“I don’t mind,” Kai said brightly. She bumped Jack on the shoulder. “This one didn’t even notice me. I didn’t know whether to be insulted or impressed.”
“My attention was on the children.” Jack cleared his throat and stepped aside. “And as I was saying, I need to check on Leo and Samantha again. It’s getting late for them, so we’ll need to leave as soon as we dock.”
He hadn’t said that, but Marina could tell he was nervous.
Kai’s eyes grew wide as she watched him leave. “What was that all about?”
“Nothing,” Marina said, gazing after him. “He just made a wrong turn.” She gave a glass of champagne to Kai and turned to Len. “Are you old enough to drink?”
“I’m nineteen, but it’s against the captain’s rules.”
Marina handed him a glass of water. She lifted her glass. “Here’s to the best crew I could’ve asked for. Congratulations, we did it.” She clinked her glass against theirs and hugged her sister. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Wouldn’t have let you.” Kai grinned and sipped the champagne.
Len glanced hungrily at the food Marina had brought out. “I sure would like to try some of that.”
While Marina scooped a healthy portion onto Len’s plate, the young man told her that Anne and Charles had asked for her.
“Sounds like a curtain call to me,” Kai said.
“Might not be.” Marina thought about what might not have been to their liking. Was it the lobster pizza? That was a risky choice, she allowed. Maybe that had been too casual for their taste and station in life. After all, it was lobster. Or had she used the wrong caviar? Perhaps it was too expensive and not meant to be served like that.
And yet, she was on a yacht worth millions.
Why did Marina feel like a little girl summoned to the principal’s office? She had stepped up from home hobby cook to professional cook. Even if Marina hadn’t had Ginger’s encouragement, she knew her food was good enough to compete.
Over the years, she’d also learned about food safety, nutrition, presentation, and food cost calculations as she worked in cafes before Stan died. Marina realized she probably knew more than she gave herself credit for.
Swallowing her sense of trepidation, Marina pulled back her shoulders and marched from the galley.
As she walked onto the deck, touching chairs for balance, Anne waved to her to join them.
Marina glanced at their dinner guests, some of whom stared after her. Even in the cool breeze off the water, her face still felt warm. Thankfully, Jack wasn’t at the table.
Charles introduced her. “Here is the woman responsible for the menu and dinner this evening.”
Marina wasn’t sure of the protocol, so she simply smiled and dipped her head in acknowledgment.
“When our resident chef was called away this morning, Marina agreed to come on board and cook for us.” Charles smiled broadly. “Although our chef has never prepared anything remotely like this, I must say, we were all pleasantly surprised. Delighted, in fact. Kudos to the chef.”
As the sound of applause filled the evening air, Anne leaned over. “Could you leave your lobster pizza recipe for Chef Jean-Luc?”
“It will be my pleasure,” Marina said.
Smiling, Anne arched a brow and nodded. “Talented and smart.” She glanced at Charles. “We’ll have to let Marina and her sous-chef leave soon. We’ll meet you in the galley shortly.”
At the end of the evening, Marina was putting away supplies when she heard angry voices floating through a vent. She turned to Kai, who had also paused packing. The words sounded muffled, but they couldn’t have understood them anyway because they weren’t speaking English.
Kai raised her brow. “Is that Anne?” she asked in a hushed voice.
Len quickly looked away.
“It is, isn’t it?”
“We’re not supposed to talk about what happens on board,” Len said, biting his lip.
Kai’s lips parted as she listened. “That’s definitely Charles and Anne.”
“Do you think she’s okay?” Marina asked.
“Seems to be holding her own.” Kai tilted her head. “Are they speaking Russian?”
Len pressed a finger to his lips. “They don’t know we can hear them in here,” he said softly.
The conversation stopped as quickly as it had started, and Marina realized they had probably stepped away for a private chat.
“We’re almost through here.” Marina had a strange feeling. Many couples argued, but there was something odd about them switching to another language to do it. However, people in that financial stratosphere lived different lives, she figured. And it was none of their business.
A few minutes later, the couple appeared in the galley. Once again, Charles and Anne were smiling as if nothing had occurred. “Thank you for your efforts this evening,” Charles said, handing her a thick envelope. “It’s all there, with extra for the short notice. We appreciate your work tonight.”
Anne nodded along with Charles. “And do remember, salads after the main course next time. That aids digestion, dear.”
Still thinking about the odd way the evening ended with Charles and Anne, Marina eased her turquoise Mini Cooper into the Coral Cottage driveway. She shook off the thoughts as Kai counted the cash and squealed with delight.
“Fabulous new shoes, here I come,” Kai said.
Marina glanced at an unfamiliar car parked beside them and turned off the ignition. “Wonder who is here?”
“No one I want to see me. I feel like I fell into a vat of lobster, but it was worth it.” Kai slung her purse over her arm. “I’m calling first dibs on the tub.”
“I’ll use Ginger’s shower.” They were both exhausted after the dinner on board Princess Anne. But it was a happy exhaustion. Charles and Anne had paid them well and insisted they take several tins of beluga caviar, too, which Marina thought Ginger would like.
Marina had also passed out several cards among guests interested in catering and attending the Coral Cafe’s grand opening. Building a restaurant clientele would take time, but as long as Marina could keep expenses down and quality and service high, she was confident she could make it.
Kai stepped from the car and regarded the late-model Mercedes next to them with some degree of envy. “Whoever it is sure has good taste.”
“And the money to prove it.” Still, Marina admired the sleek silver lines. “Must be a friend of Ginger’s. They’re probably sharing a glass of wine and a few laughs.” Ginger had a wide group of friends.
“Shelly told me that actor, Rowan Zachary, tried to give Ivy an expensive sportscar for saving his life when he fell into the pool and almost drowned. She turned it down. Would you have done that?”
“I think Ivy made the right decision,” Marina said thoughtfully. She looped the bag of caviar over her arm. “Gifts like that often have strings attached. I’ve always earned my way, so I have the luxury of saying no thanks.”
Kai lingered by the car. “Sure is beautiful. But I won’t need a car in New York. And I guess that won’t be much longer. I tried to talk to Dmitri, but he now insists on keeping our original wedding date. Maybe he’s right, and I’m just getting the jitters.”