Mr. Holt

The Yacht

The next morning, I panic when I realize it's almost time for Alexander to arrive and I'm nowhere near ready. I Facetime Jenna.

"Hey girl, what's up?" she says, propping her phone up on her mirror as she's fixing her hair.

"You got my text, right?" I ask.

"Yeah. What's that about? I thought you didn't like this guy?"

"Well, I didn't. But he asked me to go on this birthday party cruise thing and I didn't really know what to say! And, I don't know, there's just something about him."

"Does that something have to do with the fact that maybe he has, um, I don't know, billions of dollars?"

I laugh. "No! It's something about the way he looks at me. He has these big puppy dog eyes, and he just has this yearning."

"Yearning?"

"Yeah. I don't know. I just sense a genuine desire in him, a yearning almost, to be loved. Like actually loved."

She picks up her phone and walks into her kitchen and brews coffee. "You don't think he's ever been in love?"

I shrug. "I'm not sure. But I just have the sense it's what he's looking for."

"So you told him yes to the birthday party?"

"Do you think I should've said no?"

She pops a few pieces of dry cereal in her mouth and says, "I didn't say that."

"Girl, you're confusing me."

"Look, the guy's a billionaire. He's probably a little messed up emotionally. He's probably been through more women than we want to know about..."

I sigh. "Yeah. I don't want to think about that."

"But... Can you even imagine what life with him would be like?"

"I can't. He did kiss me though."

"Oh. That's a change of pace from spilling coffee down the front of you."

"Girl, his lips... mmm!" I roll my eyes back and smile.

She laughs. "I wonder what the package is like," she says with a grin.

"Jenna!"

"Tell me you don't fantasize about it too!"

I laugh. "Maybe."

"I know you do. You'd be stupid not to."

"I know."

"Okay, so you're going on this yacht and you need to know what to wear."

"Pretty much."

"What will you be doing?"

I shrug. "I'm not sure. He's bringing me a ball gown."

"A ball gown?! What will you need a ball gown for?"

"No idea. Rich people," I say with an eye roll.

"Um, I would take something sexy to sleep in, you know, just in case."

"You think?"

Jenna nods. "I know."

"What's my cutest outfit?"

"Um, try that off-the-shoulder sweater with the corduroy skirt."

"Okay. I'll let you know how everything goes." I hang up the phone and go to the closet to try on the sweater and skirt. Then I throw some clothes into a bag to take with me. Only a few minutes later, someone knocks on the door.