Chapter 21

Jonathan held the door open for the couple to enter their bungalow. It was Jennifer's wish, Jonathan told himself. Her beck and call that he would gladly satisfy. However, this particular wish of hers was not what he had in mind this morning.

"Jennifer," Hazel exclaimed, walking into the room, and making her way directly towards her. "I must admit you do look much better this morning."

"Thank you. I feel much better as well." Jennifer smiled, wondering why they were actually standing in her bungalow. "It's amazing what some warmth and... uh…" she answered as she bit on her lower lip and winked at Jonathan, taking care to watch his face, "...rest will do for a person's body." He stifled a laugh, his grin not even remotely hidden.

"That's fantastic. You gave us a bit of a scare yesterday. Do you mind?" Hazel indicated her desire to quickly examine her. Jennifer nodded her permission. "Do you remember details about what happened?"

"I remember having two thoughts while we were diving… one that I was cold and the second that I was swimming harder than I had been. I thought at that point I needed to surface. That's when I first realized Jonathan wasn't where I could see him."

Jonathan cringed at hearing her side of the story for the first time. "I found a barracuda, and I wanted to get a closer look, so I swam after it. That dropped me over the ledge, and I realized it was very quickly much darker than it had been, and I lost sight of Jennifer."

Jennifer smiled at him, "I wondered what had your attention."

"You look like you are doing very well. I would recommend you take it easy today. Stay out of the water, so your body can fully regulate your heat again," Hazel said once she was satisfied both with Jennifer's condition and that she had completed her nursing duty. As she stepped back from Jennifer, she noticed for the first time, they were both still in robes, and their first conversation cued up in her mind. "Well, Paul, I think it's about time we get out of the Honeymooner's suite, don't you?"

"Probably, Hazel, probably."

"Thanks so much for checking on Jennifer. It makes me feel better knowing she's had such great care." Jonathan started for the door, but the words coming out of Jennifer's mouth stopped him. What in the world was she doing?

"Yes, thank you! Say, Paul… I meant to ask you yesterday, where did you learn to speak Russian?"

He laughed a little uncomfortably, "I was a Navy translator at the beginning of the Cold War. When I got out, I became a professor of languages at the university."

"Languages? You speak more than Russian?"

"Actually, yes, I speak four, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, and, of course, English."

She made eye contact with Jonathan, who didn't know if he should encourage her questions or beg her to stop. She seemed to read his pause as encouragement. "Russian, Spanish, and Japanese? Does that mean you have spent time in all those countries?"

"A little in each, I suppose. Though more in Russia and Mexico than Japan. I was stationed in Russia for three years, but only six months in Japan. Mexico is just closer and an easy vacation for us," he answered as he slid his arm around Hazel's shoulders.

"And in listening to those aboard the ship yesterday, was there much chatter about the whales? Or only a little here and there?"

"You are full of questions today, aren't you?"

It was Jennifer's turn to laugh, slightly uncomfortably, "Ha, I suppose so. Call it the reporter in me, and my mind is much clearer today than it was yesterday."

Paul smiled as he seemed to be studying her. "I suppose it is." Paul looked at his wife and back to Jennifer. "Tell you what. I would love to chat more with the two of you sometime. Maybe over dinner?"

Jennifer looked at Jonathan, who started to answer when Jennifer stepped in once again, "That would be fun, wouldn't it, Darling?"

Ugh. Again with the unintended consequence of Jennifer's beck and call. "Uh, of course, it would be." He turned toward Paul, with something of a cross between a grimace and a sarcastic smile on his lips, "How does eight sound?"

"Eight sounds perfect. See you then."