Page 134 of Love Overboard
It seemed impossible to stay afloat, and yet we were. We would. Together.
So, I kissed him with the cameras watching and the whole world judging.
And I buckled in for what I didn’t know would be the wildest charter of my life.
CHARTER CONFESSIONAL
CLOSE QUARTERS
SEASON 4, EPISODE 12
IN-BETWEEN CHARTERS 7 AND 8
PALMER HUGHES: BOSUN
PRODUCER
Well, this morning was… something. How are you feeling after the madness?
Palmer blows out a breath.
PALMER
Nervous. We’ve got a high-profile group of guests coming aboard and everyone is at each other’s throats. Hard to work together as a crew when every ounce of trust has been obliterated.
PRODUCER
So, what’s your game plan to make it through the charter?
PALMER
Keep my focus on the deck team and making sure they’re successful — but that soundseasier than it will be. Eli’s feeling foolish after that shit with Ember. Cameron is sick over Leah shutting him out. Gisella is…
Palmer swallows.
PALMER
No one is at their best right now. My job is to make sure the guests can’t tell. We need a perfect departure, a smooth anchoring, water toys galore, and a clean, safe deck. If we can pull that off, it’ll feel like a normal charter to the ones holding our tip.
PRODUCER
And interior?
Palmer shrugs.
PALMER
Not my problem.
The dockside breeze carried the scent of sunscreen and saltwater, the sun peeking out between puffy white clouds on what should have been a perfect day. It was warm but not too hot, the water was smooth, the wind pleasant without being enough to make it an uncomfortable cruise.
I felt like a zombie.
I stood with my tray of Veuve, white blouse crisp and smile polished within an inch of its life, as the latest guests boardedSinking Sun. They called themselves “The Successful Six” — a self-proclaimed name I’d only learned a few hours ago, thanks to the four-page preference sheet that read more like aForbesfeature and less like a hospitality request.
The tension had been thick at the table in the crew mess as Captain Gary read over everything, not a smile in sight. Palmer wouldn’t look at either Finn or me, content to talk to Captain like we didn’t exist. Finn and I chose to stay quiet for most of the meeting, chiming in only when necessary to give our opinion on something with service or food.
Itseemedlike a straightforward charter — a group of old friends reuniting for a vacation with very little demands. There were a couple of food allergies, nothing Finn couldn’t handle, and their one interior request was to have a “high school reunion” themed dinner and party where they got to give out superlatives to one another.
