Chapter 6
SIX
The sun shone down as they celebrated nearing the end of their first week. Paul had read about a ridiculously cheap and wonderful seafood restaurant near the cathedral.
“We’ve nearly finished our assignment. Then off to the high seas we go.”
Astrid popped another prawn into her mouth and chewed with a smug grin all over her face.
“You can’t be!” Sam exclaimed.
“So are we,” Geneieve piped up.
Sam glanced down at his tuna steak. They had loads to do on their research project.
“It’s not a race, Sam,” Wolfgang said.
He had a point. Sam was chomping at the bit and Wolfgang was dragging his heels with worrying about how long a tentacle was.
The sunlight illuminated the multicoloured buildings in the square, bathing them all in a soft light. It only served to make Wolfgang even more gorgeous than usual.
They had formed an uneasy truce while trawling the internet and aquarium reference library to become experts on the wriggly creatures.
“You have to admit, squid aren’t very exciting,” Maria said, holding up a piece of calamari skewered on her fork.
“Miguel would disagree with you,” Wolfgang countered.
Now he was correct on that score. Miguel was obsessed with them and would probably pass out if he saw Maria chewing away.
“We’ll think of you when we’re with the turtles,” Paul said with a wink.
Wolfgang put his knife and fork down with a clatter. “All the work is important. Ruben told me there are way more jobs working with unusual species than the more popular ones.”
Paul had the decency to be quiet.
“Tagging dolphins is everyday stuff. And so is counting turtle eggs,” Wolfgang continued, clearly warming to his theme. “We are here to find out if a new species of squid they’ve introduced is actually breeding. I think that’s exciting.”
The table went silent. Sam stared at Wolfgang with admiration.
The new variety, known as the Bigfin or Sepioteuthis lessoniana to give it its full name, had much smaller spots than other ones.
He and Wolfgang needed to produce a document to prove their ability to tell the difference at a distance before they got out onto the open water.
Sam had looked at so many images he had spots in front of his eyes.
If they want the Bigfin, I’ll give them the Bigfin.
The next day he wasn’t as hungover as expected. Wolfgang had lit a fire in him the previous night so they both spent the weekend cramming in their rooms. Astrid had taken to calling it Squid Towers and pouted when they refused to go to the beach.
Of course, the air conditioning in their rooms had chosen to have a bad Sunday and blew out air that barely registered. The only option was to retreat to the park and lie under some trees with books borrowed from the aquarium.
“The others annoy you, don’t they?” Sam asked, stretching out on the throw they’d bought from a street seller.
Wolfgang put his book down and considered the question. He never simply gave an answer. He always considered it carefully.
“I don’t think annoy is the right word. I don’t believe they are taking this seriously. I want to do wonderful things, Sam. This is only the beginning. The sea is full of so many exciting things. Why would someone like Astrid work hard to get here then treat it like a school trip?”
It was a question Sam had asked himself on more than one occasion.
“I think Ruben’s pissed off. They submitted their assignment and had it refused for lacking detail.”
Wolfgang shook his head. “And they’re at the beach.”
“Astrid said they’d fudge something tonight. To be fair, that was my approach to university. You’re a good influence on me.”
They shared a glance. Locked in for only a second. Enough to send tingles through Sam’s system.
“We will get onto those open waters next week. You see if we don’t,” he said, pounding his fist into his palm. “Now finish your notes on the wingspan of the flying squid and stop putting me off.”
“Slave driver.”
Wolfgang flashed a smile that intensified the tingles. Sending them to places they really should not go in the middle of the park.
Wolfgang had been right to nag. Their briefing document passed with flying colours and they were finally heading into the Mediterranean Sea in one of the aquarium’s power boats.
Sam suspected he knew all three hundred species of squid personally. He’d also enjoyed a stab of victory walking past Astrid and Maria in the meeting room, squabbling about how to read the signals from a dolphin tag.
They met Miguel in the aquarium car park to load the van for the marina, and even Wolfgang seemed excited.
“Sam?”
He turned around to find Ruben approaching, looking handsome in his khaki shirt and shorts.
“What’s up?” Sam asked, bounding over to him.
“How are things going with Wolfgang? Miguel suggested you might be struggling to gel.”
He stared over Sam’s shoulder, presumably at his squid partner, who had insisted on helping Miguel load some gear onto a trolley while Sam stood there like a weakling, holding the bags.
“Oh, he’s okay. I’m getting there. I think.”
Ruben took his arm. “I don’t want you missing out on getting the most from this placement just because he’s a bit distant. If you need any advice or help, give me a shout. I’m here all the time and can always find an hour or so to go through things.”
He had a glint in his eye as he said this, and Sam got the feeling they wouldn’t be talking squid for long.
“I’ll bear that in mind,” he replied. It didn’t hurt to keep his options open.
“You do that. Now off you go and discover our beautiful sea.”
Sam suspected Ruben would be watching as he joined Wolfgang and Miguel again.
Talk about making a boy paranoid.
“Everything all right?” Wolfgang asked.
“Perfectly,” Sam replied. “Now are we going to find those squid or what?”
Half an hour later and Miguel stood proudly at the wheel of the boat while Wolfgang and Sam sat in the rear. Things were pretty perfect.
“You’re looking awfully pink,” Sam shouted to Wolfgang over the deafening outboard motor. “We’re on the hunt for squid, not lobster.”
“You are very funny,” he said with a straight face.
Sam reached into his bag and produced some factor fifty sunscreen that he threw across to Wolfgang.
“Thank you,” he said, with amusement. “Very organised.”
Sam found it hard to tell whether Wolfgang meant what he said or if he was mocking him. Much to Sam’s surprise, Wolfgang stripped off his T-shirt and applied cream over his face and body. Never one to let an opportunity pass him by, Sam drank in Wolfgang’s impressive physique.
His porcelain-white skin screamed to be touched. To Sam’s horror, there was stirrings in his underwear as Wolfgang slowly massaged the cream into his pecs.
He threw the bottle over to Sam and turned. “Would you?” he asked over his shoulder.
Sam had his wetsuit on up to his waist until they got into the water. If things down there got more pronounced, he wouldn’t be able to disguise it. What choice did he have? Someone had to help this poor man.
Being paid for this certainly beat asking people if they wanted fries with that. Which was what he’d been doing a few weeks before.
Once finished, Wolfgang spun around. “I might as well do you while we’re at it. Better to be safe than sorry.”
Oh come on. Does someone up there have it in for me?
Sam obeyed and stared out to sea, desperately hoping that his dick would control itself.
“Wow, you are really tan. You’re lucky,” Wolfgang said as the lotion hit Sam’s skin.
His cock almost exploded when Wolfgang’s hands touched his shoulders.
Slowly and methodically, the sexy German worked cream into every part of Sam’s back.
His hands snaked around the sides and down to the bunched-up wetsuit around Sam’s waist.
Sam focused on his breathing.
Then the moment fizzled away as he dropped the bottle into Sam’s lap, who winced as it struck his full-blown hard-on.
“I’ll let you finish off,” he said.
“Sorry?”
“Your front,” he replied. “I’ll let you finish yourself off.”
“Oh right. Yes, of course.”
He stared out to sea. Conversations were over as quickly as they began with Wolfgang.
Sending negative vibes to his own penis, Sam liberally applied the lotion over his chest. To his joy, he caught Wolfgang staring.
Of course, he looked away instantly. Before Sam had the chance to formulate a witty quip, the motor stopped and silence reigned supreme.
The water lapping against the side of the boat became the only noise.
Miguel jumped into the rear of the boat. He seemed more excited than they did at their first foray into the waters.
“Okay, you two. We are here. See the buoy?”
They both nodded.
The crystal blue sea screamed at them to dive in. Fish flitted up to the surface, nosily peeping at them. Sam went to get up but no, the tight wetsuit would absolutely show off his stubborn erection. He needed that cool water desperately.
“Today, we’ll be snorkelling only. I want you to get a feel for our waters before you go under. I’ll throw the gear when you get in.”
Wolfgang didn’t need telling twice. He stood and pulled his wetsuit over the top half of his body. It clung like a second skin and bulged in all the right places. It wasn’t helping Sam’s situation one bit.
Sam struggled to get his over his shoulders as he sat. Miguel and Wolfgang frowned at him.
“Okay,” Miguel said. “Off you go. Give it about an hour. I’ll shout you when time’s up.”
Wolfgang dived off the end of the boat.
“You all right there, Sam?”
“Of course I am,” he said, probably a bit too gruffly.
Miguel seemed baffled as Sam awkwardly twisted himself to the edge of the boat and let his body go. The fresh water hit him like a blessed relief. His dick shrank to a much more manageable level.
Not wanting either Wolfgang or Miguel to think he was scared of the water, he got his bearings and swam under the boat, emerging on the other side.
“Did somebody mention a snorkel?” he shouted.
Miguel threw them in. Wolfgang joined Sam and grabbed his.
“Ready?” he asked, once he’d fitted it securely. He even made a bloody snorkel sexy.
“I was born ready,” Sam replied. “This is going to be amazing.”