They continued like that for another fifteen minutes, sharing their finds with each other. They caught up with the rest of the group again and explored a shallower portion of the reef for a few more minutes. The dive guide checked everyone’s air pressure readings again. Tony was starting to run low, so the guide signaled for him and Carm to head up together and do their three-minute safety stop before surfacing near the boat. He hated to leave this world he’d just discovered but couldn’t wait for the chance to discuss the experience with her, assuming he’d be able to find adequate words.
His mind had been blown much as it had been by Carmella herself. While he had seen some freshwater creatures and plants during his dives in Colorado, the diversity of marine life and the presence of coral in the tropics wasn’t something he would be able to experience back home.
He owed Carm a lot for inviting him to join her on this trip.
They completed their safety stop and swam to the boat. After removing their masks and fins, he let her ascend the ladder first. On deck, the crew removed their BCDs and cylinders, and Tony guided Carm to the bench seat they’d sat on earlier. Neither said anything for a few minutes, both probably still wrapped up in the otherworldly experience.
Carm spoke first. “What did you think?”
He tried to come up with words to describe it. “I have no words.” He’d used the same words after making love to Carmella the first time. “It must be what a pot smoker feels on a high.” She laughed, and he shrugged. Trying to explain it further wouldn’t be easy.
“I had no idea what to expect but could never have imagined anything that spectacular.”
“You didn’t watch any videos of dives before coming here?”
“No. Didn’t really have time or know what I’d be doing down here.”
“I know it’s hard to explain the feeling or what you see to someone who hasn’t done it before.” She leaned closer, and whispered, “But now that’s one more thing we can share.” She pecked him on the cheek, and the sounds of the other divers were drowned out as he cupped her chin and guided her mouth to his for a long kiss.
They couldn’t get back to the villa fast enough. Carmella was like a magic elixir he couldn’t get enough of. Their time here was more than half over. Tony dreaded the thought of returning to the States. How often would he be able to see Carm while busy with his new dive-team project? He didn’t want what they shared this week to be a flash in the pan. He wanted to see her as often as their schedules permitted, especially before the pass closed up for the winter in a couple of months, which would put up additional geographic hurdles.
Then the miles would require an overnight stay. Was he ready for that?
Lisa had been thrilled to hear that he had taken some time to get away from Colorado and that he had Carm to share the experience with. Tony hadn’t discussed how their relationship had evolved since they’d been on Provo island or that he was holding back from sleeping with Carm. When would he be comfortable enough with her to be able to face the aftermath if he had a nightmare?
Tony decided to worry about that later. He and Carm still had new adventures awaiting them tomorrow. They planned to spend the morning snorkeling instead of diving, and tomorrow and Saturday nights would do three dives that would lead to nighttime certification. After today’s experience with her, he couldn’t wait. In some ways, he wanted this week to last forever.
Because he feared what would happen when they returned home. Would the old Tony resurface?
Chapter Thirty
Late Saturday night, Carm’s spirits were high in anticipation of their last dive of the week. They’d completed the first of three nighttime dives last night and had finished the first one for tonight fifteen minutes ago, and were now headed out for the final dive. After this one, she and Tony would have earned their certification, which meant more to Tony than to her. But she was competitive enough to want to add it to her list of accomplishments too.
While the first two night dives had been heavily focused on teaching the skill sets they’d need, this final one would put those skills to the test at the coral reef she and Tony had explored on Thursday.
“Isn’t this amazing?” Tony asked as they sat together on the bench seat. “I can’t wait to go back down.”
“I told you it would be incredible,” she shouted back over the roar of the motor. “I’m just sorry this is our last dive this week.”
“We’ll just have to steal away from our jobs and families again sometime soon.”
While the thought sounded lovely, it would be impractical for her for a while. “Ski season, remember? I’ll be swamped until after Easter. But don’t wait for me.”
“Wouldn’t be the same without you. I can wait.” He squeezed her hand.
Talk of continuing to have some kind of relationship after their week in paradise ended made her happy. “It’s nice that you’d like to wait for me.”
A pleasant peace overcame them as they rode in silence. Ten minutes later, the engine cut off, and the crew tied the boat to the mooring lines. The crew and divers readied their equipment for the second dive.
After donning and securing their equipment, everyone double-checked that their dive lights worked before entering the water by jumping off the back of the boat.
“Ready, dolcezza?” Tony dipped his mask into the water and waited for her response.
She gave him an enthusiastic nod. “I can’t wait to see the coral reef at night.”
Tony gave her a kiss on the cheek before putting his mask on; a rush of warmth spread throughout her body. As she donned her own mask, she couldn’t help but think about returning to the villa later tonight. Tony had proven to be an adventurous and insatiable lover.
Tony and Carm made their descent following the dive instructor and the three other classmates. Because none of the students in the class were night certified yet, they would all have to stay as close as possible to their instructor. He swam slowly enough that they could keep up and still take in their surroundings.
Carm marveled again at how different everything appeared in the dark. All she could see was what was illuminated by the beams of their lights. When an adult reef shark swam into the glow of her dive light, she stopped moving her fins, and her heart raced with fight-or-flight adrenaline until she rationally told herself the creature meant her no harm. Tony took her hand, and she realized everyone in the group remained stock-still as well, looking on in wonder at such a close encounter.
Moments later, they resumed their dive and swam deeper toward the rock outcropping they’d explored Thursday. As they neared the arch, she released Tony’s hand to swim ahead. Everywhere she looked on the rock and coral, she found new creatures she hadn’t seen during the daytime dive. Some of the fish literally appeared to glow in the dark as they flitted in and out of the light’s beam. There were many she’d never seen before.
Sharing this experience with Tony made it even more special.
The dive instructor swam under the archway; Carm followed the other divers with Tony behind her. Knowing he had her back made her feel protected.
The sheltered area under the arch was teeming with life, and Carm moved closer to the coral and rock wall to see what her light would reveal. Tony swam up beside her and gestured the symbol for an octopus then pointed toward it. Carm’s eyes opened wide with amazement. She marveled at how active it was; the only ones she’d seen in the daytime were always tucked into rock crevices hiding or sleeping. The color of its skin changed to match the nearby coral as it searched for food. Tony seemed to be equally mesmerized, and they stayed a bit longer to watch. When he signaled that the group was leaving, she nodded, and Tony led the way. So far, the dive had turned out even better than anticipated.
Suddenly, something darted from the outcropping, startling her. Carm jerked away, snagging her regulator hose on a jagged rock and ripping it out of her mouth. As she grabbed for it, her hand released her dive light. The erratic flashes of light disoriented her, and panic
ensued. Without her regulator, she couldn’t breathe under water.
Carm’s mind flashed back to when she was six and had followed her two teenaged brothers, Gino and Marc, into the closed swimming pool at her parents’ condo one night. Knowing late-night swims were forbidden, the boys had left the lights off. Not one to be left out of an adventure, Carm had slipped from her bedroom and into the pool unseen, planning to sneak up on them. Still wearing her summer pjs and hugging her stuffed Wolfie, she’d been snagged by the pool’s filter and sucked against it. Carm had tried to scream but only managed to suck water into her lungs. She’d tugged at her pj top, trying to pull herself free, but without success. The world had gone black that night, because she’d lost consciousness.
Carm couldn’t let that happen tonight. She kicked her fins to try to pull away but hit her head on the rocks above her. Closing her eyes in pain, she wanted to scream for help, but only managed to gulp water into her lungs. Where was that damned mouthpiece? Frantic to locate her regulator, she reached behind her to try and locate the hose which should be attached. Her dive light dangled from her wrist, continuing to cast frenzied flashes and beams of light around her.
Help, Gino!
No, Gino’s dead.
Where was Tony? The instructor?
Carm tried in vain to locate the regulator. She couldn’t go much longer without air.
Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed her upper arm. Another hand took her by the chin, forcefully turning her in his direction.
Tony!
He released her arm and using his dive light located and grabbed her mouthpiece. Pulling down her chin, he placed the regulator between her lips and purged it.
Carm sucked in much-needed air, which only led to her coughing uncontrollably as her body attempted to clear her throat and lungs of water. Her chest grew tighter and her breathing more rapid and shallow. Panic erupted again.
Tony wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug against his chest, making her feel safe. Gradually, Carmella’s heartbeat began to slow and her breathing steadied somewhat. After a minute, Tony pulled away to assess her in the beam of his dive light. She gestured that she was okay, even though she wasn’t yet sure. As if sensing her uncertainty, Tony indicated that he wanted her to maintain eye contact with him by pointing two fingers toward his eyes then gestured for her to do as he did. His hand swept up and he inhaled slow and deep, he held his breath for a count of four, using the fingers of his free hand to count, then he slowly lowered his hand as he exhaled. When he gestured for her to do the same, she tried as he counted for her, but another coughing fit overcame her before reaching the count of four. Panicking again, she wondered if she’d ever be able to get her body under control. Tony signaled, asking whether she wanted him to find the instructor and return to the surface.
Mortified at jeopardizing Tony’s opportunity to complete his certification, Carm shook her head. She’d been into extreme sports since she was a teen and had been scuba diving since college. To let an embarrassing panic attack put an end to this dive went against everything in her. She shook her head with a vehement, no.
More determined than ever to salvage this wreck of a dive, Carm refused to let their final dive end this way. With Tony’s help over the next few moments, Carm’s breathing became more rhythmic and she regained her equilibrium.
Before she could respond to Tony, their guide swam up to them, using the motion of his dive light to ask if everything was okay. Tony looked to Carm for the answer. She took a deep breath. No more coughing, and her panic was gone. Finally remembering her training, Carm moved her light beam in a circle, the signal for okay. After the guide confirmed that Tony was in agreement, he cautioned them to stay closer, and Tony signaled for her to start when ready.
Almost out of this nightmare, she smiled and nodded, putting on a brave face and squeezing Tony’s hand for emphasis.
The guide led the group out of the outcropping, and Carm forced herself to start taking in her surroundings again. The incident behind her, she recaptured the joy of watching a school of fish swim into the beam of her dive light. Some displayed neon-like coloring that hadn’t shown up in her daytime dives.
Carm waved her arms through the water the way she’d seen a diver do in one of the videos she watched, and the bioluminescence picked up the coral and plankton nearby. Her excitement grew as she studied the creatures within the small beam of her light. Tony doubled the viewing area with his light, and they watched as if in the middle of an enormous aquarium. During the day, the field of vision was so much wider that you sometimes missed the small vignettes playing out right under your nose. But at night, you were forced to slow down and take everything in on a micro level. She likened it to her hiking treks and seeing the vast range of the mountains sprawled out before her then looking down to find a tiny alpine flower peeking out from a snow-encrusted crevice in late spring.
They continued to swim above the reef, noticing the differences and making new discoveries, until their instructor got their attention and signaled that it was time to head back up. She hated to leave! Carm vowed to return again the first chance she could get away from the resort. Embarrassed about panicking in front of Tony, Carm was grateful he’d been there to help her work through her panic. How had Tony known exactly how to alleviate her panic and help her salvage what was left of the dive? Had he learned that during his rescue diving session the other day? Wherever he’d learned it, she was grateful he had.
About fifteen feet from the surface, they did their three-minute safety check to avoid decompression sickness. Tony continued to hold her hand, and they investigated the creatures swimming closer to the surface while waiting until it was safe to surface. Once again, her thoughts returned to how she’d spoiled the dive for Tony.
When they finally broke the surface, she removed the regulator and turned to Tony. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened down there.” She wasn’t ready to tell him about the childhood trauma that had only increased her panic level.
He stroked the side of her face. “What are you talking about? That was an incredible dive.”
“Yes, most of it was. I mean what happened near the arch. I hope I didn’t ruin the dive for you.”
He cocked his head and gave her an incredulous look. “Ruined? Not a chance! We just experienced something neither of us ever has before in our lives. As for that rocky start, hell, you gave me a chance to practice some of the amazing rescue skills I just learned on Wednesday.” He waggled his eyebrows, making her smile and casting most of her concerns aside. So that was where he’d learned what to do.
“You’re going to be an excellent rescue diver. I know you helped me to continue the dive. I’ll never forget how you came to my rescue.” She leaned in and gave him a kiss, suddenly needing to be closer to him.
Just then, the dive guide surfaced with the others in the group. He removed his regulator. “Everyone okay?”
Carm broke off the kiss and smiled at the guide like a teenager caught kissing under the bleachers. “Better than okay. That was incredible,” Carm said. “Thanks for bringing us back out here tonight.”
“This is one of my favorite places to dive off Provo, day or night, so I love sharing it.” He did a quick head count. “Ready to head back to the boat?” he asked the group. Everyone nodded, and the instructor led the way back to the boat.
Tony took her hand as they kicked their fins on the swim back to the boat. The electricity sparking between her and Tony had only grown more potent with this experience. Tonight had been a turning point for her at least, and she hoped it had been for Tony as well. Would he spend the night with her tonight on their second-to-last night together in paradise?
Chapter Thirty-One
Tony took his seat next to Carm on the boat, noticing that everyone around them seemed to be wrapped up in their own cocoons and not wanting to talk. Carm seemed a little distant too. Maybe it was a residual effect from the scare she’d had. He hated that this would be their last dive of t
he trip.
She shivered.
“You okay?” He wrapped an arm around her.
She nodded. “Just thinking about my freak-out at the beginning of the dive.”
“You came through it great.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. I was a hot mess. I’m embarrassed you had to witness that.”
What was she talking about? “You were anything but a mess—but I won’t argue that you’re hot.”
Carm chuckled and slapped his thigh.
“And what I witnessed was a kick-ass woman who, despite having a scary incident, chose to face her fears and not let them ruin her dive.”
Appreciation shone in her eyes, even though her raised eyebrows told him she didn’t believe him.
“I meant every word I said, Carm. I’ve seen your adventurous streak up on Capitol Peak. Nothing ever seems to faze you. But tonight, for the first time, I saw fear in your eyes.”
She quirked the corner of her mouth. “Is this the part where you’re recounting how incredible I was?”
“Hear me out.”
She waited in silence as he searched for the right words.
“I saw that streak of fear in your eyes down there, Carm. You were beyond rational thought. Reason flew out the window.”
“Is this the part about how incredibly I handled it?”
Tony gave her a pointed stare that wiped the smirk off her face. Then he continued. “As I was saying, you were scared out of your mind, so much so you couldn’t find your regulator.” She opened up as if to say something but must have thought better of it and closed that pretty little mouth again.
“But once you got your breathing under control, I fully expected you would want to return to the boat and call it a night. Most people would have. That’s when you did an amazing thing. You insisted we keep going. You didn’t let the incident or fear of it happening again hold you back. That’s about as incredible as it gets, woman.”
TONY: Slow Burn (Raging Fire Book 1) Page 29
