First Day in the Caribbean - Diveshop 07

Karen and Rick's lives settled into several years of happy, affectionate, sexy, peaceful routine. Wait! Did I say peaceful and routine? Well, maybe not entirely. They did have a few adventures...

The boatworks business became a madhouse as soon as the storm was over. Matt and Clint, the other two employees, who lived on the other side of the island, returned, and the row of repairable boats in the lot out back grew. Rick managed to pick up a severely damaged pontoon boat for a song—the insurance company had paid it off, the guy whose land it had washed onto was eager to have it removed, and the original owner decided it was a good time to end his business of giving tours of the island's shoreline. Rick and Anthony managed to maneuver the boat to a welding shop down the street for some of the repairs. Their lead welder, a big guy named Fred, learned that Rick was a diving instructor and expressed interest in getting certified. They worked out a deal of welding in exchange for scuba instruction. Soon the dive shop would have a way to take students on open water dives!

——————-

Rick got his fifteen minutes of fame. Three days after the storm was over, the island's TV station ran a human interest item about the storm, which they played on the weather monitor. It included video of Rick diving from a boat and reappearing a long moment later with a kid. The station was unable to contact Rick, but quoted one of the spectators reporting that he had said he'd have done it for anyone.

——————-

Octavia's nitrox training was happy, but hardly routine. She showed up at the dive shop at the crack of dawn that Friday, one manual dog-eared, full of sticky notes, and heavily marked up, and with a hand-drawn version of the dive table, apparently drawn from memory, but also large enough to use as a poster. "Okay, here's my stuff. Only had time to do the first manual. I'm on break so I gotta get back, but you can look this over and get ready for me. See you later!" and she took off.

Karen hollered after her, "Sorry I forgot to mention it's one book per class, so you're okay!" She paged through the book, memories of her own classes flooding back. The hand-scrawled notes were mostly questions with the "Why is," "What about," and "How does" left off. Karen got to work jotting answers between waiting on customers.

Rick showed up about 5:00 and flipped through Octavia's manuals. "I'm impressed. Good questions. Good answers, too."

Octavia showed up a little out of breath. "I actually got some sleep, but I have to be at Rita's by seven."

Rick could see that Octavia's work schedule might interfere with the class. Well, they would work around it. "Impressive notes. We answered most of the stuff, so you'll have something to read this weekend. First class is mostly review." Then he launched into the physics of diving and the operation of regulators. He moved on to the physical differences of air and nitrox mixtures, and how to determine which mixture to use. He went fast enough that both Karen and Octavia had to pay close attention. Finally Rick paused. That's the gist of it. Any questions? Octavia wanted to hear about vapor pressure again, and the physics of it. Karen made sure she understood the physiology. This was material she had covered in the past, but Rick's approach was faster and more technical. "Okay, then. Next session we deal with the hardware. You'll get to disassemble and reassemble your regulator. Then use it." He grinned wickedly.

"We need a bigger table," Karen said. "I like you, Octavia, but this is a little crowded," they elbowed each other playfully, "and if we ever have a bigger class, we won't be able to do it."

"Oh!" Octavia changed the subject. "I want to pay something for this class, and don't tell me it's free." She reached into her blouse and came out with five twenties. They looked to Rick like they had been waterlogged recently. Karen looked at Rick and he nodded, so she took the money.

On the way to his apartment after they closed up the shop, Rick commented, "I think that money was in the package we found in the boat. I suspect it meant something to her to pay for the class with it.

"I wondered. The bills felt kind of stiff. Say—I keep forgetting to ask. How's the boat works?"

"Busy. The guys are back. Piles of boats to work on. Literally. I might be coming in to the dive shop late sometimes. Anthony is lobbying to have me work overtime. And I think I found a good deal on a damaged pontoon boat so we can take people out for dives."

They got to the apartment and Rick headed for the bathroom to relieve his bladder.

"Here. Let me help with that!" Karen reached around him from behind and grabbed his peter.

Rick enjoyed the sensual touching, but when he was about done, he took over again. "Some things you just have to do yourself," he grinned. "Like you can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose."

"Eww gross!" She made motions of wiping her hand on the back of his T-shirt.

He turned around, hooked his thumbs in her shorts and pulled them down. "Why don't you take care of business and we can test the mattress again?"

She wiggled her hips. "Don't you want to help?" she teased.

"I have no idea what I would do, beyond pulling your britches down, which I did. Unless you'd rather we ate some food."

"No, I like the idea of me being your supper."

Rick liked the idea, too.

She finished in the bathroom, then took off her top and plopped down on on the mattress on her stomach, legs spread. "I could use a back rub. Lots of customers today."

Rick kneeled at her side and moved his hands over her back, from her neck to the backs of her knees, exploring. He decided her shoulders and the middle of her back were the tightest, so he started there, then worked up to her neck, then the small of her back.

"Mmm." She moved her near hand down toward his knee, but couldn't find anything "interesting," so she tapped his knee.

He moved closer to her shoulder and she was able to go happily exploring. But now he couldn't reach her buttocks very well.

"Here. Let me move closer," she murmured, and pulled her knees up so her behind was up in the air.

Rick ran his hand from her lower back down her leg, then stroked back up. Back down again, this time closer to the center, and coming back up her gently brushed her pussy and between her cheeks.

She moaned, and gave him a strong squeeze. He grunted, so she did it again.

They began to concentrate on each other's genitals, he softly caressing her already wet slit, sliding across her clit, and she squeezing, bending, and twisting him.

She moved her knees apart and he took the hint to run his fingers all over the area, lubricating her back door, plunging into her, and making tantalizing circles on her clit. "Come inside me," she begged, so he moved around behind her and pulled her hips up, impaling her on his erection. His legs were longer than hers, so she fairly hung from him as he pulled her onto his member again and again.

"Ah! What interesting sensations!" she said, her voice muffled by the bed. "I've never been left hanging before."

Rick chuckled and made circles with his thumb on her rear opening, then lifted both hips again, partly to impale her better, and partly to keep from hurting her.

She hitched her feet under her and pushed back. He tipped backwards and she ending up sitting on him, facing away. She leaned forward and bounced on him, rocking back and forth, and rolling in circles.

Rick twitched and groaned from the sensations, lifting his hips to increase penetration, but her legs were spread so wide, and she was so aggressive, that she was pretty much completely filled up, and he was pretty much completely buried in her.

It felt especially good when she rocked forward and back, so he encouraged the movement by pulling on her hips. They began to move faster and faster until she tossed her head back and spasmed in climax. The sudden tightness pushed Rick over the edge, and he pumped his seed into her repeatedly.

Finally they settled down, and she swung a leg over him, kneeling next to his lap. "Oof! What a mess!" she said. "You had me so full, there wasn't room for anything else, so I must have leaked. Let's go take a shower."

They both walked bowlegged to the shower stall, and laughed at their mutual joke. The shower was crowded, but they didn't mind. He pressed her front against him while he scrubbed her back, and she pressed his back against her while she scrubbed his front. "Hmm. There's still some interest left, eh?" she said while making sure he got good and clean. "Wanna do it some more?"

"Might be fun to see what happens." They toweled off and scurried back to the mattress.

She lay on her back, legs spread. "Okay, get inside me. Don't be timid. Be aggressive. Please yourself. See what happens."

He leaned over her on his hands and knees, then reached over and grabbed both pillows. "Let's tuck these under you to, um, bring you up to my level."

She arched her back so her naked pussy was inches from his face, and he stared at her while she arranged the pillows. She took longer than necessary so he could get a good look. The idea of him staring at her was a turn-on, and she could feel herself getting moist already. For that matter, staring at her so closely was making him respond, too, so when she plopped back down, he was erect enough to push into her.

"Oh yes!' she moaned, "keep that up, don't stop, just like that, more, more" and she rolled her hips and pushed toward him showing enthusiasm every way she could to increase his pleasure.

Her aggressiveness was having an effect, and he began to pump into her, harder and harder. He could feel himself responding, and he pumped more and more, faster and faster, while she pulled on his waist to increase the effect. His climax approached, and he started to grunt and moan as he moved with complete abandon, until he jerked in climax, pumping into her several more times.

She smiled in victory. "That was fun. I wonder how often I can make you do that."

Rick was a little out of breath. "Probably not every day, but yes, it was fun. Next time, maybe it'll be your turn to come twice."

"Now there's an idea." she smiled back.

——————-

In the beginning, Karen had thought Giuseppe was creepy, but he and his brother turned out to be more like puppies, scampering around and eager to please. They tracked down a decent used six-foot folding table to use for the scuba classes, and refused to take any payment. Karen let them sit in on a class "for a free sample" in payment for the table. The two were clearly in over their heads, and Dominic's enthusiasm made Octavia roll her eyes. Two more class sessions (without the Italians) and they set the following Monday for the open water exercise. It would be their pontoon boat's maiden voyage.

"Karen?" asked Rick after the class was over. "How good are you at operating a pontoon boat? This Monday's a work day, and Anthony was reluctant to give me the whole day off, and he certainly won't be available. And I hate to say it, but I should go down with Octavia to observe." He paused to think. "Actually, I suppose you could go down and I could pilot the boat..." He brightened. "The best solution would be if there were four of us!"

Karen had been trying to get a word in edgewise. "I'm glad you settled on where I was going! Bill can pilot for us. He doesn't have anything going on, and I suspect he'd be glad to get out of the house. And he knows the waters around here even better than I do. And we three can all do the dive!"

So they arranged for Bill to pilot. Rick had rented Gus and Bill Sr's old slip for the pontoon boat, which they named the GusBill. Karen had painted a goofy-looking bird on the side, with a big bill holding the word's "Karen's Dive Shop."

The weather was perfect, the sea had settled down completely, and Bill knew just the reef to take them to. Bill talked animatedly about a bike shop he was considering buying as the three divers squirmed into their wet suits.

Rick reflected that even with beautiful women in scanty bikinis, there is no graceful way to get into a wet suit. He and Bill both enjoyed the show anyway, and they both pretended not to watch.

The dive was uneventful, though they saw a conch and a turtle. They were all experienced divers, and nitrox isn't all that different to use. Rick stayed above the two women to observe. He thought it was kind of funny that some of the time they swam holding hands. "Must be a woman thing," he thought to himself. When they returned to the boat, Rick had Octavia calculate how long they had to wait before they could do the next dive, based on their average depth and time under. Bill took them to another reef. Octavia led Rick through the dive chart and added that it was okay to spend more time on the surface than required between dives.

They switched to fresh tanks and checked out the new reef. This time Rick and Octavia buddied up and Karen swam above to observe. In spite of himself, Rick kept checking on Karen to be sure she was all right. When they surfaced again, they talked about the moray eels they had seen, and the fact that they had not seen any lionfish. Karen kidded Rick about his constant checking on their "chaperone."

Octavia allowed as how it was pretty hard to make out in scuba gear, and Karen admitted that wetsuits were pretty good chaperones.

"Okay, Octavia, how much time before we can do a third dive, if we were to do a third dive?" Rick asked as he pulled off his wet suit.

Karen pulled off hers, too, and Octavia ran through the calculations out loud, again perfectly. She doffed her suit. Then Karen pushed Bill into the water.

He came up spluttering. "Good thing I put my book away. The water's pretty nice, I gotta admit."

Then Karen did a cannonball right next to him. When she came up, Bill pushed her head under. She swam out of reach and splashed him.

"I can sure tell you two are siblings," Rick called.

Then Octavia pushed Rick, except he didn't go into the water, Octavia did! Rick stood grinning on the deck "Kind of telegraphed that, Toots. You should know better than to try to push a Maori seal into the water!" Then he dove in to join them, making almost no splash as he entered the water. He grabbed Karen's ankles and tugged them down while he was still under, and came up behind her, grinning.

Karen came back up. "I was expecting that, mister," she snorted.

Octavia said, "I can sure tell you two are a couple."

The four played around in the water for a while, the women happily showing off in their almost transparent bikinis, and the men enjoying the show.

Finally Rick said they'd better head back. He had to work late to do penance for taking several hours off on a work day, so they clambered aboard and headed back.

As he maneuvered the boat into the slip, Bill offered to pilot the boat any time they needed him, no charge. It was a nice break from his routine.

Rick reached into his dive bag and pulled out a certificate and a card. He signed them with a flourish and bowed, handing them to Octavia. "Welcome to the exclusive club of certified nitrox divers!"

Octavia curtsied a thank you. Karen shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Ten percent discount next time you come in for a tank rental." Octavia jumped up and down with glee and hugged her.

Rick went "hmpf."

Octavia gave him a once-over. "Get your hugs from somebody else, mister."

Rick acted browbeaten and everybody laughed.

——————-

Then there was the time one evening when a scruffy-looking fellow came in with a tank that he wanted filled. Rick looked the tank over and checked the date stamped on the shoulder. "I can't fill this without checking the tank first. It's way past check-up time."

The guy scratched his neck. Then he scratched his ribs. Then he scratched his butt. "What'll that cost?"

"About twenty-five bucks."

The guy sighed. "Can't you just put some air in? It's only me gonna use it."

Rick shook his head. "Too much risk of the thing blowing up. What if there's some corrosion inside? Weak spot, kaboom! Twenty feet down you bump some coral, kablooey. Sudden decompression. Not good. If you survived, you could sue. Not gonna do it." He kept shaking his head. "It's nearly at its permanent expiration date anyway. Tell you what. Buy a new tank, give us this one in exchange—I'll give you five bucks for it."

The guy chewed the inside of his cheek. "Okay. That's the best deal I've been offered. The other places wouldn't give me anything for it." He pulled a roll of large bills out of his pocket. "How much?"

Karen did a double-take. The guy was definitely not broke! Rick offered to swap the valve onto the new tank.

He took the tank into the back, the guy following, while Karen started on the paperwork, and Rick made the transfer. "Just for grins, let's see what the inside looks like." He took down the fiber-optic viewer and poked the business end into the tank. After a moment he looked up. "Here." He handed over the eyepiece. "See the rust?"

The guy twisted the instrument and moved it up and down, looking into the eyepiece. "Don't seem like much."

"Doesn't need to be much. Remember the poem about the wonderful one-hoss shay? No weak parts to start the decay, and it lasted a hundred years, then collapsed in a pile of dust. Tanks gotta be perfect like that, and we still expire them." Rick cocked his head. "Just before the hundred years are up."

The guy wasn't convinced. "Hmpf. Tell you what. You pressurize this tank and if it blows up, I'll pay you a hundred dollars and any damages. And you can keep the tank as a lesson to others. If it doesn't blow, you give me a hundred off on this nice new tank."

Rick knew the guy had the money, and for some crazy reason he agreed. He put a new valve on the old tank, hooked it up and put it in the water tank. He turned on the compressor. "Okay, let's get out of here." They walked into the store, shutting the door behind them, where he had to explain what was going on to Karen.

She was shocked. "You're going to fill a defective tank? Are you two both crazy?"

Rick looked a little abashed. "Maybe. We'll see. I set the compressor to stop at 95% full. We'll know in a couple min—" BANGWHOOM!SPLASH! drip drip drip. Everybody jumped except Rick. "Looks like it blew. Less than 95%, too. Let's go see the damage."

He opened the door, which had stayed shut, and invited the guy to precede him. "Holy Cow!" he exclaimed. He looked at them over his glasses. "Excuse the Hindu expression." Everything looked wet, water dripping everywhere, including the ceiling. The compressor was happily chugging away, the water tank completely empty except for a blown-open air tank on the bottom. The heavy steel tank looked undamaged.

"I think it would have destroyed a plastic tank." Rick remarked. He shut off the compressor and lifted out the tank, setting it on the workbench so everybody could examine the damage. He pulled a shop towel out of a drawer and started to wipe dry some of the tools.

The guy was impressed. "You were right! One, I'm glad I wasn't wearing that, and two, I'm a man of my word. What's the damage?"

Rick looked at Karen. "Compressor's running, gauges look okay, uh, the yoke is broken. The rest stuff in here is pretty immune to water; I can wipe the tools dry. Fifty bucks for the yoke and valve?"

The guy handed Karen two hundred-dollar bills. "This should cover it, and be a lesson to me. You made a believer outta me."

Karen looked at the bills. "I'm not happy with the risk to my store, but it turned out okay, I guess. This is very generous, Mr.—?" She raised her eyebrows in inquiry.

"Cairns. Tobias Cairns, atchyer service. I learned to dive before they had certification, and I kinda took a break from diving past couple years. Been exploring the island, the wild parts, dontchya know, but got back in the diving mood after the storm. I found a wreck, y'know. Out huntin' mushrooms, I was, and the water off the point had this dark smudge, and my wife blabbed after I mentioned it." He sighed. "Turned out it was recent. Saw it on the news, poor souls."