Page 9 of The Butler

“There was a fucking bar?”

That had herrolling-on-the-floorlaughing. “It’s really something isn’t it?”

“Seriously, Starr. There’s a bar there?” I asked. I noticed First OfficerJuicywalk by through the window. He was in his whites and looked like the centerfold ofSailingmagazine.

“I’ll show you in a sec.” She saw me watching Jake through the window. “Don’t,” she warned.

“What?” I asked, returning my eyes to hers.

“Don’t fuck this up, Dek. I’m way the fuck out on a limb with you as butler, so behave. And that includes First OfficerFuckable!”

“You noticed too, huh?” I asked.

“How could you not? My pussy trembles whenever he walks by.”

“Mine too,” I agreed.

CHAPTER EIGHT: Lincoln

“That sounded pleasant, Bob. I suppose his manager received the news?” I asked. My stomach lurched as the helicopter swooped up and accelerated. I rubbed my hand across my stomach, trying to keep lunch down.

The pilot’s voice came over the com, sounding like a mixture of static and hissing sounds. “Sorry, Mr. Carrington. There’s a lot of traffic this afternoon, sir.” He must have sensed my discomfort. “After this it’ll be smooth flying to Action, sir. ETA is fifteen minutes.”

Bob looked like he might hurl as well. “I hate these fucking things,” he said. I watched as he gripped the leather strap hanging from the copter’s ceiling a bit tighter.

“What did Mann’s representative say about me dropping him?” I asked, getting back to the call I overheard between them and him. The Pacific appeared quite calm below as we left Cabo and flew over water. “They going to try and sue me?” I asked.

“They know their client hadn’t signed your earlier extension offer, so it’s your right to withdraw the offer.”

“And?” I asked, pushing for more details. “You seem disappointed by my call.”

“I’m disappointed that it seems like your smaller head is making the important decisions these days.” Bob opened his briefcase and grabbed a small roll of Rolaids. He quickly chewed two of the little tablets and leaned his head back. “This is business, Linc. What you’re doing is personal.”

“I made that asshole and then he comes on my yacht and breaks up my relationship!” I said. “Have a sense of decorum, for Christ’s sake.” I stared at the water below. It was getting harder to see due to the water in my eyes. Bob was correct. It had been personal. I loved Troy with everything I had in me.

Bob’s cell phone buzzed, and he raised his hand to let me know he had to take the call. “Hello, Starr,” he said. He dug through his briefcase again for more antacid. “Mmm hmm. Yes, I got the email.” I heard the voice of Starr, the yacht manager, on the other end. Starr was named correctly. She was definitely a star in my eyes. “No, I did not inform him yet. My bad. I’ll do it now before we land.” More muffled talking on the other end. “We are less than fifteen minutes away. Make sure the newbie is in the receiving line. We may as well get it out of the way first.” Bob clicked off.

“What did you forget to tell me?” I asked. I wondered if I had become too much of a crank lately, considering my best friend was hiding bad news from me these days. “I’m not a fucking child, Bob.”

“It was nothing big. Starr had asked me to tell you that I had approved a new butler for you on the boat. That’s all. No biggie.”

“Why do I need a new butler?” I asked, beginning to think that everyone was poaching either my lover or my staff. “What happened to David?”

“David was stealing from you. I canned his ass last week.”

“Great! Like I need more shit on my plate. Why the fuck not!” I bitched. “No boyfriend. And now a new butler that won’t understand my needs? I could have had Paul accompany me if you’d given me a heads-up. What’s next, Bob? You resigning?”

“What and give up working with Mr. Charming?” he asked. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

My yacht was coming into view. She was named Action because that is the first word a director says before filming begins. I liked the way it reflected my profession. It was a profession that had afforded me the ability to own such a luxurious possession. The nearly two-hundred-foot-long boat sat regally on the water. From the waterline and up, she was painted royal blue. Above the third deck, she was all white with dozens of sleek oversized windows. There was a helipad for quick delivery of guests located at the bow, as it is called, or front of the boat; a swimming pool just below that; and plenty of deck space for outdoor entertainment. The rear of the yacht, or stern, sat just above the waterline and was where guests could swim from a spacious teak deck or enjoy one of several watersport machines onboard her.

The com alerted me to a final announcement from the pilot. “Three minutes, sir. Should be a smooth touchdown as the boat is stationary.”

I tapped on the dividing glass in front of me and gave him a thumbs up. Looking below I could see the deck crew and a few other key members of the team were lined up in their whites waiting for me to land. Leave it to the captain and Starr to always make me feel special as a guest on my own boat. We hovered above the pad as the pilot adjusted to any wind before slowly setting down perfectly centered in the giant circle. Two of the deckhands approached the copter, bending slightly even though the copter blades were well above their heads.

“Welcome, sir,” Peter, the lead deckhand, said. Peter offered his hand to assist me, but it wasn’t a look that I liked to portray. I wanted to be seen as capable and strong, and having a deckhand holding my hand as I disembarked the copter didn’t send that message.

The receiving line had fifteen or so crew members looking crisp in all-white uniforms. The new first officer stood in for the captain, who was busy getting the boat ready for sailing. I’d met Jake during his interview with the captain a month earlier. He was a very sought-after officer due to his experience on the Octopus, and if he turned out to be as good as his resume read, I’d be placing him on a smaller boat I kept in the Mediterranean as its captain. Jake was tall and muscular with blond buzz cut hair and dark blue eyes. Currently his face was quite tan after taking a month-long break between jobs. It was a good thing I liked my men a bit leaner and prettier, because he was a bona fide hunk.

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