Ladyfish by Andrea Bramhall Page A

too. Finn swelled with pride. She could do this. And Oz could see she could do it.
    By the end of the session, Finn was confident and competent in all the drills that Oz had shown her and asked her to do. Without warning, Oz swam to Finn and signaled low on air and asked for Finn’s BCD and tank to swap and for Finn to return to the surface. Finn was startled but gave the okay signal. She mirrored Oz’s movements, loosening and undoing her buckles and straps. Once she was holding the tank and BCD in her arms she moved closer to Oz and signaled for her regulator. They performed the swap quickly and seamlessly.
    Her head broke the surface to a round of applause and Oz surfacing just behind her, grinning.
    “Some of the guys still can’t pull that off so smoothly. Well done.” She turned around to face the rest of the students. “Well done, guys. You’ve all done really well. Tomorrow, we’ll have another lesson in the classroom in the morning, then we’ll be heading out into the ocean for our first open water dive. So if you all start heading out of the pool, Carlos and the other guys will give you a hand getting your kit off and show you how to clean it down for storage before you all go and get changed. Finn, Nigel, can I have a word with you both before you leave?” They both agreed before swimming to the steps and climbing out of the pool.
    Finn stepped out of the changing room with her wet hair slicked back off her face to see Nigel talking to Oz and Clem. She took a seat by the pool to wait until Oz finished talking to Clem. Oz was still wearing her wet suit. The neoprene second skin hugged her backside as she walked around the edge of the pool, pointing to tanks and equipment that needed moving. Finn had never really thought of herself as a sexual person before, but all she wanted to do was run her hands across Oz’s tight ass and feel the muscles ripple beneath her fingers.
    “Finn, come and join us?” Finn was shocked out of her reverie and looked up to see Oz and Nigel both smiling at her. She could feel the heat rising over her face and hoped that no one else noticed, particularly Oz. “I was just checking that Nigel here felt okay about the session today. I was also going to keep you two as buddies tomorrow. I know earlier today I said that I like to switch pairs around, but I think you two worked really well together, so for the first dive tomorrow, I was going to keep you as a team. Nigel was pretty happy with that, but I wanted to make sure you were too.” Finn could actually hear the pleading in Oz’s voice. She knew none of the others in the group wanted to take the chance that his fears would overcome him again and that he would freeze in the open water.
    “No problem. I think we made a pretty good team, Nigel. I’m sure your wife would be so proud of you.”
    “Thanks, Finn. I know I would’ve quit today if you hadn’t helped me. You should think about being an instructor, you know.” Oz bit back her laughter.
    “I’ll think about it. I’ve been wondering what career to go into.”
    “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Finn.” He was halfway to the door before he turned around. “Thanks again, Finn. Oh, night, Oz, see you tomorrow.”
    Oz was laughing as the door closed behind him.
    “That’s another one hopelessly in love with you, Supergirl.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous.”
    “I’m not. It’s all over his face. He’s totally smitten. Ow, I told you I bruise easily. Don’t whack me like that.” She rubbed her shoulder gingerly. “Seriously, you did great today. Rudy reckons you’re a natural, and Carlos is more in love with you.”
    “Will you stop, please, before I really have to hurt you?” Oz held up her hands in surrender and Finn laughed, liking the way Oz’s eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled. “So did I really do okay today?”
    “You have to ask?”
    Finn shrugged, uncomfortable with her own need for reassurance.
    “You did great. You’re a natural