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Of course. I’d never expect you to do the heavy lifting. But as the new guy, Jack knew better than to complain.
The dives were Murphy’s Law in action. Jack had two brand new divers who could not figure out their buoyancy. He finally had to grab a hold of the guy’s arm and show him how to inflate or deflate to maintain himself neutrally. Eventually he got the hang of it. Somewhat.
The frustration was clear in the narrowed eyes and wrinkled brows of the other divers as Jack tried to show them the highlights of the dive and the creatures he found. But the succession of people either kicked up the sand so much the animal could hardly be seen, or scared it off altogether.
I better not count on great tips today...
But he completed both dives without any major disasters and spent most of the afternoon cleaning up, since there wasn’t a third dive scheduled. Cameron cut out early, of course. Jack was sorting through the mess of BCDs in the gear room corner when Mark walked in. “Sorry about today. We overbooked without realizing it.”
Yeah. That’s a big surprise. “That’s ok. It happens. I had some unhappy divers in my group, though.”
“They’ll forget about it tomorrow, when we’re back to normal.”
I doubt that. And it won’t do me much good, since I’m not working tomorrow.
“Sorry I can’t give you more hours,” Mark said. “Except for today’s snafu, our business has dropped off lately. Are you getting work up at Half Moon Bay?”
“Yeah. Alex is fitting me into the schedule when he can.” He’d only had one shift with the Half Moon Bay instructor since the night dive and near-fight afterward. Alex had hardly said anything about it, except to mention Hope was fine when Jack had asked, and to thank him for his help again. They had been returning dive gear to the storage room at the end of the day when Alex had startled him by breaking into a broad grin. “Oh—I have some good news. You’re gonna love it.”
Jack tried not to get his hopes up that he was about to get more hours. “Lay it on me, then.”
“Guess who’s moving to St. Croix next month?”
Jack went blank. That was not what he was expecting. “Uh... someone I should know?”
Alex’s grin widened. “You might want to install some hurricane shutters. Sara is coming here to manage the spa.”
Oh shit. That’s all I need at the place I actually enjoy working. He fought to remain neutral. “Oh. I’m sure Hope is really happy about that.”
“Pretty much over the moon. You, on the other hand, might want to step lightly.”
Jack hadn’t even told Alex about colliding with her. Oh well, we’re both adults. I’m sure we can co-exist for a couple of hours each day.
He wasn’t about to turn down any extra shifts, and loved working at the organized, professional Half Moon Bay, which brought him back to the present and Ocean Surf. He wouldn’t be working for Alex if not for Mark’s referral. He turned to the older man with a small smile. “Thanks for recommending me.”
“Sure. We’re a tight-knit group on this island. I’ve known Alex for years.”
“I worked a night dive not long ago that turned out pretty interesting. I’m still trying to figure it out. When we got back, there were two idiots in the bar causing a ruckus. I was about to throw a punch at one of them when Alex appeared next to me. The two guys took one look at him, tucked their tails in between their legs, and ran away.”
Mark raised his eyebrows, a smile forming. “Ah, you got a bar-fight initiation, huh? That happens here too once in a while, though our bartender is big enough to handle any troublemakers.” Then he burst out laughing. “Yeah, once they saw Alex, I bet those guys couldn’t get out of there fast enough.”
Ok, he definitely knows something I don’t. “And why would that be?”
Mark’s smile faded. “He didn’t say anything to you about it?”
Jack shrugged, uncomfortable now. “He doesn’t talk much about himself.”
“That doesn’t surprise me—Alex is a pretty private guy. He’ll probably open up, eventually. Or if you’re that interested, ask him yourself.”
Jack was more curious than ever, but knew a brick wall when he saw one. And he respected Mark for honoring Alex’s privacy. “Thanks. I’d better get this finished up.” As Mark left the stuffy, claustrophobic room, Jack turned back to the BCD pile.
God, this place is a mess.
* * *
“To Sara!” The voices rang out as Sara clinked her champagne flute to theirs. Zoe, another good friend, had joined her and Marissa for a farewell dinner.
Marissa pouted. “I’m going to miss you terribly.”
