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“Things that can wait,” Ransom says, removing the rope and landing us on the other side of it before returning it to its proper location.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Wes asks, genuinely worried.
“We’ve got a date.” Ransom’s lips curl just enough to make Wes glower at him.
“Ransom, the ship is taking off,” Wes fires off at him. “You know that. Stop fooling around.”
“Trixie and I are about to fool around on Kona,” he says it dryly, no hint of an innuendo—although, my brain did go there. “Goodnight, Wes.”
“Goodnight?” I call out as Ransom speeds us down the gangway and into a waiting rental car. “Ransom,” I say, breathless, as he peels out of the harbor. “Just what in the world do you have planned this evening?”
And more importantly, will this date truly see the dawn of a new day?
My word, I wish he would have given me a heads-up. I would have brought my overnight bag—my makeup bag, my overnight face mask. Wait—no, I definitely would not have brought that. But I would have for sure packed those red naughty accouterments Elodie was kind enough, or rather maniacal enough, to furnish me with.
His cheek rises on one side. “A surprise wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you about it.”
Ransom drives us down the road and into another smaller harbor where we get out and land on a dive boat with six other couples.
“Oh, Ransom,” I say as the boat takes off. “You know I can barely snorkel. I can’t dive. I’m not certified. I’ll die a slow and painful death.”
He frowns my way as he pulls me close. The sun has already set, the sky is every shade of purple, and there’s a tangerine line out on the horizon that kisses the water. The briny scent from the ocean is ten times more magnified at the moment as the boat sets off for who knows where. The waves slosh under the weight of the vessel as we race into the vast Pacific. Behind us, the verdant landscape takes on a tenebrous hue as the stars begin to shine over us.
“I would never put you in harm’s way,” he says, landing a simple kiss to my lips and lingering there.
“Pardon me,” a young man calls out and we see him holding out a clipboard our way. “You’ll both need to sign the death and dismemberment waiver if you want to participate.”
“Death and dismemberment?” I raise a brow at the man who just testified to the fact he wouldn’t put me in harm’s way.
“Insignificant details.” He winks and we both sign our lives away, literally.
After about twenty minutes, the boat stops cold and one of the deck hands calls everyone to attention.
“Who’s ready to swim with the manta rays?” he calls out and a collective shout of glee breaks out.
“Manta rays?” I hop up and down as if I just won the lottery, and I did, of the aquatic variety. “Ransom, I’ve been dying to try this. I’ve read all about it from those excursion pamphlets back on the ship. Apparently, the best time to see these magical creatures is at night.”
“That’s right,” he says. “They’re attracted to the plankton and the light. And we will be bringing the light. All you have to do is smile.”
“Very funny.” I reward him with a kiss for that.
“A few facts about our sea friends,” the crew member calls out once again. “Manta rays are closely related to sting rays, but they are not the same. The manta ray does not have the long barbed tail that the sting ray does. Manta rays are also closely related to sharks. However, the shark does not care for their relational status, as they still like to eat plenty of mantas. Some of you may have relatives like that back home.” A loose laugh circles our small group. “These creatures are some of the gentle giants of the ocean. Please be mindful and respectful. They are friendly and often swim right up to you. Try your best not to pet or touch them, as this could cause them to lose some of their protective mucous coating.”
I nod to Ransom. “He had me at mucous.”
We share a laugh as the crew comes around and provides us each with snorkels, fins, and wet suits since we’ll be in the water for over an hour.
A large rectangular lamp with a metal bar around it is lowered into the ocean, and one by one we drop into the sea ourselves.
Then, like magic, giant elegant creatures float from the bottom as they make their way to the light. Each of the manta rays is the size of a coffee table with horizontal flat bodies. They have tiny eyes on either side of their heads and lots of gill slits just under that. The sight of them reminds me of giant living mushrooms. I’m not sure why. Probably because of the texture of their skin and the color matches up.
But the best part? They are indeed gentle giants.
One of the photographers from the boat swims our way and snaps several pictures of Ransom holding me underwater as a manta ray floats over us like a blanket. I think I’ll send that one to the family group chat that my ex is still a part of. Not only will my kids be thrilled to see me having a great adventure, my ex will be fuming that I get to do it with a handsome stud by my side.
We spend the entire hour amazed at these majestic beasts as they weave their way around us as if we were long-lost friends. But at last we’re forced to say goodbye and I blow each of them a kiss as they glide by Ransom and me as if it were a parade in our honor.
“That was one of the best experiences in my life,” I pant as we climb back onto the boat.
