The Reef Roamer (The Roamer Series Book 1) (9 page)

CHAPTER NINE

The evening of her seventh day of diving, Jayme sat toying with her food at dinner. Perhaps she was tired; otherwise she’d never put up with the egotistical bore who’d invited himself to her table. The other couple who had joined her, Marge and Jim, kept giving her sympathetic glances the louder this obnoxious fellow got.

Bruce the Bore, as Jayme mentally labeled him, was some sort of real estate investment agent from Phoenix. Marge and Jim had been part of the group that was snorkeling that morning on the dive boat, and Bruce was one of the novice divers. He had latched onto Jayme straight out, being the only single female on board who didn’t look over fifty or under twenty. He had done his best to impress her with his recently acquired dive expertise, which Jayme initially found amusing. To someone with as many years of experience as she had, it was all too obvious Bruce had recently received his C-Card, and this was his first ocean dive. Never one to openly embarrass anyone, Jayme had quietly corrected his improper assembly of his rented gear.

That had been her first mistake with Bruce. The second had been when she agreed to be his ‘buddy’ on the dives, much to the relief of their dive master, Daniel.

“Please, Jayme, you’ve got the most experience here and he has the least. I’ve got all these others to look after. Do me this favor, okay?” Daniel could not be argued with, for he was right. In this type of situation, it was only logical. Although Jayme could have declined, she didn’t.

“Alright, you owe me big time though!” she told him, her deep green eyes twinkling. Besides, once underwater, what trouble could Bruce cause? Jayme soon found out.

First, Bruce had trouble descending and in doing so got them separated from the group. Then during one of her best close-up shots of a shy moray eel, Bruce yanked the regulator from her mouth when he tried to see what she was doing and got too close, then tried to back paddle with his hands.

The final mishap came when Daniel led them to a small cave. The shimmering corals on the inside of the cave drew Jayme in, in spite of her claustrophobia. The other divers followed Daniel around the edges as he pointed various things to them and then led them out. Jayme was the last to leave. When she got to the entrance, Bruce swam out from the side and blocked her way. She kicked her fins to go over him, and he rose too, still keeping her trapped. Her heart started pounding hard in her chest, and she dove lower to go under him. Still he stopped her, he was almost laughing. With barely controlled panic, Jayme looked him in the eyes and shoved him even lower, launching herself over his head, and swam out of the cave.

Controlling her anger, once back on board, Jayme had told him to forget it when he tried to apologize. That was her next mistake. It seemed he felt that if she would forgive him that, then Jayme must want him around…and he attached himself to her like cat fur to a sweater and was equally annoying.

***

Jayme’s mind began to drift. She thought she might skip dessert and coffee and review her video footage. The idea brightened then faded as she caught the end of the conversation that had continued around her.

“…and The Reef Roamer said it was a really fabulous place to visit. Boy was she right! We’ve never had so much fun!” Marge was explaining to Bruce.

“
The Reef Roamer
?” Jayme questioned innocently.

“You’ve never heard of
The Reef Roamer
travel series?” Jim asked.

“Sure! I didn’t realize they were in circulation way up in Alaska. I mean,” she stumbled, “I’ve only seen them in dive shops.”

“Our travel agent swears by them,” Marge continued. “There’s some big speculation going on that The Reef Roamer is really a guy and he has his girlfriend or an actress do the narration because a female sounds better,” she added in a conspirator tone with a twinkle in her soft brown eyes. Jayme liked this woman, and she appeared to have a touch of adventure about her, even at her advancing years, which Jayme knew to be early seventies.

“Interesting,” Jayme replied thoughtfully. “What do you think, Marge? Is The Reef Roamer a man or a woman?”

“Oh, it’s a woman alright. No doubt about it in my mind. No doubt at all!”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Have you seen her videos? The one on Cozumel in particular?”

“As a matter of fact, I have. I’ve seen quite a few of
The Reef Roamer
DVDs.” Jayme knew she may be venturing too much, though it seemed to not matter at this point. Her curiosity was piqued.

“Well, did you notice the way she filmed the children during Cinco de Mayo? It was obvious she was fascinated by them and had a real feel for family and what they felt for their children. I’d say that if the Reef Roamer wasn’t a mother herself, she wants to be. A man just can’t capture that essence. Do you know what I mean?”

“Yes, I see your point.” Jayme leaned back in her chair, now fascinated with this woman’s account of…
her
.

“Not only does she handle children with such care, there are other things that only another woman would notice,” Marge continued, a wistfulness creeping into her voice.

“Such as?”

“There is finesse, a lady-like finesse, about the videos and what you see. The shopping, the capturing of colors. And have you ever noticed the way some of the men smile at the camera? They aren’t smiling that way for another man, that’s for sure!”

At this Jayme had to laugh. It came out rich and throaty, soothing and deep. “I can see The Roamer has a fan in you, Marge! Where do you think she ought to go next?”

“I’d like to see her go back to Aruba,” Marge was so quick with her answer, it surprised Jayme.

“Why? Didn’t you like the Aruba sequence?”

“Oh, it was nice, but you could tell…
I
could tell that it was her first adventure. The others have been much better, even when she wasn’t enjoying herself. Aruba should be re-visited, and she should find a boyfriend to take with her. The Reef Roamer is lonely.”

Jayme was taken aback by this woman’s perceptiveness. Did her loneliness really show on the tapes?

“Why don’t you write to her then and tell her? Maybe she travels only to places her fans want her to go. And even if she won’t go back to Aruba, I’m sure she’d love to hear from you.” It was difficult for Jayme to keep some of the tenderness she felt out of her voice.

They were interrupted by Adam.

He bowed low. “Ms. Haller, may I have this dance?”

Jayme grinned at the taxi driver/tour guide; anything to get away from Bruce. “Why thank you, Adam.” She stood and took his offered hand.

And then Adam surprised her and everyone else. He nodded at the three-piece band in the corner and led Jayme into a waltz that cleared the floor. The waltz morphed into a foxtrot and then a rumba, much to the delight of the spectators, and especially to the delight of Jayme.

“You’ve been hiding your talent as a professional dancer, Adam!” Jayme admonished him. “That was wonderful, thank you.”

“The pleasure was indeed mine. I noticed the other day that you moved like a dancer, with grace and agility. I’m pleased that I was correct. I’m not a professional dancer, though I am a dance instructor. When the resort gets busy, I give lessons. Consequently, I don’t often get to just dance. You are a delightful and accomplished partner; perhaps we can dance again before you leave. Excuse me.” And he blended back into the crowd.

“Jayme, that was beautiful,” Marge said with awe when Jayme sat back down.

“Yeah, you did real nice. Now let’s you and me dance,” Bruce slurred, reaching for Jayme’s hand. He’d been pestering her all day, and now she’d had about enough of this guy.

“No, thank you,” she managed in a steely voice, quickly giving her wrist a flick to release his hold. He was oblivious that it was intentional and took her hand again. This time when she shifted her hand, she reversed the hold. She slipped her thumb across his, pushing his backward in an unnatural position and moving their now-joined hands just below the edge of the table so the Thomases couldn’t see what was happening. Bruce’s eyes widened; the pain was at a highly uncomfortable level. “What I
would
like is some fresh air, wouldn’t you?” She stood, exerting a tiny bit more pressure on Bruce’s thumb to assure his compliance. He stood, sucking in air. Jayme leaned over the table toward the startled couple. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Please, stay.”

She guided a gasping Bruce to the nearest French door. Once outside, Jayme could feel the warmth of the cooling sand through her thin sandals. The bright moonlight guided her way from the noise and people behind them. She could smell the coolness of the salt water as the ever-present breeze caressed her face. Under other circumstances, she would have relished the warm and humid darkness, but Jayme hated situations like this and tried hard to keep them from getting out of hand. Guys like Bruce the Bore wouldn’t or couldn’t take a hint. Jayme had found it best to confront them in private, where their flimsy male egos wouldn’t get bruised by an audience. It made them more cooperative, or more wary, the next time. If she could be sure she’d never see Bruce again, she wouldn’t care, though there was no guarantee on an island this small, and she’d be in the area for another two weeks. Word traveled fast, and Jayme couldn’t risk attention.

“Let go of me!” Bruce hissed between clenched teeth as Jayme twisted her grip, sending him to his knees.

“Not until we understand each other.” She paused, making sure she had his undivided attention. “I don’t like you, Bruce, and I don’t want you to ever touch me again. If you do, next time I’ll break it.” She tweaked the pressure on his wrist, and he moaned. “You’re an arrogant, pompous, rude, and obnoxious jerk. Stay away from me. Am I clear enough, now?”

“Yeah, yeah, just let go.” He looked up at her; when she didn’t release him, he added, “Please.” She dropped his hand, which he immediately cradled and began to massage.

“I hate sloppy drunks. Go back to your room and sleep it off. And you’d better put some ice on your hand tonight; it’s going to be pretty sore tomorrow.” Jayme stepped away from him, holding his eyes with her own icy green ones, her demeanor cold and hard. When she was sure he wouldn’t try anything stupid, she turned her back to him and disappeared into the restaurant.

***

Jayme eased herself back into her chair. “Now, where were we?”

“Where’s that young man?” Marge asked hesitantly.

“I think he realized he’s had a bit too much to drink and decided to go back to his room and sleep it off,” Jayme replied with a dazzling smile. “Have you ever been diving, Jim? I noticed you two were still only snorkeling this afternoon.”

“No, he hasn’t,” Marge interjected. “I’ve been trying to get him to try ever since we saw
The Reef Roamer
in Bonaire, though I haven’t been too successful. Have you been diving long, Jayme?”

“Yes, I’ve been scuba diving for years. My…” Jayme swallowed hard, “…my husband died in a diving accident five years ago, but that didn’t change my love for the sport.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, dear. That must have been a painful time for you,” Marge commented.

“I’ve always thought scuba was an odd name for the sport,” Jim said.

“Actually, it’s an acronym. It stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. Back in the 1940s, Jacques Cousteau co-invented the Aqua Lung, the forerunner of what we use now, and he made the prototype of swim goggles, which have evolved into the masks of today. There have been multiple improvements made since the Aqua Lung, and a whole new world has opened up to hundreds of thousands of people. The gear now makes diving so much safer, and the advent of the dive-computers takes the guess work out of the dive tables that used to be critical to know.”

She looked the two of them over, assessing all the information she had so far learned about them. “There’s a dive experience called a Resort Dive I think you’d like.”

From there the evening was spent discussing the resort dive procedure and all the pleasures to be seen under the water and close up. When the talk shifted to each other, Jayme managed to dodge most of the questions regarding her career but was free with her personal life background. Some of the new things she learned about the Thomases distressed her deeply, and she frantically set her mind to right some of the harsh blows life had dealt them.

***

Dr. Mark Steele entered the restaurant late in the evening, missing the impromptu dance entertainment. He knew Anna would be serving her version of Key Lime Pie for dessert. Since it was one of his favorites, he made sure he was on hand every time it was on the menu, though he knew she would save him a slice if he was detained. Sitting alone at a secluded table for two, sipping at his coffee, Mark watched with growing interest the unfolding drama at the table of the green-eyed woman. Anyone with body language savvy could clearly tell she was highly annoyed with a certain table guest. It was no wonder, since the guy was drunk, and a drunk rarely turned any woman on, much less a classy lady like Green-Eyes. How he knew she was classy was instinct, and he relied heavily on instinct.