Butterflies in Honey (Growing Pains #3)(110)

Krista rolled her eyes. “Do you only hang around me for the gossip?”

Marcus put his hand on his chest as though an arrow just went through it. “Despite the fact that since Sean showed up you’ve had some great gossip, no. You are a friend, and I happen to know that sharing the hurt makes a girl feel better. If you want, I’ll go first.”

They sat and listened as Marcus reviewed his latest dating faux-pas. The best story was the one where he was with a guy that had a boyfriend away on a trip. The rule was: If your boyfriend is out of town, feel free to screw around. Marcus cashed in on that until said boyfriend walked in. Then Marcus had to make a run for it. Him describing his James Bond tactics of getting out were hilarious. Too bad he got caught.

After he was done and everyone was in tears from laughing, Krista told her not-as-funny story. Everyone nodded as she went along; they saw it coming.

“Ouch on the farewell speech, though, Krista.” Ben had his eyes downcast.

“It’s true, though. He’s becoming the opposite man he wanted to be.”

“Sean needs to hear it,” Macrus said, nodding. “He needs a wakeup call. Have you seen him lately?”

Everyone shook their head.

“Well, he’s not looking so hot these days. I mean, you know, for him, obviously. He’s lost weight, he’s got dark circles under his eyes, he looks haunted—the man looks like he’s in the throes of a he**in binge!”

“He works ridiculous hours.” Krista drained her beer in an attempt to keep her tears away. She planned to pass out rather than cry herself to sleep.

“I can’t imagine he is all that happy,” Ben said dismally.

Krista shook her head. “Lost his sex drive, too.”

Marcus gasped. “A man his age losing his sex drive? It’s worse than I thought!”

Everyone laughed. While it was seriously upsetting, and Krista cared about Sean deeply, it was nice to make light of the problems she was trudging through.

Chapter Thirty-One

Saturday dawned a bright, fresh morning. Krista was on her way to the beach of choice for her surfing venture. She’d talked to a guy at the hotel bar the night before and he recommended a beach with moderately sized waves. It had been a lonely day, but being doted on all evening really boosted her spirits. The guy had asked if she wanted a night cap in his room, which really just meant sex, of course. Krista nearly agreed out of pure pain—just to get back at Sean for hurting her—but thought of what Ben said about her misuse of logic. If she were single, there was no way she would touch that drunk Tool.

The beach had smooth sands and crisp waves. There were a few surfers out in the water down the medium sized beach. There were also a few people laying out, trying to catch the last of the summer sun before it turned directly into winter—fall was fleeting at best down in this part of the world.

When Krista was walking down the path to the beach, she realized the waves were a smidge bigger than anticipated. Certainly bigger than she was used to. She very nearly turned around and walked back to the bar, but what else was she going to do? Sit in a bar alone like an alcoholic? Plus, they weren’t that much bigger. She had to progress sometime.

Getting out past the waves was a chore. The first wave that rolled through nearly caught her up and took her with it. She had to be more conscious of diving down, and she also probably went a bit deeper then she needed to, but she eventually made it.

She got a nod and a Hey from the two guys close to her, and swam away to give them some room. She sat on her board for a minute, soaking in the sun and watching the various guys down the beach grab waves and ride them in. They all looked like well-oiled machines. It was fantastic watching them. Also a little nerve racking. She’d thought the beach was for surfers just shy of intermediate, like her. These guys were way intermediate. It made her wonder about being out here. The waves were doable, but a small fear nagged that possibly she was in over her head.

Krista swallowed her fear and decided it was time to give it a try. The next wave that looked like a keeper came in and she paddled to reach that sweet spot that would sweep her away. Hitting it just right, she hopped up…and felt like she was free falling down the face of the world! It was a huge rush! Her adrenaline peeked and suddenly the day, the wave, her feet, her life—everything streamed by in HD. Bigger than a rush! It scared the living hell out of her, but she made it! It wasn’t pretty, she didn’t remember anything past the feeling of that first plunge, but she made it!

Krista was smiling like a fool when she made her way back out. She got another nod from a guy paddling not far away. She ducked a wave and kept going, making it back out and ready to try again. Fleetingly she wished Sean was there sharing it with her. Sharing that incredible ride.

She pushed that thought away and focused. She felt great. Also a little out of her league. A surfing buddy was probably the way to go, but there were plenty of people around, so she was fine. She’d do a couple more waves, and then head in.

The next couple waves were just as awesome. She did a tumble and roll, which was a bit scary, but she washed up on the beach in one piece. She ended up sticking more waves than she fell from, which was a huge achievement, and decided on one more to finish out the glorious day.

It was always that one more that did it.

As Krista was sitting out past the waves, waiting for the last golden ticket, she noticed the two surfer guys that had been near her all day were gone. There were still a few people around, and plenty on the beach, so she wasn’t completely alone. If anything happened they would probably notice and get help.