53

As much as I wanted to go to bed, or lay down, the full sway of my drunkenness hits me, fueling my desire to join the party. The lights on the deck glow beautifully in the dark and the thrum of music from speakers give it a romantic vibe. Leila has a tray of cocktails and they look too good. It’s then I find out she spent one summer here as a barmaid and has a wealth of knowledge on tasty drinks. Despite a super-rich family, it seems Leila is pretty self-sufficient at times. She loves nothing more than sharing anecdotes of her past experiences and she has a humorous way of reliving the past.

“I should stop, I think I’ve had enough.” I try to reject Leila’s push of another, now that I’m barely upright anymore, and should probably sit down. I’ve overdone it way more than I intended and now it’s dark and the boat is moving all around me as though we are on a stormy sea.

“Hush now, we’re on vacation … Party, pa