Chapter 407 - Sarah's birthday (7)

That evening, they stayed up late in the bed, chatting. Aiden would glance at his phone every few minutes which started to irritate Sarah. 'He is keeping me awake, saying that he wants to chat, yet he always checks his phone.'

Aiden's eyes lit up when he saw that it's past midnight. He cleared his throat and looked at her indicating that he has something to say. "For weeks I'm struggling to find a birthday present for a girl who has it all. Many things came to my mind, but somehow nothing was right. I knew that we will be in this area, and in a flash of brilliance I was enlightened." Aiden paused.

'Ah, birthday! Must be after midnight...' Sarah was struggling to smile and not to spoil his mood, seeing how anxious and excited he is. "Continue please, no need to build suspense!" She could guess that he wants to give her a present, or at least announce it (since his hands are empty). In reality, she didn't care what he gave her, as he said, she has it all. She could guess how this will go: he will give her something, a piece of jewelry or a trinket, she will smile and say, 'thank you' and then they will spend a day together. That is the best present he can give her: day together with him.

"Few locals found something at the bottom of the sea, but they didn't have equipment or resources to explore further." Aiden pulled a document rolled into a tube and gave it to Sarah. "Happy birthday..." He looked at her anxiously.

Sarah was not sure what to expect. All kinds of wild guesses came to her mind, but he said that it's at the bottom of the sea. Nothing matched that location. She unrolled document and started reading. "What? ... Underwater wreckage? Like treasure hunting?" Sarah looked at him in disbelief. When she saw that he nodded, her eyes sparkled. "Really? Treasure hunting!? Tell me more!"

"It's confirmed that it's a wreckage, a ship. Tomorrow morning, I will take you to the sea to meet your crew, and we will spend the day treasure hunting. Do you like the present?" He struggled for such a long time to find something she might like. He needed confirmation that he did good.

"My crew?" Sarah was not sure she heard him right.

"You didn't read the document." Aiden reminded her.

She had no intention to read so much now. The paper was full of text in small print. "There is a lot to take in. Aren't we just spending the day treasure hunting?"

"Yes, but the wreckage and everything that is found belongs to you."

"Wow! That is... unique." She saw his face drop, and quickly added. "It does not mean I don't like it! It's just that it is completely unexpected. I wanted to spend the day with you, and I'm getting that. So, I already know that it will be a great day. On top of that, I like diving, and who does not like treasure hunting? I'm sure it will be great... I just need time to process it. You surprised me. Definitely… surprised me. I would never expect something like this... Thank you!"

Aiden was happy with this reaction.

"Do you know something about the wreckage?" Sarah was hoping to find out more.

He does not want to spoil the surprise more than he already did. "Tomorrow we will search for clues and take photos... together."

"Together... I like that." Sarah kept the document on the side, kissed him and settled into his embrace before drifting off to sleep.

…

Next morning, Sarah was up bright and early. They got ready, and after breakfast headed to the port. One of the locals took them with his boat to the nearby uninhabited island. There they found a powerboat anchored in one cove. Sarah could tell that it's a custom made sports vessel and her eyes lit up while she thought how fast it can go.

At the same time, she felt conflicted. The point of staying in that hostel was so that there are no traces that they were here. Wherever they went, they paid in cash, leaving no electronically traceable marks of their presence. Renting this boat must have cost quite a bit, probably too much to be paid in cash.

Aiden saw that she is troubled. "What now?"

"How did you pay for this?" Sarah went straight to the point.

He realized her concern. "It's under a different name, if that is what's worrying you."

Sarah sighed in relief and smiled while giving him a nod of approval. "Sometimes I think that you can read my mind."

He laughed. "I will take that as a compliment."

"Absolutely! How long until we reach our destination?"

"Not long. Relax and enjoy the ride." He dazzled her with his smile as he started the boat. Engines roared and the boat effortlessly glided out of the cove.

Sarah stared at Aiden. 'There is nothing better than this... Actually, it could be better if... There it is!' Her lips broke into a smile when he removed his top. 'I'm sure he is doing this on purpose!' She saw him glancing sideways at her with a mischievous smile on. Sarah was reminded of numerous times when he disarmed her, rendered her completely powerless just by revealing that toned body which she adores. Her Greek God. 'Well, happy birthday to me! … Crap! Am I drooling?!' She wiped edge of her lip with the back of her palm and was relieved that it's dry.

...

Sarah was not sure how long was the ride. Between staring at her Greek God and the shimmering azure sea speckled with numerous islands, she lost track of time.

When they approached an average-looking large fishing boat, Aiden turned off the engines. As soon as they boarded the vessel, Sarah noticed hi-tech equipment for exploring the sea floor. Four men greeted them and immediately started going over charts and various images they got. The seafloor was raised, and the water was not deep, probably because of nearby islands. Sarah was eager to suit up and go underwater.

Sarah went with Aiden to the lower level to put on a diving suit. Her least favorite part of diving is the suit; it's difficult to wiggle in and out of it. This time Aiden helped her put it on, and she didn't find it troublesome. Sarah smiled when she thought that as long as the two of them are together, nothing is troublesome. Not even the tight-fitting suit. She was lost in her thoughts when his lips landed on hers, taking her breath away. Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Suddenly, the suit was troublesome again.

Aiden inched away, breaking the kiss, and smiled. "Later..." He glanced up, toward the upper deck where four people waited for them to come out. He caressed her cheek with his slender fingers and enjoyed seeing how disappointed she is that they don't have privacy which he craved for as well.

Sarah took a deep breath and nodded. "Later..."

Aiden chuckled and gave her a quick kiss before ushering her up.

...

One of the four men helped them with oxygen tanks. He explained that with normal use, they should have about two and a half hours of oxygen but recommended that they come out before that.

Sarah did her best to focus on his instructions, but she is not a novice and found that everything he said was something she already knew. It didn't take long before she lost patience and jumped in the water leaving behind a man who was still speaking.

Aiden jumped in after her. "Patience is not something you have, is it?"

Sarah laughed. "Patience is a virtue, but that does not mean I have it. Anyway, I just want to know where we are going." She adjusted her mouthpiece and dived in.

Sarah was eager to see the sea floor, and the wreckage. 'Is there any treasure?' She was thrilled by the possibility. As she descended, Sarah thought how she was never this excited about a birthday present before. 'He knows me well. Even if we don't find anything, just this excitement is priceless.'