Chapter 4
Merle
Kevin was not at all what I expected, but it was the man in the water that got my attention back. Charlie was hauling himself up from the cold water and I could tell that he wasn’t happy. I felt responsible somehow because he had only gone to get Kevin because of me. Now he was soaked and even though he was trying to hide it, he was shivering and I knew that it wasn’t good. Hypothermia could happen quickly and he didn’t even have a wet suit on to dampen the blow. I knew that he was cold and I knew that I was going to have to do something about it. At least I had my bags with me, even if I didn’t have a vehicle at the moment.
“Come here Charlie. I have some extra blankets in here. You need to get out of these clothes before you catch your death.”
He tried to shrug me off and said that he was fine, but his lips were trembling and I knew that it wasn’t the case. I proceeded to take his shirt off and when I realized that he was too tall, I had to ask him to bend over.
“You don’t take no for an answer Merle, do you?”
I told him that I didn’t. It was easier if he knew what he was up against. I wasn’t going to let him off of the hook until I knew that he was dry and warmer than he was. He wasn’t going to get sick from helping me. I wasn’t going to allow it.
“Come on Charlie, just work with me or I am going to have to strip you down the rest of the way.”
He stopped and looked down at me. “I don’t think I would mind at all.”
His blue eyes were twinkling and I got the impression that he was calling my bluff. The funny thing was though that I wasn’t bluffing. I was going to do what I set out to do and when he moved closer, my hand went for his jeans and he finally got the hint that I wasn’t joking around.
“I didn’t think you were being serious.”
“I am. I have extra blankets and clothes that will probably fit you. You can’t be out here in this wind as wet as you are. I don’t want something to happen to you because you helped me.”
Kevin chimed in after a moment. He was not sure who the woman was, but he liked the show that she was putting on and he liked how uncomfortable his friend was at the moment.
“Oh Charlie, when did you get so shy? I am starting to think that I am back in the bottom of the boat and this is a dream. Where else would she come from?”
“I don’t know where she came from, but this isn’t a dream. She is your new diver.”
I saw the look on Kevin’s face and I can’t say that he looked like he was too impressed. It wasn’t how I had meant to meet my boss, pulling another man’s pants off, but Charlie had taken over and I handed him a blanket before I went to my new boss with an outstretched hand. I wanted him to know that this wasn’t how I usually was, but I was afraid of Charlie getting sick. Hopefully he would see it as fast thinking, but when I got to Kevin, it was clear that he was looking at me about like the other guy had.
“So you are my diver?”
“Yes Sir. Merle Clannahan. We talked several times on the phone. I was waiting out here for you because I didn’t realize that you were on the boat. Nice nap?”
Kevin’s eyes moved over my body and I can’t say that it was the most comfortable assessment that I have ever had. I felt like I was being weighed and measured and I hoped that he saw enough in me to be found approving.
“Why yes, I remember talking to you, but I don’t remember you being a girl.”
I sighed to myself and nodded my head. Did he want me to apologize for it or something? I wasn’t really sure, but I was sure that I didn’t want to let him know how aggravated with it all I was. Yes, I was a girl. Was I the only one there that wasn’t male because both men were acting like I had horns on my head or something and I was a bit surprised by the reaction. I thought this was a state that was used to going against the status quo.
“Well, I am a girl. I thought that my voice would have given it away.”
The man looked at me sheepishly and I paid attention to the other man that was covering himself in a blanket from out of my bag. Charlie had refused it at first, but I could see that he was at least not shaking as badly as before.
“Girl or not, can you dive?”
It was a question that he had asked me before and since I had answered it several times already, I was going to chalk it up to something that he wanted to make sure of because of my gender. I told him again that I could and I tried to ignore the half-naked man that was standing next to me. Charlie was huge and when he had gotten down to his skivvies, there wasn’t much left to the imagination. I tried not to let the sight of him bother me, but it really was impossible not to let it. He was distracting and when he smiled at me in such a disarming manner, I knew that I was going to have to get it together.
“Yes I can dive Kevin. I was hoping that we could get out there and do a run before the sun goes down today. No time like the present.”
Kevin agreed, but I could tell that he was hung over. I was going to have to be careful working for him. I turned to Charlie and told him to keep the blanket and clothes that he had managed to find that fit him. I was glad that I had kept some of my ex’s things now.
“I can’t take your supplies.”
“Well then find me later when you don’t need them and you can give them to me then.” I waved to the distraction and tried my best not to think about the hard lines he possessed. I was going to be surrounded by hot, rugged men. I was going to have to do a better job of hiding my lust if I was ever going to make it here.
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