Page 71 of The Suite Life
‘My name is Ron, I’ll be at your service today,’ Ron tells us with a smile. ‘There are various crew members on board but it’s my job to liaise with guests, so it will be my job to make sure you have everything you need – if there is anything you want, just ask.’
As we walk on board, I stare at the superyacht before me, savouring the moment, taking it all in. The sun bounces offits polished surfaces, making it sparkle like a diamond – very appropriate, given how monstrously expensive everything looks.
Ron seems like a really accommodating guy, and I’m used to hotel staff trying to give me whatever I could possibly want, but Ron’s powers must be limited, when he’s out at sea – not that I’m planning on testing the theory. I’m on a frigging yacht! I have everything I want and need.
Ron begins by taking us on a tour of the yacht, showing off its various decks and rooms – it has more bathrooms than any house I have ever been in, it turns out. He explains that people usually hire the yacht for several days, which is why there are bedrooms on board – and not just any bedrooms, but ones that are probably bigger and have better views than the flat I used to live in with Nathan.
‘Usually, guests make the most of every amenity – and they want for nothing,’ Ron explains. ‘From the bridge deck, where you can dine al fresco, to the cosy cabins for a peaceful night’s sleep – it’s all here for your enjoyment. Seeing as though you will only be joining us for a few hours, we thought you might appreciate a nice meal – although do feel free to make use of the cabins, if you wish.’
I almost blush as I wonder what on earth short-stay guests could possibly use a cabin for, before the answer hits me like a ton of bricks. Duh, that one should have been obvious. I guess it’s been a while – it’s no wonder I’ve forgotten about the concept. I should’ve got in on that fourgie while I had the chance.
I can’t help but think about how beyond stunning this yacht is – just unreal – and now, more than ever, I really wish that I actually wastheG.G. Marsden, because I could certainly get used to this, and the more I experience, the harder it’s going to be to give it all up.
Ron leads Donnie and me up the stairs, to the bridge deck, where he says guests tend to do most of their hanging out on nicedays. I can’t control my grin as I follow him. This is perfect. So, so perfect. Everything here is like a dream come true, except…
‘Oh my God,’ I blurt out as we arrive at the top of the steps.
‘Erm…’ is all Donnie manages, laughter breaking up the word.
I take back everything about perfection because, as it turns out, there’s something that is far from ideal: the bridge deck. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, necessarily, other than the fact that the seats are already taken. Taken by my mum, dad, Lucy, Rick, Nina (who, until now, I’ve been successfully avoiding), Rick’s brother Alfie, and – of course – Nathan and Sunshine.
‘Bloody hell, Gigi,’ Lucy exclaims, jumping to her feet, rushing over to give me a big squeeze. ‘This is phenomenal, thank you. Thank you so much. Honestly, I doubt people have unmemorable weddings, but I really, truly am never going to forget how special you made this one.’
‘Your only one,’ Rick quickly adds. ‘But, yeah, Gigi, thanks a bunch. This is seriously cool.’
‘You guys made it,’ I say, as I wonder how the heck they got here.
‘We turned up at the gold bar, like you said,’ Mum explains. ‘A manager stopped us, as we didn’t have gold cards, so we told him to come and find you. The next thing we knew, he was back, telling us we were all going on a yacht!’
Ah, so that’s why the manager was hunting me down – to talk, and that’s what he meant when he asked if my party could join me. Not just Donnie, every last one of them.
Crap. I was so, so looking forward to spending some alone time with Donnie, enjoying the yacht, and soaking up some peace and quiet. With this lot here, it’s going to be anything but.
And is that… yep. The yacht’s moving, we’re off, out to sea, and there’s no turning back now.
As I look around everyone, I notice Sunshine is too busy with her camera to even realise I’m here. She’s snapping away – this must be like a content-creating gold mine for her. She hands her phone to Nathan, so that he can take some shots of her. I never thought Nathan would be the guy dutifully taking photos for someone’s social media – I mean, he used to kick off when I snapped the occasional photo of my food.
‘This is going to be an unforgettable day,’ Nathan tells Sunshine, as he snaps photos of her with the sea behind her.
‘So, is this the famous Donnie?’ Mum asks, interrupting my thoughts, which I’m grateful for. I appreciate being dragged back to the present.
‘It is,’ I reply with a smile. ‘Donnie, to formally introduce you to this yacht full of characters, that’s my mum, my dad, Lucy, who you already know, her fiancé Rick, her friend Nina, Rick’s brother Alfie, and over there, doing the impromptu photo shoot, we have Nathan, who you’ve encountered, and his girlfriend, Sunshine.’
‘Wow, okay, I think I’ve got everyone,’ Donnie says, giving the group a friendly nod. ‘Great to meet you all.’
‘It’s great to finally meet you,’ Mum says, flashing a warm smile.
‘We hear you’re saving the wedding,’ Dad adds.
‘Oh, I don’t know about that,’ Donnie says, almost shyly. ‘I’m happy to help, though.’
Sunshine drags herself away from her photo shoot and heads over to us, looking Donnie up and down.
‘Hi,’ she eventually says. ‘You are not what I was expecting.’
‘Hi,’ he replies, ignoring whatever that means. ‘Sorry, you’re… I’m terrible with names.’
‘Sunshine,’ she says, stressing each syllable.
