by Nella Tyler
Numbers two and three, both younger guys, rode their waves, but their balance was off and neither of them looked totally comfortable with it. The ocean didn’t give number four much to work with, but he did well with what he had. He was the big guy who had worried me so much so I felt a little guilty about being relieved. Unless the other older man, the two teenage beauty queens, and the last two young guys were phenomenal, I still had a chance.
I walked out towards the water dressed in my new wetsuit and with the six foot leash attached to my board. I felt my toes tingle from the cold as I waded out into the water and lay out on my board. The wetsuit was amazing. The rest of my body didn’t feel the cold at all. I heard the whistle and began to paddle out. I closed my eyes once more and listened for the sound of Drake’s voice in my head, telling me to have patience and wait for the wave to come to me. He’d told me more than once that surfing was all about timing. My grandfather used to say the same thing all the time. As I paddled out, I could see a wave building off to my right. I was getting tossed around and pushed backwards by the current. I dug in deeply the way Drake taught me. He told me that I should visualize the ocean as a solid thing and grab ahold of it. Once I had a hold on it, all I had to do was pull myself up and over the top.
I saw the next wave coming in time to paddle towards it. This was it. I could see that it was building momentum. This was my perfect wave, and all I had to do was ride it. Just before I got on top of it, I took the deepest breath possible. Then, I shoved the board underwater as deep as I could get it and I followed with the top of my body. I heard a roar in the distance, probably the voices on the beach, but as I submerged my body deeper into the water it was like hearing it from the inside of a seashell. I punched back up through the surface and that was when I popped up on the board. I had to smile. I did that like a pro. Drake would be proud. I took another deep breath and I hit it: that sweet spot Drake told me to look for. “Every wave has one,” he had told me over and over. I usually had trouble finding it, but today it was like the stars had all aligned.
I “danced” on top of my board like he taught me, a shift in balance, flick of the ankles, curl of the toes, until I was all the way on top of it. That’s when I twisted and turned as I kept my balance for what seemed like a long time. It was like time had slowed down right up until I felt the smooth rush of the drop. My stomach was in my throat while I rode it all the way down to the surface. I stayed on my feet the entire time and once I was down, I could hear the cheering of the crowd on the beach. I sat up, straddled my board, and looked out at them. They were cheering for me. It was surreal. My eyes landed on Bennie. He had a bright smile on his face as he jumped up and down. I smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up. I tipped my head back and turned my face up to the sun. I closed my eyes and just basked in it for a few seconds – I felt so alive. When I opened my eyes and lay down to paddle in, I saw Drake. He was wearing a pair of blue board shirts and didn’t have on a shirt. He was looking at me, and the morning sun was suddenly irrelevant as his smile lit up the beach and warmed my body from head to toe.
When I came out of the water, I searched the rushing crowd once more. Drake was gone. Bennie grabbed me up in a hug and swung me around. I could hear people around me talking about how I had clinched it. People were congratulating me already as if I’d won and for the first time, I allowed my brain to process the very real possibility of having ten thousand dollars in my pocket by the end of the day. I felt a rush of endorphins that only added to the way my body was shaking and I suddenly needed to lie down. I whispered to Bennie that I needed a second and he was instantly on it. He cleared a path for me through the crowd and holding my hand tightly, he led me down the narrow, sandy path until we broke through the bodies and were surrounded by nothing other than fresh sea air and sand. I dropped to my knees and then onto my back, closing my eyes and soaking in the warm sun once again. Like a loyal sentry, Bennie stood guard over me and later when they announced the winner, his was the first smiling face I saw.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
DRAKE
“Come on, man, you can’t stay pissed at me forever. We’ve been through so much shit together. Our friendship can’t end over a woman.” Lance was pacing back and forth in my apartment while he talked. I was wishing that I hadn’t even let him in. He didn’t have anything new to say. He was just worried about me. He, Sabrina, and my sister only wanted to see me be successful. Blah, blah, blah. “We went about it the wrong way, but we love you, man. You know that.”
“Contrary to what we were all taught growing up, success doesn’t necessarily mean happiness. How happy will I be if I win these competitions and get this sponsorship, but I don’t have anything else worthwhile in my life? I’ll be my father. I’ll be a successful, unhappy, bitter man.”
“Hey, if you want that girl-”
“Summer.”
He sighed. “If you want Summer, we’re not stopping you. Go get her. I’ll apologize to her, too, and I’d be willing to bet Chrissy will. Sabrina’s always been a wild card…”
“It’s too late, Lance. Whatever you all said to her worked. She doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
“She won today, right?”
“Yeah,” I smiled, I couldn’t help it. I pictured her on top of that wave with that little self-satisfied smile on her face. It was an awesome sight.
“Then she’ll be at the party tonight, she has to be. They’ll be presenting her with her check.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, we’ll go, and you’ll get her back.”
I was skeptical. “What if she doesn’t want me back?”
He shrugged. “Turn on that Spencer charm. Women drop like flies for it.”
“Not Summer. She doesn’t fall for my bullshit.”
Lance turned serious then as he said, “Then don’t bullshit her. Tell her how you feel. What do you really have to lose at this point?”
“You make a lot of sense. I guess it’s worth a shot.”
He curled his lip at me. “I guess? It’s worth a shot? Who are you? You’re Drake Spencer, man! You’re rich, you’re talented, and from what women tell me, you’re hot. Put that chin up, throw those shoulders back, and let’s go get your woman.”
I laughed at his stupidity, but I had to admit he had me pumped. “I’m going to shower, and I’ll meet you at the beach. Do not bring Sabrina or any other snobby bitches you find along the way.”
“Can I take a commoner home?”
“Get out.”
He laughed on his way out the door. “You’ve lost your sense of humor, bro.”
“Get out.” He left, and I got in the shower. He was right. I don’t have Summer now and if I put myself out there tonight and still don’t have her, what have I really lost? Laguna is less than a week away and if I get my sponsor, I’m off to Bali, maybe. I was pissed enough the day after the gala to finally tell my father that to his face once and for all. He had the audacity to tell me he would buy a house for my “little girlfriend” if I would leave the surfing alone. I actually told him to fuck off. I told him I didn’t want anything else from him. I told him I was going to Bali and I was taking Summer with me. He cancelled my credit card that same afternoon. I have one small account that I had put money in for a rainy day like this one and that would have to last until I got a sponsor or a job. I don’t even care if I make it to Bali. All I want is to be with Summer.
The beach was even more packed now than it had been during the contest earlier. I texted Lance as soon as I got there.
“Where are you?”
“Close to the bonfire.”
“Have you seen Summer?”
“Not yet, but there are a thousand bodies down here.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in a sec.”
“Don’t hurry; I have a commoner on the hook…”
I rolled my eyes and shoved the phone in my pocket. I could see the bonfire about a hundred feet in front of me. The stage was about fifty feet beyond that. A regg
ae band was playing, and the owner of Ruckus was standing off to the side, preparing to hand out the awards. I scanned the bodies between here and there looking for Summer. She’s so small and there are so many people, I’ll probably have to be right next to her before I do see her. I wished she had a phone.
“What are you doing here? Don’t ruin this for her.” I turned towards the voice. It was Summer’s “bodyguard.” I don’t remember his name.
“I’m not here to ruin anything for her.”
He stepped closer. He was about a head shorter than me and already knew full well that I could take him. I had to give him credit for the size of his balls. “She’s happy. She’s happier than I’ve ever seen her. Seeing you will only upset her.”
I thought about the way she smiled at me today when her eyes met mine across the beach. She hadn’t seemed upset to see me. “I’m not going to do anything to upset her. I just want to congratulate her.”
“I’ll tell her I saw you, and I’ll pass the message on.”
I almost laughed. There was no way that he was passing the message on to Summer. This guy wants her for himself. If he’s that worried about me seeing her, maybe it says something about what kind of chance I have. “Thanks, but I’d rather do it myself.”
“Listen to me, you rich son of a-”
“Careful what you call my mother.”
He started to say something else, but was interrupted by the sound of the man onstage asking for everyone’s attention. I ignored Summer’s little friend and walked towards the stage. As I got closer, the back of Kobe’s gnarly hair came into view. It had been over a week since I’d seen him. He had his arm around Summer’s other friend, Phoebe.
“Hey, dude!” I slapped him on the back. Anyone else would have startled and jumped. Kobe turned around in that slow, laidback way he approaches everything.
“Spence! I thought you died, man.”
“And, you weren’t going to come to my funeral?”
Kobe laughed. “Nah, but I smoked a fat one in your honor.”
Shaking my head at Kobe, I turned and looked at Phoebe. “Hi, Phoebe, how are you?” She snuggled deeper into Kobe’s side and grinned.
“I’m good.” From the looks of her eyes, she was flying high on a “fat one” herself.
“Good. I’ll bet Summer is stoked.”
“I’ve never seen her so happy. Thank you for helping her.”
“It was my pleasure. Where is she?”
Phoebe looked around. “I’m not sure. They took her behind the stage and had her signing paperwork and stuff a while ago.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to present to you our top three winners from this morning’s amateur surfing contest.” We fell silent and listened as the man called out the name of the third place winner. The guy about my age went up and was presented with a trophy and a check. The second place winner was a pretty little teenager. She didn’t look over fifteen or sixteen years old. When she got her trophy and check, it took a while for the rumble of the crowd to die down. Stupid drunk men were yelling up at her and making lewd comments.
Finally, he said, “The top winner of our competition will be presented with a ten-thousand dollar check, thanks to the generosity of my employers, Victor and Jeffrey Winters of Ruckus. Put your hands together for Miss Summer French, ladies and gentlemen.” The crowd roared with applause as Summer climbed up onto the stage. My pulse sped up as soon as I saw her. She was wearing her tank top and shorts, of course, and she had her long hair in a thick braid. The first thought in my head was of undoing that braid and running my fingers through that gorgeous hair…and from there I had a list.
Summer quietly thanked the man, took her check, and gave a little bow to the audience. She stepped to the back of the stage, and I went around that way so that I would be the first person she saw when she stepped off. She stopped dead in her tracks and just stared at me. I wasn’t sure if she was happy to see meor not.
“Hi.”
I got a little smile from her. “Hey. Thank you.”
“For what?”
“All the stuff you left for me this morning. That was really nice.”
“You deserved it.”
She rolled her eyes and finished stepping down off the stairs. “No, I really didn’t. I didn’t do anything to earn any of it. But I appreciate it and one of these days,” she held up the check and said, “I’m going to pay you back.”
“I don’t want your money, Summer.” I took a step towards her. She had that wild look in her eyes like she did the first time I met her. She was thinking about running. “I want you.”
I heard a little tremor in her voice as she said, “What do you want with me, Drake? I’m nothing but trouble for you. No one in your family will be happy about us being together. None of your friends, your sponsors-”
“I don’t care what any of them think,” I interrupted. “I don’t care if they’re happy or not. All I care about is you, Summer. You can go with me if I get a sponsor or I’ll stay here with you if I don’t. I can get a job. Please don’t count me out because of what other people think.”
She held out her hand and said, “Walk with me, please.”
I took her hand and felt that jolt of electricity I feel every time I touch her. “What were your plans before you met me – your plans for your life?”
I breathed in a lungful of the fresh, salty air. I wondered what she wanted to hear and then I remembered that this was Summer. She only ever wanted to hear the truth. “I planned on winning in Laguna, getting the sponsorship, and going to Bali.”
“What are your plans now?”
“Being with you.”
She smiled and stopped walking. We were close to the water and away from everyone on the beach. In my mind, it was just her and I under the moon in the sand. “That’s sweet.”
“I’m not being sweet. I’m being honest. I can stay here or I can go, as long as you’re with me.”
“I’m eighteen years old. I don’t have an education or a job. I don’t have anything to offer you, Drake.”
“Summer, you have so much to offer. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. You’re tough, and you’re smart, and you’re fucking gorgeous. I hate that you can’t see all of that about yourself. I hate that people have beat you down and taken that away from you. You’re amazing. I’m falling…” She was on her toes and had her little hand pressed to my lips before I could finish my sentence.
“Don’t!”
“I’m falling in love with you.” I spoke the words through her fingers. It’s not exactly the way I imagined I’d say that for the first time.
“I said don’t say it.” She pulled her hand away and started walking away. I followed her.
“Why? It’s the truth.”
“It’s fucked up, Drake. This money in my pocket is going to help me get a start on life, but I’m not under any delusion that any of that will be easy. This is not a good time to start a relationship that already has two strikes against it.”
I stopped her again, this time by taking hold of her shoulders and turning her to face me. “Do you want me, Summer?” She was looking down at her feet. I let go of one of her shoulders and used my hand to tip her face up towards mine. “Do you want me?”
She had tears in her eyes as she whispered, “Yes.” That was all I needed to hear. I picked her up, cradled her in my arms, and carried her out past all of the party-goers on the beach and back towards the lot where I parked my car. When we got there, I put her down on her feet and unlocked the door. I half expected her to run, but instead, she took hold of the door handle and pulled it open. She slipped inside and closed the door.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
SUMMER
I asked myself all the way to Drake’s apartment what the hell I was doing. I promised myself that I was going to stay away from him, but he was like a drug. One taste no matter how minor, and I need more. When we got there and he opened the door, I stepped inside and leaned against the wall whil
e he closed and locked the door. He turned and leaned over me. He put his hands on either side and above my head, locking that sexy blue gaze onto mine. He hadn’t even touched me yet and I felt like my body was on fire from the inside out. When he looks at me like he is right now, the only word I can think of to describe it is raw.
He brought one of his hands down and pulled the elastic band out of my hair. He ran his thick fingers through it and shook it loose before picking a strand up and rubbing it between his fingers. I was so hot that I felt like I was melting. He let go of my hair and put two of his fingers over the pulse in my neck at the base of my throat, and then he ran them down into the hollow of my neck and further down my chest, pushing my shirt down as he went, but stopping before he made it to the swell of my breasts. I moaned and tipped my head back, and I felt like I was going to die if he didn’t kiss me. I rose up on my toes and put my arms around his neck, pulling him down towards me. He brought his head down and brushed his lips across mine, but a soft and sweet kiss was not what I needed. I shoved my tongue into his mouth like a wild woman and the kiss exploded into the kind of passion I was craving.
He put his hands in my hair and pulled at the roots, while his tongue played with mine. I was almost up off the floor so that I could reach his hair. I wanted to tangle my fingers in it. I wanted to pull his hair while I sucked on his tongue. He bent down further, and I got a handful of it and heard him growl. I caressed his scalp with my fingernails and slid them down the back of his neck, the entire time, sucking on his tongue, licking his lips, and wanting so much more.
