The Power Trip

Everyone gathered by the stairs and began making their way to the upper dining deck.

Sierra looked around and noted that Hammond was still absent. She wondered what he was doing. Busy planning another deluge of threats? She shivered at the thought and determined to stay strong.

Flynn was there. She decided it was best not to talk to him. Hammond was too unpredictable — who knew what he was capable of? She didn’t want Flynn getting involved in any way.

Fortunately there were new seating arrangements. At the dinner-table she found herself seated between Cliff and Luca, which suited her fine.

Hammond appeared before the first course was served. Barely glancing in her direction, he took his seat between Bianca and Ashley, and immediately started talking to Bianca.

It seemed impossible, but was he going to accept the fact that she was moving on? Had he run out of threats? Was this the beginning of a new life for her?

She could only hope.

* * *

After dinner there were professional flamenco dancers for the guests’ entertainment. Fierce-looking women with strong sturdy thighs, and darkly rugged men exhibiting plenty of attitude.

Bianca sat close to Aleksandr enjoying the festivities. Her hand lingered near his crotch; the sensual dancers were putting her in the mood.

Aleksandr absently removed her hand and turned to listen to Xuan, who — as far as Bianca could tell — was carrying on about something boring and political.

Bianca was irritated. Couples were now sitting next to each other in the entertainment area. How come Miss Intensity always managed to find a place next to Aleksandr?

Not that she was jealous. Oh no. The day she was jealous of another woman would be a day indeed.

Bianca possessed extreme confidence, and rightfully so. Her beauty was a given. Her beauty had always taken her wherever she cared to go. No roadblocks. Green lights all the way. Covers on Vogue, Harpers and Vanity Fair. Puff pieces in People, Esquire, even Newsweek and Time.

Bianca. The super-model of all super-models. A woman admired by women and lusted after by men.

Jealous. Ha! Although Aleksandr did seem to be rather taken with the petite Asian woman. Earlier he’d told Bianca that he found Xuan to be quite interesting.

Interesting indeed! Bianca didn’t like her, she was too serious by far. And what was with Xuan and her boyfriend? They barely appeared to notice each other. As far as Bianca could tell, there was no sexual chemistry between them, and that was strange because Flynn was smokin’ hot.

She decided to pay more attention to Flynn, find out what his deal was. Quietly she moved away from Aleksandr, who appeared unaware that she was on the move, too busy solving the problems of the world with Miss Intensity.

The flamenco music was loud, the dancers even louder and overly dramatic as they snaked their way around the dance floor stamping their feet and projecting fake passion.

Bianca made her way over to Flynn, who was sitting by himself. She squeezed up next to him determined to get to know him better. ‘How’re you feeling?’ she asked, putting on her sympathetic face.

He threw her a quizzical look. ‘Does the whole world know I had the runs?’

‘The runs?’

‘I’m quoting Ashley, a very eloquent young lady.’

‘With enormous tits,’ Bianca whispered, forming a bond between them.

‘Yeah,’ he said wryly. ‘I had kind of noticed.’

‘You’d be gay if you hadn’t,’ Bianca said, clicking her fingers for Mercedes or Renee, the two stewardesses who were always on duty.

Mercedes dutifully made her way over.

‘Two shot glasses of limoncello,’ Bianca ordered, barely looking at her. ‘And bring the bottle.’

Imperious bitch! Mercedes thought. Puta! She couldn’t wait to see the expression on Bianca’s face when Cruz’s men took over the yacht. Who’ll be giving orders then?

‘I gather we’re drinking,’ Flynn said, not averse to the thought.

‘You look like you need a drink,’ Bianca observed.

‘I do.’

‘Problems in paradise?’ she enquired, probing gently.

‘Huh?’ he said, rubbing his stubbled chin.

‘Well,’ she said casually, ‘you and your ladyfriend, you’re not exactly all over each other.’

For one wild moment Flynn thought she meant Sierra. Then he realized that she was talking about Xuan. Too bad. He would have quite enjoyed relaying the saga of him and Sierra, if only to get an outside opinion. Not that he would. It was private. It was between him and the love of his life.

Yes, he was forced to admit it, Sierra was indeed still the love of his life. And it wasn’t too late for them, was it?

Realization dawned like a sharp kick in the gut. He wanted her back. In spite of everything, he still loved her.

‘Are you pissed that Xuan is spending so much time talking to Aleksandr?’ Bianca continued, leaning towards him, keeping her voice low.

Flynn snapped back to reality. ‘Are you?’ he countered.

‘Am I what?’ Bianca asked, stroking a strand of her sleek dark hair.

‘Pissed that your boyfriend is all over my… er… girlfriend?’

‘Oh my God!’ Bianca squealed. ‘I can’t believe you just said that!’

‘Didn’t you say it first?’

Mercedes appeared with two shot glasses and a bottle of limoncello. Bianca snatched one of the glasses and hurriedly downed the sweet liquid.

‘Aren’t you joining me?’ she said, fixing Flynn with a challenging look.

‘Tequila’s more my style,’ he replied.

‘A bottle of tequila,’ Bianca snapped at Mercedes. ‘And make it fast.’

‘So what’s going on?’ Flynn asked, sensing that something was on her mind. ‘You seem disturbed. Is Xuan annoying you?’

‘Are you kidding?’ Bianca said, raising an imperious eyebrow. ‘No disrespect to you, only it would take a lot more woman to annoy me. Xuan is like one of those irritating flying bugs you can’t get rid of. She’s after Aleksandr to put up money for all kinds of dumb stuff.’

‘I suppose you mean the school she’s trying to get built in Cambodia?’ Flynn said dryly. ‘Or food and supplies for the hundreds and thousands of refugees in Sierra Leone?’

‘I’m not sure what exactly,’ Bianca said vaguely. ‘Only please understand that this is our vacation, and chasing Aleksandr for money is totally inappropriate.’

‘You want me to tell her to lay off, is that it?’

‘Yes,’ Bianca said firmly. ‘That’s exactly what I want.’

‘I’ll make an attempt,’ Flynn said, thinking that only a rich, spoiled and privileged woman would act in such an insensitive way. ‘Although you need to know that Xuan is extremely single-minded, and when she believes in something it’s all the way.’

‘Maybe you can fuck it out of her,’ Bianca said caustically.

‘I’ll take that as a suggestion,’ Flynn said, reaching for the bottle of tequila Mercedes brought over.

Might as well have a drink or two — maybe it would clear his head.

* * *

Two hours later and Flynn was feeling no pain. The flamenco dancers were long gone, as were most of the guests. The only ones that remained were Bianca, Aleksandr, Hammond and Xuan. They were all drinking too much, and as the drinking progressed, so did the animosity. Hammond kept on making pointed remarks about journalists being the scum of the earth. Journalists, he announced drunkenly, staring straight at Flynn, were lying, cheating,