I had this idea on my head for a while (more of a scene, really) and as I waited for someone to finish proofreading the prequel to The Farm, I started working on it and it soon became this.

Let me know what you think!

Also, on a personal note, this may (or may not) be my last story for a while, as I really have to dedicate more time to my real work. I recently quit my job to become independent, but writing is taking a lot of time, so I think I will have to quit, at least for a while until I get my own business moving...

----

Nina and I were laying on the lower sundeck, just enjoying ourselves near the water. The sky was perfectly clear and the day was warm, without being too hot, which was all the better for me.

The ship was at anchor, near Fonualei, in Tonga, a small island chain in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. If you ever search tropical paradise on Google, this would probably be the first result as the place is filled with uninhabited islands, coconut trees and coral reefs, and the water is so clear it almost looks like a pool sometimes.

We had gotten there after 3 weeks at sea, and I was glad for that passage to be over. The sea had been very rough, and I spent most of the time either seasick or struggling to remain upright as the boat shock all around us.

It was my first ocean passage, and my first ship too, so I had been pretty nervous about it, but now that it was over were allowed to relax, if only in the afternoons after all our work was done.

The rest of the crew were in the water, just swimming around the stern of the ship. They were the deckhands and the engineers, and as they did they kept looking at us while they talked among themselves

Nina and I were the only two women on board, and that meant that we were the center of their attention, which made me very uncomfortable.

I wasn't wearing anything revealing. I had my old blue one-piece swimsuit, the one I had worn during my time in high school, but it didn't seem to matter.

Nina, on the other hand, was wearing a small black bikini that left little to the imagination. She was older and taller than me, with skin the color of dark chocolate and short curly hair. Her breasts were smaller than mine, but she had long beautiful legs and full hips that I envied.

"Can I tell you something?" I asked her.

Without bothering to turn towards me, she nodded.

She was lying on a lounge chair just like me, but there was something in the way she was splayed that made me uncomfortable.

Unlike me, she seemed to enjoy the attention of the other men, and sometimes I thought she was even looking for it by the way she behaved.

"I... feel unprepared..." I said meekly.

She remained quiet for a few seconds, and then she pushed herself up onto her elbows and she looked at me from behind her sunglass.

"Unprepared for what? Cleaning bathrooms, doing beds? Serving them their food?" she said sarcastically as she smiled darkly.

Feeling embarrassed, I nodded slowly. I knew it sounded stupid if you said it like that, but I couldn't help but feel that way.

Nina chuckled softly and then she laid back once more.

"Look, relax okay... your job is easy, just be there, do what you are told, pay attention to the details, and just try to be invisible. That's all..." she said.

I nodded slowly, as it was more or less what I had been taught by the agency that hired me back on land, but I was still nervous.

Nina was the chef, and I knew she had worked on the ship since it was launched, almost 6 years ago. I had seen her work before, and she was a professional. In the galley she would work like a maniac, doing so many things at the same time that it made me dizzy, only to end up with a dish that made your mouth water just by looking at it.

I, on the other hand, was a stewardess, and as she had said, my job was to keep everything clean and ordered, to serve the owner and its guests, and otherwise to disappear so as not to bother them.

It was actually a lot of work, and one thing I learned early on was the importance of managing my time well, as otherwise I would always get behind on my chores and be forced to work after hours to catch up.

There were perks, of course. When the owner wasn't on board we were able to relax a little and even use some of the amenities in the ship, just like we were doing now.

"Just relax..." Nina said, sounding a little exasperated.

I nodded once, though she wasn't looking at me, and then I stood up.

"I am going swimming." I said to her.

A moment later she turned to look at me and she pulled her sunglasses down onto her nose as she looked into my eyes.

"You sure like swimming..." she said, almost mocking me, though I knew she was just playing.

And I did like the water, more so than anything else. I had been swimming since I could remember and every summer my parents rented a little cabin near a lake, and I would spend all day in the water, coming out all wrinkled and tired only when it was time to have dinner.

"It relaxes me." I said a moment later, looking towards the sea.

"It scares the shit out of me, though... survival school was the most horrible thing I ever did..." she said a moment later as she shuddered.

And as she did, her body exploded in goosebumps and I could see her licking her lips nervously.

Survival school was mandatory for the crew. It was supposed to teach you how to survive if the ship ever went down, but the exercises you did in the pool could get rough, and there were a couple of times in the wave pool where I got really nervous.

It hadn't been anything traumatic for me, though, but Nina told me it had been very hard for her and that she almost failed it.

Not really knowing what to say, I waited until Nina laid back down and then I headed towards the edge.

The moment I did, all the deckhands looked at me, making me feel uncomfortable once more. I did my best to ignore their gaze and instead I looked into the water.

Before we arrived here, I had never seen water so clear in my life, and though the bottom was a good 20 feet below me, I could see a few fish swimming along the sand in perfect detail.

Unable to contain myself any longer, I dived into the water, sinking as deep as I could before I started swimming downwards. I had no trouble holding my breath for a few minutes, so I made it to the bottom and I sat cross-legged on the sand, almost as if I were meditating.

Around me, I could see an endless bottom of white sand, a few rocks scattered around, and countless fish just swimming peacefully. The water was perfectly still and after I settled down, some of the fish swam closer to me, until I could see their colorful scales shining under the sunlight.

Looking up I saw the ship, looking impossibly big as it floated peacefully on the surface. The sun, shining almost directly above us, cast rays of light around it, and near it the rest of the crew threaded on the surface.

I stayed like that for a while, just looking around and enjoying a deep sense of peace, and not for the first time I wished I could have stayed like that forever.

But by then my lungs were starting to burn and I had to fight the urge to breathe.

As I wondered what it would feel to one day give in to that urge, a shudder ran down my back. Pushing the idea away, I calmly stood up, pushing my legs against the bottom as I shot upwards, swimming swiftly up until I reached the surface and then I took a long, deep breath.

Threading the water, I stood near the side of the ship as I caught my breath back. And then, just as I remembered the feeling of not being able to breathe, I started trembling softly. Once more, I pushed the thought away, and instead I looked up at the looming side of the boat before I started swimming towards the bow.

I needed to clear my mind, I thought, so once I got there I kept swimming, doing laps around the ship until the sun started to set.

It was time to get out, I thought as I realized how late it was. I was alone in the water by then, and as I reluctantly climbed onto the ship, I looked around the empty sundeck and then back at the water, and I wished I could go back.

----

After wrapping myself in a towel, I made myself towards my cabin but Nina found me first, telling me that the captain wanted to see us.

I wanted to go into my room to change first but she said there was no time. Reluctantly, I followed her along the internal passageways of the ship until we arrived at the bridge.

The helmsman on guard, probably bored out of his mind by then, looked at me with a smirk as I tightened the towel around my body, but the captain ignored him, looking at the two of us instead.

"I just got a call from the owner, he is on his way. He should be arriving tomorrow afternoon with another two guests. He requested the crew to be dismissed, for privacy reasons, but of course the two of you will be staying, along with myself." he said.

I frowned, as I had never heard of anything like that, but I was new on the ship and though I wanted to ask him if that was common, I didn't.

Next to me, Nina was nodding quietly before she looked at the captain.

"Did he mention anything specific about the meals, sir?" she finally asked.

But the captain shook his head before he ran his hand along his graying hair.

"No, I assume the usual, you know what he likes more than I do," he said, sounding somewhat annoyed. "He didn't say much, as usual, but he did say he planned to stay no more than two weeks, so plan accordingly and let me know if we need to bring any provisions. The helicopter can bring them in along with him."

Nina nodded once more before she bit her lower lip.

"Did he, by any chance, mention anything else, sir?" she asked as she looked at me.

The captain gave her a dark smile, and then he shrugged.

"No, but knowing him I wouldn't discount it. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you..." he said a moment later as he looked at me.

I felt very uncomfortable under his gaze, and as I nervously fidgeted with my hands behind my back, I wished that he would dismiss us.

"I imagine you already know what to do, but since it's the first time he is here since you arrived, I want you to pay special attention to the cleanliness of his cabin. Don't talk to him unless he talks to you first, always do what he tells you to do, and just... don't cause any trouble, okay?" he said sounding tired.

"Of course, sir." I said, trying not to sound nervous, and failing miserably at it.

"I will get his cabin ready first thing in the morning, along with two guest rooms, sir." I added a moment later.

The captain nodded slowly, and then he looked into my eyes.

"Remember to unpack his luggage when he arrives. One of the deckhands will take it into his cabin, but you will have to unpack it, okay?"

"Yes, sir." I answered.

A moment later he waved his hand towards the door and Nina headed out of the bridge without waiting for me.

I ran after her as fast as I could and I managed to catch up with her by the stairs, but she didn't look at me though, and instead she kept walking.

"Hey, I... I was wondering if its normal for him to dismiss the crew like that..." I finally asked her as I did my best to keep up with her pace.

Nina suddenly stopped, so fast that I almost ran into her. Then she turned around, looking both annoyed and worried at the same time.

"Look, Alexei is... eccentric, but he is not a bad person. Just do your job, pay attention to the little details because he will and sometimes he has a short temper, and... just... don't get involved with him, okay, he is your boss..." she said as she looked into my eyes.

Suddenly offended I took a step back.

"I... I know that... I would never..." I started before she waved her hand in my face.

"I know, it's just... he.... well, just keep what I said in mind, okay?" she said a moment later, looking frustrated.

After that she turned around and left, leaving me behind as I stood speechless and worried.

----

I woke up early the next day, but even as I made my way into the mess hall, I could see the rest of the crew already working. Nina was in a flurry of activity as she prepared for the arrival and the deckhands were giving the ship a deep cleaning.

After grabbing a toast, I went back to change into my uniform and then I headed into the main cabin. The place was huge and it would take me hours to clean it up. Then I would have to set up the bed and the couch, and all things that were stowed away when not in use.

By midday, I was exhausted but the main cabin was ready, though it had taken a lot longer than expected.

Before I left, I walked around it once more, checking every surface for dust and looking for anything else that caught my attention, but everything looked good so I went into the guest cabin.

That one was much smaller, but it still took me hours of work to finish.

Once it was ready, I was about to go prepare another guest room, when the captain found me and he told me it wouldn't be necessary.

Breathing a sigh of relief I looked around the finished guest room, expecting a compliment from him, but he just looked around, and then without another word, he left.

Disappointed, but finally free, I made my way into the upper sun deck and from there I watched the deckhands working.

They were just about finished cleaning, and now they were about to set the tender on the water, in case the owner wanted to use it.

It was strangely relaxing to see them working, but a moment after the boat touched the water the ship's intercom roared to life and the captain warned us the owner was on his way.

Suddenly worried, I ran towards my cabin and I changed into a fresh uniform, wishing I had time to take a shower but knowing I didn't. Instead, I stopped in the mirror to check my hair and my uniform.

Unlike the regular uniform which was a lot more relaxed and comfortable, now that the owner was here I had to wear the formal one. It was a navy blue dress, with a deep V neck and short sleeves. Black stockings and, fortunately, flat shoes, were required, and once I was ready I finished it by tying a white scarf loosely around my neck.

It was not as comfortable as the white shirt and blue shorts I was used to wearing, but it wasn't too bad either I thought.

Finally ready, I ran upstairs and onto the helipad.

Though relatively small by superyacht standards, the ship was big enough to have a helipad on the back. It was just another sundeck when the helicopter wasn't there, but now the deckhands had cleared it of any obstacles so that it could be used as a landing pad safely.

By the time I got there, most of the crew was already present, waiting in a line like sailors in the navy waiting for an inspection, which was more or less what was going to happen.

Taking my place next to Nina, I tried to mimic them and then I waited, though not for long.

A minute later the roar of the helicopter appeared in the distance, and soon we saw it.

It was painted red, and though it looked small at first, as it neared the ship I realized the true size of it. It came in fast, but as it approached the stern of the ship it slowed down until it was hovering.

The roar of the engine was deafening, and the wind was so strong that I thought it would blow me off the deck. Nina, standing next to me, was smiling as she squinted her eyes and a second later I saw her leaning into the wind.

Doing the same, I watched as it slowly moved forwards until it was just above the landing pad, and then it gracefully touched down.

A second later the engine started to slow down and the deafening roar became an ear-piercing whine as the turbine was turned off.

As one of the deckhands moved toward the helicopter I checked my dress, fearing the wind might have messed it up and then I stood at attention once more.

The deckhand opened the door, and a man came down. He was tall and muscular, with short brown hair and baby blue eyes. He was smiling charmingly and as he looked around the deck his eyes found mine and he chuckled softly.

He had a few grey hairs but he didn't look much older than 40 years old, and though I didn't realize it at first, he looked a lot like my dad, though much slimmer.

Behind him, a woman climbed off the helicopter with the help of the deckhand, and then she too looked at us.

She was much younger than him, with long black hair and a body full of curves. She was wearing a red dress, a red leather jacket, and high heels, not the most comfortable thing in this heat I thought, but she didn't seem to mind.

At first, I thought she might have been his daughter, but they looked nothing alike. The only other option that came to my mind was his girlfriend, and as I looked at her I wondered how old she was, as she looked a bit younger than me.

Hoping that she was at least 18 years old, I turned my attention to the man behind them.

He climbed the helicopter with practiced ease, and like the rest, he took looked at us.

He was a bit shorter than the owner and much thinner. His face looked almost gaunt and his skin was pale and waxy, making him look almost sick.

After a moment, he turned his attention towards the girl, wrapping his arm around her hip before he dragged her towards him, looking mildly annoyed with her.

She had been looking around with a face full of wonder, but as he pulled her against him, she lowered her head and stood meekly by his side.

A moment later the captain approached them and they shook hands. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but most of the crew took that as a cue to disappear below deck, though two of the deckhands started unloading the luggage from the helicopter.

Nina and I stayed, though, and the captain made his way towards us as the owner and his guest followed him.

"Nina!" he said, his voice full of joy. "I missed you, how have you been?"

Nina smiled wickedly towards him as she shook her head.

"I am doing fine, thank you, sir. And you and I know you only missed my cooking..." she said, her voice full of sarcasm.

Taken aback but her response, I waited for him to get angry but instead he started laughing out loud as he looked behind, towards his guest.

"I told you she was very... unique!" he said towards the man.

"When are you going to come with me to Moscow, Nina?" he said a moment later.

It was Nina who laughed now, and as I watched in amazement, she shook her head once more.

"Never, sir. I hate the cold... you know that... I much rather be here sweating than up there freezing my ass off..." she said as she smirked.

"You don't know what you are missing, Moscow is really a beautiful city. Maybe next time you will have changed your mind!" he said.

A moment later his eyes turned towards me and I felt my body exploding in goosebumps.

"And you must be Isabel, a pleasure to meet you." he said as he took my hand before he kissed it.

After kissing it, he looked into my eyes as he held my hand for longer than necessary. I felt uncomfortable under his gaze, but I remained quiet until he finally let me go.

"Welcome aboard, sir. I hope I can help you enjoy your stay." I said, trying not to stammer.

"I am sure you will. And call me Alexei, please. We will be spending a lot of time together, so relax." he said.

And as he did, I remembered Nina's words about not getting involved with him and I swallowed nervously.

"Allow me to introduce you to my business partner, Dimitry, though he prefers to be called Dima, and his lovely girlfriend, Sofia." he said as he swept his arms towards his guests.

"Welcome aboard, sir, miss." I said as I tried to calm down.

Dima's eyes were dark and small, and as he looked into mine he gave me a strange smile that made me shiver, and though he never said a word I felt deeply uncomfortable in his presence.

"Now... I know the ship already but they don't. Why don't you take them to their cabin and help them get settled in?" Alexei said.

I nodded quietly, and then I took a step towards the side.

"This way." I said, pointing towards the bow of the ship before I started walking.

Their cabin was just next to the helipad, under the main one. It was smaller, but not by much, and as we made our way in I saw Sofia's eyes widening as she realized the size of it.

Dima didn't seem to be impressed, though, and as I showed them around and told them how to get to the dining room, the lounge, and the sun decks, he seemed bored.

Once I was sure they knew how to get around, I went towards the closet and I started unpacking their luggage. There were three suitcases, one his, and one of the others was hers.

They hadn't packed much, which didn't surprise me in the case of Dima, but I had expected Sofia to bring more clothes. She brought only a couple of dresses, some underwear, and a few swimsuits, which seemed too little for two weeks.

Regardless, I finished unpacking the first two suitcases, and then I set the last one on top of a shelf before I opened it up.

As I pulled the lid up I was taken aback by what I saw. It was full of sex toys of all kinds and colors. Dildos, leather cuffs, ball gags, ropes, whips, and much more. I knew what it was, of course, but I wasn't expecting it and suddenly I didn't know what to do with it.

As I swallowed nervously, I decided to leave it like that, and just as I was to close the top a hand grabbed my wrist.

I jumped in fright as I hadn't heard anyone behind me, but when I turned around I saw it was Dima. He looked annoyed and as I looked at him he squeezed harder, crushing my wrist until it became very painful.

"Leave that one alone..." he said.

"I am sorry sir, I... I didn't know..." I said, trying not to let the pain into my voice.

Dima waited a second before he released me, and when he did I could see his fingers printed on my skin.

"That will be all." he said before he closed the suitcase.

Nodding quickly, I looked towards the floor and I made my way out of the cabin as fast as I could without running before I closed the door behind me.

Trembling, I leaned against the hallway wall and I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, but it was impossible.

My wrist hurt and as I looked at it I could see it swelling slightly.

A moment later I heard the helicopter roaring to life once more and I knew it was taking the rest of the crew along with it.

Wishing I was on board, I heard the sound fading into the distance, and then the only thing I could hear was the sound of the waves, gently lapping against the side of the ship.

----

After I managed to recover, I made my way towards the galley, hoping to talk to Nina about what had happened, but she was busy preparing their dinner and she told me to go away.

Feeling a little disappointed, I made my way towards the dining room and started setting up the table for the three of them.

As I did, I could hear them talking in the lounge, just next door, and though I tried to listen in, they were speaking Russian and I couldn't understand a single word.

Once I realized it was pointless, I returned my attention to my work and I made sure everything was ready. Then I made my way towards the galley once more, where I waited for Nina to finish the appetizers.

Once they were ready, I headed into the lounge to let them know. The men were seating on the big couch, smoking cigars and laughing loudly when I entered. Sofia though was sitting alone on a smaller one, holding a tall glass filled with water.

She looked dizzy, though, and at the time I remember thinking that it must have been the rocking of the ship, even if the sea was very calm and we were barely moving.

Trying not to appear nervous, I started moving towards them, and then I finally realized I could smell the alcohol in her glass, even from a distance, and as she looked at me, she gave me a smile that made it clear it wasn't her first one.

Swallowing nervously, I looked at them before I stopped on the other side of the coffee table.

"Dinner is ready, sir." I said towards Alexei, who nodded with a smile before he got up.

"Just in time, excellent." he said as he followed me towards the dining room.

Dima and Alexei sat down in front of each other, and a moment later Sofia managed to make her way to the table.

She was not as drunk as I feared, or if she was, it didn't show, but I helped her with her chair regardless, and then I went into the galley.

Nina had a tray ready for me, with a display of cheeses, toasted bread, smoked salmon, and a couple of different varieties of caviars. The smell was intoxicating and as I made my way towards the dining room once more I could hear my stomach grumbling.

After setting the tray in the middle of the table, I then went towards the bar, and I poured each of them a small glass of vodka, as the captain had told me to do, and then I retreated towards one of the corners, standing rigidly at attention as they gave a toast in Russian.

Sofia remained quiet, and I briefly wondered if she knew any Russian at all. Surely she must have, I remember thinking.

A moment later they started eating and Dima and Alexei continued talking in Russian. They ignored me completely, which I already knew would happen, but they also ignored Sofia, who took just a couple of bites of caviar in silence as she watched them meekly from time to time.

The scene was uncountable to look at, but I said nothing and instead I focus my eyes into the distance, trying to become indivisible as both the captain and Nina had told me to.

Only when they finished I dared to move. I took their dishes away along with the tray and then I went into the galley where Nina was just finishing the main dish.

"Remember, this is borscht. They love it. If he asks, tell him the meat is pig and it has plenty of carrots." she said as she set three plates on the tray.

Nodding slowly, I looked at the blood-red soup and I shuddered for a moment. The color came from the beats, of course, but there was something unsettling about it.

Walking carefully, I made my way towards the dining room once more and I served each of them, starting with Alexei and following with Dima.

Sofia thanked me quietly as I placed the plate in front of her, and this time she did eat, though I could see she was uncomfortable in their presence.

Once more I retreated to the corner and I watched them eat from a distance.

Sofia ate quietly for a while, and then she simply stopped, placing her spoon on the table before she hung her head over her food.

A moment later Dima looked at her and then at me before he spoke.

"Would you do me the favor of escorting her to our room, she is not feeling well." he said.

I nodded quietly as I helped her get up. She wobbled for a second before she took my hand and then I walked along her side as we made our way towards her cabin.

She was quiet as we made our way along the ship, but once we stopped in front of the door and I started searching for my keycard, she suddenly looked at me.

"Do you know Russian?" she asked me.

Speechless, I looked at her for a second before I managed to find an answer.

"No, I am sorry." I said. "Don't you?"

But she simply shook her head as I finally managed to open the door.

"I doesn't matter, don't worry." she said.

A moment later she entered the room and she turned around to look at me.

"I have to get ready, you can go now. Thank you." she said before she closed the door.

Wondering if she would be all right, I made my way back into the dining room just in time to take their plates away, and then I served them their desserts, a fancy tiramisu that smelled of vodka and chocolate.

Before I could retreat thought, Alexei grabbed my hand and he looked into my eyes.

"How did you find the ship, Isabel? Do you like it?" he asked me.

His grip was soft and tender, unlike Dima's iron grip from before, but it made me just as afraid.

"Yes, sir. It's... very beautiful." I managed to say, afraid I would start trembling.

"Please, call me Alexei." he said as he smiled charmingly. "And what about the time off? Do you enjoy the water around here?"

Unable to talk, I stood there for a moment, wondering how he knew about that. But I pushed the thought away, thinking that surely the captain must have told him.

"Yes... Alexei. It's beautiful. The water is gorgeous here, if you like swimming I can highly recommend you try it tomorrow." I finally said.

Alexei nodded in satisfaction before he let go of my hand, and then he turned his attention towards Dima once more.

Happy to be released, I returned to my corner and I watched them eat in silence.

Once they finished, they got up and I approached them once more.

"Tell the chef that her borscht was magnificent, better than any I ever had." Dima said to me, his voice dry and hurried.

Alexei just smiled, and together they made their way towards the lounge once more while I cleaned up the table, happy that dinner was finally over.