Caribbean Cruising

by Rachel Hawthorne

  “Who has been the one to find us all the guys? I’m a guy magnet,” she said.

  “Yeah, but the guys you find don’t really do anything for me.”

  “What about Chad? You found him on your own.”

  “He’s too much into guzzling beer. Everything is a competition with him. I don’t want to feel like I’m a prize.”

  “Lindsay, Lindsay, you really don’t get the casual dating scene.”

  I dumped a packet of sugar into my tea, and stirred it to give myself something to do while I thought of what I should say. Brooke wasn’t my best bud, but she was the closest thing I had to a friend on this cruise.

  “Brooke, I’ve never slept with a guy.”

  She gave me this incredulous look. “You slept with Ryan.”

  It was embarrassing to admit, but I’d gone this far. “All we did was sleep.”

  Her mouth dropped open, and she flopped back against her chair. “You mean, you only slept, like with your eyes closed, and snores, and dreams—”

  “Right. It’s a long story, but the first night when I got back to my cabin I didn’t have my key with me. It was late, Ryan and I were a little drunk, and I sort of fell asleep in his room.”

  “He doesn’t kiss like he’s gay.”

  I laughed at the absurdity of her response. “He’s not gay.”

  “Then why did he only sleep with you?”

  “He’s just not attracted to me.”

  She looked completely baffled. “That makes no sense.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said hastily. “The point in my telling you all this is so you’ll realize that I need someone special. I’m not opposed to lowering my standards some, but I can’t lower them all the way, because I need someone special. For me, it’ll be the first time.”

  “I’ll say.” She sat up straighter. “We need to go on a guy-hunting expedition.”

  “No, we don’t. I may have found someone,” I confessed.

  She raised her eyebrows at that. “Really?”

  “Jake.”

  “The activities director?”

  I nodded. “I went to that singles’ meet he had last night. He introduced me to several guys, but it was like he was hoping I wouldn’t really be into any of them. It was like he was doing his job, but only because it was his job.”

  “That’s interesting. He’s cute.”

  “I think so.”

  “So what are the plans for today?”

  “We’ll be arriving at the Grand Cayman soon. We’ll go snorkeling.”

  “Oh, right.” She scrunched up her face. “Another water thing.”

  “Brooke, we’re on a ship, in the middle of the ocean, heading for an island. Yes, another water thing.”

  “It’s just that it’s a total waste of time to style your hair or do your makeup, because the wind, the sand, and the water screw it all up. Too bad we don’t have time to get you a tattoo, something to make you seem mysterious.”

  Was that the reason that I didn’t have guys hanging all over me? Because I didn’t have a tattoo?

  Although truthfully I’d had several guys express an interest. I’d even had four of them kiss me. It’s just that none of them really did anything for me.

  Except Ryan, who wasn’t interested.

  “I don’t think a tattoo is the secret,” I told her.

  “It doesn’t hurt. Are you sure you don’t want to get your tongue pierced?”

  “I’m sure.”

  She scowled. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

  “I keep it right next door to my common sense.”

  “Dullsville.” She stood and began gathering her trash. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

  I stood as well. “Brooke, don’t. I’ve got a handle on the situation, and Jake doesn’t need any prompting. He liked me just fine last night.”

  “But ‘just fine’ doesn’t get a guy into your bed.”

  “I’m not even sure he’s allowed to do that sort of thing with passengers. As a matter of fact I’m pretty sure he’s not.”

  She grinned. “Which means he must be a rule breaker.”

  She started to walk off, and I grabbed her arm. “Brooke, please, don’t do anything.”

  She released a sigh of frustration. “Oh, all right. But if you decide that you want help, don’t hesitate to let me know. I have a way with guys.”

  “So I noticed.”

  “I can tell from looking at a guy if he’s any good in the sack or not.”

  “How can you tell?” I asked, not even trying to hide the skepticism in my voice.

  “It’s all in their eyes. Bedroom eyes, I call it. It’s just a hot, sultry look. Guys with blue eyes come by it naturally. All the others have to work at it.”

  “So, is Jake good?” I asked, even though I didn’t believe she had any psychic abilities or anything.

  “Oh, definitely. And before this cruise is over, you’ll know for sure.”

  CHAPTER 23

  Jake’s excursion group was the same group that he’d had for the falls. I had sorta hoped that Ryan wouldn’t show up, because I didn’t think I’d feel comfortable flirting with Jake if Ryan was near enough to watch. I thought he might be judging my actions, might tell me as he had at the movies that I’d simply found another guy that it was best to ignore.

  But Ryan did show up in a swimsuit and a tank top. I was still feeling unexplainably hurt that he’d kissed Brooke, but my good manners forced me to at least acknowledge Ryan’s arrival with a nod of my head. And he really had no reason not to kiss Brooke. I’d told him repeatedly that he didn’t need to hang around me.

  I was standing near Jake when I spotted Ryan talking with one of the girls from yesterday. Cathy or something. And that was good. If Ryan was busy with her, he wouldn’t notice that Jake was giving any attention to me.

  Jake took us to a local diving shop so we could either rent or purchase our equipment. I was looking over the rental gear when I felt a familiar presence behind me.

  “You should go ahead and buy what you need,” Ryan said. “You’ll get hooked.”

  I glanced down and noticed that he was carrying a netted bag that already had equipment in it. I assumed he’d brought it with him.

  “I suppose you’ve snorkeled before.”

  “Yeah. I’ve done a little diving, too. But I only dive when I’m with someone who is experienced, and knows what he’s doing. I have my doubts about Jake on either score.”

  “Ouch!” I said, and followed it with an incredulous laugh. “That’s a little harsh, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe. I saw him hitting on you at the singles’ meet last night.”

  “You were there?”

  “For a while. I think he’s interested in giving you some private lessons while we’re here,” he said.

  “And that’s a problem because?…” I shook my head. “Look, Ryan, I’m cool, okay? You don’t have to watch out for me.”

  “Walter—”

  “I know Walter brought you along to keep me company, but I’m fine by myself. Honestly. Go have some fun.” I leaned toward him. “Besides, I didn’t give you any advice about Brooke.”

  His eyes widened. “Brooke?”

  “I spotted you and her yesterday, on the way down the falls. I’m cool with it if you’re interested in her.”

  “For your information I’m not interested in her. She came on to me. She reminded me of an octopus.”

  “Yeah, you really looked like you didn’t want to be wrapped in her arms.”

  “Look, Lindsay—”

  “Don’t worry about me, Ryan. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

  With that I skirted around him, and went in search of some equipment to buy because I figured Ryan was probably right. I would want to snorkel more than once, and we might even be able to get some snorkeling time in when we got to Cozumel.

  I was looking at masks when Jake came over.

  “Try this one on,” he said.

/>   I tried it on and looked at him. It seemed fine to me, but then I really wasn’t sure what I was looking for.

  “What do you think?” I asked, and thought I sounded a little funny breathing through my mouth while I talked.

  “You want a snug fit so the water can’t get in. Nothing is more irritating than having your mask fill up with water.”

  He slowly trailed his finger around the edge of my mask, around my face. The whole time he kept his gaze anchored on mine.

  “You’ve got killer eyes, you know that?” he finally said.

  I grinned. “That was one of the come-on lines from last night. I think it went, ‘Are your eyes hurting? Because they’re killing me.’“

  “Coming from me, it’s not a line,” he said. “It’s the truth.”

  “Lindsay, I think you’d like this mask.”

  I jerked to the side, and there was Ryan, dangling a mask in front of my face.

  “What’s wrong with the one I have on?” I asked.

  “Probably nothing, but this one is a better quality. Try it on. You’ll see.” He turned to Jake. “I know you need to make sure everyone is getting what they need. I’m familiar with snorkeling. I’ll help Lindsay get her equipment.”

  Jake grinned at him. “Thanks.” He touched my shoulder and winked. “I’ll check in with you later.”

  As soon as he walked away, I jerked off my mask and glared at Ryan. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Saving you from a land shark.”

  Oh, I wanted to screech!

  “Are you crazy? He’s a nice guy who’s giving me a little attention. Not that it’s any of your business.”

  “You’re right. You’re right. Your love life is none of my business. But I do know snorkeling equipment.” He held up the mask again. “Humor me. Try it on.”

  I snatched it away from him and put it on. Then wished I hadn’t, because he was right. It felt more comfortable than the one I had on before.

  “Okay, with your hand, push it against your face,” Ryan instructed me.

  I did.

  “Now, inhale through your nose.”

  “I don’t have the snorkel,” I told him.

  “I know. What you want to do is create a vacuum. When you move your hand away, if the mask stays against your face, it’s a good fit. Try it.”

  I took a deep breath through my nose, felt the mask suction against my face, and moved my hand. It stayed put.

  “Shake your head,” he ordered me.

  I shook my head back and forth, nodded up and down. The mask stayed in place.

  Ryan grinned. “Good.”

  I took it off.

  “See? Jake running a finger around your face doesn’t tell you a damn thing,” he said.

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m sure we would have gotten around to doing the breathing test if you hadn’t interrupted.”

  “I’ll just bet.” He took the mask from me. “The one you were trying on at first didn’t have this purge valve.” He pointed beneath the nosepiece. “Sometimes no matter how well the mask fits, you’ll get water up inside the mask. You press on this valve, and it removes the water so you don’t have to lift the mask away from your face.”

  “You think I should have that?” I asked.

  “Yeah. It’s a nice feature. Come on. I’ll help you get your snorkel and your flippers.”

  I had to admit that Ryan did seem to know his way around the equipment.

  When everyone had their equipment Jake gathered us around, and we headed toward the beach. Once we were at the edge of the water, Jake had us all sit. He explained everything we had to do. I listened to every word, memorizing all that I could.

  I was amazed by all the little things he explained that had never occurred to me: how to pressurize our ears, that objects in the water were actually smaller than they appeared.

  “The exact opposite of that sideview mirror on your car that warns you things are closer than they appear,” Jake said. “In the water they’re smaller.”

  “So what looks to be a thirty-two foot white shark might only be thirty feet?” Ryan asked. He was sitting beside me.

  Jake grinned. “That’s right.”

  “Are there sharks out there?” Brooke asked, clearly alarmed.

  Jake grimaced. “I won’t say that you won’t see any, but they aren’t common. I doubt you’ll see any great whites. If you see any sharks at all, it’ll probably be a nurse shark.” He shook his head. “It won’t bother you. These creatures see a lot of humans, but they’ll still be wary of you. You’ll mostly see stingrays, some very colorful fishes, some unusual crabs.

  “Any questions?” Jake asked after he was finished telling us how to go about getting into the water, and what to watch out for.

  He grinned. “All right then. I want everyone to count off.”

  We were sitting in a haphazard line, but we managed to count off. I was number four.

  “Okay, dudes,” Jake said. “If you called out an odd number, look to your left. Even numbers look to your right.”

  Jake’s instructions had me looking at Ryan, Ryan looking at me.

  “You’re looking at your partner for the day,” Jake said.

  I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was. Somehow Ryan always managed to be the one who I was supposed to do things with. On the other hand, since he was experienced, if I left him for a while to spend a little time with Jake, it might be all right.

  “Put your flippers on,” Jake ordered. “Now stand up and turn around. We want to walk slowly back into the water until it’s at your waist.”

  Glancing over my shoulder, walking backward in flippers was awkward, to say the least. I could hear a few people laughing. I was afraid to lose my concentration on where I was going though, afraid I’d trip. I wasn’t exactly the most graceful creature as I flopped across the sand in my flippers to the water’s edge. And I certainly did feel like a creature. One from the Black Lagoon.

  “This is weird,” I said.

  Ryan took my hand. “Sometimes it helps to hold on to someone,” he said. “For balance.”

  That sounded like a come-on line if I ever heard one, but I had to admit that it did seem to make the going easier as we backed into the water.

  The water was so clear. Like glass. Really amazing.

  I was so accustomed to the brown water off the coast of Texas that this Caribbean water still amazed me with its clarity. I mean, really, weren’t these the same waters that stretched up into the Gulf of Mexico, and eventually lapped at our shores?

  How could it be so different here? And yet it was.

  We stopped when the water reached our waist. I could see the white sand beneath the water, my flippered feet, and a few tiny creatures moving about.

  “Okay, spit into your masks,” Jake said.

  “Ew!” Brooke called out beside me. “How gross is that?”

  “It’s either spit or fog up,” Ryan said.

  “I’d rather fog up,” Brooke said.

  I spit onto my mask and wiped my spit around the glass. The concept was a little gross, but I’d seen Richard Dreyfus do it in Jaws. Following Ryan’s example I rinsed my mask with a little seawater, and then I put it on and placed the snorkel in my mouth.

  I remembered Jake’s instructions to begin breathing through the snorkel.

  “Remember if you go under the water, the snorkel closes up,” Ryan said. “Don’t panic. You’re not going to breathe in water, and you’re not going to drown.”

  I bent slightly and squatted until my face was in the water. I put one hand on the sand to balance myself, and then extended my legs back until I was floating. Then I kicked a little.

  I was snorkeling!

  I had to admit that I felt a little claustrophobic, and it took me awhile to trust myself to breathe through the snorkel without having a feeling of panic.

  But the world beneath the water was incredible. So many colorful sea creatures swam around us. I knew we weren’t suppose
d to pet them, but it was so tempting. Touching them could remove their protective layer, causing them to get an infection. I thought it would be a real shame for any of this to be destroyed.

  I felt a nudge on my shoulder and looked over. Ryan was signaling down. I searched in the direction he was pointing.

  A stingray glided through the water. I knew stingrays were abundant in this area because they’d learned that people would feed them. But actually watching them floating around us…oh, gosh, it was awesome. It was like being inside a huge aquarium, only it was all natural. It was nature. And it was unbelievable.

  Ryan did some more pointing, and then I watched as he dove beneath the surface of the water. We were still in fairly shallow waters, but it was safe to dive.

  I’d listened intently while Jake had given us instructions on how to dive. So I took a deep breath, ducked my head, and fluttered my feet. Down I went.

  Ryan was so right to suggest that I purchase the equipment, because I was hooked. As a matter of fact I was giving thought to looking into some serious diving.

  I caught up with Ryan. He pointed out various things until I couldn’t hold my breath any longer. I kicked to the surface, inhaled deeply, and relaxed as I waited for my heartbeat to slow.

  I thought I could stay here forever.

  “That was totally awesome!” Brooke said. “Did you see the octopus?”

  We were sitting on our towels on the beach, chilling out after our snorkeling expedition. The guys were around us, sipping their beers, while Brooke and I were drinking water.

  “I didn’t see the octopus,” I told her, “but I saw a tiny shark.”

  “I saw mermaids,” Chad said with a sly grin.

  Brooke leaned over, and slapped him teasingly on the arm. “You did not.”

  “You girls should have gone topless,” Cameron said.

  “Brooke did,” Chad remarked.

  My mouth dropped open as I looked at Brooke. With a shrug, she adjusted her floppy hat. “Just for a little while. I wanted to shock the fish.”

  “Shocked me,” Chad said.

  I glanced over at Ryan. He was keeping awfully quiet, and I had a feeling he might have caught sight of Brooke with her top off as well.

  Part of me wished I’d been that bold. But swimming topless in the Caribbean hadn’t been on my to do list. I hadn’t even contemplated the notion.