Chapter 4: A Boating Day

So Tuesday I just spent relaxing with my parents, we spent most of the day down by the pool. In the evening we had a nice meal in the hotel restaurant. The clientele was a little classier than I was used to, but I didn’t think that we looked out of place, so all was good.

Wednesday was going to be different, instead of doing something with my parents. I was up really early and in a car with a bag of changes of clothes on a way to a marina with Scarlett.

Scarlett had managed to get permission for me to be allowed onto the yacht for that day’s shoot. I hadn’t been able to see her yesterday since she had been so busy, even though she was staying in the suite opposite from the one we were in. She had been gone before we got up in the morning and must have got back later than we stayed out. I went to bed early knowing I would be up and out of the hotel by six the next morning.

Scarlett wasn’t a morning person. Even with the caffeine intake from the coffee she was sipping, she remained quiet, not wanting to talk when I attempted to make light conversation.

The yacht was huge, it was no wonder there wasn’t a problem with having another passenger as small as me. There were already a number of attractive men and women on board when we arrived, as well as men with camera bags and a couple of suits wandering around giving people instructions.

We set sail before seven, leaving the marina and heading out to open waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

I had never been on a boat before, so mom had supplied me with some pills in case I got seasick. But I loved the movement the yacht caused, being so big it was only a mild bobbing and sinking sensation. A few of the others didn’t seem to find it so enjoyable though, they had gone a little grey when we reached open water and the waves got bigger than the inland swell we had started in.

I made sure to stay out of everyone’s way when the photo shoots started, I headed to the flying bridge, as it gave me a good view of what was going on with the shoot in progress at the stern of the yacht.

Only once was I asked what I was doing up there, that was by one of the suits. I explained that I was a guest of Scarlett to thank me for the favor I did her. That seemed to placate him, though he asked that I didn’t get in the way of any shots.

I had started the day in a t-shirt and board shorts with flip flops, Mom had made sure I was smothered in sun screen just in case it was a clear day, not wanting me to spoil the holiday by getting badly burned by the sun reflecting off the ocean. I also had a pair of shades on, since the glare off the ocean was pretty bright.

When the shoot was in full swing, with the male and female models donning the swimming suits they were getting photos of. I realized I needed to do some serious toning workouts to compare to the male models, as they all had hard bodies, with rippling muscles showing.

OK I was in reasonable shape, my martial arts training made sure of that. But I hadn’t done anything yet to get any more definition on my body, I was still growing, yes, but some time on the weights would help build me up. I was toned but I was thinking I would like to be bigger, having some of the muscles these guys were showing off. I didn’t want to be as big as a couple, they were huge, that would lessen my flexibility and speed.

I was a little embarrassed to take off my top, as I wouldn’t be in any of the others guys’ league. But then I realized that was just stupid, it was hot, the t-shirt was becoming uncomfortable, and I wasn’t a model like them, so why did I have to try and compete with them.

After all of this my shirt came off, I had my bag with me, so I stuffed it away and enjoyed the sun on my skin. I was thankful for Mom’s preparation, since it was going to be a hot day, I would need to cover up anyway during the heat of the day, but now the rays felt wonderful.

It didn’t take long before I understood what Scarlett meant it being tough work posing for hours. They were made to stand this way and that way to the photographers and suit’s instructions. They would take a number of shots, change costumes and then do it all exactly the same way again, though it still took a number of corrections on each shoot.

I still enjoyed the view, well what thirteen year old boy wouldn’t with a number of female models in just swimwear to view in various outfits.

Then things seemed to go a little awry, as time went on less and less models were doing the modeling, even Scarlett was missing from a couple of the shoots.

One of the suits came up to the flying bridge, as he was cursing and mumbling under his breath the whole time. He wasn’t the same suit who had talked to me before, and he gave me an accusatory look, for what I couldn’t understand. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong, I was staying out of everyone’s way as instructed. The only time I had left the bridge had been to go below to grab a couple of bottles of water, I had finished one which was tucked into my bag, I was half way through the second, which I was still carrying.

“Just who are you?” The suit asked out of the blue.

“Jack Owens Sir, an acquaintance of Scarlett’s.” I provided.

“How can you drink that in these conditions?” he asked.

That confounded me, what was he talking about, it was only water. Alright the wave intensity had got up a bit, but we were not pitching much more than before, just there was more of a corkscrewing motion now.

“Sorry Sir, am I doing something wrong, I don’t want to upset anyone. I am just enjoying how a magazine shoot works with all the different models.”

“No son you’re not doing anything wrong, but I wish that some of the models down below had a stomach like yours.”

“Oh got some seasickness going on below have you. I have a couple of pills, that might help someone, but they won’t help them all. I could try talking to them, I have heard if you take your mind off it, that it sometimes helps.”

“You could try that if you like, thanks son.” The suit replied.

So I went below, the smell wasn’t the best, which actually made me feel a little ill myself. But that wasn’t why I was down here, so I got myself focused using some of my training, which helped. Being below actually made the motion feel worse, I think it was because of not being able to see the horizon.

I managed to talk to Scarlett and persuaded her to go back up on deck. A couple of the other girls decided to follow her lead to head back up top, the men just ignored me thinking they knew better than some skinny teenager.

Once the girls were all back on deck, I convinced them to just stand and watch the sea. I started to point things out for them to watch or just talk about. It took time, but they all started to lose the grey or green hue they had all had when below.

I needed to start a conversation that would really get everyone’s attention, “Guess what I did over the weekend?”

That got me a load of groans, “No I’m serious, who would like to hear about what I did before we came down here.”

“Come on then Jack, what did you do?” Scarlett asked.

“Anyone got their phone on them?” I got a lot of head shakes, which actually didn’t help the situation much. Also it wasn’t really surprising, with the swimsuits being worn, there was nowhere they could keep a phone. Mine was in my pocket, so I took it out and gave it to one of the models, “Bring up google, enter ‘Rookie at Albany Raceway” I instructed, she did then let out a gasp before looking at me in amazement, “read it out!” I told her.

So the model read out the article about my racing weekend, and that got everyone’s attention. I was bombarded with questions which I answered the best I could. What it did do was get the girls minds off the motion sensation, so everyone started to feel better.

About a half hour later they were all feeling better enough to try doing some more work. The suit I had talked to earlier was really surprised at the turn of events, giving me a smile in appreciation.