I want You Deeper

Derek smelled dinner shortly after he exited the cockpit. Being pent up in that relatively small room had done a number on him. Just leaving the area made him feel like he’d stepped out of a confined space.

“Take these two. Please. Thank you.”

Derek heard Renee’s voice as he entered the kitchen area, along with the sounds of dishes being slid around on something. The familiar sound took him back to the many times he’d been on yachts over the years. Colleagues and clients often invited him along on trips, primarily out of appreciation for him having sold the yacht to them.

But this was different. It was dressed up as a work situation, but it was just the four of them, making it feel far closer to having someone cook for him because she wanted to. It felt that way, but he had to keep reminding himself that to Renee, this was a job. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Good evening,” Derek called out as he entered.

April paused, a plate in each hand. She smiled at Derek. “He is alive!”

Her comment was silly, considering she’d just seen him a few hours ago when she’d brought him lunch. But he knew she was trying to keep things light and fun.

“I am. And starving. Something smells delicious.” “Steak and squash,” Captain Jake called.

Derek couldn’t see the captain, but his voice came from the other side of the wall that divided the kitchen and the nearby seating area. The seating area had a big window looking out over the ocean. Derek decided he was better off there than standing near Renee.

“Beef filet and butternut squash,” Derek heard Renee call out as he exited the kitchen and headed to the seat next to the captain.

Captain Jake sat at the table with a bottle of water in his hand. “I figured

I was better off staying out of the way.”

“Smart move. All’s calm on the oceanfront.”

That comment was meant to explain the fact that Derek had been hiding away in the cockpit. If anyone asked in front of the captain, Derek was prepared to say that it was early on in the excursion and he felt the need to keep an eye on things until they were all a little more comfortable. This yacht was, after all, fairly new, and he wasn’t one hundred percent secure with the technology on it yet.

Except he was. It was all just an excuse to keep his distance from Renee to maintain professionalism.

“She’s pretty amazing.”

Derek had just settled into his chair when Captain Jake made that statement. He looked over at a guy he’d spent relatively little time with.

“Who?”

It was a reasonable question. Captain Jake could have been referring to Renee, April, or the boat itself. Some dedicated ship crew people always referred to their vessels as “she,” even giving them names. Maybe he should have assumed that the yacht was the “she” Captain Jake meant.

“Renee, of course. Great one you found there.”

“I didn’t really find her. We just met on the island and she said she was between jobs. I thought this would be a great opportunity to help her until she figured out what her next professional move would be, while also giving us better food than we were eating before we stopped at the island for the night.”

“Whoa!” Captain Jake put his hands up in front of him. “No need to get defensive. I was just saying she’s a really good chef. I’ve worked enough of these by now to have tried pretty much every type of cooking imaginable, including whatever you call the meals we made for ourselves.”

“Bachelor cuisine?” Derek smiled, hoping to lighten the mood a little. He supposed he had gotten a little…intense when he thought Captain Jake was hinting that there might be something romantic worth pursuing with Renee.

“It’s ready!” April announced.

Derek and Captain Jake exchanged a look. They appeared to have the same thought about that. If April was going to do this job long-term, someone might need to work with her to improve her guest relations skills.

“How’s the deckhand training going?” Derek asked as they headed toward the table.

“I think she’s got what it takes, I’ll be honest. She’s a really hard worker.”

Derek liked the idea of having someone onboard who could do a variety of tasks, but his goal was to beef up this team. If he really wanted to see out his plan to travel the world, he needed more help with this monstrosity. It looked like it might be his only choice, considering he’d gotten emails from someone in his hometown. It had come through the company email address and his COO had forwarded it to him through the web email account he’d set up before he left. The email had been from a high school friend who wanted to meet up with him to discuss a business idea.

It all just came together to remind him why he was out here on the water, using a fake email address to communicate with his COO. He didn’t want someone to use him for his success or money, and he certainly didn’t want his father tracking him down again. He just needed to get away from all that.

“Please have a seat.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

There were three place settings. There were only three of them out here, too. Derek hated to be the one to ask, but- “Where’s Renee?” Derek asked.

“She’s not eating with us.” April pulled back her chair and took her seat.

“She said a true chef doesn’t eat with the guests.” What was this all about? No. This was unacceptable.

“She’s eating with us,” Derek said. “I’m the guest, and I request she eat with us.”

“Trust me. I tried.” April shrugged. “She’s not budging.”

No way could Derek enjoy his meal while Renee ate alone in the kitchen. Was she even indulging in the delicious food she’d made? Or had she settled for one of the microwavable frozen pizza turnovers Captain Jake had shoved deep into the freezer before they had a professional chef on board?

That thought alone made him stand and head straight to the kitchen. She may refuse him just as she’d refused April, but he had to try.

She was seated at the small table in the corner when he entered. At least she had a plate with the same steak and vegetables on it they’d been presented outside. Even when they had guests on board, the thought of her enjoying her meal in here, alone, made him sad, but he knew that was how chefs ate. They were lucky if they even got to grab a bite between courses. Often, they had to eat before dinnertime or well after dessert had been served.

“Captain Jake and I would like for you to join us,” he said. “As you know, when a guest requests something, it’s important to comply.”

She looked up at him, fork poised above her food. “You and Captain Jake are guests now?”

The comment made it clear she wasn’t buying that. No surprise, considering how hard the two of them worked to keep this boat moving toward its destination twenty-four hours a day. But he figured it was his best chance of getting her to go along with it.

“We are. For tonight, we are. You made this delicious food, and we want to enjoy it, but we can’t while you’re in here alone. I know, I know- chefs eat alone, if you even get to eat. But until we have a full crew, I’d love for you to enjoy your meals with us.”

Having made his point, he waited. If she refused, what could he do?

Shrugging, she picked up her plate, stood, and walked around him and toward the table. He watched her go, finding it odd she hadn’t even said a word. Was it some sort of act of defiance?

He smiled. He’d love to say it was because he’d just scored a victory, but really, he was glad she was joining them for dinner.