“I gotta go, babe. Have a great flight home.” She kissed her quickly on the check as she escaped the octopus-like arms and headed out the door. She didn’t bother to look back, her mind already on the day ahead, the tourist’s bed already forgotten.
Fortunately, the hotel was only ten minutes from the dive center and all her gear was already there. She ran the short distance and hit the front steps of the dive center as the cell phone in her pocket began to ring. She ignored it and pushed open the door.
“What the hell time do you call this?” Rudy stared at her, his hazel eyes flashing angrily under his ball cap. His jaw was heavy on the stubble, his skin a dark tan. He was pushing forty, but a desk hadn’t done a great deal of harm to the muscled physique he had developed when they were both in the navy together, and the white tank top showed off his strong arms and pecs. She didn’t look at his legs. She never did. Seeing his prosthetic leg brought back far too many memories for her. “I hope she was worth it. You can pick up the new zero from the airport. Flight gets in at eleven. I’ll get you the details later.”
“Aw, man, Rudy. You’ve got to be kidding?” She picked up the storage box full of her gear. “I’m like, five minutes late. You’ve got me on the early boat again tomorrow, and you know damn well picking someone up from Miami at that time means it’s gonna be after one before I get to bed. Why can’t you send Clem or Mac?” She headed down to the boat moored on the jetty knowing it was no use arguing with Rudy. She knew she would be the main trainer for the new zero to hero, the course that took candidates with no diving experience whatsoever and made them dive instructors in just six months.
“You’re more than twenty minutes late and you damn well know it. Besides, you’ve only got to go to Key West airport. She’s on an internal transfer. Now, get your ass on the boat and stop arguing with me. You’re already giving me a headache and it ain’t even eight o’clock yet.” He moved past her to untie the boat from the dock.
She passed her box over to the boat hand and jumped nimbly onto the deck, grinning at Carlos as he stowed her gear at the aft of the boat for her.
“Jesus, Oz, you’ve only been here five minutes and he’s chewing his shorts already.”
“Rudy’s always chewing his shorts. It’s his main source of fiber.”
Carlos laughed as he hurried over to grab other boxes of gear as they were passed over by other deck hands. Oz checked to make sure nothing was missing before they pulled out, then looked at all the divers on the boat, knowing she needed to go and chat with them, put nerves at ease, answer questions, build up the excitement.
I’m getting way too old for this shit.
She strapped on her smile and picked up her dive briefing file.
“Hey, everyone, if you’ll all gather around, I’ll go over today’s dive site.” She waited while they all huddled around and stared at her avidly. She flipped open her folder and pointed to a picture of the site.
“Hi, everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Oz, and I’ll be your dive guide and instructor for the day. Today we’re diving The Elbow. It’s situated between twelve to thirty-five feet, which is four to eleven meters, making this a real easy dive. There are some amazing coral formations and tons of sea life to see. There’s also an amazing Civil War shipwreck. It sank in eighteen sixty-six and was a seven hundred and fifty-two ton steamer. Now it’s home to some of the most amazing elkhorn coral I’ve ever seen. There are some scattered remains of a couple other wrecks about too. They aren’t in as good a shape, but we’re guessing they were a tug and a barge.” She pointed to her map as she spoke, indicating points of interest and depths. “When we get in, we’ll descend and hold at around eight meters for most of the dive. This way it’s easier to keep our fins off the reef and the ocean floor. The more sand we kick up, the less we’ll be able to see, so it makes things nicer if we do it that way. We’re going to circle around the reef, and once we get back, we’ll ascend as a group.”
She tapped two fingers against her lips. “If I do this, I want to know how much air you have left in your tank. I need you to check your gauge and let me know.” She held her hands up and made a T shape. “This sign means one hundred bar.” She made a fist. “And this means fifty bar.” She held up one finger. “Each digit is telling me ten bars. You all have two hundred to two hundred and twenty bar to start with, so that should be pretty easy to gauge. When you tell me a number, always tell me the lower option. So if you have one hundred and fifty-five bar, you tell me one fifty. Not one sixty. Are we all clear?” She waited for a round of okays. “If I point at you and do this, I’m asking the question, are you okay? If everything is okay, repeat the signal back to me. If not, indicate that you want to go up by pointing your thumb up toward the surface. Should this happen, we all go up as a group. We resolve whatever the problem is, and then decide on the course of action from there.” She met the eyes of all six people around her. “Does anyone have any questions?” They all shook their heads, and she didn’t notice anyone looking particularly anxious. “Okay, let’s get into our wet suits.”
She walked over to the storage boxes tucked under the benches around the back of the dive boat. She retrieved her own and pulled out her wet suit. She reached for the button of her shorts to strip down to her swimsuit before remembering that she hadn’t had the chance to change before getting on the boat. She ducked into the small, cramped head and quickly slipped into the black and gray neoprene skin before hitting the deck again.
“Yo, Oz, you better get the gang together. We’re about ten minutes out.”
“How’s the current?”
“Minimal. Hardly any chop on the surface. Should be totally calm down there today. You wanna do a quick check?”
“Thanks, Mac. I don’t think I need to jump in today to know the water’s perfect.” She stared at the surface of the water before turning back to the passengers. “Everyone get ready. It’s a great day for diving.”
Finn waited until the aisle was clear before getting up to grab her rucksack and camera case from the overhead bin. The Nikon D7000 inside was her pride and joy.
“I got it, Finn.” She smiled at her best friend Pete as he retrieved her bags and handed them to her before grabbing his own and slinging the strap over his shoulder. He slid a navy blue baseball cap over his curly blond hair and pushed on dark, wraparound sunglasses. “Are we ready to show Florida a thing or two?”
Without waiting for a response, he sauntered toward the exit, smiling broadly into the sun as it kissed the carpeted floor of the cabin. Finn pushed her long hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ears as she pulled her own sunglasses out of her pocket and slid them into place. Pete was already on the tarmac and heading for a building with a large banner saying “Welcome to the Conch Republic” hanging from it when she reached the door, and she nearly tripped as she bounded down the steps, well aware she was the last person off the plane.
“Come on, Daniela Finsbury-Sterling! I can’t wait for you forever.” Pete laughed as she practically had to run to keep up with him.
Finn landed a punch on his well-muscled arm.
“Ow. I think the bugs are biting me already,” he said, playfully swatting non-existent bugs from his arm.
“Watch it, or I’ll really have to hurt you.” Her British accent caused a few sidelong glances as they entered the terminal building.
“Nah, you’d be lost without me.”
“Please.” She hitched her bag further onto her shoulder and eased her hair out from under the strap. “Who’s picking us up anyway? Didn’t the dive school say that someone would meet us?”
He fished a page from his pocket and passed it over to her. “We are meeting one Olivia Zuckerman. This says she’ll be the main contact for you through the course and your main dive instructor if you decide you really want to go through with this.”
“What do you mean ‘if’?”
He held up his hands to stave off the onslaught. “What I mean is if you decide you like being under the water. You haven’t been diving before, and for all you know, you could hate it when you get down there.”
“And if I do?”
“Then I’ll be here with you as long as you want me to be. I can find plenty of onshore attractions to keep me entertained while you play with the fishies!”
“What about my dad?”
“I told you. I don’t want the job. I would rather be penniless and happy than sell my soul to Satan himself.” He turned and grinned sheepishly at her. “No offense.”
“None taken. I feel pretty similarly about him myself.”
“Besides, I have a good education. A top class degree in IT will get me a job just about anywhere. In fact, I already have an offer on the table. This guy Pritchard has offered me a chance to join a team he’s putting together. Tracing bad guys on the old computer, baby. I may have to work my way up and not get the easy ride I would have in the office with your father. But what can I say? I like to sleep at night, and your dad’s offer comes with far too many strings attached.” He watched her as she walked along beside him. “I won’t be staying in a closet because your dad is homophobic and wants to see us producing heirs to his fortune.”
“Peter, I don’t want you to make any rash decisions that could affect your future. When my dad finds out I’m not going back home, you know it’s going to get ugly. And if he knows you’re helping me, he could make you miserable.”
“Finn, I don’t care. The more you worry about his reaction toward me, the more it makes me worry about you. I love you like you were my own sister, and I hate what that man has done, could do, and dares to think about doing to you. Treating you like you’re just something else he owns.” Pete stopped and held up his hands. “I’m sorry. Let’s forget all about the old fart and figure out how to have the most fun possible. We’re in Florida, baby. Let’s go find this Olivia Zuckerman and then find somewhere to party! Maybe she can give us a few hints about good places to go.”
“Hi.”
Finn almost crashed into Pete’s back as he stopped.
“I didn’t mean to listen in, but I’m Olivia.”
Finn found herself staring at the hand held out in greeting, suddenly and uncharacteristically tongue-tied.
“Zuckerman. You said you were looking for me.”
“Hi, I’m Pete Green, nice to meet you, Miss Zuckerman.”
“Oz. Everyone calls me Oz.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Oz.” He shook her hand before pointing to Finn. “The mute one is Daniela.”
Finn met Oz’s curious stare for a moment before looking away. She realized she must look like a child wearing her mother’s clothes. Black utility shorts, at least three sizes too big, hung from her hips, cinched in place by an army-style webbing belt. A loose purple cotton shirt wrapped around her torso and snagged awkwardly on the rucksack hanging from her shoulder. Her long hair was pushed back from her face by a pair of sunglasses acting as a headband. She looked around them, focusing on anything, everything, but Oz. She didn’t want to see the disparaging look in her instructor’s eyes before she’d even had a chance to get to know her.
“Hi, Daniela.” Oz held her hand out to her.
“Hi.” She shook Oz’s hand tentatively, barely making contact at all. Finally, Finn’s eyes settled on her. “Most people call me Finn.” She gave Oz a small smile, relieved when she couldn’t discern anything judgmental in the smile she got in return.
“Finn it is then. Shall we get out of here?” Oz didn’t wait for a response but led them out of the airport and toward the car park where she had left the SUV. “I understand you’re staying at the Ocean Key Resort? Is that right?”
“Yeah, Finn’s dad booked it for us so we thought we’d make use of it,” Pete said. “I figure I’ll hang out in the spa while Finn’s busy working and studying for the diving qualifications.”
“Where in England are you guys from?”
“London born and bred me, but Finn’s from more northern climes. Aren’t you, honey?”
Finn nodded as she watched the world pass by outside the window. “Manchester. I was the ripe old age of five when we moved to London.”
“Did you have any problems getting visas for the time that you’ll both be here? It can take a little while to get all the dives in for your certificates.”
“Well, I’m only here on holiday, and Finn’s mum was American so she has an American passport.”
Oz’s eyebrows rose and she glanced at Finn through the rearview mirror. “Really? Where was your mom from?”
“Sarasota Springs, Florida. She moved to England when she married my dad.”
“So do you come to Florida with your mom a lot?”
“No. This is my first time here.” Finn shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with all the questions the woman was asking. She didn’t even know her, for God’s sake. And her family was the last thing she wanted to discuss with a stranger.
“Well, it’s a beautiful place, and if you’re going to be here for a while, it’s probably a good time to visit.” Finn met Oz’s eyes in the rearview mirror and smiled, giving a slight shrug before looking back out the window.
Oz glanced at Pete. “So you’re not diving?”
“Nah! I’m strictly holidaying here before returning to my life in London.”
“And what do you do with your life in London that could possibly compare with life under the water?”
“A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.” His chocolate brown eyes were twinkling with mischief as he spoke in an exaggerated whisper.
“I absolutely understand that, but you don’t seem quite the gentleman to me.” Oz winked at Pete, and Finn started giggling from the backseat.
“She’s got your number already, pal.”
Oz glanced again through the rearview mirror and smiled at Finn. Finn’s stomach did a little leap and she took a deep breath to settle herself. A woman’s smile was nothing more than that. A smile.
“I worked for Finn’s dad doing IT stuff.”
“Worked?”
“Yeah.” He pushed his fingers through his hair. “Definitely worked. He will
soooo
not want me back when he realizes that Finn isn’t going back home. He’ll think I kidnapped her. It’s really the other way around. Don’t let that innocent face fool you.” He threw a smile back at Finn. “She’s stubborn as hell. She has a foul mouth when drunk. And if you’re really lucky, she’ll show you her tattoo!” He grinned when Olivia’s eyebrows shot up. “Yeah, I know. She looks so sweet and innocent—like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth!”