A/N: Just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the reviews for the first chapter. I tried to reply to them but FFN kept responding with an error message and wouldn't let me. Hopefully they have that fixed now. Please just know that I read every single one and EA and I appreciated them greatly!
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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, plot, names, and nicknames are all the property of the author of this fanfic. Unauthorized use of such material is plagiarism. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. And of course just in case that doesn't cover it, Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 2 – Change My World
"This one." Esme sounded confident of her decision as she pushed the chosen resume across the glass desktop to Masen.
"Why this one?" he asked after skimming over the top sheet of the application. To him it looked just like the almost two dozen others they'd been going over together in the past week.
"Because of her essay. She wants more than a summer in the sun on a boat. She wants to observe and learn from us even though she's afraid."
"I don't remember reading about any fears."
Esme smiled at him, enjoying a rare moment of innocence from him. Apparently, he had yet to learn to read between the lines. "This section right here," she said as she tapped her fingernail against the page. "At first, she says she doesn't have much hands-on experience. But in the next few paragraphs, she goes on to describe her work with rays and dolphins, showing she actually has quite a bit of experience and knowledge."
"She has selective experience then, only having worked with the marine life she considers safe?" Masen questioned.
"Exactly. And you'll also notice that while she knows exactly what we research, she never uses the word 'shark' anywhere in her essay. I believe she's harboring a deep fear of sharks, and still she wants to be our intern."
"If she's that afraid of sharks, why would she be the right candidate? Won't her fear limit her ability to work with us?"
Esme smiled as she leaned back and relaxed in her chair. "Not if you do your job correctly. You keep running your mouth that you want to change the way sharks are regarded. Here is your chance to … How do you put it in your research and grant papers … Turn fear into understanding, respect, and mindful behavior."
He picked up the application again and thumbed through the pages, his eye catching sight of the section of her essay that talked about bull sharks. While this young woman had made a valiant effort to stay professional in her estimation of bull sharks, it was clear to Masen she wouldn't bat an eyelash if she were told the entire species had been wiped out.
"She would definitely be a challenge. Changing her viewpoint might not even be possible." He lifted his head and regarded his mother, knowing he would trust whatever decision she made. MMR's future was as important to her as it was to him, just for different reasons. "You really think she's the best candidate for the job?"
"I do. I also believe she has more to offer than two hands. Her education and experience are already vast, and she truly seems to want to learn more." Esme reached across the desk for his hand, giving him a heart-warming smile. "And I believe she may be able to teach my all-knowing son a thing or two. She seems like a real people person, something you need to learn to be if you're going to successfully vocalize your views and change the perspectives of others. Sitting behind that desk and publishing papers is only going to get you so far. You need to get out there, be the face and voice for your sharks. I know if I was deciding to help based on the look of a shark versus looking at you, the shark would be shit out of luck."
Laughter shot out of Masen and filled the room, bringing a pleased smile to Esme's face. "And just so you know," he said once he stopped laughing. "I can't be all-knowing and learn new things at the same time. I'd be an oxymoron."
"Well I can't argue with the moron part," she teased, closing one beautiful gray eye in a wink.
He narrowed his own eyes, pretending to be upset with her. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you've stopped loving me."
"Oh, Edward," she said softly, giving his fingers a squeeze. She was the only one who ever called him by his first name. "Sweetheart, I will never stop loving you."
Her words made him frown instead of bringing out that bright, beautiful smile she loved to see on his handsome face. She didn't need to ask him what was wrong because it had dawned on her the moment the words had left her mouth—those were the last words his birth mother—her big sister—had said to him when he was just a little boy.
Not one to ever be able to stand seeing him saddened, Esme brought his focus back around to the papers on his desk. "Your choice for summer research assistant is due tonight, Edward. You can either trust my judgment on this and free up your afternoon or you can sit there the rest of the day re-reading applications until you're ready to admit my pick is the pick."
A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. "Ladies choice then," he said as he stacked up the pile of applications with the chosen one on top. "We'll invite Isabella Cullen to join us for the summer."
"What an excellent decision, Edward." Her grin was too infectious for him to pretend to be annoyed with her. "I'll start looking for a rental big enough to fit all of us and our plus one."
Masen's smile widened as he regarded the woman in front of him. He knew her almost as well as he knew himself and there was no way on God's green Earth that she would stop at finding a place with an extra room. She would have it furnished and decorated as well, making it warm and inviting without even knowing this young woman or her tastes.
"Here," he said as he offered up his black credit card. "Have fun."
Esme made no move to take it, frowning at him instead. "You can put that right back into your wallet and you better do it before I decide to feel offended."
"Don't be stubborn, Mom. The internship is part of our research which means the funding for this summer program idea of yours is coming from it."
"Oh, I agree, but only as far as the cost of housing her goes. The furnishing is my choice and I will handle the cost of it."
Knowing better than to argue with her, he slipped the card back into his wallet and made a big show of closing the flap and setting it down on the desk. "Happy?"
Esme answered with a wide smile and a sparkle in her eyes. "Absolutely."
Masen could only laugh and shake his head as he watched her exit his office. It wasn't a typical office by any means; the back wall was made entirely of glass, offering up a beautiful view of the beach and ocean beyond. He would have loved to spend the day in those blue waters, but there was too much to be done before they left Hawaii to spend the summer in Africa—starting with running an inventory on Galeos and making sure they had enough supplies for maintenance and upkeep to last through the summer. He grabbed his keys, sent a quick text to his trusted mechanic with instructions to meet him at the marina, and left the home he shared with Esme.
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"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
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"It's thin. Too thin." Bella flipped the envelope over once more as if that would somehow make it thicker.
"What were you expecting? A thirty page itinerary?" Alice asked with a small laugh. Bella knew her sister wasn't being unkind by laughing—that was just Alice's way. Whenever there was something making her nervous or uncomfortable, she laughed. The idea of an entire summer without her sister definitely made Alice nervous.
Bella set the envelope onto her bed as if it was made of crystal and ready to break at the slightest rough touch. "No, but I thought there would at least be some forms to fill out and most likely in triplicate. It's not a big deal. It's not like I really wanted to go anyway."
Her sister huffed at such an obvious lie and grabbed for the envelope, ripping it open before Bella could protest. Getting the enclosed letter out and unfolded proved more difficult with the two sisters wrestling across the bed for ownership of it until Alice triumphed. She continued to straddle Bella's back while reading the contents aloud ...
"Dear Isabella Cullen,
We here at Masen Marine Research are extremely pleased and delighted to inform you of your selection as research intern aboard the vessel Galeos. Among the many applications we received, yours stood out to us. We look forward to working with you and are certain you will gain as much from us as we will gain from you.
Congratulations on being selected for this unique and educational opportunity. Flight and boarding information will be sent to you as soon as they are finalized.
If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me using any of the means listed below. I look forward to meeting you.
Sincerely,
Esme Masen
Director of Operations
Masen Marine Research"
"She sounds like a very lovely woman," Alice commented as she finally climbed off of her sister.
Bella missed her sister's comment, still reeling at the contents of the letter. "I got in?"
Alice huffed and rolled her eyes. "No, they sent this letter to you as a cruel, cruel joke for their own evil amusement. All that time on the water has left them with a skewed sense of humor."
"Let me see," Bella demanded with her hand held out.
"You don't trust me? I'm hurt." Anyone else would have believed her pout and sad eyes were real, but Bella knew better.
"Alice, hand over that letter or I'll tell Carlisle about that boy you snuck in here last night." Her threat must have sounded genuine because Alice quickly relinquished the letter. After reading it over and over again, Bella finally lifted her head to meet her sister's gaze. "I really got into the program."
"Yes, you did. Now you can tell me all about it and stop being sketchy on the details."
"I haven't been sketchy at all. You know I'll be doing research on marine life in Africa."
"Yes, but why Africa? What kind of marine life is so important over there?"
"It's not so much about the animals as it is about the waterways. Africa is located in just the right spot to give access to a superb marine science environment. I'll be able to explore the Red Sea and the sea of Madagascar, and that's just the two names you would recognize."
"Seeing nature in nature ... Okay, I get that. But, Bella, it's halfway around the world. Do you know how far away from me that is?"
Bella couldn't stop herself from laughing at her sister—or from teasing her. "Yes, I do know how far away it is. It was part of the appeal, really."
Alice huffed and grabbed a pillow, smacking her sister in the shoulder with it. "You are incorrigible, Bella Cullen," she said as both sisters laughed.
A male voice suddenly rose above the din, quickly and completely grabbing the sisters' attention. "I would agree there are instances where our Bella is not easily swayed, but she is far from beyond reform."
"Carlisle!" Alice squealed, launching herself into the tall man's arms. "You made it home in time for dinner."
"I gave you my word this morning, Dear." He brushed a kiss to her cheek before setting his gray eyes on Bella. "Have you heard anything yet?"
Bella didn't answer right away, expecting her sister to shout out the good news like usual. This time, however, Alice remained silent. "This came today," Bella said as she passed the letter to her uncle.
She watched his face closely while he read, looking for any sign of sadness or apprehension. Unlike Alice, he knew exactly where she was going and what she would be studying aboard that boat. There was no sign of worry in his eyes as he regarded her, only pride. It was a look she both loved and hated because her uncle never looked more like her father than when he was smiling proudly over something.
"You'll do a wonderful job, Isabella," Carlisle said, handing the letter back to her.
"And make you proud," she added.
"My darling niece, you make me proud every day." He reached for both of his nieces, hugging them tightly. "You both make me proud. And I know your father would be as well."
"Now that she has her letter, we need to put together her wardrobe," Alice announced.
"Alice, I have plenty of clothing in my closet that I can take on this trip," Bella assured her.
"That's Florida clothing. You need Africa clothing. And when you get back at the end of the summer and are ready to move to Atlanta, we'll go out and get you Georgia clothing."
Bella briefly considered arguing with her sister but quickly decided she didn't have hours to waste on a battle she would never win. Besides, if shopping made Alice feel better about their impending separation, then Bella would go along with it. She would do anything and everything necessary to ensure her little sister's happiness—including a few white lies regarding her upcoming summer trip.
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"Check it again," Masen ordered.
"Dude! It's secure. Trust me."
Masen didn't raise his voice, only his eyes. "Gopher, again."
There was a lot of huffing and grumbling in response but Masen only smiled. He knew Gopher would check it again, find some small part he'd missed locking down, and fix his error without ever acknowledging he'd been wrong.
"Make sure to put it against the wall. We still have a vehicle to load." The sound of Esme's voice drew Masen away from his work. He used his clipboard as a shield for his eyes to see her better since he'd forgotten his sunglasses on the boat's kitchen counter.
She was wearing her usual marina outfit of jean shorts with an open white shirt on top of a white tank top. Completing her look was her ridiculously ugly and misshapen tan sunhat and her oversized black sunglasses. She looked like a model getting ready for a weekend on a yacht rather than a woman readying herself for a journey across the sea.
His mom. Technically she was his aunt since she was his mother's sister, but Esme had been his only parent for the past fifteen years. He had never known his father and his mother Elizabeth had passed away when he was only eleven. He had expected Esme to send him back to Chicago where his grandparents lived after the funeral but she had kept him with her in Hawaii. She had never once made him feel like he was a burden to her or that she regretted keeping him. If anything, she'd always made him feel like she was the one who needed him even though they both knew it was the other way around.
He had moved out of her house at nineteen only to find that he hated living on his own and could never remember to take care of the small things, like grocery shopping and paying bills. Esme had offered for him to move back into his old room and he had taken her up on it with the condition that he paid rent to her so that he would be a roommate and not a failure at living on his own. And when he'd told her five years ago that he was starting Masen Marine Research and planned to travel the world, she had left her job as an elementary school teacher to join him.
Esme's voice caught his attention again; she was standing near the boat that would follow them to Africa, transporting the research gear not used on a daily basis and any basic necessities they wouldn't be able to easily get there. Esme was overseeing the addition of a few crates worth of materials to make their destination homey for the summer. The first summer they had made the journey together, Masen had tried to explain that it was only a three month trip and they could do without the luxuries they were used to here in Hawaii. She had won the argument, ending it for all-time too, simply by pointing at his Bronco. He'd bought it as soon as he'd gotten his license nearly a decade ago and had rebuilt and restored it himself—with a little help from his trusted mechanic. He liked to use the excuse that it was cheaper to take his truck with him than to rent one for the summer. He hated to be without it and always waited as long as he could to load it on the boat.
"Masen, the rooms are ready," Lee said, pulling the clipboard out of his hands to check off the assignment. "Esme's set up in your room and you're bunking with Whit as requested. Do I get a gold star for following your orders?"
Masen let out a growl while ensnaring Lee in his arms and causing her to drop the clipboard to the deck with a loud clatter. "Why do you always wanna be a brat to me, huh? I should toss you overboard for your attitude."
She laughed. "Oh, look who's talking! You have zero room to call someone else annoying."
"You know you love me just the way I am."
She turned her head and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. "Always. So what's next on the list?" she asked as she slipped out of his loose hold.
"Why don't you take a break and take Gopher to get some lunch? I'm pretty sure I heard his stomach rumbling a few minutes ago."
"What about everyone else?"
"Esme is having lunch with me and Whit is off doing his thing." He didn't need to explain further. Lee had been with Whit and Masen on the day that had changed their lives irrevocably—and their career paths.
Masen and Whit had met when they were thirteen. Whit was an army kid new to the island and hating every second of it and Masen had been selected by their teacher to show Whit around his new school. The rest, as they say, was history. The two boys were quite adept at finding trouble together and were rarely seen apart. That closeness was still there today, stronger than ever. It was their bad boy exterior that had drawn Lee to them and their good guy interior that had kept her around as a friend.
On the day that had changed them all, Whit had recently begun his career as a licensed nurse while Lee had managed to grab an internship with an engineering firm. Masen had still been trying to decide if he wanted to put his shiny new marine biology degree to use or join Lee at the engineering firm. But that was then. Now they worked together researching and collecting data in the hopes of preserving sharks and educating people on proper water safety. And before they undertook any trips away from home, Whit went to remember that day and to appreciate the fragility and magnificence of life.
Masen shook his head, clearing his mind and refocusing on the present. Lee had her arms around his waist and though he couldn't see her face, he was positive there were tears in her eyes. After all this time, it still hurt to know how close they'd come to losing part of the family they'd built together.
He gently removed her arms from him, giving her a warm smile. "Go on and take Gopher to lunch before he starts complaining of fatigue and torturous work conditions."
Lee's face instantly brightened at the thought of a sit-down, unhurried lunch. "We'll only be gone a couple of hours."
"Take the rest of the day off. You've all been working hard to get the boats ready and you deserve a break."
"What about keeping an eye on the ships and our cargo? Did you forget the guard company didn't have anyone they could send tonight?"
"No, I remembered. But I'll handle it."
"Mase, are you sure?"
"I'll handle it, Lee. Besides, it's not like I'm going to be sleeping or anything."
"I still say you have to be some kind of undead being to survive on the little bit of sleep you get."
"Last I checked, I didn't crave brains or blood so I think I'm okay."
"And you don't sparkle," she added with a laugh.
"Sparkle?"
She waved her hand in dismissal. "Some book I was reading. The vampires in it sparkled. They were made out of diamonds or something."
Masen laughed. "Yeah, because fangs and supernatural strength don't make them indestructible enough."
"Guess not." Lee gave him a quick hug and a kiss to his cheek. "Call me if you change your mind and want some help watching the boats."
"I can handle it."
"Fine. Then call me if you decide you want company. A little human on human interaction would do you good."
"I already promised you we'd go out together before we leave for False Bay," he reminded her. "We have plenty of time."
"I'm holding you to that promise, Masen," Lee warned. She blew him a kiss and then began moving toward the back of the boat. "Gopher, get your furry bee-hind up here," she called out. And because she knew it would make him move twice as fast she added two words, "Lunch time!"
It only took Gopher—born Emmett McCarty—seconds to drop everything and jump from the boat to the dock. He turned to help Lee off and was strong enough to grab her by the hips, lift her into the air, and then gently set her down on the dock. Masen smiled as he watched the two of them walk away arm in arm.
"They really are so sweet together." The softly spoken words startled Masen enough to make him move. Esme laughed at having surprised him while he grumbled under his breath and grabbed hold of the toe he'd stubbed against the railing. "Ready for lunch?" she asked after verifying there was no blood in sight.
Masen made a disgruntled face at her sugary sweet tone only to dissolve into laughter when she playfully flicked him in the forehead for it. "I've been dreaming about your meatloaf sandwiches since I saw you making them this morning," he said as he picked the clipboard up and tucked it under his arm.
"Edward, what am I going to do with you?" she asked while ruffling his hair. "I slap some leftover meatloaf between two slices of bread and you act like it's a meal fit for a king."
"It's fit for this king," he replied, making her laugh.
"Don't quit your day job, Kid, because you suck at comedy."
"What? I thought I managed pretty well there. You did laugh."
Esme smiled as she pinched his cheek. "You know what you should manage next? A shave. A real shave and not that thing you do with that electric razor. The president of the company should be clean shaven, especially when he's going to be greeting an intern soon."
Masen snorted. "It's my company. Not having to shave is just one of the many perks of having created it. Besides, there's no point in shaving it all off when it'll just start coming back in by the end of the day. There are so many other ways I can spend my time."
She shrugged. "It was worth a try. Maybe one day I'll find out what you would look like if you resembled the owner of a successful research company instead of a beach bum."
"Bum? Did you just call me a bum?"
Esme let out a loud snort. "Just calling it like I see it."
Masen shook his head. "It's not going to work, Mom. I like things just the way they are."
"Change is a good thing, Edward. And by my records, you are overdue for some."
He rolled his eyes at what he considered unnecessary motherly advice and quickly changed the conversation back to their impending lunch and the meatloaf sandwiches he couldn't wait to dig into.
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"Not this one," Alice said, tossing the dress to the side. "And certainly not this one."
"Hey, that's my favorite sundress," Bella cried. She reached across the bed and snatched it from the toss pile her sister had created.
"And it shows, Bella. It has a hole near the hem."
"I know," she said as she hugged the peach colored dress to her chest. "I snagged it my first day working with the dolphins at Sea World. It has sentimental value."
"Maybe so, but it has no place in your summer wardrobe. You need to look like the sophisticated and knowledgeable woman you are and you cannot do that in old clothing."
"The more comfortable my clothing, the more focused I'll be on my work," Bella pointed out.
Alice continued sorting through clothing as if her sister hadn't spoken at all. "This white one with the little blue flowers is perfect for your arrival. I shouldn't even let you take it knowing it could get some sort of slimy gunk from the water on it, but I want you to look your best when you meet these people."
Before Bella could respond, her sister took the conversation into a completely different direction. "You promise you'll write? I want to hear from you every day. And I want real letters mixed in with your emails, even if it's just a few words."
Bella chuckled at her sister's attempt to hide her real desire. "It's not the words you want. It's the stamps that will come on the letters."
Alice let out one of her infamous nervous giggles before turning and dashing out of the room. Bella stayed where she was on the bed knowing her sister would return shortly. Within minutes, the younger sister returned with a flower covered box in her arms. She set it on the bed between them and carefully pulled the lid off, setting it atop the tossed aside clothing.
In the box were hundreds of letters collected during Alice's eighteen years of life. Most had come from Carlisle during his many business travels while the rest were from Alice's friends, sorority sisters, pen pals, and even a few past lovers. Bella didn't know for sure, but she also suspected there were old letters from their parents hidden amongst the many envelopes.
It was their mother who had instilled a love of letters in Alice. Renee had been so proud of the love letters their father Charlie had written to her when they'd been dating. She had enjoyed pulling them out and reading them to her daughters in place of bedtime stories. Bella smiled at the memory of her mother's explanation … Why read you a story about a fake Prince Charming when your father is the real deal?
Alice's excited words drew Bella's attention back to her. "Look at this one! From Uncle Carlisle's first trip to London after we moved here to live with him."
It amazed Bella that Alice could remember the when and where of each of her letters with such perfect clarity. "Remember how he sent us that picture of him standing with the royal guards?" Alice questioned.
Bella smiled and nodded to show she did. She also remembered how Alice had cried herself to sleep in Bella's bed every night until Carlisle had come home safely. Alice had only been ten at the time and Bella fourteen. They had both been much too young to have lost their parents and been thrust into a whole new life far from the home they'd grown up in and the friends they'd known their whole lives. As the oldest, though, it had been Bella's job to take care of Alice and that had meant pushing aside her own hurt to focus on her little sister.
"You promise right, Bella? You'll send me letters?" Alice asked, somehow managing to look ten years old all over again.
Bella reached out and grabbed her sister's hand, squeezing it tightly. "I promise, Alice. I can't promise it'll be every day, but you will definitely get a letter each week that I'm gone."
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"Settle down," Masen called out, trying to be heard over the noise in the room.
The noisemakers seemed to have not heard him at all. Gopher continued to tap against the table to whatever song was playing in his head while Lee and Whit discussed the nail polish bottles sitting in front of them.
"I'm thinking this blue but I also like this coral."
"That's orange."
"No, it's coral. It says so right here on the bottle."
"The bottle can say anything it wants. That shit is orange."
Masen took in a breath and yelled out over all their noise. "Hello! Think I could get your attention so we can get this meeting started?"
"Why do you need our attention?" Lee asked. "You'll state the same safety rules, we'll go over our same initial assignments, and then we'll break for lunch. Same old, same old."
"Close, smart ass," Masen replied. "But you forgot the part where I tell you about the intern coming to spend the summer with us."
Not only did he have their attention now, he had all three of them speaking at once.
"Fresh hands. Cool."
"Are you out of your mind?"
"What's an intern?"
Masen ignored their questions for now and gave them the facts. "Esme and I were looking at ways to get more exposure for MMR while also getting more funding and we found that if we created an intern program, we would be able to accomplish both things together."
"An intern, Masen? How the hell is that going to work? We have our routine down-pat. Introducing some stranger to the mix could throw it all off," Lee stated.
"Or it could make it better," Whit suggested.
"Thank you, Whit," Masen said, quickly latching onto his support. "This young woman—" It was as far as he got before Lee interrupted.
"A chick? Really? We're going to finally even the odds? Oh, I think I like this intern idea better already. But hang on! How come you got to pick the person without any of us giving input?"
"Because the three of you can never agree on anything," Masen answered.
"The hell you say," Lee argued. "We agree all the time."
"Give me an example. In fact, let me make it easy for you. Give me one example of you three agreeing on one meal," he challenged.
Lee opened her mouth but closed it just as quickly while Whit looked anywhere but at Masen and Gopher stared down at his hands.
"That's what I thought." Masen had a pleased grin on his face. "So would you like to hear about the intern now?"
Lee waved her hand for him to continue.
"This young woman is from Florida and she's been working with dolphins at Sea World. She's also—."
"Man, what a change up," Gopher interrupted. "From cute and cuddly to the apex predator of the sea, all huge and toothy."
"It's going to be a very big adjustment," Masen agreed. "She doesn't see sharks the way we do."
"Then why did she get picked?" Lee asked, sitting up straight in her chair and really seeming interested for the first time.
"We've all been talking a lot in the last year about getting out there and changing the perception people have about sharks. This intern …" He glanced down at his notes for her name, "Isabella Cullen will be the first perception we try to change."
Lee shook her head. "While I'm all for extending our reach and helping our cause, I don't think on the water with the sharks is what's best for someone who's afraid of them."
"What would you suggest? It's not as though there are books out there that give an accurate portrayal. And there are very few true documentaries," Masen pointed out. "Seeing it first-hand seems to me to be the only way right now. But think about how it could be in a few years if this works. Not only would we have our papers out there, we would have hers. And after the summer she's supposed to take a job with the Atlanta Aquarium. Think about what it could do for us if the Aquarium promotes our conservation efforts."
"Well I've only got one question," Whit announced. He waited until he was sure they were all looking at him and then asked, "Does she surf?"
Lee and Gopher broke out into laughter while Masen smiled and shook his head. He should have known he wasn't going to keep them serious for more than a few minutes at a time. It would be different once they started the trip but right now was still down-time in their heads.
"So when will she get here?" Lee questioned.
"Esme made arrangements to have her arrive next Friday night and we'll pull out Saturday morning."
"Does she do anything besides play with dolphins?" Whit asked.
"We didn't ask for hobbies," Masen told him. "She did mention she can drive a skiff though, so Gopher you'll have some help setting decoys."
"Bitchin," Gopher replied with a head bob.
"Is she going to help with anything else?" Lee questioned.
"More than likely. But nothing directly in the water to start with. We want her to feel secure with how we do things before having her participate. Esme and I really want this program to be a success."
"Ooh la la," Whit sang. "He pulled Esme's name into the mix. Mase, you nervous we won't be on our best behavior with the intern? Would it help relax your nerves if I promise not to hit on her no matter how hot she looks in a bikini?"
"I promise not to hit on her either," Lee quickly chimed in. She lifted her fingers in a peace sign and added, "Scout's honor."
Gopher reached out and grabbed her fingers, bringing them to his lips for a kiss. "I see no other women in the world so don't worry about me," he said, looking only at her.
"Suck up," Lee chided even as she smiled at him.
"Very funny," Masen told them, shaking his head at their smiling faces.
"Oh, relax, Mase," Lee said. "You've got this. If you can get all of us to spend three months on a boat with your pain-in-the-ass self, then you can convince a dolphin lover to care for sharks."
"I'm glad you have so much confidence in me, Lee. Allow me to return the favor … This summer, we will be keeping up a blog of our travels and findings. At least once a week, one of you will write a blog post, sharing an experience you've had aboard Galeos with the rest of the world. You can add pictures and video, but you also have to write an actual post. It has to be five-hundred words or more and it can't be one sentence repeated again and again."
"Why the hell are you looking only at me when you say that shit?" Gopher asked, looking as indignant as he sounded.
"You know why," Lee said before Masen could. When Gopher had first expressed an interest in joining MMR, Masen had asked him to write down his reasons for wanting to become part of the team. Gopher had turned over a sheet of paper filled with two sentences written again and again … I want to be with Lee. Sharks don't scare me.
"A blog, Masen? Where in the hell did you pull that lame ass idea from?" Whit questioned.
"Look, I know you were never a fan of writing in school, but this is important. It's another great way to get our name and our efforts out there into the world," Masen explained. "I'll be doing it too. In fact, I'll do the first post myself."
"As our fearless leader, I think you should do them all," Lee suggested.
Masen immediately shot her down. "Nice try, but no. We each have different personalities, different styles, and different visions of what we hope to accomplish. That means that we can connect with a larger audience if we all work together. This can be a prime example of Team MMR's professionalism and commitment. And once you start writing, you'll see that five-hundred words comes pretty quick."
"It can be about anything?" Gopher questioned.
"Anything related to marine life or life aboard Galeos," Masen answered. "Just no explicit or foul language. We don't want to get any emails from angry parents of children who looked up conservation efforts and got an eyeful of your consummation efforts instead."
Gopher shot him the middle finger for his comments while Lee and Whit laughed.
Masen brought them to order once more and then went through the safety rules and initial responsibilities they were used to hearing. By the time he was done, they were all in a hurry to do other things and they left without asking any of the questions he had expected to answer. Knowing them as well as he did, he was sure he would get random questions tossed at him over the next few days until the intern arrived.
.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
.
"Don't torque it much. Just barely a smidge," Lee warned from her spot behind Masen's shoulder.
From his squatted position, Masen took the wrench away from the bolt and turned his head to look up at her. "Do you want to do it?" he asked, giving her a fierce scowl.
She ignored the look he was giving her and rolled her eyes at him. "You were the one who said you wanted to learn. In order to learn, you first have to be instructed. So shut up and listen. If you tighten it too much, the bolt will strip and the whole assembly could come loose from the engine's vibrations. It's not something that would happen right away, but it's definitely something you want to avoid."
He huffed and turned back to the pipe in front of him. "You already told me that three times. You're just using it as an excuse because you're enjoying the chance to boss me around for a change."
She nodded in agreement though he couldn't see it. She had detected some sluggishness while prepping the boat for the journey to False Bay and had found that a bolt for one of the hoses was worn. She had planned on replacing it herself and being home by now, but Masen had insisted she show him how to do it. She knew he had all the confidence in the world in her, but she also knew this boat was his baby and he enjoyed learning how to take care of it properly—she just had to get him to shut up and listen first.
For his part, Masen didn't consider it arguing. He saw it as examining all possible solutions to a situation. He'd always been the kind of person to look at a problem from different angles to see if there was room for an improved solution. For this particular situation, Lee's solution was best—tighten the bolt to the assembly without overdoing it.
He took in a deep breath to steady his nerves and then carefully wrapped his hands around the wrench. It was vital to have a good grip so he could feel exactly when the bolt reached maximum tightness. Moving slowly and carefully, he pulled the wrench toward himself—neither person breathed.
Not until a third person bounded into the room while yelling out a greeting and causing Masen to jerk and pull too much, stripping the bolt and falling backwards on his ass.
"Fuck!" Masen screamed, throwing the wrench at the yeller and just barely missing his target. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."
"What? What did I do?" Gopher cried, looking between Lee and Masen and the wrench that had slid past him to hit the wall.
"Gopher, get the fuck out of here before he kills you," Lee ordered, meaning every word. She had both hands anchored to Masen's shoulders, keeping him seated on the floor and away from her apparently suicidal boyfriend.
"Let me go. I'm going to fucking kill him. He's going to be chum when I'm done with him," Masen snarled. He would have gotten out from under Lee's grip if he'd been sure he could do it without hurting her. He had to wonder if she wasn't a little crazy for once again saving her boyfriend from death—and if maybe he wasn't insane too for caring enough about her to let the idiot stick around.
"Hush it," Lee ordered. She squatted down to be face-to-face with Masen. "He's already turned tail and run. You need to focus on this engine."
"The fucking bolt is stripped, Lee." He proved his point by reaching out and twirling the thing with his finger.
"Then we need a new one. Do we have any extras on the boat?"
"Fuck if I know. What does the inventory sheet say?"
Lee huffed as she used Masen's head to help her stand and then walked over to where the inventory clipboard hung. She hated it when he got himself all worked up over the small things in life—especially when he never bothered to take time off for the big things. If it wasn't related to his boat, his dog, or his family, Masen wanted no part of it. And even those things could only draw him away from his work for so long.
Lee flipped through the pages on the clipboard a few times before sighing and putting the board back. "We don't have extras."
"Let me guess who had the job of making sure we had extras," Masen growled. He'd gotten to his feet and retrieved his wrench, envisioning the many ways he would use the tool against the big tool in his life.
Lee took the wrench from him and stuffed it into the back pocket of her jean shorts. "Doesn't matter. We need the bolt if we want the engine running at optimum performance. I'll get online and find the closest place to pick some up."
He let out a growl and roughly tugged at his hair. "Why? Why does he do these things? And how the hell does he always manage to do them at the most inopportune times?"
Lee smiled as she rubbed Masen's arm in hopes of soothing a little of his anger. "He doesn't mean to mess up, Mase. He just tries so hard to impress you that he gets himself into trouble."
"It's not me he's trying to impress."
"Oh, yes it is. He knows I love him and accept him the way he is. But you only tolerate him and he wants a real friendship with you."
"We're friends. As long as he's not fucking with my boat."
She rolled her eyes while grabbing his forearm and tugging him toward the stairs. "Come on. Let's go look online for some bolts."
After searching a few of her favorite sites for parts, she found the bolts—two and a half hours away.
"He's a dead man," Masen promised. If asked an hour ago, he would have said Gopher was an okay guy most days. If asked right now, he wouldn't be able to recall a single reason for having the guy around. And if asked again once he had the bolts in his hand, he would recall how happy the idiot made Lee and that would be reason enough to forgive the latest mishap.
"Alright, Mase," Lee said as she stood. "If we head out now, you can drop me at the house and reach the parts store before it closes."
"Promise I can kill him when I get back, Lee. Please."
She rolled her eyes while pushing him toward the door. "I promise if you don't get those bolts, you won't be able to sleep tonight from worrying over it."
Masen snorted since they both knew he wouldn't sleep much, if at all, whether he had the bolt or not. Sleep was never big on his list of priorities; it only got in the way of his work.
"Whatever. Just go," she said, pushing him once more.
They locked up the boat and Masen drove them home, speeding around the curves like usual. When they pulled into the drive, he noticed Whit's yellow Ducati and decided he wanted to take the bike for his trek across the island instead of Lee's Accord. He would have taken the Bronco if it hadn't been loaded onto the ship just this morning.
"Tell Whit I'm taking his bike," Masen said as he dropped Lee's keys into her hand.
She grabbed his forearm and gave him a stern look to match her warning. "Be safe. It's one thing to speed in the Bronco and our cars but another to do it on that bike."
He smiled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. "You love me."
"Barely," she scoffed.
"You love me," he insisted, winking at her and smiling wide.
"Yes, I love you. So be safe damn it."
He made the hand sign for "promise" and then headed for Whit's bike. He put the helmet on but left the visor up and then started up the bike, letting the engine rev and rumble beneath him.
He caught the frown on Lee's face from the corner of his eye and let the bike roll over to where she was still standing by her car. "I'll call when I get there and when I leave, okay?"
The tension lines around her eyes eased up and she smiled as she nodded. "Thanks, Mase."
"After awhile, Crocodile."
"Later, Gator," Lee replied, reaching out and pushing his visor closed.
.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
.
If Bella had been in that front yard with Masen and Lee, she would have told the two friends that they had the parting backwards. But she wasn't there. She was high up in the sky and hours away from landing in Hawaii, chewing on her thumbnail and trying to envision what the next few months of her life would be like.
Bella had exchanged quite a few emails with Esme Masen in preparation for her summer journey and she knew she would be one of four crewmembers on the boat. Edward Masen served as both captain and boss while Esme wouldn't be on the boat for most trips, preferring to stay on land and handle the business side of their research. Esme hadn't given many details about Edward and the crew other than their names, stating that she wanted Bella to form her own opinions. She had sent a picture of Edward and herself, though, stating that they would be the ones to meet Bella at the airport. He looked kind of young to be the head of research in Bella's opinion—or maybe it was the preppy way he was dressed in the photo with perfectly trimmed hair, freshly shaven face, and a crisp white shirt with a red tie. He seemed more suited for an office building than a boat at sea. She wondered if he really did some of the work or just gave orders from behind a desk on the boat.
With a shake of her head, Bella cut off that line of thinking; she couldn't and shouldn't base her opinion on a few emails and a picture. Once she was on the boat and spending time with the crew, then she would get to know them. Just as she hoped they didn't have any preconceived notions about her, she wanted to keep her mind open about all of them. Still, she couldn't help but be nervous at being the newcomer. Five years together as a team would definitely have forged tight bonds between them all.
All her thinking had kept Bella occupied right up until the wheels of her plane touched down on the airport runway. A rush of excitement and adrenaline flooded her system and a huge smile filled her face. She was really doing this. She was really going to spend the summer on the water so she could start the next stage of her life in the fall.
As she headed toward baggage claim, she looked around for any sight of Esme. Her flight had originally been scheduled to arrive two days from now, but severe storms headed for Florida had forced Bella to depart earlier. Esme had assured her that she would meet her at the airport and take her to the house they would stay in until the boat left for False Bay in a few days.
Bella scanned the crowd again and found that none of the people milling around matched the pictures she had been sent. There was also no one holding a sign with her name like they sometimes did in movies. She hoped that by the time she'd retrieved all of her bags someone would be here to take her to the house. She couldn't wait to get out of the sundress Alice had insisted she wear and into a comfy pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
A very nice gentleman inside the airport helped Bella wrestle her trunk from the turnstile and get it onto the side that held the wheels. She was able to get her two duffel bags herself, stacking one onto the trunk and setting the other next to it. With that done, she reached into her carryon and pulled out her cell phone, hoping she would have signal here.
No bars registered on the screen and even shaking it didn't help. Bella had never been very good with electronics, probably because they didn't mix well with water and that was where she spent most of her time. If it weren't for Alice's insistence, Bella wouldn't have brought the phone along at all.
Another smile lit her face as Bella thought of her little sister. Alice had decided the two of them needed to spend nearly every waking moment together in the last week so there would be enough memories to tide them over in their three month separation. Bella had been unable to refuse her sister and looking back now on the time they'd spent together, she was glad for it now.
"Isabella Cullen?" a smooth voice questioned.
Bella turned toward the voice and found a man a good deal taller than her with shoulder-length, shaggy black hair. He had an infectious smile on his face and gray eyes that reminded her of her uncle's. He was also holding a picture of her in his hand.
"That's me," she said, eyeing him warily. This was not Esme and it was certainly not Edward.
The man stuck his hand out to her. "I'm Whit. Esme sent me to pick you up. She apologizes for not coming herself but she couldn't get out of her meeting. Some big deal to do with one of our grants."
Bella recognized Whit's name from the email Esme had sent and smiled as she took his hand, giving it a firm shake. "It's nice to meet you, Whit. Esme told me that you're the navigator, medical officer, and peace keeper."
He grinned. "Yeah, I don't know about that last one. We don't have a day that goes by without somebody threatening to drown somebody else." His eyes drifted to the pile of luggage beside her. "Are these all of your bags?"
"Yes. I'm sorry if it seems a bit excessive but my sister packed for me and she's rather hard to deny."
"When you see all that Esme plans on bringing along with her, you won't think yours is such a big pile."
Whit grabbed the duffel from the top of the trunk and the trunk itself while Bella carried the second bag. She followed along behind him, trying to keep up with the long strides he was taking. They worked together to load everything into the trunk of his car and then they were off.
"So Florida, huh?" Whit asked as they drove along the highway.
"Yeah. It's pretty, but nothing like this," she said, waving toward the scenery outside of her window.
"I've lived a lot of places, but none as beautiful as this one." He must have seen her curiosity on her face because he added, "I was an army brat growing up. We moved all over the U.S. until we ended up here. My parents love this place as much as I do so my dad retired and they opened up a surf shop."
"You didn't want to join the family business?"
"What I do every day … It's not business. It's life."
.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
.
The door to Masen's room flew open so suddenly that Lizzy leapt on top of him and began growling at the intruder. The book Masen had been reading connected with the wall and then fell to the ground with a dull thump. He'd tossed it away to wrap his hands around Lizzy's haunches to keep her from leaping at the uninvited guest. The last thing he needed was to have to rush her to an emergency vet days before they were scheduled to leave.
"So, so sorry, Mase." Lee's apology might have had a shot at working if she hadn't been snorting behind the hands doing a piss-poor job of covering her smile.
Masen ignored her while pulling his black and white Boston Terrier against his chest and scratching behind her ear, talking to her as if she were a baby who had been startled to tears. "Come here, Lizzy. Come here, sweet girl. Ignore that mean ol' Lee."
Lee dropped her hands to her hips and rolled her eyes at his behavior. He didn't see it, though, too busy reaching for the container of treats he kept on his bedside table. He shook a few into his hand, watching with pride as Lizzy sat up and patiently waited for her reward for protecting him from the intruder. She had her mouth open with her tongue dangling out of it, looking to Masen as if she were smiling.
While his dog happily munched on the treats in his open palm, Masen glared at Lee. "You know how freaked she gets when someone comes busting into my room, Lee."
"Hey, I didn't tell her to go all bodyguard over you. Besides, I thought she was in the living room munching on one of the thousand toys you've bought her."
Masen's lips pulled up into a smirk. "My best girl deserves the best toys."
Lee stuck her finger in her mouth and mimed throwing up. "Spare me."
His smirk widened as he twirled his finger. "You know where the door is and how to get out of it."
She smiled and showed him a finger of her own, halfway down her hand. "You know if you treated your dates half as good as you do that dog, you might actually have a girlfriend. I say might because you'd still be a workaholic, another relationship killer as we both know."
Masen ignored her goading and continued to tend to his dog, scratching her belly now that she was done with her treats and splayed out across his lap.
Lee sighed and then walked the few feet over to him, grasping his free hand in hers and giving it a hard tug. "Come out with me."
"For what? You were just insulting me."
"Because you promised you would come out and have a beer with me before we leave. Tonight is that night, Mase."
"Lee, I just got back from picking up the bolts and Whit's not back from whatever errand my mom sent him out on."
"So. I'm so much cooler to hang with than Whit and you know it."
"Well you were and then you started hanging out with Gopher and lost your cool factor."
Lee gasped and then smacked her open palm against the side of Masen's head, making him burst into loud laughter. The sound instantly had Lizzy barking and jumping around while trying to lick his face.
"Not the face, Lizzy," he commanded, gently pushing her little head away.
"Why not? You obviously plan to stay right here so that's all the action you're going to see tonight."
Masen didn't even give Lee the warning of a look before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her down onto his bed. She squealed and struggled as his fingers assaulted all of her ticklish spots and Lizzy licked at her ear.
It wasn't until she was hiccupping and red-faced that he stopped, pulling her into a sitting position and resting his chin on top of her head. "So beers?" he asked.
"Beers," she agreed. "You and me. And Whit will eventually amble in when he's back from Esme's errand."
"And Gopher?"
"He'll be on his best behavior. And for the record, I know you blew him off when you got home and he tried to apologize. Whether you believe it or not, he really is sorry."
"Can't he just not screw shit up from the start instead of being sorry about it later?"
"Sure. Just as soon as you stop being a workaholic insomniac."
Masen let out a heavy sigh that was mostly fake. "Will you stop busting my balls if I agree to go out with you?"
"And if you buy my first beer."
"Done."
"I knew you would agree."
"Smart ass."
She slapped his thigh hard enough for the sound to echo in his room so he squeezed her in his arms until she squeaked out an apology. He kissed the top of her head and then let her go. "Take Lizzy for a walk while I change. And put a note on the fridge so Mom knows Lizzy's already had her treat for the night."
"Come on, girl," Lee said as she scooped the dog into her arms. "And don't you worry. I'm not telling Esme any such thing. You deserve all the treats you can get for putting up with Masen."
"I can hear you," Masen called out into the hallway.
"Duh!"
He smiled at her comment and then shut his door to get ready. He picked his fallen book up from the floor and tossed it onto his bed. He had planned to finish reading up on controlling reflection flares while shooting photos on the water but for Lee he would let it wait another day. She was technically older than him by a few months but he had always seen her as younger and in need of his protection and guidance. It both touched and exasperated her in equal measure. It also got her almost anything she wanted from him, a fact they were both well aware of.
A half-hour and a couple beers later, Masen looked up from the table and zeroed in on something that had not been in the bar just minutes ago. Or rather someone. The sundress was too classy for a place like this but Masen didn't hold it against her—he couldn't when it made her legs look long enough to wrap comfortably around him. And those full pouty lips of hers … He knew right where they could go. The fact that she was swaying to the music and seemed completely unaware that most of the male eyes in here were on her made her that much more appealing to him. The beauties unaware of their appeal were always easier to bed and rarely squawked about his rush to leave when playtime was over.
She lifted her arms and he watched her elegant fingers scoop her reddish-brown hair back and restrain it with a band from her wrist. It left her neck on view and he decided it was his mission to get his lips on that expanse of skin before the night was over.
The squeal of a microphone sounded off and was followed by a deep male voice. "We're Poked With Precision and we're going to play a song called 'One Night With You'. We hope you all like it."
A perverted smile filled Masen's face as the band's name and song title registered in his mind, creating a slew of images involving him poking the beauty at the bar with precision many times over for just this one night.
The fast strum of an electric guitar filled the bar and was joined a few seconds later by a deep male voice.
Just one dance,
Give me just one chance.
Just one night with you,
All I need to get me through.
Masen set his beer down on the table and stood, taking a second to straighten his shirt and push his jeans lower on his hips before walking over to her. When he reached the bar beauty, he said nothing. He only offered his hand and after a second's hesitation, she took it.
He knew this place almost as well as he knew his boat and it allowed him the ability to step backwards and not release her from his eye contact. As they moved together across the floor, he could see her pulse pounding just below her ear and he couldn't resist ensnaring her in his arms and pressing his lips against the beat of her heart. He closed his eyes and focused on how each thump of her heart brought her warm skin in closer contact with his lips.
Just one kiss,
Give you just one kiss.
Ya know you want it too.
Just one night with you.
He waited for her to push him away for being so forward with her. He normally danced at least a song or two with a woman before putting his lips on her, but he hadn't been able to control himself this time. It should have bothered him and probably would later on but for now he was far too busy trying to place the faint fruity smell coming from her body. He drew in a deeper breath hoping to guess but all he found was that she made him shudder with need. The tremor that ran through him caused his scruff to scratch her soft skin and once again he found her reaction unusual. Most women pulled their head down to hide their neck from further assault but she shifted the opposite way, giving him more room. For a moment, he wondered if one of Whit's jokes hadn't come true, that the Devil had come dressed as a woman to bring Masen to his knees.
He would never remember exactly how it had happened but he somehow went from being pressed against her in the middle of the floor to pinning her against the wall in the darkened corner. One of her hands was splayed out against his cheeks with her fingers sliding back and forth along his scruff while her other hand kept a death-grip on the hair at the back of his neck. He had her left leg hiked up around his hip with her knee resting on his forearm, allowing him to be as close as he could get to her without removing clothing. He could feel the sweat dripping down the sides of his face and coating his back beneath his shirt; he vaguely wondered just how long they'd been going hot and heavy against this patch of wall.
It was only because his lungs screamed for a fresh breath that Masen tore his mouth away from hers. He'd thought her lips were full before but now that they were swollen from his kisses … A deep groan rumbled through him as he leaned into her body and ground himself against her, relishing the rush of warmth against his jeans and the soft sound of her moan in his ear. His hungry green eyes met her hooded brown ones and he found himself unable to look away despite how badly he wanted to kiss her again.
Between his loud breathing and hers, Masen didn't hear the throat clearing from behind him the first time. Or the second. Or even the third or fourth. The owner of the throat gave up on making sounds and went for the shoulder tap.
"Go. Away." Masen pronounced each word slowly as if speaking them too fast would allow the razor-sharp tone they were spoken in to slice through skin.
"So I see you met Isabella." Whit. And not just Whit but Whit giving Masen information that cooled him off quicker than a bucket full of ice water dumped down his worn jeans ever could have.
.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
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A/N: SO … How about that Masen? LOL We can't wait to see what kinds of questions you guys have for the MMR crew tomorrow night during the Twitter Q&A. Make sure you follow teammasen! .com (slash) teammasen We'll start at 8:30pm Central Time.
If any of you are interested in Bella's application and essay, those are on the blog.
Chapter 3 will be up on December 15th with the Q&A on the 16th.
Not every chapter will have a Q&A as sometimes we'll be posting blogs from Masen and the crew on the MMR site. We'll let you know which we'll be doing when we give out the chapter's teaser a few days before it posts. Make sure you're signed up at . to receive updates! You can find a clickable link on my profile page and Eternally Addicted's blog at . .
FINAL NOTE: This is just to cover our butts – we do not expect than any reader would do this, but we still need to cover ourselves … The lyrics appearing in this chapter are original, copyrighted material and should not be copied or used without the express permission of the authors. If you have any questions, contact me with a PM and I will be happy to explain.