All Aboard Andi's Dream Ch. 02

© 2024 Duleigh Lawrence-Townshend. All rights reserved. The author asserts the right to be identified as the author of this story for all portions. All characters are original. Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. This story or any part thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a review or commentary.

All Aboard Andi's Dream

Chapter 2

Shake Down Cruise

Eight years ago, Dr. Adrianna Roberts married a "schlub" that her mother thought was safe. Andi's father was an officer in the US Army, and he died in the Middle East. Andi's mom Heather didn't want her daughter to endure that kind of heartbreak, so when Andi fell in love with a fighter pilot, Heather pressured Andi into marrying Frank, whom Heather thought was harmless. Frank turned out to be a smooth talking gambler whose dreams exceeded his skills at the poker tables.

He turned out to be a true bastard. Frank beat Andi and cowed her into wearing revealing outfits as he paraded her past tables full of high end gamblers and mobsters. He would leave her blindfolded and tied to the bed in their room and if he got behind, he would trade Andi's body for his debt. Frank did all of this so he could buy his dream boat, an Australian built Riviera 72 luxury fishing yacht.

After Frank abandoned Andi, who was pregnant with twins, he eventually purchased the yacht, but he quickly fell behind in the payments. Andi's new husband Paul was a man of integrity, and he had the money to afford the boat, so he purchased the boat from the bank, renamed it to Andi's Dream, and showed pictures of the boat's name being changed to Frank. Now on their honeymoon, Paul, Andi, and their twin girls, Sandy and Madeline, come to see Andi's Dream for the first time.

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Andi was completely in shock; she's seen the pictures of her boat but in real life Andi's Dream was HUGE! Being born and raised in land-locked Denver Colorado, she's never seen a watercraft so big. The largest body of water she ever saw was Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota and the largest boat there was a 20 foot bass boat. Andi's Dream was three and a half times longer than that and more than twice as wide. The flying bridge was nearly three stories above her head, and everything sparkled in the sunlight!

It was a magical living thing tied up to the pier in front of her. The sunlight sparkled off of every bit of chrome and woodwork. She could understand why her ex-husband desired it so much. She turned and clung to her husband Paul and wept in a confusion of emotions. He comforted her and said, "Honey, we have a crew to meet. Are you ready?"

She sniffed and wiped her nose on Paul's arm, then said, "Oh, kay."

"This is Stan Carlson, who is captain of this trip. I've known Stan for years and trust him completely." Andi shook hands with a jovial middle-aged man as Paul said, "Stan is an Air Force veteran like me."

"Shouldn't you be a Navy veteran?"

Stan chuckled. "Most squids wouldn't know what to do with a beauty like this. They'd probably paint it gray."

Paul continued, "You know the first mate, his wife, Sung-mi. She's a peds nurse and she'll be navigating for us. This is Stan and Sunny's daughter, Yi-jin. She's a professional chef, and she's also a brilliant mechanic, so she'll be the head engineer." Yi was a tall and slim Asian girl with a darling figure, a beautiful face and long ebony hair braided like her mother's hair in a French braid.

"You're fired," said Andi as she and Yi shook hands.

"What?"

"This is my honeymoon. I'm supposed to be the prettiest woman on the trip," said Andi, as she gave Yi a hug. "Besides, who ever heard of a skinny chef?" Despite Andi's jokes, the women had an immediate liking for each other.

"I promise to scowl more, ma'am.

"And this is our cabin steward, Nit-noi," said Paul, introducing Andi to a small Asian girl.

"I'm Bit-na!" said Bitty with a stomp of the foot.

"She's our special bonus," said Sunny.

After introductions and handshakes around, Andi was about to step on the transom of the yacht and see what all her pain and the countless rapes cost her when Stan stopped her. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but you're not allowed on the boat until she's been re-christened. It's tradition." He looked at her with a stern expression.

"Tradition?" asked Andi. She wasn't sure if she even wanted this boat and now she's not allowed aboard?

"It's a tradition of the sea that a ship and its name have a bond for good or for bad. When you simply rename a boat, it clings to that previous reputation and everything it stood for unless you retire the name and rechristen it."

Paul stepped in to help. "I told Stan how Frank paid for the Regal Dream through gambling," then he whispered in her ear, "I didn't tell him the low lights." Frank whored a tied and blindfolded Andi to pay off gambling debts.

Stan still looked uneasy. "When you pay for a boat through immoral gain, the boat takes on an immoral spirit. From what I heard, this boat was pried out of a corrupt man's hands and given to you to celebrate your freedom from him. Is that true?"

Andi smiled and leaned back against Paul. "Yes, this hunk did exactly that."

"If that is true then we need to rescue this boat and release it from him too."

Andi thought for a moment, Frank had the Regal Dream for a few years, what did he do on it? She was sure that he stopped off at Epstein island a few times. "Let's set her free from him too."

"That's the girl!" grinned Stan.

Andi turned in her husband's arms and kissed him. It was then she noticed that a crowd of people were gathering around them. They were all well attired in the Florida heat, Bermuda shorts and polo shirts. "This boat was the second best Christmas present ever."

"What was the first?" asked a woman in the crowd.

Andi gave Paul a saucy glance and a waggle of an eyebrow and said, "there are children present. We'll talk later." Her remark caused knowing laughter in the crowd.

"I'm not superstitious," said Paul, "but these traditions go back centuries. There's got to be something to them."

Andi thought about it for a moment... there may not be anything to this, but anything to purge the memory of Frank Rosetti was fine by her. "Let's do it."

"Then let's do this right." Stan handed Andi a 3 by 5 card, a bottle of champagne, and a coin with the words "Regal Dream," stamped on it. "At the stern you read this side of the card and follow the instructions, then you walk to the bow, read the other side of the card and follow the directions. That will lift the curse the previous name held."

Andi read the card and said, "Ok, but why can't Paul do it?"

"It's bad luck," said Yi-jin, "a boat must be christened by a woman."

"But what if I'm not superstitious?"

"It's bad luck to not be superstitious," replied the young chef/engineer.

"Ok", said Andi. She walked to the stern and began to read the script. "In the name of all who have sailed..."

"Louder!" called the crowd, which has now swelled to about 20.

Andi cleared her throat and started again.

"In the name of all who have sailed aboard this ship in the past, and in the name of all who may sail aboard her in the future, we invoke the Lord of all, including the wind and the sea to favor us with His blessing today. God Almighty, king of all that moves in or on the waves, guardian of the winds and all that blows before them: we offer you our thanks for the protection you have afforded this vessel in the past. We voice our gratitude that she has always found shelter from tempest and storm and enjoyed safe passage to port.

"Now, wherefore, we submit this supplication, that the name whereby this vessel has hitherto been known as the Regal Dream, be struck and removed from your records. Further, we ask that when she is again presented for blessing with another name, she shall be recognized and shall be accorded once again the selfsame privileges she previously enjoyed. In return for which, we rededicate this vessel to you and your domain in full knowledge that she shall be subject as always to the immutable laws of the wind and the sea. In consequence whereof, and in good faith, we seal this pact with a libation offered according to the hallowed ritual of the sea".

Andi tossed the coin into the water, signifying the deletion of the name, then took the bottle of champagne that Paul had opened for her and poured a small amount in the water. She then walked to the bow and read again from the card:

"I name this ship Andi's Dream. May she bring fair winds and good fortune to all who sail on her." And she poured some champagne on the bow.

At that moment, Bit-na sprung up, pulled a rope and the sheet covering the stern gunnel pulled away to reveal "Andi's Dream" painted with royal blue script text across the stern of the boat. Underneath that it in smaller block letters was the words, Jupiter FL. The assembled crowd broke into applause and cheers. Paul led her to the stern where she, Paul, and the twins posed for photographs next to the stern. Then Sung-mi appeared at Andi's side with a tray and several champagne flutes and Andi poured the champagne, but Stan took the bottle out of her hand. "Never let a woman pour champagne," he said as he began to pour.

"More bad luck?" Andi asked.

"No," said Stan as he handed her a flute. "It takes too long."

Andi and Paul stepped aboard through an opened door on the port aft gunnel, and Yi-jin lifted the twins aboard. She then whispered into Andi's ear. "You and Paul should toast this boat."

"Oh!," said the beautiful doctor, "I didn't realize that, thank you." She turned to Paul and held up her champagne flute. "To Andi's Dream!"

He tapped his flute to hers and said, "Long may she sail!" and the crowd cheered. They toasted to Andi's Dream, sipped some of the wine, then Andi turned to Stan and said, "what do we do now?"

"You play host and hostess." Stan turned to the crowd and called out, "Welcome aboard, neighbors!"

The crowd stepped aboard couple by couple, and each couple brought a bottle of champagne or Asti Spumante, and a bottle of wine. "The bubbly is for the christening," said one woman as she handed the bottle to Andi, "and Stan told us you were newlyweds, so we brought the wine too. How long have you been married?

"We got married on Christmas Eve," said Andi, as she placed the bottles in her growing collection. The woman was introduced as Miss Nicoletta.

"And how long did you date your husband before he popped the question?"

Andi grinned because she couldn't wait to see the reaction. "We didn't date, we were trapped together in a cabin for about two days."

Miss Nicoletta actually looked delighted. "Oh my! A real whirlwind romance!"

"More like a blizzard," said Paul as he came up to put his arm around Andi and gave her a kiss.

"Did you know he had all this when he proposed?" asked the smiling matron.

"Oh gosh no," said Andi, "all I knew for sure was that he had a cabin, a barn, two tractors, a dog and some chickens and that he loves my babies and myself. All we really knew about each other was that we were both doctors. To be honest, the only thing I brought to the marriage is the girls." As if on cue, Sandy and Madeline roared up, chattering about their new friend Bitty, who lives on the boat and Bitty was going to teach them to swim.

"Oh, how precious! Who are you two lovely ladies?" asked Miss Nicoletta.

"I'm Sandy."

"I'm Madeline."

"These are our lovebugs..." said Paul.

"Bug bug," they said in unison, and ran off to find Bitty.

"I'm currently adopting them," said Paul.

"Good for you!" said Miss Nicoletta proudly, patting Paul on the chest. "I take it there's no argument from their father?"

"There is no father to worry about. I was..." Andi's throat locked up. Even blindfolded, she knew that the man who impregnated her wasn't her husband. Frank may be a weasel, but he can't speak Russian, and she heard that man who was inside her speak Russian. Blindfolded... tied to the bed... helpless... terrified... "I was raped." There, she said it. For the first time in her life, she uttered those words. Paul's arm tightened around her waist to reassure her that he was there for her.

"And you kept them? You went through all that pain?"

"It was worth it, every moment. They are the joys of my life."

"Oh, you are a dear." Miss Nicoletta kissed Andi on both cheeks and held her hands. "You just became the joy of my life." She looked around conspiratorially. "I was too," she whispered softly into Andi's ear. "And my son, from that horror, is my pride and joy." She sniffed and wiped her nose with a tissue that she fished out of her purse. "Thank you dear, I thought I was alone. Now, if you don't mind, I must see more of this boat!"

"I want to see more of this boat too," said Andi, looking up at Paul. So far, they've only stood in the stern of the boat in a low area that Stan called 'the cockpit.' This is the area where all the fishing is done and where you can go sunbathing when under way.

"Let's play host and hostess," Paul smiled at Andi. "We will have as much time as you want to explore later. I was hoping to cast off before now, but I didn't expect the neighbors to swing by."

From their position at the rear of the yacht, they could see Yi-jin making appetizers and her mother Sung-mi handing them out and opening wine bottles. She swung by where Paul and Andi were greeting guests and asked if there was anything they would like.

Andi sighed. "ginger ale on the rocks, put a cherry in it."

"Sprite and lemonade with a twist," added Paul.

Sung-mi returned with their drinks quickly and said, "Don't worry, we'll be casting off shortly," and true to her word, in a few minutes Yi-jin closed up the galley, quickly cleaned up that station, then opening a door to a small staircase she disappeared in the engine room. The twin MAN 1800 engines roared to life with a muffled growl, and the entire boat seemed to come alive.

Now Paul and Andi's afternoon reversed on them, and they stood by the transom, thanking their new neighbors for visiting and have a safe trip home. Apparently firing up the engines was the modern version of calling out, "All ashore who's going ashore." Miss Nicoletta took one more opportunity to hug Andi, then she threw her arms around Paul. "God bless you," she whispered. "I'll be in touch." She handed Andi a business card and said, "If you ever need anything, call me," and then stepped ashore.

Bitty busied herself collecting empty glasses and the twins followed her step by step, carrying the glassware Bitty had found. "Don't drink the juice in these glasses, it's sour!" Bitty warned her assistants.

"Anything I can do to help?" Paul asked Sung-mi as she walked toward the stern.

"No, just enjoy the ride. Maybe go up to the flying bridge and watch from up there."

Paul shrugged and led Andi up the four steps to the mezzanine, an open area with two tables and couch seating. There was a bar with stools that looked into the galley, a wine fridge was under the bar, and it was now full. Glass panels could be lowered and close off the mezzanine from outside weather. They went inside and Yi pointed out the equipment in her galley, "stove, oven, dishwasher, freezer, fridge, ice maker..."

"Wow," said Paul, who loved to cook. Forward of the galley was the salon, a large open area with couches lining the walls. A dozen people could easily relax here. There were windows forward and port and starboard, the side windows could open. Behind the galley, almost hidden, was a walnut staircase leading upstairs.

Paul and Andi climbed the staircase to the flying bridge. The entire top level of the boat was taken up by the bridge. For the forward two-thirds, the bridge was enclosed. The aft third was a deck that hung out over the mezzanine. At the helm was a huge "glass cockpit" console that contained readouts and controls for all systems on the boat plus GPS and weather radar. It was more than Andi thought would be found on a boat of any size. The captain's seat is centered in the middle of the boat with an assistant's seat to his left. To the right of the helm the flying bridge looked like a living room. A couch lined the wall and a coffee table sat in front of the couch. Paul told Andi that the couch can unfold across the coffee table and become a double bed, making this the biggest stateroom on the boat.

The bridge had glass doors at the aft end, which can be opened to a dining area high over the mezzanine. Andi was agog with the fine appointments, and she's only seen the "cockpit" which is where the sport fishing is done in the stern, and the flybridge. She sat at the flybridge dining table in her floating palace and said, "This is so incredible! I'm so ready for that wine now... all of it!"

Stan was standing on this aft deck, manning the command station on the port side of the deck, just a few feet from where Andi sat. This station was a small helm with a wheel, throttles, and a joystick for thruster controls. "Cast off all lines fore and aft," he called out to Sung-mi and Yi-jin, then he called to Bitty, "help the twins get their life vests on."

Andi and Paul watched Yi and Sunny cast off lines so far below them, then stepped over to watch Stan ease Andi's Dream out from the dock. Using a joystick for control, the thrusters nudged the 60-ton palace sideways into the channel. Then Stan engaged the shafts, and the big boat gracefully picked her way through the crowded marina. Down below, Andi could see Miss Nicoletta waving, so she waved back, and Miss Nicoletta blew her a kiss before entering a very large limousine.

Stan threaded the big boat through the marina with skill and talent. Soon they were heading out the channel at 5 knots and Stan gave Paul a step-by-step of what he was doing, how the docking station worked, how to transfer control back to the main helm. "Where's Andi?" Stan asked, noticing that she had disappeared once they were free from the dock and heading toward the channel.

"I think she's trying to get the twins ready for dinner."

Below in the galley, Andi had finally convinced Sung-mi and Yi-jin to sit down and join her in a glass of wine. Sung-mi shrugged. "I don't have to pilot until tomorrow. Why not?" They sat around a table on the mezzanine with a bottle of wine and chatted.

Andi found out that Stan, Sung-mi, Paul, and John were well acquainted. When Paul and John inherited their parent's holdings, one of them was a sailboat, so they hired Stan to train them on boatmanship, seamanship, Coast Guard small boat regulations, and saltwater fishing. When Paul could purchase Andi's Dream, he first called Stan and asked for a crew for their maiden voyage and when Stan heard it was a Riviera 72 Sport Motor Yacht, he signed up his whole family.

"This is the top yacht," said Sung-mi. "It was built in Australia and made to be a long-distance luxury cruiser, a big game fishing boat, a day boat, or a condo. Look at this table, burled walnut! Look all around you. That's not chrome, that's polished stainless steel." She gestured to the area forward of the galley, "the salon can hold over a dozen people, there's a 55-inch LED TV, there's a 36 inch TV in each stateroom. She has a built-in sound system that rivals a ZZ Top concert... This is a small super-yacht!"

"What's that deck sticking out the back... umm, the aft... yeah, what's that deck sticking out the aft?" clearly the glass of wine was getting to Andi.