Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 128211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 427(@300wpm)
Finn didn’t try to stop me as I left. He stayed silent and still until I ducked into my cabin, pressing the door shut behind me and leaning my head against it as a pained breath left my chest. My face burned, heart pounding like it wanted to rewind time to that moment before I touched him, before I let myself forget.
I knew the cameras had caught all of that, and it only had my stomach sinking more.
I had to get it together. I had to find a way to not let that man affect me.
And fast.
POST-PRODUCTION CONFESSIONAL
CLOSE QUARTERS
SEASON 4
ELIJAH JOUBERT: DECKHAND
PRODUCER
Tell us about yourself, Eli, as if you were talking to the viewer for the first time.
ELI
Well, my name is Elijah, but my mates call me Eli. I’m from Cape Town, South Africa, and I’ve been in yachting for a couple of years now. I’m pretty green when it comes to a boat this size, but eager to work… and play, of course.
PRODUCER
What made you want to work on a yacht?
ELI
You mean besides the money? I mean, come on — traveling the world, working on luxury yachts, jolling on my days off? That’s the dream, isn’t it? Course, no one tells you about the actual job part. Or the part where you’re trapped on a floating tin can with a bunch of beautiful, emotionally unstable people for eight weeks straight.
PRODUCER
What was your first impression of the crew?
Eli snorts, shakes his head.
ELI
Mate. You ever seen a group of people so good-looking and that bad at making good decisions? I clocked it straight away — this was going to be a messy season.
PRODUCER
What made you think that?
Eli holds up fingers, counting them off.
ELI
One — half of us were clearly using this job to run from something. Two — we were all so ready to let off steam that we got gees’d every night out with the crew. Three — there were exes on board, and that’s never a good thing.
PRODUCER
I assume you’re referring to Ember and Finn?
ELI
Listen, I didn’t know the full backstory at first. But from day one? Ohhh, you could feel the tension. The way they looked at each other? The way they didn’t look at each other? You didn’t have to be a genius to know there was history there. I scoped it out early because Ember is mooi and I wanted to go for her. Nothing like a fun little boatmance to get you through a season, right? But I had to check with the other okes, get a feel for where everyone’s head was at. And when I brought it up around Finn? When he saw me flirting with her?
Eli whistles.
ELI
Should have seen his face. Oh wait — you did. I think the way he blew steam out of his ears and nearly chopped his finger was our first sign that we were all in trouble.
PRODUCER
Did you think they’d be able to stay professional? Once you found out they had history, that is.
Eli deadpans, sucks teeth.
ELI
Absolutely not.
Eli pauses, laughs, kicks back in chair and crosses ankle over knee.
ELI
Nah, I mean, they tried. I’ll give them that. But let’s be real — when you mix past heartbreak, close quarters, long nights, and alcohol? Eish, something was always gonna give.
PRODUCER
Are you still angry about what happened?
ELI
Angry? Nah, man — that’s not really my vibe. Was I disappointed? Sure. A bit gutted, even. But ja, it is what it is. Life moves, and I happen to dig life quite a bit.
PRODUCER
Do you blame Finn for ruining the season?
ELI
The only thing I blame Finn for is blocking my shot with Ember after telling me he didn’t have feelings for her.
Eli winks at camera.
ELI
Ag, shame. I’ll never forgive the dodgy bastard for that.
The next day, I stood in a line with the rest of the crew as we watched our first guests approaching after what was likely the worst night of sleep of my life.
I usually started the season off energetic. The exhaustion didn’t come until a few charters in. But I’d tossed and turned last night, especially when Gisella snuck into our cabin at well-past midnight. I wondered if she’d been with Finn, if they’d been in his bunk. And then I’d felt sick. And then I’d scolded myself for feeling anything at all.
Safe to say it wasn’t a very restful night for me, but fatigue aside, I was still buzzing with excitement next to my fellow crew members as we prepared to welcome our tech mogul friends.
We were dressed in our whites — crisp, short-sleeved polos with the yacht’s insignia embroidered over the chest, perfectly pressed skorts or tailored shorts, and deck shoes that somehow still looked fresh despite the abuse they took. Our hair was neatly styled, not a strand out of place, and not a single drop of sweat dared to stain our pristine uniforms despite the sweltering heat.