The navy blue hull and deep reddish-brown deck felt like a living Ralph Lauren ad, but inside felt like a parallel universe of luxury, a sumptuous, white-on-white living space with panoramic windows flooded in golden light. Everything seemed to glint and gleam, the brass details at times catching Alex’s eye in the fading sun with a blinding brilliance. She placed a hand on the back of a white leather sofa, steadying herself against a distinct wave of queasiness at the base of her stomach.

Her mind went slightly numb as Paul spoke, giving them an incredibly detailed overview of the interior design choices and handing everyone a crisp glass of champagne. She took a sip from her flute, running her eyes along the bounty placed on the central island: platters of fresh-cut fruit, cheese, crudités, fancy crackers, and elegant little plates to serve yourself a snack.

Alex learned early on that one of the most notable features of being ultra-wealthy was being constantly surrounded by excellent food, but almost never eating it. You might pop a grape into your mouth, sneak a cheeky cookie from a tray the chef freshly baked, but in general most of the food went untouched. You would have something at mealtimes, usually, and you would definitely do some late-night pantry raiding if you’d had too much to drink. But overall, food was a fraught thing, more a vehicle for demonstrating restraint than for enjoying.

From the corner of her eye, she caught Danial taking in the scene with similar wonder. Seeing her look at him, he gestured toward the bounty, as if to suggest that he wouldn’t touch it until she did. She shook her head, and his mouth flicked down at the corners.

“Where’s Dev and Bee?” she asked no one in particular.

“They’ll be here for dinner if we eat late,” Guy answered, flicking through his phone to confirm details. “There was a bit of a crisis dropping off the twins.”

“Here, let me show you your room.” Paul seemed to materialize behind Alex, linking his arm through her own.

As the group filtered down to the cabins, Guy explained the setup: he and Paul were in the master suite, obviously, while Dev and Bee would take one of the queens and Alex would take the other. Sophie and Danial would be taking the rooms with two twin beds. Upon noticing that her room shared a wall with Danial’s, Alex flicked her eyes exasperatedly toward Paul.

“If you’d rather have two twins, I’ll make him switch with you,” he clarified, misreading her intent.

“I would have happily offered it up,” Danial replied, breaking off from the group into his room. “Just let me know if you want it.”

“No, thank you, a queen is great.”