Elizabeth's Wet Ride
Starring Elizabeth Vargas
Written by Nemesoak
Written by Nemesoak
It was a bright and warm day at a marina located on the shore of a large lake. Near the ramp used by people to launch boats from trailers, a video crew from ABC's "Good Morning America" was setting up to tape a segment on car safety. The segment would deal with how to escape from a car that winds up in the water. The car for this segment was a junked vehicle which was largely stripped of parts. A quantity of scrap metal was placed under the hood to simulate the weight of the engine that the car no longer had. The car had a steel cable attached to rear so that it could be winched back up the ramp in order to shoot multiple takes. Everything seemed to be in perfect order as Elizabeth Vargas, a lovely brunette reporter who worked for the show, was preparing to do her narration of the segment. A stuntman would be doing the actual escape - an arrangement Elizabeth had no problem with.
Then, things began to change. A man walked up to the director and said "We have a problem with the stuntman."
"What do you mean 'a problem'?" asked the director.
"Well, our stuntman was doing some work on a movie last night. Seems something went wrong and he was hurt." replied the assistant.
"How is he?"
"Not too bad, but he won't be doing any stunt work for about a week."
"That is bad news..." The director then went to find the marina owner to inform him of the news. He found the owner, a gruff overweight man in a T-shirt and jeans. The director informed the owner of the problem and asked about postponing the shoot.
"Hell no!" bellowed the owner. "This is my busy season! Heck, I'm losing money just letting you folks do your little safety exercise. I'm booked solid for the next month with paying long-time customers. So, if you clowns can't do your little schtick today, then you're out of luck!"
Dejected, the director considered packing up and leaving, cutting his losses. Then, an idea popped into his head and he walked over to Elizabeth.
"We have a bit of a problem." he said. "The stuntman got hurt last night and won't be able to do the work today and I can't get us another day at the marina."
"Looks like we'll have to cancel." Elizabeth answered.
"Maybe not. I have a question. Can you swim?"
"Off course," answered Elizabeth, "but what does..."
"Great! You can do the demonstration! You've just saved the day!"
"Huh?" replied a shocked Elizabeth. "I can't. I'm not a stuntwoman!"
"Hey, that only adds to the realism. How many people who get into car accidents are stunt people? Almost none! This will make it more applicable to the public."
"One more problem." added Elizabeth, glancing down at her outfit consisting of a nice red sweater, a reddish skirt of a leather-like material, pantyhose, and shoes. "I didn't bring a wetsuit or even a swimsuit for that matter. I suppose I could try to find something if I absolutely had to do it."
"Elizabeth," the director answered, "what is wrong with what you are wearing now?"
"My clothes could get ruined for one thing..."
"Think a moment. How many people who get into these type of accidents think to change into a bathing suit before they get behind the wheel? Not a one. Your clothing, as well as the fact you are not a stunt performer, will enhance the realism of the exercise and maybe make it more applicable. Besides, if one person sees this demonstration, applies the knowledge, and saves their life, it is worth it. So, send me the bill for your clothes and I'll tack it on the expense account."
"Okay if I remove my shoes? They're real leather."
"Yes. Just get down there and do it."
Elizabeth couldn't really argue with that logic, so she walked over to the car, which was being placed in position. After explaining the change in plan to the TV crew, she removed her shoes, got in the car and sat behind the wheel. Having memorized her narration, Elizabeth didn't need to be told what to do. Actually, it was quite simple. Open the window when the car gets in the water, open the door when the pressure equalizes, and swim away.
In a few moments, the car was ready. The signal was given, the wheel chocks were removed, and the car rolled down the ramp. It rolled a little faster than planned, but no one thought anything of it.
The car hit the water, slowing slightly. Water was slowly seeping in and the carpeting was damp. So far, so good. Elizabeth reached for the window handle to crank it down. She tried to turn it, but the handle came off in her hand. Elizabeth held the handle up by the window and screamed that it broke off.
On the shore, the director saw what happened and yelled "Winch her back up! We got to get her out and fix the problem!" The man working the winch turned the power on and began to pull in the cable.
Inside the car, Elizabeth felt the motion stop and heard the winch running. She was relieved. She would be out in a minute or two. Maybe she could even convince the director that the car was faulty and to scrap the demonstration. That way, she could get out of the whole matter with nothing more than the soles of her pantyhose getting wet.
But that was not to be. A second later, a loud snap was heard. The cable broke. Fortunately, the crew was able to leap out of the way of the severed steel cable which could have turned deadly. However, the car resumed its descent down the ramp, the weight of the scrap metal - much heavier than the original engine - causing the vehicle to pick up speed. With the increasing depth and pressure, water seeped in faster and Elizabeth's feet were almost submerged.
In seconds, the car reached end of the ramp and continued on the sloping bottom. A short distance later, the bottom dropped off very deeply and the car began a free descent. Elizabeth was starting to get frantic. The water was up to her ankles now, but she had a new worry. With the way the weight was distributed, it was likely that the car would come to rest upside down. If that happened and the bottom was soft, she would be trapped with no hope of rescue. As the water was now up to her shins, Elizabeth was wondering how deep the bottom was and if the car would come down upright, or at least in position from which she could escape.
The car hit the bottom nose first with surprising force. There was some damage from the impact as the water was coming in faster now and reached just below her knees. The car began settling as Elizabeth fervently hoped it would land upright.
The car was not in good shape to begin with and the impact was enough to slightly release the trunk latch. But it was enough. Air quickly escaped from the trunk and the car settled - though fell would be a more accurate description - onto the bottom upright.
Water was streaming in much faster now and the water was up to the level of the seat, starting to soak Elizabeth's skirt. The water felt quite cool, she thought. In another second or two, the water was up to her waist and Elizabeth felt an odd sensation. The water continued filling the vehicle and quickly reached chest level. Her soaked sweater was now very clingy and felt unusual against her skin. Eventually, the water was up to her neck and still rising. Elizabeth took some deep breaths, just before the water went over her head.
Figuring that the pressure was equalized, Elizabeth thought that all she had to do was unfasten the seat belt, open the door, and swim for the surface. Fairly straightforward. She reached to push down on the seat belt release. The button didn't work. Evidently, the springs inside broke. Now, Elizabeth was starting to get extremely concerned.
She then reached for the door handle and pulled. Unfortunately, the impact with the bottom bent the frame slightly, just enough to jam the door. Now, Elizabeth's concern rose to near-panic. "If only I had my shoes..." she thought, "I could kick out a window or the windshield...". But her shoes were on dry land and were of no use to her. She was trying to fight off panic which would use up her air faster. As Elizabeth was contemplating the possibility that she could start to drown in the next minute or so, she noticed a shadow appear on the bottom - a moving shadow.
Elizabeth wondered if it was a hallucination from a brain deprived of oxygen, but it was real. In a few seconds, she saw the cause of the shadow. It was a safety diver. Elizabeth went from contemplating her death to hope that she might be rescued before her air ran out.
The diver tapped on the driver side window to get Elizabeth's attention, then he gestured that she should cover her face since he was going to smash the window. She did and the diver gave a few hits with the butt of his diving knife. After a couple of blows, the window shattered into thousands of little chunks which sank to the bottom and inside the car.
Next, the diver removed the regulator from his mouth. Elizabeth then exhaled the stale air from her lungs and took a breath from the regulator. The diver then took back the regulator and began to figure out how to rescue Elizabeth.
The rescue diver reached in and push the seat belt release button. He too found out that it didn't work. However, the diver had another plan. He got out his knife and cut off the shoulder belt. Reaching down to cut the lap belt, his knife slipped out of his hand and fell under the seat. With his tank, the diver was limited in how far into the car he could reach. Unfortunately, he couldn't reach in far enough to retrieve the knife.
After giving Elizabeth another breath from the regulator, the diver tried something else. Grabbing the buckle of the lap belt, he tried to increase the slack in the belt, hoping to get enought for Elizabeth to wriggle free. The plan worked - sort of. There was more slack, but not quite enough.
Fortunately, there was another flash of inspiration. He motioned for Elizabeth to unfasten her skirt. At first, she was puzzled. But then, she saw what he was trying to do. Elizabeth undid the button and zipper, then slid out of her skirt to escape the car. As soon as Elizabeth was clear, the diver reached in and retrieved the skirt, figuring Elizabeth might need it when she got to the surface.
The diver was amazed at the sight. Elizabeth's sweater rode up to expose her midriff and her dark red panties looked just like a bikini bottom. Much to the diver's surprise, Elizabeth didn't bolt for the surface immediately, but swam slowly. This made perfect sense since Elizabeth did take a few breaths from the regulator. But how did she know to do that? The diver then followed Elizabeth.
After a stop halfway up, the pair reached the surface. Elizabeth was shaking like a leaf. The diver knew it wasn't from cold, but from the fear and panic she suppressed while she was submerged. "You handled yourself well down there." the diver complimented.
"Certified diver..." gasped Elizabeth.
"That's what I thought." replied the diver. "Most people in that situation would have panicked and used up their air or would have bolted for the surface when I got them out. You did great."
At the surface, Elizabeth was even more impressive. Her sweater was almost up to her chest. The view was amazing.
"Here," said the diver, "I think you might need this." He handed Elizabeth her skirt. You're probably showing off more than you want."
Elizabeth grabbed the skirt and replied "True. I don't mind you getting an eyeful, though. You earned it. But I don't want to give the guys on shore a free show."
After putting on her skirt, Elizabeth started to swim to the shore. She was doing a good job, though her skirt was slowing her down a little. The diver swam right beside her in case she needed help.
In a few minutes, Elizabeth waded ashore. Her sweater clung very tightly, leaving nothing of her contours to the imagination. Her skirt was clingy too and rode up to mini-skirt level. Once ashore, a man came running up with a towel that Elizabeth wrapped herself in.
"Thank goodness you're okay!" exclaimed the director.
"And lucky for you." exclaimed the diver. "She could have gotten killed down there due to your negligence in checking out the equipment. Fortunately, she was a certified diver. If it was Lara Spencer or Claire Shipman, I might have been retrieving a body."
"But... we had to do the segment!" stammered the director.
"Was that worth it?" asked the diver. "I think you should at least apologize to Elizabeth for what happened."
Just then, the director's cell phone chirped. It was his superior and he had found out about what happened and how Elizabeth could have been killed. Angry words could be heard and all the director could do was stammer an apology. Then, the excutive hung and the director put away the cell phone, shaking almost as badly as Elizabeth had when she surfaced.
The diver walked to over to the catering truck to get some coffee while the director walked over to where Elizabeth was sitting, still wrapped in the towel. She had calmed considerably, but was still a bit shaken.
"Elizabeth," the director spoke, "I am terribly sorry about what happened today. Is there anything I can do to make up for it?"
Elizabeth thought for a second and replied "Well, I think my sweater is ruined, and I'm pretty sure that my skirt is, so I would want you to at least reimburse me for the damage."
At that moment, the diver arrived with two cups of coffee. Handing one to Elizabeth, he turned to the director and added "You might also want to consider giving Elizabeth or the next person who is unfortunate enough to get involved in one of your stunt segments some safety equipment so they can save themselves. As I said before, it was lucky I was already in the water and also that Elizabeth knew enough not to panic."
"Okay," replied the director. "I'll keep that in mind if I still have my job. The big boss was very furious with me. If I am still employed tomorrow, it will be a miracle." The director then walked off.
Taking a few sips of her coffee, Elizabeth set the cup down and turned to the diver. "I really want to thank you for saving my life today."
"I was happy to be able to do it. Of course, you helped a bit too."
"Just the same, thanks."
Elizabeth stood up, removed her towel, and put her arms around the diver. The diver understood and did likewise. Elizabeth felt incredible, he thought. He could feel her back quite well through the tight sweater and, even though he was still wearing his wetsuit, Elizabeth's legs felt wonderful against his.
Elizabeth was enjoying things too. She could feel how strong and muscular the diver felt. Quite fitting, she thought, for a man who rescued her from certain death. If she was still single, Elizabeth thought (this story is set in the summer of 2002, shortly after Elizabeth Vargas' got married) that he would be great to go out with - and maybe more.
Then, Elizabeth kissed the diver. Being no fool, he reciprocated and held Elizabeth closer. A few seconds later, they separated. Elizabeth then wrapped herself in the towel again. "Even though I'm married, that was fun."
"Well as long as we didn't go any further than that, no harm done." the diver replied. "Your husband is a lucky man and should be proud of you."
After Elizabeth and the diver were talking for a while, a man showed up. It was Elizabeth's husband. "Thank goodness you're okay! I came as soon as they called and told me what happened."
Elizabeth introduced the diver to her husband and explained "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have made it at all."
Elizabeth's husband gave the diver a hearty handshake and said "Thank you! I can't possibly repay you for what you did here today."
"Helping save a lovely woman like your wife is reward enough. Besides, she deserves some of the credit herself. She's a very brave woman, the way she kept herself from panicking. And her diving knowledge helped when we swam to the surface."
As Elizabeth walked over and retrieved her shoes, the diver talked privately with Elizabeth's husband. "She's a good diver, but I am afraid that her experience today might traumatize her and make her fearful of the water."
"Hadn't thought about that. What can I do to help?"
"Do you have a pool or access to one?"
"Yes."
"Good. I think you and Elizabeth ought to do some swimming in the next few days. Being in the water with you might be just the thing to keep her from being scared."
"I see your point."
"One more thing..."
"Yes?" asked Elizabeth's husband.
"Take good care of her."
Elizabeth returned and told her husband that she was told to take the rest of the week off to recover and that she could keep the towel. Then, Elizabeth and her husband got into the car and drove home.
After they got home, Elizabeth showered and changed into dry clothes, hanging her sweater and skirt to dry. Then she spent a quiet afternoon and evening at home with her husband.
As Elizabeth was sleeping, she was pondering the feelings engendered by the day's events. Instead of being fearful as she thought she would be, she kept thinking back to the diver and how he helped her. Too bad they couldn't have gone further, she thought.
The next day, Elizabeth's husband said "Let's see how your sweater and skirt made out." A quick examination showed that the sweater shrank slightly, but the skirt was a goner. It was discolored in a few spots and the texture was different.
While she was looking over the ruined clothes, her husband suggested "I have an idea. Put them on! I have a bit of a surprise for you."
"But, they're ruined. Why would you be so interested?" Elizabeth asked. When her husband didn't answer, Elizabeth decided to put the stuff on anyway.
"Even though the clothes are ruined, you still look great in them. Now, come with me..." her husband instructed.
A short walk took the two out to their swimming pool. Elizabeth had a sort of an idea as to what was going to happen next. "But I think you will look even better in here..." With that, he grabbed Elizabeth's arm. "We jump in on three. Don't worry, I'll be with you. Now, 1... 2... 3!"
The couple jumped and landed in the water. The now familiar sensation of being soaked returned. This time, she was in no jeopardy and her husband was with her.
Surfacing, Elizabeth said "Thanks. This is fun!" Elizabeth looked spectacular. Her sweater floated above her midriff and her skirt rode up even higher than it did when she was in the lake - to near micro-mini level.
Her husband said "I know." and he drew Elizabeth closer in an embrace. Soon, the two were frolicking underwater. A few minutes later, Elizabeth slid off her sweater and skirt, leaving her in her opaque bra and panties.
"Amazing how much this looks like swimwear. Besides, the clothes were weighing me down." Elizabeth explained. Her husband took the hint and stripped down to his boxers. The couple continued their aquatic games for a while longer, then recovered their clothing and left the pool.
Getting back into the house, Elizabeth mentioned "We have to rinse off the chlorine, you know..." Needing no further encouragement, the twosome then headed for the shower and took a rather long and enjoyable one.
And they had fun after the shower too.
Then, things began to change. A man walked up to the director and said "We have a problem with the stuntman."
"What do you mean 'a problem'?" asked the director.
"Well, our stuntman was doing some work on a movie last night. Seems something went wrong and he was hurt." replied the assistant.
"How is he?"
"Not too bad, but he won't be doing any stunt work for about a week."
"That is bad news..." The director then went to find the marina owner to inform him of the news. He found the owner, a gruff overweight man in a T-shirt and jeans. The director informed the owner of the problem and asked about postponing the shoot.
"Hell no!" bellowed the owner. "This is my busy season! Heck, I'm losing money just letting you folks do your little safety exercise. I'm booked solid for the next month with paying long-time customers. So, if you clowns can't do your little schtick today, then you're out of luck!"
Dejected, the director considered packing up and leaving, cutting his losses. Then, an idea popped into his head and he walked over to Elizabeth.
"We have a bit of a problem." he said. "The stuntman got hurt last night and won't be able to do the work today and I can't get us another day at the marina."
"Looks like we'll have to cancel." Elizabeth answered.
"Maybe not. I have a question. Can you swim?"
"Off course," answered Elizabeth, "but what does..."
"Great! You can do the demonstration! You've just saved the day!"
"Huh?" replied a shocked Elizabeth. "I can't. I'm not a stuntwoman!"
"Hey, that only adds to the realism. How many people who get into car accidents are stunt people? Almost none! This will make it more applicable to the public."
"One more problem." added Elizabeth, glancing down at her outfit consisting of a nice red sweater, a reddish skirt of a leather-like material, pantyhose, and shoes. "I didn't bring a wetsuit or even a swimsuit for that matter. I suppose I could try to find something if I absolutely had to do it."
"Elizabeth," the director answered, "what is wrong with what you are wearing now?"
"My clothes could get ruined for one thing..."
"Think a moment. How many people who get into these type of accidents think to change into a bathing suit before they get behind the wheel? Not a one. Your clothing, as well as the fact you are not a stunt performer, will enhance the realism of the exercise and maybe make it more applicable. Besides, if one person sees this demonstration, applies the knowledge, and saves their life, it is worth it. So, send me the bill for your clothes and I'll tack it on the expense account."
"Okay if I remove my shoes? They're real leather."
"Yes. Just get down there and do it."
Elizabeth couldn't really argue with that logic, so she walked over to the car, which was being placed in position. After explaining the change in plan to the TV crew, she removed her shoes, got in the car and sat behind the wheel. Having memorized her narration, Elizabeth didn't need to be told what to do. Actually, it was quite simple. Open the window when the car gets in the water, open the door when the pressure equalizes, and swim away.
In a few moments, the car was ready. The signal was given, the wheel chocks were removed, and the car rolled down the ramp. It rolled a little faster than planned, but no one thought anything of it.
The car hit the water, slowing slightly. Water was slowly seeping in and the carpeting was damp. So far, so good. Elizabeth reached for the window handle to crank it down. She tried to turn it, but the handle came off in her hand. Elizabeth held the handle up by the window and screamed that it broke off.
On the shore, the director saw what happened and yelled "Winch her back up! We got to get her out and fix the problem!" The man working the winch turned the power on and began to pull in the cable.
Inside the car, Elizabeth felt the motion stop and heard the winch running. She was relieved. She would be out in a minute or two. Maybe she could even convince the director that the car was faulty and to scrap the demonstration. That way, she could get out of the whole matter with nothing more than the soles of her pantyhose getting wet.
But that was not to be. A second later, a loud snap was heard. The cable broke. Fortunately, the crew was able to leap out of the way of the severed steel cable which could have turned deadly. However, the car resumed its descent down the ramp, the weight of the scrap metal - much heavier than the original engine - causing the vehicle to pick up speed. With the increasing depth and pressure, water seeped in faster and Elizabeth's feet were almost submerged.
In seconds, the car reached end of the ramp and continued on the sloping bottom. A short distance later, the bottom dropped off very deeply and the car began a free descent. Elizabeth was starting to get frantic. The water was up to her ankles now, but she had a new worry. With the way the weight was distributed, it was likely that the car would come to rest upside down. If that happened and the bottom was soft, she would be trapped with no hope of rescue. As the water was now up to her shins, Elizabeth was wondering how deep the bottom was and if the car would come down upright, or at least in position from which she could escape.
The car hit the bottom nose first with surprising force. There was some damage from the impact as the water was coming in faster now and reached just below her knees. The car began settling as Elizabeth fervently hoped it would land upright.
The car was not in good shape to begin with and the impact was enough to slightly release the trunk latch. But it was enough. Air quickly escaped from the trunk and the car settled - though fell would be a more accurate description - onto the bottom upright.
Water was streaming in much faster now and the water was up to the level of the seat, starting to soak Elizabeth's skirt. The water felt quite cool, she thought. In another second or two, the water was up to her waist and Elizabeth felt an odd sensation. The water continued filling the vehicle and quickly reached chest level. Her soaked sweater was now very clingy and felt unusual against her skin. Eventually, the water was up to her neck and still rising. Elizabeth took some deep breaths, just before the water went over her head.
Figuring that the pressure was equalized, Elizabeth thought that all she had to do was unfasten the seat belt, open the door, and swim for the surface. Fairly straightforward. She reached to push down on the seat belt release. The button didn't work. Evidently, the springs inside broke. Now, Elizabeth was starting to get extremely concerned.
She then reached for the door handle and pulled. Unfortunately, the impact with the bottom bent the frame slightly, just enough to jam the door. Now, Elizabeth's concern rose to near-panic. "If only I had my shoes..." she thought, "I could kick out a window or the windshield...". But her shoes were on dry land and were of no use to her. She was trying to fight off panic which would use up her air faster. As Elizabeth was contemplating the possibility that she could start to drown in the next minute or so, she noticed a shadow appear on the bottom - a moving shadow.
Elizabeth wondered if it was a hallucination from a brain deprived of oxygen, but it was real. In a few seconds, she saw the cause of the shadow. It was a safety diver. Elizabeth went from contemplating her death to hope that she might be rescued before her air ran out.
The diver tapped on the driver side window to get Elizabeth's attention, then he gestured that she should cover her face since he was going to smash the window. She did and the diver gave a few hits with the butt of his diving knife. After a couple of blows, the window shattered into thousands of little chunks which sank to the bottom and inside the car.
Next, the diver removed the regulator from his mouth. Elizabeth then exhaled the stale air from her lungs and took a breath from the regulator. The diver then took back the regulator and began to figure out how to rescue Elizabeth.
The rescue diver reached in and push the seat belt release button. He too found out that it didn't work. However, the diver had another plan. He got out his knife and cut off the shoulder belt. Reaching down to cut the lap belt, his knife slipped out of his hand and fell under the seat. With his tank, the diver was limited in how far into the car he could reach. Unfortunately, he couldn't reach in far enough to retrieve the knife.
After giving Elizabeth another breath from the regulator, the diver tried something else. Grabbing the buckle of the lap belt, he tried to increase the slack in the belt, hoping to get enought for Elizabeth to wriggle free. The plan worked - sort of. There was more slack, but not quite enough.
Fortunately, there was another flash of inspiration. He motioned for Elizabeth to unfasten her skirt. At first, she was puzzled. But then, she saw what he was trying to do. Elizabeth undid the button and zipper, then slid out of her skirt to escape the car. As soon as Elizabeth was clear, the diver reached in and retrieved the skirt, figuring Elizabeth might need it when she got to the surface.
The diver was amazed at the sight. Elizabeth's sweater rode up to expose her midriff and her dark red panties looked just like a bikini bottom. Much to the diver's surprise, Elizabeth didn't bolt for the surface immediately, but swam slowly. This made perfect sense since Elizabeth did take a few breaths from the regulator. But how did she know to do that? The diver then followed Elizabeth.
After a stop halfway up, the pair reached the surface. Elizabeth was shaking like a leaf. The diver knew it wasn't from cold, but from the fear and panic she suppressed while she was submerged. "You handled yourself well down there." the diver complimented.
"Certified diver..." gasped Elizabeth.
"That's what I thought." replied the diver. "Most people in that situation would have panicked and used up their air or would have bolted for the surface when I got them out. You did great."
At the surface, Elizabeth was even more impressive. Her sweater was almost up to her chest. The view was amazing.
"Here," said the diver, "I think you might need this." He handed Elizabeth her skirt. You're probably showing off more than you want."
Elizabeth grabbed the skirt and replied "True. I don't mind you getting an eyeful, though. You earned it. But I don't want to give the guys on shore a free show."
After putting on her skirt, Elizabeth started to swim to the shore. She was doing a good job, though her skirt was slowing her down a little. The diver swam right beside her in case she needed help.
In a few minutes, Elizabeth waded ashore. Her sweater clung very tightly, leaving nothing of her contours to the imagination. Her skirt was clingy too and rode up to mini-skirt level. Once ashore, a man came running up with a towel that Elizabeth wrapped herself in.
"Thank goodness you're okay!" exclaimed the director.
"And lucky for you." exclaimed the diver. "She could have gotten killed down there due to your negligence in checking out the equipment. Fortunately, she was a certified diver. If it was Lara Spencer or Claire Shipman, I might have been retrieving a body."
"But... we had to do the segment!" stammered the director.
"Was that worth it?" asked the diver. "I think you should at least apologize to Elizabeth for what happened."
Just then, the director's cell phone chirped. It was his superior and he had found out about what happened and how Elizabeth could have been killed. Angry words could be heard and all the director could do was stammer an apology. Then, the excutive hung and the director put away the cell phone, shaking almost as badly as Elizabeth had when she surfaced.
The diver walked to over to the catering truck to get some coffee while the director walked over to where Elizabeth was sitting, still wrapped in the towel. She had calmed considerably, but was still a bit shaken.
"Elizabeth," the director spoke, "I am terribly sorry about what happened today. Is there anything I can do to make up for it?"
Elizabeth thought for a second and replied "Well, I think my sweater is ruined, and I'm pretty sure that my skirt is, so I would want you to at least reimburse me for the damage."
At that moment, the diver arrived with two cups of coffee. Handing one to Elizabeth, he turned to the director and added "You might also want to consider giving Elizabeth or the next person who is unfortunate enough to get involved in one of your stunt segments some safety equipment so they can save themselves. As I said before, it was lucky I was already in the water and also that Elizabeth knew enough not to panic."
"Okay," replied the director. "I'll keep that in mind if I still have my job. The big boss was very furious with me. If I am still employed tomorrow, it will be a miracle." The director then walked off.
Taking a few sips of her coffee, Elizabeth set the cup down and turned to the diver. "I really want to thank you for saving my life today."
"I was happy to be able to do it. Of course, you helped a bit too."
"Just the same, thanks."
Elizabeth stood up, removed her towel, and put her arms around the diver. The diver understood and did likewise. Elizabeth felt incredible, he thought. He could feel her back quite well through the tight sweater and, even though he was still wearing his wetsuit, Elizabeth's legs felt wonderful against his.
Elizabeth was enjoying things too. She could feel how strong and muscular the diver felt. Quite fitting, she thought, for a man who rescued her from certain death. If she was still single, Elizabeth thought (this story is set in the summer of 2002, shortly after Elizabeth Vargas' got married) that he would be great to go out with - and maybe more.
Then, Elizabeth kissed the diver. Being no fool, he reciprocated and held Elizabeth closer. A few seconds later, they separated. Elizabeth then wrapped herself in the towel again. "Even though I'm married, that was fun."
"Well as long as we didn't go any further than that, no harm done." the diver replied. "Your husband is a lucky man and should be proud of you."
After Elizabeth and the diver were talking for a while, a man showed up. It was Elizabeth's husband. "Thank goodness you're okay! I came as soon as they called and told me what happened."
Elizabeth introduced the diver to her husband and explained "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have made it at all."
Elizabeth's husband gave the diver a hearty handshake and said "Thank you! I can't possibly repay you for what you did here today."
"Helping save a lovely woman like your wife is reward enough. Besides, she deserves some of the credit herself. She's a very brave woman, the way she kept herself from panicking. And her diving knowledge helped when we swam to the surface."
As Elizabeth walked over and retrieved her shoes, the diver talked privately with Elizabeth's husband. "She's a good diver, but I am afraid that her experience today might traumatize her and make her fearful of the water."
"Hadn't thought about that. What can I do to help?"
"Do you have a pool or access to one?"
"Yes."
"Good. I think you and Elizabeth ought to do some swimming in the next few days. Being in the water with you might be just the thing to keep her from being scared."
"I see your point."
"One more thing..."
"Yes?" asked Elizabeth's husband.
"Take good care of her."
Elizabeth returned and told her husband that she was told to take the rest of the week off to recover and that she could keep the towel. Then, Elizabeth and her husband got into the car and drove home.
After they got home, Elizabeth showered and changed into dry clothes, hanging her sweater and skirt to dry. Then she spent a quiet afternoon and evening at home with her husband.
As Elizabeth was sleeping, she was pondering the feelings engendered by the day's events. Instead of being fearful as she thought she would be, she kept thinking back to the diver and how he helped her. Too bad they couldn't have gone further, she thought.
The next day, Elizabeth's husband said "Let's see how your sweater and skirt made out." A quick examination showed that the sweater shrank slightly, but the skirt was a goner. It was discolored in a few spots and the texture was different.
While she was looking over the ruined clothes, her husband suggested "I have an idea. Put them on! I have a bit of a surprise for you."
"But, they're ruined. Why would you be so interested?" Elizabeth asked. When her husband didn't answer, Elizabeth decided to put the stuff on anyway.
"Even though the clothes are ruined, you still look great in them. Now, come with me..." her husband instructed.
A short walk took the two out to their swimming pool. Elizabeth had a sort of an idea as to what was going to happen next. "But I think you will look even better in here..." With that, he grabbed Elizabeth's arm. "We jump in on three. Don't worry, I'll be with you. Now, 1... 2... 3!"
The couple jumped and landed in the water. The now familiar sensation of being soaked returned. This time, she was in no jeopardy and her husband was with her.
Surfacing, Elizabeth said "Thanks. This is fun!" Elizabeth looked spectacular. Her sweater floated above her midriff and her skirt rode up even higher than it did when she was in the lake - to near micro-mini level.
Her husband said "I know." and he drew Elizabeth closer in an embrace. Soon, the two were frolicking underwater. A few minutes later, Elizabeth slid off her sweater and skirt, leaving her in her opaque bra and panties.
"Amazing how much this looks like swimwear. Besides, the clothes were weighing me down." Elizabeth explained. Her husband took the hint and stripped down to his boxers. The couple continued their aquatic games for a while longer, then recovered their clothing and left the pool.
Getting back into the house, Elizabeth mentioned "We have to rinse off the chlorine, you know..." Needing no further encouragement, the twosome then headed for the shower and took a rather long and enjoyable one.
And they had fun after the shower too.