Woman Afloat

Synopsis

We discover our main character Sydney, has hypersexuality from the opening scene as she attends a support group, unwillingly. Then we discover the cause of hypersexuality is PTSD, she’s a NYPD Officer, ten years in. Next Sydney experiences one of the toughest days on the job, showing the negative impact it has on her emotional well-being. Sydney is a humble hero consumed by a thankless job. The stress of being a police officer in the Bronx has clearly created obstacles in her personal life. She turned to sex as an outlet, never allowing herself to date or get to know a man, it is always a onetime hit and run. She trusts two people in her life, her Chief of Police father, although it is a rocky relationship and her psychiatrist, therapist, Doc. Although she tries to heed their advice, she longs to become a responsible thirty-five-year-old woman, capable of making healthy choices on her own. A shot to the head leads Sydney to take a long overdue sabbatical in hopes to simply stay afloat by seeking peace, solitude and a cure for the lustful urges that have her drowning in a sea of men. Sydney follows her instincts and flees the city to the unknown – the new England coast in a small yacht. Her travels include the scenic waterway and tourist stops, from New York, Block Island then Rockport, Massachusetts and Kennebunkport, Maine, ending up in Portland, Maine. Whenever she goes ashore, she has a couple of one-night stands with men, and finds she is still unable to control her sexual urges although she has left her job and is alone at sea. When she wrecks her yacht, she takes a job in Maine with an international security company, as her boat is being repaired. Sydney begins to understand the various roots of her problems and grows emotionally and socially. First, she allows herself to fall for a stray dog who annoyed her, they become inseparable, and she has never owned a pet. She manages to grow a friendship with a male, gay interior designer, introduced to her by Doc, Sydney has no friends. Sydney experiences a totally new experience, “love at first sight,” and longs to explore the unknown. However, her life becomes complicated when she unknowingly sleeps with the brother of the man, she has feelings towards, that man is also her new boss. As she becomes the bodyguard to her Boss’s (Rick) emotionally challenged young daughter, she is the only one who understands the 12-year-old, who has Tourette’s. They form a close relationship, and Sydney ends up saving her life as she is kidnapped. Rick, a widower, appears to have feelings for Sydney as well, but a jealous girlfriend who has a secret that holds Rick hostage also wants Sydney gone. As unlikely relationships form between Sydney, the young girl, a stray dog, and Rick, she attempts to gain self-control and confidence. If she does and learns from her new acquaintances, they may be the only ones who can save her from herself. Also, Doc presented Sydney with a journal for her trip, like Alcoholics Anonymous 12 step program. Sydney takes this seriously and commits to taking the steps necessary to control her behavior. Our story also touches on today’s Police brutality issues as Sydney’s employer (love interest) provides new and innovative safety and security training for police officers. Although Sydney has a trust fund and plenty of money, she chose to be an officer because she cares about people. She is serious about justice, has a master’s in forensic science and realizes the need for additional officer training. This serves as common ground for her and Rick and creates a natural bond between them. Our main characters dilemma and the desire to control what some call a mental illness, is unveiled with humor, adventure, and hope. You will find yourself rooting for a woman who must win her battle between lust and love, to discover if love can conquer all, by first loving herself. NOTE: The sex scenes are written as “preludes” to sexual encounters, not revealing full on sex in an effort to expand the audience demographics and not exploit hypersexuality.