Chapter 10: Go Fish

**Lena**
“Come on ladies, let me give you a tour!” Corey sings as we get closer. He assists Katie and Jordan aboard, then turns to Chase with a playful smirk, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. “Seems like my hands are full man, mind helping me out?” Chase nods as Corey whisks my friends onto the rear of the boat. Katie is slumping, her posture incredibly awkward as she climbs the small set of stairs, while Jordan is practically jumping for joy while waiting for her turn. I let out a breathy giggle as Chase reaches his hand out, and I grab it to keep my balance. The last thing I need is to misstep and fall into the water! “Thank you,” I say, giving a small courtesy and he smiles. “I would say you’re welcome, but honestly I’m more thrilled you decided to join us! So… thank you instead.” He lets go of my hand with a graceful “shall we?” gesture, and with that, our adventure begins.

We climb the small staircase into the cabin, and it’s basically a mini apartment! There is a couch on the right, upholstered in cream and navy fabric, a matching armchair, and a beautifully crafted table vertical to it, lined with an array of fruit, cheese and crackers, and champagne on ice. To the left, a huge glass window is wide open, offering a beautiful view of the glittering ocean, next to a tiny but functional kitchenette. In front of us sits a state of the art helm, equipped with navigation, leather seats, and chrome accents. “Bathroom is down there, along with a bedroom- just in case anyone needs to change or gets sick.” Chase mentions while pointing to another set of stairs leading below, and I’m quick to raise my eyebrows in concern. He tilts his head questioningly and laughs cooly, ”come on now, this way.” He leads me out the door and to the bow, where I find Katie and Jordan sitting at another couch, this one looks to have a more durable, midnight blue fabric, while Corey is yapping away in front of them in one of the three lounge chairs. The surface beneath my feet is so smooth I worry my flip flops will lose grip at some point today! “The captain is here!” Corey boasts, and Jordan claps yet again, like a walrus catching a fish at an aquarium show. “Now that everyone is acquainted with Lucy, I think it’s time to set sail!” Chase broadcasts, eliciting triumphant cheers from the four of us!

Chase settles in the cockpit while Corey casts off the remaining lines securing the boat. Katie and I take our seats at the table, while Jordan wastes no time popping open the champagne. She’s half way through pouring when Katie rips her sunglasses off. “Ugh, did you even ask if it was okay!?” She groans in a hushed whisper, and Jordan rolls her eyes as she hands us our flutes. “Obviously it’s here for us, you nimwit!” she barks back, equally quiet but feisty. They never stop! “Cheers!” I interrupt with a squeal, lifting my bubbly drink for a toast. “No more of whatever… this is. Here’s to the day, to us, and to the kind men who invited us... no more negativity!" Katie’s hesitation is short lived as we clink our glasses together, our laughter finally canceling the bad vibes that followed us from the resort.

“Care to pour me a glass too?” Corey asks, his eyes intently on Katie as he reenters. Jordan and I glance at Katie, who shifts uncomfortably in her seat. Her hands are unsteady as she fills another flute. She hands it to him without looking up, instead she grabs a piece of perfectly pink watermelon and pops it in her mouth. “Thanks, gorgeous,” he purrs, leaning in dangerously close to accept the glass. “Ladies!” he bows with a tug of his hat before trotting off, and I elbow Katie lightly in the ribs while holding back a rising fit of laughter. Her silently mouthed “SHUT UP” is heard around the world, or table I suppose! Corey settles next to Chase as he flips open the control panel, and I watch as his long fingers adjust levers and switches with ease. The engine roars to life with a rumble, and within a matter of seconds the boat, or “Lucy” I should say, starts to coast!


**Chase**

We’ve been on the yacht for about an hour when I settle near Isla Mujeres, widely known for its underwater museum. It’s literally the perfect spot for a tourist to take in the wonders of Cancun! Since the sun is no longer at the highest point, we make our way to the bow without worry of sunburn or sweating to death. “FUCK YEAH WOMAN!” Corey hoots as Katie downs a shot of tequila, eyeing her with no subtlety whatsoever. Katie dramatically winces and shakes her head at Lena, who responds with goofy finger guns before tossing hers back.“So what’s up with your names?” Jordan slurs before downing her third shot and leaning back on the couch. I’m calling it now, she will be the first one to puke! “Yeahhh…” Katie retorts, “Chase and Corey, C and C? What’s up with that?!” She laughs, sounding more childlike and carefree now that she has a few drinks under her belt. “I feel like I’m living in a nightmare, where every man and best friend I meet shares the same damn first letter of their names!” Lena chimes in before taking a swing of juice to wash away the tequila’s harshness. “The fuck does that even mean!?” Corey blurts with an inflection, shifting his weight to his elbows on the sunbed to see. Lena and her friends share a confused look of shock before bursting into laughter, assuming because of Corey’s prepubescent tone, and I can’t help but cackle along with them. “Ohhh I get it!” he suddenly snaps, “our mom’s are best friends,” he says while pointing back and forth between us. “They wanted us to be like brothers so they decided on names that start with C!”

“That’s actually very sweet.” Lena remarks with a sheepish smile. “Wait, who else has C and C names?” Corey asks with a now overbearingly deep voice. “OH, Lena’s…” Jordan starts to utter, but Katie promptly throws her hand right over Jordan’s mouth. “Don’t worry about it!” Lena responds with a grimace. “Shush Jordan, let’s play cards!” Katie suggests while I glance at Lena, her shoulders dropping as she exhales with relief. The five of us gather in a circle, and the group decides to play Go Fish while I shuffle the deck of cards. It seems this is the only game everyone, except me, is coherent enough to remember the rules to. “I have an idea! Every card lost equals a shot!” Jordan shouts in between hiccups. “That sounds a bit extreme Jord, “ Lena responds, handing her a bottle of water. “Nah, it’ll be *HICCUP* fun!” Katie lowers her sunglasses to the bridge of her nose and looks at me. “As long as we choose something weaker to take. By the way... You haven’t had a drink yet, Mr. Chase! Staying sober to fulfill your ‘trafficking plot’?” she savagely teases, and I watch as everyone’s eyes shift from their cards to me. “Chase always waits until we’re heading back to crack open a few drinks,” Corey explains with a proud grin, his eyes tinged pink and glossy. “That way, he’s still coherent enough to handle the boat and docking.” He always gets so emotional when he drinks tequila!

“Usually, yes, but I can always call Perry for backup if needed. I’ll play your little version of Go Fish,” I reply, placing a pair of aces face down on the table. “Well then, Mr. Chase,” Lena says with a sly smile, extra emphasis on the mister, while handing me a shot glass filled to the brim. “I’ll be taking that queen of yours.” I glance down at the queen of hearts resting against my thumb. “How did you…” I start to murmur, but she simply gestures for me to drink while scrunching that cute little nose of hers. I squint in her direction before handing her the queen and setting my cards down to sprinkle salt on the side of my hand. As the fiery liquid slides down my throat, I watch Lena’s eyes catch the sunlight, revealing inky and amber swirls. I follow up with a slice of lime as the group cheers, and Lena pats me triumphantly on the back.“You’ve got to be better at hiding those cards, sir!”