Page 30 of King of Guilt

“Mr. and Mrs. Allen, breakfast is ready,” Thomas—one of the crew members—politely announced.

“Great, thank you, Tom!” Emma stood up, turning to me. “I’m starving. Shall we?”

Residing to the fact that the moment was gone, I rubbed my hands against my thighs and stood, grateful for the sunshades that concealed the slight let down I was feeling. “Let’s eat.”

Along with the food, Emma’s grin gleamed when she looked at the mimosas served on the table. “Day drinking.” She nodded in evident approval. “I like it!” Picking up the glass, she took a big sip, her lips squeezed against each other as she savored the flavors. “Gee, this is good.”

“Don’t you want to have a bite first?” I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Oh, I will.” She enthusiastically picked up a club sandwich, holding it with both hands. “It also looks good.” Looking around her, she took a bite and chewed quietly for a moment. I watched her amusement with some of my own. “You know, you got some seven-star service here.”

“Yeah, well…” I shrugged, taking a bite of my omelet.

“The ladies must really like it.”

Dipping my head, I stared at her from under my sunglasses. “You’re the ladies,” I warned.

She chuckled, nodding quickly. “Yes, yes.” She then leaned in closer, whispering. “I’m just wondering why you were single before. I mean—how?”

“Just because they want to be here doesn’t mean I want them here.”

Playfully wrinkling her nose, she picked up her beverage and drank some. “I guess I should feel lucky then.”

“Do you?” I asked, seriously meaning to hear the answer. “Feel lucky?”

I couldn’t see her eyes now that the sun had struck the shiny surface of her sunglasses so brutally. The only hints I received were through the motions of her lips and the way she smiled. “Of course.”

“Why?” I pulled my seat, shifting to get closer to her. “I mean… would you want to live like this for good?”

She raised one shoulder, as if pondering my question. “Isn’t it good enough to enjoy the moment and what it brings?”

After a few seconds of silence, I asked, “Do you ever long for more?”

“This isn’t one of the basic necessities one wishes to have, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“What do you wish to have?”

Popping the last piece of her sandwich into her mouth, she struggled comically to chew what turned out to be a bite too large for her mouth. Stifling a laugh, she stood up, covering her mouth in cute embarrassment. When she was finally done, she picked up the glass and chugged down the remainder of her mimosa. “Right now? Another one of these.” She held up the empty glass. “And then a serious dip.”

“That’s insane. It’s freezing down there.”

“What about that?” She pointed at the indoor pool on the yacht. “You can’t convince me that that isn’t heated.”

“Ah.” I nodded, pouring her a drink as she towered over me, blocking the sun. “Go ahead. I’ll finish eating this.”

Shrugging, she took her drink and headed toward the glass enclosure. “I’ll be waiting for you, mister!”

While I sat outside, I watched her take off her coat inside, tossing it on the sofa before dipping her legs into the pool. Even though I continued to chew my food, I did it half-mindedly, observing how she closed her eyes, threw back her head, and descended to float on the water. The pool was illuminated from below, giving her an ethereal glow as she laid on the blue surface, bobbing ever so softly.

It wasn’t long before I realized that I had been completely consumed to notice that I’d finished my food—and two drinks—, fully engrossed in that serene scene of Emma swimming alone. Through the glass, she looked like a creature from another time and place.

Finally, I decided to join her. As I stood up, I took two fresh glasses with cool refills and stepped inside, barefoot, feeling my weight dance against the waxed wood with the soles of my feet.

“How’d you like it so far?”

She laughed, running her hands back, smoothing her hair. “Are you kidding? I never thought I could do this in February!”

“Well, you’re welcome to do this any time you want.” I took off my shirt and pants, leaving nothing on but my swim trunks. As I descended slowly down the stairs, I watched her observe me. Her eyes were bright and her face wet, droplets of water shining on her lips, rendering them redder and more tempting than ever.

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