says. So, you want lobster, Miss La Mons?”
“You mean, you really can catch lobster with it?”
“Not with this,” I replied, with a chuckle. “But, if the lady wants lobster, lobster it is. Let’s carry this stuff over to the sandbar and I’ll run back to the boat and get my mask and fins.”
We walked along the sandy beach to the narrow sandbar that separates the fort from Bush Key. On the north side of the sandbar, we spread out a blanket and set the cooler in the sand next to it. There wasn’t a breath of wind on the water. The small bay on the north side of the sandbar was flat and reflected the puffy white clouds in the distance, like a polished mirror.
“Hard to believe such a beautiful place exists so close to Key West and I never even heard of it,” she said.
“Key West is close to a lot of small, uninhabited islands like this,” I said. “Several years ago, the state tried to sell a lot of the smaller ones, but not a lot of people were interested. That’s when I bought mine.”
“You own a whole island?” she asked incredulously.
“It’s really tiny,” I said. “A few acres at high tide. Make yourself at home and I’ll be right back.”
I ran back to the boat, hoping that I could make good on my promise. While they are plentiful and currently in season, I’d never dived this harbor and had no idea what I’d find. Climbing back aboard the Revenge , I opened the hatch to the salon, raised the settee bench seat top and grabbed my mask, fins, heavy gloves, and a weight belt I use for skin diving. The water was only twelve to fifteen feet, so I didn’t need anything more than that. I strapped a dive knife to the inside of the left calf, feeling lucky. I'd need it, if I caught a lobster.
I trotted back to the sandbar and Tina was lying on the small blanket, with a rolled up towel under her head. I stopped short and looked her over, more closely. Her skin was coppery brown. She apparently spent her days in the sun, before work. The tiny bikini she had on was lime green, making her skin look all the more dark. Her flat belly and narrow waist gave her an athletic quality. I’m usually attracted to taller women, but, none the less, I was drawn to her. She turned her head then and noticed me staring.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said. Then grinned and added, “Just admiring the beauty.”
“Oh, come on, Jesse. Go get me a lobster!”
“You wish is my command,” I said, as I pulled off my tee-shirt and waded into the harbor. It wasn't ideal for skin diving, maybe seventy degrees. In waist deep water, I put on my mask, fins, belt, and gloves, then disappeared below the surface. I followed the bottom, heading straight out away from shore. It dropped off quickly and when I reached the turtle grass covered bottom, I turned to the left and followed the coral ledge. There were a lot of reef fish. Blennies, wrasses, even a couple of spot fin butterfly fish, swimming in a pair, as they usually do. Further ahead, I saw a large queen angelfish and right next to it, sticking out of an undercut part of the coral, was what I was looking for. Two long, spiny antenna poked out from under the ledge.
Normally, I can hold my breath for about a minute and a half. Two minutes with good preparation. I'd been down nearly a minute, when I found the lobster. Approaching his hiding place from the side, I quickly thrust my hand in and under it. It never had a chance, but tried desperately to grab my hand and push me off its belly. Once I had a firm grip around the base of its tail, I could tell it was a big one, probably five or six pounds. More than enough for the two of us. Pushing away from the reef with my left hand, I pulled the lobster out from its lair and headed back up along the ledge, angling to the left.
I surfaced pretty much where I had gone down and Tina was sitting up, with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. “I thought you were in trouble,
“You mean, you really can catch lobster with it?”
“Not with this,” I replied, with a chuckle. “But, if the lady wants lobster, lobster it is. Let’s carry this stuff over to the sandbar and I’ll run back to the boat and get my mask and fins.”
We walked along the sandy beach to the narrow sandbar that separates the fort from Bush Key. On the north side of the sandbar, we spread out a blanket and set the cooler in the sand next to it. There wasn’t a breath of wind on the water. The small bay on the north side of the sandbar was flat and reflected the puffy white clouds in the distance, like a polished mirror.
“Hard to believe such a beautiful place exists so close to Key West and I never even heard of it,” she said.
“Key West is close to a lot of small, uninhabited islands like this,” I said. “Several years ago, the state tried to sell a lot of the smaller ones, but not a lot of people were interested. That’s when I bought mine.”
“You own a whole island?” she asked incredulously.
“It’s really tiny,” I said. “A few acres at high tide. Make yourself at home and I’ll be right back.”
I ran back to the boat, hoping that I could make good on my promise. While they are plentiful and currently in season, I’d never dived this harbor and had no idea what I’d find. Climbing back aboard the Revenge , I opened the hatch to the salon, raised the settee bench seat top and grabbed my mask, fins, heavy gloves, and a weight belt I use for skin diving. The water was only twelve to fifteen feet, so I didn’t need anything more than that. I strapped a dive knife to the inside of the left calf, feeling lucky. I'd need it, if I caught a lobster.
I trotted back to the sandbar and Tina was lying on the small blanket, with a rolled up towel under her head. I stopped short and looked her over, more closely. Her skin was coppery brown. She apparently spent her days in the sun, before work. The tiny bikini she had on was lime green, making her skin look all the more dark. Her flat belly and narrow waist gave her an athletic quality. I’m usually attracted to taller women, but, none the less, I was drawn to her. She turned her head then and noticed me staring.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I said. Then grinned and added, “Just admiring the beauty.”
“Oh, come on, Jesse. Go get me a lobster!”
“You wish is my command,” I said, as I pulled off my tee-shirt and waded into the harbor. It wasn't ideal for skin diving, maybe seventy degrees. In waist deep water, I put on my mask, fins, belt, and gloves, then disappeared below the surface. I followed the bottom, heading straight out away from shore. It dropped off quickly and when I reached the turtle grass covered bottom, I turned to the left and followed the coral ledge. There were a lot of reef fish. Blennies, wrasses, even a couple of spot fin butterfly fish, swimming in a pair, as they usually do. Further ahead, I saw a large queen angelfish and right next to it, sticking out of an undercut part of the coral, was what I was looking for. Two long, spiny antenna poked out from under the ledge.
Normally, I can hold my breath for about a minute and a half. Two minutes with good preparation. I'd been down nearly a minute, when I found the lobster. Approaching his hiding place from the side, I quickly thrust my hand in and under it. It never had a chance, but tried desperately to grab my hand and push me off its belly. Once I had a firm grip around the base of its tail, I could tell it was a big one, probably five or six pounds. More than enough for the two of us. Pushing away from the reef with my left hand, I pulled the lobster out from its lair and headed back up along the ledge, angling to the left.
I surfaced pretty much where I had gone down and Tina was sitting up, with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. “I thought you were in trouble,
Similar Books
