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We rested on sun loungers under shade on the upper stern deck. I checked my dive watch regularly, monitoring our surface interval time. A long rest was necessary because of the depth we’d reached.
“Forty meters is my maximum depth, Victor.”
“Why did we go so deep?”
“As a novice, your buoyancy was all over the place. Anywhere at the midpoint might have confused you. Shooting straight up to the surface might cause decompression sickness. I wanted you to see or touch the bottom.”
“Can you teach me to dive properly?”
“The first lesson is right now, Victor. Let’s go, sweetheart.”
We selected a shallow dive area, no more than ten meters, and everything went perfectly to plan. Victor’s bad experience was put to rest, and we surfaced after forty minutes of exploring colorful nudibranchs and corals.
Rania looked relieved when we surfaced, hauling us on board a spare tender full of security.
As I stowed our tanks on the yacht, Rania approached. I noticed she looked unnerved, so I prepared for a confrontation that I knew was coming. It was evident by her expression my safety concerned her and she was spooked.
“I have confirmation the pirate gang is all in custody, and the Police Chief sends his thanks. Should we return home?”
“For being a criminal gang’s target?”
“That was my fault, Amy. I got complacent. Someone should have been in the diving tender with you. I’m tendering my resignation after this cruise.”
“Oh, stop it, please, Rania. For fuck’s sake, it’s not your fault.”
I rounded on her, feeling somewhat peeved. Something in my mind warned that dwelling on this and other crises in our past would cause more life restrictions and pain.
“If you or your security team had been in the boat with us, you’d probably be dead. A pistol isn’t much use against machine guns, and I’d rather not have one of our people’s deaths on my conscience.”
“That’s true, bu-.”
“Please, no but’s Rania. You dove in front of me at the house when Tatiana aimed at my head. I can’t repay you for that loyalty. I really don’t want to lose you.”
She stared at the deck until I cupped her chin, forcing Rania to look into my eyes. I saw powerful emotions locked in that she would never openly reveal, but I also saw a firm commitment from someone well able to discharge it.
“I must accept responsibility.”
“Don’t blame yourself because it makes us… me, you, and Victor, the victims of poor judgment, which we are not. This was a bunch of criminals looking for an easy target who wanted to get home with some loot.”
“Okay… okay, is something wrong, Amy?”
“Yeah, Rania… we want to live in hope and love, not fear. Let’s carry on as though today never happened. I’m not losing you over this.”
“Okay. If that is your wish.”
“Yes… it is.”
I wasn’t supposed to hug her, but I did. Rania’s confidence and presence in my life were a stalwart, and I couldn’t risk her leaving me or losing her calm. She seemed happier when I released her from a bear-like hug and went about her business.
I joined Victor in our quarters, where he agonized over choices from a week-long lunch and dinner menu. The options were as expected from a chef who once worked in a two-Michelin-starred restaurant. I scanned the options my boyfriend had selected and nodded, smiling enthusiastically.
“Chef needs to buy some provisions quickly, and then we can leave. Where would you like to go, Amy?”
“How about Barbados, then a long cruise to finish in Miami, have dinner, and fly home from there.”
“Dinner in Miami?”
“A seafood bonanza to die for, Victor. We deserve it.”
“Seafood it is… to die for is probably not the best expression after today.”
“It was bad luck, sweetheart, but I feel that’s in the past now. I delayed my public press conference for the week, but the University has emailed their unwavering support. It’s another bridge built and crossed.”
“Do you think the announcement of who you are is the final piece of the puzzle?”
“For us and for now, yes. Artyom can negotiate with the Russian government and Gabriella with the U.S. State and Justice Departments. The Russians will shrink away from this quietly now one of their assassins was killed by another one on U.S. soil.”
“All loose ends are tying up, then?”
“That’s how I see it, Victor. Today was criminal stupidity and opportunism, and my only joyful takeaway is that nobody got killed.”
We showered together in a spacious rainfall wet room en-suite. I felt relaxed because a life changing decision was made in my mind. I just needed an opportunity to discuss my plan with Victor.
As I wanked him off, cupping both balls in one hand while peeling his foreskin back and forth, enjoying a very stiff cock with the other, I realized what was important in my life. Sex, love, children, family, investment, and Victor, not in that order, of course, but collectively, these factors had become the core of my life.
“Would you like to make love, Amy?”
“We only have fifteen minutes before dinner, honey, and that’s not enough time for me to dry my hair. I want to milk your prostate gland dry so that you won’t sit around twitching and sexually frustrated at dinner with a raging erection. We can fuck later.”
“You’re a very practical girl, Amy.”
“You’re a very precious boyfriend. Your happiness is my paramount concern.”
When I stared lovingly into his eyes while rubbing his glans with a cupped palm, Victor shot his load into it. I cheekily and seductively raised my hand, licking off most of his seed while he watched, with cock still jerking, before sluicing the rest under warm shower water.
“We can’t be late for the Chef, Victor. It wouldn’t be fair. He doesn’t get much satisfaction, sitting around for months on end cooking only for the crew.”
“Do you think we should use Planet Nine more often?”
“The vessel is a Category A ship, Lloyd’s registered Ice Class 1D, with polar certification.”
“How do you know that, Amy?”
“It’s on the documentation bundle I had sent to me. I’m a lawyer, so I checked with the yacht’s managing agents before we came here, ensuring all licenses and insurances were up to date.”
“Why?”
“We have a baby on board, sweetheart.”
I pointed at my belly, smiling. Victor hadn’t forgotten, but we’d agreed not to count our chickens too soon. It still was too soon, with my first trimester barely underway, but with five positive daily tests and my very regular period missed for more than a week, I felt pregnancy was likely.
“We’ll have to be very careful from hereon in Victor.”
“We are being careful, honey.”
“The Divers Alert Network says no diving during pregnancy. I was a bit carefree over that and never thought about it until my friend and fellow diver Chester mentioned it while we were on a call an hour ago. I wanted to check my dive plan with someone I trust.”
“Ahh.”
“He also said no alcohol, but flying is fine until we get close to our birthing date.”
“Where would you like to give birth, Amy?”
“In the jacuzzi on this yacht, watching polar bears and icebergs while screaming.”
He laughed heartily, then realized I was serious, and his jaw dropped. Victor pulled me into a tight hug with tears in his eyes.
“Why the waterworks, honey?”
“I’m just so pleased I have you. My life will finally become extraordinary.”
We dressed in casual lightweight sweats, appropriate for the gym or a private fine dining experience. Planet Nine was underway, and I felt overjoyed, leaning safely over the stern rails, held tightly by Victor’s hands around my stomach, protecting our baby while we enjoyed the sun setting.
The water churned spectacularly below us, creating a massive wake as our Captain made full speed ahead toward our destination, Barbados. I felt a slight tremor from the steel handrail, a sign our engines were in good health, probably enjoying a long, full-on runout for a change.
“Have you noticed how enthusiastic the crew are, Victor?”
“It’s because they rarely get out into the open ocean, sweetheart.”
“I have some thoughts about that.”
“Shall we sit down and discuss whatever has you bubbling, Amy?”
We left the stern area and were escorted by a crew member to a side-extended sundeck almost at water level, where our dining room was set up.
I had mulled it over all week, and now it was time to discuss a decision I’d made and the options I wished to explore. As we sat opposite one another, around a small wooden circular table, I saw Victor’s eyes twinkle, and his expression took on an excited quality.
“What are you smiling about?”
“You, Amy. I have a feeling something exciting is about to begin.”
“Victor, I love this yacht, and I feel we should use it often. Imagine the global exploration we could have. Our kids could grow up examining the world from so many perspectives. You can even have a doctor on board and teachers. This is a proper exploration yacht.”
“I know it is. Didn’t you realize that?”
“It’s such a great opportunity.”
“This is a small yacht in billionaires’ terms, Amy. Planet Nine is valued at eighty-five million dollars. Eclipse, owned by a Russian billionaire, is valued at one point five billion dollars. That’s excessive if you ask me.”
“I love Planet Nine, Victor.”
He glanced in all directions, taking in the beautifully finished teak wood flooring and smooth lines of the ominously gray, almost military battleship-style vessel.
“With you being here, I love Planet Nine too. Perhaps I haven’t given this lifestyle a fair chance, Amy.”
“We have a helicopter, which makes it easy to board and depart.”
“What about work, though? I can run my companies fine from here, organize meetings wherever we are, and use private jet charters to get to where I need to be, but you’ll be hired by a law company soon, and they will make you a wage and office slave.”
“I’ll finish law school, get my license, and turn down all offers.”
I held both hands wide apart, eyeballing Victor. It was a massive change of direction, which the University would not welcome. I was destined for exactly what Victor described, a life of frantic workplace drama, day after day, until I withered.
“Okay, that’s a shocker. What will you do instead?”
“I’ll become an investor and Chairwoman of my own companies, sweetheart. I want to be just like you.”
“I’m a Chairman.”
“I’ll be the same but with better legs.”
“Okay… I’ll give you that, Amy.”
I saw pride puffing Victor’s chest and cheeks as he grinned at me. It was the life-changing decision I’d made to become an investor and company executive rather than work out of law offices, churning cases while my lifeblood ran away.
“Am I being selfish, Victor?”
“No, sweetheart. You’re making the right choice for you and probably for us as well.”
Our razor clam starters arrived, and I saw they were steaming hot, perfect for a pregnant woman, otherwise denied blood heat or chilled shellfish. I thought like a pregnant woman should, determined that my earlier folly would not be repeated.
We laughed almost constantly through dinner, discussing weeks of pressure and crises that all seemed to have vanished.
“How is Caprica?”
“Doing extremely well, by my mother’s account.”
I studied him to understand how he felt about having two mothers. Checking in on Victor’s feelings was essential because he had been a bastion of independence and isolation for so long. His ability in business was unsurpassed, and I hoped to learn from that, providing him love and empathy in return, making my lover’s life happier and healthier.
“How does it feel?”
“Having two mothers?”
“Yes.”
“Charlotte is the mother who raised me. Katerina is the mother who saved my girlfriend and unborn baby’s life. I have good reason to love them both, separately and together. I’m making sense of it every day.”
“That’s very profound.”
“Does it make sense, though, Amy? Should I be angry that someone took me away from one family or grateful I grew up in another? Caprica was once a very loving and thoughtful sister, and Charlotte was a perfect mother until she wasn’t.”
“Anastasia missed out on you growing up, or at least she feels that way. You can see her point of view, surely?”
“I felt instant love for her, in the same way that I love all my siblings. Even Caprica is becoming dear to me again.”
“Now she isn’t trying to fuck you for a baby?”
He shook his head in dismay, leaning back, remembering recent and distant past life experiences. When Victor smiled and shrugged, I knew he’d turned the page and moved on, raising his glass of sparkling water to me.
“Let’s look ahead, Amy.”
“To the future, Victor.”
Our plates were cleared, and an amuse-bouche arrived. Avocado dill mousse and smoked salmon verrine were perfect and tasted excellent. As I polished off the small taster, looking forward to beef cheeks on garlic mashed potato, I saw myself being in love with Planet Nine forever.
In my mind’s eye, our children padded around the deck with cute wide eyes and broad grins, hunting down Victor or me, crawling into our laps, showing us their latest vivid multi-color drawing on bright white paper of a faraway land as we skimmed past its coastline.
“You own another yacht, right?”
“Yes, Lady Lara is bigger than this one, and it’s a traditional superyacht that can’t go where Planet Nine does. I prefer being here, though, and I love your birthing plan.”
“But you could allow your family the use of your second yacht. Assign each person a cabin they can take up at will. We could even cruise there occasionally.”
“Yes… it’s a good idea, Amy, but why wouldn’t we only enjoy Planet Nine?”
“It’s also important for the crew, Victor. They need job satisfaction, and a visit by the boss enthuses them.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
“We should live, love, and enjoy family, Amy. All family is important, even the ones off the rails.”
Next Chapter:
KATE I also totally agree 👍 with Chester but don't leave out smart God knows what both there I Qs are.
Amy has to be the most thoughtful person I have ever read about. Not to mention considerate also. Even Victor continues to be impressed. The way she correctly handled Rania, the ships crew of the other yacht, even the chef. What a woman, and now the soon to be mother. Little feet running around the yacht. Reminds me of my two sons, without the yacht. Amazing the way she brings such a broad spectrum of subjects to light in an erotic adventure novel, oh sorry, story. It never ceases to amaze this reader. Right down to the relative most of us have and their relationship to the rails or lack their of. You have done it again, Kate! Thank you.