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“Okay,”Charlotte nods in agreement and the two of them walk away in the other direction. By the time they return, I’m pretty sure my mouth is agape and I’m drooling all over the floor.
Charlotte is stunning.Little is left to the imagination in the navy-blue company swimsuit she has on. Everyone else on the team had put on the exact same outfit before starting the simulation, but on her, it looks amazing.
Her pearly whiteskin glows beautifully under the reflection of the fluorescent lights. Her blonde, wavy hair is tied into a tight bun at the nape of her neck and her straight long legs seem to go on forever. My eyes fall to her feet, marveling at the beauty of her red-painted toes.
Charlotte has a swimmer’s body,lean and toned, yet curvy in all the right places. She carries herself with a rare aura of confidence and exudes pure strength. She is unlike any woman I have ever met, completely unapologetic about who she is and what she wants from life.
“Chris?”She calls when she’s right in front of me, her lips spread into an eager smile. “I’m ready.”
I call for Ryan. “Make sure nothing goes wrong,” I tell him and he nods in response. Then, he turns to Charlotte giving her a rundown of the rules and the dos and don’ts before taking her hand. He leads her towards the steps leading into the tank.
While there,Ryan turns to me and says, “Why don’t you join us, Chris? You haven’t had your turn, so we might as well have you two go together.”
“Is that okay?”I ask him. The thought of being in the water with Charlotte already planting images in my head that have nothing to do with swimming.
“Sure.”
At his assurance,I pull off my lab coat, followed by my black singlet and jean trousers. I’ve had my swimming trunks on since we began the simulation process earlier that day so I wouldn’t have to change.
I feeleyes on me and raise my head just in time to see Charlotte’s eyes roaming along my entire body. Feeling smug, I flex my arm muscles and watch her lips part as she follows that brief action.
She’s too far goneto notice that I’m now standing in front of her. When I lean down to whisper in her ear, she stumbles so hard that I have to grab her by the waist to keep her from falling.
“Are you ready, Charlotte?”I ask and she nods with a gulp.
We stand still as Ryan and the other two divers assist us in putting on safety goggles, oxygen backpacks and the rest. When we are fully prepared, Ryan gives us the go ahead to jump in.
I don’t knowwhy I grab Charlotte’s hand, but I do and she doesn’t seem to mind. Together, we step off the ledge and dive into the water-filled tank. The experience is surreal and we keep plunging down until we’re literally at the bottom of the tank.
Somehow,our hands are still held tightly by each other. As water bubbles out of the pipe in my mouth, I spare a glance at Charlotte, ready to put her at ease if any of this is too much for her. But I shouldn’t have been worried, not when it comes to Charlotte.
If it wasn’tfor the oxygen cups covering our mouths, I’m pretty sure she would be sporting a large smile right now. But I can see that smile in the glint of her beautiful eyes. Water bubbles rapidly out of her pipe and I suspect she must be giggling.
She withdrawsher hand from mine and starts swimming around, exploring everywhere and playfully tapping at the faux ocean life around. Rather than follow behind her, I simply watch her shine.
Unlike the rest of the teams who had either been nervous or terrified upon entering the tank until they were assured of their safety multiple times, Charlotte looks every bit like she belongs in here.
She looksbelow her and swims back for me, grabbing my hand and pulling me along with her. Together, we swim and swim until we both lose the concept of time… until being inside the water with her starts to feel like home.
Much sooner thanwe’d both like, Ryan puts an end to the simulation and his divers pull us out of the tank.
Dripping wet,Charlotte and I find our way back to the ground. “That was awesome,” she yells into the room, causing Ryan and I to smile at her childlike excitement. Turning to me, she says, “I really can’t wait to experience the real thing. I bet it will be a thousand times better than this.”
Taking the towels Sheila brings us, I hand one over to Charlotte and an idea crosses my mind. “Actually,” I start. “I’ll be going with a few members of the team to check out the undersea lab a few days early, before the others join us. Would you like to come with us?”
She goessilent for a while and I wonder if I have taken things too far. I’m just eager to finally have someone who loves the ocean just as much as I do beside me as we embark on the greatest expedition of our lives.
To my relief,she shouts a resounding, “Yes!” accepting my offer. “Of course, I’m going to need to put a few things into place and sort out some of my schoolwork earlier than I planned. But it will be totally worth it.” She smiles up at me. “Thank you, Chris, for this amazing opportunity.”
“No one else deserved itmore than you.” I tell her the plain truth and watch her eyes shimmer with unshed tears.
My heart constrictsand I recognize that dangerous feeling, the one that puts me in certain positions with women that I’m determined to avoid for the rest of my life. I realize then that what I feel for Charlotte is becoming something more than just an attraction. She holds the power to make me fall hopelessly for her. So, I make a decision then and there to make sure that never happens.
5
CHARLOTTE
Isigh for the umpteenth time today as I try to keep my phone pressed against my ear, using my shoulder as support while my hands carefully fold my clothes into a large suitcase. “Mom, I promise that I’m going to be fine. And I’m not going to be alone either, we’re going to be surrounded by top experts throughout the whole period we’ll be there.”
