "That means he'll be out for months to come. He recommended me to Mr. Steele, and I'll be interim captain until Fletch returns.
I paused and gazed around the room taking in their expressions. So far all seemed well and they didn't show any hostility to the situation.
"Once everyone is aboard, which should be tomorrow, I've arranged a special kick-off dinner. It's catered so no one has to do anything except enjoy themselves." I looked at Chef. "You too. Kitchen is off limits."
Chef Cindy smiled and nodded.
I glanced at my watch. "Right, Mr. Steele gave permission for us to have the BBQ on the sundeck, and everything will be ready for 18:00 hours. Since guests are arriving the next day, please enjoy yourselves responsibly. I've gone over Fletch's procedures and won't be making any changes to crew or duties. Everything will stay as is, but I will be interactive with you. If you need to chat about anything, I'm here and I look forward to getting to know you over the next weeks or months. I pointed to the food-laden table. "Please, dig in. The food will be cleared away in an hour."
The crew rose to their feet, some filled their plates and others filtered out the door.
Once the room was empty, I made a plate for myself and grabbed a couple bottles of water to take to the captain's office on the bridge.
"Cap?" I turned to Cindy.
"Hi!"
"I'll get this cleared away in an hour. Since it's mainly pastries, how about I repurpose it so there's no waste?" she suggested.
"What a great idea. And you know what?"
She shook her head.
"You don't have to ask me things like that. You know what's best when it comes to the food. The only thing I ask is to see the provisioning list before fulfilling it."
"Got it. Anything you need, don't hesitate to ask," she told me.
I nodded. "Will do, now I should get back up to the bridge. Thanks again."
I had some final details to go over before the guests arrived. It was a single night at anchor here in Passion Cove. The big event was the cruise to the barrier islands next week. It would be the first time I took Intrepid out and I wanted it to go like clockwork. That meant I needed to be prepared and I didn't want anything to go wrong. Nor did I need any distractions from a certain tall, dark, and sexy boat owner.
6
Jimmy Buffett's “Margaritaville” roared out of the speakers. It was hard to listen to Jimmy since his passing. The crew seemed quite happy to be lifting their margaritas in salute to the man and eating their cheeseburgers in paradise. Many people on the sea listen to Jimmy, and obviously, this crew did too. Parrotheads unite!
The sky was magnificent and promised a spectacular sunset. I inhaled. My mouth watered at the incredible aroma of food reminding me I hadn't eaten for hours.
I looked around to see if Beck was here. Our paths hadn't crossed since the day he walked in on me getting out of the shower and then inspecting Intrepid together. I was let down he hadn't showed for this kick-off BBQ. My thoughts drifted back to coming out of the shower and him standing in the room. I'd been shocked, annoyed, and forced myself to be cool. Even if I quaked inside, I'd held it together. But, it was damn hard. He was attractive in a dark and broody kind of way.
What stood out in my mind was the thrill when our hands touched. I'd been shaken, deep. Still, I remained professional.
Right now, it was all about the crew. I wanted them to have fun tonight. Work tomorrow.
I skirted the full dance floor to the buffet. Everything looked delicious and I made myself a plate, including a pile of fresh shrimp, a healthy dollop of seafood sauce, and cheesy garlic bread. I slid onto an open seat at the end of the bar and ordered a drink.
Everyone shouted "salt salt salt". Yep, Parrotheads.
I itched to get up there and dance, but not tonight. It was their party. Plus I was exhausted.
"Thanks, Duke." I met the bartender's gaze as he put the drink in front of me.
"Cap," he said and nodded.
