oOo
“You’re late!” Paul growled.
“Dock it from my wages,” she growled back. Paul turned away so she wouldn’t see his grin.
“You missed tanks, and the bathroom hasn’t been cleaned all day,” he pushed. It was hard to say it with the usual crabbiness through the wide smile on his face.
“Sorry about tank duty.”
Unbelievable, he thought. She actually felt bad about missing an opportunity for him to abuse her again.
“But even so, that darn bathroom is still cleaner since I’ve claimed the job . . . all to my freaking self!” Her voice crescendoed with each word.
“Darn? Freaking?” he ridiculed her.
She stuck her tongue out at him and walked toward the bathroom. He watched her, smile still in place, until she rounded the corner from the tunnel and headed toward the bathroom.
oOo
Tracy and Regina walked into the office from the main door.
“Claire, we have to go to the mainland tomorrow. Can you make sure you let Paul know?” Tracy said.
Paul walked in from the tunnel as they said it. “Why do you need to go to the mainland?”
“We need a few things we can’t get here,” Tracy said.
Rhees perked up. She’d been thinking the same thing and she finally had a little extra money. Paul responded before she could ask to tag along.
“You know I’d rather you didn’t go alone. I can only imagine the trouble you two could get into.” He chuckled. “Seriously though, I’d be worried about you the whole time. Let me see if I can get a group together, all right?”
“You don’t have to . . .” Tracy started to say, but Regina nudged her with her elbow.
“Thank you, Paul,” Regina said sweetly. “Will you be coming along with us this time?”
“I actually do need a few things, but I can’t go tomorrow. Can you wait till the next day?”
It surprised Rhees to see him so genuinely friendly and happy.
“Sure. We are in no hurry,” Regina said. She seemed a little too eager to wait.
“Okay, the day after tomorrow—safety in numbers and all that.” He smiled at them and winked before he walked out of the office. Regina followed him to the door and watched him walk away until he went around the corner, and she couldn’t see him anymore.
“Safety?” Rhees suddenly felt alarmed. Everyone left in the room turned to look at her.
“The crime rate on the mainland is frightening, to say the least. They had another bus hijacking just a couple of days ago. That makes four in just the last seven months,” Claire said. Rhees had had no idea. She would have never come if she had. Claire must have noticed her concern. “Don’t worry, Duck. Here on the island, we’re completely isolated from all that shite.”
“Theft is about the only crime you’ll see here,” Tracy added. Claire and Regina agreed. “You won’t get mugged, but if you leave something valuable lying around, it’ll likely not be there later.”
“Paul doesn’t like to let anyone from the shop go to the mainland alone. If he can’t put a group together, he always makes arrangements for their safety. There’s nothing to worry about,” Claire said.
“Remind me to never need anything from the mainland. I’m not sure I trust Paul to arrange anything for me but my untimely demise.”
They all laughed, even though Rhees didn’t really think it was funny.
oOo
Rhees, Claire, and Paul were all in the office at the same time when Claire hollered. “Well blow me down!”
Rhees and Paul looked expectantly at her.
“We just booked a group. Six women from the States. Two weeks from Friday.
“Really? That’s good,” Paul actually sounded excited. Rhees thought his hatred toward her might be softening, not much, but maybe a little, because he’d started to slip occasionally and let her see some of his other personality traits. Besides ornery and pissed off.
“Yeah, they said they saw the blog posts. They can’t wait to come and meet the famous Paul.”
“What?” Paul didn’t sound quite as happy as he had before. Rhees got up and slinked out of the office.
Later that day, when Paul walked into the office to grab a bottle of water from the fridge, Claire made another announcement. “We’ve booked another group.”
“I heard earlier. That’s good news.”
“No,” Claire said. “We’ve just booked another one.”
There was a thoughtful frown on his face, and he sat down at his computer. Something he hadn’t bothered to do . . . in too long.
Rhees sat on the deck writing in her Whine List when Paul slipped down next to her. She hurriedly closed the notebook that held her most personal thoughts.
“Want to tell me what you’ve been up to?”
“No. Not especially.” Her heart beat erratically.
He pulled his legs up and leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his knees. “Where’d you get the pictures?”
“Nowhere.”
He shifted his head and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. After what felt like a lifetime, he exhaled loudly. “Were you hoping to ruin my business with your . . . new approach—were you trying to get back at me?”
“What? Is that what you think?” Rhees sounded shocked and wounded. “I was trying to help. I would never do that.” He exasperated her.
“I know . . . actually, I think.”
“Every day, I read through the comments on our posts. Almost everyone that posts says something about how wonderful you are.” She rolled her eyes. “The girls do, anyway. Claire mentioned that we need to book more customers—not just students. I thought, ‘we should market our strengths’. I don’t understand why, but you seem to make a favorable impression on people, especially the female clientele. They all talk about how they loved being here with you. They can’t wait to come back again, to see you, dive with you, do . . . whatever else with you.” She had a disgusted look on her face.
He had a serious look on his and shook his head. “I don’t like it. You should have cleared it with me first . . . but I’m finding it hard to be too angry when we’ve got two trips booked in one day.”
“I’m sorry. I know how much you like that—you know, being angry with me.”
He smirked again. “Pfft! Yeah, my favorite pastime.” They sat silently for a while.
“If I had cleared it first, would you have agreed with the idea?”
“No,” he said. “But since it turns out you were right—I would have been wrong.” He sat quietly for a minute. “Maybe you could post a few more pictures of the other people at the shop, and a few less of me? I don’t want to be the only reason anyone might want to dive here. I’d rather pack it up and go back home.” He winced at the thought.
“But four out of five girls agree, you are our hottest dive master. Just trying to capitalize on our most marketable asset.” She batted her eyes, and he actually chuckled.
“Claire is about as happy as I’ve ever seen her. I always thought it was all about the diving . . . but you may be on to something. I like how you depict the things I love the most about this place. The daily life, the deck parties, the fun stuff . . . the people. But the diving is great too. So maybe you could try posting a few diving pictures once in a while. Don’t you think?”
She nodded. Paul being nice to her—she remembered him being nice to her once, but it seemed like a lifetime ago.
He stood and then paused. His expression darkened. “It may have turned out this time, but it’s my shop. You really should have run it by me first. This just shows you haven’t changed. I can’t trust you.” He walked off.
“What is his freaking problem?” She threw her hands up in defeat.
Chapter 8
“You’ll never believe what we just heard,” Krista and Dorene squealed as they ran onto the deck.
Everyone turned expectantly, waiting for them to explain.
“Knotted Garden is on the island. They’ve agreed to play a few songs tonight at Island Divers.”
“Are you kidding?” Mitch said. Everyone was in a buzz about the news.
“Rick grew up in the same town as the bass player. They stopped in to do some diving for a few days. The concert is free, and everyone is invited!”
oOo
There were several small dive shops on the island but Paradise and Island Divers were the largest operations and often affectionately called diving colleges by the students. Laid out like a campus, Island Divers displayed a more elaborate and spacious layout than Paradise, which was nothing more than a building and a large deck. Island Divers sat in the middle of the island on the inland bay, and while it looked a little more sophisticated than her choice, Rhees said a prayer of thanks that she’d chosen Paradise, even with its grumpy owner.
The water in the bay was dark, a little smelly, and a yucky green. The campus, lacking the gentle breeze coming off the ocean, felt stuffy and extra humid. The same crude planks, the standard on the island, stretched from one end of campus to the other, all a very large deck built over swamp ground.
A long narrow building stretched along the north edge of the property, lined with doors. The office and equipment room stood at the west end, farthest away from the water, while the other end appeared to be apartments. Claire had mentioned that Rick made a little extra money renting the apartments to his own students and that she wished Paradise had room to do that. The extra income would help.
A large, round, open building with a roof and a bar with stools encircling it sat in the center of the campus. The kitchen and liquor station were set up inside. On the south edge of campus sat another gazebo, set up like a stage. A set of drums, an assortment of guitars, and a few amplifiers were ready to go, and that is where everyone gathered to find the best place to stand before the famous band started to play.
oOo
Paul strolled through the entrance with Mitch and Shanni. He spotted Rhees at the bar and their eyes met, but she immediately turned her back on him. Mitch and Shanni headed toward the stage while Paul made his way to the bar to claim one of the last empty stools, positioned a few feet from where Rhees stood, and where he would be able to see the stage and watch the concert without having to stand.
Tracy and Regina ordered a shot of tequila and a beer.
“No thank you. After the dance contest, I’m never doing that combination again.” Rhees made the funniest face. She ordered a piña colada.
“Mmm, this is good. I can’t even taste the alcohol,” she said when the bartender handed her the drink. She made Paul grin.
“Probably because there isn’t enough in there to matter.” Tracy laughed for the same reason Paul wanted to.
The concert started and after the first two songs, the lead singer announced they wouldn’t play anymore unless the ladies moved to the front and danced. Everyone laughed, but the girls all made their way excitedly to the front.
Rhees danced in a sea of girls, having a good time. She wasn’t intoxicated so her movements were more reserved—closer to what the others were doing but better. She danced the way you’d expect someone to dance at a concert, but the control she had over her body—every part of that gorgeous body. She moved more parts all at once than anyone Paul had ever seen.
She wore her brown dress and bronze heels again, and Paul only had to look around to know he wasn’t the only one admiring the way she moved. He didn’t doubt the memory of her winning the dance contest was still on many minds. She danced at the front, so close to the stage she could probably see the sweat on the band members’ faces.
Is the drummer making eyes at her? Paul shifted uncomfortably in his seat and glared at him. The drummer didn’t notice how Paul shot bullets with his eyes, but Paul didn’t miss the way Rhees’ cheeks blushed, assuring him that she’d noticed the drummer’s admiration too.
When the concert ended, the band members came off the stage and started mingling with the crowd, signing autographs and having their pictures taken with their fans. Rhees moved back to a vacant spot at the bar, not far from where Paul sat, and ordered another piña colada.
While she waited for her order, she leaned over the bar and reached behind to fiddle with the napkins, straightened them. She studied the paraphernalia behind the counter, adjusted a few more items. She finally noticed Paul and they stared at each other for several seconds. He couldn’t read her expression. He tried to keep his neutral, until she was the first to look away, turning her head as far from his direction as she could crane her neck and rested her chin on her hand. He ordered another drink but didn’t stop watching.
Someone stepped right next to her, invading her personal body space, and she jerked, turning quickly to scowl at the intruder.
“Hi. You’re a pretty good dancer.”
The drummer stood next to her, and her mouth dropped to the floor. He stood so close that they could have been Siamese twins, in Paul’s opinion.
“I’m Rob.” He held out his hand but she gaped in shock, or awe, and didn’t take it. He finally reached for hers and manipulated it to look like they were shaking hands and he smiled. “And you are?”
“Rhees,” she squeaked.
“Nice to meet you, Rhees.” He smiled at her until she seemed to regain her wits.
A goofy, star-struck grin broke across her face. “You’re a pretty good drummer.” She couldn’t stop smiling. “I’ve always wanted to play the drums.”
“Oh really? It’s about time you had a lesson then.” He never did let go of her hand as he pulled her to the stage. Rhees followed like a star-struck groupie.
Paul watched them as Rob sat on the seat at the drums and pulled her onto his lap. He put a drumstick in each of her hands and, with his hands around hers, proceeded to lightly play while getting all cozy with her.
Rhees laughed and acted all embarrassed every time she messed up, and Rob smiled and laughed with her while he had his hands all over her.
“What a pud,” Paul mumbled.
They were having a good time—too good a time. Paul had never seen her so happy. He looked away with a scowl. After what felt like a lifetime, he glanced back in time to see them leave the stage and walk out the entrance of the shop. He tossed back the rest of his drink and grumbled an order for another.
oOo
Things were a little different at the shop when they had guests. The Swensons, a family of six, showed up the next day. There was Mr. and Mrs. Swenson, a fifteen year-old daughter named Heather, and a thirteen year-old son, Matthew, both from the father’s previous marriage. A five year-old boy, Asher, and a three year-old girl named Imogen, were new additions from the current and obviously newer model, Mrs. Swenson. All of them were certified except the two youngest.
Students took a backseat to whatever the guests needed. Paul coached everyone to treat their guests like royalty and even had Mitch set up their gear for them. The students were always expected to set their own gear up. With Paul to supervise and Mitch as the designated dive master, the boat left that morning while the mother stayed with the young children. Rhees could tell how sad it made her to be left behind.
“The sacrifices a mother makes,” Rhees said.
The mom smiled. “Yes. I knew this was going to happen the second I got pregnant the first time. I love being a mom, but sometimes . . .”
“Well, you’re scheduled for the night dive tonight, right?”
Mrs. Swenson shook her head. “I’m not sure. My husband told his kids we would all take turns sitting out a dive to watch the little ones, but you know teenagers.”
When the
boat came back, Rhees didn’t hesitate to jump in and help put the gear away. Mitch and Paul were the only others who did. The Swensons left to go get lunch and take the kids back to their room until the night dive.
oOo
Once the Swensons were gone, the people at the shop returned to their normal routines and Rhees grudgingly found herself sitting against the gazebo rail, unnoticed and subjected to the latest Coitus Club gossip. She had two more pages to finish reading and then she’d head to the office to get away.
Shelli announced she had to leave early and once she was far enough away, Dorene excitedly recounted to the remaining girls the details of her surprise visit from Paul the night before. Apparently, angry sex with Paul, in Dorene’s opinion, was absolutely the best thing ever.
Normal sex was still a mystery, something Rhees didn’t allow herself to think about, but surprisingly, she found herself a little too curious about whatever the heck angry sex could be.
“Isn’t all sex angry when Paul’s involved?” Shanni asked with a little laugh. Shanni wasn’t an official member of the club as far as having first-hand knowledge of Paul’s lovemaking skills, but she was fabulously pretty, and as Mitch’s girlfriend, she’d known Paul longer than any of the other girls. She fit in well at their meetings, sharing other insights about Paul, things she’d gleaned from their association. “The man has three emotions. Angry, drunk, and horny.”
All the girls laughed except Regina, who always sat close enough to hear, intentionally.
“No. He is so much more than that.” Regina was quick to defend him. “How can you say such a thing? I thought you were his friend.”
“Paul is Mitch’s friend,” Shanni answered. “I didn’t like him at first. He’s better now since Ginger left.”
“Ginger.” Regina let the name roll off her tongue with a jeer as though it left a nasty taste in her mouth. Rhees stifled a laugh at the idea that Paul was better now than before. This is better?
Wet: Part 1 Page 9
