Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Glass shattered everywhere.
“How many fucking times do I have to tell you to shake my goddamn martini?!”
Maria backed away from Russell just as Tammy came rushing over. “What in God’s name is going on?”
“This genius can’t make a cocktail to save her life, which is sad, considering it’s the whole fucking point of her job.”
I rushed over, trying to calmly, but firmly, contain the situation. I gently squeezed Leah’s shoulder when I realized she was trembling. But the second I touched her, she shrugged away, dropping to the deck to put her focus on picking up glass.
“If I could have all of you step over here away from the glass, that would be best for safety reasons,” I said, trying to usher the group toward the table. “Dinner will be ready soon, and—”
“Shit!”
We all turned toward Leah, who was sitting back on her heels now, her hand held up as she inspected it.
Blood dripped from a nasty cut on her middle finger.
“Serves her right,” Russell muttered.
That did it for me.
“Sir, I understand you’re upset about your drink. Bernard will rectify that immediately.” Bernard jumped into action as I said the words, dashing inside to make a new martini. “But I need you to know that we will not tolerate any abuse toward our crew, verbal or otherwise.”
“Abuse?” He laughed. “You Gen-Z kids are so fucking sensitive.”
“Russ,” Tammy chastised, yanking him toward the railing. “You will not ruin this trip for me.” She smiled back at me over her shoulder, mouthing, “I got him.”
I gave her a weary look that I wasn’t so sure, but there was no time to dwell on it. Instead, I raced for the first-aid kit just inside the sliding glass doors and then right back to Leah.
“Let me see,” I said, digging through the kit for tweezers.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
“I’m fine,” she shot at me again, and then I felt a hand squeezing my shoulder. I looked up to find Eli with a sympathetic, but strained, smile. He bent down to join us, then nodded his head toward the waiting guests.
It was my cue to leave.
Reluctantly, I stood, backing up when Palmer swept in to finish cleaning up the mess. I had a dinner service to prepare for, so I was thankful for everyone’s help.
But it didn’t make the judgment in their eyes any easier to stomach.
I checked in on Russell and the other guests, making sure no one had caught a rogue glass shard. By some miraculous feat, Bernard had Russell laughing by the time we sat them at the table, and Leah didn’t need stitches.
I thought we’d made it out unscathed.
The guests’ asses had barely hit the chairs when Finn’s voice cut in over the crew radio.
“Ember, Ember, Finn. Can you come to the galley as soon as possible?” His voice had an edge to it that made the hair on my arms raise.
“Copy, on my way.”
I bolted for the galley with a short instruction for Bernard to get wine service started, and when I slid into Finn’s domain, I paled.
The galley was filled with smoke.
“What the hell happened?!”
I picked up the nearest dishtowel and started waving it in the air, trying to disperse the smoke before an alarm went off. Captain Gary ran in next, cursing before he was on the radio telling engineering to get ready to cut the alarms.
“No idea,” Finn said. “The oven shorted, I think. Something electrical? The whole unit is out — burners, too.”
“Engineering is on the way,” Captain said.
“Are you okay?” I asked Finn, registering that he was running his hand under the faucet.
“Just a little burn,” he promised. “I thought I’d be a hero and save dinner, but the lamb is toast. Literally. And I’ve got no heat on the second course. No mains, no sides. Nothing. Unless you want to serve them raw fennel and vibes.”
“Would have worked for our first charter guests, wouldn’t it?” Captain Gary tried to joke. I couldn’t find the humor. “It’s alright, team. We can handle this. Take a breath and think.”
“We… can serve salads. And we have the griddle,” I said. “It’s high school reunion, right? What if we did old cafeteria staples — elevated grilled cheese, maybe some sloppy joes. We can use the microwave for that, can’t we? Grill up some meat?”
Finn looked unsure, shaking his head, but he sighed in agreement that we had to do something. “I’ll pivot, but I need someone to run interference out there.”
I nodded. “I’m on it.”
I swung out of the galley, eyes landing on where Eli was finishing up the bandage on Leah as I smoothed my hands over my black dress and tried to troubleshoot what the hell I was going to do to save this dinner.
I was intercepted before I made it to the deck.
“Ember.” The name came from Brittany, one of the producers, who stepped right in my path. “Can we get a quick reaction shot from you?”