Chapter Six

Mandy laughed as Steve maneuvered the dinghy over a small wave and they became airborne for a just a split second, coming down on the other side of the surf with a thump.

She held on to the built in handles and urged him on. "Do it again!"

He made a sharp turn and caught another wave and she screamed out, gripping the handles tighter as he laughed with her.

"One kamikaze shot," he joked, "and you want to become one."

"This is so much fun," she grinned from ear to ear. "Do it again!"

He couldn't help but indulge her fun, enjoying the benefits of that beautiful smile.

Captain Bordeaux stood on the upper deck of the Fair Maiden with a scowl on his face as he watched them approach the yacht. He could hear Mandy laughing and screaming out as they jumped another wave.

Steve slowed down as they neared, pulling up next to the small platform and tossed the tie off rope to a waiting Parker. He caught it and pulled them in.

Mandy stood up and took Parker's hand as he guided her safely on to the platform.

"That looked like a lot of fun," he said to her.

"It was a blast," she laughed.

Steve jumped on the platform after her. "You want me to help you put this away," he asked Parker.

"No, thanks. I got it," he replied. "The others have decided now that they want to go to shore and there is a storm off the coast developing so the Captain tried to explain that if they went ashore they would have to spend the night."

"What?" Steve asked, shocked over that, not really wanting to spend the night ashore with them all.

"Hey," they both heard Cash's voice coming from the second deck as he looked down at them, "you aren't needed on shore with us," he said to Steve, overhearing the conversation between he and Parker. "Take the night off."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" he asked, not sure he would be living up to his end of the deal if he hung back. He was glad he didn't have to go with them, but the idea of being alone all night on the boat with Mandy was a little unsettling too. He was trying his best to see her in any way possible other than the obvious but the ride home on the dinghy just made him like her all the more. Her personality was infectious. It was going to be a long two weeks if this kept up.

"Yes, I'm sure," Cash shouted down, walking out of sight to meet his sister as she came up the outer stairs to the second level.

"Hi," she greeted him with a wide grin.

"Wow," he said of the dress, taking a step back. "I like that."

She twirled around for him. "Do you? Steve found it in a little shop. Isn't it cute?"

"Really?" Cash chuckled. "So by the new duds and the big smile, I take it you had a good time today?"

"We did. He's very nice."

"Well I have a surprise for you," he said, crossing his arms, "and you are going to be thrilled with it."

Mandy tilted her head, "What? What did you do?"

"I sent Bryce packing. He left the boat about two hours ago."

Her eyes shot open in shock, "You did not?!"

"Yep," he nodded. "He was an asshole and I told him so. I told him I didn't want him bothering you anymore."

Mandy leapt in the air and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "You are the best brother ever! I love you so much."

"Every once in a while I come through for you," he hugged her back.

She rested her hands on his shoulders and looked at him, "You always come through for me Cash. I don't know what I'd do without you."

He felt it was more the other way around and vowed to change that scenario from now on, especially after that morning's incident with the shark, recalling he and Bryce's argument as his smile faded. "I'm sorry, Mandy," he said sincerely.

"For what?" she asked confused.

"For not being the first one in the water today."

"Cash," she said, squeezing his shoulders, seeing tears slowly welling in his eyes. "I trust you. I trust you more than anyone else in the whole world. Please stop. Your hand was the one that pulled me out. I know without a doubt that you will always be my protector. You always have been."

"You know you can always count on me, don't you Mandy?"

"Of course I do. I rely on it."

He liked that reply and hugged her again. "Thanks Sis."

Steve came around the corner of the second deck and saw them talking. He kept going up to the top level where Captain Bordeaux met him.

"I told you to come back ASAP," he said angrily.

"And that's exactly what I did," Steve replied.

"That was two hours ago."

"I texted you and told you that it started to rain. I wasn't about to put Mandy in that boat in the pouring rain."

He glared at him. "It's Ms. McKay to the staff, Mr. McGarrett. Just because you jumped in the water this morning, it doesn't make you instantly one of them, you best remember that. You are still an employee."

"You don't have to tell me my job, Bordeaux, I'm perfectly aware of who I am and I certainly don't need you to remind me. So you stick with your job and I'll stick with mine." He walked away from him shaking his head.

"Be more careful on that dinghy too," Bordeaux shouted. "That was reckless jumping those waves trying to impress her."

"It was her idea," Steve replied without turning. "Just following orders from my employer," he shouted back over his shoulder as he descended the steps, shaking his head. "What an asshole," he mumbled.

Mandy lay on the lounger on the back of the boat and waved at Cash, Jessica, Tawny and Vicki as they rode off in the boat with Parker at the helm. Two small overnight bags were in the middle.

"Have fun," she shouted as a shadow blocked the sunlight, looking up and seeing Frederick. "Oh, hello Frederick."

"How was your visit to town?" he asked.

"It was lovely," she smiled. "Thank you."

"Since it will just be the two of you dinning tonight," he said, forgoing the Captain focusing on his two favorite people on board, treating Steve as more of a guest rather than employee after the morning events. "What can I make for you and Steve for dinner tonight?"

"Whatever you make I'm sure will be fabulous," she smiled and then laughed. "You won't believe what Steve ordered for lunch. Shark!"

They both chuckled over it.

"He deserves a hero feast!" His eyes got big and he raised his finger in the air, "I have it! Two filet mignons with a tasty béarnaise sauce and roasted corn on the cob? A good old fashioned American BBQ."

"Mmmm," Mandy moaned, "that sounds wonderful, thank you, Frederick."

"Always my pleasure," he bowed.

He passed Captain Bordeaux as he walked toward the stairs, headed to the galley. "Captain," Frederick said, "I have nice chicken breast and red potatoes for your dinner."

"Sounds fine," he said without a hint of appreciation, ignoring him all together as he approached Mandy. "Ms. McKay," he said to her.

She looked up again in the same spot that Frederick had just occupied; only this time the greeting was more professional than pleasant. "Yes, Captain Bordeaux."

"My apologies for the inconvenience but there is a squall developing off the coast and I would like to move to deeper water to avoid any chance of being run aground. I had warned Mr. McKay of the troubles of he and his guests going to shore and that there might not be an opportunity of returning this evening."

"He understood the circumstances," she assured him, not sure if he was trying to exonerate himself from the unexpected bad weather or not. "You know my brother, he hates being in one place for too long, even one night," she smiled. "How far out are we going?"

"Another mile or two so we are not in the channel. The sea floor hear can be shallow at times which can cause larger waves so I would like to anchor someplace more suitable for your comfort."

"Ok, thank you."

"We can pick up your brother and the others tomorrow afternoon after the storm has passed."

Mandy smiled and nodded. She was actually looking forward to a quiet night without the partying, not giving the squall a second thought. They had been through heavy storms in the past, once in the Bahamas they had caught the tail end of a hurricane. The ship rocked a bit but with the stabilizer all was well.

It would be just she and Steve for the night, which delighted her even more. Frederick and the Captain usually kept to themselves at night.

She put her sunglasses on and lay back on the lounger with her air pods in, listening to a song from the 70's, but her mind was on Steve, recalling their day together. She had more fun with him than she'd had with anyone else in a long time. She could be herself, whether it be serious or silly, he seemed ok with all of it, which in turn made her more relaxed than she had been in a long time.

His good looks were a little intimidating at times, but unlike others she knew with similar blessings, he didn't seem to know how good-looking he really was, which made him that much more attractive to her. She pictured him sitting across from her at lunch and recalling at one point finding it difficult to concentrate on what he was saying as her mind drifted to his lips and imaging what kind of kisser he was, strong, soft or passionate? She smiled and blushed slightly, secretly desiring the opportunity to find out.

She wished she could be more like Cash. He was forward with his approach and desire for a woman and even if he was denied, which he seldom was, he was able to smile and move on. She could never, ever be forward like that with Steve. It would have to come from him. Her heart sank a bit knowing that the opportunity probably would never arise due to his position. He was a decent guy and even though she thought maybe a couple of times during the afternoon she sensed something between them, she couldn't be sure. But it all came down to him and the one fact that could not be argued; he was under her employment and all the signals she thought she felt could have been nothing more than him being nice to the poor, shy rich girl.

"Maybe I'll fire him and find out for sure," she chuckled.

"Someone do you wrong?" Steve asked as he stood next to her chair, looking out at Rarotonga as it slowly faded from sight.

Mandy looked up surprised to see him and shyly bit her bottom lip, embarrassed over her naughty thoughts of him.

"Oh…no. I was just thinking and talking out loud."

He glanced down at her and smiled, wearing a pair of Ray Bans that looked exceptional on him, recalling the sunglasses she had bought for him earlier. Maybe she would give them to him over dinner, she thought.

"Where are we headed?" he asked.

"Captain Bordeaux said there is another storm approaching off the coast and wants to move to deeper water for the night so we don't run aground."

He nodded and turned his head, looking in the opposite direction, seeing a few dark clouds, but after living on an island for so many years offshore storms really weren't warranted as a threat until you could feel the wind and the rain. Being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with its currents and warm weather patterns, it was hard to predict sometimes what a storm would do, even with all the fancy satellite and radar equipment of the day. Mother Nature had a mind of her own. He could count three hurricanes in the past two years that were gunning for Hawaii but had changed course at the last minute, missing the islands altogether.

"I've been in storms before on this boat and its really well equipped," Mandy assured him. "The engine room can be sealed off so it will prevent the boat from sinking, and there are stabilizers built in the side like on cruise ships that can prevent it from capsizing. My father was very precise when he had it designed. He doesn't like the water," she revealed.

Steve looked down at her with a surprised expression. "He doesn't like the water?"

"Nope, he never goes in. Even growing up he never went swimming with us. I guess I never really thought about it until I was older, but I don't think he knows how to swim, or if maybe something happened to him that made him dreadfully afraid of the water."

"Then why buy a yacht if you're afraid of the water?" he asked.

Mandy lowered her sunglasses to the middle of her nose and looked up at him so he could see her eyes, "Because he is Peter McKay the second and everyone with his kind of stature owns a yacht, so god forbid the conversation come up at a social event and he can't join in with the others as they discuss their over zealous toy, or should I say egos." She slipped her glasses back on. "He shouldn't have named it, Fair Maiden, but, Look What I Can Buy."

He wanted to mention to her that she was enjoying that over zealous toy and the money that she seemed to criticize him for having, but kept that to himself. She was obviously bitter about it yet lived off if it too. He found that to be a little hypocritical. She could become or do anything she wanted in the world, yet she chose to live off of her father's money and read textbooks bought online about education and the world, rather than actually live in the real one.

"Frederick is making us steak and barbequed corn on the cob for dinner," she announced.

"Us?" he questioned.

She looked up at him again. "Well yes, I mean it's just you and me left on the boat so I thought, I mean, if you want, you can just have dinner with me?"

He was standing on that line that was growing thinner by the second; wary of which side he would end up on, wanting a little of both sides but that common ground he was looking for was an impossibility. He enjoyed her when she was just Mandy, but when she became Amanda McKay he had a hard time relating to her.

She had a point though; it was just the two of them so if he were to turn it down it would seem a little ridiculous and rude.

"I guess that makes sense. I brought a suit, do I need to wear it?" he joked.

His mentioning of the suit gave her a clear picture of a romantic evening on the back of the boat, just the two of them. It was like a visual setting from one the hundreds of romantic novels she'd read and swooned over since she was a teenager, complete with the man who had saved her life.

"Ok, that would be nice if you have one."

He shot her a surprised look, not expecting that reply at all, regretting the suit offer that wasn't intended to be taken seriously.

He didn't reply but only smiled slightly and nodded, hoping he wasn't setting himself up for something he couldn't fall through on, hoping the same for her.

Mandy looked at herself in the mirror once more before leaving her room. She shut the door and went down the spiral staircase located in the middle of the boat to where the living room and dining room table was located.

Steve sat at the formal teak dining table that sat twelve with his chair facing the front of the boat, admiring the sunset that was hiding behind a blanket of clouds. It reminded him of a Hawaiian sunset, feeling a little homesick even though he'd only been gone a few days. This would be the type of night that he'd be sitting in a chair in his backyard down by the water with Danny next to him, drinking a beer and shootin' the breeze.

He heard a noise behind him and turned around in his chair and then slowly rose out of it as Mandy came toward him freshly made up and still wearing the dress he'd picked out today, amazed that she looked even better in it now. She hid the sunglass case in her hand behind her back.

He didn't feel homesick anymore; instead he felt like he was being compensated for every good deed he'd ever performed in his life by being able to witness first hand what so many had tried and begged for. Mandy McKay in all her glory coming toward him with a bright smile and her eyes locked on his. It was certainly a privilege and he understood now why her photograph was so sought after. Her beauty was the natural phenomenon that photographers prayed for, needing little or no effort to capture the most stunning of shots. All she had to do was just stand there and do nothing and the camera would capture sure perfection.

She couldn't feel her feet on the ground as she walked toward him and the smile on her face was so pure and genuine that it would take only the worst of sure disasters to remove it. He played his part that she had imagined to a tee. The dark suit was perfectly tailored for him. He didn't wear a tie, but was able to pull off an elegant style with only the light blue dress shirt. She knew him, but barely; yet it didn't feel that way. It was that comfort zone in which he was so gracefully able to lead her into that made him so familiar. She was falling in love and it felt wonderful.

"Hi," Mandy said to him as she came to the outer deck where he was. "It looks like it's going to be a beautiful sunset."

He had thought the same thing until he saw her; in comparison of the two the sunset was now mediocre in his eyes. He sat at the head of the table and held a chair out for her next to his, facing the water.

"I feel like I'm dining with Princess Ka'iulani the way you look," he smiled, knowing that she would know who the last great princess of Hawaii would be.

Mandy caught his eyes before she sat down. The blue in them was brighter than usual from the glow of the sun as it began its decent. His compliment was sincere and she didn't see that hungry, eager stare that most men had that she dined with, even from friends of her father. Steve held true to that respectable persona that he'd shown her all day. She loved that about him.

Mandy looked over her shoulder as he pushed her chair in, tucking the glasses in the fold of her dress.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked.

She went to get back up again and Steve put a hand on her bare shoulder.

"I'll get it. Would you like your Kamikaze straight up or on the rocks?" he teased.

Mandy laughed and turned in her chair, watching him go to the bar. "I'll do one if you do?"

"We're back to that again are we?" he grinned. "How about something a little more tame, like a shot of tequila?"

She laughed again, "How about wine?" she suggested.

Steve pointed at her, "Good suggestion. Now where would I find that?" he asked, standing behind the bar, scanning his surroundings.

"Down and to the right," Mandy instructed.

"Aw, there we are," Steve said squatting down and looking over the bottles of wine that each had their own stand to keep them secure during rough waters. "Red?" he called out, seeing a 1975 Cabernet that looked tempting. He wasn't schooled in wine but liked a glass every now and then and new enough that red wine should be consumed with red meat and the older the better.

"Sure, whatever you want. "

He took out the one he was admiring and grabbed two glasses hanging upside down and the corkscrew that hung from the cabinet next to the bottles. He read the label out loud as he approached her.

"1975, Chateau Latour Cabernet Sauvignon," he said with a snooty French accent and glanced over his shoulder. "I better be careful, Frederick might poison my steak if he catches me butchering his beloved language."

Mandy laughed, "You pronounced that very well. Do you speak French?"

"No," he replied as if that were crazy talk.

"Have you ever been to Paris or France?"

"I've been there once," he said as he stripped the top label off the bottle, revealing the cork. "But not Paris."

"If you go to France for vacation you have to go to Paris?" she insisted. "It is so beautiful."

"I didn't go to France for the beauty or a vacation."

"Was it part of your military duty?" she asked curiously.

He twisted the corkscrew in and pulled it out, pouring her a glass first. "You could say that it was part of my military duty I guess. My team had furlough and we were close to Normandy and if you are military, Normandy is the place that you go to pay respect for the bravest of the brave."

Mandy looked up at him, "Oh my gosh, I'm such a fool, of course that's why you went. I'm so sorry. Here I am going on about Paris, and it's really not the most important place in France, especially if you're an American. I should know that." She turned away and looked down at her hands in her lap. "I feel ashamed for never going there."

"A lot of Americans go to France and don't go to Normandy," he said, pouring himself a glass of wine next and sitting down in the chair adjacent to her. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. It's not for everyone, but if you ever get the chance I highly recommend it. It's really…" he paused trying to find the right word, "extraordinary to see what they went through."

"The greatest generation," she added.

"That is true," Steve replied, holding up his glass of wine for a toast to them, she did the same touching them together as the expensive crystal made a high pitched clinking sound.

"Do you ever go on vacation?" she asked curiously.

"Sure I do."

"Do you have anything planned in the near future?"

"No, not really. Maybe I'll go to Paris."

She smiled wishing she could show him Paris first hand. "Maybe you can plan a trip. You deserve a vacation after how hard you have worked here so far."

He looked puzzled over that, "This isn't work," he replied. "This is like a vacation."

She felt maybe that she had insulted him. She herself had never worked a real job in her life, but had done volunteer work, but she really wouldn't consider that work. "I didn't mean to insult your other job, I'm sure it's very difficult and takes up a lot of your time. I'm just saying that you have earned your wage here that's fore sure. So maybe you could use this money and go to Paris." She took another drink of her wine, thinking she should just keep her mouth shut and let him do all the talking. He was so much more interesting and better with conversation than she was.

"Maybe," he replied, feeling her uneasiness. It was obvious she was trying too hard to be Amanda McKay and not just Mandy. It made him acutely aware of her shyness and lack of self-confidence. Once she let her guard down and became Mandy she was a delight, but this person was unfamiliar to him and making him uncomfortable.

"Do you have anyone to go with?" she asked, knowing he wasn't married, but the idea of a girlfriend had always been in the back of her mind, she just didn't want to broach the subject. Why wouldn't he have someone, she thought, just look at him, feeling her heart sink, not wanting to hear it if he did.

He took that question exactly the way it was laid out. "No significant other at the moment, but I have friends that like to travel."

She took another drink of her wine to conceal the smile on her face over that wonderful revelation.

"I had to use vacation time though to take this job so it'll be a while before I can take time off again."

She vaguely understood the term 'vacation time' and what it entailed. She wasn't naïve of the term in it's meaning but the rules of its use was not clear to her. "Oh, so once you use vacation time it's gone and you can't use it again for a long time? How long? Months or years?"

It was another clue to how far apart their lives were. She had no idea of what it was like to live in the 'real world', which he considered his own. "A few months maybe."

"Then why take this job to go from one to another and have to give up your vacation time which is like your free time?"

"Because the money you're paying me was worth it." His words came off a little hard spoken. For the first time he actually felt beneath her because of her wealth. If she wanted sixty thousand dollars all she had to do was write a check, he on the other hand had to work hard and sacrifice for it, or simply win the lottery by having someone like Cash or her father offer him a lucrative job, but he still had to earn it, one way or another. He began to feel that he was doing that now. Why was he sitting there, was he earning his money by keeping Amanda McKay company?

His tone had changed and she felt a little unnerved by it, deciding to do the only thing she knew when it came to men and easing their anger. A gift, some form of gesture to ensure goodwill. It always worked with Bryce and Cash, she was sure Steve would appreciate the sunglasses now more than ever. She decided to change her mind once again and give them to him as a form of a bonus for a job well done, compensating him for his vacation time that was now unattainable for reasons she didn't quite understand.

"I certainly appreciate you taking this job. As a matter of fact," she smiled, "I got you something today to show my appreciation."

She took the black sunglass case that was on her lap and set it on the table. The brand name Mykita was printed on the front in gold script.

He stared at it, knowing exactly what it was. He slowly looked up at her as she smiled sweetly at him.

"What's this?" he asked, his expression not as joyful.

"They're the sunglasses you were looking at in the boutique we…"

"I know what they are," he interrupted, "but why are you giving them to me? These are expensive sunglasses."

"I know," she replied, "the lady said you were admiring them and put them back, so…"

"So you just thought you'd buy them because you thought I couldn't afford them, is that it? Because I could have bought them if I wanted to."

"I know," she said quietly, feeling her stomach turn, over his obvious irritation. "I didn't mean it that way."

"Yes you did. I even told her they were more than I wanted to spend. So you what then, thought you'd do the poor security guy a favor and buy him something extravagant that was out of his price range. I bet you didn't even ask her how much they were did you, because you didn't have to."

"They weren't," she stammered, never being good at confrontations and this one was making her dizzy, "they weren't expensive."

Steve huffed, "Maybe not to you, but believe it or not $800 is a lot of money for sunglasses to the normal Joe Shmoe." His harsh words just oozed out of his mouth, being fueled by his humiliation of being considered a second class citizen by the gift that proved it, even though in her eyes he was so far above her class that she felt inferior to him.

"I could have bought them if I really wanted them."

"I know."

"You know why I took this job?" he blurted out. "Not because I was desperate for sixty thousand dollars, I took this job because my best friend's daughter who is like my niece wants to go to UCLA and they can't afford it. The money from this job will help. Too me that's more important than losing my vacation time or visiting Paris anytime soon. I can afford to buy a pair of $800 sunglasses I just chose not to because I choose to spend my money on things that matter and to people that matter to me. I don't need you to try and supplement my income. I'm doing pretty damn good on my own even without the help of the McKay's."

"Dinner is served!" Frederick announced as he came up the outside stairs from the galley level carrying a large tray with two covered plates on it.

Neither of them looked at each other nor at Frederick who was completely unaware of the uncomfortable discussion he had just interrupted.

Steve took a drink of his wine, feeling foolish to be sitting where he was now as Frederick placed a plate in front of him. The social class between he and Mandy had never been so far apart as it was at that moment. He was not only angry at her but at himself for falling into this trap. He lost sight of why he was there because of her beauty but regained his composure quickly as it became clear to him that those sunglasses represented his stature in her eyes, weak, poor and needy. He was none of those and resented the hell out of the so-called gift.

Mandy turned her head away as tears began to form in her eyes, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened. She wanted to die. How could she have been so foolish as to buy those sunglasses for him? He was such a proud person and she had insulted him once again. She was a fool to think she could stand next to someone like him, a fool.

Frederick lifted the lids off the plates after proudly going into great detail of the preparation, unbeknownst to him neither heard a word he had said, both too caught up in their own thoughts that were torturing the both of them.

The delightful aroma on any other occasion would have been tantalizing to the taste buds, but appetites had changed.

Steve pushed his chair back, not wanting to be there another second, assured he was just being used, the same way Cash and his father had used their money to buy him for this security job he felt certain Mandy was doing the same. His pride was taking an awful big hit at the moment and he didn't like it, feeling as if he'd sold his pride for the sum $60,000.

"You know what," he said standing up, "I'm not feeling very hungry all of a sudden. My apologies Frederick," he said to him but barely even looked at Mandy. "I think I'm going to go back to my cabin for the night. I'm pretty sure Ms. McKay can survive without my services for the evening."

She didn't look up but heard him walk away and then down the steps to the lower deck. She reached out and took the sunglasses as she pushed her chair away from the table.

"I'm sorry Frederick," she choked back the tears. "I'm not very hungry either."

He knew then something significant had happened between them. His heart went out to her, instantly taking her side, knowing what a kind person she was and assured it couldn't have been anything that she had said or done. It tore at him to watch as she desperately tried to hide her tears.

"Ms. Mandy," he said sincerely, "are you alright? What can I do?"

"Nothing," she quickly wiped her eyes and forced a small smile for him as she walked by, going to the inside stairs and up to the next level.

She stood on the upper deck and looked out where the sun had gone down and the only remains of the beautiful sunset was an orange streak across the horizon with a few distant flashes of lightening. She looked at the sunglasses in her hand.

They were the only remains of the romantic dinner that she never dreamt would end this way, cursing herself for being so naïve.

She squeezed the box and then pulled her arm back and threw them as far as she could out to the dark ocean as tears erupted in her eyes.

"You're so stupid!" she cursed herself. "Spoiled and stupid. How could you be so dumb to think that he'd see you for anything more than what you are?" she bent her head and wiped her eyes. The sunglasses had meant nothing more than just something she wanted him to have. There was no ulterior motive but now she began to think that maybe there was, doubting her innocent generosity and seeing it as he had, something insulting and offensive, charity. "You tried to buy him, just like everyone tries to buy you. Why couldn't you see that?" she gripped the metal railing, "Because you're too dumb that's why. You have nothing to offer him or anyone else. You're pathetic."

"Stop saying such things!" Frederick said, standing several feet behind her but still able to hear the berating of herself. "None of that is true, none of it!"

She turned around and faced him with tears streaming down her face. "I don't belong here," she whimpered, "I don't belong anywhere."

The sad expression on her face about broke his heart. "You do," he said softly, coming toward her. "I used to feel I did not belong. People did not understand me either; they would say, I was different; they would say, I was odd." He stood up straight and took her hand, "But I stayed true to whom I was and now Frederick belongs everywhere!" he squeezed her hand. "You, you stay true to whom you are. You will find happiness because your beauty comes from within more so than what people see here," he waved his hand over her face.

"If I'm shy I'm a bitch. If I'm kind I'm a phony. If I'm knowledgeable I'm boring. I don't even know who I am; maybe I am all those things. He…" her lower lip quivered as she thought of Steve, "he was right, maybe I was trying to buy him." She dropped her head "I just want to disappear."

Frederick squeezed her hand again, recalling the sunglasses on the table, knowing the expensive label. "You would never try to buy anyone," he said adamantly. "A gift from you would only come from the heart. Anyone who does not see that does not deserve a gift from you."

She sniffed and smiled sweetly at him, "Thank you, Frederick. You're very kind."

"No, Ms. Mandy, YOU are very kind."

He did something then that he had never done before with any employer. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Steve went in his cabin and closed the door, slipping his jacket off and angrily tossing it over the arm of a chair. He sat down on the edge of his bed and stared straight ahead.

"She's just like her father. She's just like him!" he growled. "Who the hell is she to think that she can buy me. What the hell does she want from me anyway?" he shook his head. "I need to get off this fucking boat. This was a mistake, a huge mistake. What am I doing here?"

He lay back on the bed and crossed his arm over his forehead, replaying the scene at the table and feeling even more foolish every time he did. His only regret was dismissing Frederick who had gone out of his way to prepare a meal for him and he hadn't even given it the once over.

He sat up again and wiped his hands over his face. He needed to apologize to him, now. It shouldn't wait. He'd been good to him. He was the most honest and sincere person he'd met since coming on the boat. He deserved an apology.

Frederick stood at the sink in the galley as he cleaned off the plates that had once held the steak dinners.

"Hey," Steve said, standing in the doorway, "I want to thank you for the dinner you prepared and to apologize for what happened up there."

Frederick wiped his hands off on the dishtowel by the sink and turned to him, standing perfectly erect.

"Ms. Mandy is in tears. I don't know why but it pains me greatly. She is a kind and gentle person. So shy and so…" he paused feeling his emotions get the better of him, taking a moment to regain himself before he looked back up at Steve again, sternly. "No one appreciates her the way she should be appreciated. They don't understand her because she is so different from them all. I understand her. She likes to please and so many people do not understand that type of generosity because it is so rare from where she comes from, at least not without an ulterior motive. All she wants is for someone to listen to her when she talks. She doesn't want to own the room, she doesn't even know how, but she tries," he said sadly, "because that's what everyone expects and she fails miserably because that's not who she is." His voice choked up, "She just wants so much to fit in…somewhere. Don't misinterpret her kindness, she does not know how to deceive."

Fredericks's anger and genuine honesty was too sincere not to be taken to heart. Steve feared now he had grossly misread her gift, feeling a wave of guilt, knowing the tears she was shedding was because of him.

His shoulders slouched under the heavy burden he was suddenly carrying over the way that he had treated her.

"Where is she?" he asked somberly.

"I believe she has retired for the night to her room," Frederick replied in a friendlier manner, seeing on Steve's face that he'd got his point across loud and clear.

"Thank you."

He disappeared around the corner, not waiting for a reply.

The walk to her room was a difficult and awkward one as he contemplated his actions toward her and worse yet, the false accusations he had laid on her. Fredrick was right, she was kind and the more he thought of it the more he too was convinced that the gift was nothing more than a nice gesture and he let his stinking pride get in the way of a good deed. By the time he had arrived at her door, the only person he was furious with, was himself.

Mandy heard a soft knock at her door as she slid the long nightshirt over her head that she'd had since high school. The bright yellow fabric had faded as well as the colors of the rainbow that was displayed across the front with the words 'Sweet Dreams' above it, but the fabric itself was softer now than it had been when it was brand new.

She was sure it was Frederick, probably bringing her a bowl of her favorite ice cream that he kept in the freezer, or perhaps some of his famous brownies that she loved so much, some kind of sweet to make her feel better.

She opened the door and was shocked to see Steve standing there.

"Oh, oh!" she repeated closing the door halfway; hiding her nightshirt that she felt embarrassed to be wearing. "What…what's wrong?" she stammered.

He could see the remains of puffy eyes, which only amplified the weight of his guilt.

"Mandy," he said softly, "I want to apologize for the way I behaved at dinner."

She was awestruck by his apology, unable to return even the slightest of words.

Her silence told him that she was not going to forgive him so easily and he didn't blame her. He'd let his ego get in the way of his better judgment, not recalling that ever happening to him before with a woman.

"You did something nice for me and all I did was berate you for it. I feel terrible for doing that to you." He bent his head and could see the tips of her unpolished toes as she timidly curled them on the soft carpet. For some reason it found it sexy as hell. His eyes slowly moved up her body seeing the frayed ends of the old yellow shirt and what he could of the faded rainbow that was half hidden behind the door. He looked at her face and felt his guilt slowly slide off his shoulders as she smiled at him.

Frederick was right, she was as innocent as a child, but there was nothing childlike about that face. She was like an angel that belonged in one of those rare paintings that could never be replicated, simply because they were one of a kind, like her. She was special.

"It's alright," she finally spoke, showing off that persistent shyness by bending her head.

"No it's not," Steve countered. "I misjudged you and it was wrong. Don't let me get away with it by saying its ok. It wasn't."

She looked back up at him, amazed over his willingness to admit that he was wrong. "Ok then, but forgiven."

He liked that better as a smile slowly grew on his face as well. "Thank you. Breakfast tomorrow?"

She nodded and blinked her long natural eyelashes, holding the door and resting her head against it, hiding half in and half out of her room. He felt what he was experiencing at that moment was about the sexiest thing he had ever seen. She was far more exciting than she would ever know. It was that innocent charm that she possessed that now possessed him.

He wanted to push the door open and put his arms around her and kiss her.

"Good night, Steve."

He had to swallow before he could find his voice.

"Good night, Mandy."

It took just about all he had to turn and walk away, feeling his chest tighten as he took in a deep breath that he'd been holding, wondering if the dizziness he felt was due to a lack of oxygen or the presence of the woman who had just floored him.

…..

Mandy woke up as the boat swayed, physically rolling her to the other side of her king size bed.

She reached out in the darkness and grabbed the metal rod of her decorative headboard as the boat now swayed in the opposite direction, rolling her to the other side. Her arms twisted unable to hold the position as she let go and rolled off the bed, hitting the wall.

She screamed out just as the room filled with light from the lightening strike that seemed to come from right outside her window, seeing a glimpse of the rain that was blowing sideways.

It was all happening so fast she actually thought she was dreaming until another bolt of lightening exploded and showed the high seas outside her window.

A wave of terror rippled through her, assured the yacht was going to roll over as she held on to whatever she could so as not to be thrown across the room as the boat swayed once more.