“Nick, tell mum I will be in Germany next week.” Nancy begged Nicholas, her younger brother on the phone. she was walking towards the yacht own by her bosom friend and Childhood crush, Marcus McKenzie, the newly wedded billionaire (CEO of McKenzie’s holdings and Tech)for the Honeymoon Cruise.
She saw his text when she woke up in the morning and quickly dressed up to honor his invitation. Marcus and her estranged boyfriend, Nelson were already there waiting for her and Joel.
“Be rest assured ma’am, be rest assured I will deliver your message”. Nicholas retorted jokingly.
“I just got to the boat… Goddamn I can see Marcus and that son of a b***h Nelson, yikes!!!”. Nancy exclaimed staring at the gigantic Yacht ahead of her while trotting with her luggage held and dragged by her left hand.
“Oh!, sorry about your predicament sis, wait how many days are you going to be there for?.”Nicholas asked inquisitively.
“ 7days Nick!,7 days honey moon cruise!!..,We should probably turn back from the third or fourth day we about to take over the Mediterranean sea.” Nancy said excitedly.
“Wow that’s a wavy adventure right there!”. Nicholas teased.
“Wavy adventure?, (Laughs) Nicholas you so stupid, yeah I know it’s wavy!”. Nancy joked.
“ Anyways! good luck to you and Nelson escapade sis, oh perhaps let me say…. Sexcapade, y’all better don’t hijack the honeymoon from the couples.” Nicholas taunted her.
“Bro, we ain’t in talking terms, and it won’t happen again in this life or the next. Thank God he didn’t come for the wedding it would have been something else.” Nancy responded with a stern face feeling disgusted by the thought of Nelson whom she is quarrelling with.
Phoebe, a dark skinned, 5 feet 6,busty lady, Marcus maid. approached Nancy to get her luggage. Marcus the host of the voyage, also appeared around the same time to welcome Nancy to his honeymoon cruise yacht. While Nelson stared at Nancy from afar painstakingly engulfed with thoughts. Nancy stared back at him with scorn till he left for the back door. Phoebe picks up the bag, while Nancy nodded in affirmation at her. Nancy hanged up on Nicholas due to Marcus welcoming intrusion.
“Hey Nick, we gon talk later, take care of Mama.” Nancy implored.
“yeah, For sure sis, Have fun!.” Nicholas hanged up.
Marcus voice draws closer as he moved towards her, he pocketed his hands.
“Nans, Nans, Nans !, I’m so glad you came, my joy abounds”. Marcus said delightfully with a big grin.
“And what kind of friend that makes me if I didn’t come?,( Pauses, raising her eyebrows at him), anything for my ‘Ex Zaddy’.! ”she assured, they hugged and he pecked her on the cheek.
“Hey!, easy tiger, go easy with the Ex Zaddy thing. don’t say that, what will people think ?, I am a married man now.” Marcus replied flaunting his ring. Nancy scoffed
‘pray it lasts.’ She subconsciously said to herself.
“Anyways you looking rad, what you wearing.” Marcus asked.
“Gosh!, you are such a fashion dud, you know I’m Gucci all day, everyday”. Nancy praised herself. Nancy is quite the materialistic girl. She is fashion conscious and also one of the most sought after Lifestyle Influencer in the country.
“Oh that’s right”. Marcus said and they both chuckled. Marcus wasn’t anyway surprised with her response.
Nancy continues the conversation, looking straight into Marcus’s eyes, they were of the same height.
“Marcus, you are still as cute as ever, can imagine Eve been getting these yummy all alone.” Nancy teased smacking her lips.
Marcus chuckled lightly at her statement which Evelyn would dispute. He cleared his throat placing his mouth into his folded hands before responding.
“Thanks for the compliment Nans, you looking not so bad yourself, you got the red hair, the pretty face, the figure 8 body, Even a blind man will notice you. In die time you will also get hitched.” Marcus teased, Nancy laughs heartily.
“Most definitely!.” Nancy replied.
“let me escort you to your room mademoiselle”. Marcus requested with an hand gesture .
“Oh!, Thanks Pappy”. Nancy replied they both walked down to the cabin.
“What about our lovely wife?”. Nancy asked sarcastically, Marcus looked at her wondering why she asked about Evelyn she detest a lot.
“Hey! don’t do that.”Marcus warned calmly.
“Do what?.” Nancy asked firmly unbothered.
“You never liked her”. Marcus added wondering what her goal was. She was currently in a fight with her boyfriend Nelson. And now she is teasing him all of a sudden, trying to rekindle her childhood infatuation.
“Oh, you feel I hate Eve, hell no I don’t, even though she stole you from me” Nancy uttered. Nancy had a crush on Marcus when they were teenagers that wasn’t been reciprocated. She later got into a relationship with Nelson when he became an Hollywood actor.
“how will she steal something you never owned?.” Marcus pondered looking sternly at her. She scoffed.
Nancy was taken aback by his statement and looked at Marcus been offended, but she retracted from venting and ignored him.
“The lord will vindicate me.” She muttered. Marcus was a little bit tensed by her grimace, he shrugged it off.
“where is she anyway?”. she asked curiously.
“She is kind of stressed out, she’s taking a nap,”. Marcus answered.
“Oh!, I see, sleeping beauty”. Nancy replied sarcastically.
They were already in the cabin this time. She sat, and slammed her back on the bed and sighed in relief from the journey stress.
“This is the 11.11 yacht , only got about six rooms and you probably need to reconcile with your roommate, cause this would be yours tentatively.” Marcus broke the intermittent silence encouraging her to reconcile with Nelson.
“Oh, sorry I forgot to commend the lustrous billionaire on his yacht”. Nancy teased and deviated from the subjected, she sat upright.
“That’s not what I’m talking about Nans, you have got to bury the hatchet with Nelson” Marcus interrupted her.
“I heard you mark, I ain’t never going back to that nincompoop ,Never! ,He saw me and ran away!.” she blurted out painfully.
Marcus became short of words, itching his hair with his right hand fingers. He sat beside her and held her left hand fingers, he clasped them with his. Nancy looked down, and at him as he talks.
“ See Nans, every couple in this world do have incessant squabbles, love is not a perfect journey for anyone, No matter the status or wealth. We just have to keep striving for the best for each other. Nobody’s perfect, love comes with enormous challenges and perhaps, If you feel you have met someone more perfect, there will still be squabbles, do you understand?. I want you to be the strong Nancy I have always known since we were 13.” Marcus placated her and she nodded slightly In affirmation with a smile.
“Thanks Mark, Nelson is just a bit of an handful, he his tedious to cope with.” Nancy explained.
“I believe things would get better soon”. Marcus assured and stood up to leave.
“I hope so, Marcus, you such a darling, Evelyn is lucky to have you.” Nancy praised him
“ hmm(scoffs), you can say that again.” Marcus joked.
“ yeah, we don’t know what we have got till it’s gone”. Nancy added.
“hmm, you sprinkling some wise words there. anyways, thanks for coming once again, freshen up and wait for dinner, the boat will move once Joel and Kate gets here”. Marcus informed.
“Wow Joel is coming, that’s my buddy!.” Nancy exclaimed.
“Yeah, i invited him too, he came to the wedding’ Marcus said with a scowl wondering why she was surprised by it, he would definitely invite Joel too.
“Yeah, I saw him, I texted him this morning. he fooled me he wasn’t coming. That Kate said they can’t, talking about London and the likes. You know he could have boycott this though. you know we all have schedules, you should be grateful we came”. she answered with a rolling eyes.
“Okay!, If you say so ma’am , I will like to take my leave now” .Marcus asked.
“Yeah, I wanna have my bath”. Nancy retorted.
“Hey what about your mum?, I heard she is kind of ill”. Marcus said looking back then turning towards her.
“Kind of?.” Nancy bewildered by his statement.
“Sorry, you didn’t tell me the full details about her illness, So I couldn’t pry, I’m sorry for the statement I made.” Marcus Apologized looking back at her.
“It’s okay Marcus, sadly she got cancer and she has few time left to spend with us.” Nancy said sullenly, Marcus felt sympathy towards her and walked back to her, shutting the door.
“Hey, I’m so sorry to hear this, I never knew you were going through something as heart breaking as this, Nans.” Marcus pacifies her by sitting close to her with his hand patting and gently caressing her back in a comforting way.
“I just don’t understand, why this is happening now.” Nancy muttered whimpering, Marcus was speechless for a moment gazing at her.
“It will all be okay, You will be fine Nans, you will.”
“Are you sure?, Because it doesn’t look like it Mark, I dread loosing her”
“You will be... I can empathize with you, I felt same when I lost my mum then my dad. You have to savor every moments you spend with her. moreover she is still here with us.”
“Yeah, I will, I just don’t want to lose her, Dad and I, ain’t even in talking terms. Sorry about yours Mark, I feel bad I’m talking about mine without knowing how you feel,.”
“Its all good Nans, Dad’s death is about to be a year already, matter of fact, today.” Marcus revealed.
“Damn!, sorry I forgot.” Nancy sympathized.
“Its okay, Evelyn also forgot, that was what Nelson was talking to me about when you came.”
“I am so sorry.” Nancy replied a silence exudes.
“But who am I going to confide in if she dies Marcus” Nancy asked sobbing
“I’m always here for you Nancy, matter of fact you got Nicholas and Nate Styles (Nancy’s father),Joel Strikes, Nelson Clifford and…… guess who?” Marcus taunts her.
“You of course” she replied tittering in between sobs and snotty nose.
“The one and only Marcus McKenzie.” They both laughed wholeheartedly.
“One more person, you got Evelyn Hart too” Marcus teased gloating at her.
“ Hell no, she will kill me, before killing a fly Marcus” They both laughed. Marcus dipped his hands in his pocket brought out a napkin and gave her so she could wipe her nose.
“That girl detests me a lot ”. Nancy said while wiping off her nose.
“Hey, no, no, no I don’t think so she just overprotective of her possession.” Marcus defended.
“Oh I see!, I Pray I can be overprotective with mine too someday.” Nancy retorted.
“Does Nelson and Joel know about your mum’s condition?.” Marcus asked inquisitively.
“Yes, Nelson knows, I didn’t tell Joel and you either, until now”.
Is that part of the reason you have been pissed with Nelson?.” Marcus asked.
“Not really, I’m just tired of all his bullshit, he couldn’t even come to check on my mum, can you believe such coldness.”
“I understand Nancy, I will talk to him.”
“It’s unnecessary.” Nancy replied feeling sleepy.
“I’m kind of surprised how conversation today didn’t have cloaks and daggers, because Nancy is always in jabs mood.” Marcus retorted while Nancy giggled at his statement.
“Yeah, I’m just all exhausted from midlife crisis dramas lingering in my life, they exhausted my banter energy.”
“I pray you keep being like this without the midlife crisis though.” Marcus taunts she laughed.
Nancy looked at him strangely after he uttered his response. Then smirked. Marcus stood up to leave.
“ Let me set up things for the adventure, I have overstayed my time here.”
“Hmm, I see, isn’t this your boat, thanks for always Marcus you are such a darling.”
“You are welcome, Queen Nancy.” Marcus replied saluting her.
They both chuckled Marcus tries to get out the door then Nancy called him again.
“Hey Nans, what’s it?, I got a boat to start, I can’t be here all day” Marcus asked frustrated.
“I love you”. Nancy uttered with dilating eyes.
“oh is that it, I love you too, hmm, can I go now,” Marcus said smiling at her sheepishly.
“ why did you really invite us here this unlikely of you.” Nancy asked tensed. She knows Marcus as an introvert who hated gatherings, even had small guest at his wedding the day before.
“Yeah, I have a big announcement to make that’s just it. And I felt we should create childhood memories and bond.” Marcus lied with a stern face and a faint voice that sounds very convincing. Marcus actually saw a piece of necklace and some other traces at his home. He suspects his friends either Joel or Nelson, is having an affair with his wife, Evelyn way before is marriage. As heartbroken and angry as he is he decided to host them on the intimate honey moon to really found out who it was and deal with the person.
“Nans, take a shower and rest, see you later”. Marcus said to avoid further questions from her, Nancy answered.
Malcom left afterwards, meanwhile Nelson was at Evelyn’s room, Marcus newly married wife