by Vawn Cassidy
I snort in amusement. ‘Did you miss the part the other day where I tried to inhale the entire ocean?’
Beck just laughs easily. ‘Can you actually swim?’
‘Surprisingly enough, I can, why?’
‘Let me teach you how to surf.’ He smiles widely.
‘I’m sorry, what now?’ I blink and tilt my head as if I hadn’t quite heard him correctly.
‘I want to teach you to surf.’
‘Yeah, that’s what I thought you said,’ I snort. ‘Beck, I’m sure you’ve noticed I have enough trouble staying upright on dry land.’
‘It’s not the same thing, trust me,’ he replies, and there’s something in his eyes that intrigues me. ‘Being on the water, it’s like another state of being.’
‘Oh, Jesus.’ I shake my head.
‘No, seriously,’ he laughs lightly. ‘It’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it, but being out there on the water, all that vastness and energy, for one beautiful, perfect moment, you’re a part of it. It’s a kind of symbiosis, you forget everything, and you become a part of something so immense, so powerful it ripples through your whole body and soul.’
‘I don’t know, it’s pretty far out of my comfort zone.’ I hesitate.
‘Just give it a go, what’s the worst that could happen?’ He grins.
‘Uh… I could drown.’
‘You won’t drown. The sea’s pretty calm today, and the swells are tiny. They’re only baby waves, good conditions for beginners.’
‘Baby waves?’ I raise a brow. ‘Is that the hydro equivalent of what bunny slopes are to skiers?’
‘Something like that,’ he laughs. ‘Come on, you know you want to,’ he teases. ‘Seriously, what’s the worst that could happen?’
‘Stop quoting Dr Pepper.’ I pout, my eyes narrowing thoughtfully as I stare at the few surfers gliding effortlessly through the water, and I have to admit, it does look appealing. ‘You do realise there’s a very good chance you’re going to end up having to rescue me again.’
‘I won’t let anything happen to you, Nat,’ he says seriously. ‘Besides, I’m also a qualified lifeguard, and I usually volunteer if they need extra help at the height of the summer season.’
‘I knew it,’ I mutter under my breath.
‘What?’
‘Nothing.’ I huff out a breath. ‘Fine, you win, teach me how to surf, but don’t go complaining when you end up having to give me mouth to mouth resuscitation.’
‘That’s not going to happen.’ Beck’s lip twitches. ‘At least not until after I’ve bought you a drink.’
I snort loudly.
‘Do you have to work today?’
I shake my head. ‘Melanie’s got a deep clean at the restaurant booked with a local company she’s trying out since the previous manager fired the last one. We’ve got a health and safety inspection next week. She’s closing for lunch today while the cleaning gets underway, so I’m not working until tonight,’ I reply.’
‘Perfect.’ He grins. ‘Let’s go.’
‘What… right now?’ I frown. ‘But I don’t have a board.’ I glance down at my sweatpants and T-shirt. ‘And I’m not dressed for it.’
‘Got you covered, come on.’ He climbs back up to the promenade and over the wooden railing.
Given no other choice, I follow him. Dropping down onto the promenade, I look up at the surf school, it’s bigger than I thought on first glance. It’s a huge wooden, single storey shack. There are no front windows, and the whole of the front of the structure is open with heavy metal shutters to close it off at night. A rack of surfboards, neatly arranged in size order stand outside to the right of the building, and inside it’s like an Aladdin’s cave, if Aladdin was into Speedos and goggles.
There are racks and racks of wetsuits, board shorts, bikinis, and all forms of swimwear, brand new and tagged. Scattered around the room are goggles, snorkels, floaties and inflatables. Basically, anything you can imagine to enjoy your time on the gorgeous blue Cornish waters.
‘Is this where you work?’ I ask curiously as I step inside.
‘No.’ Beck shakes his head. ‘This is Georgie’s place; I just help out when I feel like it.’
‘Georgie?’
Beck points toward the back of the shop, alongside the two changing rooms is a cash desk and behind it, leaning on the counter with her chin propped on her hands as she watches us both, is a young woman.
‘Georgie,’ Beck calls out as we approach the counter. ‘This is Nat.’
‘Nice to meet you.’ She nods, her gaze appraising.
I stare at Georgie, my eyes narrowing in recognition. ‘Night before last,’ I recall. ‘Corner booth, you had the crab tacos.’
‘Good memory.’ she grins.
‘I doubt anyone would forget you.’ I smile as I eye her hair, it’s carelessly tousled with deep royal blue roots that melt into a vivid teal colour with the tips bleached pure white. ‘I love your hair colour.’
‘Thanks.’ She smiles widely as I study her.
I’m vaguely aware that Beck has disappeared somewhere behind me, but my interest is snagged on the girl in front of me. I love meeting interesting people. Everyone in my social circle had always been boring shades of grey, and they all looked and acted the same, as if they’d come off some sort of production line.
Not Georgie though. Her eyes are a deeper blue than mine and dance merrily. Two tiny diamonds wink at me from the piercings in either cheek, which mimic dimples, and when she speaks, I get a tiny flash of a tongue piercing. There’s some sort of graceful tattoo that glides sinuously down the length of her neck, and her left arm has a full, colourful tattoo sleeve, which appears to be nautical themed with maps, stars, and mermaids.
‘Wait a minute,’ I murmur as I tilt my head and study her hair. ‘They’re waves.’ I laugh in delight. ‘Your hair colour, the blue and green with white tips. They’re supposed to be breaking waves.’
‘Well done.’ She grins. ‘Not many people make the connection. For that you win a prize.’
She picks up a plastic tub from the side of the desk labelled ‘pirate booty’ and wiggles it in my direction. I glance inside and find a colourful array of lollipops, and I laugh out loud. I don’t think I’ve ever had a lollipop in my life. Sweets and treats had never been part of my childhood, and it wasn’t the sort of thing you indulged in as an adult.
‘Go on.’ She grins. ‘You know you want to.’ She gives the pot another little shake.
Smiling in warm amusement, I reach in a pull out a red one. Unwrapping it and popping it in my mouth, I get a burst of flavor and teeth aching sweetness, and I’m almost certain my pupils have blown from the sugar rush. Georgie grins and winks as she pops a blue coloured lollipop in her mouth.
‘So, what brings you by today?’ she asks leaving the lolly stick poking out of her mouth as she speaks.
‘Beck has decided I need to learn how to surf,’ I tell her with aplomb.
She chuckles loudly. ‘Yeah, he’s good at talking people into stuff. It’s the dimples. He only has to smile, and you get confused.’
‘Tell me about it,’ I mutter under my breath, and she grins at me again.
‘Okay, I’ve got you all set up.’ Beck suddenly reappears beside me.
‘With what?’ I pull the lolly from my mouth with a faint pop, and even though we’ve agreed to just be friends, I can’t help but enjoy the way his gaze seems to snag on my lips.
‘Uh.’ He clears his throat. ‘I’ve put a brand-new swimsuit in the changing room for you. I’ve also left a wetsuit you can borrow. Let me know if it doesn’t fit, but remember it needs to be snug. Don’t worry if it’s a bit tight, it needs to be, as long as it’s not cutting off circulation to anything important.’ He winks.
‘Okay.’ I head in the direction of the changing room and slip inside, closing the curtain and leaving Beck propped up against the counter chatting to Georgie. I glance around at the small space, which houses a full-length mirror,
a chair tucked into the corner and a row of hooks mounted on the wall. There as promised, is a wet suit and… I narrow my gaze, oh hell no. I don’t think so. I grab the item off the hook and turn abruptly, yanking open the curtain roughly and causing Beck and Georgie to glance up in my direction.
‘Problem?’ Beck asks.
‘Yes, there’s a problem,’ I reply. Holding up my hand and allowing the small transparent plastic hanger to swing on my finger, from which a tiny pair of bright red speedos are attached. ‘Magic Mike called, he wants his pants back.’
Georgie snorts loudly as Beck smiles.
‘You can’t wear board shorts under a wetsuit,’ he explains with an amused glint in his eye. ‘Unless of course you want to go commando.’ He raises a brow almost in challenge. ‘But as the wetsuit is a loaner, I wouldn’t recommend it.’
I glare at him as Georgie rounds the counter, giving Beck a playful shove. ‘Alright, out you go, Beck. I’ll help Nat, you go and pick him out a board.
I watch as Beck chuckles and heads out of the shop before turning to Georgie.
‘He does have a point you know,’ Georgie says. ‘The wetsuit needs to be tight to your skin, but if you don’t want those speedos, you can check out what else we have.’
‘What if I buy my own wet suit instead of borrowing one?’ I ask.
‘It’s probably not a good idea.’ Georgie shakes her head. ‘They’re not cheap, and it’s a lot of money to pay out if you have one lesson and decide it’s not for you.’
‘It’s my money.’ I shrug. ‘Besides, if I drown you can bury me in it.’
‘Like Beck would let that happen,’ she laughs.
‘I’m serious, Georgie,’ I tell her. ‘I’d rather buy my own, and if I decide surfing is not for me, I’ll donate it to your loaner collection.’
‘Are you sure?’
I nod emphatically.
‘If that’s what you want,’ she replies easily. ‘I’ll help you pick one out.’
‘So, this is your place then?’ I glance around as she leads me over to the section with all the wetsuits lined up sleek and dark like a row of seals splashed with various shades of primary colours.
‘By default,’ she remarks as she starts flipping through the rack looking for the right size.
‘Default?’
‘This was my dad’s place,’ she explains. ‘He and my mum took off about a year ago. Their idea of retirement is surfing the biggest and baddest breaks on the planet.’ She glances back at me and smiles as she nods toward the wall behind the desk. It’s covered with dozens of postcards from Hawaii and Mexico to Thailand and French Polynesia.
‘Wow,’ I mutter. ‘Looks insane.’
‘Yeah.’ She smiles a little wistfully. ‘They send me a postcard every time they move on, but I do miss them.’
‘Was it something they’d always wanted to do?’
‘My dad always talked about it.’ She shrugs. ‘But I don’t think he’d have actually gone if it hadn’t been for Sully.’
‘Sully?’ I reply curiously. ‘Beck’s dad?’
She nods. ‘Sully and Melanie are my godparents. My dad and Sully had been best friends since they were kids. My dad didn’t cope well after Sully passed away. It was too hard to be in the bay without him, so I offered to take over the surf school and swim shack so they could travel.’
‘That was good of you,’ I mutter as I watch her.
‘I don’t mind. Like Beck, I’ve been surfing since I could walk.’ She pulls a wetsuit from the rack, checking the label and then sliding it back again. ‘Beck and I are the same age, so our dads’ taught us together.’
‘I see.’ I nod in understanding. ‘So, you guys are pretty much family.’
‘Pretty much,’ she agrees. ‘I was an only child, so all the Ainsley’s became my surrogate brothers and sisters.’
‘Sounds like a fun way to grow up.’
‘It was.’ She smiles.
‘Can I?’ I hesitate a moment when she looks at me. ‘I don’t want to sound rude or insensitive, but can I ask what happened to Sully?’
‘Cancer,’ Georgie replies after a moment. ‘Very sudden and very aggressive. There wasn’t much they could do. He was gone before they could get the first round of Chemo done. It probably was a kindness for Sully. He was always so big and full of life, it would have been hard to see him so diminished, but in the end, it was really quick. It was hard on everyone because it was such a shock. One minute we’re being told he’s sick. The next he’s gone.’
‘That’s awful.’ I frown, my heart aching for them.
‘Anyway.’ She shakes her head briskly, and I know the subject is now closed. ‘Here, this should fit you.’ She presses a wetsuit into my hands and shoos me back toward the changing rooms.
‘Oh, I haven’t got my card with me,’ I tell her as I step into the changing room.
‘It’s okay, you can pay me later. Besides, I know where you work,’ she laughs as she closes the curtain.
After ten minutes of cursing and wriggling, I emerge from the shack wearing a brand-new wetsuit, although I may have to swing by the local fire station on the way back to the B&B as I’m almost certain it’s going to take the jaws of life to prize me back out of this thing.
I head over to where Beck is leaning against the railing beside two surf boards.
‘Where do you want me?’ I smile slowly with a hint of mischief.
‘Stop it,’ he laughs.
‘Oh, for the love of god will you both stop it.’ Georgie rolls her eyes behind us. ‘If you two don’t stop flirting so hard I may spontaneously combust.’
‘Here.’ Beck picks up one of the boards, which is much taller than me at around seven feet long. ‘We’ll start you off on a foam board as they’re the easiest for beginners.’
‘Okaay.’ I breath sceptically as he hands me the board... and I promptly drop it on my foot.
Chapter Eight
Beck
There are a million ways to surf, and as long as you’re smiling not drowning, you’re doing it right….
I stare down at Nat who is laying on his stomach on the board, which is stretched out on the sand, as he pretends to paddle. After checking his positioning on the board, my eyes skim down over his small tight arse, and I find myself trying to figure out if he’s wearing the speedos or going commando, and I’m not sure which is sexier.
Shaking my head lightly, I force my eyes away from that gorgeous ass, which is lovingly sculpted by his brand-new wet suit. This just being friends is proving harder than I thought it would. I didn’t fully think this through, and he’s proving to be much more tempting that I bargained for.
‘You know what?’ Nat rolls onto his side as he fixes me with a quirk of his brow while he props himself up on one elbow. ‘Call me crazy, but when you said you’d teach me how to surf, I had expected to actually be in the water.’
‘And you will be,’ I chuckle as I watch him, and I’m beginning to realize that Nat is a little impatient when he’s out of his comfort zone. ‘But surfing is more than just grabbing a board and running into the waves yelling ‘yeehaw’.’
‘I’ve never yelled ‘yeehaw’ in my life,’ Nat replies primly.
I can believe it, especially with that private school accent. I’ve never really thought about it before, but the more Nat opens his mouth, the more I’m beginning to think I might have a thing for posh boys, with his eloquent speech and dry wit uniquely appealing to me.
‘Okay.’ I turn my attention back to the lesson. ‘We’ve marked the center of the board and slightly above it, that is your eye line. Your positioning on the board will never change regardless of what size the board is. We’re starting you off on a seven six but eventually you’ll want to go to a nine six. If you’re too far up or too far down the board you won’t get a good paddling glide.’
‘I got that.’ Nat nods.
‘The other thing is to keep your feet together and on the end of the board,’ I continue. ‘Once you start
paddling, it’s temping to move your legs out, but you want as much weight on the back of the board as possible, otherwise the tail will come up and the nose will go under.’
‘Uh huh.’ Nat focuses on me intently.
‘Next is the slide up.’ I lay down on my board so he can watch my movements as I explain. ‘Don’t grab the rails, palms flat, your sternum in line with the middle. Keep your head up, knees and feet together, heel of the palm in the middle of the board, so you’ll have natural balance. Pushing off flat from the board will create space between your body and the board. Slide down the board, through the middle, and concentrate on bringing your front knee up to your chest, this will allow you to get your foot in the middle of the board.’ I look up to find him kneeling on his board, those pale blue eyes watching me avidly.
‘Lift, pull forward and slide through.’ I roll my body up the board sinuously, sliding easily to my feet, and glancing at him again to make sure he’s still paying attention. ‘Stance favouring over the front foot, shoulder width apart, staying on the instep of your back foot. This helps you to compress and extend, which will make the board move faster, but in the beginning it’s less about speed and all about balance.’
‘Okay.’ Nat nods.
‘Why don’t you try it.’ I watch critically as Nat tries the slide a few times. ‘Again.’ I check his feet for positioning. ‘Good. Sink a bit lower, front knee forward, remember instep of the back foot.’ I watch as he corrects his stance. ‘Okay, good. Again.’
I sit there on the sand, watching as he completes the manoeuvre several times until I’m satisfied.
‘You got it?’ I ask, and he nods. ‘Wanna try it on the water?’ I grin.
‘Uh.’ Nat looks at the waves hesitantly.
‘Come on.’ I smile. ‘You got this, besides we’re going to start out on the whitewash anyway.’
‘Whitewash?’ he replies questioningly.
‘We’re not going to go out past the break,’ I explain, ‘We’re going to walk out halfway, turn the board to face the beach and wait for the wave, then lie on the board and paddle, and as the wave crests, you ride the white foam toward the beach, that way you can practise your slide up.’
