Free Going Down (Divemasters #1) by Jayne Rylon Page B

glances were aimed in her direction.
    Nothing new there.
    Their combined scrutiny didn’t impact her like the thought of a single glance from Archer did.
    She hadn’t even made it all the way into the room when a man—slightly less than six feet tall, she guessed—set down his plate and made his way to her. He had brown hair dark enough that she might have thought it was black if the sun hadn’t shone through the windows onto it. Of course, it was also peppered with some gray that gave him a distinguished air. Gray eyes evaluated her from behind squared-off glasses that were both somewhat nerdy and very flattering. His goatee and mustache, an indulgence he wouldn’t have been permitted in the military, were close-cropped and neat. The unmistakable black stripe adorned with an anchor above four gold stripes made it perfectly clear who he was even before Banks completed pleasantries.
    “Captain Alex, I’d like you to meet Lieutenant Commander Waverly Adams.”
    She returned his firm handshake. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
    He didn’t object to her formality. Banks had filled her in earlier so she knew he was a fellow veteran. No amount of cajoling would convince her to treat him differently.
    “I’m glad to have you onboard. You came highly recommended by an old friend of mine—Commander Smith.”
    As soon as he mentioned one of her mentors, they were off exchanging stories. She had no idea how long they’d stood there while Archer probably finished saying goodbye to his overnight guest, or untangled the other two divemasters—the only other missing staff members—from similar situations.
    Long enough for her to polish off a ham, egg, and cheese croissant and forget about her nerves, though. She was chuckling at some antics Captain Alex related when everyone else went quiet.
    Her laughter rang out in the silence, drawing the attention of her new bosses.
    Waverly froze.
    So did Archer.
    Their gazes locked. She wondered for a moment if he might actually be Superman with a laser-beam stare. It nearly set her blood boiling.
    Until the two guys dragging ass behind him crashed into his back, shoving him forward and severing their link.
    She figured it was best to act as if she were on the first day of any normal job. One where she hadn’t repeatedly sucked face with the boss in another lifetime or fantasized about him far more often than was healthy ever since.
    Waverly straightened her spine, assumed her best resting bitch face, and tucked herself into the corner of the room, behind a few other crew members. That seemed to work.
    Archer glanced away to address the room in general. “I apologize for making you wait. Tosin isn’t exactly a morning person.”
    The sleepy—and sort of hung-over—looking guy rolled his eyes, drawing an exasperated sigh from one of his partners. Clearly they were also best friends. They could practically finish each others’ sentences.
    “Oh, I’m a hell of a morning guy. As I was about to demonstrate…”
    Banks stepped in before they could deteriorate too much of the professional atmosphere he’d created for the staff. At least not on the very first day of the Divemaster Project. “Okay, everyone, today is show time. Our first batch of guests will arrive in just a few hours. The two dozen passengers have one thing in common. They are all family members of children who passed away unexpectedly. They chose to donate their loved ones’ organs and saved countless lives despite their own personal losses. Each person was nominated by the family of a transplant recipient who felt they deserved the vacation of a lifetime. For many of these people, significant stress is a constant part of their daily existence. I see it as our mission to help them forget their personal tragedies for a little while. Or if we can’t do that, at least give them some space to reflect in peace and quiet away from their obligations.”
    Well, that sobered things up real quick.
    Damn.
    For the first time,