In the morning, I’d meet with the investors via teleconference, showing them the shoots, emailing proofs back and forth, and getting preparations completed for the Live Beautifully Gala coming up in Edinburgh. It was this moment we’d been preparing for, building up to—the moment where I’d know if I’d hit on the right thing to rocket the company to the stellar quarter we so desperately needed. The moment to know whether or not I’d made my father proud. Thomas the photographer and I huddled up in my cabin, but I usually invited Aolani to these meetings as well, getting her take on the proofs--her eye was truly something exceptional. I’d come to realize she was an invaluable member of the team, and despite the joy of just being near her, I knew hiring her was one of the best managerial decisions I’d ever made. The nights passed in a intoxicating blur of deck parties with the crew, wine, hot tubbing, and sensual evenings of holding Aolani close, of making love in my stateroom, each time more exciting than the last.
