Page 10 of Escape To Paradise
I paused for a bit. I hadn’t really thought about it. All I wanted was to get away from Benoit as far as possible. “If I find a better partner this time, or even without a partner, I would probably set up another restaurant.”
“That’s good. You should continue. Just because the first partnership went bad doesn’t mean the next one will be.”
“You’re very optimistic. But setting up another restaurant is far from my mind for now.”
After our quick breakfast, Jim took me to the Botanic Garden. I asked him to walk with me. Our stroll lasted an hour. I wanted to do some shopping next, so Jim took me to the market, where I bought beachwear, a flip-flop, a hat, and sunblock lotion. We ended our day at a bar, where I got a cocktail and dinner. Jim politely refused to drink, but he did agree to eat dinner. He convinced me to try the grilled conch, which I was reluctant to do. I added grilled fish to our order.
“I’ve never had this grilled conch before.”
“It’s just meat from a giant shell. You’ll like it.”
Once the order had arrived, I tasted the chopped-up conch. It had a rubbery consistency, but the meat was chewy and tasted sweet and the taste of the sea. With the smokiness from the charcoal grill, it tasted pleasant.
“Do you like it?” Jim asked as he chewed a chunk of the conch.
“It has a different consistency. I’m not used to it, but it tastes a lot like snails.”
“I haven’t had snails, but yes, they must taste similar.”
I had a good day with Jim. When he dropped me off at my hotel, I gave him a generous tip. At first, he wanted to send it back, but I insisted he take the money.
“I have many contacts on the islands. Do you need anything? Not just here in St. Vincent, but in Grenada as well. I have friends and family living in other parts of the Grenadine islands. You name it. Whatever you need, let me know.”
He handed me his business card and then shook my hand. I was glad I had made a connection on my first day on the island.
As soon as I got back to the hotel, I tried to shake off the feeling of uncertainty. I was going to start a new life, and I had no idea what to expect.
***
I woke up at six in the morning. As usual, I did my morning yoga. Then I went for a short swim in the pool before having a light breakfast. Around 9 a.m., Paul from the Sea Eagle rang the hotel phone. It was pick up time.
I packed my bag, checked out, and met Paul in the lobby. He offered a handshake. “Hey, I figured you’re Harper?” Paul was this tall, over six feet, skinny, red-headed, freckled guy in his mid-twenties.
I shook his hand; he had a firm grip. “Yes, that’s me.”
“I’m Paul, the assistant skipper. We just docked a few hours ago. I hope you’re ready for a tour of the Sea Eagle,” Paul said in his distinct Kiwi accent.
“I sure am.”
He helped load my luggage into the back of the taxi. The ride was twenty minutes. And once we got to the marina, I saw the luxury yacht, Sea Eagle. It was over 220-feet long. Paul helped roll one of my pieces of luggage onto the ramp, and I followed him. Once on board, I felt the boat sway a bit.
The crew members greeted us. There was a tall, mocha-skinned man with salt and pepper hair and a beard. He was not as tall as Paul, around five foot nine, but he looked like a man of important stature. I could instantly tell he was the captain, just based on his stance. To his right was a tall, skinny girl with a very long nose, and an Asian girl stood next to her.
Paul introduced me to the crew. As I had suspected, the man was the captain.
“I am Captain Yousef.” He had greenish-bluish eyes. He was probably Middle Eastern. “Welcome to the Sea Eagle.” His smile was pleasant, and he had a very strong handshake.
The tall, dark-haired lady looked Eastern European and introduced herself as Zofia. She was the stewardess. Next to her was the Asian girl with straight, black hair.
“I’m your sous-chef, Kathleen. Welcome aboard.”
“I’m Harper, I’m the chef from Georgia.”
“I hope you enjoy your stay with us for the next few months,” the captain said. “Zofia and Kathleen will help you get situated in the boat. By tomorrow, we will sail for St. Lucia, pick up our guests, then come back here. You’ll be joining us for lunch later.”
“Thanks, Captain.”
“Rest up, and I will see you later.”
