She of the Sea

18 of 53 - A New Apartment

When Cassie's cell phone buzzed her awake, she groaned and opened one eye. She felt around on the nightstand and switched off the alarm. She hadn't slept well, given the excitement of it being her first night in her own apartment and the anticipation of her new job. Also, the mattress was lumpy, and the pillow had a slight mildewy smell. She figured she'd get used to it for the time being. After collecting a few paychecks, she would refurnish the place.

Cassie knew she woke with plenty of time since the dock was directly across the street. There was no use taking a shower until after work since they would be in the water all morning. All she needed was to slip into swimwear, secure her machairi sheath around her leg and grab a bite of breakfast.

A case of first day nerves left her stomach a bit queasy, so all she ate was some strawberry yogurt and a cup of coffee from the Keurig machine. Things had happened so fast yesterday. Cassie still couldn't believe she was suddenly independent.

After breakfast, she checked herself in the bathroom mirror. One of her braids had come undone at the end. She easily fixed it but realized her aunt wouldn't be able to help her with her hair anymore. Managing tight braids by herself would be a challenge but she'd make the effort. She liked the way she looked, and no way would she ever cut her long hair. It had taken too many years for it to grow to waist length.

The time passed until it was time to go to work. Cassie slipped a hoodie over her swimsuit and walked out, locking the door behind her. She glanced around making sure nothing looked out of place and nobody suspicious lurked nearby. She crossed the street and headed for slip twenty-two. That's where she was supposed to meet Ofelia, her boss and boat master.

The craft in slip twenty-two resembled a whaler with an enclosed pilot house and outboard motor. The dive deck was aft. A woman with wild, wind-tossed red hair was in the process of securing a storage bin.

"Are you Ofelia?"

The woman turned and looked at her. "You must be Cassie." She had green eyes and looked more Irish than Greek. She was fit and trim, her face dotted with freckles.

Cassie figured her to be late thirties, no more than forty. "Permission to come aboard?"

Ofelia laughed. "We aren't so formal. You can come and go without anyone's permission."

She liked her boss already. Cassie stepped aboard.

Ofelia gave her the once over. "You come highly recommended by Milos. He tells me you can swim like a dolphin."

Cassie shook hands with the woman. "Full disclosure, he is my uncle, so he's bound to be a bit biased."

"I'm aware of your relation," she said.

"Um...what do I call you, captain, boat master?"

"Ofelia will do. Like I said, we're not all that formal."

Cassie felt dorky about not knowing the protocol.

Ofelia entered the pilot house. "Follow me, I'll show you around." She led Cassie to a small compartment beneath the dashboard. "This is your locker. In it you'll find a dive mask so you can see underwater and foot fins. When we return to port, you should clean your gear and stow it so it's ready for the next day. While diving you can store your phone in your locker along with any other personal possessions you bring aboard."

Cassie couldn't help herself. She said, "Aye aye!"

Shooting Cassie a smirk, Ofelia went on, "The job is simple. We take the boat out to one of the reefs in the Gulf and use the skopos to locate a concentrated field of commercial grade sponges. We drop anchor. Then you dive in and get them."