Page 16 of Oops, I'm Having My Best Friend’s Baby!

CHAPTER 7

AMY

When Amy had heard that they would be going on a yacht, she’d thought of a yacht like a kid would draw. A boat with a triangular sail sticking up to the sky and enough room to maybe stand up on deck if they were careful. She hadn’t really been able to picture how they were all going to sleep on a boat for over a week. But it all made a lot more sense when they arrived at the wharf and were greeted with what was essentially a mini cruise ship. It was an enormous vessel, the morning sun glinting off of the spotless surface, rising three levels high and she didn’t even know how many feet long, with no cartoonish sail to propel them forward but a powerful engine instead.

“This makes a lot more sense,” Amy said, squinting through her sunglasses at the behemoth before them.

“What did you think we were going to be on?” Kai asked, sounding confused, bless him. Amy had to remember that this ridiculous sort of luxury was normal for him now.

“Like a boat,” she said, already embarrassed at herself for what she had imagined. “But normal-sized.”

Kai grinned and shrugged, taking Amy’s duffel bag from her shoulder before she could protest. “It’s Jason’s pride and joy. I’ve probably seen more pictures of this boat than I have when most people show off their kids.”

“To be fair, I guess a lot of kids don’t cost as much as that boat.”

“Amy…” Kai said, giving her a look while also trying not to laugh.

“What? They don’t.”

“Hi!”

Their discussion of what was appropriate to say out loud was promptly over, both of them looking up to see a woman, maybe in her late twenties, walking down the gangplank to meet them. She was, quite frankly, one of the most beautiful women that Amy had ever seen outside of a magazine. She had a delicate tan across her skin and waist-length golden waves of hair. She was wearing a flowing, sheer white dress thrown artfully over a bikini and sandals on her feet as she smiled and waved to them both.

“Hi, Jess,” Kai said with a smile. “Nice to see you again.”

“Oh, my God,” Jess said with what seemed like genuine enthusiasm. “It’s so great to see you! It’s going to be so much fun having you two hang out with us.” She hugged Kai and then turned her attention to Amy, her bright smile nearly blinding her.

Amy felt herself cowering in front of this literal goddess of a woman, trying to think of something to say. Luckily, Jess was the proactive sort and took the decision-making out of Amy’s hands. She swept forward and gave her a hug just like she had given to Kai, as if they’d known each other for years.

“It’s so good to meet you. Kai’s been so rude and not told us a thing about you or the engagement or anything. So we’re going to have so much to talk about. Jason is just talking with the captain and the chef, so why don’t you come on board.”

Without further ado, she spun around and started gracefully ascending the ramp back onto the boat deck, Kai and Amy tagging along behind.

“There’s an actual captain?” Amy asked Kai, voice low so that she didn’t sound like a literal peasant. “And a chef?”

“Well, yeah,” Kai said, looking very amused. “Someone has to actually drive the boat. There’s a chef and waitstaff as well. I’m sure they’d give you a full tour of the galley, if you wanted, and show off all the fancy chef knives I know you like. Tell you about the menu for the week?”

That actually did sound pretty cool, Amy had to admit, but the rest of that train of thought escaped her when they made it on deck and she got to look around properly, leaving her wondering what exactly she had signed up for. There was a pool… on a boat. And a jacuzzi… on a boat. There were deckchairs and a dining table as well, all of it spotless and shining in the sun.

A tanned young man with the build of a lifeguard from an eighties movie welcomed them on board and took their luggage, disappearing faster than Amy thought possible for someone with that many muscles.

“Stop ogling the staff,” Kai teased, poking her in the ribs.

Amy gave him a dry look and said with no inflection whatsoever, “You know I’ve only got eyes for you, babe.”

“See, that’s the spirit,” Kai said, slinging an arm over her shoulders and squeezing her tight. “But honestly, though, I need to know what that guy’s gym routine is.”

“Maybe he could give you a rundown while I’m pestering the poor chef?” Amy said with a smirk.

“See, I knew you would have fun here.”

Amy was still on the fence about that. She’d never begrudged Kai’s success, but the reason she’d banned him from spending any money on her was because it all made her uncomfortable. Right now she felt out of place, like being abducted by very stylish, polite aliens. Then a man appeared from the interior of the yacht, his teeth almost as white as Jess’s.

“Jess said you’d arrived!”

Well, that just had to be Jason. He was wearing cargo shorts and a white linen top, sunglasses perched on his nose, looking just as much like he was from a magazine as Jess did, in an effortless, magical sort of way.

“Welcome aboard, man!” he said, pulling Kai in for one of those handshake-turned-back-slapping hugs guys did to each other before turning to Amy.

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