Lies and Weddings(20)
“Oh, Josh. He’s the water sports director at the resort. He’s not just some fit bloke, you know, he’s a Rhodes scholar that used to play for a professional football team. I recruited him for my swimwear photo shoot with British Vogue. He’s going to be rowing me in one of those antique outrigger canoes.”
“And rowing right into your bedroom after that!”
“Oh stop, Solène! Now, did you have a good time last night?”
“I would have had a better time if I had been seated next to your brother. I know what you’re doing, Béatrice—you’re trying to drive me crazy!”
“Nonsense! We had to seat everyone by order of precedence. Rufus is only a viscount, so he cannot be seated at a table with a princesse,” Bea said, lying through her teeth.
“So why was I seated next to Nicolai Chalamet-Chaude? He’s only a baron.[*1] I had to endure all his relentless name-dropping while your brother stared at me all night.”
Bea cackled, glancing in the rearview mirror at Eden. “Eden, do you remember what you said the first time you met Nicolai at Glorious Twelfth?”
“I said I couldn’t stop thinking of peaches every time I heard his name,” Eden deadpanned.
A look of alarm suddenly flashed on Solène’s face. “Wait a minute. You two are friends?”
“Of course! Did you two not meet last night? Solène, this is Eden. Remember I told you about her?”
Solène put a hand to her mouth as she stared at Eden. “Oh fuck! I thought you worked at the hotel. I thought you were the maid!”
Bea stared at Eden, not sure whether to laugh or to be appalled. She supposed that in her simple white piqué shirt and khaki shorts, Eden could be mistaken for being on the housekeeping staff at a tropical resort.
Solène continued to apologize. “I’m so sorry! You must think I’m some crazy bitch, making you carry my tote!”
Eden laughed it off lightly. “Don’t even think about it for another second. I was happy to help.”
They soon arrived at the marina, where Rufus could be seen at the far end of the small parking lot leaning against his Jeep. Bea pulled up right next to Rufus. “Where’s Freddy? I thought you were giving him a ride.”
“Change of plans. When Freddy realized we were going whale watching on a fishing boat, he insisted that we take his Walrus or whatever that thing is called.”
“But what about our whale guide?”
“He’s picking the whale guide up from Honokohau Marina and they should be here any minute now.”
No sooner had Rufus said this than a now-familiar roar filled the air and Freddy’s fantastical boat pulled up to the dock. As everyone climbed on board, a pair of dark-tinted glass doors automatically opened, revealing a sleek, Zenlike interior cabin where Freddy (CEE/Crossroads/NYU/Pepperdine), dressed in a pale beige cashmere sweater over a white linen shirt and pleated linen trousers, lounged like a pasha on plush white cashmere cushions. Beside him sat a brunette with a mass of pretty curls in a chic vintage floral-print maxi dress, and arrayed before them on the Ipe wood floor was a massive clamshell piled high with tropical fruits, champagne, oysters, and caviar.
“Welcome aboard Babyshark!” Freddy said with a huge toothy grin. He jumped up from his cushioned seat and extended his arms in a clumsy attempt to give Solène a hug and a double-cheeked kiss at the same time. He gestured to the open seat next to him, but Solène hovered about for a moment and then chose to sit next to Rufus.
Freddy grinned through his disappointment. “Everyone, make yourselves comfortable. Mi barco es su barco. And meet Laurel, world-famous author and cetologist. A cetologist is a whale biologist, I’ve just learned.”
Bea gushed, “Freddy, this boat is incredible. It’s so much bigger up close!”
“That’s what she said. Heh heh. Babyshark has all the comforts of a luxury superyacht, but really, it’s a high-performance sporting boat. Wait till you see her go.” Freddy shouted toward the cockpit, where the captain stood ready. “Hey, Captain Lee,[*2] are we ready to go hunt Moby-Dick?”
Laurel (Balboa/Thacher/Cornell/MIT) winced. “We’re not hunting whales, Mr. Farman-Farmihian. Not today or any other day. We’re going to observe these magnificent creatures that have traveled three thousand miles from Alaska to spend the winter in our tropical waters.”
“Of course, of course. No one’s gonna hurt Shamu while he’s on vacay. Captain Lee, let’s get the show on the road. ándale, ándale! Everyone, grab a seat and hold on tight. This beast takes off like the Millennium Falcon,” Freddy warned. The boat taxied out of the dock slowly, gliding on the water smoothly, and then without warning took off at what seemed like warp speed, the G-force sending the caviar dish flying right into Solène’s lap.
Solène reflexively brushed the tiny black eggs off with her hand but immediately smeared them all over her linen skirt. “Merde!” she cursed.
“Captain Lee, slow down! We have a caviar incident!” Freddy shouted, not wanting anything to upset Solène. He rushed over and began wiping her skirt frantically with his napkin while eyeing her beautifully bronzed legs.
“You’re making it worse,” Solène said.
“Oh, sorry. Where’s the damn deckhand? Bruno! Go grab some towels in the can downstairs.”