Trust Me (2 page)

“Yes,
yes I am, right there.” Shut up, Sandra! She shouted to herself, feeling like a babbling child as a strange chill traveled down her spine, gripping her lower abdomen again.

“Maybe
we’ll see each other again,” he suggested with another smile that seemed to melt her like butter in the Mediterranean sun.

“Um,
sure,” she said absently as a very attractive waitress stepped up beside him.

“Perhaps
this afternoon?” he asked, glancing briefly to the server as she set another drink on the table. Sandra looked at the waitress feeling a strange sense of irritation at her intrusion, her eyes traveling across the string bikini that barely hid the woman’s engorged breasts from sight. Her short blonde hair spiked around her head seemed to glimmer in the sunlight as she placed the empty glasses on the small round tray she held. Sandra watched her absently as she straightened up waiting for Creighton to acknowledge her; the look in her bright blue eyes told Sandra she was eager to have the man’s full attention and was waiting for her to leave.

“I’m
sorry,” Sandra said at last, realizing he was still speaking to her. “I have plans, some other time perhaps.” She turned and walked away, thankful for the increased exercising that made her bottom firm and tight. She added a slight wiggle to her walk as she left, knowing he was watching her departure, hoping the waitress knew where his attention was as well.

Four
o’clock arrived to find Sandra sitting with a small group of tourists on the docks, all getting the same lecture about scuba diving safety and protocol. Over the past two hours, they had watched an instructional video, tried out masks and tanks, practiced diving in the hotel’s swimming pool, signed waivers and had been fitted for flippers and masks. The butterflies in her stomach began to turn into fruit bats as their instructor finished speaking, then led them down the peer, their flipper-feet flapping against the wooden planks as they made their way toward the waiting boat. She always wanted to try scuba diving, but until that morning, she never had the courage to do it. If it wasn’t for the insistence of the young man who played the role of entertainment director of the hotel, she would not have considered signing up for the lesson at all, but then again, wasn’t that the whole idea of this trip…adventure?

Sandra
found her place on a bench seat near the port side of the boat - which she had been told was the nautical term for the left side. Next to her were a middle-aged woman and her husband, Angela and Michael Gibbons of New Haven Connecticut, celebrating their thirtieth-fifth wedding anniversary. Michael announced that they were there to experience all sorts of new and exciting things, winking at his wife with a seductive smile that made the others in the group chuckle and his wife blush profusely.

The
skipper of the boat and their diving instructor was a Frenchman named Ruelle Lefebvre, who now stepped onto the vessel and went into the glass-enclosed cabin where the steering wheel was. His sun-bleached hair was shoulder length and pulled into a ponytail at the back of his head; his face and hands tanned and weathered by the many long years at sea. His worn yellow tee-shirt and faded blue jeans stood out in stark contrast to the new pair of black sneakers on his large sockless feet. He was a polite man, very articulate in his orders and Sandra smiled at the way his bright green eyes sparkled when he spoke. Two deck hands had begun to secure the ropes and prepared the ship for the open seas as the engines turned over and roared to life.

Sandra
felt the excitement rise within her when the rest of the group took up the seats along the right side of the ship - or the starboard side as she was told. Their conversations took on a tone of anxious chattering and Sandra found herself twisting her fingers together in her lap at an attempt to control her nerves. She looked around her and noted that she was the only one without a partner and was slightly embarrassed about the fact, but she sat a little taller in her seat and squared her shoulders with determination. She didn’t need a partner to swim, she told herself proudly and there would be an instructor with her after all, as they all would have. She would just have to experience all of this on her own without a significant other or special someone to hold her hand like the others had.

She
drew a deep breath to steady her nerves as the ship suddenly took a lunge forward. They moved slowly out of the stall then turned and picked up speed, leaving the docks behind as they headed into the open waters to their designated diving site. Her excitement began to mount and she turned to watch the ship break through the ocean’s surface, drawing a few deep breaths to try and calm her anxiety.

“Hello
again,” a friendly British voice said beside her and she turned with a start, watching as the long frame of Creighton Ashford sat down beside her. She looked into a pair of dark sapphire blue eyes and was momentarily lost in their depths. His smile was intriguing and genuine as he leaned against the back of the seat with ease, his arm resting behind her on the railing.

“Hi,”
was about as much as she could bring herself to say, her breathing more rapid than a few minutes ago and her throat suddenly dry.

“Is
this your first lesson?” he asked with a raised brow. She wished he wouldn’t look so inviting; it made it difficult to concentrate. She turned her face away from him and nodded. “Well, Ruelle is a great instructor. You’re lucky you could get in on one of his classes.”

“Do
you know Monsieur Lefebvre?” she asked looking back at him, trying to engage him in a normal conversation and forget the extraordinarily good looks that sent her heart racing again.

“Yes,
I took lessons from him about seven years ago. Ruelle is really one of the best divers in all of France. I try to come here on holiday whenever I can, though it’s not often enough.” She stared at the man and smiled, not knowing exactly what to say. He seemed open and friendly, completely relaxed as he sat next to her on the cushioned bench.

The
Skipper pulled the boat to a halt while they were talking and the apprehension she had been experiencing earlier was back, tenfold. She looked over the back of the seat and into the clear crystal blue of the Mediterranean Sea, fighting the urge to vomit. It wasn’t the ship or the slight rocking on the water that made her feel ill; it was the idea that she was going to be down there in a few moments. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea, she told herself and quickly tried to think of a way to escape going into the water.

“Cray,”
Ruelle said with a jubilant tone to his heavy accent, causing the heads of the passengers to turn toward the two men. “I did not see you come on board, but I’m very glad you are here
Mon Ami
."

“
Bonjour Ruelle
,” Creighton said with a chuckle as he stood and shook the older man’s hand, smiling that brilliant, heart stopping white smile. “
Heureux de vous voir a nouveau
.” Sandra really wished she had taken some French lessons before coming here. About all she understood out of their conversation was the fact they were friends, other than that she was about as naive as a newborn babe.

“What
brings you here, Cray?” Ruelle asked him cheerfully.

“Thought
I’d take a dive while the day was young and who else would I go with but my old friend?”

“
Très bien
,” the man said with a glance toward Sandra. “This is very fortunate; Mademoiselle Dennis does not have a partner. You can go down with her, yes?” Creighton turned to Sandra, his smile was warm and inviting. She could feel the curious eyes of the other passengers as they came to rest on her red face.

“I
would love to go down with Miss Dennis,” he said winking at the young woman. The thought of being alone with this man who sent her heart in a tizzy, didn’t exactly help relieve her anxiety.

“
Merveilleux
. With you, she will not need a trainer.” Ruelle slapped the man on the back. “We will go off the aft deck,” he said as he passing through the small aisle between the passengers. “Remember to fall backward into the water and let the tank take you down and stay with your trainer.” Ruelle continued to speak, reintegrating his instructions as he led the group to the back of the boat. The other couples, along with the professional scuba trainers, stepped to the back of the boat and began to strap on their tanks, while Sandra sat trying to think of a reason to back out. She was beginning to doubt her sanity for coming on this boat and her stomach lurched at the thought of what might happen.

“Scared?”
Creighton asked as he sat down next to her, his arm resting on the railing behind her again.

“I’m
not sure this was such a good idea,” she whispered, feeling suddenly very small and afraid to be alone so far from home.

“I’ll
be right beside you; I won’t let anything happen.” He stood up and stretched out his hand for her to take and she looked at it, biting her lower lip. She found it extremely difficult to breathe when he was just sitting next to her, what would happen to her if she dared to touch him?

“Trust
me?” he asked softly. Something in his words made her look up into his deep-blue eyes and suddenly she felt safe. She slowly reached up, slipping her hand into his and bit her bottom lip to steady her nerves. A shockwave passed through her as he squeezed her fingers and pulled her gently from her seat.

“Try
to keep your breathing even and just flow with it,” he told her as they walked toward the back of the boat. “We’ll go slow and stay close to the surface. Once you get your bearings, we’ll go a little deeper, but I’ll let you set the pace, alright?” She nodded, feeling a strange thumping of her heart. It was as if he was speaking in a different context than diving, but she was too nervous to concentrate on the undertone of his words.

Sandra
sat down on the edge of the platform in the back of the boat, pulling her yellow tee-shirt and blue shorts off to reveal the black wet suit she wore underneath and watched while Creighton lifted the air tank to her back. It was heavy and she gasped as he tightened the straps across her chest and smiled reassuringly, slipping the full face mask over her head. His eyes were dark and danced with an emotion she couldn’t name as he adjusted the harness and valves before sitting down across from her, slipping into his rubber suit and mask.

“This
is a communication transmitter,” he told her pointing at the small box next to her ear as his voice filtered into her mask clearly. “You push it to turn it on and to talk to me.”

“Will
you be able to speak with me as well?” she asked him, suddenly desperate to have a link to another person, causing him to smile as he offered her a brief wink that made her pulse jump.

“I’ll
hear everything you say and can respond the same as you. Now stay close and don’t forget to take pictures.” He slipped a wet/dry digital camera Ruelle provided each student on her wrist and tightened the string so it wouldn’t fall off.

“Ready?”
he asked through the speaker near her ear, filling her helmet with his warm voice. She nodded against the hoses and weight of the mask. “Push the button Sandra,” he said, tapping the side of his own helmet. Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice as he used her first name. It sounded like he was caressing every syllable, basking it in warmth equal to that of the Mediterranean sun. She nodded again and he smiled.

“Trust
me and give it a try,” he ordered softly, watching her through the shield in front of his face.

“I’m
ready,” she said pushing the button, perhaps not as confident as she would have preferred. His smile grew and he winked again.

“Let’s
go. Remember to take a deep breath and fall backward so the tank pulls you over. You’re going to roll off the edge. The tank is heavier than you think, so you’ll have to remember to swim to keep yourself near the surface. Once you’re in the water just breathe normally, alright?” She nodded again. “Okay, I’m right behind you.” Sandra drew a deep breath and closed her eyes, rolling off the edge of the platform and into the water.

It
took all of ten seconds for her to regain her composure and begin moving her arms and legs. She found herself holding her breath subconsciously, as she opened her eyes. It was such an unusual sensation as she sank beneath the ocean’s surface, eyes wide open and started to breathe. A moment later and a hand touched her shoulder, sending a warm tingle along her spine beneath the rubber suit. She looked around to see those incredible blue eyes and inviting smile. She didn’t have a choice but to smile in return.

“Are
you alright?”

“It’s
incredible!” She said a little louder than she had intended, causing him to chuckle. “I never imagined ever doing anything like this.” Her excitement quickly burned out her fear and she was able to enjoy what was happening around her.

“Wait
until we get a little farther down. That’s where the real fun happens.”

“What
are we waiting for? Let’s go.” A warm laugh echoed inside her helmet as his large hand slid inside hers.

“Don’t
forget your camera,” he reminded her. “And turn on your light; you’re going to need it.” He taped the front of the face shield and switched on his headlight, watching as she followed suit, illuminating the water around them in a soft white glow. With his hand leading her, they began swimming at a steady pace, the weight of their tanks aiding in pulling them downward. As they put distance between the surface of the ocean and themselves, the water became darker, but the light shining ahead of them, kept them alert to where they were going.