Page 69 of The Second Chance in the Mediterranean
Seb turned away, and after a few hushed words with Dom, left the three of us alone on the bridge deck.
I replayed the scene over and over again. How foolish it had been to step outside. Seb should have been angry with me, but he’d been his unflappable self, taking care of me when I needed it. Despite the fact that I’d hurt him, twice now, he was here. He still looked at me like that, without condition, and I realized I had made a mistake.
This job might have conditions, but Seb didn’t give me any. And I shouldn’t be giving him any either.
I gripped the snacks tightly in my fists.
“Dom,” I said, “I’m in love with Seb.”
He choked on his breath, coughing and pounding his chest. When he regained his composure, he took a deep breath in. He braced himself on the counter, his eyes full of sympathy. “Marcella, Seb gave me his notice.”
* * *
I climbedthe stairs up to the bridge deck, Roy right behind me. We carried lunch service for three—sandwiches for me, Dom, and a guest.
After my confession, Dom had asked for patience. And then he’d scheduled a meeting for us.
Roy and I stepped out onto the aft deck, where Dom sat at the patio with a woman dressed in a pantsuit. Her hair was swept back into a slick ponytail, shot through with gray, and I guessed she was in her fifties.
Dom spotted me. “Marcella, come join us.” He waved me in. “This is Nilda. She’s one of the best yacht placement agents in the Med, and she is based here in Barcelona.”
As I approached the table, Nilda rose and offered me her hand. I set the platters on the table and shook it while Roy put down the place settings.
“Pleased to meet you.” Nilda’s accent was thick and local.
“Nice to meet you too,” I said nervously. I slid into one of the empty seats and crossed my legs. Roy squeezed my shoulder before exiting. Why would I need to speak to a staffing agent?
“Marcella,” Dom began, “I fear I have not been very supportive of you recently, and I may have let my personal thoughts on the matter sour your viewpoint.”
“What matter are you referring to?”
“Relationships among the yachties.”
My eyes flicked over to Nilda and then dropped.
Dom continued. “Nilda is an expert in placing couples in crew positions.”
“I am.” Nilda nodded at me with a soft smile. “Dom tells me you are relatively new to the superyacht industry, and I think we need to clear up some things.”
I swallowed. “I’m listening.”
“I actually place a lot more couples than I do singles now. It used to not be the case, but when you market it right, couples can have an extreme advantage on yacht jobs. Couples tend to be more reliable, they support each other, and when they’ve been together a fairly long time, they are seen as more stable than younger, single staff.
“You have a few unique things going for you. You are more experienced in your field, at the top tier, if what I’ve heard from Dom and Natasha is right.”
It took a minute for Nilda’s words to register. “Natasha?”
“Yes. Dom and I had a discussion with her and Justin and they were both on board with this conversation. I’ve placed chefs for Natasha before, and she’sextremely particular. I know she’s not easy to work for.”
My lips tilted up at the understatement and I had to hold back a laugh. I had never worked for someone so difficult—or rewarding—in my life.
Nilda waved a hand to move the discussion along. “So, placing you in the perfect job is hard because you are too qualified, and there’s a slim number of owners who look for your level of quality. I don’t mean this as a bad thing, but Seb’s job is the opposite. He’s younger, gaining experience and working up the ranks. Any yacht that is looking for a chef like you likely has a place for Seb.”
“We aren’t saying that finding two perfect jobs on the same boat is an easy thing,” Dom clarified. “But it is possible.”
“Sixty percent of the positions I placed last year were couples,” Nilda told me proudly. “And based on my personal experience, they have lasted longer in the positions I’ve placed them in over people who are single.”
“Okay,” I said. “All this makes sense, and I appreciate the clarification. But...Seb quit.”
