The sun rose over the ocean like a spotlight unveiling a stage, casting a golden sheen over the cruise ship's polished decks. Ruby stood near the port-side railing, the wind teasing her copper-red hair as she sipped her coffee. Her green eyes scanned the horizon: serene, calm, endless.
This was the kind of morning she needed. No cultural landmines. No looming catastrophes. Just a steady, controlled environment and an assignment that required composure.
~ Carla: "There you are. The Captain is expecting you in the private lounge at nine. VIP tour. You're his assistant for the day."
Ruby nearly choked on her coffee.
~ Ruby: "His what?"
Carla, already halfway down the hallway, just waved a hand without turning around.
~ Carla: "You heard me. Clean shirt, straight spine. Go impress some millionaires."
The redhead stared after her supervisor for a second, blinking. Then she sighed. She downed the rest of her coffee in one sharp swallow and made her way back to her cabin.
Twenty minutes later, she was freshly dressed in her formal entertainment whites, blazer sharp and hair neatly pinned back: well, as much as her thick curls would allow. Her eyes were clear, her breath even. She was ready. Or at least pretending to be.
She arrived at the forward VIP lounge five minutes early. It was a sleek space: glass walls, minimalist leather seating, a private bar. Everything about it said money. And in that room, she felt like a decorative flourish, not a person.
Evander stood near the windows, reading a digital tablet. He looked every bit the part of the ship's captain: pressed uniform, navy blue with gold trim, posture straight as the mast of a warship. His black hair was combed with military precision, his expression unreadable as always.
~ Evander: "You're early."
~ Ruby: "I didn't want to make a bad impression."
He looked up, studied her for a beat.
~ Evander: "As you should."
Before she could react, the doors slid open and the first guests arrived.
There were six of them: couples and individuals, all dressed in expensive resort casual. Jewelry that shimmered without screaming. Polished, poised, the kind of people who didn't flinch when things cost four figures.
Evander greeted them with the calm grace of someone who had done this a hundred times.
~ Evander: "Welcome aboard The Ocean Odyssey . I'm Captain Evander Anglade, and this is Ruby Walker from our Entertainment Department. She'll be assisting with today's private tour."
She stepped forward with a practiced smile, bowing her head slightly.
~ Ruby: "It's a pleasure to have you aboard. We've prepared a special itinerary to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what makes this ship run, and relax."
A few of the guests smiled back. A man with graying temples adjusted his cufflinks and gave her a brief nod.
The Captain led the group through the private elevator down to the engine viewing bay, a glass-encased walkway above the heart of the ship. The rhythmic thrum of the engines vibrated through the soles of their shoes.
~ Evander: "This ship carries over three thousand passengers and more than a thousand crew. It runs like a city: power, plumbing, climate control, even its own desalination system. All of it starts here."
The guests murmured with interest, taking photos and asking the kind of questions only the hyper-curious or wealthy would think to ask.
Ruby stood nearby, listening, learning. Occasionally, she'd add a detail about how certain technical feats translated into passenger comfort: cooling systems, soundproofing, even how power allocation was balanced during events.
They moved on to the galley. She let Evander take the lead again, but noticed how his pace had shifted, he glanced back to ensure she was keeping up, gave her room to speak when a guest asked about themed nights or cuisine variety.
~ Ruby: "Our chefs work around the clock in rotation. There's a lot more precision than people expect, every meal is planned weeks in advance, down to the gram of seasoning."
One woman raised a brow, impressed.
~ Guest: "So you're not just a pretty face, then?"
~ Ruby: "Only on Tuesdays."
Laughter spread through the group. Even Evander's mouth twitched, just barely.
They reached the main theater. Empty now, lights off, stage hushed. The guests strolled through the velvet-lined aisles while Ruby pointed out details of the last musical revue,: set design, acoustics, lighting boards, rigging. Evander added a few technical specs when prompted, but otherwise let her handle it.
~ Guest: "And you perform here too?"
~ Ruby: "No, I mostly coordinate performances and events. I make sure the talent has what they need. That the lights go up on time, the doors open, and no one accidentally sets themselves on fire."
Another laugh. Another smile. It was going well.
They exited onto the upper promenade for a brief break. Crew had set up a small refreshment station: fresh juice, champagne, canapés. The guests wandered, sipping and snapping photos of the sea.
Ruby stood near the railing, momentarily alone. The wind pulled at the loose strands of her hair, and she let herself enjoy the view. The water sparkled beneath the rising sun. The ship hummed softly beneath her feet.
🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️
🛳️ 🛳️
🛥️ 🛥️
⛴️ 𝑵𝒐 𝑺𝒂𝒇𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒐𝒓 ⛴️
🚢 🚢
⛴️ ⛴️
🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️🌬️
The ship's helm was off-limits to most passengers, which made this stop on the tour a quiet kind of thrill. The group followed Evander and Ruby into the narrow corridor that led to the bridge, voices lowered with a sort of reverent excitement.
Inside, it was all glass and precision: sleek monitors, wide ocean views, and a soft ambient hum of power at rest. A young officer stood at the console, nodding politely before stepping aside to let the captain speak.
~ Evander: "This is where every decision begins. Navigation, communication, and emergency systems are all managed from here."
He moved with the ease of someone who belonged in this space, who commanded it. The guests clustered near the windows, listening intently as he described the ship's route plotting systems, weather monitoring, and the redundancies in place for emergencies.
Ruby kept to the side, her posture relaxed but alert. She didn't need to speak here, the room, and the man guiding it, carried their own gravity. But when a guest turned to her and asked about how storms were handled from an entertainment perspective, she stepped forward smoothly.
~ Ruby: "We adjust quickly. If an outdoor show gets canceled, we relocate or fill the gap with something else. There's a whole team focused on flexibility. My job is to make the change seamless."
The woman smiled, impressed again. The redhead could feel it happening, how her presence was no longer secondary, not just an assistant to Evander, but part of the tour in her own right. That felt good.
After the helm, the group returned to the VIP lounge for a final drink and debrief. The young woman mingled, answering questions and accepting praise with modest ease. She watched the captain speak quietly with one of the older guests, his voice low, respectful.
As the guests began to trickle out, Ruby helped gather empty glasses. When she passed Evander, he spoke quietly.
~ Evander: "Stay behind a moment, miss Walker."
She blinked, then gave a brief nod.
Once the last guest had exited, the automatic doors slid closed, leaving them alone in the room. Sunlight poured through the panoramic windows, turning the space gold.
~ Evander: "Today was smooth."
~ Ruby: "Thank God. No wardrobe malfunctions. No seasick dancers. A real miracle."
~ Evander: "You were adaptable. Present. You handled them well."
She wasn't sure if that counted as high praise or just professional feedback, but his tone was different. Measured, but less cold.
~ Ruby: "That's the job, isn't it? Make people feel like everything is under control."
He didn't answer right away.
~ Evander: "Trust isn't easy for me. But I don't give it lightly."
She met his eyes, unsure what to say to that. The tension wasn't unpleasant. Just heavy and meaningful.