“D’accord, merci,” Hazel said with a big smile.
AJ stepped up to the side of the boat and started forward to the bow but stopped and leaned back over to Hazel. “And watch your nitrogen loading; we’ll try for two dives on the wreck this afternoon so you’ll need all the no-deco time you can get. I brought regular Nitrox tanks for you to use this morning, they’re over there.” AJ pointed to two green-topped tanks in the port racks. “Don’t forget to set your computer, I’ll grab the tester once we’re moored up.”
Forty-five minutes later AJ guided Scarlett and Kelsi back to the mooring pin where they could spend some time exploring while they waited for the group to return. The girls had plenty of air remaining as they had remained shallow. After a few minutes Hazel appeared from the east, gently finning against the light current across the top of the reef. Her group of four followed at a leisurely pace, peeking in the nooks and crannies at various reef critters and interesting fish. Once the Davises saw their girls they kicked ahead and joined them as the two teenagers made excited hand signals describing their own adventures, which included much pointing at their compasses. AJ laughed into her regulator. David Freeman looked over at AJ and she could tell he was smiling behind his reg. He made the hand signal for a ray with his hands then held up five digits. AJ clapped her hands slowly together and gave him a double okay sign. Damn, she thought, Hazel’s raising the expectations on these dives!
Back on the boat the chatter was all about the group of eagle rays they’d seen, and much hilarity was had when AJ pointed out a group of rays was known as a ‘fever’. David chuckled and announced from here out Hazel would be known as ‘Hazel Fever the Eagle Ray Whisperer’. Hazel laughed and shook her head. “Just lucky,” she claimed.
“Two for two!” Thomas reminded her. “Big pressure next dive, what can you find to one-up a fever of eagle rays?”
They laughed and continued in good humour when they moored up for the second dive on a shallow pin. AJ told the group they were on Blue Peter to which the six Americans looked at her blankly. She explained it was supposedly named after the British children’s TV show, which didn’t help them in the least bit. When AJ started doing a bad impression of presenter John Noakes telling the excitable border collie to ‘get down, Shep’ none of the crowd knew what she was talking about, but they died laughing at her.
AJ looked at Hazel, who was giggling to herself off to the side. “Do you know what I’m talking about?”
“Oui, I was actually alive when that silly dog was on the show, unlike you! That’s the worst impression ever!”
AJ threw her hands in the air and it took a few minutes to get the group to stop laughing enough to continue with the dive briefing.
Chapter 31
June 1974
Whitey needn’t have worried. He walked to the Holiday Inn along the pale-yellow sand beach and found Isabella working by the pool as usual. Her face lit up when she saw him. They eagerly made arrangements to meet for dinner, and now they sat in the restaurant in the Royal Palms after watching the sun go down from the beach front.
Isabella’s blue jeans snugly fit her slim figure down to above her knees, where they flared widely until they met the same floral clogs she’d worn before. Her black hair fell across her gold lamé halter top which loosely covered her chest and Whitey found it hard not to stare at the woman’s perfect figure. He sipped his Havana Club over ice and happily listened to her chatter on about the ins and outs of her life over the past few weeks in his absence. He liked the fact she’d taken the time to wear a different and equally stunning outfit for his benefit. He adored the fact she wore the same shoes because she loved them so much. She wore make-up but lightly applied and accenting rather than changing her natural look. Her green eyes shone and sparkled as she laughingly described missing the bus along West Bay Road and sneaking into work a few minutes late. Before long, dinner was finished and Whitey had had enough of the Caribbean calypso ambiance music and suggested they move to the bar.
Elton John greeted them with ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ and Whitey found them a secluded table in the corner away from the smokers at the main bar. The waitress approached, a local girl with curly black hair and perfect skin the colour of Belgian chocolate.
“Hi there Izzie,” the waitress said discreetly.
“Hey Dinah.” Isabella got up and hugged the girl. “How’s your momma doing?”
“She fine now, thank God,” Dinah replied and looked Whitey up and down.
Isabella sat down. “This is my friend Whitey,” she introduced with a wry smile and a wink.
“Uh huh,” Dinah replied, giving him an approving look, “he sure is.” She chuckled and Whitey stood, extending a hand.
“Whitey Snow, pleased to meet you, Dinah.”
She shook his hand firmly. “You must be the lucky man she been jabbering about the last few weeks.”
Isabella slapped her playfully on the arm. “Take our drink order and go about your business before you embarrass me some more, Dinah!”
The girl laughed joyfully. “Okay, okay, What you be wanting to drink, mister lucky man Whitey?”
Whitey sat down, amused by the women’s banter and very happy to hear he’d been the topic of Isabella’s conversations.
“Havana Club over ice please, Dinah.”
She winked at him. “Sure thing, and you baby, what you having?”
“Cinzano and tonic please, Dinah.”
“Bianco, right?” Dinah looked at Isabella’s gold top. “That top is so groovy, where d’you get that girl?”
Isabella brushed her hand over her top self-consciously, “I’ve had it a while, I just haven’t worn it out before. I got it in Barcelona when I was home last.”
“Knew it.” Dinah rolled her eyes. “No way you find something cool as that on the island.” With another big smile, she turned and headed for the bar with her best hip-swinging stride.
Whitey chuckled. “She’s a gas.”
Isabella nodded. “Oh yes, Dinah’s the life of any party. Maybe she’d double date with your friend Ainsley?”
“If he hasn’t already blown his chance with her – pretty sure he’s hit on every eligible female on the island.”
ABBA’s ‘Waterloo’ started on the bar’s sound system and Isabella wriggled enthusiastically in her seat.
“I love this,” she enthused.
Whitey listened as the infectious beat and female vocals made him unconsciously tap his foot.
“Not normally my cup of tea,” he said unconvincingly. “Is this the Swedish lot that won the Eurovision Song Contest?”
“Yes! Come on,” she urged, “tell me you can keep still when this comes on.”
He smiled and noticed his tapping foot. “I suppose.” He watched her dance in her seat, her gold top swishing and her face beaming as she mouthed the words, “I do like what it does to you.”
“Bet you like the blonde one, all the guys like the blonde,” she teased.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Hadn’t noticed,” he lied, knowing he actually had more of a crush on the brunette.
Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Sure.”
“Right now, it’s my favourite song ever,” he whispered and she closed her eyes as she sang the chorus.
He wondered if she could possibly feel the same way he felt in this moment. This woman consumed him completely. Half of him was more relaxed and content than he could ever remember being. Half of him was overwhelmed with panic and fear that he would lose the best thing he’d ever come across, before it had really even started. If he couldn’t break free of the Caveros and change the course of his life, once and for all, this could be nothing more than a passing fling, like all the others. For the first time in his life, that wasn’t what he wanted.
“I’m thinking of moving here,” he said suddenly as the song finished.
Isabella stared at him, clearly surprised. “You are? What about your work? Don’t you need to be in Miami?”
&nbs
p; “It would mean getting away from what I’m doing,” he said quietly.
Her face lit up. “You’re serious?”
“I’m seriously thinking about it. Maybe Soto’s would take me on. Complete change of pace, you know?” he said before he could stop himself.
She leaned over and held his face softly in her hands. She slowly moved her lips against his and gave him a long passionate kiss. “I’d like that,” she whispered.
Dinah quietly set the drinks down on their table. “I’ll just leave these right here for you two, you know, for whenever you take a little break.” She smiled as she left.
Chapter 32
November 2019
The second dive on the north side had gone well and they were back to the yacht club by 12:30pm. It took an hour to refill the air tanks at the dock for the next day and then AJ ran by Island Air in George Town to custom-fill some Nitrox tanks for the afternoon dives. Hazel tagged along as she had nothing better to do and AJ was her hotel ride anyway. With tanks clanking in the back of the van, AJ wound through the tiny back streets of George Town to the small car park off Rock Hole Road and was pleased to find an open spot. She led Hazel around the side of a building from where they could see the blue water across North Church Road, the main road into the harbour front. AJ walked to the front of the building and ducked through a glass door into the Greenhouse Cafe. She glanced up to see a curvy young woman with a determined look striding between the tables in her direction. She felt Hazel tense behind her, but AJ smiled. The woman rolled her eyes as she reached AJ and threw her arms around her.
“Thank God you’re here, my morning has been an effing nightmare,” the woman said a little louder than perhaps she should, as a few heads turned.
“Hey Jen,” AJ laughed, releasing herself from her grasp, “this is my friend Hazel.”
Hazel extended a hand but was greeted with a similar hug.
“And this is my wonderful friend Jen, who runs this place,” AJ said, but Hazel was undoubtedly too surprised to hear.
Jen let her go and put an arm around AJ’s shoulder, walking her through the cafe.
“So, this morning, I’m taking an order over the phone and I turn around and there’s a couple standing at the counter and she’s elbow deep in the tip jar, pulling notes out! I asked her politely what on earth she was doing and she says, ‘we want some local money to take home’, like, no big deal. I said that’s the staff’s hard-earned tip money madam, if you’d like some CI money I’d be happy to give you some in your change. She looks straight at me and says, ‘it’s okay, I’m putting American dollars in there in exchange’.“ Jen halted in front of the counter and looked at Hazel and then AJ. “So I took a deep breath, cos you know, I can get a wee bit wound up sometimes.” She looked back at Hazel as though she’d know what she meant. Hazel’s mouth was slightly open, looking like she was caught in an out-of-body experience.
“I said, madam, the exchange rate is zero point eight in the shops so you’re actually stealing money from the tip jar on top of the fact you’re using our tip jar as a souvenir store!” Jen walked back behind the counter, her expression still deadly serious. “She’s looking at me like I’m speaking Swahili so I looked at the husband and asked, nice as pie, can I take your order? Know what he said?”
AJ and Hazel both silently shook their heads.
“We’ll have one coffee but please split it into two cups.” Jen waved her arms in the air. “Two cups! And then of course they want the Wi-Fi password, so I gave them a close, but not quite right version, despite it being clearly displayed on the wall behind me.” She grinned.
As swiftly as she’d greeted them, Jen’s face turned from frantic to smiling broadly and her voice softened. “It’s so good to see you and your lovely friend.” She looked Hazel up and down. “Kinda quiet, isn’t she?”
AJ burst out laughing and Jen joined her, both looking at Hazel.
“Sorry Hazel, I should have warned you before we came in,” AJ managed.
Hazel finally came out of shock and smiled. “People really do that?” she asked in amazement.
“Cruise-shippers,” AJ and Jen said together.
“And bloody Americans,” Jen added.
Hazel looked confused. “You’re American, aren’t you?”
Jen looked incredulous. “I know, embarrassing isn’t it?” She handed them a pair of menus and sent them to an empty table, still in fits of laughter.
“She’s funny,” Hazel finally said as she settled down to look at the menu.
“I always know when I’ve spent an evening with Jen. The next morning my stomach muscles hurt from laughing so much, it’s better than an hour at the gym.” AJ chuckled.
“The food looks amazing,” Hazel said quietly, studying the choices.
AJ nodded. “Oh yeah, she’s an amazing chef and she changes it up a lot, all fresh local fish and produce too.”
“My mother had a small café,” Hazel said without looking up, taking AJ aback.
Slightly unsure how to respond she carefully enquired, “What happened to it? The cafe?”
Hazel looked up blankly. “It was in my father’s name; technically he owned it as it was his money that started it thirty years ago. But he’s had nothing to do with it since they split up, she paid everything back, so it was really hers. Except on the paperwork. They never got around to fixing the paperwork.”
“That doesn’t sound fair,” AJ said gently. “Surely she would have wanted you to have it?”
Hazel nodded. “She did. But he kept making excuses for not sorting out the papers and then she got sick and that was that.” She shrugged her shoulders and looked back at the menu.
“Wasn’t he around when she was ill, at least to be around you?” AJ asked before she could stop herself.
Hazel took a moment, thinking before she responded. “He has a new family, he didn’t want anything to do with us after they split. We don’t talk. He didn’t even come to her funeral.” She forced a smile. “That’s okay, I didn’t want him there.”
AJ really didn’t know how to follow that, so she squeezed Hazel’s hand across the table. Hazel smiled but AJ could see there was pain and determination and a whirlpool of other emotions in her eyes. As someone who was close with both her parents and in the uncommonly enviable position of having them still together, it was impossible for AJ to truly understand her friend’s position. AJ was closer to her father than she was to her mother, but she loved them both very deeply. The idea of either one of them not being in her life was devastating.
AJ was glad when Jen sprang upon their table. “What are we having, kiddos?”
Chapter 33
June 1974
Whitey waded into the water with his scuba gear thrown over his shoulder and fins in his hand. Ainsley beamed at him with a mischievous look from the helm of a shiny 25’ cuddy cabin as he eased towards the shore to pick him up.
“That’s your brother’s fishing boat?” Whitey asked in surprise.
Ainsley couldn’t stop smiling. “No man, this ain’t his boat, this is mine.”
Whitey slung his gear into the boat and used the small swim step over the outboard drive to haul himself up.
“Since when?” he asked as he stowed his gear and checked the two tanks Ainsley had picked up for him at Soto’s.
Ainsley fumbled with the controls, spinning the wheel one way then the other. “Since yesterday afternoon, man,” he explained proudly, still confusing the boat by pushing and pulling various controls.
Whitey looked at him as they drifted closer to the beach. “Wanna back us up there, Horatio Nelson?”
Ainsley frowned and let go of the wheel and stared at the buttons and levers. “I only driven the thing forward so far, not sure it wants to be backed up.”
“Mind if I take a look?” Whitey asked patiently and Ainsley stepped from the helm. Whitey selected reverse on the drive and span the wheel hard to the right. He pushed the throttle open and the boat backed up, turning to sta
rboard until they were clear of the beach and facing the ocean. He selected forward, straightened the wheel, and set the throttles just above idle before stepping aside.
“Thanks,” Ainsley mumbled,.“I just got it yesterday, still figuring out the nuances, you know.” He eased the throttles forward and they motored towards deeper water.
Whitey surveyed the vessel. “This thing’s pretty nice, brother. Brand new?”
Ainsley got his smile back. “One year old, man; some rich grey-hair brought it over and then had a heart attack on top of his twenty-three-year-old girlfriend.” He laughed. “Apparently his wife didn’t have much sympathy and started selling all his toys while he’s getting patched up in the States. I practically stole this thing, brother.”
“It’s a SportCraft isn’t it?” Whitey asked.
“Sure,” Ainsley replied. “Sportcraft, Sportsman, something or other, this thing’s the bomb man, chicks are gonna dig it.”
Whitey chuckled. “Best you figure out how to drive it before you run someone over with it.”
Ainsley frowned at him.
“And we’re going to the north-west point, so head north-north-west,” Whitey added.
Ainsley looked over the water and then back at Whitey. “Huh?”
“Jesus Ainsley, thought your family made their livelihood on the ocean? You can’t read a compass?”
“I have one?” Ainsley asked, looking at the control panel in front of him. Whitey reached over and tapped the domed compass on the top of the console.
“Oh, right, that thing, I knew that. They make their living on the water; you know me man, I’m just a hustler on dry land. So how does it work?” Ainsley asked.
“See that line in the front?” Whitey pointed to a yellow line on the front of the dome facing them. Ainsley nodded and Whitey continued, “That’s called the lubber line. Now see you’ve got all the directions of the compass rose on there, north, south and all that?”
“Yup. Those numbers the degrees?” Ainsley asked.
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