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That’s why he needed to cement this deal. And Olivia wanted to do everything in her power to make sure it went smoothly for him and alleviate some of the pressure on his shoulders – just like he had done for her.
She plugged the Pioneer office address into her phone, where she was going to meet Sara – the cruise ship agent based in Ushuaia, and the woman who had made all the arrangements for their voyage. Olivia oriented herself on the map, the instructions leading her down the bustling main street filled with restaurants, outfitters and touristy tat shops, before turning on to one of the side streets.
She stopped in front of a prefab single-storey office building and knocked on the door. A small dark-haired woman greeted her with a warm smile. The walls of the travel agency were papered with images of icebergs, motivational posters featuring penguins, and postcards from the bottom of the world – thank-you notes from clients. ‘Bienvenidos, Olivia! How are things with the ship? Is Aaron happy?’
‘I believe so,’ Olivia said with a slight shrug to disguise her discomfort. She should have had a definitive answer. But the truth was, she didn’t know if Aaron was happy or not.
Sara frowned. ‘If there’s anything I can do …’
‘We’ll be sure to let you know.’ Olivia smiled now, in what she hoped was a reassuring way.
‘Please do. In the meantime, you’ll be wanting these.’ Sara pointed to two pairs of insulated waterproof trousers, along with oversized fleece-lined mittens.
‘Wow.’ Olivia held up the mittens – each one almost bigger than her head. ‘These are enormous.’
‘Designed to keep you warm through the worst polar storms.’
‘Not that we’ll need that,’ said Olivia with a laugh.
Sara smiled. ‘Better to be safe than sorry. It will be a great trip. You have an incredible itinerary ahead of you. You’ve been on board already?’
Olivia shook her head. ‘Only Aaron. I was too jet-lagged.’
‘You’re in for a treat. She doesn’t look much from the outside, but the interior has been fully renovated – all the amenities and luxuries you can think of. It is one of the best ships for exploring the polar region.’
‘I can’t wait.’
‘And I see you are signed up for the kayaking and camping excursions. Those will be once-in-a-lifetime experiences, truly. It’s the perfect time of year for this kind of voyage, as after you sail across the Antarctic Circle, you’ll experience the phenomenon known as the “midnight sun” – a sun that never sets.’
‘Oh yes. That’s the night Aaron has chosen for the big showcase auction.’
‘A perfect choice. Then, when you land for your camping excursion, you’ll get the chance to sleep under what’s known as a “white night”. It will never fully get dark.’
‘Sounds magical,’ Olivia replied. One of her burnout symptoms that she hadn’t fully recovered from was severe insomnia. She had trouble enough sleeping in the dead of a dark night in a comfortable bed, so out on the ice at least her tendency to stay awake might be rewarded with a unique experience.
Throughout their conversation, Sara’s desk phone kept ringing off the hook. Olivia glanced at it sideways. ‘It’s OK if you need to get that. I’ll get out of your hair.’
Sara held up her hands in apology. ‘Embarkation week is always frantic. Mr Hughes has demanded a full ship, so I’m busy sorting out cabins for some last-minute additional passengers.’
Olivia nodded sympathetically. She could imagine Cutler Hughes – the CEO of Pioneer Adventures – being a demanding boss. He was famous for it. ‘I’m surprised anyone can get here at the last minute!’
‘I have a waiting list a mile long for these cruises! There is no shortage of travellers with the flexibility to jump on board at short notice. We even have new crew starting this expedition. Antarctica is a big draw.’ Sara sat down at her computer, her eyes frantically scanning the screen. ‘If you or Aaron need anything, anytime at all before the ship leaves – get in touch with me. I’ll be here all night long until your ship leaves the port tomorrow afternoon.’
‘Thank you – I’ll let him know.’
‘If I don’t see you before then, have a great trip.’
The gear was cumbersome but it was only a short distance back to the hotel. While not as luxurious as some of the places she and Aaron had stayed together inBuenos Aires, Paris or Geneva, it more than made up for it with its expansive views of the wild coastline. From the vast windows of the lobby, she could see across to the harbour and the MSVigil, the gangplank down and waiting for their arrival. Still, she couldn’t help the visceral jolt of fear at the thought of climbing the wooden steps up to the boat – and then being trapped at sea for the next fourteen days.
You won’t be responsible.She clung on to the phrase like a life jacket.
Aaron was sleeping when she snuck into their room. She wasn’t surprised – between the jet lag and the intensity of preparing the showcase and auction, he’d been working nonstop. His hair sprawled across the pillow, and she felt a surge of affection for him. She thought he’d end things with her the night of the big Yennin auction. But instead, he’d brought her in closer, when she was certain she didn’t deserve it.
They’d received instructions to leave their cases in the lobby, to be loaded on to the ship overnight. She wheeled the cases out, not wanting to disturb Aaron’s rest with her packing.
Down in the lobby, she opened her case, squeezing the borrowed snow trousers and mittens into the already bulging main compartment. Then she did the same with Aaron’s. Except that Aaron’s dinner jacket was folded into the top of his case. He would be fuming if she sent it on to the ship before their big client meal.
She swapped it for his gear, resting the blazer over her arm. Something tumbled out of the pocket, sliding along the polished wooden floor.