The next two hours were filled with Adam’s jokes and much laughter. The chatter among the group was easy and friendly, and Jayme was thoroughly enjoying herself.
“We’re going to make a brief stop soon for anyone who might need to use the restrooms. This settlement is one of the largest on our island, the largest being the resort. The name the locals have given it is Apa. Don’t ask me what that means because I have no idea and no one will tell me, even after living here for the last eight years,” Adam announced. “Apa’s claim to fame is hats. Woven palm tree hats to be more precise. So if you forgot yours, I’m sure someone here will be happy to sell you one. Remember, don’t drink the water.” He coasted to a stop in front of an open bar.
Jayme waited until everyone else got out; she then took a bottle of water from the cooler and joined her companions.
“You should move forward, Ms. Haller, so you don’t miss any of my jokes,” Adam said to her.
“I can hear you fine, Adam,” she said, “and I must admit you are quite entertaining!” She gave him one of her brightest smiles and hooked her arm with his. “Now tell me,” she whispered, “what does Apa really mean?”
“I really don’t know.” He laughed heartily with a twinkle in his eye. “I don’t think anyone does.”
***
Adam had wound his way through the island’s maze of narrow roads, pointing out things of interest, including the new medical clinic by the shore and spectacular views at nearly every turn. Within an hour of their stop in Apa, he pulled up to the resort.
“Be sure to collect all your belongings. Anything left behind I get to keep!” he joked. “And don’t forget, if you need to go anywhere, I’m also your taxi driver.”
While everyone meandered back to their rooms, Jayme hung back.
“Adam, I truly had a delightful time today. I’m glad I took the tour. Is it acceptable to tip you?”
“Yes, it’s acceptable, however, I don’t want a gratuity from you,” he said. “Perhaps one of these evenings you will grant me the pleasure of a dance.” With that, he bowed deeply and left to gas up the surrey.
CHAPTER SIX
Daniel was worried that Jayme had cancelled yet another afternoon of diving, and finding her at the front desk, he pulled her aside.
“Ms. Haller, I’m concerned,” Daniel said. “Have I done something to offend you, or is there some reason you are displeased with the diving?”
“Oh, my goodness, no, Daniel. Everything is wonderful. What makes you think so?” she asked, concerned.
“Well, you’ve done only morning dives and have cancelled a couple of afternoons with me. I had to ask.”
She took his hand. “I did the island tour yesterday if you recall, and I booked a spa-day package for this afternoon. This is a long vacation for me; I need a break from the diving, that’s all. I’m really looking forward to a massage!” Jayme gave his hand a squeeze and then let go. “If there ever gets to be something I’m displeased with, Daniel, I will be sure to come to you about it, okay?”
“I’m embarrassed now that I even brought it up.” He raked his fingers through his still damp hair. “I’ve gotten used to having you on the dives, almost like an assistant,” he laughed. “Please, enjoy your afternoon. Our massage therapist is really good.” He turned to leave when Jayme caught his arm.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, giving him a reassuring smile.
***
Jayme found the spa hut immediately from the concise directions given to her at the front desk. The building looked fairly new, yet was made to appear part of the landscape. She was pleased to hear the sound of soft music and not the sound of an air conditioner. She opened the door and stepped into the scent of almond oil and jasmine. The place radiated peace and tranquility, and Jayme immediately felt calmer. A young island woman stepped out from the back room.
“Good afternoon. You must be Ms. Haller,” she said. “My name is Andrea.”
“Yes I am. This is a lovely room, Andrea,” Jayme said, looking around. The beiges and salmon colors were accented with the green of live plants and wicker chairs. A window facing the ocean was open, and a quiet breeze brought in the salt air. It reminded her of Katherine’s office, and that made her happy. “May I take a few pictures of your room, Andrea? I have a friend back home that would love to see this.”
“Of course, ma’am, help yourself.” Picking up a form from her desk, Andrea said, “I see you’ve have massages before, Ms. Haller.”
“Many times, yes. I try to get a massage once a month at home and whenever possible when I’m on vacation. Finding you here was an unexpected treat,” Jayme replied, scanning the room with her camera.
“You’ve booked an hour and a half massage plus a sea-salt and apricot foot scrub, followed by an herbal body wrap?” Andrea questioned.
“Yes, is there time for all of that?”
“Certainly! I was only double checking the information,” the therapist answered. “If you will follow me, please.” Andrea led Jayme into another, more spacious room.
The massage table stood center stage and was already made up with cream-colored sheets and a pale green blanket. To the side, Jayme recognized the heated water bath that held the sheets for the herbal wrap. A display table sported a variety of delicately scented lotions and oils.
While Andrea stepped back into the office to lock the front door, Jayme undressed and hung her clothes on the hooks she presumed were for that purpose. With a sigh of contentment, she slid under the top sheet, placed her face into the head cradle, draped her arms off the edges, and waited for the therapist to return.
Andrea spread some oil on Jayme’s back and began to knead her muscles. “You must get a great deal of exercise. You have strong, well-defined muscles.”
Jayme grunted a response and fell silent again, hoping the girl would get the message she didn’t want to talk.
An hour into the wonderfully quiet massage, Andrea whispered into Jayme’s ear that it was time to turn over. Jayme shifted onto her back and moved lower so the face cradle could be removed, all without opening her eyes.
The total time Jayme spent in the spa hut was two and a half hours, and she felt both exhilarated and like an overcooked noodle. She felt wonderful! After putting on her clothes again, she stepped into the office room where Andrea sat at her desk.
“And how did you enjoy that?” The therapist handed Jayme a bottle of chilled water.
“That was one of the best massages I’ve ever had. Thank you,” Jayme said. “I think I could use a nap!” she chuckled. Although she had already paid at the front desk for the services, Jayme handed Andrea an extra-large tip.
***
Back in her room, Jayme took a shower to wash off the oils that had been rubbed into her skin and slipped into a long, flowing caftan for a walk on the beach.
“You would like it here, Donald,” she said aloud, standing on the shoreline. “The diving has been great, all the people have been extra nice, and the food is really good.” She stopped a few feet from the shore and lowered her chin to her chest while the tears flowed. “Oh, Donald, I miss you so much!”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jayme rinsed her dive gear in the fresh water tank and turned to find Daniel close behind.
“I’m glad you made the afternoon dive this time, Jayme,” Daniel said. “How did you like that wall?”
“It was wonderful, and I was impressed with our two new divers, they handled the deeper depth really well. I remember my first deep dive, an eighty foot wall in Cozumel. I drifted down to ninety-five feet before someone caught me,” Jayme laughed. “It’s so easy to lose track of a few feet when the water is so clear. Three-hundred-foot visibility can be misleading.”
Daniel nodded in acknowledgement. “What was your most memorable part of that dive?”
“In Cozumel? It was something further out that caught my attention. We were hanging above an abyss. There was no bottom within view. I looked out into the vastness of the
ocean, away from the wall, and saw something go by. All I could see was the displacement of the water, ripples as it passed. I knew it had to be very large to do that and be so far out that I couldn’t see it. It was humbling.” She paused, thinking back to that day and the feelings that washed over her.
“What about night dives? Anything special about those?” he asked cautiously.
“All night dives are special,” she laughed. “I do remember one in particular in Grand Cayman. At first I was disappointed that the dive was inside the reef and would only be thirty feet, however, what I saw made up for it all. Our dive master had suggested that we settle to the bottom and shut our lights off, letting our eyes adjust to the dark, and then swish our hands in the water. There is a kind of plankton that illuminates when disturbed, and it looked like sparklers. It was delightful! The most memorable sight, though, was looking up and seeing the distant lightning of a passing storm. The way the thirty feet of water blurred the flashes was eerie.”
“I don’t know if I can compete with that, but how would you like to do a night dive tonight?” Daniel offered.
“I was hoping we could do one!” Jayme exclaimed.
“It will be only the four of us on the dive, so it should be good. Be at the dock by seven o’clock. I need to tell Carl and Megan it’s a go. I wouldn’t take them unless you agreed to go too. We both know that night dives are different, and anything can happen.”
Daniel left Jayme to finish rinsing her gear and to seek out the two other divers.
***
The boat slowed as the sun was setting. Daniel had selected a near-shore coral reef in forty feet of water for the night excursion. It was a popular day dive site and the boat captain got them close enough to the marker buoy for Daniel to snag it and tie them on. The buoys served several purposes, the first being an easy identification of the site, plus attaching to markers preserved the corals from repeated anchor damage.
“Okay, listen up. This is a shallow dive, thirty to forty feet. We will stay as a group, although it will be easy to spot each other because of the lights we all have. Make sure your light is tethered to you, either around your wrist or on a longer lanyard to your BC.” Daniel activated glow-sticks and attached them to all the air tanks. “Carl, you will buddy with me, and Megan, you’re with Jayme.”
“I’m so excited!” Megan said to Jayme. “We heard all about how beautiful night dives are during our classes. This is our first.”
“Our lights are bright enough that John will watch us from up here. We will be making a circle around the anchor line, which will also have a string of glow sticks attached. Pay attention to where you are and always know where the line is. In case of a problem, get to the anchor line and come up to the fifteen-foot bar.” Daniel looked at his three charges. Carl looked a little nervous, Megan looked excited, and Jayme, well, Jayme looked confident and content, as usual. He noticed the camera in Jayme’s grip. “Ready for some good shots, Jayme?”
“Oh, yeah.” She grinned back at Daniel.
***
Jayme was the first into the water and let her flashlight dangle from her wrist so the two first-timers could see her. Once they were in the water with their lights on, she went back to the boat ladder where Daniel handed down her camera and the light bar. When she was back with the other two, Daniel stepped off the platform to join them. As one, the four descended into the dark water.
The reef was alive with night creatures: urchins making their way from one place to the next; a lobster poked its antenna out, curious when Daniel shined his light into its hiding place; and tiny moray eels snaked their bodies upward from their sandy holes trying to look ferocious. Daniel had to stop Carl from reaching toward an eel. The eel was small, but all eels had a nasty bite with reverse fangs, and the only way to dislodge a bite was to cut off the head, killing the animal.
Jayme immediately shut off her light and switched on the LED light bar on the camera, illuminating a large area. She could see the amazement in Megan’s eyes as she absorbed all the colors coming to life, and it pleased her. Jayme motioned for Megan to follow her and showed her a large crevasse in the coral head, and then she brought the camera up so the light shone in, exposing the shy puffer fish. When the light hit them, the fish puffed up to three times their size in an attempt to look menacing. Jayme took several minutes’ footage of the delightful creatures.
The two women caught up to the men, and Jayme motioned for them to get closer together for a group shot. Then Daniel signaled it was time to surface. Back at the buoy anchor, Jayme spotted several pencil fish seemingly dancing on their noses, took some footage, and pointed out the tiny fish to the two novices. Daniel nodded in appreciation.
***
“Oh, my! Oh, my!” Megan paced the boat after rinsing her face from the fresh water bucket. “Carl, did you see those puffer fish?” She jabbered on with Carl interrupting her several times with his own excitement.
“Daniel, Jayme, thank you! That was everything and more that we were told about during classes,” Carl said to them.
“You’re welcome, Carl,” Jayme said, “but it was Daniel’s dive. I’m only a guest, just like you.”
“I think you made the dive special for me, Jayme,” Megan said. “Will you both please join us in the lounge for drinks when we get back? I have so many questions!”
“I think I’d like that,” Jayme said as they approached the dock. “It will take a few minutes to rinse gear, that’s always first. Then I know I sure need a shower! I’ll see you in a half hour or so?” All three of them looked toward their dive master. “Are you coming with us, Daniel?”
He grinned. “You bet!”
***
Jayme showered to wash off the ocean salt that was drying on her skin, and after washing her hair had simply tied it in knot on her head and out of the way. Casual yet comfortable, the calf length, one shouldered sarong she put on was now a dress that she had sewn up the side to maintain modesty, yet was free and loose from the mid-thigh down. Done in copper and bright yellow, it highlighted her deepening tan.
She entered the lounge area of the restaurant through one of the side doors that led to the sandy beach and scanned the room looking for Carl and Megan. When she spotted them, she also noticed that at the next table over sat that handsome, dark-haired stranger. As if he could feel her eyes on him, he looked up. His gray eyes locked with her green ones.
When she moved in his direction he grinned, thinking she had finally figured out where they had met and was coming to join him. Jayme smiled pleasantly at him then turned her back and sat with the young couple at another table.
“So glad you could join us, Jayme!” Megan bubbled. Her husband stood to hold Jayme’s chair as she sat.
“A celebration feels right after such a successful night dive,” she said, beaming at the two and wanting desperately to turn around and watch the man behind her.
“Ah, here comes Daniel,” Carl said.
Daniel took the final chair at the table for four. They all ordered drinks and chatted about the recent dive.
“Remember, Carl, those moray eels can be vicious if they feel threatened,” Daniel said.
“Yes, I’ll remember, sorry. Have you seen many morays, Jayme?” Carl asked.
“Actually, I had an interesting experience in Sting Ray City,” she answered.
“What’s Sting Ray City?” Megan questioned.
“It’s in Grand Cayman, or rather just off shore. There are a couple of coves where the rays congregate in relatively shallow water. It’s a snorkeler’s heaven,” Daniel chimed in. “You encountered an eel there, Jayme?”
“I was on an excursion to see the rays, only as a diver not a snorkeler,” she explained. “To draw the rays in, they needed to be fed. The dive master took four of us divers into the twelve-foot deep water, along with a can of chopped-up squid. He showed us how to put the chum on our hand, flat out, and the rays swooped down and sucked it right off our hands! They were gentle and surprisingl
y soft.”
“So the snorkelers got to see the rays, and you were part of the show?” Daniel laughed.
“I guess you could say that.”
“How does this tie in with seeing a moray eel?” Carl prodded.
“After a half hour or so, the snorkelers had had enough and were getting back on the boat,” Jayme went on. “The dive master motioned for us to follow him. About fifty yards away, he had us kneel down in the sand maybe fifteen feet away from a brain coral. Somehow he signaled the animal, and this six-foot moray eel came out from the coral. You can imagine our surprise when the eel rubbed up against him like a pet cat. He held out the can of squid, and the eel stuck its head in and grabbed a mouthful, then circled the coral and came back. It did this three times; each time the dive master ran his hand down the eel’s back, like he was petting it!”
“Wow,” both Carl and Megan said together.
“I know, it was amazing to watch. How the guy ever trained that animal I never found out.”
“I thought sting rays were dangerous. I remember hearing stories about them attacking people and cutting their feet and legs,” Megan said.
“That’s not true, Megan,” Daniel stated. “Any animal will defend themselves when they feel threatened. The most common injury to people come from them stepping on the rays. The rays like to sleep in shallow water, buried below the sand. People can’t see them and step on those bodies. The rays are frightened and try to leave, and end up cutting the person’s foot with the defensive spike on their tail. The rays don’t attack, they flee.”
The Reef Roamer (The Roamer Series Book 1) Page 6