Wash

When I felt someone gently touching me, I fluttered my eyes open and glanced at the alarm clock. It was seven a.m.

“Get up,” Jake said. “We have an appointment with our underwater photographer in an hour.”

“I can’t believe I slept this late. I’m usually such an early bird.”

He handed me a Danish and a small carton of milk. “Well, I’ve got breakfast covered. I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a run, then took a shower.”

After breakfast, I went to the bathroom to take a shower. Wet towels and clothes were strewn all over the place, and Jake had had the audacity to move my makeup so he could make room for his electric razor. Perhaps worst of all, the toilet seat was up. I could definitely tell he was used to living like a bachelor. “Jake!” I said. “This place is a mess. I’m surprised you flushed the toilet.”

“Give me some credit, would ya?”

“Why’d you move my stuff? I had everything all laid out for easy access.”

“You were hogging the counter space. Where was I supposed to put my stuff?”

“Tell me you didn’t use my toothbrush,” I said. I slammed the door with a huff and jumped into the hot shower. Boy, this is gonna be a long trip, I thought as the warm water beat down on me.

After getting ready for the day, I opened my laptop to check my messages before we left.

“We’re gonna miss our appointment,” Jake said. “Can’t that wait?”

“It’s work, so no, it can’t.”

“We’ve gotta go right now, Ashly.”

“Fine!” I said, shutting my computer.

* * *

Our photographer shut off the boat engine, and waves gently rocked the vessel. “We’re here,” he said.

The sun shone on my face from its place in the clear blue gorgeous sky. I stood at the railing and leaned over, glancing down at the turquoise water of the Coral Sea. I smiled as streaks of yellow, red, and blue swarmed around the boat.

Jake inched closer, and his hot breath brushed my cheek like a tropical draft. “Are you ready? Let’s jump in!”

His sapphire-blue eyes sparkled, and his brown hair whipped around in the wind as he met my gaze and smiled. I brushed my hair behind my ear and smiled back at him. When he removed his shirt, I couldn’t help but stare at his massive body and all those thick, rippling muscles; he was even more gorgeous than the last time I’d seen him without a shirt. His beautiful body was so ripped that I was practically drooling over him, and I was sure he’d spent hours at the gym every day.

Without hesitation, Jake jumped into the pristine water with a loud splash that caused our photographer to laugh.

“Your boyfriend is quite the daredevil,” the photographer said. “I haven’t even checked for sharks.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said politely. “Is it okay to go in now?”

He looked through his binoculars in every direction. “Looks good.”

“Ooh, the water’s wonderful!” Jake shouted. “Come on, Ashly!”

I leaned over the railing. “Forget something?” I asked.

He grinned. “Guess so. Can you throw it down?”

“Sure.” I took off my long, colorful wrap and adjusted my red and purple one-piece. I put on my mask, snorkel, and fins, then grabbed Jake’s gear and jumped in. I couldn’t fathom that I was actually floating above the actual Great Barrier Reef. After I handed Jake his gear, I took a long, deep breath and ducked my head under the water.

A school of yellow fish swirled around us, and the underwater photographer began snapping away. “They look good,” the photographer said. “I’ll have the CD and eight-by-tens delivered to your hotel room when we get back.”

“Thanks,” I said.

He grinned and climbed back into his boat. “For now, though, I’ll give you lovebirds some time to be alone,” he said, ignoring my earlier claim that there was nothing between us.