Chapter Four
“I don’t know about this, Mish,” Essie said into her cell as the cab made its way down the highway in the early-morning hours. The air was crisp and still gray, the sun only being hinted at as it glinted off the mirrored chrome of the New York skyscrapers.
“What’s not to know? You should be thanking me,” Misha replied. “I know you didn’t plan to work during the holiday, but with Cam hitting the wind and you needing extra money, this is perfect. Besides, it will be good for you.”
Essie could feel Misha scheming through the phone and her eyes rolled skyward. “Good for me how? Cam and I have only been broken up for less than a week.”
Misha let out an impatient snort. “Oh, please. You and Cam were broken up the moment he screwed his assistant, and I’d bet that was at least two months ago, if not more. The moment you hit the road to work with the band, you two were done.”
“Ouch, leave it to you not to pull any punches.”
“What good would it do? Life is too short. Now you remember that while you’re sailing with Ross. He’ll be a tough client, but I’ve known him a long time, and he’s a good guy underneath.”
It was Essie’s turn to snort. “Underneath what? The latest supermodel? Let Google tell it. He’s got a deli number-counter at the foot of his bed.”
Now Misha laughed. “You, more than anyone, should know that outside appearances can be deceiving. I know you’re not totally the ‘Little Miss Zen’ you want the world to see. Now go and whip my friend into shape. Tell him I want great numbers on his next visit. And from you, I want a report that you had a fabulous time. Doctor’s orders.”
“Yeah, whatever you say,” Essie said before switching off.
The taxi began to slow as it turned by the piers, and the most beautiful boat Essie had ever seen came into her view.
“Oh, my freaking God,” she whispered as she got out of the cab, pulling her carryall in one hand and her cooking supplies in the other. Essie knew the galley would more than likely be fully stocked, and she had sent over a list of what she wanted available. But she wouldn’t assume it would be stocked with her favorite organic oils, not to mention her homemade spice blends and whenever possible, she never did a job without her old faithful set of stainless pans and, of course, her knives. She paused as two crewmembers in white pants and long-sleeved black shirts appeared, their hands behind their backs, sunglasses on, watching her as she made her way.
When she was finally in front of them, the one that looked a little older, but only because of the light graying at his temples, gave a little nod and a small smile. “And I’m guessing you are Ms. Bradford. Welcome to Serenity.”
“Thank you, and please call me Essie.” She looked up at the ship and its impressive height. “So, Serenity? A ship this size I expect to be called the Enterprise.”
The man grinned and stepped forward. “I’m Jeff Grayson, the ship’s captain, and this guy right here is Cooper Westport, our chief engineer.”
Cooper smiled next to Captain Grayson, and though his sunglasses covered a good portion of his face, Essie could still tell from his thick blond hair, chiseled jaw, and his blindingly white smile that he was a good-looking man.
“Great to meet you, Essie,” Cooper said with a cute Aussie accent.
More tall men in the same uniform came out and stood along the deck as Cooper made the introductions.
“That right there is my second, Ethan Chambers.” Ethan gave a nod and smile. “And next to him is our deckhand Jayce Spencer.” Jayce gave a slight bow and then came forward to take Essie’s bags from her. “And then we have Quincy Bell, our head steward. He’ll help with any personal needs you may have.”
“Very nice to meet you,” Quincy said. Another man with a lovely accent, this time it was from the United Kingdom.
Essie smiled and shook hands.
“You all are being so kind. I’m sure I won’t need anything. I’ll try and not be too much of a bother.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” came another new, slightly gruffer voice.
“And finally,” Cooper said, his own voice now slightly apologetic, “we have Chef Simon Scott. I guess you and he will be working pretty closely together.”
Essie looked toward Chef Scott, who wore shades just as the rest of the crew was, but unlike the others, his were pushed up onto the top of his clean-shaven head to reveal his sharp, assessing eyes and stern brow. And though she bestowed on him her easy smile, he countered back with nothing but a slight nod.
Fine, that’s how you want to play? Essie had been in the cooking game for a long time. Chef Scott was surely not the first, and he wouldn’t be the last, temperamental chef she’d come across. She’d give it a day, and she was sure they’d be getting along just fine. If not, it didn’t matter. This job was only temporary. “It’s very nice to meet you, Chef. I’ll be in and out of your hair in no time flat,” she said.
“Is that a promise, little lady?” Chef Scott stated more than asked.
Essie looked at him dead-on and stepped onto Serenity. “It’s a statement, nothing more. I’ve learned early on that promises are worth no more than the breath it takes to make them.”
Quincy finished giving Essie a quick tour of the ship and she was officially in awe. Serenity was 130 feet, four levels, and no luxury spared. There was a formal and informal salon, a gym, two hot tubs, jet skis, a diving plank, a formal dining room, as well as an informal one. By the time she got to the galley, her mouth hung open. Hell, she was thinking she should be paying Ross for this trip, but she knew she could never afford it. Not in a million years.
Quincy showed her the crew’s quarters and lead her to her own room. She turned a corner too quickly and walked into a solid wall that was Ross Montgomery’s chest. “Oh, my goodness, um, I’m sorry, excuse me.”
“Please don’t apologize, Ms. Bradford,” Ross said. His large warm hands righted her, steady in the most unsteady way. “Things can get a little tight on this ship.”
At his words his and Essie’s eyes met, and if she were still fourteen and believed in such a thing, she’d swear fireworks went off. Essie quickly lowered her eyes and stepped back, but not before catching the laughter in Ross’s eyes. Damn.
“I was just giving Ms. Bradford a tour, sir, and leading her to her quarters,” Quincy said, breaking the unspoken tension.
“I’ll take over from here, thank you,” Ross said, his voice low, but still definite and commanding.
Essie watched Quincy’s retreating back and, for some reason, wanted to follow him down the narrow hallway, but she knew she couldn’t, so she stood where she was. “I didn’t know you were on board,” she said.
“Yet here I am,” Ross said matter-of-factly. “I was finishing a work call when you arrived. I’m sorry I couldn’t greet you. But now that you are here, we may depart.”
She felt a brow shoot up. “But I thought you said this was a business trip and you were taking clients down to Florida.”
“This is a business trip, but no, we’re picking up clients in Florida. I hope I didn’t give you the wrong impression.”
Essie, relax. This isn’t a big deal. It’s still business and still a trip.
Just with a lot less passengers on the way down than she anticipated. It didn’t matter. She wasn’t here for his clients anyway. She was here to get him on track to good food and a new lifestyle. Essie brought her shoulders up and looked him in the eye. “It’s no matter who is here. It’s you who’s paying me, and you are my client.”
Essie couldn’t help but notice his jaw tighten at this statement. “This is true, I am paying you, but as we discussed, you’re still my guest. So, how about you let me show you to your room?” He put his arm out in a gesture for her to follow him. They climbed a narrow flight of stairs, going from below deck up another level, to where the accommodations were more spacious and, if possible, more luxurious.
Ross took Essie past some of the most sumptuous staterooms she had ever seen, all done up in marble and wood. This was a world of luxury beyond her imagination. At one point he stood outside a room and waved his hand. “These are my quarters, and my office is right next door. Since this is a working trip, I will be in my office quite a bit. Though, per Misha’s orders, I promise to go above deck and get some sun while I work, from time to time.”
Essie smiled. “I’ll hold you to it. Do you mind if I take a look?”
“Not at all.”
Essie peeked in the door of his stateroom. It was decorated in the same modern way as the rest of the yacht, but here there was a classic twist that was a little bit dressed down so that it was more casual and, somehow, more sexy. The low-profile bed had a utilitarian feel to it, and the artwork that hung over the bed was done in tones of gray, with a splash of red. The gray lamps by the bed added to the coolness of the room. The thick gray carpeting made her want to take off her shoes and sink her toes into it. Everything about the room was sensual and inviting in an ultracool way. So very much like the man himself.
Essie swallowed and looked up at Ross. “It’s a cool space.” Cool? She wanted to bang herself in the head. Instead, she swallowed and gave a weak smile.
Ross’s smile threatened to turn her legs to noodles. “Thanks.”
He opened the door next to it to show his office. This was a continuation of his bedroom, sexy, sleek, and modern. With one wall made of all glass windows to take in the sea view.
“I hope I won’t find you always in here. According to our agreement, you have to learn some things from me about food and perhaps cooking?” Essie challenged.
He frowned and closed the office door. “We’ll have to see about that, Ms. Bradford.”
“That we will, Mr. Montgomery.”
Ross turned away from his office door and surprised her by turning to a door right across from his own. “And this will be your accommodations.”
Essie stepped inside and this time she really couldn’t stop her mouth from dropping open. “Oh, Ross, this is too much. I mean, Mr. Montgomery. Really, I can sleep down in the crew’s quarters. They are more than generous.”
She watched as his lip worked a little at the corner in amusement. “You will sleep here, Ms. Bradford, and not insult me. According to our agreement, you’re not one of the crew, and though you are not one of the official guests, you are my guest, and this is your holiday, though a working one it may be. So please enjoy this room with my compliments. I won’t hear any arguments.”
Essie frowned, looking at the ridiculously luxurious accommodations. She had never been in a room so beautiful. It was mahogany and marble like the rest of the ship, but this was designed with a woman in mind as the décor was accented in creams and natural stone. Not to mention the beautiful orchids she spied. And in the bathroom there was both a stand-up shower and a beautiful Jacuzzi tub. After this, how would she ever go back to her small one-bedroom apartment? She looked at Ross and shook her head. “You always make it this hard for a girl to turn you down?”
“I do my very best, Ms. Bradford.”
Essie let out a sigh as she eyed the huge bed. “That’s what I’m afraid of, Mr. Montgomery.”