7. Brett

7

brETT

S ince I had no personal life—aside from babysitting a bird and watching over someone else’s dream house—I decided to spend the day somewhere I never thought I’d be: Leonard Worthington’s private yacht.

Much to my surprise, he had invited me and Claire to join him for a day of fun in the sun. Although, he hadn’t phrased it that way in the handwritten invite he’d taped to my front door.

Captain Leonard requests your presence for a most extravagant voyage on the high seas tomorrow at 1 p.m. sharp! Feel free to bring a friend—or an enemy for extra spice. No need for RSVPs. If you’re not here, I’ll assume you’ve been consumed by a sea monster.

P.S. The boat has snacks, a full bar, and magic.

How could I resist?

I’d immediately called Claire to invite her. I promised we could spend the afternoon ignoring Leonard and enjoying the view.

Besides, how often did I get to hit the water on a private yacht?

I’ll bet Luke rides yachts all the time. I’ll bet he takes a fucking yacht to work!

I had no idea where that thought had come from. Evidently, I couldn’t get Luke off my mind.

So, I tried to focus on my surroundings.

Marina del Rey was a bustling sanctuary, perfectly positioned for tranquility along the Malibu coastline. Swaying palm trees and beautiful flowers surrounded the marina, lending themselves to the ambiance. Wooden docks extended out over the water, where extravagant yachts and colorful sailboats bobbed up and down. My senses were overwhelmed as the air filled with ocean mist and the sounds of seagulls permeated the area.

The atmosphere was lively and upbeat with well-heeled people—some dressed casually, some dressed for formal events—walking along to the various vessels matching each passenger’s attire.

“Hard to imagine Leonard Worthington in a place like this,” Claire scoffed as we walked. “But I guess he has the money for it, after all. Now we just need to figure out which boat is his. Did he mention on the invite?”

I shook my head. “Claire, the invitation was hand-written on an old receipt and duct taped to my front door.”

I pulled it out and showed it to her. Her eyes widened when she saw Leonard’s handwriting, frantic scratches of ink resembling those of a child.

“Why the hell did you even bring it?” she asked.

Before I could answer, I heard a clanking sound coming from her oversized bag. Almost like ice shaking around inside a thermos.

“What the hell is that?”

She froze. “Nothing.”

“Claire!”

She looked down at her feet, embarrassed. “You know I wouldn’t be spending the day on a yacht without Clairsmopolitans.”

“Claire,” I said, growing annoyed. “The invite says there will be drinks on the boat!”

I held the invite directly in front of her face.

“This just says full bar,” she said, studying the invite. “Leonard’s idea of a full bar is probably just moonshine with a giant jug of Sunny D. I’m not taking any chances!”

Fair enough.

“Now,” she said, snatching the invite out of my hand to study it further. “How do we find his boat?”

We both turned and inspected the yachts in the immediate vicinity.

“Can you call him?” she asked, her eyes darting around as she searched for the vessel.

“This is Leonard we’re talking about here. I don’t think he has a cell phone,” I answered, pointing in the opposite direction. “But I don’t think we’ll have a hard time finding it.”

Claire’s jaw hit the floor as her eyes spotted Leonard’s boat.

It was impossible to miss.

The yacht’s exterior was painted in wild, clashing colors. There were patchworks of psychedelic patterns accented by stripes of orange and neon green.

“Are you kidding me?” Claire asked. “We have to spend the day on a clown barge?”

But as we drew near, I could see that the boat itself was a classic luxury yacht. The sleek hull looked like polished fiberglass. The exterior featured multiple decks, each furnished with comfortable-looking lounge chairs and shaded areas for escaping the sun.

On the upper deck, a hot tub was bubbling and glistening, beckoning us to climb inside.

The boat itself was a luxury behemoth fit for the super-rich. Leonard had simply made some alterations. He had obviously personalized it in a way that suited his eccentricity.

Instead of a classic figurehead, Leonard had installed a life-sized statue of a mythological creature. As we approached, I could see that it was, in fact, a large mermaid.

How quaint.

From a distance, I had only noticed the hot tub on the upper deck. But upon closer inspection, I could see that it was filled with unusual, oversized furniture, like something out of Alice in Wonderland . The lounge chairs were weirdly shaped like teacups, and the dining table was a chess board with moving pieces.

I couldn’t decide if I was ecstatic about spending the day on Leonard’s boat, or terrified.

“Well, you ready to board this floating eyesore?” Claire asked, shaking me from my awe.

Suddenly, Leonard appeared on deck and ushered us aboard before we could turn back.

“It’s now or never!” he exclaimed.

Never. I choose never.

But I didn’t say it aloud. In fact, I was still curious about experiencing something that was normally reserved for the ultra-rich, something so exclusive that you practically had to be a billionaire to own one.

The exterior was shocking, but maybe the interior would be gorgeous. Plus, nothing beat sitting in a hot tub while coasting over the ocean.

“Look up!” Leonard commanded.

Suddenly, a giant, holographic projection of a fish was swimming above our heads.

“It’s my projector,” he added, waving for us to come aboard and join him.

“That’s very normal!” Claire said with a cheeky smile as we boarded.

Leonard turned and rushed off into the distance. “Make yourselves comfortable! I’m going to push off!”

Minutes later, we left our dock and headed out toward open water. Leonard hadn’t returned for several minutes, but we had walked inside and found the open bar. Claire had given up her protests when she saw the fully stocked bar with nothing but high-end liquor. We prepared two cocktails, immediately consumed them, then prepared two more before making our way to the top deck.

We made ourselves comfortable in the lounge chairs, but it wasn’t long before the hot tub had Claire’s full attention.

“Can we?” she asked, looking over at it like a puppy eyeing a piece of bacon.

“Should we? It’s not our boat. Would it be in poor taste?”

Without responding, Claire reached down and pulled at a string that was apparently barely holding together her entire outfit because it fell to the floor immediately, revealing a classic, old-fashioned Hollywood swimsuit underneath.

“I think we should,” she said, walking over and climbing in. “Come on!”

I couldn’t protest. It was a gorgeous day, and I knew I would never get an opportunity like this again.

Well, maybe not never .

As the ocean breeze swept across my face, I closed my eyes and dreamed about the day when I’d have the financial resources of Leonard. Or Luke.

Hard work and dedication were the necessary tools for me to build my career and establish myself in the world.

Only then could I have a boat like this.

“Hey!” Claire shouted, shaking me from my sun-soaked daydream. “You getting in or what?”

Pulling my shirt over my head, I discarded it on the deck. Luckily, I’d been hitting the treadmill lately, but I was still no match for Claire’s beach-ready bod. I swore the woman practically lived in the gym.

Warm, bubbling water caressed my aching muscles as I slowly dipped into the hot tub. I could feel the tension dissipating from my body at once.

After the past few days I’d had, I needed it. I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep my sanity living next to someone who loathed me with such vigor.

Then again, I couldn’t really blame him for hating me.

Up until recently, I hadn’t known about the loss of a potential sponsorship for him. When he exploded at the café, it shocked me.

But I couldn’t let Luke know. So, I’d steeled my face and dished out a few more scathing insults. Just to clue him in that I didn’t care about his loss.

But the truth was, I did care.

Over the past few months, I’d been blissfully ignorant of the consequences my work had on the athletes I covered.

As I attempted to relax in a perfect hot tub on a perfect boat in a perfect setting, I simply couldn’t. Not with the weight of Luke’s financial loss on my shoulders.

“What’s your issue?” Claire asked, shaking me from my thoughts. “Need another drink?”

“No…,” I said with a sigh. “Well… yes, in a minute. But that’s not the problem. I feel guilty.”

“About what babe?” she asked, pulling the cocktail glass to her lips, and sipping the rum and coke inside.

“Luke,” I said, my eyes nervously darting to the bubbles near my chest. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”

Claire gasped. “Oh my god—you guys fucked?”

“Claire!” I shouted, my words quickly floating away on the ocean air.

“I’m so sorry,” she said with feigned guilt. “What I meant to say was… you guys consummated your relationship?”

For a moment, thoughts of that exact scenario flashed through my mind.

I could picture Luke stopping by late at night. Knocking on my door, inviting himself in. There was something commanding about him.

Claire giggled. “How was it?”

I rolled my eyes. “Claire, stop it. We didn’t have sex.”

She pouted before taking another sip. “So, what’s the problem?”

I knew I needed to share what happened with her. If I could count on Claire for anything, I knew I could trust her to be on my side and help lift my spirits.

“My commentary cost Luke a ten-million-dollar sponsorship with Monarch Watches.”

She paused, her expression blank.

I had no clue what she was thinking.

“Jesus, Brett,” she said with a frown. “You’re an asshole.”

“Claire!” I shouted, stunned. “You’re my best friend, you’re supposed to be on my side. Not Luke’s. Besides, you said it yourself the other day; he’s worth over two hundred million. It’s like losing pocket change for him.”

She studied me closely. “Tell me something, Brett…”

Oh, no. Here comes the lecture.

“How would you feel if you spent a decade of your life building a career and legacy, only to have it constantly publicly ridiculed?”

“It’s part of the?—”

She lifted one finger and shook it at me. “Look… there’s a legitimate need for sports journalism. But can you honestly sit here and say that you’ve been fair to Luke Dalton?”

She had a point. It was as if, for the past few months, I had been almost fixated on him. My personal life had become dull and listless. As a matter of fact, I didn’t have much of one to speak of. Not a single date in over a year.

So, I had thrown myself into my work. And in my field, the more outlandish you were, the more scandalous your comments, the further your career potential.

I was only trying to build something enormous for myself. A future I could bank on. But in the process, I had hurt another real person.

Luke.

“Think about it,” Claire added. “Pretend you’re a famous actor, working years at low-paying jobs and taking auditions. Then, you land a big role. Then another. Now you’re making millions. But suddenly, a movie critic has their sights set on you. And they’re tearing you down. Relentlessly.”

“I wasn’t relentless!” I said, trying to defend my podcast.

“How would you feel?” she asked. “Tell me honestly, Brett, how would you feel?”

I sighed, the weight of my words dawning on me. “You’re right.”

She nodded her head as if she already knew she was right. “And that doesn’t even touch on your fixation with Luke. You’ve only now considered the consequences of your words. I think you should spend some time considering why you care so much.”

“Care about what?”

“About Luke!” she exclaimed. “Do you really need me to spell it out for you? You’ve spent months documenting his every move.”

“That’s my job, Claire!”

She threw her head back and laughed. “My dear, sweet, summer child.”

I furiously sipped my cocktail. “You think you know everything, don’t you?”

She giggled. “I know a lot. For starters, I know how you really feel about Luke Dalton.”

“Oh?” I asked, trying to pretend I was uninterested. “Care to share your wisdom and insights? Besides, Luke hates me, don’t you think?”

Suddenly, her eyes widened, and her mouth slowly went agape.

Then, her cheeky grin returned as she nodded her head, indicating that I should look behind me. “Maybe you should ask him yourself.”

There, without warning, crashing into my otherwise beautiful day, was Luke Dalton.