One of the things in the packet of papers Hope had given him was a map of Green Cay, so he spent the rest of the day exploring. He stuck mostly to the paved road, which started at one end at the bus stop turn-about next to his place, headed west to campus, then northeast and then east, ending at the deep water service harbor. All of the islands utilities (water, wastewater, storage, mechanical, workshops, etc) were at the north end of the island. A quick jaunt down one of the several unpaved roads at the north end of the island headed toward the water, showing that the waters edge at this end of the island was mostly low limestone bluffs. The views were great, and Kjem could see from the color of the water what looked like some very promising snorkeling or dive sites. Near the easternmost point of the island was a nice beach next to a large cut in the bluff, filled with a deep sink hole. It was labeled "Fishing Hole" on the map, and Kjem thought it did look very promising - he was glad his fishing gear was on the way, although he may have to get some more appropriate saltwater gear.
The hilliest part of the island was the northwest corner. There was a loop in the road, the southern loop followed the low flat land adjacent to the facilities buildings, but the longer upper loop cut up and down some nice hills. Kjem stopped at a pullover to a concrete path that lead to circular landing at what seemed like the high point (still not very high) of the island; he could look over the rolling scrub and ponds in all directions. He was sure there must be more natural trails in here for him to include in his classes. There was a large pond to the north that looked like brackish or saltwater; "Tide Pond", according to the map, that sounded interesting. Where the land flattened again and the two spurs of the road rejoined was a small village of houses (labeled "Pond Village, on the map") among a series of low, flat ponds and live oak trees full of tropical birds.
A short distance further brought him back to the shopping center, where the road split again. He knew the campus, harbor, West and South Villages were to the southwest, which he'd already seen, so he took the road headed southeast instead. This seemed to be a little-used bypass road, it was narrower than the main road and in most places entirely overhung by the surrounding trees. Low and flat, Kjem was sure the road would flood in heavy rain, but it was clean and in good shape all the same. This bypass rejoined the main road at South Village, about a mile west of the end of the road adjacent to his house at Naked Beach. Kjem's curiosity was piqued, so at the end of the road he made note of the odometer, and then drove the length of the main road to the other end of the island, and then back again taking the alternative loops. Just a hair over 15 miles round trip, and it seemed like it'd be very nice for cycling.
When he was back home, he unloaded and put away his groceries, supplies, and computer hardware. Remembering Deb's request to log into the local system as soon as possible, he pulled out the laptop and did so. Once he'd jumped through all the hoops of activating his accounts, he had no trouble getting onto the local network, and his phone buzzed notifications for the next 5 minutes or so. Over 100 emails waiting, and dozens of text messages. Most appeared to be various sorts of "Welcome!" messages, so he put off dealing with them for another day.
Just as he put his electronics aside, a notification for an incoming call came up on his TV. He knew how to use the tv controller app on his phone, so he answered the call, and was happy to see Beth at the other end.
"Hey, Beth, how are you feeling?" he asked.
She put her hand over her face and groaned. "I'm feeling ok now, for a fucking idiot. I'm so embarrassed."
Kjem failed to suppress a laugh, and replied, "Yeah, you were pretty wasted. Megan told me a little about your situation, she's concerned."
Beth brightened, "That's what she said, that you might have some options for me to think about. Are you alone? Yes? I'll be over as fast as I can get there," and the screen immediately went black.
It was getting dark by this time, so Kjem put on the porch light and started a kettle on the stove. He would've started cooking something for them to eat, but didn't know what Beth's stomach would feel like.
When Beth arrived 20 minutes later, she was carrying two take-away boxes, which she set on the table. Kjem told her he had hot water, and she asked for black tea. Kjem made it for her, and had one himself as well. Beth poured quite a lot of cream into hers, then sipped it and moaned in content.
"This tastes so good!"
Kjem opened the boxes; one, obviously hers, contained a chicken salad. The other was jerk chicken with crab and rice.
While they sat at the couch and ate, they talked about potential job opportunities at research stations and centers. Some of this was specifics, examples of places Kjem knew that would benefit from someone like Beth. Beth took notes on an old-fashioned paper notepad. Kjem told her about places all over the world, but not surprisingly Beth showed the most interest when they talked about tropical sea places: Central America, the South Pacific, and Australia. But mostly it was more general, what these places did, who typically ran them and for what purpose, and how they needed help. Beth asked insightful questions, probing how her academic experience, work experience here at GCC, and her contacts here and through her family could contribute toward the missions of these places. They talked long and purposely, and Kjem was impressed with her ability to make connections and create ideas. This was a side of Beth he was glad to see, and he was sure she could make this work if she put her mind to it.
It was nearly midnight when their conversation ran out of steam. Beth looked at Kjem, put her notepad down, and jumped into his arms for a hug.
"Oh my god, thank you! This is a huge help!" She continued to hug him tightly, and after a minute Kjem was surprised to discover that she was crying into his shoulder.
When she was finished, she sniffled, pulled away, and rubbing her nose said, "Oh, jeez, here I am embarrassing myself again. Sorry, I got your shirt all wet." She rubbed the wet area of his shirt with her palms, to no avail.
"That's fine," said Kjem. "It's about time for me to hit the sack anyway."
Beth smirked. "You mean 'us' don't you? I'm staying here."
She pulled his damp shirt over his head and off, then did the same for her own shirt. Kjem had been keenly aware of the fact that she didn't have anything on under her T-shirt, but was happy to appreciate the amazing view of her cute tits. She also unzipped and pulled off her shorts, leaving her dressed only in a very sheer pair of white panties.
"Let me tidy up," she whispered.