Page 1 of All for the Beast

ONE

KATY

Katy Jacobson couldn’t wait to go on a sweet little vacation. She had been working at her job as a cruise director on the Caribbean nonstop for three months, and she had nearly forgotten how the steady ground felt under her feet. She stepped off the dinghy onto the dock, pressing her flip-flops hard into the wood. She breathed in deeply, sighed her breath out, and began her voyage home.

Well, it wasn’t her permanent home. Katy and her crew often have luxury hotels to live in while the cruise ship they work on was being cleaned, maintained, and prepped for the next set of clients traveling across the shiny seas of the Caribbean.

The career had somewhat fallen into her lap rather than being one she had pursued. Because of her organizational and leadership skills, she quickly moved up the ranks from simple housekeeper to director in the matter of a year, progress that was nearly unheard of in this industry.

The experience had been dazzling, and despite her skills and professionalism, Katy worried that her interest in her job had begun to go stale. The customers were privileged, rude, and entitled, and even though she had originally been able to shrug it all off, it was starting to get to her, the way a sea urchin locks on to its prey until it slowly drowns.

She wanted to get out before she drowned herself.

She walked along the sturdy dock of the place that would be home for a few weeks until she was called back to start training her new employees. She adjusted her sun hat and slipped on a pair of sunglasses so she wouldn’t have to regard anyone for the time being. Of course, until she met up with her parents later.

Katy was born into a family that placed status on the highest level of the hierarchy when it came to their value. Status meant how they appeared to the outside world, which included their position in their careers, their marital identity, and the perceived importance of their actions.

She’d never adhered to any of that elitist drivel and had taken off on her own at a young age to travel and explore the world. That was how she found herself on a cruise ship, taking in the sights, making friends, and exploring various lovers along the way.

Her parents didn’t approve of her lifestyle, and she knew that without a doubt. But she did everything she could to not let it get to her as she moved around the world, seeking meaning in her experiences and not letting her status give too much weight to her value.

It crept in, of course, as subconscious beliefs often do. She had started to feel her job was losing meaning as the customers grew worse, her coworkers became disenchanted, and her ability to let go of little squabbles tanked to an all-time low.

So taking a break, even for only two to three weeks, was a good idea. She hoped she could chase after her desires once more and find a way to revive the passion for her work that had nearly been snuffed out.

Because her parents were wealthy, they were able to travel wherever and whenever they wanted. And they owned various properties all around the globe. They had flown out to visit her, likely to once more attempt to convince her of the same things she had been lectured on, like a broken record, for the entire thirty years of her life.

They ate at a restaurant serving local cuisine, a set of selections that Katy had grown used to during her three months exploring the Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and South America. Despite her parents' experience in many countries, they did not take to the different foods.

“I thought they had something simpler for the tourists,” her mother, Tanya, said.

“I would have thought so too, honey,” her father, Reggie, said.

Katy let out an irritated sigh as she happily ate her cou-cou and flying fish. They both looked at her sternly like she was twelve rather than thirty.

“So, how is the job going, sweetheart?” Reggie asked.

“It’s going,” she said, slipping the delicious dish into her mouth. “I’m not nuts about it lately, though, so I’m going to use this time to give myself a good think.”

Her parents looked at each other like they were both in on some inside joke. Her parents were older, good-looking people, but their faces grew dark and mischievous like that of a horror movie clown when she barely approached the topic of changing careers.

“What were you thinking of then, darling?” Tanya asked.

Katy shrugged, a gesture she knew would irritate them.

“I don’t know yet,” she said. “This position was fun at first, but now I think I want something different. A whole new adventure, you know?”

Her mother pursued her lips, a sign of utter disapproval.

“When on earth are you going to settle down?” she said, eyes shining with her guilt-tripping intention. “Find a nice man, pop out some babies?”

Katy nearly gave herself a splitting headache trying not to roll her eyes. She knew that the question was coming, and she resented it as she always had. She was an only child, which brought all of their attention and endless questions to her.

She would have never admitted it to them, but the idea had become more and more appealing as she grew older. She experienced a fair number of romantic dalliances with men and women, but none of them had ever grown serious enough to commit to.

Katy stirred the fish around on her plate, praying for the server to come by so she could order another Jack and Coke.

“I don’t know about that either, Mom,” she muttered. “I am still waiting for the right person to show up.”

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