by Lauren Helms
“How long were you together?” My demeanor is still as I wait for his answer.
His face drops, and I can feel it. I just know I’m not going to like what I hear. “A little more than two years.”
My eyes widen at his admittance. Well, fuck me.
I open my mouth to reply when a soft, unfamiliar voice cuts in.
“Sam, what are you doing here?”
I shut my mouth and look up to see a beautiful woman who looks slightly familiar, and that’s when I realize this must be his ex. I’ve been to a few after-hours work events with Darcy, so it’s highly probable we’ve been introduced. Right now, she’s wearing a pretty, green, flowery dress. Her blonde hair is pulled up in a pony, and her eyes are filled with unshed tears.
She glances at me but pulls away quickly as if in fear I might attack. I look at Sam and wonder how I missed I was on a date with a lovesick puppy. He sits up straight in his chair, shoulders square like he’s about to defend our date, when his eyes suddenly soften and his chin wobbles.
I fight off an eye roll and realize I’m about to witness either some real sappy shit or another argument. Damn, this public embarrassment is getting old.
“Cass, what are you doing here?” He puffs out his chest, regaining a bit of his confidence.
“That’s what I asked you, Sam,” she whimpers.
At the risk of inserting myself into this confrontation, I say, “Excuse me, but do you just want to sit down and talk through this?” Neither Sam nor Cass pays any attention to me. Looks like I’m in it for the long haul. Leaning my elbow on the table, I cup my chin in my palm and watch the show.
“So, are you dating already?” Cass quivers.
“Yeah, I guess I am.” Sam nods.
“Oh. It’s a little soon, don’t you think?”
“You broke up with me, remember Cass? I don’t think you get a say in when I start dating.” His chin juts out.
She hisses as if she’s just been burnt by a flame, and that’s when the big fat tears start to roll down her face.
As soon as she turns on the waterworks, I know Sam is done for.
“Cass, I’m sorry. This is just casual, I promise. Please don’t cry.”
I purse my lips. Yup, I’m right here, guys. I look around to see what kind of audience we have, and I’m thankful to find few people are paying attention. I also notice the table Ben sat at is now empty. Closing my eyes in defeat, I mentally kick myself for not getting up and risking embarrassment for the man I haven’t been able to get off my mind for weeks. When I open them back up, Cass and Sam are having a hushed, but heated, conversation, so I find our server at the table next to us and signal that I need a to-go box. This ziti will still be damn good warmed up at home.
Several minutes later, I clear my throat and effectively get my date’s attention. His eyes widen and he winces.
“Kelly, I’m so sorry.” And, once again, before I can get anything out, Cass interrupts me.
“I’m leaving now. Bye, Sam.” She rushes through the restaurant to the exit. I sigh, relieved this is over, but then I gear up for a heart-to-heart with dear ole Sam.
“Kelly, that was unexpected.” He looks down, unable to meet my eyes.
“Yeah, it was. So that’s your ex?” I try not to snort as I state the obvious.
“Yeah. Cass. I thought I was over her…” his voice trails.
“But you’re not. And honestly, after a two-year relationship, how could you be? It hasn’t been long since you two split.” He shakes his head at my words, but I continue. “Sam, if it makes any difference, that woman is definitely not over you either.”
He lifts his head, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Yeah?”
“You know what I think?” I offer. I’m ready to get out of here before I can bear witness to any more tears. Sam cocks his eyebrow. “I think you should go after her. Work things out. Get your happy ending with Cass.”
His eyes gleam, and I swear tears will fall any minute. Hold it together, man.
“You’re not mad?” He grimaces when he notices my food is all packed up and I’m ready to run.
“Nope.” I pop the P, trying to show him I really couldn’t care less. I mean, don’t get me wrong, this sucks donkey balls, but what can I do? “Go get your girl.”
He smiles and shakes himself out of his haze of emotion. He glances at the receipt, pulls out his wallet, and then throws down several dollars. “I’m so sorry you had to witness this, Kelly. And I’m sorry you didn’t get a decent date. Thank you for being so cool, though.” He rushes from our table and out of the restaurant.
The server walks by and gives me a remorseful look, and I shrug.
“It is what it is, man.” I smile and he chuckles.
I get out of the restaurant and jump in an Uber, too mad to call up Darcy yet. I’ll unleash my wrath on her when I get home. Instead, I shoot Aubrey a text.
Me: Remind me to never agree to a date set up by Darcy again.
Aubrey: Oh snap. Give me the deets. Now!
Me: My date is freshly single after a multi-year relationship. His ex showed up and they got into it.
Aubrey: What is it with you and entangled couples?
Me: It’s a gift, really.
Aubrey:
Aubrey: What happened next? I’m on the edge of my seat.
Me: I told him to go get his girl back. After he cried…
Aubrey: Awe, you’re so sweet. You’ll forever be known as the woman who got them back together.
Me: Or the bitch who tried to steal her man.
Aubrey: Meh. Maybe.
Aubrey: Come stay with us this weekend. The surf cast is on point and you deserve a break.
Me: Pull my arm, why don’t ya.
Me: I’ll be there.
Aubrey: Sweet. I’ve got someone I want you to meet.
Me: Wait. Noooo.
Me: You can’t do this to me!!!
Aubrey:
My heartbeat slows now that I know she was kidding. But hot damn, I don’t think I can take another date like tonight. I think I’ll hold off a few weeks before going on any more dates. I need to get out of whatever funk I’m currently in.
With a few minutes to go until I’m back home, I think about how I’m going to ream out my darling cousin for this shitty blind date. What the hell was she thinking? What the hell was I thinking going through with it?
5
Ben
I pull the wetsuit up my body and stuff my arms inside. I take a deep breath, and I can taste the briny air wafting in from the ocean. Once I’m snug, I turn and grab my board. Being born and raised in Chicago, surfing isn’t second nature to me. I’m actually quite terrible, if I’m being honest. I never played sports—I was always too busy kicking ass at video games—but surfing is a challenge I quite enjoy. I’m not sure I’ll ever be any good at it, but as long as I’m having fun, I’ll keep trying it while I’m in Cali.
I walk beside Garland toward the water that’s lapping onto the sand with each incoming wave, the soft glow of the sun peeking up from the horizon. The boardwalk behind me is lined with food and shop vendors, but most are still closed and won’t open for another couple of hours. I’m not normally up this early, but I had the morning off and I head back home tomorrow. Garland promised a morning of surfing this trip.
“The waves are clean,” he says as we watch the water. “I’m amped.”
“Yeah, you’ve never brought me to this beach before. It looks like a good one,” I say as I notice there are several surfers already out. Luckily, it’s not busy at all.
“Hermosa Beach is my new go-to. I don’t mind the forty-five minute drive from the city when the waves are great and the beach isn’t crowded.” He nods to the shore.
“These waves are going to kick my ass. I can feel it.” I chuckle. They’ll kick my ass, but I don’t really care. Maybe the experience will even make me a little better.
Garland snorts
in agreement. “Hell yeah, they are. But what do you expect, ya kook?”
I shake my head. “Why is it as soon as you step foot onto the beach, you immediately start speaking in surf slang?”
He thumps me on the shoulder. “It’s the way of the surfer, bro.” The way he says bro is stereotypical, high-as-a-kite surfer dude.
We paddle out a solid thirty feet and wait a few beats for the next wave to roll. After we catch it, we settle back in and repeat the cycle over and over until I’ve had my fill.
What seems like hours later, I drag myself out of the swell and plop down on the beach. I have no idea how much time has passed, but normally, I can only handle about an hour. The water is cold this early in the year, but it’s not a turnoff. Garland will probably surf for a bit longer, though he won’t surf as long as he normally would because he’ll feel bad I’m sitting here waiting. I don’t mind, though. Part of the reason I like being out here is that it provides much needed time away from my phone and all things gaming. The crash of the waves and the fizz of the foam as it sweeps ashore lolls me into a relaxing state as my body comes down from the high from riding the waves. A soft breeze ruffles through my ocean-soaked hair.
I watch Garland and some other surfers. There’s one in particular that’s kicking butt out there. At one point, I realize the surfer is a girl, and I’m immoderately drawn to her. She’s damn good. If I knew more about surfing, I’d be able to identify some of the tricks she’s doing, but I’m still a novice. I don’t recall when Garland joins me because I can’t take my eyes off her.
“Do you know who that is?” I ask him.
“Not from this far away. She’s probably a pro. She’s done some high-level shit.” We both watch in awe. It’s not long before she paddles back to the shore.
“Dude, you’ve got a hard-on for the surfer girl.” Garland laughs as we stand.
“What?” I glance down in horror before realizing he’s just being a dick. I punch him in the arm. “Grow up, asshole.”
He’s still chuckling as we turn to head back to his Jeep. But I can’t help that my feet move slow. I want the surfer girl to catch up. Hell, I don’t know why. She could be jail bait, for all I know. I’m closer to thirty than I am to twenty, so I don’t need to be drooling over some baby surfer.
We make it to the parking lot and strip out of our surf suits. We still have our trunks on underneath—we wouldn’t want to put on a show. Something out of the corner of my eye gets my attention. I look to the car a few spots down when I see it’s the girl from the waves. Focusing on her, I can tell she’s in her twenties, and I sigh a breath of relief. She wears her long-sleeved surf suit that fits like a one-piece bathing suit. Her toned, tan legs go on for days, the skintight fabric of the suit doing nothing to hide her full, perfect tits and lean stomach. She leans her board up against the car and reaches to pull out her topknot. Dark hair falls past her shoulders as she shakes it out. I’m transfixed by her motions as she runs her fingers through her long locks.
“Shit, man. Are you drooling?”
I startle at Garland’s words. “Fuck,” I snarl, trying to focus on my task of getting my board in Garland’s back seat. He laughs from the other side of the car as he secures his board to the top, the tail end of the board hanging out the trunk window.
My eyes track her moves, and when she turns toward me, I’m nearly struck dumb. Is that the girl from Club Punch?
No way.
I study her face as my heart soars. I never thought I’d see her again, but here she is right in front of me. I didn’t think it was possible, but knowing she’s a badass surfer chick and seeing the way her wetsuit molds to her skin has me that much hotter for her. If only she would look at me.
As if she hears my plea, her eyes catch mine. Her brows furrow and then she looks away. While I realize I’ve been caught staring, I want her to look at me again. She goes about her business, pretending she didn’t just catch a stranger staring her down. But then she glances over her shoulder at me. She bites her lip as if she’s not sure how to feel about the fact I’m not breaking eye contact.
“Dude, really? Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Garland leans his forearms on his car door, grinning like a fool.
“I think it’s the girl from Club Punch,” I tell him, finally taking my eyes off her.
“From last month? Really?” He keeps his cool and casually looks her way. “How crazy would that be?”
Kelly climbs in her car, the door shutting behind her, and I blow out a deep breath, silently kicking myself for not going over there. But then her car door swings open, and she steps back out of the car. Trying to save face, I quickly pull my attention away from her when I realize she’s walking toward us. Shit. I’m a creeper.
I finish sliding my board into the open back seat when I hear, “Ben?”
Awareness tingles up my spine. I answer her questioning tone with a massive grin. “Kelly.”
“Oh my God, I thought that was you.” She stops a few feet away from me, and I want to pull her in for a hug. But I don’t because I’m still trying to blow off the creep factor I had going.
“Yeah, I saw you at your car and did a double-take.” I chuckle while Garland sputters a “Holy shit” from the other side of the car.
“So crazy that you’re here. Do you normally surf this beach?” Her smiling face is utterly gorgeous. Her hair is drying in the sun, and it’s already starting to get those sexy beach waves. Damn, I bet it will smell like salty ocean water for the rest of the day. Her round, grass-green eyes sparkling in delight causes my heart to slam in my chest. She’s just as happy to see me as I am her.
“First time. Garland comes here, though.” I nod toward Garland.
“Sup?” He juts his chin.
“Garland, that’s right. I knew you had a good name.” She directs her smile and a sing-song laugh his way, and I narrow my eyes at him. He better not hijack this conversation.
Garland’s chest puffs up, and I groan. “It is a very good name,” he boasts.
“Talk about a small world, huh? What are the chances of us meeting again?” I pull her attention back to me.
“It’s really crazy. Actually, I thought I saw you the other night at Luigi’s Italiano. You weren’t there, were you?”
“Shit, I was. Why didn’t you say anything?” I’m immediately bummed I could have had more time with her.
She blushes. “Uh, I was on a date.” She wrings her fingers, clearly nervous with her response.
Well, damn, she’s in a relationship. My hopes plummet off a cliff realizing the chemistry between us was meant to be a one-time thing. I’m not the kind of dude that messes with a taken woman.
“Ah, that makes sense. Either way, it was great to see you, Kelly. You’re a kick-ass surfer. I’m impressed. I couldn’t stop watching you out there,” I say.
Turning away from her, I catch Garland’s eye, and he’s smashing his lips together. Then he shifts his head toward her and mouths, “Ask her out.” I glare at him and give a tight shake. Clearly, he didn’t catch on to the whole boyfriend thing.
“Thanks. I’ve been surfing since I was little. If I could grow fins, I’d live in the ocean.” She chuckles. While I’d love more time with her, I’m ready to leave. I don’t want to flirt with someone else’s girlfriend.
I laugh at her reply and try to nicely end the conversation. “Well, like I said—”
“Do you want to get breakfast with us?” Garland buts in. “We’re about to head to Joe’s Diner a few blocks away. You should join us.” He ignores my glare. I plaster on a grin when I turn back to Kelly, and her questioning glance tells me my behavior hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“Uh. I mean, I could eat. Would that be okay with you, Ben?” She puts the decision back on me. Shit, I’m not an asshole.
I shrug. “Yeah, that’s cool.” I feel like a douche, but the idea of her having a boyfriend irks me.
Her smile wavers for a second before she nods and tells us she’ll meet us t
here. She heads back to her car, and I climb into the Jeep before punching Garland in the shoulder.
“Fuck, what was that for?” he whines.
“She has a boyfriend,” I growl.
“She didn’t say that.” He pushes the ignition button and the Jeep rattles to life.
“She said she was on a date.”
“That doesn’t translate into having a boyfriend. It’s a modern world, my friend. Women date just for fun all the time, if you know what I mean.” He waggles his eyebrows with a chuckle as he pulls out of the parking lot. “Look, you’ve had a hard-on for her since the club.”
I open my mouth to rebuke when he continues, “Nuh-uh, buddy. Remember when you thought you saw her on the street the other day? And man, you were drooling so hard back there before she walked over. You’ve got it bad. I’m just helping a brother out.” His cocky grin is full of shit. “You’ll thank me later.”
I shake my head as I look out the side mirror, seeing Kelly’s tiny sedan following behind us. Then I catch the deep-set frown on my face and try to relax my features. I want to spend time with her. I just don’t want to get to know her if she’s already attached to someone else. I’m not into long-distance relationships, and seeing as I’m not in Cali on the regular, it doesn’t make sense for me to get to know a chick for just friendship. Maybe more of a friend with benefits kind of thing. All right, maybe I am an asshole.
We pull into the diner and Kelly parks in the back of the lot, but she doesn’t get out of her car right away.
“Why don’t you go in and get a table? I’ll wait for Kelly,” I say, and Garland winks at me and heads into Joe’s. I lean up against his Jeep, wondering what’s taking Kelly so long. Maybe she’s regretting her decision to come after all. I squint and see her moving around in her car, then her horn sets off in a long honk. What the…
I push off the Jeep and walk toward her car. Just as I get close enough to reach out and touch the vehicle, her door pops open. A naked foot juts out and she drops a pair of leather sandals on the ground. Her other leg appears, and I glimpse a very high part of her thigh just as she yanks down the skirt of a short, soft-looking dress. Ah, so she was changing.
