Authors: Julian Noyce
“
And let
’
s hear it for our lovely group leader Natalie,
”
George said.
“
Thank you,
”
she said smiling at George
“
Now as we make our way back to Zante we
’
ll be doing the drinks bill so if you could all come up one at a time and pay me it would be appreciated. Once again thank you and it
’
ll take us about forty minutes to get back to Zante town so it
’
ll give you a last chance to enjoy the views, take some pictures or just do a little sun bathing.
”
The tourists applauded once more and Natalie took a towel from her bag and dried her long blonde hair with it. It was four o
’
clock in the afternoon, the first week of May and the wind was cooling. Natalie looked down at her skin as it goose pimpled. She rubbed her arms with the towel until hey disappeared. The first tourist came up to pay his bill wearing a bum bag. Most of the group were English, Americans, Germans, two Dutch Doctors, an Italian and a Spaniard. The Dutch Doctors were husband and wife.
“
Did you enjoy yourselves today?
”
Natalie asked them as they came up to pay for two colas and two lemonades.
“
Yes very much,
”
the husband answered
“
We learned to Scuba dive last year on holiday in the Dominican Republic. They had a diving school in the hotel and we were bored one afternoon and they were offering a first lesson free and we thought
’
Well why not
’
.
”
Natalie nodded and smiled as she took their fifty Euro note and fished through her bum bag for change.
“
Have you ever dived in the Caribbean?
”
Inga, the wife asked.
“
Sure to have,
”
her husband, Ruud added.
“
Yes of course many times,
”
Natalie answered
“
I
’
ve dived all over the world.
”
“
Oh you
’
re so lucky,
“
from Inga
“
To have a job like this. Taking tourists out to wrecks. Do you do those shark dives also?
”
“
Sometimes. Not often and only for the more experienced students. I
’
m actually a marine Archaeologist.
”
“
Really? Now that is interesting,
”
from Ruud.
“
It
’
s quite boring actually. Spending all day at the bottom of the sea, sometimes finding nothing for hours. It
’
s like a needle in a haystack out there unless the wrecks appear on charts.
”
“
It must be exciting when you make a discovery though.
”
“
Yes of course. Archaeology is my field. I used to work in Egypt for the institute and then a vacancy came up for the Marine field and like you I thought well why not.
”
Inga was smiling at the glamorous woman before her, listening to her, wishing she could be just like her. Inga looked at her long, blonde hair.
“
You have such beautiful hair. How do you keep it so nice with all this sea water?
”
“
Conditioner. Lots and lots of conditioner,
”
Natalie replied making her guests laugh.
“
So why are you out here taking tourists to wrecks and not excavating?
”
“
Money,
”
came the answer
“
The institute has very limited income, very little funding. We rely very much on private sponsors. Doing these trips or tours if you like bring in quite a bit of income for the institute.
”
Inga gave a small yawn.
“
There I
’
m boring you with my work,
”
Natalie said smiling past them at the next customer waiting to pay. The husband and wife politely moved out of the way. The next customer was English and when Natalie turned her back for a minute to get change he was looking her up and down and making suggestive faces to his friends who were laughing. Inga watched the man with distaste, wishing she could push him over the side. Inga and Ruud went back to their seats.
“
Attractive woman,
”
he said carefully.
“
Yes she
’
s absolutely stunning isn
’
t she. Did you see the way they were looking at her?
”
“
She
’
s probably used to it.
”
“
No woman likes to be leered at no matter how beautiful she is.
”
“
I do it over you Inga van Bergen.
”
“
That
’
s different. Ruud van Bergen. I love you.
”
When the Endeavour III docked Natalie threw the securing lines to George who dashed past her and jumped onto the jetty. He began wrapping the rope around a dockside cleat as Tom reversed the boat into place. The tourists all standing in a line ready to leave. The gangway was lowered so that George could come back on board. Now the five of them took up positions to either side of the gang plank. Firstly as a politeness to wish their guests a safe journey to wherever they were going next and secondly in the hope that it might encourage them to leave tips.
The van Bergens shook Natalie
’
s hand and Ruud squeezed a fifty Euro note into her hand.
“
A small donation for you,
”
he said beaming.
“
Thank you very much. Tott Siens.
”
“
You speak Dutch?
”
“
No just Tott Siens I
’
m afraid.
”
“
Oh well it was very nice meeting you. Thank you for today. Good bye.
”
“
Good bye and you.
”
Now it was the turn of the three English lads. The first two brushed past Natalie but the one who
’
d paid for the drinks paused long enough to slip a ten dollar bill into her hand. The other two chuckling at the American note.
“
So what are you doing tonight then darling?
”
Natalie was a bit taken aback at his bluntness.
“
I
…
Erm
…
will be
…
.Erm
…
.studying at home tonight.
”
George was listening but his smile had vanished as he continued shaking hands with the guests.
“
What all on your own?
”
“
I
’
m afraid so.
”
“
A pretty girl like you.
”
“
Yes,
”
Natalie replied trying to keep a friendly face.
’
Here we go again! As soon as there
’
s a group of three or more they
’
ve always got to prove to themselves what men they are and try to pull
‘
She
’
d heard it all before. All the corny chat up lines.
“
What a waste.
”
Natalie shrugged. Trying to act innocent.
“
I mean me and the lads are thinking of going to a bar tonight. The ace of spades if you want to come. And you never know,
”
he said raising his sunglasses to make eye contact with her
“
If you play your cards right
…
.
”
Natalie gave a false smile.
“
Thank you but I really need to study.
”
“
Look at what you
’
re missing,
”
he said gesturing towards his friends. George decided to step in and rescue.
“
Thank you. Thank you for coming,
”
he said
“
Do you need a lift home?
”
he asked her.
“
No. No. I
’
m fine thank you George.
”
The three lads walked off while looking back at her.
“
Frigid bitch!
”
Natalie and George heard the comment.
“
Are you all right?
”
“
Yes of course.
”
“
Perhaps the grease ball is banging her,
”
one of the three said.
“
Just ignore them Natalie. If I had known they were looking at you like that I would have given them their money back and thrown them off the boat.
”
“
Thank you George,
”
she kissed him on the cheek and disappeared below deck. She reappeared a minute later wearing a pair of jeans and a pink vest. George saw her and was unable to hide his attraction for her. Natalie knew of his feelings for her, which was why he felt protective towards her but it never interfered with their business. She threw her bag over her shoulder, jumped ashore and strode towards her car. Alex was carrying scuba tanks off the boat for refilling. He stopped to watch her bottom wiggling and her big breasts jiggling.
“
That
’
s much woman,
”
Alex said.
George glared at him.
“
Don
’
t you start!
”
Natalie drew her car up to a stop outside her apartment. She applied the parking brake and got out, leaning back in to retrieve the brown paper bag containing the groceries she had bought on the way home. She climbed the steps and opened her front door, closing it with her foot. She put the paper bag on the worktop, threw her keys into her bag and leaving this with the groceries she went into the bathroom and turned on the shower and quickly undressing, stepped in. After letting the water cascade down her face and body, she washed and stepped back into the living room with a towel wrapped around her and grabbed another for her hair. She sat on her sofa and pushed play on her answer phone. The first message was from an old friend at school. The second was a reminder from Tom to lend him some CD
’
s. She
’
d asked him to ring and leave a message because she knew she
’
d forget. It was Friday and the Endeavour crew always met for drinks on a Friday night in town at their favourite bar
‘
Zeus
’
. Natalie smiled at the
“
Please don
’
t forget, I know what you
’
re like.
”
She got up, went across to her CD collection, ran her index finger down the spines and eventually found the three she was looking for. She put them next to her bag.
“
There now I won
’
t forget,
”
she said to her answer phone as the next message kicked in.
“
Hi Nat. It
’
s dad. Just to let you know mum and I have got a flight for the second of June
…
.
”
Natalie laughed as she heard her mum
’
s voice in the background
“
Tony are you leaving a message on her answer phone, hang up and try again later. Don
’
t ruin the surprise.
”
“
Better go babe. Your mum
’
s saying I should wait until we can speak
…
.
”
There were some muffled sounds, it sounded like someone taking the telephone receiver from someone else, a bit of a scuffle and then the line went dead.
“
Oh dad,
”
she laughed
“
You should know better than to argue with mum.
”
Her heart was full of happiness as she thought of her parents. Both teachers, mum, Rose, at school. Dad, Tony, a college lecturer. The messages ended and feeling her eyes getting heavy she decided to close them for a few minutes just to rest them, not sleep. She flicked the switch down so the answer phone would cut in after only two rings. Laying her head down she soon drifted off into a deep sleep. Her mobile phone ringing incessantly woke her. To begin with it was part of her dream, the ring tone a favourite Madonna song. She fumbled for the phone, turned its display to her face, saw it was Jack and pressed the green button to answer.