Starlet

32. Leo Is Coming

By the time Friday comes around, I am ready to do anything. Adding this extra practice is hell. Collin took me to dinner on Thursday. That was nice. I got some snuggles and kisses. I miss sleeping beside him on the couch. I slept so well and I love his skin. I miss it. Here, I sleep like crap some nights. Wake up believing I'm back in the dungeon. Those aren't fun nights.

I get home after practice on Friday and Lindsay is standing there with Silvia.

"Are you ready?"

"Pack underwear for me."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now, I'm ready."

Lindsay laughs, "Pack her underwear, 3 cover up dresses. 3 biki... Let's pack you quick."

"Ok."

We get up to my room, and she piles stuff on a chair. "Leo is coming."

"Why?"

"Dipak's trying to scare him off you."

I stop and stare at her for a minute. "So he's bringing him on vacation with me? And he has a girlfriend anyway."

"Yea, I don't know what the hell he's thinking." I can tell she's mind linking someone. "I'm trying to talk him out of it."

Dipak walks in through my closet door. "Remember underwear."

"You need to listen. This trip will make them closer."

"No. It will drive him away from her."

I shake my head. "I don't want to be in this argument."

"He's going to never look at her again after he sees how much we protect her."

"Not to mention all the alone time they're going to get on the boat."

Nik and Elek crack up laughing. I didn't know they were here.

I shake my head. "No, he has a girlfriend. We're good there. We're just friends."

Elek rubs his eyes. "I really want to see who wins this argument."

Thora jumps up and down. "I have an idea now."

"Thora you better not..."

"Oh stop Dipak. Lynn already doesn't like her. You all said that she took him as her boyfriend in a weird way." She looks at the brain. "On Monday, during the theater practice. Please inform Bayden in front of everyone that Whisp and Leo will be missing the day. They haven't returned from Paris yet. They should return by Tuesday's practice."

Elek nods. "This is going to get interesting."

Thora smiles. "Welcome to the petty b***h wars. If Dipak really wants to bring him, we'll play along."

Dipak rubs his eyes, "Let's just go."

"We probably shouldn't forget Silvia." Lindsay and I go back down with my stuff. Then I make a door to Dipak's office. We walk in and plop all our s**t down right inside the door. Then plop our asses randomly at the conference table.

"I have the maps. Give me a second. Everyone is getting a suite. So your room number is on top of your map right here. Go up to the door, and it will scan your eye and let you in. Your eye will be your key. Remember the stores and alcohol cost money on this ship. It is not free. You will be paying for it. Also, keep in mind the food delivered to your room can cost money. Make sure you are ordering from the free list if you don't want to spend money. The kids' club is open to everyone, so they can play on the water slides. Nobody is locked out, we can all go in there freely. I think that's all. Watch what you are charging to your room. It can add up quickly."

Andy looks at him. "Someone said it was unlimited food? I'm not understanding."

"Can you bring me the room menu please."

"Yes sir."

"I'll show you the room menu in a minute. But every restaurant on this ship. All of them are free. You can walk in any time they are open and order. The food has no charge to it. Except," He takes the menus from the brain. "These 2 menus are in your room. If you are hungry and can't find anything you like open, you can order from either of these and the food will be delivered to your room. This menu is free stuff. It says included on the front." He holds up the other menu. "This menu. Additional, is food you have to buy. This is the only food on the entire ship that you would have to buy. Honestly though, it is really expensive. Like lobster. You can see where it says lobster, 60g. They will bring you lobster at 2am, if that's when you want it. But it will cost you 60g."

"Even the steakhouse is free?"

"Yes."

"Are you actually making money on this?"

Dipak and Marcus laugh. "We're looking into it."

Andy nods.

Dipak hands out the maps. He hands me 1, and I jump up and down a billion times.

Lindsay and Silvia check mine. "We're side by side." Then we jump up and down.

Dipak nods. "Alright, everyone find your room and make sure you can get in. Then go down to the restaurant." He makes a door and we run through it.

I get in my room and jump up and down. This is amazing. I have a huge bed and a couch. The coffee table has ocean fish in it. There's a big bath facing out a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. It looks out over the ocean. There are chairs on the balcony too. It is beautiful. The colors are white and a light greenish blue color. It's beautiful. I pick up the papers and see cookies on the free list. "BRING ME FREE COOKIES."

"Yes, ma'am."

I throw myself on the bed and wiggle. This is perfect. Then someone knocks on the damn door.

I open it and Leo is standing there all fancy dressed. He's got his hair back with a button-down shirt on. Then a matching jacket and pants. "You look good. I didn't realize it was a fancy dinner."

"It's not. I was playing with the clothes in the box. I like this."

"I like it too. You look good like that."

I take his arm, and we walk down the hallway.

"YOU CAN MATCH." Thora attacks me with a box.

Suddenly I'm very sexy dressed. Tight short black dress with tall heels. My hair has big bouncy curls. I've got sparkly jewelry on. I imagine the makeup is perfect. Leo stares at me.

"Perfect. I have to put the box somewhere." Thora runs off.

"I guess I'm fancy too."

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

"Your cookies, ma'am."

"Thank you. I love cookies." I take 3 steps and realize I have no underwear on. I freeze.

Dipak and Marcus come towards us. "You need to go to the dining room."

Dipak puts an eyebrow up. "What's wrong?"

I whisper in his ear. "This outfit doesn't have underwear."

He rubs his eyes. "Go back."

I put underwear on in record time and run back out. They're still standing there. "All better now."

Marcus looks at me. "What was the problem?"

Dipak shakes his head. "No problems. They're good now. Head down. The dining room is on the bottom floor."

Leo pulls the seat out by his side. I sit and smile at everyone.

"What are you eating?"

"Cookies."

"We're at dinner."

"THEY WERE FREE COOKIES."

"I should have got some."

"No babydoll. Let's eat dinner. Then we can eat cookies."

Nadine decides everyone needs everything for dinner. Then she orders wine.

"Oh, do you have gold wine here?"

"No. I only carry my wine on the ship."

"Your wine?"

"Yea, I make wine."

Thora nods. "You have to try it. It's so good."

My eyebrows shoot up and I nod. Then I shove a cookie in my mouth. Dipak, Marcus, Mason, and Tre stare at me.

"I make red and white wine. 1 of each. Everyone seems to like it."

I nod. Not sure where to go from here.

"The wineries are kind of far away, but we all like it."

I relax. At least she has a winery. That's not what I thought at first. I shove another cookie in.

"Are you going to try it?"

I stop chewing and stare at her for a minute. Then I signal 1 of each to the brain. I can't talk with my mouth this full.

Johen perks up. "What did you signal?"

I'm still chewing. Leo answers and does the hand movements. "1 of each."

"Yes, sir."

"I guess I'm trying it too."

I laugh and finally get my cookie down. "It's sign language. Convenient for when the adult side is trying to order wine and the teenage side shoves a cookie in my mouth."

We laugh, and the wine gets put in front of me. Marcus looks like he's going to puke. He does not want me to say anything about this. Even Dipak is uneasy.

Leo and I pick up the red at the same time. I taste it. "It's wine."

Leo nods. "Red."

"Red wine." I sip it again. "It's good."

She smiles and nods. "I knew you would like it. They said you like wine."

"What are you pricing it at?"

"200g a bottle."

"No. That's low. Double that. It's a good wine. It's not exquisite or excellent. But it is definitely better than average. 200 is too low. Also, do not mess with the recipe. There is a lot going on. If you add much more, it's not going to be good. Leave this be and double the price. You do not have an average wine here. The average wine is 200g. This is better than that."

"Try the white too."

I drink some water then try the white. "It's very..." I do an exploding hand movement. I can't think of the word.

Leo nods. "Intense."

"Yes. That's it. Thank you. Intense. It's shocking how fresh it is too. This would be a high good or even excellent. It's right there. Lot's of flavor."

"How much would that be?"

"1k to 1.5k a bottle. Any less than that and you're giving it away. You're not selling this at 200g are you?"

"Yes."

"Don't do that. 1k is the minimum."

"Ok. I'll fix it."

I take another sip. "You may actually get some wine lovers that say this is exquisite. I don't personally think it's at that level. I think if you put a bunch of critics in a room, they would agree it's between high good and excellent. It's right there. A few are going to say exquisite. A few are going to say average, but we can't get away from those assholes."

We laugh and Dipak stands up. "We're leaving the dock at 8pm. They're running the final checks now. We will dock in Egypt at 6am on Tuesday. If you want to do the tour, we can, but we are going home by 5. I do not want Whisp missing a s**t ton of practices this time."

"She's just missing the 1, right?"

"Yes it's 1."

Tye nods. "Let's eat so we can sleep. I am exhausted."

I smile. "Me too."

Dipak signals for the food and sits down.

I eat as much as I can, and fall asleep with my head on Leo's shoulder before I even get dessert.