ZAC POV
I get out of the cab and pay the driver. I look at the big ship in front of my eyes and I know this will be my last year as Captain. I have resigned as Captain and not a lot of people are happy about that.
But it feels like something is missing in my life and I thought being Captain of a Navy ship would fulfill that need. I was sorely mistaken when I realized it did not fill that need for me. So, I decided to look for something else to do, after this tour. Maybe I will find that something somewhere else.
I get my luggage out of the boot and then nod at the driver as I leave to board the ship. I walk past all the recruits and I still see the hunger in their eyes. Every year it is the same story. At the beginning of the tour, everyone is happy and ready for action. But as the days go by and they realize, that they will not be seeing their family for a very long time, that sparkle disappears.
Then realization kicks in and they start to understand that this is their reality. Then you get what I call the three days of depression. In these three days, the recruits just do their jobs and they do not talk a lot. They start to accept their reality.
But for me, and some of the other crew members, we are well aware of what our reality is and we know how to avoid those three days. I walk past them and just smile, shaking my head because I feel sorry for them. They do not know what waits for them.
I walk straight to my cabin and am greeted by probably, my best friend and first mate of the ship, Peter.
"Welcome aboard, Captain"
He salutes me every time he sees me but I keep on telling him that we are friends and he does not need to do that. But of course, he does not listen.
"Thank you for the warm welcome, Peter. How was your holiday?"
"Very good, sir and yours?"
"It was good to take a break. How are your wife and children?"
"Very well, sir. Thank you, for asking"
I start to unpack my belongings in my cabin. Peter just lingers around me and I know well enough, that he wants to tell me something but he is afraid he might disrespect me.
"Okay, out with it, what do you want to tell me?"
"I am sorry, sir, but it is time for your speech"
"Oh, yes, of course, I will be right there. I will see you in five minutes?"
Every year I have to give a speech to my fellow crew members. This is the best part of my job as I stand there and look down on all the hungry recruits with sparkles in their eyes. They look so eager and willing. It makes me feel happy to be a Captain of a Navy ship.
I walk towards the upper deck through the ship. This is the best part of the entire journey. Everything is quiet. I walk through the corridors and look into the cabins and there is no one. Everyone is gathered on deck. I take in these moments, walking through the ship in the quietness, and then take a deep breath. I do love, what I do. I just wish that this was the thing that I was missing.
I walk onto the upper deck and then look at the crew standing before me. I have a beautiful group here this year. I like to look at every single person, as I want to remember each and every one of them. Because it does not matter what you say, their lives are in my hands.
As my eyes go through the crowd, I start to talk but when my eyes cross the medical department my breath is taken away.
That is when I see her, elegant and exquisite as if she is floating on air. Her skin is glowing from the rays of the sun that lays softly over the curves of her body. Her long locks of brown hair are blowing in the cool afternoon breeze, I can nearly catch the sweet scent of her. But what captivates me the most is those velvety lips.
I know that we applied for a new surgeon on our medical staff and I remember looking through her file. She was very impressive on paper and we were very pleased to have her enlisted. But I have not seen her before until today and now I can not keep my eyes off of her.
I need to continue with my speech but I am struggling to control my fascination over her.
"... every one of you will go through...Uhm..."
I cough into my hand and then clear my throat. Trying to regain some kind of control over my arousal. Then at the risk of making even a bigger fool of myself, I continue.
"Excuse me...as I was saying, every one of you will go through some level of..."
AMY POV
I watch as captain Zac Brown's eyes can not seem to leave my eyes. I am not sure if I am seeing things but those piercing green eyes can not leave me alone.
Then Ashley pokes me on my side.
"Someone has the hots for you"
I just ignore her comment because I am sure, he is not looking at me. He must have some kind of girlfriend or even wife waiting for him on the shore. It will be a very stupid woman to leave a man like that.
But then just as I was sure he was not looking at me, he smiles at me. That smile can melt the toughest metal. It definitely melted my knees in an instant. I wanted to make sure that, that smile was meant for me, so I returned the smile.
Then at that moment, in the middle of his speech, he stops for a second or two and clears his throat. Then I knew, that he must have been looking at me, as I can see that my smile affected him.
I know that there are strict rules on this ship about dating your fellow crewmember. But if the captain indeed does like me and I seem to be intrigued by him, then we are going to be in big trouble...