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He nods and I let out a breath as I back away into the bedroom. All of the furniture on deck is bolted down so as long as he just sits there, he should be alright. I strip off my wet clothes and hang them up in the bathroom before I take the quickest shower ever and rush to dry off and pull on my pajamas.
Owen is still sitting in the chair where I left him when I come out. He’s looking around the space below deck but there isn’t much to see. Just a little kitchen, an even smaller sitting area, a storage closet with all of my diving supplies, and my bedroom. The furniture is all dated but it still works and usually I’m the only one down here so it doesn’t matter to me.
I’m a little worried about what will happen when I get this clumsy guy in the ocean. Maybe it will be better. There won’t be anything for him to bump into or fall off of.
“Did you want to grab your bag?” I ask as I shift in front of the bedroom door. “You should probably wash off before bed.”
“Yeah, it’s just upstairs. I forgot it on the dock.”
He stands up and I have a moment of panic. There’s no way he can make it up the boat stairs, onto dock, over to his bag and back without getting hurt again.
“I’ll grab it!” I blurt out, rushing to stop him. “You just take a shower. I’ll be right back.”
I don’t wait for his response. I run up the stairs and across deck onto the dock. I see another boat next to mine and I know that’s what rocked the boat earlier and caused Owen to fall. I glare at the boat as I hurry over to where Owen’s bag is sitting on the wood. He must have set it down and gone over to look at a boat or the water and then he fell in. I pick it up, pulling the strap of the duffle bag over my shoulder and turning to head back onto my boat.
When I get below deck, the shower is on and I let out a sigh as I set Owen’s bag down on the bed and look around. Now I just need to figure out sleeping arrangements. My bed is only a full and while both of us are pretty skinny, I still don’t know that I want to be sharing a bed with a guy I just met. He’ll probably be elbowing or kicking me all night in his sleep.
It’s been a long day and I lay down on the bed as I wait for Owen to come out of the shower. I listen to the water in the bathroom as I let my eyes fall closed. I’m not sure when I fall asleep but the next thing I know, it’s light out.
I roll over and startle when I see Owen stretched out on the floor next to the bed. For a second, I wonder if he fell off the bed, but then I see that he has a pillow down there with him.
I smile, biting back a laugh. Normally I’m not much of a people person but there’s something about Owen that makes it impossible to dislike him. I let him sleep as I roll off the bed and head into the kitchen to find something to eat and to get our supplies ready for today.
5
Owen
I hangonto the edge as Andie steers the boat out over the water. We already went over the safety stuff and all of the equipment this morning and then we had some lunch. Now we’re going out to actually get into the water.
It’s a beautiful day and I smile as I look around, taking in the way the sun shines off the water. Andie slows the speed and I turn to look at her, admiring the way she handles the boat with such confidence. She’s clearly comfortable on the water and I raise my voice, calling over the sound of the boat motor.
“You know, some legends say that mermaids use to lure men to their deaths.”
“You’re aware that I’m the one who pulled you out of the water last night, right? So, Isavedyour life.”
“Can you sing?”
“What?”
“Can you sing? Some mermaids have a sirens call.”
“I can’t carry a tune in a bucket.”
“Hmm, you must have a different siren call then.”
“I swear to god if you say my sirens call is the way I fill out a wetsuit, I’m going to make you walk the plank.”
“You don’t have a plank.”
“I’ll find a piece of wood,” she says as she stops the boat.
She pushes past me, winding along the deck and dropping the anchor before she starts setting out the diving gear. I smile as I go over to help her. I move slower, still getting used to the rocking boat. Soon we have everything out and she helps me strap on the tank and everything else before she does herself. I look over the side of the boat into the clear water. Some fish swim by and I lean over further, almost tipping over when a big wave rocks the boat. Andie grabs me and I look over my shoulder, smiling at her.
“Thanks! Did you see those fish?”
“Yeah, you’ll be able to see them a lot clearer when we’re in the water. Let’s go through our checks and then we can get in the water.”
We run through everything one more time and she makes me check my air and all of my valves. Then we sit on the edge.
