“Avery?” he asked.
I stopped and fixed my mouth with a professional grin. “Do I know you?”
“No,” he said as he set his newspaper beside him and stood. “I’m Phil and I know you work on the Athena. I was rather hoping I could ask you a couple of questions.”
It was usually paparazzi rather than journalists who approached the crew, but this guy knew my name. He didn’t seem like a journalist either. I stepped away from him and continued back to the tender, aware of him following me, my heart beginning to clatter in my chest. Without the slope of the hill to give me height, I’d lost sight of Eric, but he must have been less than a two-minute walk away. How had this man known my name and what did he want?
“You’re a stewardess on the Athena, I understand.”
I didn’t react, just concentrated on keeping my gait steady, but the stranger caught up. No doubt he’d be able to outrun me if I was to break into a sprint. He wasn’t big, but he was stocky and fit looking. The rich liked to use the phrase that wealth attracted wealth but all too often I’d found that wealth attracted trouble.
“It’s a beautiful yacht,” he said.
He was right, but I wasn’t going to engage with him.
“What do you know about Hayden Wolf?” he asked, as if we were talking about the weather.
Did he know Hayden? Who was this guy?
“I’m doing some research. I need some information.”
If this guy was a friend of Hayden’s, he had no need to approach me. And if he wasn’t a friend, did that make him an enemy?
“I just want to know what he’s working on. Who does he talk to on the phone? That kind of thing.”
I kept walking and kept quiet even though I really wanted to ask him who he was and what he wanted information on Hayden for.
“I can offer you money,” he said. “Five thousand US dollars.”
Five thousand dollars? That was a big sum of money. I couldn’t remember being offered more than a few hundred, even when big Hollywood stars were on board. And how did this Phil guy even know Hayden was on the boat? And how did he know who I was? I shrugged. “I have nothing to say.”
“Think about,” he said. “There’s nothing to lose. I just want a few innocuous details and you’ll get a lot of money in return.”
It was a lot of money.
“You could shop. Travel. What would you spend it on?”
An extra five thousand dollars worked out to over thirty physical therapy sessions. That was nearly seven weeks of care for my brother. But I couldn’t sell Hayden out. I knew how private he was. “I don’t know any details. I just serve dinner and change bedding.”
“I’m sure a clever girl like you knows more than you think you do. You’ve already confirmed he’s on the boat, so thank you for that.”
I snapped my head around. “I did no such thing.”
“But you didn’t deny it, and that’s as good as a confirmation as far as I’m concerned.”
Shit, had I given Hayden’s location away? He was so careful, so private about everything. It would be horrifying to be the person who fucked that up for him. “I didn’t confirm or deny anything. It’s none of your business who’s on my yacht.”
“If the information’s good, the money could go up,” he said, ignoring my denial. My bliss seeped away, and I wanted to grab him by the collar and force him to confess that I hadn’t confirmed who our guest was, but of course, I’d just make things worse. It would cement what he clearly already knew.
“Five thousand dollars? Come on, it’s easy money. Just tell me what he’s working on, who he’s talking to. Think of it as a tip. You’re used to tips, right?”
Easy money? Was there any such thing? Five thousand dollars would mean a great deal for my family. Didn’t I owe more loyalty to my family than a near-perfect stranger? If I asked my dad I knew what he’d say. He’d tell me my character was priceless. I couldn’t take the money for my family when I knew they’d be disappointed if they ever found out how I’d come by it.
As we rounded the corner, the tender came into view.
“Eric,” I shouted, and I waved when he looked up. I turned to the man. “I don’t have anything to say to you, sorry,” I said, then broke into a run. It wasn’t worth it. I would just work harder for bigger tips rather than take money to steal secrets and sell them. That wasn’t how I was raised, and more than I wanted that extra money, I wanted to be my father’s daughter.
I didn’t look to see if he was following me. I just focused on Eric, the tender and getting back to the yacht.