Chapter 06 - Jake Stevens
Jake Stevens just finished the last fill for the day; he had three charters today, each one to capacity for his boat, twelve students, one instructor and two dive-masters. That meant he had filled thirty bottles from the last trip. The compressor hummed quietly for a beast that size. Even though he filled the bottles, he still needed to charge the cascades before he could even think of heading home. That would take quite a while. Chuck had neglected to top them off that morning, and since it cost twice as much to run that noisy beast during the day, Jake had little choice.
He shut the door that lead to the fill station from inside the dive shop and tapped the pressure gauge incase it was stuck. No such luck, the entire system was less than 1800 pounds. With 16 cascade bottles to fill, it was going to take a while.
Sigh…' "Let's see, clean my gear, close the register or kick back with a beer and watch the game…" The Braves were down playing the Marlins, second of three games. He popped the register open, and grinned at the cash and checks that piled up. "Guess the game will be on for a while," he mumbled to himself, emptying the receipts from the drawer, and he sat down at his desk. The TV was over in the classroom; he couldn't see it from his desk, but he could listen to the game as it progressed. He clicked on the computer, counted the cash and checks, and pulled up the automated ledger he wrote to capture the day's transactions. It also counted all credit card transactions, since they went through the system. It was a decent day, even taking the expenses out. He entered the cash and checks, stamped each check "FOR DEPOSIT ONLY", filled out the deposit slip listing all the checks and cash then stuffed the pile into a drop box bag.
"Now, let's see what the Marlins are doing…" The game wasn't going well, it was 6 to 2 in the top of the fourth, no outs and 2 on. The rest of that inning went as well; sac fly to deep left scored the seventh run, leaving a runner on second. "Shit… they're never going to win a world series playing like that." He clicked off the set and went back to his desk. He fired up his new high-speed modem and hit the Internet. It was a new thing, being able to pull up a web site from anywhere in the world. Jake saw this as a perfect way to advertise his shop. He did work as a programmer until the bug got to him to open a dive shop, so he had been tinkering with the new language that was used to make his own site. He had been diving since he was in high school nearly 20 years ago and progressed through the rankings to Master Instructor. He made a decent living as a programmer, but it was boring and he couldn't wait for the end of the day so he could grab a tank and head down to one of the local "low" spots. One of his favorite shops came up for sale three years ago, so he cashed out his meager savings and bought the shop and the boat, willing to trade the stress of high tech work for self-employment. He loved living in Ponce Inlet; it was a small town just south of Daytona Beach. Close enough to the breakwater to make three runs a day.
Yawn… it was getting late and the auto cutoff for the compressor tripped fifteen minutes ago. All that was left to do was shut off all the valves and lock up the store. He finished the last task of charging the compressor, grabbed the deposit bag and locked the door.
The bank was a short 5-minute walk, and since he was a fixture there, he didn't worry about carrying that much cash. No one ever bothered him so he never felt the need to carry his `extra insurance'; he kept that safely tucked away in his apartment, although he did bring it along on his island hopping trips. The shop was on Inlet Harbor Rd, with his boat in the harbor nearby. The bank was down on Calumut Ave, and his apartment was up on Glenview. He was home in ten minutes.
It was the end to another easy day with a new class starting on Monday. Tomorrow was Sunday and he had another full day's charters scheduled, so a good night's sleep was in order. He had a class Monday morning and was planning on spending the rest of the day at the beach, soaking in some sun.
Sunday's charters went about the same as Saturday, having three trips with 15 onboard for each. He made sure the cascade was charged before he repeated the prior day's brisk walk to the bank and off to home. It wasn't as late this time as he left the bank so he decided to take the beach route. It was nearly 8:30; the sun was low in the sky and was about to set for a delicious sunset. That's when he ran into her.
"Eileen! What brings you slummin' down here? You must be a good fifteen minutes from home!"
"Jake, just needed to revisit the seedy side, again." They laughed. They'd been friends for a couple years, ever since he bought the shop and moved here. He met her on his first week there, trying to get accustomed to the change in his new lifestyle. She was an attractive woman in her early thirties and had long thick brown hair she usually kept in a tight ponytail. Her eyes were what attracted him at first, the palest shade of brown he'd ever seen, eyes that he felt could see clean through his soul, eyes that danced in the sun's twilight. He obviously noticed her figure, which she did not hide; she enjoyed giving the younger girls on the beach a run for their money and sometimes their boyfriends. They tried dating several times, but their schedules never really allowed a serious relationship, much to a mutual disappointment, so they remained the closest of friends. He reached out his hand, and she grabbed it, taking it in hers as they walked down the road, the sun glimmering off the ocean.
"Haven't seen you in a few days, where've you been?" he inquired.
"Been around, I have some family in town, they just flew in today. How `bout you? Business doing ok?"
"Got an empty boat Tuesday, only four, they booked a couple months ago with another group that canceled, so I gotta make a looser." He called a nearly empty boat a looser, because it cost him more to run it then he made on the charter.
"Got some room for a couple sightseers? My little cousins are visiting for the summer, and they might like the trip."
"Sure, no biggie. How `little', not too young I hope?"
"They're both teenagers; she's seventeen, and he's sixteen, brother and sister. His birthday is at the end of the month."
"No problem, bring `em. We leave at 9:00; don't have an early bird trip."
"Great. But I gotta warn you, he's kind of jumpy. He's been through a lot recently."
"I'll take care of them, you can trust me. Can you tell me what happened?"
"Not all the details, I don't know everything. Apparently someone they both knew. They were sent here to get away from things at home because it isn't safe for them right now. I offered to keep them because they are family. They both were involved in some other incidents and are trying to forget the legal issues they have to face. You don't have to worry about them; they are model students according to their headmaster."
"What're their names?"
"Harriet and Herman Gratter. Please, what they need is space and time to heal. Just let them enjoy the trip. Well, I need to go back and get take them to dinner, Tuesday then?"
"Sure, they can do some bubble watching. Also tell them to not eat a big breakfast; I don't wanna have to wash the deck!"
"I don't think a few waves will bother them, they've both been through a lot."
"All righty then, see you guys then, maybe I'll have time to bounce down for some bugs; they ever have any before?"
"Don't know. It'll be a treat." She leaned in and gave her friend an affectionate hug and kiss on the cheek, before heading off.
"Hey Eileen, busy tomorrow?" he called to her as she started off, "I'm clocking some beach time tomorrow, care to join me?"
"Sorry, I've got some preparing for my classes next year. I'll take a rain-check."
"A rain-check it is, you going to be teaching at that art school again?"
"No, I took a job in a prestigious boarding school starting in September."
"You're leaving again? You'll be missed here, you know."
"I know. It's only for a year; I will be back next spring, promise." Another parting peck on the cheek and she left.
`Well, self, I guess Tuesday won't be such a loss after all.' He dropped his pouch into the drop box, turned the corned and headed into his watering hold, "The Bottom Time". It was the local diver's hangout, and he was a fixture there. "Chris, the usual," he called to the barkeep.
"Sure thing. Got any charters going? "
"Nah, got a looser Tuesday, with a couple kids bubble watchin', Eileen's cousins."
"There was some guy asking for charters, gave them your card. Said they needed a boat for 2 or 3 days."
`Private charter in the middle of the week… CAA-CHING!!' That was a big windfall to have any time of the year. "Did you get any names?"
"No, he said he'd look you up."
"Great, thanks for the lead. Kitchen still open?"
"Sure is, what'll ya have?"
"Gimme a burger, bloody with the works."
"Coming up."
Jake finished his dinner and had a couple more drinks; his `usual' was a strange thick beer from England they kept on hand for him, since he was the only one that had a taste for the thick stuff. He paid his tab, told Chris good night, and headed to his apartment, two blocks away. He didn't have the need for a car since everything was close by, and during the tourist season, parking was almost impossible.
His thoughts went back to the fact that one of his closest friends would be leaving for a year. He thought briefly about shutting down the shop and following her, she was a very attractive woman, and they were close. He always wanted to be closer with her, but there was an unspoken barrier within her. `One day…' he kept telling himself.
Monday's class went smoothly for a first timer class, he had taught for so long he didn't use his instructor's manual any more. This was a simple intro, light pool work getting the students familiar with their masks, fins and with the workings of their regulators, BCDs and tanks. It was all new to everyone in the class, and since it was a quickie due to finish on Friday, he kept it to a small group of 6.
Sometime after noon, he had the class tanks and gear cleaned and stowed. He wolfed down a sandwich from home and changed into a beach swimsuit to catch some sun and fun. He preferred a tight brief style swimsuit for diving and a roomier boxer style for the beach. A man his age didn't care for fashion statements, he went for comfort. He grabbed his beach bag, filled with a large faded towel, sunscreen, and a couple unfinished books, and walked across the island to the beach.
Jake's habit was to take a quick swim just past the sand bar, well past where the tourists ventured and where the wild dolphins played. The currents out there were actually calmer then closer to shore. With very little effort, he could make to a couple dive boats on the near shore wrecks, about a mile out. He wasn't in need of the exercise, since he was in the water more than out, this was his way to relax, a leisurely swim out and back.
He hit the beach up shore from his stuff and walked along the water's edge. He was rapidly approaching 40, but his current occupation reversed the `desk spread' he suffered from in his past life. He was in good shape for his age, still wanted to drop a few more pounds, but didn't want to give up some of his favorite foods.
He was always amazed at the tourists trying to absorb as much sun as possible, trying to go from pale white to golden bronze overnight. He always chuckled to himself when he saw a lobster-back on the beach, remembering his first few months living in the sun. `Poor kid, he thought as he passed a teenager red as a fire engine. `He'll feel that in the morning.'
As he continued down the beach he noticed one of the local low-life's hitting on a young girl on her own. Being the sort of person he was, he turned to try and lend a hand, being careful not to interfere unless he needed to. That was when he noticed that burned kid running to the girl's aid. He quickened his pace, knowing full well that kid was out-classed; the bum had 75 pounds on the kid. He got close enough to hear bits of the conversations, and the kid stood his ground between the bum and the girl. She was sitting on her knees, in a defensive posture, as if she expected this.
The kid took a shove and fell to the side into the sand, heard some shouting and the beach bum went flying backward. `That kid must know how to fight, he tossed that guy while he was still on the ground,' he thought to himself as he slowed his pace and became a spectator.
Both combatants stood to face each other, the kid in an unusual stance, and as the bum lunged, the kid jumped and flipped out of the way, sending his opponent flying into the sand. The bum stood again and lunged but simply fell to the ground, as if he was knocked out.
The event had attracted a large crowd, besides himself, a fair number of local teenage girls watched, obviously previous victims of a similar encounter. The boy's girlfriend stood there, packing their belongings and scolded the victor for his lack in judgment. `Strange, he helps her and she's angry?'
He filed the incident in his head as yet another beach bum incident and returned to his belongings, where he spent the next several hours just being a lazy beach bum.
That evening was as quiet as any of the past summers, just the way he liked it. He sat on his balcony, looked out into the ocean and began to daydream what he would have missed if he didn't take the chance for this relaxed life. The shrimper's were just returning with their days catch, heading `round the point back to their births for the night. He could hear the laughter from the boats out in the still blue water, as the crews were pleased with the day's work. He watched as boat after boat came motoring through, thankful his work didn't require those late hours. He ambled off to his bed as the boats he was watching had all done the same.
-->