Chapter 6 #2
The pool at Sunset Siesta glittered under the afternoon sun.
A chorus of excited chatter and splashing filled the air, but the resort guests were in a section entirely removed from where the five of us were.
I stood at the edge, tugging self-consciously at my one-piece swimsuit as Eli strode confidently to the center of the group.
“All right, future merpeople!” Eli called out, his voice carrying easily over the din. “Today, we’re going to take the first step to becoming bona fide scuba superstars. Or at least get you comfortable enough not to panic when a curious grouper decides to say hello.”
A ripple of nervous laughter spread through the wedding party. I fought the urge to groan but couldn’t help noticing how at ease Eli seemed, his tanned skin practically glowing as he gestured animatedly.
“Now, we’ve got some key skills to cover,” he continued, his gaze landing on me with a mischievous glint. “I’m sure Jules here will be a natural at the fine art of regulator recovery. After all, it’s only fitting for our resident Verne to lead us on this underwater adventure, right?”
I groaned out loud. “Coleridge, your jokes are horrible.”
“Oh, come on, Jules,” Lacey murmured to me between giggles. “It’s kind of cute. And he’s not wrong.”
Eli was already moving on, outlining buoyancy control techniques with a series of exaggerated gestures that had the group in stitches. Despite myself, I found the corner of my mouth twitching upward.
“And remember,” Eli added. “If you start to feel overwhelmed, just channel your inner Captain Nemo. Though maybe skip the part about battling giant squids.”
I couldn’t hold back a snort. “I’m pretty sure we’re fresh out of krakens in the resort pool.”
“Never underestimate the perils of the deep end,” he shot back, grinning. “You never know where a rogue pool noodle might be lurking.”
As Daniel and Randy burst into laughter, a smile raised my lips. Eli’s enthusiasm was infectious, and even I couldn’t maintain my professional facade in the face of his ridiculous antics.
“All right, all right,” I said, turning to my disassembled scuba kit lying on the pool deck. “Fewer squid jokes, more actual instruction. How do you actually breathe off this thing?”
He moved over to demonstrate how to put the contraption together, making it look easy. All four of us just gaped.
I folded my arms. “You’d better go over that again. Slower this time, Coleridge.”
I slipped beneath the pool surface, the water enveloping me as I tried to focus on Eli.
We settled on our knees in a semicircle around him in about six feet of water.
The regulator felt alien in my mouth, a constant reminder that this wasn’t my natural element.
But I couldn’t suppress the thrill—I was breathing underwater!
As Eli demonstrated the proper technique for regulator recovery, I felt a spark of the old rush I used to get from trying new things.
He let the mouthpiece fall from his mouth to his side, then made a long sweeping stroke with his right arm to lift the long hose up, following the tube to the mouthpiece with his hand.
Tapping it deliberately, he pressed the purge button to dispel the accumulated water with air from the tank before placing it in his mouth and taking a breath.
His entire ballet of movement looked as effortless as… well, breathing.
Eli motioned for me to give it a try. I took a deep breath, steeling myself, then deliberately let the regulator slip from my mouth.
Panic flared instantly as I fumbled to recover it, my fingers clumsy and uncoordinated.
My lungs immediately reminded me I was in water, not air.
Just as I was about to surface in defeat, a strong hand grasped mine, guiding the purged regulator back to my mouth.
Eli’s eyes met mine, crinkling at the corners in a reassuring smile. There was no trace of his usual cockiness now. He gave me an okay signal, his touch on my shoulder somehow reassuring and not irritating. I nodded, my heartbeat slowing as I took a few deep breaths.
As we surfaced, I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension dissolving as I pushed wet hair from my face. “Well, that was graceful. I think I just redefined flailing. Time for a new nickname, I guess.”
“Nah.” Eli grinned, standing before me. “You should’ve seen me when I first started. I looked like a cat trying to escape a bathtub.”
I snorted, picturing the image. “Now that I’d pay to see.”
“Sorry, Jules.” He winked. “That footage is locked in the Coleridge family vault, never to see the light of day.”
As I laughed in response, I realized with a jolt that I was actually enjoying Eli’s company.
The charming troublemaker act was still there, but beneath it, I caught glimpses of genuine passion and expertise.
His teasing and joking were reassuring and put us all at ease, and his competence was obvious. It was intriguing.
“Ready to give it another shot?” Eli asked, his voice gentler than I’d ever heard it.
I nodded. “Might as well. Can’t let a little water get the best of me, right?”
“That’s the spirit, Captain Nemo,” he said, his smile warm. “Trust me, you’ve got this.”
And as we submerged again, I was surprised to find that I did trust him, at least in this.
When the group surfaced after the next skill, Eli moved to work with Daniel. A splash and a muffled cry drew my attention. Lacey was flailing to find her feet, her mask askew and the regulator bobbing just out of reach. Her eyes were wide.
I swam over, my own nerves forgotten. “Hey, easy there,” I said, steadying her. “You’re okay. Let’s fix that mask.”
Lacey clung to me, gasping. “I-I can’t—Jules. I’m not so good at this.”
“Shh, you’re fine,” I soothed, adjusting her mask. “Deep breaths. Remember what Eli said about the mask? Just get used to the water in it, exhale through your nose, and clear it.”
She nodded. I pantomimed the motion, and when she nodded again, this time it was a little more confident.
I smiled. “You’ve got this, Lace.” As Lacey calmed, warmth spread through my chest. I caught Eli’s eye, who was watching carefully from afar, and he gave me a subtle nod of approval.
The rest of the session flew by. Before I knew it, Lacey, Daniel, and Randy were climbing out of the pool as I stood in the shallow end in the heavy gear and inspected the second stage of my regulator more closely.
“So,” Eli said, shaking the water out of his wet hair. “How’d it feel?”
I glanced up, considering. “Good and bad. I got pretty good at the regulator recovery, but my buoyancy was all over the place.”
To my surprise, Eli’s face lit up. “That’s great!”
I snorted. “My utter lack of control is great?”
He laughed. “No, that you noticed it. Most people don’t even realize they’re struggling with buoyancy at first.”
“Oh.” I smiled, oddly pleased by the compliment. “Well, noticing and fixing are two different things.”
Eli’s expression softened. “Hey, everyone struggles at first. It’s all about practice and finding your rhythm. You’ll get there.”
“I definitely need more practice then,” I said as we waded out of the shallow end and dumped our scuba kits on the pool deck.
Lacey, Daniel, and Randy moved off to stand in a cluster, talking as they toweled off.
Eli cleared his throat. “Listen, Jules.” His usual cocky grin faded into something more hesitant. “If you want, we could do a private session after work early next week. Just to focus on your buoyancy control.”
My breath froze. The smart-ass veneer had slipped, and as his deep-blue eyes held mine, uncertainty flitted through them.
“Am I that awful?” I asked with a smile.
Eli shrugged, but this time the casual gesture seemed forced. “Not at all. Uh, I just want everyone to love diving as much as I do.”
I studied him, intrigued by this glimpse beneath the surface. “I… That would be really helpful. Thank you, Eli.”
A smile, smaller but somehow more real than his usual grin, spread across his face. “Great. How about Monday at six? We can have the pool to ourselves then.”
“That works.” I nodded, turning away to gather my things.
“Hey, Jules,” he said, and I looked back. “Good job today.”
“Thanks, Eli. See you later.”
As I headed toward the changing room, my mind whirled.
I paused at the door, glancing back. Eli was coiling a regulator, his movements practiced and efficient.
There was more to him than I’d given him credit for, clearly.
And I’d realized something else. I didn’t mind him calling me Jules.
Because there was no trace of mockery in his voice anymore when he said it.