Finley rolls out of bed and slams into the floor. The room on the boat is spinning but the boat should be stationary. Well, as stationary as it could be. He's not sure if it's a windy day and Ophelia's Violet is rocking back and forth on the waves. He peels his eyes open to check his watch and then rubs his face. The light from the porthole is too bright. It's already the afternoon, and he's got plans with August to get haircuts.

The rest of the yacht has roused before him. There is brunch still leftover in the crew's quarters, at the table where the deck crew eats while the stewards serve the guests upstairs. Finn grabs a piece of toasts and bites it. It's butter, salty, but also soggy. He manages to swallow it down his dry mouth.

"Look who's finally up," Vic pats his shoulder as she moves past him, toward her quarters. Her sunglasses hide the light in her eyes, but that is typically of Vic after any night on the town.

"Is August still here?" he shouts after her.

"Yessir!"

She dips up a few steps toward the quarters she shares with Captain Shelly. Though today was a day off, Vic has decided she'd rather do upkeep today in the bowels of this beast than wander the sunny streets of Dhermi. She darts through the hallway and stops when she hears something.

There's a hum. High-pitched, and unmistakably there. It's coming from inside her room. For a second, she thinks Captain Shelly must have returned, and now she hums a song. It's three tones repeating, rhythmic but regular and steady. Shelly isn't on the boat anyway.

Vic knocks on the door and the sound stops. She opens it and peers up onto Shelly's bunk, and then around into the bathroom. Though she goes around the room, checks to see if her phone was on vibrate, and even steps back into the hallway, she doesn't hear find the source.

~~~

As Joy skips down the beach, she hums. Her headphones cover her ears, already sweaty, but earbuds just don't have the same quality. She'd rather be on the streets exploring, but she wanted to wait for August. Besides, skipping on cobblestone is impossible. She's tried.

The waves lick the shore, gentle and soft. She pulls off her headphones and stares out at the water. The sky is high overhead, and it's difficult to tell which way is north. Of course, the sea is to their west. Joy is used to acting as compass for Finn, since he has a bad habit of looking up at the sun directly.

Down, probably a mile away, Ophelia's Violet sits in the harbour. Sometimes, Joy misses the small boats her father took on the lake where she used to live. She's used to sticky Georgia heat, and has grown accustomed to bigger yachts, but she approaches the edge of the shore. This isn't the same water.

It's harder to make herself smile after the thought crosses her head, but she does anyway.

~~~

August isn't supposed to be working today, but his bitten his nails down to stubs He's checked over the inflatable slide for any extra holes and made sure all of the jetskis are refilled. He even double checked the tender to make sure all of the life jackets are there. Then, when that was done, he started on the laundry. Now, he paces the aft deck, holding a tray aloft. The sun glints through the glass. His hands are shaking.

"Auggie, hey," Finn snatches the tray and puts it down.

August folds. He falls in on himself, curling his head down to his knees and then barely keeps himself upright. Finn sits down opposite him. August tries not to breathe.

As much as he typically jokes, now Finn is quiet. August takes in a breath, and then one more.

"S-s-sorry," he manages. "I've just... it's just... I can't do, well I-I..."

"I know," Finn sighs. He crosses his legs. "But it'll be the one charter. If you're going to be flirted with all charter, we should get your haircut. But only if you're up for it."

August laughs, one solitary release. Then, he nods his head, "let's go."

~~~

"I could sit here all day," Edwin kicks up a foot on the chair beside Audenzia.

She nudges his knee with her foot, forcing down his legs. Edwin grumbles as he sits up properly.

Ethan joins them, sitting down with three tall glasses. He grabs his and drinks the sweet red liquid from the straw. It's syrupy, sweet and nice.

"So, what's the plan," he looks over at Auden.

She puts down her fan and flicks down her sunglasses, "what do you mean?"

"Well, I like August enough, but he's not..." Ethan straightens his back. "Look, Auden. I'm a steward. I want to be your second steward."

Audenzia laughs, "darling, I know."

"Shelly's gone mad with power," Edwin says. "Like, I'm a good boss, you know? Shelly could learn a thing or two from me."

"Like how to snap when the preference sheet says no nuts."

"A water chestnut is not a nut," Edwin snaps. "They asked for Thai food. You know how much Chinese food has nuts? Why the fuck do you even want Thai food on a cruise in Greece? Fucking barbaric."

Audenzia doesn't smile. She lowers her sunglasses just a bit so she can look at Ethan behind the rims of her glasses.

"I'm not worried," she says. "August is going to do something and it'll fuck up our tip. Shelly's not going to fire anyone because she doesn't have a back bone. You'll be back to us before the charter is even over."

Audenzia leans closer and pats Ethan's hand. He sighs and takes another sip of his cold drink.

Then, Edwin furrows his brow, "where's Audrey?"

"She's taking a call," Ethan shrugs.

Audenzia laughs, "Edwin, hide your crush. She's out of your league. And your eyeline."

"You're both full of shit," Edwin doesn't smile while the others giggle.

~~~

Audrey Wilson doesn't know how to leave a message. She clutches the number in her hand. The third dial tone has passed, and now the fourth. Before it reaches the fifth, she hangs up. No voicemail. He'll have to call her back.

Instead, she calls home.

"Hey, Marlene!" the voice on the other line crackles. Data is cheaper here, but the connection is still shit. It would have been better Corfu.

Audrey Wilson flips the camera around, showing her old roommate the city.

"Wow! Where are you?"

"Dhermi?" Audrey Wilson turns the camera back to her face. "To be honest, I've lost track. We're stopping here just for the day, and then we are heading to Montenegro. But Adriana, you'd love it."

"Jealous," Adraina huffs. "Your replacement is definitely less fancy. I had to ask her to wash her big ass pot. Again."

Audrey Wilson sighs, "could be worse. You could be sharing a bunk with your boss. But get this, they promoted me!"

"Already?" Adriana practically squeals. "Wait, they aren't going to do a background check, are they?"

Audrey Wilson rolls her eyes, "trust me, it's all smooth sailing from here."

~~~

"Thanks," Devon tries not to jostle the cake as he reaches his hand toward his wallet.

Lina takes the cake from him and holds in between her hands. The rest of the sweets are on the counter, mostly baklava. She misses it from her childhood, the nearly peppery taste of cardamom, the oil glossing her fingers. Even from here she can see it's stickiness, the wetness of the Albanian variation. It must be cooked in butter like the Greeks make. She tries not to shudder.

After he pays with his business card, Devon stacks the baklava and assorted other treats onto his arms. The woman behind the counter smiles at him.

Lina feels her stomach tighten.

"It's only a few minutes back," Devon says. "Think you can manage it quickly?"

She nods.

As far as he has observed, Lina doesn't talk much. It suits him fine. Devon rarely speaks, but every time he does, he always says too much. His mind spins, circling what he said to Ethan last night, like a whirlpool, like a drain. Did he hear him and spare his ego by pretending he hadn't? Was he asking for clarification? Is Devon truly free of what he said?

"Do you..." Lina swallows. "Do you want to go swimming this afternoon? It's warm out."

It really isn't. Well, not for Lina. Summer is only just winding into view, and Lina is hypervigilant for all things that might sneak closer. In Jordan, the temperatures climb higher than the mast of any sailboat, tower higher than any mountain she has seen. As much as she knows about her home, she hopes to know as much about Devon. And he likes to swim.

"Yeah," Devon smiles at her. "Sounds like a plan."

~~~

There are no museums in Dhermi to Bellamy's taste. There are rarely opportunities to do things he enjoys. Bellamy burns at night under neon lights. He burns when the moon is bright, reflecting the hidden sun back to him. Someone needed to be on duty in the bridge, and Shelly went into town. Bellamy volunteered.

Mostly to fiddle with the electronic system.

None of the monitors or sensors in the bridge indicate what the problem is. Vic isn't answering his texts, begging her to come take over for him. He just needs to tap and fiddle with a few things.

It doesn't make sense. There is no reason he could ever be wrong, just as there is no reason the captain and owner of a vessel would let it sail if it weren't sea ready. Whatever she would lose by not operating this charter season would be dwarfed by the costs if the yacht were to fail.

There is only one thing Bellamy notes to report to Shelly. The compass is off from north by one degree. It's not uncommon, likely there is a powerline or an otherwise large electrical or magnetic signal pulling it in. Still, it is something a little strange.

~~~~~

Whoop there it is. Now, I know. It's nothing spectacular. But I am busy let me tell you. And also, the next few chapters are going to be a bit, crazy. So, fair warning.

I'll see you soon!