Chapter Seven
They met up at the docks around mid-morning. Camila had breakfast at home, but Adrien would be providing for lunch, and dinner and breakfast the next morning if they really did stay out on the water. She didn’t bring a change of clothes, though, since she was running out of nice outfits.
She’d gotten her paycheck already, so maybe it was time to do a bit of shopping…
In this aspect, there was nothing Camila could help with. As much as she’d always wanted to try at least once, she’d never been out on the sea, so she couldn’t help as he went about the preparations, though she watched closely just in case. They would be alone, so he obviously intended to pilot the yacht alone.
“You’ve done this before?” she asked, feeling a little nervous.
They were seated at the cockpit, set in the middle of the deck. Adrien sat in front of the wheel as she sat beside him, watching him work the controls. Though she could tell just looking at his precise movements and his actions from before they even boarded, this was her first time and she didn’t want anything to go wrong. Besides, to her, all he was doing was staring at a bunch of screens, pushing a button here, tweaking some controls there. His expression was completely serious, and it was her only indication that he wasn’t bullshitting her. It was a look she rarely saw on his face to begin with, so when she did see it, it was hard not to believe he had things under control.
Adrien looked over his shoulder at her with a grin. “Don’t tell me you’re actually worried,” he said with a chuckle. “Yeah, I’ve gone out in this thing so many times before that I’ve lost count. You can trust that I know perfectly well how to steer it.”
He seemed to be done with preparations, and he started the engine. Camila startled a bit, gasping, because the sound was a little louder than expected. Adrien glanced over at her, then steered the boat out into the open water.
In a few minutes when nothing seemed to go wrong, she relaxed and enjoyed it. The day was a warm one, with the sun beating down on her, but the breeze flowing over her kept her from getting too hot. Adrien picked up the speed a little, causing the noise of the motor to rise and the wind to whip her hair out behind her. Her heart was beating slightly fast, and she let out an involuntary giggle of excitement, turning into a laugh when Adrien graced her with another of his wide grins.
This really had been the best idea ever. Things were so much easier when it was just the two of them, no interruptions. And as much as the financial gap between them sometimes made her feel self-conscious, there was no way she could possibly say a thing against this.
They went around a few times on the water, Adrien’s masterful steering amazing Camila a bit, making her wonder just what else he could do. By the time he slowed the yacht, then brought it to a stop, it was already way past lunch.
“Do you think you could eat?” he asked, standing up. “Or do you feel seasick?”
Her heart still hadn't calmed down, but her stomach was completely fine. When she’d had breakfast, she’d taken something light, just in case she did have a weak stomach out on the sea. She felt fine, though. A little hungry, actually, because they’d spent a lot of time with the prep, then playing.
“I could eat,” she said, also getting up.
Adrien held his hand out for her, and she slid her hand into his. He led her to the yacht’s cabin, and she was surprised by how spacious it was, even though it looked plenty big from the outside. Adrien gave her a small tour. It had a living room, a small kitchen, and a bathroom. She was a little disappointed that there was no bed to be found, though.
As if he could read her mind, he gave her a meaningful look as he squeezed her lightly.
“There’s a bedroom, but it’s through a separate entrance closer to the back. We can see it later.”
I hope so,was what she thought, even as she blushed and ducked her head shyly.
The kitchen was actually stocked, and she wondered when he had it done, because he couldn’t possibly just leave food floating in a boat he only used occasionally. Not to mention, it was fully equipped with a stove, a dishwasher, a fridge, and other appliances, just like a real kitchen.
“Would you like to cook something or have a snack?” Adrien asked, looking through the fridge, then the cupboards. “Cooking might take up a bit more time, but there’s still plenty enough to eat even without it.”
“You’re leaving the choice up to me?” she asked, arching her eyebrows.
They had been out to different restaurants for the past week, and almost every time she didn’t even have a say in what she ate. Once, she managed to order a dessert for herself, but it was her only achievement so far.
Adrien looked at her and shrugged like it was no big deal, but to her, it was a very big deal.
“I don’t mind either way. I realized it’s always me taking you out to eat, I don’t even know the things you like, so setting everything up took me a bit of time. I hope there is something that interests you here.”
For a moment, Camila couldn’t even move. He was actually letting her have the decision. Sure, it was limited to what he’d put in there already, but she’d seen a wide variety of things, so there would definitely be something to interest her. After her short hesitation, she stepped forward to look around, just like he’d done.
“I didn’t know you could cook?” she said over her shoulder. “Or did you expect me to do all the cooking if it’s what I decided on?”
Adrien chuckled. “I can actually cook, I just don’t do much of that, either, since we have chefs at home. I go out on my own so often if I couldn’t at least make a few basic things, I’d just starve myself.”
After a quick look around, Camila decided they could make some light sandwiches. She wasn’t sure if Adrien would like them, but since he’d fed her plenty without her opinion about it before, she felt a little smug as she brought out the ingredients and put together the sandwiches. There was some dark chocolate that would go well with broken nuts sprinkled on top. As an extra dessert, there was strawberries and whipped cream.
They moved to the sitting room and sat down to eat. Silence reigned between them, besides the occasional comment, but it felt comfortable. Camila liked it, and she wondered if Adrien had noticed she’d been dissatisfied before, and he was trying to make up for it?
After the sandwiches and the chocolate and nuts, they took turns feeding each other strawberries drenched in cream. Adrien had been the one to start it, even smearing some cream on her lips and wiping it away with his thumb, then licking it. Camila watched, mesmerized, getting into the mood herself.