They continued to swim after the group. After about 10 minutes, Carm and Tony caught up to the other divers in a clear area. The dive guide checked how much air each diver had left; apparently, everyone still had plenty, so he continued through the coral canyons. Tony loved the view of Carm’s backside as they followed behind the group.
She entered what looked like a cavern but turned out to be more of a swim-through or a ledge, because once they ventured inside the natural arch, sunlight poured in from above again. He noticed a moray eel peeking out from one of the rocks and swam quickly to catch up with Carm to point it out to her. The two of them hovered in place holding hands and staring for a long time until the eel ducked inside the rocks to hide. She turned to him and smiled, giving him the okay hand signal before moving on.
They continued like that for another fifteen minutes, sharing their finds with each other. They caught up with the rest of the group again and explored a shallower portion of the reef for a few more minutes. The dive guide checked everyone’s air pressure readings again. Tony was starting to run low, so the guide signaled for him and Carm to head up together and do their three-minute safety stop before surfacing near the boat. He hated to leave this world he’d just discovered but couldn’t wait for the chance to discuss the experience with her, assuming he’d be able to find adequate words.
His mind had been blown much as it had been by Carmella herself. While he had seen some freshwater creatures and plants during his dives in Colorado, the diversity of marine life and the presence of coral in the tropics wasn’t something he would be able to experience back home.
He owed Carm a lot for inviting him to join her on this trip.
They completed their safety stop and swam to the boat. After removing their masks and fins, he let her ascend the ladder first. On deck, the crew removed their BCDs and cylinders, and Tony guided Carm to the bench seat they’d sat on earlier. Neither said anything for a few minutes, both probably still wrapped up in the otherworldly experience.
Carm spoke first. “What did you think?”
He tried to come up with words to describe it. “I have no words.” He’d used the same words after making love to Carmella the first time. “It must be what a pot smoker feels on a high.” She laughed, and he shrugged. Trying to explain it further wouldn’t be easy.
“I had no idea what to expect but could never have imagined anything that spectacular.”
“You didn’t watch any videos of dives before coming here?”
“No. Didn’t really have time or know what I’d be doing down here.”
“I know it’s hard to explain the feeling or what you see to someone who hasn’t done it before.” She leaned closer, and whispered, “But now that’s one more thing we can share.” She pecked him on the cheek, and the sounds of the other divers were drowned out as he cupped her chin and guided her mouth to his for a long kiss.
They couldn’t get back to the villa fast enough. Carmella was like a magic elixir he couldn’t get enough of. Their time here was more than half over. Tony dreaded the thought of returning to the States. How often would he be able to see Carm while busy with his new dive-team project? He didn’t want what they shared this week to be a flash in the pan. He wanted to see her as often as their schedules permitted, especially before the pass closed up for the winter in a couple of months, which would put up additional geographic hurdles.
Then the miles would require an overnight stay. Was he ready for that?
Lisa had been thrilled to hear that he had taken some time to get away from Colorado and that he had Carm to share the experience with. Tony hadn’t discussed how their relationship had evolved since they’d been on Provo island or that he was holding back from sleeping with Carm. When would he be comfortable enough with her to be able to face the aftermath if he had a nightmare?
Tony decided to worry about that later. He and Carm still had new adventures awaiting them tomorrow. They planned to spend the morning snorkeling instead of diving, and tomorrow and Saturday nights would do three dives that would lead to nighttime certification. After today’s experience with her, he couldn’t wait. In some ways, he wanted this week to last forever.
Because he feared what would happen when they returned home. Would the old Tony resurface?
Chapter Thirty
Late Saturday night, Carm’s spirits were high in anticipation of their last dive of the week. They’d completed the first of three nighttime dives last night and had finished the first one for tonight fifteen minutes ago, and were now headed out for the final dive. After this one, she and Tony would have earned their certification, which meant more to Tony than to her. But she was competitive enough to want to add it to her list of accomplishments too.
While the first two night dives had been heavily focused on teaching the skill sets they’d need, this final one would put those skills to the test at the coral reef she and Tony had explored on Thursday.
“Isn’t this amazing?” Tony asked as they sat together on the bench seat. “I can’t wait to go back down.”
“I told you it would be incredible,” she shouted back over the roar of the motor. “I’m just sorry this is our last dive this week.”
“We’ll just have to steal away from our jobs and families again sometime soon.”
While the thought sounded lovely, it would be impractical for her for a while. “Ski season, remember? I’ll be swamped until after Easter. But don’t wait for me.”
“Wouldn’t be
