Andrew usually didn’t notice such things but had to agree. The walk along the tiled corridor to the toilet was sheer pleasure in his bare feet and the toilet and adjoining bathroom were both spotlessly clean and smelt of pine and lavender.
By then the others had made their way downstairs. Andrew and Carmen thanked Grandma Murchison and followed them. Back down at the beach they made their way over to where the others were spreading towels and blankets in the shade of the paperbarks and cottonwood trees which lined the foreshore. Muriel was already lying down and gave Andrew a smile as he unfolded his towel.
‘Will I lie next to her?’ he wondered, ‘or is that too obvious?’ For a moment he pondered this, before walking over to her. ‘Faint heart never won fair lady,’ he quoted to himself, ‘and anyway, the others all know I like her.’
As he spread his towel and lay down he looked around. Carmen was making herself comfortable beside him and the two Instructors lay nearby. “Where are Blake and Shona?” he asked.
Muriel giggled. “They went off around the other side of those rocks.”
“Why?” Andrew asked, then blushed at the thought of how silly the question must have sounded.
“What do you think?” Muriel whispered with another giggle. As Andrew stretched out beside her she looked into his eyes and set his heart pounding and thoughts racing. ‘Is she trying to give me a message?’ he wondered. But he did not dare ask. Instead he lay back and closed his eyes.
He had not wanted to lie down but now that he had he was glad. Tiredness seemed to sweep through him and he deliberately relaxed his muscles and tried not to think about Muriel lying beside him. This proved impossible and she wriggled to try to get comfortable. Once her knee touched his. To Andrew it was like an electric shock and caused his heart rate to shoot up.
‘Was that accidental?’ he wondered. He risked a glance but saw that her eyes were closed. Not having gained any clue Andrew moved slightly further away and rolled on his side. ‘I don’t want her to think I am hassling her,’ he told himself.
For perhaps ten minutes he lay resting, his mind exploring options to help him speak to Muriel. She then provided it by rolling over and resting her arm on his back. This got his mind racing and he became even more hopeful.
To his surprise she began to tickle his ear with a piece of grass. Not sure what was happening he sat up and turned to look at her. Her face crinkled into a mischievous grin.
“Stop it,” he whispered. “I’m trying to rest.”
“Don’t you want me here?” Muriel whispered back.
“Of course I do, but there are others here,” Andrew replied. By ‘others’ he particularly meant Carmen. Having his big sister present was a real cause of anxiety. ‘If I try anything she will frown disapproval or tease, or tell Mum,’ he thought.
Carmen made her presence even more noticeable by saying, “Stop whispering you two. I’m trying to sleep.”
Muriel giggled aloud and this drew a muttered grumble from PO Walker. She lapsed into silence and snuggled against him, her bare arm just touching his. This caused Andrew to get even more aroused and he was glad he was dressed in the baggy old shorts and shirt and was able to lie so that it wasn’t noticeable. He badly wanted to be alone with her and to kiss her but contented himself with taking the daring step of touching her arm with his finger tips.
That caused Muriel to murmur with pleasure and to snuggle even closer. Andrew lay on his back and stared at the leaves moving gently in the breeze. ‘I might be in luck,’ he thought hopefully. After a while he closed his eyes and gave himself up to the sensual pleasure of feeling Muriel’s bare skin and the soft caress of the afternoon sea breeze.
CHAPTER 3
UNDERWATER
Andrew was more tired than he realized and slipped into a deep sleep. He was roused from this by PO Walker calling out. As he opened ‘gummy’ eyes Andrew realised that Muriel was snuggled right against him with her head on his pillow. She was so close he could detect her very pleasant scent and see the details of her skin: the pores, the tiny hairs. It made him sigh with longing and sent his hopes up.
‘Has she just done that by accident in her sleep?’ he wondered as he tried to move without disturbing her. He decided she must have. ‘She wouldn’t be that forward,’ he reasoned. But he wasn’t sure. What he was worried about was that the two cadet Instructors could see them. It wasn’t a cadet activity so the usual strict rules on ‘fraternisation’ did not apply, but Andrew did not want to give them the wrong impression. He sat up, moving to one side as he did.
Muriel opened her eyes and blinked sleepily up at him, then stretched. “Oh I needed that,” she said, “and I had such a good dream.”
Andrew had too, but he did not want to ruin his chances by being too pushy. Instead he stood up and rubbed his eyes. Carmen met his eye and winked and that caused him to blush furiously. ‘I hope she didn’t see,’ he thought. He had no wish to be teased by his sister.
PO Walker stood at the side door of the van while drinking water from a plastic bottle. He turned and called out, “Where are Blake and Shona?”
“Don’t know P.O.,” Andrew replied. “I think they may have gone for a walk.”
“Well go and find them. We are supposed to be diving, not snogging,” PO Walker called back.
“Yes P.O.,” Andrew replied. He hurried off along the beach to the left.
“Hang on, I’ll come with you,” Muriel called. She hurried after him.
Andrew wanted her to but didn’t want to make that too obvious so he nodded and kept on walking, skirting an outcrop of rocks at a slow stroll. As Muriel caught him up Andrew spotted Blake and Shona. They were walking along the beach towards them and were holding hands and conversing happily. That was exactly what Andrew wanted to do with Muriel and he experienced a spurt of genuine jealousy. ‘Lucky Blake,’ he thought, wondering how his friend had managed to make so much progress.
What made it hurt even more was the obvious way the pair were engrossed in each other. Shona’s face was alive and her eyes seemed to sparkle. When Blake said something to her she laughed and clung to his arm. ‘How do I get Muriel to do that with me?’ Andrew wondered.
At that moment Blake saw them. He grinned and Shona waved. “What’s happening?” Blake asked.
Andrew pointed behind him and said, “The instructors sent us to get you. It’s time for our next dive.”
Andrew turned and led the way back around the rocks. As he did Muriel caught his eye and smiled. He was so surprised he stubbed his toe, then tried to pretend it hadn’t happened as he didn’t want to look a fool. Hiding the tears in his eyes he led the way.
Back at the vehicles the two adults were laying out SCUBA tanks and equipment. Carmen was helping. The teenagers were told to suit up. Now all romantic ideas were driven out of Andrew’s mind by anxiety about the test he was about to face. Feeling decidedly scared he hurried to prepare for the dive. Wet suits were tugged on and then air cylinders secured to BCDs. Andrew’s anxiety was now a help as it made him concentrate on the equipment and the drills. He turned on his air and checked the pressure, then helped Muriel to hoist on and secure her tank. After sorting out her air hoses he checked that her air was turned on and then made sure the tank was secure, plus all the straps. She then helped him on with his gear and did the same checks. They then both checked their regulators and alternate air sources and did a quick practice of breathing from each other’s alternate.
Next they walked down the beach and helped push the safety boat out into knee deep water. Sub Lt Sheldon climbed in. The outboard motor was started and the boat puttered out into