Flying Circus - Prologue. The Captain

Saturday, 1 May 2027
Barcelona

“I have a good feeling about this group. It might be one of the most interesting ones we’ve had in a while.” Two days before new guests boarded the Flying Circus, the captain wanted to finalize the charter’s details.

Glenn Hollis, in her mid-sixties, recalled her early days in the industry and the amount of alcohol yachties could consume. She suspected her crew would be nursing hangovers the next morning and needed to complete preparations before they went out for the evening.

Nearly sixty meters in length, the vessel was commissioned by a family intending to sail with young children. With them in mind, safety features that could prove useful on this trip were incorporated into the design. The opulent boat could accommodate twelve guests and a similarly-sized crew, making it ideal for the upcoming charter.

“Our primary’s Captain Brett Davenport—”

“What kind of captain?” The question came from Trenton Phips, the thirty-something, American-born ship’s engineer.

“United States Marine Corps. Retired. The other primary’s his husband, César Abelló. We’ll be celebrating César’s fiftieth birthday on board.”

“Yeah! A gay crowd.” Wolf Kohl, the South African lead deckhand, was the only out member of the crew.

“I just hope this isn’t another bunch of middle-aged, rich men with nothing but sex on their minds. I didn’t enjoy the last time we had that kind of group.” Although he had made it clear he was not gay, Trenton had been constantly propositioned, at one point having to pry off a drunk, handsy guest.

“You may be safe, Trent. Brett and César have been married for a while, own a real estate development firm, a bunch of other companies, and jointly run the family’s charitable foundation.” Captain Hollis peeled the top sheet off the stack in front of her. “If Captain Davenport’s spending all this money to celebrate his husband’s birthday, I have a feeling they’re still into each other.”

“Yeah, well, the guy who grabbed my junk last time was also married. Why do rich people think their money lets them do whatever they want?”

“Stop worrying, Trent.” Glenn passed the sheet with Brett and César’s photos and information for everyone to review.

“Good-looking couple. Neither one looks fifty. What a waste.” Nina Romanova, the Russian-born British chef, did not share her crewmates' happy disposition. A somber, austere woman, she often complained about Westerners’ frivolity and liberal attitudes.

“Abelló…” Trent scratched his head while appearing lost in thought. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

“This may help you figure it out.” Captain Hollis kept the remainder of the file’s content face down on the table. “The two are bringing their sons, CJ and Ritch—”

Trenton nearly jumped out of his seat. “That’s it! That’s where I know the name from. CJ Abelló. Washington’s youngest-ever mayor and the first white and out gay man elected. I’ve read a couple of articles about him and his husband. The tabloids made a big deal out of British royals having dinner at their home in Washington earlier this year.”

“Their kids are gay too?” Nina did not sound pleased.

“CJ’s gay. I don’t think Ritch is. Anyway, CJ will be accompanied by his husband, Owen Liston. Here are pictures of them.” Captain Hollis shared the second sheet on the stack.

“Wow! Any ugly family members? Four hunks, none of the women on board have a chance to get lucky, but Trent does?” Kimberly ducked to avoid the hand the engineer wound up fanning over her head.

Captain Hollis made a show of peeking at the remaining sheets. “Nope. No ugly ones. Owen’s an environmental attorney, works with the Nature Conservancy, consults for large businesses, and sits on a few corporate boards.”

“I’m looking for one of those articles I read before.” Trent tapped at his phone’s screen. “If I remember correctly, Owen’s Australian.”

“Cool. A fellow Aussie.” Kimberly hailed from Brisbane, Queensland.

Captain Hollis waited until silence returned. She shared a third biographical sheet. “All but one of them arrive in Barcelona today. According to the travel schedule, Ritch will be flying in tomorrow. He’s a lieutenant in the United States Air Force currently stationed in Italy. His girlfriend, Lucy Wilkinson, works for a tech company.”

“Bloody hell! Forget power couples. That’s what I call a power family. I remember the news making a big deal out of CJ winning the mayoral race.” Trent pumped an arm in triumph. “Found the article. He’s gay, under thirty, and was the U.S. Ambassador to Cuba before running. First Green party candidate ever elected Washington’s mayor.”

“I googled them all when I got the package from the broker.” Captain Hollis did the same with every guest welcomed aboard the Flying Circus. “He’s also written several books, a screenplay, won a couple of Oscars, a Grammy, an Emmy, and a bunch of other awards.”

“Does he walk on water too?” Nina’s dismissive tone did not deter the others from laughing.

“Let’s go back to the Aussie for a minute.” Recognition had sparked in Kimberly’s face after her compatriot’s name was mentioned. “Liston… Any relation to the winery?”

“Owen and his family own it. Have you tried them?”

“Yep, but back home in Oz. Excellent, but pricey. I’ll check and see if the chandler can get their hands on any before we sail.”

Captain Hollis decided to at last reveal details on the other three guests. She suspected the crew would not be very enthusiastic about them. “CJ and Owen are traveling with their three children.”

“How old are they? Are they going to be a problem?” During previous charters with families, youngsters had often roamed the ship, squirreling themselves into the strangest spots. Once, a missing tyke was discovered in the laundry room, after an older sibling stuck him in the dryer. The crew was on alert the entire trip.

“We’ll see. Anyway, the girl, Elizabeth, just turned seven. The boys, Roosevelt and Jefferson, are four. The children being allowed wine with meals—even though they’re underage—is one of the charter’s stipulations. Their fathers will decide when and how much.”

“Hell, they’ll either be alcoholics by the time they reach high school, or they’ll be the best-adjusted teens ever when it comes to booze. I know a vintner family back home, and kids drinking from infancy’s common.” Wolf constantly extolled the virtues of South African wines. “I feel sorry for the boys, though. Those names are a mouthful.”

“You won’t have to use them.” Captain Hollis shared the kids’ info sheet. “The girl goes by Liebe. The boys, identical twins in case you haven’t noticed, answer to Jeffer and Roo.”

“No dietary restrictions?” Those could be onerous at times, and Nina always dreaded them. She seemed confused there were none on the pages handed out. “I’m assuming I’ll have to prepare different foods for the younger ones. That means I have to spend the rest of the day reviewing my menus and making sure I order child-friendly provisions to be delivered tomorrow. I can tell I’m going to dislike this charter.”

“Let’s make sure they don’t find out how you feel, Nina.” Glenn knew their guests were not only wealthy but connected. She would make a call and have a replacement chef on standby in case Nina proved difficult. “They have one restriction. Nothing low-cal or fat-free. Lots of preferences, but they specified not all have to be satisfied. They mention fresh ingredients, lots of seafood, and preferably Mediterranean cuisine. I see nothing about different meals for the children.”

“I doubt they would enjoy some of the more exotic foods, so I’ll be ready with kid-friendly dishes along with the adult fare. I’m not looking forward to this trip.”

“Are you sure you want to work this charter?” Glenn stared at her chef, daring her to say anything else.

Nina nodded but did not utter a word.

“You’ve made your feelings about children known before, and now you’re being pessimistic when everything I see is an accommodating family. They even get a whiff you don’t like children, and I’ll have another chef on the boat so fast you won’t even realize you’d been fired. Do we understand each other?” Although stern, her warning was uttered calmly.

“Yes, Captain.” Nina’s flat tone did not hint at her actual feelings.

“Kim, they have specific requests when it comes to liquor. Spanish wines are atop the list, although they’re interested in sampling others from Mediterranean regions.”

Kim glanced at the list the captain handed over. “Well, these boys know their stuff. They like quality booze. We’ll have a birthday celebration on Wednesday for César, and one for Owen on Friday. I’ll talk to you about wine pairings for those nights.” The comment was directed at Nina, who once again simply nodded.

“The wine won’t be a problem. I’m surprised their requests aren’t more onerous, what with one of them owning a winery. I hope the kids are well-behaved.” Kimberly did not sound excited about guests so young either. “Last time we had children on board, it was a nightmare.”

“We can only hope these three have been raised better than those brats were.” Captain Hollis’ patience had been tried during that particular charter.

“I won’t judge before meeting them, but in my experience, children of wealthy individuals often have attitude issues.” Trenton shrugged. “They develop a sense of entitlement because they have money. And the parents are often too damn lenient.”

“Then let’s make sure the three little ones are sufficiently tired to keep them from acting up. The entire family’s athletic, the children are supposedly good swimmers, and Captain Davenport wants all toys in the water the moment we drop anchor.

“Let me read you one of his comments. If I’m going to be on a sailboat, I want to sail. Motoring along’s fine while we island-hop or there’s no wind, but I want as much time as possible with flapping canvas.”

Kohl grinned and pumped a fist in the air. “This is going to be fun. I can’t wait. And not because they’re gay and hot.” His grin was mirrored by everyone but Nina.

“That will make it difficult on me during the outbound and return trips.” Nina would have to cook while the boat tilted. “If we’re under sail for hours at a time, it’ll be dangerous to use knives and handle hot pots.”

“He took that into account. During both the out and inbound segments, they’re willing to forego fancy lunches. They’re fine with cold, hand food. You may have to prep while sailing, but we’ll run the engines during meal service.” Glenn glanced at Kim and Wolf. “Since we’re going to spend so much time heeling, make sure both your crews remember to store things away and latch cabinet doors and drawers.”

Although most sounded enthusiastic about the upcoming charter, Glenn realized they were apprehensive. “This is a large group with kids and a longer charter than we usually do.” Most were for two or three nights. “However, I’d like to remind you Captain Davenport’s spending a lot of money, and I expect them to receive the five-star experience we pride ourselves on providing.”

When no further questions surfaced, Hollis stood. “Okay, people, you’ll have tonight off, but don’t go crazy. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Nina, get with Kimberly and order whatever additional provisions you may need. Wolf, let’s make sure the Flying Circus sparkles when they come aboard.”

Glenn returned to the bridge, trying to determine if she should take preemptive action concerning the chef. Nina was excellent, and guests had raved about her food. But if she was predisposed against Captain Davenport’s family, it could create problems. It was not so much they were wealthy, all their guests had high incomes and net worth. The problem could arise with Mayor Abelló. She had read a lot more about him than she let her crew know. A wunderkind friendly with not only politicians but famous artists and athletes, speculation about him running for president as soon as he was old enough was rampant. It would not do to antagonize someone like that.

She decided to give the woman a chance but would keep a close watch. If she stepped out of bounds, Nina could find herself unemployed.