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PatientBeanTimestamp: 7:45am
Location: Oceana House
Introducing: Morgan Simmons, Doug Gillespie, and Kori Runnels
@BrutalBx & @Melissa
Location: Oceana House
Introducing: Morgan Simmons, Doug Gillespie, and Kori Runnels
@BrutalBx & @Melissa
This was not how things were supposed to go.
No, waking up with a pounding headache and nausea that came in tidal waves on her very first day of work was not how Morgan Simmons intended to start off this adventure. In fact, she was almost certain that this was the exact opposite of making a good first impression. But then again, it wasn’t her fault that Calico Jack’s version of a Vodka Cranberry was a cup of liquor with a few drops of juice. Was it even possible for a bar to sustain itself off of pours like that?
She squeezed her eyes shut to combat the intruding sunlight, and when she rolled over to avoid it further, she found herself pressed up against something solid. No - someone.
Oh no.
It all came rushing back.
Karaoke. Shots. Laughter. His hand on the small of her back as they leaned into each other at the bar. The way he looked at her like she was the only person in the room. A whispered suggestion. A shared cab ride back to the house. And then…
As the scent of cologne mixed with whiskey and something distinctly male filled her senses, she warily peeled her eyes open and took in the broad chest in front of her. It rose and fell in steady, peaceful breaths, the kind that suggested no existential crises or creeping regrets lurking beneath the surface. Very much unlike her at that moment.
The brunette stifled a groan and propped herself up on her elbow, the throbbing in her head punishing her for the movement. Her gaze trailed upward to a strong jawline dusted with the beginnings of morning stubble, lips slightly parted, and thick lashes fanned across his cheekbones.
Unfortunately, he was gorgeous.
Even more unfortunately, she had absolutely no recollection of his name.
She closed her eyes again, sifting through the fog of last night’s events and recalling the thick accent that had curled around her with such ease. He had been smooth, confident - dangerously charming. The kind of charm that really should have come with a warning label. Was it something with a D? Danny? Darren?
God, she was screwed.
Maybe she could just… slip out before he woke up and pretend this never happened. A first-day disaster narrowly avoided. Morgan swallowed hard and carefully untangled herself from the sheets, moving inch by painstaking inch toward the edge of the bed. One foot touched the cool hardwood, then the other, the girl holding her breath as she attempted her escape.
“I’m pretty confident this is your room, so I think it’s me that should be making that daring escape, petal.”
Dougie Gillespie sat up swiftly like a monster from a horror movie, albeit a beautiful one. He pressed a palm to each of his pale blue eyes to hide from the morning lights glare of judgement. This wouldn't be his first or his last hangover, the guys and gals in his band back in Tyneside, No Future, they knew how to party but the crew he was with last night, God Almighty in heaven above, they went fucking hard.
Moving his hands away from his face and resting them down to lean against, Doug looked at the girl that had tried to Steve McQueen out of the room which he was pretty sure was hers anyway. As soon as he caught a side glance from her deep chestnut gaze, he was instantly transported to the previous evening.
After sinking a few pints (American ones, so they weren’t the proper job but they would do) and a decent amount of Scottish whiskey, Calico Jack had convinced Doug to get up and sing. He wasn’t against singing in public but after a skinful of booze, he didn’t want to tarnish his reputation. Still, the man’s moustache was hypnotic and even Dougie couldn’t say no. When he got up and began to work the room, he couldn’t help but be drawn in by the stare of a brunette. The way she was looking at him, it was like she was the only person in the audience.
“I imagine you’re pretty freaked out right now? Don’t be.” The Geordie boy climbed out of the bed on his side, slipping perfectly into the waiting crumpled jeans on the floor. “This doesn’t have to be anything you don’t need or want it to be.”
Morgan froze, her pulse pounding in her ears almost as loudly as her headache. He was entirely too smooth for someone who had just woken up, and she couldn’t decide if that was a relief or an additional layer of mortification. The worst part? He was right. Her gaze darted to the corner where her barely unpacked suitcases sat neatly, an undeniable reminder that this was, indeed, her room.
She turned slowly, hugging the sheet to her chest like some flimsy shield against the reality of the situation.
“I’m not… freaked out,” She answered, her voice raspier than she would have liked. She watched him as he pulled on his jeans, the muscles in his back flexing as he stretched. He really was unfairly attractive. If only she could remember his name.
Realizing a little too late that she was barely clothed herself, her brown eyes searched the vicinity for something else to cover her body with other than the thin fabric between her fingers. Thankfully, a flash of burnt orange came into view and she quickly reached for the University of Texas shirt poking out of her suitcase, practically yanking it over her head. “You say that as if this isn’t your first rodeo.”
“Well…it’s not.” Dougie did the utmost he possibly could to remember all the respect that his Nan taught him to have for a woman, especially those that were feeling particularly vulnerable but damn, it was hard not to allow eyes to wander when they were looking upon something as beautiful as the girl now wrapped up in a college shirt. “Based on what I do remember from last night, not yours either.”
He narrowly avoided some other garments that had scarred across the floor to make his way to his shirt which hung over a lampshade. As he began to dress himself, the mountaineer once again looked at his previous evening's dance partner. “I’m pretty sure this was Diego’s room last year. He was a fun guy, awful bloody hair though.” He spoke quite nonchalantly before turning his large frame around and facing the pretty southern girl with folded arms. “This your first season?”
Fort Lauderdale was a Mecca for anyone in the travel industry. Cabin crew for planes, yachtees working on boats, those like the CAP enlistees, everyone congregated here. After a while it became easy to recognise those that had served their time and those that were fresh greenhorns looking for a slice of adventure. Doug himself had only done one season with CAP but it was one of the funnest and most exhilarating times in his life. He couldn’t help but openly ponder if this girl was in the same boat as he once was.
Heat crept up Morgan’s neck, his comment sending her back to hours earlier - the haze of alcohol, fragments of flirtatious banter, his touch against her skin. She remembered the chemistry between them, undeniable and magnetic, but somewhere along the way the lines had blurred and she’d completely forgotten about the implications. She hadn’t been thinking straight, hadn’t meant for things to go as far as they had, but there they were.
“You’ve got me there,” Exhaling, she ran a hand through her chocolate colored hair, touseling it almost in silent hope that it might lessen her headache or bring forth the key detail she was missing from the night prior. Dean? Derek? She found herself practically going through the letters of the alphabet as she not-so subtly watched him get dressed while his back was turned.
“Yeah, first season,” And starting out quite interestingly, she wanted to add, but she bit her lip to avoid finishing her train of thought. The job at CAP was a stepping stone for Morgan, she was here because it would afford her the opportunity to set off on her own journey one day, and her grand plan included the freedom she craved. But now, facing this stranger who seemed to be remarkably comfortable in the aftermath of their chaotic night, Morgan wasn’t sure she’d prepared adequately for this side of the gig. “I take it you’re not new around here?”
“Nah.” Dougie shook his head. “This is my second tour.” He answered. “Lot of new faces floating around Calico Jack’s last night, yours included. Never forget a face, me; yours included, again.” He tilted his head, breathing in her stare and analysing the look upon her visage. It didn’t take a body language expert to see how uncomfortable she was feeling. “By that way you're staring at me, as much as I would like to think it’s because I’m a gorgeous piece of steak, I imagine it’s more likely that you're trying to place me, remember my name?”
At least in his mind if Doug addressed the girl playfully, it might put her at ease. Their current situation could be addressed in various ways, not all positive and he didn’t want the poor thing to stress herself at something as natural as hooking up at a bar. “It’s Doug, by the way, most call me Dougie.” The boy offered her a gentle, reassuring smile. “Why don’t I go to the bathroom, let you get dressed? It’s early still, we don’t have a roll call for another hour.” His grin was boyish, effortless. “We could go get breakfast and talk about supper last night.”
Morgan opened her mouth, ready to salvage whatever scraps of dignity she had left, but no words came. Instead, she promptly shut it again, a pinkish hue gracing her fair cheeks. Doug, that was his name. At least she’d been on the money with the first letter. The memory finally surfaced of him approaching her at the bar and introducing himself after his performance, accent and all that made her nearly swoon. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been in a situation like this before- because she had on more than a few occasions- but waking up next to someone she was supposed to be working with? That was a whole new level of ‘what the hell have I done’.
“Look Dougie,” She emphasized his name but her voice came out softer than intended, her throat dry. She swallowed and pushed forward, offering the blonde a small, sheepish smile. “Last night was fun, believe me, I had a really great time with you,” Dougie, of course, only looked more amused. His smile was easy, like he had all the time in the world to let her flounder through this awkward speech.
Why did he have to be so attractive? And charming - suggesting breakfast like this was no more than a rom-com. He was making this exceptionally difficult.
“But we both know this is… probably not the best idea.” She gestured vaguely between them, hoping he’d take the hint without making her say it outright.
“Alas, my poor heart.” Doug feigned heartbreak with a dramatic clutch of his chest. He almost dropped to one knee but even he thought that maybe that move was a bit too much. He straightened himself up and the damndest smile returned to his handsome face. “Don’t worry, I’m not about to make your first day even more awkward.”
In hindsight, Doug really should’ve thought about what he was doing the previous night. He knew how wild the orientation party at Jack’s could get, he suffered for it the previous year when he woke up naked on the roof of Oceana house except for a traffic cone he wore as a hat. This girl, Morgan, was out there, trying something special, exciting and he may have helped her do something she regretted, or at the very least didn’t want to do straight away. Dougie, as a rule, tried not to have any regrets, tried not to overthink things but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t stop others from doing as such.
“We had fun, it was a good night, let’s just leave it there and get on with having a great season. You’re gonna love this, Morgan.” He winked at the girl knowingly, a little soft jab for not remembering his name. “Let me just wash my face and I’ll get out of your hair.” Doug already knew where the bathroom was and made his way inside to tidy himself up before the assembly.
Morgan let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding as the blonde disappeared into the bathroom. She hadn't expected him to be so... cool about this. No awkward insistence, no attempts to change her mind. Just an easy smile and a wink that made her stomach twist and body warm in ways she didn’t even want to acknowledge.
Oh, she was so screwed.
“Get it together, Simmons,” The brunette muttered under her breath as she rubbed her temples, the remnants of last night’s drinks still humming at the edges of her mind. The last thing she needed was to get tangled up in something complicated before the season even started. She was here to work, after all, it was part of her job to be professional, and what had transpired between her and Dougie last night was anything but.
Hopefully, everything only went up from here.
Korinna took her job as serious as a heart attack, she had to. CAP was her parents' baby, their beloved. It was something that she knew, no matter how many times he denied it, that her father used to remember her late mother. Kori felt the all too familiar pang of a daughter's guilt in her heart; as time passed, the memory of her mother continued to slip away with the passage of her aging. If not for pictures, she would have forgotten her face by now. If not for videos, she would have forgotten her voice. The curly haired woman hated every iota of that with a passion. She didn’t want to forget the woman that gave her life.
The accusation of nepotism was not lost on Kori, she knew what people thought when they saw her. Yet this industry, it was in her blood. From her parents to her grandfather, her love for the islands and nature herself; she cared so deeply that the iron brand of Nepo-baby she wore, she wore it proudly. Kori lived for this and she worked hard for this and she would be damned to the depths if she let anyone mess it up for her, or her family.
Which was the main reason she asked to room with Morgan Simmons. She told her Dad not to hire the girl, nothing on her application screamed Corsair. Yet for all his faults, her dad was nostalgic and seeing that the Simmons girl was from the same area he was born and raised, pulled on his heartstrings. Then the previous evening, she watched the girl kick the hornets nest, shake up the status quo and stand out in a crowd, craving attention. Kori knew she would need to keep an eye on this one, straighten her out if she needed to, no one was going to jeopardise everything her father had built.
She opened the door to the room, greeted by the sight of Morgan in nothing but a t-shirt and a distinct smell of something she knew but could not place. “Really? You’re just getting up now?” Kori wheeled her suitcase into the dorm and parked it next to the writing desk. “We’ve got to be downstairs in like an hour. Have you even bothered to press your uniform yet?”
“Oh my god,” Morgan’s eyes went wide as the door swung open and she was immediately faced with the sharp, scrutinizing gaze of the captain’s daughter. She’d only learned last night that this was very much a family business, and if there was one thing that was immediately clear, it was that Kori took that fact incredibly seriously.
She moved like a storm front rolling in, her dark curls bouncing with the force of her entrance. There was no hesitation, no pause - just pure, unshaken authority as she strode inside. One could just feel the judgment radiating off of Kori, the kind of intensity that suggested she had impossibly high standards and no patience for anyone who didn’t meet them. And now, here she was, standing in the middle of the room like a drill sergeant who’d just laid eyes on the weakest link.
“Have you heard of this thing called knocking?” The brunette scrambled immediately, throwing open her bag and grabbing the first pair of pants she could find, nearly tripping over herself as she yanked them on. She was caught somewhere between last night’s decisions and the creeping reality of the morning, her brain still playing catch-up.
Which was probably why it took her a second to register the suitcase Kori had wheeled in behind her.
“Please tell me that’s not yours.”
“No, it’s Lance’s.” Kori couldn’t help but roll her dark eyes at the newcomers' stupidity or naivety, she wasn’t sure which more accurately portrayed Morgan yet. “Of course it’s mine, didn’t you read the CAP App? I mean you must’ve since you found your way here last night.” The Captain’s daughter was not against a good time by any means, if you asked some of the old hands of the crew they’d tell you that Korinna could be as wild as the best of them but she never made a show of herself and she always put the job first.
Kori liked to think she was a good judge of character and she was sure as soon as she saw Morgan that she was hiding something. Something was just a little off about the girl and she couldn’t figure it out yet, but she would. Korinna always got the job done. That was why she asked for this room assignment. She wasn’t going to let this be a puzzle left unsolved.
“Your uniform should already be hanging up in the closet. Skort and polo. That’s what we wear unless you are on adventure. Chop chop.” Kori did not have time to play around with Morgan and watch her squirm, as satisfying as she might find it; the Captain, Dad, was waiting. She took off her own shirt without provocation and made her way to the closet, opening up to look at the multitude of uniforms already there. “Larger set is mine, obviously.” Morgan was skinnier and looked to be a bit smaller than Kori; she actually looked amazing. What a bitch.
She was rooming with Kori?
Morgan’s stomach dropped. She clearly hadn’t read the app closely enough, or she had and simply chose to ignore it. Of all the people she could’ve been stuck with for the season, it had to be her. The captain’s daughter. The human embodiment of a performance review. She could feel Kori’s eyes dissecting her every move, and it made her skin prickle with irritation.
“Skort?” She echoed, wrinkling her nose as she turned toward the closet. Sure enough, there it was- a neatly pressed uniform, a skort and top. It looked deceptively innocent, like it wasn’t about to become the bane of her existence.
Fucking hell.
And as Kori made herself right at home and began to change, Morgan came to the incredibly unfortunate realization that Dougie hadn’t left yet. He was still here.
Of course, somehow it gets worse!
She needed to get Kori out of here - just for a few minutes - long enough to deal with the blonde boy in the bathroom who was completely unaware that she had barged in like she owned the place. Because she did own the place. Morgan couldn’t let Kori see him - no way in hell was she giving her more ammunition to doubt her judgement - so she needed to come up with something, and fast.
“Say, Kori, you wouldn’t mind just giving me a little bit of time to freshen up? Alone?” Morgan forced a tight-lipped smile, tilting her head just enough to feign innocence, layering on her best southern charm. “You know, shake off the morning fog, get myself looking presentable. First impressions and all.”
Kori narrowed her eyes slightly. The soft southern belle wouldn’t work on her, not by a long shot. She had tried and failed to master it herself, too much of her mother in her, she always thought. The cowgirl roots weren’t overly strong in her, in spite of her father’s family. Morgan was just lucky that Kori needed to freshen her make up. At all hazards, one must keep up appearances; Grandma Martha taught her that and she was the most glamorous rancher's wife in all of Texas.
“That’s fine.” Korinna spoke rather bluntly as she began to rummage through a small black bag she had removed from her case in search of some lipstick. Maybe she was being too hard on the brunette? Maybe Morgan needed to be given more of a chance? After all, they were going to be rooming together all season and this would likely be Kori’s last. She didn’t want to make it a miserable one. “You know, my Dad doesn’t tend to waffle for too long, he’s not a talker. Maybe once he’s done, you and I can head to Eden, get some breakfast and..”
She was interrupted by the sudden opening of the bathroom door. “DOUGIE WHAT THE FUCK?!”
“I was gonna climb out of the window…but there’s no window.” Doug confidently strode out of the wash room with that damn grin across his face. “Lovely to see you Kori, hair looks lush, lot of volume and hey, did you gain an ab?” He turned to look at Morgan. If telepathy was a thing, he would be trying to tell her that he was attempting to create a distraction so that she didn’t worry but something told him that he didn’t possess that particular superpower. “We roomed together last year. She’s a snorer, she loves the weed, loves all animals and Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I mean, same, Sarah Michelle Gellar is lush.”
Morgan pinched the bridge of her nose and inhaled deeply, attempting to remain composed even as disaster unfolded before her. Just when she thought she had the chance to get out of this situation unscathed, her golden opportunity gloriously backfired. The brunette exhaled slowly, eyes darting from Dougie back to Kori, already bracing for whatever fresh judgment was coming her way from the latter of the pair. She doubted that her breakfast invitation would still stand after this.
“Solid attempt, but not helping, Dougie.” The brunette muttered, shaking her head and folding her arms across her chest as if that could shield her from the absolute trainwreck of a morning she was having. Next time she went to Calico Jack’s - if there was a next time - she was sticking to water. Ice cold, non-alcoholic, water. Her gaze pinned on Kori, who looked about five seconds away from writing up a full report on her moral failings and leaving it on the captain’s desk for him to peruse at his leisure.
“All I’m saying is that if you had knocked, we could have avoided this entirely.”
“Why would I knock when it’s my room?” Kori said in retort. “It’s not my fault you didn’t read the app and it isn’t my fault you brought a stray dog home with you last night…no offence Dougie…no actually yes some offence intended. You’re an asshole. What are you still doing here? Go get ready!”
Doug learned much after his first season last year, one such thing he learned was that one did not cross a pissed off Kori Runnels lest they and the world suffer the wrath of the Goddess Calypso. Picking up his shoes from the ground, the British boy offered the ladies a gentlemanly bow. “I always wanted to do the walk of shame with me heels in hand. Really makes a boy feel special…” The red glare from the Captain’s little girl was enough to send a shiver down the spine of even the most grizzled of veterans. Clambering over a suitcase, Dougie popped a peck of a kiss on Kori’s cheek. “Love ya.”
Rolling her eyes with a sigh in her lips, Korinna placed her hands on her hips. She tried to stifle a smile. Doug was very much like an annoying friend who couldn’t stay out of trouble but who you couldn’t help but love because beneath the nonsense sat a heart of gold. He was always effortlessly comfortable in her presence and he never tried to be anything less other than what he was, she appreciated that. “Love you too, now get out of here before I slap the shit out of your ass.”
“That a promise? I’ve been a bit bunged up for like three days.” Taking the win, Doug moved past the dark skinned girl and to the previous evening's paramour. He settled his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. “You’re gonna love it here. I guarantee it.” His words were genuine, he really wanted Morgan to relax and not stress but then, of course his sweet sayings were swiftly followed by a Dougism. “Right, I’m gonna go see a man about a dog. See you lasses at the big kahuna’s speech. Auf Wiedersehen!” He kissed the top of Morgan’s chocolate head before darting out of the room at breakneck speed.
With her hands still on her hips, Kori let out another sigh before cocking a single eyebrow and staring a hole through her new roommate. “Speaking of dogs…” She let that hang in the air for a moment. “Guess whose turn it is to walk Sunny this morning?”
Morgan exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down her face before shaking her head.
“You know what? Fine. At least she won’t be giving me the third degree before breakfast.” She ran a hand through her tangled hair. “Sunny and I are gonna get along just fine.”
She mulled over Dougie’s parting remark as she looked around for her sneakers. It was hard to imagine loving anything about this situation right now- not with Kori already watching her like a hawk, not with the looming threat of the captain’s inevitable disappointment, and certainly not with the hangover she’d acquired at Calico Jack’s. Man, she really needed to have a word with that guy later.
But she was here, wasn’t she? She’d made it through the application process and the interview, and somehow landed a spot on this season’s crew. Whether Kori liked it or not, Morgan had just as much of a right to be here as anyone else. And despite the rocky start, there was still time to prove that she could handle it. Morgan met the curly haired girl’s gaze, something steely settling in her chest. She didn’t like being doubted, especially not by someone who barely knew her.
Challenge accepted.
Watching Jonas be booted out by Gray left Kori with a deep satisfaction. She didn’t want anyone to put her family’s legacy at risk and piss-ant Nepo babies were very high on that list. Amongst the sea of crewmen, lined up like soldiers in front of her father, Korinna watched Morgan with a sniper's eyes. She stood next to the new chef, Viktoriya and a few rows in front of that damn Doug. The girl was deep in her crosshairs and she would just wait for the perfect moment to pull the trigger.
Still there was plenty of time for that. For now, as her father had asked, Kori needed to think back through the applications and see if there was anyone in there that would be a suitable replacement for Jonas as Culture Guide. Perhaps that could be a perfect challenge for her little roommate to prove her mettle? Comb through hundreds of resumes to find a new crew member. Then again could she trust Morgan’s judgement? Based on the day's events, that was doubtful.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, watching Jonas get swiftly removed left Morgan feeling like her stomach had just bottomed out. They really weren’t kidding in the manual when they mentioned the plane ticket home. While she couldn’t see her, Morgan could feel Kori’s stare burning into her back from a few rows behind, almost as if she was warning her, ‘you’re next’.
The brunette swallowed hard, forcing herself to keep her posture tall and her expression schooled and unreadable. She knew better than to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her squirm. Still, the weight of the captain’s words coiled tight in her chest. One wrong move, one misstep, and she’d be following Jonas out the door. Last night and this morning had been a lapse - she had to be better, she needed to take this seriously.
The murmurs of the crew were a low hum in Morgan’s ears as the meeting wrapped up, and she felt her gaze lingering on Captain Bones a second too long, studying his kind looking eyes and the way he commanded the room with little more than a glance.
Failure wasn’t an option. Not when she had so much more to lose than anyone realized.
No, waking up with a pounding headache and nausea that came in tidal waves on her very first day of work was not how Morgan Simmons intended to start off this adventure. In fact, she was almost certain that this was the exact opposite of making a good first impression. But then again, it wasn’t her fault that Calico Jack’s version of a Vodka Cranberry was a cup of liquor with a few drops of juice. Was it even possible for a bar to sustain itself off of pours like that?
She squeezed her eyes shut to combat the intruding sunlight, and when she rolled over to avoid it further, she found herself pressed up against something solid. No - someone.
Oh no.
It all came rushing back.
Karaoke. Shots. Laughter. His hand on the small of her back as they leaned into each other at the bar. The way he looked at her like she was the only person in the room. A whispered suggestion. A shared cab ride back to the house. And then…
As the scent of cologne mixed with whiskey and something distinctly male filled her senses, she warily peeled her eyes open and took in the broad chest in front of her. It rose and fell in steady, peaceful breaths, the kind that suggested no existential crises or creeping regrets lurking beneath the surface. Very much unlike her at that moment.
The brunette stifled a groan and propped herself up on her elbow, the throbbing in her head punishing her for the movement. Her gaze trailed upward to a strong jawline dusted with the beginnings of morning stubble, lips slightly parted, and thick lashes fanned across his cheekbones.
Unfortunately, he was gorgeous.
Even more unfortunately, she had absolutely no recollection of his name.
She closed her eyes again, sifting through the fog of last night’s events and recalling the thick accent that had curled around her with such ease. He had been smooth, confident - dangerously charming. The kind of charm that really should have come with a warning label. Was it something with a D? Danny? Darren?
God, she was screwed.
Maybe she could just… slip out before he woke up and pretend this never happened. A first-day disaster narrowly avoided. Morgan swallowed hard and carefully untangled herself from the sheets, moving inch by painstaking inch toward the edge of the bed. One foot touched the cool hardwood, then the other, the girl holding her breath as she attempted her escape.
“I’m pretty confident this is your room, so I think it’s me that should be making that daring escape, petal.”
Dougie Gillespie sat up swiftly like a monster from a horror movie, albeit a beautiful one. He pressed a palm to each of his pale blue eyes to hide from the morning lights glare of judgement. This wouldn't be his first or his last hangover, the guys and gals in his band back in Tyneside, No Future, they knew how to party but the crew he was with last night, God Almighty in heaven above, they went fucking hard.
Moving his hands away from his face and resting them down to lean against, Doug looked at the girl that had tried to Steve McQueen out of the room which he was pretty sure was hers anyway. As soon as he caught a side glance from her deep chestnut gaze, he was instantly transported to the previous evening.
After sinking a few pints (American ones, so they weren’t the proper job but they would do) and a decent amount of Scottish whiskey, Calico Jack had convinced Doug to get up and sing. He wasn’t against singing in public but after a skinful of booze, he didn’t want to tarnish his reputation. Still, the man’s moustache was hypnotic and even Dougie couldn’t say no. When he got up and began to work the room, he couldn’t help but be drawn in by the stare of a brunette. The way she was looking at him, it was like she was the only person in the audience.
“I imagine you’re pretty freaked out right now? Don’t be.” The Geordie boy climbed out of the bed on his side, slipping perfectly into the waiting crumpled jeans on the floor. “This doesn’t have to be anything you don’t need or want it to be.”
Morgan froze, her pulse pounding in her ears almost as loudly as her headache. He was entirely too smooth for someone who had just woken up, and she couldn’t decide if that was a relief or an additional layer of mortification. The worst part? He was right. Her gaze darted to the corner where her barely unpacked suitcases sat neatly, an undeniable reminder that this was, indeed, her room.
She turned slowly, hugging the sheet to her chest like some flimsy shield against the reality of the situation.
“I’m not… freaked out,” She answered, her voice raspier than she would have liked. She watched him as he pulled on his jeans, the muscles in his back flexing as he stretched. He really was unfairly attractive. If only she could remember his name.
Realizing a little too late that she was barely clothed herself, her brown eyes searched the vicinity for something else to cover her body with other than the thin fabric between her fingers. Thankfully, a flash of burnt orange came into view and she quickly reached for the University of Texas shirt poking out of her suitcase, practically yanking it over her head. “You say that as if this isn’t your first rodeo.”
“Well…it’s not.” Dougie did the utmost he possibly could to remember all the respect that his Nan taught him to have for a woman, especially those that were feeling particularly vulnerable but damn, it was hard not to allow eyes to wander when they were looking upon something as beautiful as the girl now wrapped up in a college shirt. “Based on what I do remember from last night, not yours either.”
He narrowly avoided some other garments that had scarred across the floor to make his way to his shirt which hung over a lampshade. As he began to dress himself, the mountaineer once again looked at his previous evening's dance partner. “I’m pretty sure this was Diego’s room last year. He was a fun guy, awful bloody hair though.” He spoke quite nonchalantly before turning his large frame around and facing the pretty southern girl with folded arms. “This your first season?”
Fort Lauderdale was a Mecca for anyone in the travel industry. Cabin crew for planes, yachtees working on boats, those like the CAP enlistees, everyone congregated here. After a while it became easy to recognise those that had served their time and those that were fresh greenhorns looking for a slice of adventure. Doug himself had only done one season with CAP but it was one of the funnest and most exhilarating times in his life. He couldn’t help but openly ponder if this girl was in the same boat as he once was.
Heat crept up Morgan’s neck, his comment sending her back to hours earlier - the haze of alcohol, fragments of flirtatious banter, his touch against her skin. She remembered the chemistry between them, undeniable and magnetic, but somewhere along the way the lines had blurred and she’d completely forgotten about the implications. She hadn’t been thinking straight, hadn’t meant for things to go as far as they had, but there they were.
“You’ve got me there,” Exhaling, she ran a hand through her chocolate colored hair, touseling it almost in silent hope that it might lessen her headache or bring forth the key detail she was missing from the night prior. Dean? Derek? She found herself practically going through the letters of the alphabet as she not-so subtly watched him get dressed while his back was turned.
“Yeah, first season,” And starting out quite interestingly, she wanted to add, but she bit her lip to avoid finishing her train of thought. The job at CAP was a stepping stone for Morgan, she was here because it would afford her the opportunity to set off on her own journey one day, and her grand plan included the freedom she craved. But now, facing this stranger who seemed to be remarkably comfortable in the aftermath of their chaotic night, Morgan wasn’t sure she’d prepared adequately for this side of the gig. “I take it you’re not new around here?”
“Nah.” Dougie shook his head. “This is my second tour.” He answered. “Lot of new faces floating around Calico Jack’s last night, yours included. Never forget a face, me; yours included, again.” He tilted his head, breathing in her stare and analysing the look upon her visage. It didn’t take a body language expert to see how uncomfortable she was feeling. “By that way you're staring at me, as much as I would like to think it’s because I’m a gorgeous piece of steak, I imagine it’s more likely that you're trying to place me, remember my name?”
At least in his mind if Doug addressed the girl playfully, it might put her at ease. Their current situation could be addressed in various ways, not all positive and he didn’t want the poor thing to stress herself at something as natural as hooking up at a bar. “It’s Doug, by the way, most call me Dougie.” The boy offered her a gentle, reassuring smile. “Why don’t I go to the bathroom, let you get dressed? It’s early still, we don’t have a roll call for another hour.” His grin was boyish, effortless. “We could go get breakfast and talk about supper last night.”
Morgan opened her mouth, ready to salvage whatever scraps of dignity she had left, but no words came. Instead, she promptly shut it again, a pinkish hue gracing her fair cheeks. Doug, that was his name. At least she’d been on the money with the first letter. The memory finally surfaced of him approaching her at the bar and introducing himself after his performance, accent and all that made her nearly swoon. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been in a situation like this before- because she had on more than a few occasions- but waking up next to someone she was supposed to be working with? That was a whole new level of ‘what the hell have I done’.
“Look Dougie,” She emphasized his name but her voice came out softer than intended, her throat dry. She swallowed and pushed forward, offering the blonde a small, sheepish smile. “Last night was fun, believe me, I had a really great time with you,” Dougie, of course, only looked more amused. His smile was easy, like he had all the time in the world to let her flounder through this awkward speech.
Why did he have to be so attractive? And charming - suggesting breakfast like this was no more than a rom-com. He was making this exceptionally difficult.
“But we both know this is… probably not the best idea.” She gestured vaguely between them, hoping he’d take the hint without making her say it outright.
“Alas, my poor heart.” Doug feigned heartbreak with a dramatic clutch of his chest. He almost dropped to one knee but even he thought that maybe that move was a bit too much. He straightened himself up and the damndest smile returned to his handsome face. “Don’t worry, I’m not about to make your first day even more awkward.”
In hindsight, Doug really should’ve thought about what he was doing the previous night. He knew how wild the orientation party at Jack’s could get, he suffered for it the previous year when he woke up naked on the roof of Oceana house except for a traffic cone he wore as a hat. This girl, Morgan, was out there, trying something special, exciting and he may have helped her do something she regretted, or at the very least didn’t want to do straight away. Dougie, as a rule, tried not to have any regrets, tried not to overthink things but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t stop others from doing as such.
“We had fun, it was a good night, let’s just leave it there and get on with having a great season. You’re gonna love this, Morgan.” He winked at the girl knowingly, a little soft jab for not remembering his name. “Let me just wash my face and I’ll get out of your hair.” Doug already knew where the bathroom was and made his way inside to tidy himself up before the assembly.
Morgan let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding as the blonde disappeared into the bathroom. She hadn't expected him to be so... cool about this. No awkward insistence, no attempts to change her mind. Just an easy smile and a wink that made her stomach twist and body warm in ways she didn’t even want to acknowledge.
Oh, she was so screwed.
“Get it together, Simmons,” The brunette muttered under her breath as she rubbed her temples, the remnants of last night’s drinks still humming at the edges of her mind. The last thing she needed was to get tangled up in something complicated before the season even started. She was here to work, after all, it was part of her job to be professional, and what had transpired between her and Dougie last night was anything but.
Hopefully, everything only went up from here.
Korinna took her job as serious as a heart attack, she had to. CAP was her parents' baby, their beloved. It was something that she knew, no matter how many times he denied it, that her father used to remember her late mother. Kori felt the all too familiar pang of a daughter's guilt in her heart; as time passed, the memory of her mother continued to slip away with the passage of her aging. If not for pictures, she would have forgotten her face by now. If not for videos, she would have forgotten her voice. The curly haired woman hated every iota of that with a passion. She didn’t want to forget the woman that gave her life.
The accusation of nepotism was not lost on Kori, she knew what people thought when they saw her. Yet this industry, it was in her blood. From her parents to her grandfather, her love for the islands and nature herself; she cared so deeply that the iron brand of Nepo-baby she wore, she wore it proudly. Kori lived for this and she worked hard for this and she would be damned to the depths if she let anyone mess it up for her, or her family.
Which was the main reason she asked to room with Morgan Simmons. She told her Dad not to hire the girl, nothing on her application screamed Corsair. Yet for all his faults, her dad was nostalgic and seeing that the Simmons girl was from the same area he was born and raised, pulled on his heartstrings. Then the previous evening, she watched the girl kick the hornets nest, shake up the status quo and stand out in a crowd, craving attention. Kori knew she would need to keep an eye on this one, straighten her out if she needed to, no one was going to jeopardise everything her father had built.
She opened the door to the room, greeted by the sight of Morgan in nothing but a t-shirt and a distinct smell of something she knew but could not place. “Really? You’re just getting up now?” Kori wheeled her suitcase into the dorm and parked it next to the writing desk. “We’ve got to be downstairs in like an hour. Have you even bothered to press your uniform yet?”
“Oh my god,” Morgan’s eyes went wide as the door swung open and she was immediately faced with the sharp, scrutinizing gaze of the captain’s daughter. She’d only learned last night that this was very much a family business, and if there was one thing that was immediately clear, it was that Kori took that fact incredibly seriously.
She moved like a storm front rolling in, her dark curls bouncing with the force of her entrance. There was no hesitation, no pause - just pure, unshaken authority as she strode inside. One could just feel the judgment radiating off of Kori, the kind of intensity that suggested she had impossibly high standards and no patience for anyone who didn’t meet them. And now, here she was, standing in the middle of the room like a drill sergeant who’d just laid eyes on the weakest link.
“Have you heard of this thing called knocking?” The brunette scrambled immediately, throwing open her bag and grabbing the first pair of pants she could find, nearly tripping over herself as she yanked them on. She was caught somewhere between last night’s decisions and the creeping reality of the morning, her brain still playing catch-up.
Which was probably why it took her a second to register the suitcase Kori had wheeled in behind her.
“Please tell me that’s not yours.”
“No, it’s Lance’s.” Kori couldn’t help but roll her dark eyes at the newcomers' stupidity or naivety, she wasn’t sure which more accurately portrayed Morgan yet. “Of course it’s mine, didn’t you read the CAP App? I mean you must’ve since you found your way here last night.” The Captain’s daughter was not against a good time by any means, if you asked some of the old hands of the crew they’d tell you that Korinna could be as wild as the best of them but she never made a show of herself and she always put the job first.
Kori liked to think she was a good judge of character and she was sure as soon as she saw Morgan that she was hiding something. Something was just a little off about the girl and she couldn’t figure it out yet, but she would. Korinna always got the job done. That was why she asked for this room assignment. She wasn’t going to let this be a puzzle left unsolved.
“Your uniform should already be hanging up in the closet. Skort and polo. That’s what we wear unless you are on adventure. Chop chop.” Kori did not have time to play around with Morgan and watch her squirm, as satisfying as she might find it; the Captain, Dad, was waiting. She took off her own shirt without provocation and made her way to the closet, opening up to look at the multitude of uniforms already there. “Larger set is mine, obviously.” Morgan was skinnier and looked to be a bit smaller than Kori; she actually looked amazing. What a bitch.
She was rooming with Kori?
Morgan’s stomach dropped. She clearly hadn’t read the app closely enough, or she had and simply chose to ignore it. Of all the people she could’ve been stuck with for the season, it had to be her. The captain’s daughter. The human embodiment of a performance review. She could feel Kori’s eyes dissecting her every move, and it made her skin prickle with irritation.
“Skort?” She echoed, wrinkling her nose as she turned toward the closet. Sure enough, there it was- a neatly pressed uniform, a skort and top. It looked deceptively innocent, like it wasn’t about to become the bane of her existence.
Fucking hell.
And as Kori made herself right at home and began to change, Morgan came to the incredibly unfortunate realization that Dougie hadn’t left yet. He was still here.
Of course, somehow it gets worse!
She needed to get Kori out of here - just for a few minutes - long enough to deal with the blonde boy in the bathroom who was completely unaware that she had barged in like she owned the place. Because she did own the place. Morgan couldn’t let Kori see him - no way in hell was she giving her more ammunition to doubt her judgement - so she needed to come up with something, and fast.
“Say, Kori, you wouldn’t mind just giving me a little bit of time to freshen up? Alone?” Morgan forced a tight-lipped smile, tilting her head just enough to feign innocence, layering on her best southern charm. “You know, shake off the morning fog, get myself looking presentable. First impressions and all.”
Kori narrowed her eyes slightly. The soft southern belle wouldn’t work on her, not by a long shot. She had tried and failed to master it herself, too much of her mother in her, she always thought. The cowgirl roots weren’t overly strong in her, in spite of her father’s family. Morgan was just lucky that Kori needed to freshen her make up. At all hazards, one must keep up appearances; Grandma Martha taught her that and she was the most glamorous rancher's wife in all of Texas.
“That’s fine.” Korinna spoke rather bluntly as she began to rummage through a small black bag she had removed from her case in search of some lipstick. Maybe she was being too hard on the brunette? Maybe Morgan needed to be given more of a chance? After all, they were going to be rooming together all season and this would likely be Kori’s last. She didn’t want to make it a miserable one. “You know, my Dad doesn’t tend to waffle for too long, he’s not a talker. Maybe once he’s done, you and I can head to Eden, get some breakfast and..”
She was interrupted by the sudden opening of the bathroom door. “DOUGIE WHAT THE FUCK?!”
“I was gonna climb out of the window…but there’s no window.” Doug confidently strode out of the wash room with that damn grin across his face. “Lovely to see you Kori, hair looks lush, lot of volume and hey, did you gain an ab?” He turned to look at Morgan. If telepathy was a thing, he would be trying to tell her that he was attempting to create a distraction so that she didn’t worry but something told him that he didn’t possess that particular superpower. “We roomed together last year. She’s a snorer, she loves the weed, loves all animals and Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I mean, same, Sarah Michelle Gellar is lush.”
Morgan pinched the bridge of her nose and inhaled deeply, attempting to remain composed even as disaster unfolded before her. Just when she thought she had the chance to get out of this situation unscathed, her golden opportunity gloriously backfired. The brunette exhaled slowly, eyes darting from Dougie back to Kori, already bracing for whatever fresh judgment was coming her way from the latter of the pair. She doubted that her breakfast invitation would still stand after this.
“Solid attempt, but not helping, Dougie.” The brunette muttered, shaking her head and folding her arms across her chest as if that could shield her from the absolute trainwreck of a morning she was having. Next time she went to Calico Jack’s - if there was a next time - she was sticking to water. Ice cold, non-alcoholic, water. Her gaze pinned on Kori, who looked about five seconds away from writing up a full report on her moral failings and leaving it on the captain’s desk for him to peruse at his leisure.
“All I’m saying is that if you had knocked, we could have avoided this entirely.”
“Why would I knock when it’s my room?” Kori said in retort. “It’s not my fault you didn’t read the app and it isn’t my fault you brought a stray dog home with you last night…no offence Dougie…no actually yes some offence intended. You’re an asshole. What are you still doing here? Go get ready!”
Doug learned much after his first season last year, one such thing he learned was that one did not cross a pissed off Kori Runnels lest they and the world suffer the wrath of the Goddess Calypso. Picking up his shoes from the ground, the British boy offered the ladies a gentlemanly bow. “I always wanted to do the walk of shame with me heels in hand. Really makes a boy feel special…” The red glare from the Captain’s little girl was enough to send a shiver down the spine of even the most grizzled of veterans. Clambering over a suitcase, Dougie popped a peck of a kiss on Kori’s cheek. “Love ya.”
Rolling her eyes with a sigh in her lips, Korinna placed her hands on her hips. She tried to stifle a smile. Doug was very much like an annoying friend who couldn’t stay out of trouble but who you couldn’t help but love because beneath the nonsense sat a heart of gold. He was always effortlessly comfortable in her presence and he never tried to be anything less other than what he was, she appreciated that. “Love you too, now get out of here before I slap the shit out of your ass.”
“That a promise? I’ve been a bit bunged up for like three days.” Taking the win, Doug moved past the dark skinned girl and to the previous evening's paramour. He settled his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. “You’re gonna love it here. I guarantee it.” His words were genuine, he really wanted Morgan to relax and not stress but then, of course his sweet sayings were swiftly followed by a Dougism. “Right, I’m gonna go see a man about a dog. See you lasses at the big kahuna’s speech. Auf Wiedersehen!” He kissed the top of Morgan’s chocolate head before darting out of the room at breakneck speed.
With her hands still on her hips, Kori let out another sigh before cocking a single eyebrow and staring a hole through her new roommate. “Speaking of dogs…” She let that hang in the air for a moment. “Guess whose turn it is to walk Sunny this morning?”
Morgan exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down her face before shaking her head.
“You know what? Fine. At least she won’t be giving me the third degree before breakfast.” She ran a hand through her tangled hair. “Sunny and I are gonna get along just fine.”
She mulled over Dougie’s parting remark as she looked around for her sneakers. It was hard to imagine loving anything about this situation right now- not with Kori already watching her like a hawk, not with the looming threat of the captain’s inevitable disappointment, and certainly not with the hangover she’d acquired at Calico Jack’s. Man, she really needed to have a word with that guy later.
But she was here, wasn’t she? She’d made it through the application process and the interview, and somehow landed a spot on this season’s crew. Whether Kori liked it or not, Morgan had just as much of a right to be here as anyone else. And despite the rocky start, there was still time to prove that she could handle it. Morgan met the curly haired girl’s gaze, something steely settling in her chest. She didn’t like being doubted, especially not by someone who barely knew her.
Challenge accepted.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Timestamp: 9:10am
Location: Oceana House, Front Lawn
Location: Oceana House, Front Lawn
Watching Jonas be booted out by Gray left Kori with a deep satisfaction. She didn’t want anyone to put her family’s legacy at risk and piss-ant Nepo babies were very high on that list. Amongst the sea of crewmen, lined up like soldiers in front of her father, Korinna watched Morgan with a sniper's eyes. She stood next to the new chef, Viktoriya and a few rows in front of that damn Doug. The girl was deep in her crosshairs and she would just wait for the perfect moment to pull the trigger.
Still there was plenty of time for that. For now, as her father had asked, Kori needed to think back through the applications and see if there was anyone in there that would be a suitable replacement for Jonas as Culture Guide. Perhaps that could be a perfect challenge for her little roommate to prove her mettle? Comb through hundreds of resumes to find a new crew member. Then again could she trust Morgan’s judgement? Based on the day's events, that was doubtful.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, watching Jonas get swiftly removed left Morgan feeling like her stomach had just bottomed out. They really weren’t kidding in the manual when they mentioned the plane ticket home. While she couldn’t see her, Morgan could feel Kori’s stare burning into her back from a few rows behind, almost as if she was warning her, ‘you’re next’.
The brunette swallowed hard, forcing herself to keep her posture tall and her expression schooled and unreadable. She knew better than to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her squirm. Still, the weight of the captain’s words coiled tight in her chest. One wrong move, one misstep, and she’d be following Jonas out the door. Last night and this morning had been a lapse - she had to be better, she needed to take this seriously.
The murmurs of the crew were a low hum in Morgan’s ears as the meeting wrapped up, and she felt her gaze lingering on Captain Bones a second too long, studying his kind looking eyes and the way he commanded the room with little more than a glance.
Failure wasn’t an option. Not when she had so much more to lose than anyone realized.
