Page 61 of The Awful Truth

He yawned, then said, “I must have needed that.”

“Hmph,” was her answer. She was still too annoyed at being overruled to agree with him.

If he realized she was mad, he wasn’t about to acknowledge it. Instead, he walked over to the closet and selected a pair of shorts and a polo shirt. “Well, it’ll be too late to go fishing.” When he turned back to her, his eyes lit up. “I know! Let’s have a poker night. Black tie. Yuri can make all sorts of finger foods. That’ll be a lot more entertaining than sitting around eating and talking all evening.”

“I’m pretty sure Yuri will be well into making tonight’s dinner by now.”

“Tell him to change it. Maybe he can repurpose parts of it. Oh, but I want those sliders. It’s not a real poker night without sliders.”

He passed by her, slapping her on the ass as he headed for the en suite. “I’m gonna have a nice long shower. Be a doll and make the arrangements for this evening. And let’s get started at six o’clock. Really make a night of it.” He turned back to give her a wink. “I deserve a fun night after that long meeting all day.”

4:21 P.M.

OLIVER

“Okay, everyone, we’ve already had a lot of excitement today, and the day is far from over,” Captain Ben announced to the entire crew, who had assembled on the bridge for a quick meeting. “Mr. Taggart in the Dolphin Suite is fine, in case you’re wondering. It was a misunderstanding, and nothing more. Please don’t ask him how he is doing. He seems like the type who would not appreciate the attention.”

Oliver leaned in toward Indira and whispered, “What the hell happened?”

She shook her head, murmuring, “Tell you later.”

The captain shot them a look, then continued, his expression shifting to slight amusement. “Mr. Bishop has…finished with the vital meeting that popped up at quarter to five this morning.”

Most of the crew chuckled. He cleared his throat, then continued. “Because it’s going to be dark soon, he decided the guests will go spearfishing tomorrow, so we’ll need to prepare for that. We’re docking off the southwest shore of Cres Island tonight. We expect calm waters and good conditions again.” He glanced at Yuri. “Change of plans for supper. Mr. Bishop wants to hold a poker tournament starting at six o’clock sharp. It will be black tie, so everyone needs to change into their dress uniforms.”

Groans were heard around the bridge, and Captain Ben nodded. “I know. It’s hot out. But hopefully we’ll get an evening breeze.” He turned to Yuri. “The change of plans means finger foods instead of a four-course meal.”

“For Christ’s sake,” Yuri muttered. “I’ve been preparing dinner for three hours already. And now he just changes the plan at the last second.”

“Indira will help you,” the captain answered evenly. “Oliver, Mr. Bishop has requested that you act as the dealer.”

He nodded, too tired to bother to protest. “Where does he want us to set up?”

“He wanted the formal dining room, but since it’s quite warm in there, I’ve persuaded him to settle for the al fresco dining area instead, citing that it’ll be more impressive.” He turned to Enzo. “Please help Oliver assemble the poker table before you relieve me for the evening.” Captain Ben looked at Oliver. “What’s the status on the A/C?”

Oliver’s gut tightened at the reality of the situation. “It’s pretty much cooked. There’s a chance I can get it back on so people can sleep, but honestly, it’s pretty slim.”

“That’s not going to go over well,” Indira remarked.

“Not at all,” Yuri added.

“The best I can do is help him win at poker,” Oliver said, knowing exactly what would be expected tonight. “Hopefully that’ll keep him somewhat happy.”

“We can only do what we can,” the captain said. “And you’re right. The name of the game until this trip is over is to keep Mr. Bishop too busy and too drunk to be annoyed at the heat.”

Oliver’s response was sarcastic. “Sounds doable.”

“Sometimes miracles do happen,” Ben told him.

Oliver glanced at his watch. “Unless there is anything else, I better go set up.”

“That’s all,” the captain said.

Oliver hurried off the bridge in the direction of the storage room, with Enzo behind him. He reminded himself that it would all be over soon. Once the last guest exited the yacht, he’d have a few beers and a long hot shower to rid himself of the greasy feeling of going along with a man like Travis Bishop. Then he’d forget about whatever he was about to do to keep his dream job. He was going to help a total asshole dominate his guests for his own amusement, and Oliver knew it would get very ugly by the end of the night. But now that he really thought about it, he wouldn’t be a bit sorry to help screw over a man like Ted Dawson. He might even enjoy it.

7:00 P.M. — TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

MERCY