Page 141 of Love Overboard
“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 dosomething. “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?”
I stopped, blinking rapidly, sure I’d misheard her. “Now?”
“It’s a perfect moment. Things are kind of blowing up and we’d like to capture the raw thoughts going on inside your head at the moment.”
I stared at them.
“Are you out of your mind?” I shoved past her, noticing some commotion on the deck behind her.
“Just one question.”
“I said no.”
The sliding glass doors slid open for me to join the guests on deck — right as another scream rang out.
“Fuck! My ankle!”
The commotion I’d been witnessing from inside was Benny and Jacob nearly fighting. Apparently, one of our camera operators had tried to intervene before things got too serious.
And paid the price for it.
Luke was sprawled on the deck now, clutching his ankle and grimacing at the sight of the expensive camera gear he’d lost control of in the process of the fall. Brittany gave up hassling me and focused on making sure the equipment was okay while Eli grabbed the first-aid kit we had yet to even have time to put away, his focus on Luke now.
“Jesus Christ,” I breathed.
Then the wind picked up again.
A heavy gust slammed through the sundeck, flipping over menus, superlative cards, half the centerpiece Bernard and I had assembled with painstaking care. Linen napkins the guests had taken out of the metal rings were whipped over the railing. I scrambled after what I could, heart pounding.
My radio crackled again.
“Interior — Finn. I figured dinner out. I need ten minutes and an extra set of hands.”
“On my way,” Leah responded, and I knew from the crack in her voice that she’d been crying.
