The Cook

"Excuse me," Allie called as she tried to attract the attention of the guy sitting in the cockpit of the yacht in front of her. He was sitting with a laptop on his knees and was busy typing and perhaps hadn't heard her so she called again.

"Excuse me, is this the Winged Goddess?"

This time she almost shouted to get his attention and it obviously worked because he stopped typing and looked up at her.

"Yes, it is ... how can I help you?" The tone of his voice and the grin on his face told her that he might be friendly and she should stop being nervous.

"They told me up at the office that you were looking for a cook?"

"I am indeed ... come aboard and we can talk."

Allie looked at the drop from the dock to the deck of the yacht ... it was low tide and coming aboard was easier said than done. There had to be an almost two-metre drop between the two surfaces.

Before she could say anything he laughed, "Sorry, I forgot that we're at the absolute bottom of low-tide right now. How about you toss your backpack down and then I'll help you get down too?"

She swung her backpack off her shoulders and knelt on the dock and handed her backpack down to him, "There's not much in it," and that was something that clearly embarrassed her.

He took it and found how light it really was, "That's all you've got? You sure are travelling light."

"That's everything I own in the world in that pack," she said quietly and he instantly apologised.

"I'm sorry ... that was rather crass of me ... I didn't ..."

"That's OK," she said with a faint smile and he realised that what he had said wasn't OK ... it had caused her some pain.

"Well, my backpack is now onboard so how do you suggest that I follow it?"

"That's easy, just sit down on the dock and swing your legs over the side. When you're ready just push off and I'll catch you."

She didn't think that it would be the most elegant way to board a beautiful yacht like the Winged Beauty ... but with the tide this low it was probably the only that she would be able to get on board, so she swung her legs over the side and pushed off ... and fell into his arms.

Tom had been busy sending an email to his in-laws when he heard someone calling to him from the dock. Mr and Mrs Trudlow had wanted to know where their daughter was, and Tom had no idea. Things had been rather tense on the yacht for a couple of weeks and after the last charter Jenny had simply packed her things and walked off the boat.

He knew how it must look to her parents ... daughter suddenly disappears from yacht, and no one hears from her ... but he couldn't help how it looked. No matter what he had done to try and make Jenny happy she had just become more and more withdrawn and irritable.

At least there might be some CCTV footage of her leaving the Marina the day they arrived back from the last charter if the Police came calling. That might satisfy the Police, but it wouldn't satisfy Tom.

He thought that he and Jenny were happily married and living their dream running small charters for two, three or four people along Australia's Great Barrier Reef in their comfortable yacht ... but evidently things weren't what they seemed.

Jenny had gone and left him with a major headache. Jenny was the cook on the charters, and they had bookings stretching into next year but what could Tom do with no cook?

Finding a cook wasn't the only problem. There were only three cabins on the yacht, so everything was fine if the charter was for just two people but where did the cook sleep if there were three or four people on a charter?

When the cook was married to the skipper everything was fine but now that the cook wasn't married to the skipper things could get interesting ... especially if the young woman he was still holding in his arms was going to be the new cook.

Allie took a deep breath as she pushed herself off from the dock ... she needed this job because she was down to her last few dollars. She had been working in the kitchen of a pub in Cairns ... and hiding from an abusive ex-boyfriend ... until a few days ago and then her best friend had betrayed her.

Not only did her best friend reveal to Allies' ex where Allie was staying but her best friend also stole Allie's ATM card and cleaned out her account. Left with only the money she had in her purse and the few things that Allie could stuff into her backpack as her ex-boyfriend arrived and started to try and smash his way into her apartment, Allie had run out the backdoor and had kept on running.

She had just enough money to pay for a bus ticket as far as Townsville ... which wasn't all that far ... but at least that was a start and it was fortunate that she knew the Greyhound driver because Jarrod, the ex-boyfriend was sitting at the bus terminal, watching the departures and she knew that he would never let her get on the bus.

But the Jarrod didn't notice the bus come to an unexpected stop two blocks into the trip so he didn't see Allie run out of a park and straight onto the bus. That at least allowed her to put some distance between them ... but how could she find work in Townsville?

She had no clothes other than the few odd things she had stuffed into her backpack and she had no money to pay for accommodation so who would hire a woman who was obviously living on the street?

During the five-hour trip down the highway she got talking with the woman in the next seat who understood what Allie's dramatic dash to the bus meant and it was her advice that had brought Allie to the Marina.

Allie was prepared to work as a deckhand on one of the larger tour vessels, but the Marina manager had been speaking to Tom that morning and knew that he was in desperate need of a cook and once she heard that Allie began to feel that her immediate future might be taking a turn for the better.

"OK, you made it one piece," he laughed as he stepped back, "I'm Tom Moritzy, skipper and owner of the Winged Goddess and you are?"

Allie was still catching her breath after what seemed like a death-defying leap from the dock, "I'm Allie Mujic and I'm a cook ... well ... a chef really but I need a job and I want to apply for your cook vacancy."

"Welcome aboard Allie ... maybe we should sit down and have a drink while I explain a few things ... and then we will see if you're still interested."

Allie agreed but when Tom saw her gazing through the window at a bowl of fruit on the table in the saloon he held up his hand, "When was the last time you had anything to eat?"

"Oh ... um ... I ..."

"That long ago huh? Come in and I'll fix you some breakfast."

He took her into the saloon and got her to drop her bag and have a seat while he went down to the galley. In a few minutes she could smell bacon cooking and she had heard the unmistakable sound of eggs being cracked.

There was the sound of something being chopped too ... and was that the sound of a toaster popping up some toast? The smell wafting up from the galley told her that it was ... and this guy wanted to hire a cook?

"OK," he said cheerfully as he came up from the galley with a plate and cutlery in his hands, "A cheesy three-egg omelette on toast with a side serve of smoked bacon."

She took a mouthful and it tasted wonderful, "Thank you so much for this ... it's wonderful ... but why are you looking for a cook if you can prepare something like this yourself?"

Tom laughed, "This is pushing the ragged edge of my ability to cook ... and no one wants to live for a week on my omelette variations, so I definitely need a cook," and he sat down at the other end of the table

"So let me tell you about this job ... oh wait ... I forgot the coffee," he jumped up and started to hurry back to the galley, "how do you like it?"

"Milk and no sugar please."

When he came back with the coffee her omelette was half gone and when she took a sip of the mug he put in front of her she shook her head, "You can cook and you're a Barista too?"

"All smoke and mirrors and a coffee pod machine ... without it you would not want to offer a mug of coffee I made to your worst enemy."

"Oh I don't know about that ... but it can't be that bad?"

"Allie, if you come to work for me I'll make sure you find out ... that way you will always want to make the coffee."

"Anyway, let's have an informal two-way job interview and I'll start by telling you about Winged Goddess Tours.

"I run charter tours around the Whitsundays and up and down the Barrier Reef for wealthy couples wo don't want to have to put up with the usual tourist trips ... screaming kids ... whining adults ... grumpy staff ... that sort of thing.

"When they come aboard the Winged Goddess they are stepping into a different world ... a world where we move by sail and wind ... a world where they can walk on pristine beaches that are so private they will never see another person ... a world where they can strip naked if they want to and make love on the deck or on some of those beaches or in the shade of palm trees.

"We are totally discreet ... we take them where they want to go ... and let them do what they want to do ... as long as it is within the law. We feed them, ply them with drinks and make sure that they have a wonderful time.

"We feed them three meals a day plus snacks, and everything is prepared onboard. As cook it would be your responsibility to arrange the menus, purchase the provisions, prepare the meals etc.

"All meals are prepared fresh, and you will have limited time to prepare them because, if we are at sea we may be sailing at a slight angle which makes it difficult to keep things on the stove.

"As skipper it is my job to sail the boat, keep our guests informed about life on the reef, take them diving, snorkelling, fishing and anything else they might want to do and help you with the clean-up.

"The galley is fully equipped with a two-plate electric cooktop and small oven, a microwave, a large air fryer and most of the other appliances you might need. There is a dishwasher as well as a large domestic fridge plus several freezers of varying size.

"Now that probably sounds pretty good but there is a problem ... and I'll understand if it is a dealbreaker for you."

Allie had just been finishing off the last mouthful of her breakfast and was feeling rather contented but Tom's mention of a dealbreaker had her sitting up and paying attention.

"The Winged Goddess sleeps six ... in three cabins ... and that six includes the crew," he paused to make sure that she was understanding what he was saying and when her eyebrows started to rise he knew what she was thinking.

"Yes ... I see you counting heads and pillows. If the charter is for two people we don't have a problem because there are two other cabins but if the charter is for three or four then there is only one cabin left for the crew ... and the beds are queen-sized doubles."

Tom could see that Allie was critically analysing what had been said. She might not have her hand up to her chin, but she was pulling a strange face ... and she was probably looking for the fastest way to get out of the saloon and off the boat.

"So, what happened to your last cook?"

Tom sat back and put his hands on the table ... he wanted to make sure that he appeared to be as open and non-threatening as possible.

"The only cook that I ... we ... have had until now was my wife and she packed a bag and left the yacht when we docked here two days ago. I haven't seen her since and doubt that I will see her ever again.

"I thought that we were happily married ... living the dream. We were doing what she had said that she wanted to do but over the last few months she became irritable and distant and ... then she left without telling me where she was going.

"She hasn't even told her parents where she was going and, while I'm trying to get my head around what has happened, I've still got charters booked up into next year and so I need a cook."

"When is your next charter?"

"Tomorrow, two people for four days, starting and finishing here."

Allie rubbed her chin, "I guess that I need to tell you about me then because I am interested in the job.

"I am 32 and I'm basically running for my life. I was living in Cairns in a very abusive relationship until about a month ago when my ex-boyfriend was jailed for breaching an AVO order that I had taken out against him.

"While he was in prison I moved to a different part of the city but when he got out my best friend told him where I was living at about the same time that she stole my bank cards and cleaned out my accounts.

My ex arrived at my front door yesterday as I basically ran out the back door with the few things that I could stuff into my backpack. I only had enough cash in my purse to get me to Townsville and someone on the bus suggested that I might get a job faster if I tried some of the bigger charter boats here at the Marina.

"When I asked at the office, they suggested I talk to you so here I am. I have no references or trade certificates that I can show you and I would rather not give you any names of previous employers because, if you try contacting them for a reference, someone will tell my ex and he will be down here looking for me the next day.

"However, I have worked as a chef at a variety of restaurants, clubs and pubs up and down the Queensland coast for the last 10 years so I am more than qualified to handle this job ... and I would really like to try it.

"I'm not sure what you have in mind if we do have to share a cabin but maybe we can work that out when that situation arises ... if that's OK with you ... and if it is then I would like the job."

Allie looked at him, what choice did she really have? She had no money and no place to stay and there was no guarantee that, if there was a women's refuge in town, that there would be spare bed for her. If she had no place to stay then finding a job would be even harder and, if Jarrod came looking for her, he wouldn't have much trouble finding her.

But if she took the job she would have a place to say, an income and she might not be in town if Jarrod came looking for her.

And to be honest, Tom looked like a bit of a hunk. He was tanned, muscled, clean-shaven and he seemed to have a sense of humour. Over the years she had slept with a number of guys for reasons other than love and she could handle getting into bed with Tom.

Tom looked at Allie ... she was a cook and he needed a cook ... she was also very attractive and he found it hard to believe that she was 32. She looked no older than 25 at the most, her brown hair hung down below her shoulders, her breasts were firm and full and they felt good against his chest when he caught her as she jumped.

He could see that some of the guys who chartered the boat would find her very attractive and that could be good for her ... and him ... plus she would be nice eye-candy for him to gaze at from time to time.

And what would they do when the third cabin was needed for a customer? Tom could always sleep on the floor but maybe it wouldn't come to that.

"We haven't even talked money yet?" Tom definitely wanted her to work on the boat but how much did a Chef with years of experience earn?

She smiled, "From where I sit there are so many positives for this job that maybe I should be paying you."

He grinned, "And from where I sit, we need to be talking at least $200 a day."

"Let's start there and review it after a couple of charters," she suggested, and he agreed.

They shook hands on the deal, and he was about to take her on a tour of the boat when his phone rang. He went out and stood in the cockpit to take the call and when he came back he looked serious.

"Phone calls just before a charter starts make me nervous because you often find that the customers want to back out of the charter. Sometimes though the calls can be like the one I just received where they want to bring two extra people with them tomorrow.

"Of course, we now have to work out something to cover our sleeping arrangements much sooner than we thought. I told him that I needed to check with you because you had already ordered our supplies and I wasn't sure if we could get more in time.

"Of course, that's a fib but I really did need to run it by you before agreeing, so how do you feel about cooking for six instead of four and us sharing the same cabin?

"It's your call and whatever you say will be what happens."

She looked at him and let her mind go over what he had just said, she had slept with guys after spending less time with them than she had just spent with Tom ... and even if he behaved himself, she doubted that she would be able to behave for four nights.

Tom was fairly sure that she wouldn't walk away. He had offered her a reasonable wage and he was quite prepared to sleep on the floor if necessary ... he was about to tell her that he would sleep on the floor when she spoke.

"Let's do it," she grinned, "although for all you know I could have a terrible snoring problem." They both laughed and this time he didn't go out to the cockpit to talk to his contact. He stood beside as he made the call and agreed to a party of four.

Chapter 2

"Tom, I've never been to sea in anything but a tinnie so tell me about Winged Goddess. I know you called her a yacht but what else can I say about it if one of the guests asks.

Tom chuckled, "She is a Van De Stadt Tasman 48 Rolled Steel Deck Saloon. She was launched 22 years ago and she is built for cruising ... not racing. It has all the major appliances you would find in an average Australian home including a washing machine and a dryer.

"The kitchen has a large family sized fridge, there's a large microwave and air fryer plus a two-burner stove, plenty of bench space and storage space too ... and I think I mentioned the dishwasher before.

"There's a four-person Zodiac that we can use to take people ashore as well as some blow up toys for guests who want to play ... or just relax on ... but there's no swimming at this time of year because of the stingers.

"In our cabin there's two sets of hanging space and two sets of drawers and Jenny emptied her side out when she left so you will be able to put your things in there and moved them over to the other cabin after this charter."

"I know I don't have much," Jenny said sadly, "I just had time to grab some things ... I'm not even sure what I grabbed until I unpack it."

"If you need more things then we can get them today when we go into town for supplies for the charter ... and dress is really casual so you may not have to get a lot of stuff. Most of the time Jenny would wear a pair of shorts and bikini top or a bikini bottom and a t-shirt."

"That's all I have to wear? Wow ... I'm loving this job already ... but what about footwear?"

"Jenny went barefoot more often than not but she had an old pair of thongs when she needed to wear something on her feet."

"Hmm ... I'm not sure I have any footwear but the sandals I'm wearing."

"That's OK ... just make a list of the things you need and we will get them when we go into town to get our supplies."

"She watched as Tom took a pad and pen out of one of the drawers in the galley, "On the back you will find the number for our meat and veggie suppliers. When you have unpacked do a meal plan for all the meals for the next five days and then ring those guys.

"They will have it ready for us to pick up this afternoon and if you make a list of everything else we will need we'll get that at the same time."

'OK,' she thought, 'time to get to work.' She checked for dietary requirements and there were none so she started on her meal plan. While she did that Tom found a guy on a nearby boat who could help Tom by slipping the moorings so Tom could take the yacht around to the fuel point and top up their diesel tank.

While they would be spending most of their time under sail there would always be some time for running with the engine and it would be embarrassing to run out of fuel because he hadn't bothered to top up the tank.