I awoke refreshed and famished. After breakfast, it was time for my final dive. Once again, Monika and I jumped into the South Pacific Ocean. Unlike the day before, where we rushed around trying to explore as much as possible before our air/time ran out, we purposefully set a more leisurely pace. We knew we wouldn't see as much this time out, but we figured we would more greatly appreciate whatever we did come across -- and we were right.
Whether it was, in fact, due to my new frame of mind or just a more vibrant morning sun, the coral reef did indeed look brighter and more colorful this time out. We explored new sections and were rewarded with new sights. Monika spotted a manta ray and I claimed the "top prize sighting" of the day -- a whitetip shark. About four feet long, the reef shark patrolled the ocean floor, flanked by two small fish hoping to scavenge a free meal. As in Fiji, I was once again overcome with a mixture of fear and excitement as I watched this potentially deadly creature swim freely in its natural environment.
As the last dive of my vacation came to an end, I applauded my pre-trip decision to get scuba certification, as it had opened me up to the unique, magical world of the sea.
Exciting things began happening back on the boat, as well! After showering and changing, I met up with Chloe' once again and actually built up the nerve to "make a move," as it were. While sitting across from her in the main cabin and half-heartedly writing in my dive log, I casually and ever so smoothly (if I don't say so myself) maneuvered my bare feet under the table until they rested against hers. Emboldened by the fact that she didn't leave or pull away (or worse yet, kick me), I reveled in our glorious footsie embrace for another ten minutes or so before breaking the passionate silence with a request to sit by her side. She readily approved of the idea, and I joined her.
The queasy swell of the boat (we were now en route to the ship exchange point) was a perfect excuse for me to reach out to Chloe' with a comforting arm. She was indeed comforted (as was I). Eventually, our arms and legs were all intertwined and we braved the rocky ride together in our seated embrace. At some point, Chloe' and I shared our first starry-eyed glance and (admittedly awkward) kiss. We made plans for the evening and engaged in small talk about things, for the life of me, I can't recall at all now.
Eventually, we reached the exchange point and boarded the boat that would return us to shore. It was newer and faster than the "Dingy of Death" we rode on our outbound journey, but no less sickening. In some ways, the speediness of the boat made things more unpleasent, because in addition to the nausea, it produced a constant spray of water that started soaking us. Since there wasn't any indoor cabin to escape to, Chloe' and I worked our way to a relatively dry portion of the deck and cuddled together for the duration of the trip.
Back in Cairns, I rebooked myself into the Caravella 149 (alas, my exhibitionist roommates had moved on) and walked a kilometer further down the esplanade to Chloe' and Marie's hostel. The plan was that the three of us would grab dinner and a movie, but it didn't quite work out that way. Marie didn't want to go out at all, and her excuse was serviceable, but suspicious -- she complained of sunburned feet (which were indeed red and swollen) but Chloe' and I suspected that there was more to the story (understandably, she may have been feeling a bit like a third wheel). No amount of cajoling on our part could sway Marie to join us (she said she was just going to stay in for the night and remain in bed to heal). Chloe' was noticeably upset, and I was too (sort of), but eventually we decided to keep our plans and go out as a twosome. Before we left, we bought Marie some sweets, ostensibly to make her time alone more pleasurable, but also undeniably to assuage our guilt.
Then our date (for indeed, that's what it had become) began. We ate dinner at "The End of The World" and decided to see the 9:15 showing of "Speed" at the local cinema. With two hours to kill before showtime, I suggested to Chloe' that we take a stroll around town -- conveniently stopping at my hostel first so I could get my jumper (the night air was a bit chilly, after all)...
Somehow we never made it to the movie.
Our youthful exuberance led to a night of sultry, sweaty shenanigans, which were also decidedly safe (our clothes stayed on, but our hands roamed free). We parted company, exhausted but fulfilled, around 11:30, vowing to reunite on Friday night when I returned from Cape Tribulation. I like Chloe' a lot, and I truly hope to see her again this weekend and, as crazy as it may sound, perhaps sometime in the future in France or New York, as well. They say it's a small world, so who knows?
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