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    Kayaks, Kisses and Monsters
    Kayaks, Kisses and Monsters
    Kayaks, Kisses and Monsters
    Ebook139 pages1 hour

    Kayaks, Kisses and Monsters

    By Ashleigh Stevens

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A summer of kayaking sounds perfect. Until the lake monster appears.


    For Ellie, getting paid to spend her summer outside sounds like the ideal internship, even if it means paddling up and down a river twelve hours a day. Sure, she's never actually been in a kayak before, but how hard could it be?


    At least she knows how to set up camp at night. Unlike her co-worker. Though Clay may be captain of the crew team, she could teach him a thing or two about spending the night in a sleeping bag. 


    And then there's the whole lake monster thing. Of course, Ellie knows water monsters aren't real but Clay doesn't seem convinced, especially after a boater goes missing. When mysterious accidents threaten her job security, Ellie starts to wonder why the "monster" wants her gone.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAshleigh Stevens
    Release dateJun 17, 2021
    ISBN9798201602116
    Kayaks, Kisses and Monsters
    Author

    Ashleigh Stevens

    Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved reading and learning so much that she wanted to share her writing with others. She wrote her first novella at twelve-years-old, although it has never been published. She continued writing for the next twenty years, developing a writing style and finding a comfortable genre. In 2010, just before the birth of her first child, Ashleigh decided to publish her first novel. Not long after, Ashleigh decided to become a stay-at-home mother in order to spend time with her daughter and continue her writing. Currently, Ashleigh lives in Southern Connecticut with her husband and her four beautiful children, whom she homeschools. In her spare time, Ashleigh continues working on her novels, hoping to publish more soon.

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      Book preview

      Kayaks, Kisses and Monsters - Ashleigh Stevens

      Chapter 1

      I rushed down the hall of the science center, checking the colorful labels on the side of each door. Professor Larkin hadn’t actually told me where to find his office. The biology department was spread out over three levels. Was I even on the right floor? I really needed this summer internship and showing up five minutes late for my interview was not a good way to start.

      Thankfully, I found the office without too much trouble. I quickly rapped on the closed door, glancing at my watch. Only two minutes late. Hopefully, Larkin’s clock was slow.

      Come in!

      I opened the door and stuck my head inside. Professor Larkin? I’m Ellie Bassett. I’m here about the summer internship?

      He nodded, gesturing toward one of the wooden armchairs in front of his desk. Please, come in. Close the door.

      I glanced around the room as I followed his instructions. His computer sat in one corner of a U-shaped desk so full of books and papers, I wasn’t sure how he could even find his keyboard. Behind him, a window overlooked the courtyard, with a glimpse of the Elver River down the hill. To my right, books were arranged in neat rows on their shelves. A quick glance at the titles showed they were mostly textbooks. Built into the wall on my left, above the professor’s head, were bookshelves filled with thinner books that seemed to focus on specific aspects of marine biology. Beneath the shelf, a grey bulletin board was covered with pictures of maps and what looked to be a kindergartner’s illustration of a dinosaur.

      Professor Larkin looked away from his computer as I took my seat. He was one of the younger members of the faculty, still working toward his tenure. His brown hair was just a little too long, swept to the side. Combined with the stubble around his chin and the oxford shirt, he looked ready to go sailing in a yacht, not give a ninety-minute lecture about the chemical makeup of water.

      He smiled at me, his teeth nearly pearlescent enough to reflect the sunlight. Ellie. Glad to meet you. So, tell me. How did you learn about this internship?

      I shrugged. I saw a flier on the bulletin board near the biology lecture hall.

      And what do you know about the position?

      Nothing, really. I was hoping you could tell me more.

      He nodded and leaned back in his chair, steepling his hands in front of him. I have been commissioned to create bathymetric maps of the Elver River from the Connecticut border to Long Island Sound. I’m looking for two interns to perform that task for me this summer.

      I held up my phone. Do you mind if I write a few things down?

      By all means.

      I typed bathymetric as Professor Larkin described the history of the river, focusing more on the indigenous people and early settlers than the water itself. I really had no idea what any of it had to do with marine biology, but I took notes until he was done. From what I gathered, he was looking for two people to kayak along the river all summer. And he was going to pay them for it. That was all I needed to know.

      He sent me that blinding smile again. So, does that sound interesting to you?

      I nodded. Definitely.

      Great. So, a few quick questions. In your email, you mentioned you were a biology major. Pre-med?

      Ye—No. At Professor Larkin’s raised eyebrows, I sighed. I was pre-med, but my biology grades my first year weren’t that great and the advisor suggested maybe I consider something else. I’m still biology with a pre-med concentration, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it yet.

      So, what happened freshman year? Was it just the adjustment to college? Learning how to study?

      I shook my head. No. My other grades were fine. It’s just . . . I don’t want to speak ill of any professor.

      Our Introduction to Biology professors change every semester. I am not going to look to see which one you had three years ago. I promise, you can speak freely.

      I gave a resigned sigh. "Well, so, you just told me all about the river and how most people think the Vikings named it, but it could have been the French or the English or even the indigenous tribes. On a test, if you asked How did the river get its name, I would expect that to be like, a short answer question. But, my biology teacher would make that multiple choice where Vikings was the right answer because it was what the majority of people thought, even though current research is suggesting it might be, whatever. A different answer."

      Professor Larkin nodded. I see. And have you done better in subsequent biology classes?

      Yeah. But, it took me too long in that first class to bring up my grades. And, well, I’m just not sure about medical school anymore.

      And, what about your boating skills?

      What about them?

      He gave a small laugh. Can you row a kayak?

      Oh. Yeah, sure. I had no idea, but it looked easy enough.

      And you can swim?

      I nodded. Of course. So, maybe I wasn’t the best swimmer, but I planned on rowing with a life jacket and I knew how to paddle my way back to shore.

      How do you feel about camping?

      I smiled. I love it. My family and I go every other weekend all summer.

      Fantastic. Now, let’s talk technology. Have you ever seen one of these before?

      He passed me a tablet with buttons on the side. It wasn’t powered on and I had no idea how to do so. I hoped my technological ignorance wouldn’t hinder my prospects.

      I returned the device to him. It looks like some sort of gaming system.

      To my relief, he smiled. It’s a chartplotter. It’s used to create the maps. He pressed a button. When the screen lit up, he returned the tablet to me.

      Do me a favor? Do you think you can find the feature to create a new map?

      Typical professor. Giving me a pop quiz on my interview. I might as well walk out now. There was no way I was going to get this job. But, I would humor him.

      It took more time than I would have liked. After a few attempts, I grew resolute. I no longer cared about the job. I was not going to leave that office until I learned how to create a new map.

      Finally, I figured it out. With a proud smile, I returned the chartplotter and glanced at the clock. Although it had felt like hours, the process had taken only a few minutes.

      Professor Larkin nodded. Very good. Thank you. Well, I’m interviewing a few more people during the week, but you should plan on hearing from me by Monday.

      He reached across the table and shook my hand. Rising, I made my way to the door. I was about to turn the knob when Professor Larkin called out to me.

      Oh, one more thing. What are your thoughts on Elver?

      I shrugged. "It’s a nice river. Has a tendency to flood the Elver Ale every spring."

      I was a little annoyed when he laughed. I wasn’t trying to be funny, but it seemed he was expecting a different answer.

      Kayleigh was sitting in our living room when I entered our apartment. How was the interview?

      Tossing my keys in the basket beside the front door, I shook my head. Where’s that application for Barney’s Burgers?

      That bad, huh?

      You better brace yourself for the fact that I may not be able to save up enough for next year’s rent. I sat in the chair opposite my roommate and recounted my afternoon. She laughed when I told her my response to Professor Larkin’s final question.

      I flopped back with a sigh. You too? Why is that so funny?

      Kayleigh shook her head. Not uh. I’m not going to ruin the surprise for you. Come on. We’re going to be late, and I know what song I’m singing.

      Although technically the Elver Ale House was a restaurant, it was voted the number one bar in the area every year. The food and the beer were so cheap, it was always crowded.

      Especially on Thursdays. Karaoke night. Kayleigh and I had discovered this by accident on her twenty-first birthday, nearly four months ago, and had been visiting every week since.

      Kayleigh and I ordered drinks at the bar, greeting various classmates on our way. While my roommate debated with someone I had never met about the hidden meaning behind one of the books they were reading in Modern Lit, I scanned the room for a table while listening to a very off-key showtune.

      Looking for someone?

      I turned back to the bar. Kayleigh had been absorbed into the crowd, replaced by a guy I had seen in the hallways. I was pretty sure he was another biology major, but we had never actually met. He wore jeans and a shirt just tight enough to show off some impressive abdominal muscles. Like many of my classmates this semesters, he was sporting that unshaven look I found wildly attractive. White sunglasses sat in his buzzed hair, freeing his dark eyes to smile at me. I tried to find my voice.

      Oh. Uh, no. I was just, uh, looking for a table.

      Well, in that case— He took my hand, dragging me across the floor. While I was flattered by the attention, and hoping to get to know this guy a little better, I wasn’t sure how comfortable I was with his forwardness. I searched for Kayleigh as he brought me to to the back of the room, just far enough from the

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