Soon they were all seated and Natalie took the clipboard with the passenger list and did the head count. She recounted, then happy with the result she ticked the sheet and signed it. She replaced the clipboard and nodded to Tom White the third Englishman on board. He pushed a button on the control panel and the electronic anchor began winding in. Once it was secured Tom started the twin engines and pushed forward on the throttle and the fifty foot Endeavour III moved away from the buoy marking the wreck.
Natalie stood in front of the group.
“Did everyone have a good time today?” she asked, turning her head from side to side so that everyone could hear her clearly.
There was a chorus of yes’s and general agreement.
“Did you all manage to take your photographs?”
Again the same response.
“Excellent. That’s what we like to hear. On behalf of the crew I’d like to thank you all so much for coming with us today and thanks to our crew members, George, Jack, Alex and Tom,” she said clapping, leading the applause.
“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.”