Take a Chance on Me (4 page)

‘I thought that was men.'

‘Nope – no time for men, unless they're rich!' Sadie giggled.

Mac didn't.

Out of nowhere the Captain's head suddenly reappeared. ‘Mac, can I have a word?' he said, making Sadie jump slightly.

‘Can't it wait? I'm a bit … busy,' Mac replied.

‘Best if it's now,' the Captain said, and he disappeared inside again with a ‘
harrumph
'.

Mac hesitated, turned to go, then turned back and touched Sadie's arm.

‘Stay here a sec, will you?' he asked. ‘I have a question for you.'

‘Er … okay,' Sadie replied before she had time to think about it.

‘In fact, come up and make yourself comfy on the lounger over there – but take off your shoes before you board.'

‘You're kidding me, right?'

‘No, it's protocol. If you're going to be a rich yacht owner you'd better get used to it!' And he disappeared up the gangplank and inside.

Sadie was left standing there, fighting a losing battle with her conscience. A feeling of foreboding was being beaten by a buoyant thrill of flirtation. She rubbed her chest. It was filled with palpitations again, as she forced herself to think of tomorrow's make-or-break presentation and a boardroom full of grown-ups. One deep breath later, she was clutching her shoes and walking slowly up the gangplank, holding tightly onto the rail.

What am I doing?

The young Sadie wouldn't have hesitated to let off steam with a very wild night out, but the older Sadie had packed her away years ago. Along with the short skirts and crop tops, and the belly button piercing she'd never quite managed to re-insert after the instructor at Center Parcs wouldn't let her abseil unless she took it out. Years ago.

I'm not that person any more.

I don't belong here.

She shook her head and turned to leave, but just then Mac reappeared at the door. He was smiling but appeared to have been duly reprimanded, and was called back to the doorway briefly by the Captain, who muttered something under his breath then hovered a while before shaking his head and turning away. Mac rolled his eyes and skipped back over.

‘Sorry about that. Where were we?' he said.

‘About to say goodbye, I'm afraid. Good luck with your power-yacht.'

‘Superyacht.'

‘Is that really a thing?'

‘Yes, it's really a “thing”.'

‘Well, that then. Now I've really got to go.' She stood up and went to put her shoes back on.

‘Oh – not on here,' he said, reaching out an arm and stopping her. ‘The Captain will kill you if you make any marks on his precious deck that I've spent the last hour scrubbing.'

Sadie paused with her high heel half on, half off and the whole world went into slow motion. To her utter dismay, her leg went one way and her heel went the other. She swayed unsteadily, nearly toppled over the side, and then lurched straight forward – right into his open arms.

Her precious designer bag, however, made a bid for freedom. It swung loose, and before she could react, it was in the air, over the railings and down the side of the hull, making a small plop as it fell into the sea, yards below.

‘Oh my God! It's sinking, it's sinking!' she cried, making a bid for the edge.

‘Hold on, Trouble!' He pulled her back.

‘My life's in that bag!'

‘Well, we'd better get it back then, hadn't we? Allow me.' In one smooth movement, he launched himself over the side. Sadie was speechless. She felt her knees going weak, and stumbled further along, trying to get a better view. She squinted her eyes, breathed deeply, and waited for him to reappear.
Please God let him bring it back.

Her mind went into overdrive, playing out various ‘no mobile' scenarios, and struggled to even remember her home number. The seconds ticked by and Sadie looked up and down, left and right. Shoeless, on the deck of a multi-million pound yacht, everything suddenly felt terribly, terribly wrong. She should have left earlier, while the going was good. Before the doofus inside her came out to play.

Why is it always me?

Moments later there was a tap on her foot and a massive squelch. There, by her feet in all its waterlogged glory, was her best posh bag.

Or, more accurately, her only posh bag.

It didn't matter that it had been half price in the sale, it was her pride and joy – a combined gift from her mum, sister, and two daughters for Christmas and Mothers' Day all rolled into one.

Thank goodness it wasn't leather.

Two hundred pounds worth of Lulu Guinness bright red designer vinyl was unique enough with its cameo queen's head on one side. Now the PVC queen had a green seaweedy beard. Sadie watched in a daze as her gallant hero hauled himself up onto the deck, cascades of water running in rivulets over his shoulders, past his neck chain, down his chest and across his washboard stomach before cascading down the little shorts and over his bronzed thighs. He raised his arms above his head and pushed his hair back from his eyes.

He's a Chippendale, he's actually a Chippendale,
thought Sadie, transfixed.

Then he bent down and gallantly pulled off the slimy plant, tilted the bag and grinned as a dribble of the Mediterranean came out through the zip onto the deck. Then he handed it back.

‘Thank you,' she croaked, looking up at him standing there, dripping but triumphant.

He bowed. ‘It was my pleasure, m'lady, to rescue your life for you.'

She beamed. ‘You've no idea how long I've waited for someone to say that.' Then she surprised them both by throwing her arms around his still wet neck and kissing him on the cheek.

‘Mmmmwah! That was to say
thank you
,' she said, unsteadily. But instead of letting her pull away, he slid his arm around her waist, and drew her towards him, till his lips were almost touching hers.

She gasped.

‘And this is to say
you're welcome
,' he said. Then he bent towards her, but at the last minute planted a lingering kiss on her cheek, just grazing the very tip of her mouth. Sadie's most sensitive bit. Her knees buckled slightly under the powerful jolts of desire darting around her body. When it ended and he brushed against her lips again as he pulled back slightly, she didn't back away.

Standing there virtually nose-to-nose, she felt her heart pounding and knew she should leave, but his mouth was mesmerising her – his full mouth – the mouth that had just almost kissed hers. The zing was still coursing through her traitorous body.
More, more.
He stood his ground, looking deep into her eyes, so close she could almost taste him. She certainly wanted to.

For the longest moment, they were motionless, her arms around his neck, his arms around her waist. He was dripping wet and half-naked and this felt good.

The temptation to feel those lips again was overpowering. But she was not the sort of girl to start something she knew she couldn't finish. So with a sigh she stepped away.

‘Long time since I've been given a thank you like that,' he said.

‘Long time since I've needed to give one,' she replied, and felt her cheeks flush.

He looked thoughtful. ‘Actually, I was thinking there's another way you could thank me.' He suddenly seemed almost bashful. ‘I meant to ask … Why don't you meet me ashore this evening? If you're free? It's my last night here – the
Nomad
sets sail tomorrow.'

‘Oh, the old “one night of pleasure”' ploy,' Sadie said, trying to play it cool. If he couldn't hear her heart before, he must surely be able to now.

He just smiled back, and raised his eyebrows. An air of vulnerability had washed over him, waiting for her verdict.
How endearing.

‘I, em …' Sensible Sadie was tugging at her conscience –
refuse, young lady. Get out of here.
But Fun Sadie was winning the battle. Right now she should be heading back to a computer file full of facts and figures, budgets and cash flow forecasts. But she felt magnetised to the spot. The epitome of torn.

But you know every word already. Every page, every projection.

Maybe a little ‘r and r' tonight would help her get centred for tomorrow – help her go all-out to impress the investor, the top man himself. All she had to do was make him like her and want to invest in her. And who didn't like Sadie? This Mac guy certainly did – she'd felt it in his body, seen it in his eyes.

‘I'm not sure. I've got people to see—'

‘Places to go, yes I know,' he added. ‘But I'm still asking.'

A loud ‘fairy tale' alert was ringing in her ears. The thought of getting up close and personal with this sexy stranger was like her purest fantasy. But this wasn't a fantasy – it was real life. Although, come to think of it, the whole of the last month had been something of a dream … so why break the spell now? Winning a competition, jetting off to far-flung corners of the earth to pick up her prize, and beginning the helter-skelter business ride she was now clinging onto by her fingertips. So why not add a fling?
No one would know.
And if she didn't do it now, it might be months – years – before she got another chance for a no-strings encounter like this. If indeed, that was what he was offering.

‘Well?' he asked.

‘A-are you always such a quick worker?' she gasped.

‘Only with anyone in a tight navy suit and very inappropriate footwear.'

‘Even the women?'

He laughed.

‘Mac – I need you – now, please!' came the Captain's voice again.

‘With you in a sec, Cap'n. Just finishing up here.' He turned to Sadie. ‘Or have we just started?'

She smiled.

He beamed back, he genuinely glowed, and Sadie felt a thrill of awareness, a rush of adrenalin. And an overpowering urge to dance a little.

‘So you'll come?' His pleasure was so youthful, so exuberant. But romantic interludes had definitely not been on the agenda this trip.

Oh hell …
She frowned.

‘Look,' he said, ‘if you're too busy, or you don't want to, then just say. I'm a bit out of practice at all this asking out stuff. It's just that you happen to be very attractive,' to which Sadie looked down before she started blushing, ‘and fun. Plus I happen to be celebrating the end of an era, so I'd like very much for you to join me. If you'd like to. Unless you have other plans …'

‘It's not that.'

‘Or maybe you've already got someone.'

‘It's not that either …'

‘So?'

‘Well, I would
like
to meet you this evening—' she replied.

‘I sense a “but”.'

‘But, well …' She bit her tongue. Her usual response was so nearly out of her mouth
– but I have to get back to my children
. But for once, she didn't. Not for precisely twenty-two hours.

She took a deep breath.

‘
But
, it would mean interrupting my very tight itinerary and rescheduling my commitments. And as for asking my “staff” to entertain themselves at dinner tonight – they won't like it, won't like it at all.' He hung on her every word. There were no staff, nor any elaborate plans for dinner, but she was enjoying playing along. And it had been ages since she'd been out on the town. ‘
But
 … it's not impossible …'

He brightened.

‘… In fact, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take some time out from yet another packed business trip.' She waved an arm elaborately.

‘My thoughts entirely,' he said, looking like a puppy.

‘You can't imagine how tiring it can be for us international business executives.' Again with the arm, this time melodramatically draped across her forehead.

‘Oh, I can easily imagine,' he said.

‘Monaco today, London tomorrow. Hawaii before that. Busy, busy, busy!' Sadie was really getting into the role play now.

‘Hawaii? Really?' he asked. ‘We were in Hawaii too, last month.'

‘You sure you're not stalking me, in your “power” yacht?'

‘Ha-ha! No, just some charity work, and it's a
superyacht
, remember?' he said as he reached up and fiddled with his chain – a gold and silver St Christopher, she noticed.
He wasn't nervous, surely?
If he was, it made him all the more endearing. ‘And anyway,' he said, changing the subject, ‘you stumbled on
my
deck, remember?'

‘Literally.'

‘So? What do you say?'

‘So …'

‘You're milking this a bit, you know that don't you.'

‘So …' she teased, putting her finger on her lips, thinking. ‘So – one word of warning. At the stroke of midnight I turn into a pumpkin, so I can't stay late.'

‘Fine by me, I've got an early start too. And anyway,' he said, looking knowingly into her eyes, ‘I quite like pumpkin.'

‘I mean it! And it's one night only, right? I mean don't make
too
many “plans”, eh?' She raised an eyebrow at him.

‘Well, Mrs Businesswoman, you'll be pleased to know I gave up making those sorts of “plans” a long time ago – specially not with someone I've just met.'

‘Makes two of us,' she replied.

‘Kindred spirits then,' he said. ‘Perfect. Great minds think alike. Or …'

‘ … fools seldom differ!' they chorused together.

Sadie laughed aloud and it made him chuckle too.

‘So, sevenish okay? Shall I pick you up?' he asked.

‘No. Let's meet wherever we are going.'
Best not to let him know which hotel I'm in just in case he turns out to be a weirdo.

‘Okay, how about the Buddha Bar up in Monte Carlo. Do you know it?' he asked.

‘Yes,' she said, recalling the handful of leaflets she'd taken from the cab that dropped her off at this jetty.
Fate and destiny
.