Shattered Ties(22)

He motioned me forward and held out the wax for me to take. I gripped it tightly as I looked at the board.

“Top coat—got it. So, how do I wax it?”

“With the base coat, you need to put a lot of pressure into it but not so much with the top coat. I always go from one end to the other until you cover it all. Try it.” He stepped back to give me room to start waxing.

I ran the wax across the board, unsure of whether or not I was doing it right. “Is this okay?”

“Put just a little more pressure into it, not much though.”

I did as he’d said, and I smiled when he nodded in approval. “I think I’ve got it.”

“You do.” He took the wax from my hand and threw it on top of the duffel bag. “Just remember, you’ll need to do it every few trips in because it wears off.”

“Great. What’s next?”

“Next is the leg leash. It’s easy to do once you do it a few times. Watch me do mine first, and then I’ll help you do yours.”

I paid close attention to how he tied his, and then I started working on my own. He had to help me once or twice, but I soon figured it out. I felt a sense of pride when I finished.

“Yay! I did it!”

He laughed, and I couldn’t help but stare at his dimple. Dear God, I wanted to lean forward and lick it. Forcing myself to look away before I did something stupid, I focused my attention on the board between us.

“What’s next?”

“Normally, we’d get in our wet suits and head out, but I want to teach you the basics before we get in the water.”

“Okay...” I had no idea how he planned to teach me to surf without water, but I wasn’t about to make myself look stupid by asking. I looked out at the water longingly. It was too hot to be this close without going in. “Do you care if I swim for a minute? The sun is about to fry me.”

“Sure, go ahead.” He watched me closely with an amused look on his face.

“I’ll be right back,” I said as I stood and shimmied out of my shorts. My shirt went next, and I threw them in the sand beside him. I ran out to the water, and I sighed in relief as I dove in. It felt cool on my overheated skin, and I loved it. I swam just a few feet out and dove under again before stepping back out of the water.

“Feel better?” Jesse asked as I approached him.

“Yes, much. It’s too hot out here.”

“You won’t even notice it once we get out there. Let’s get started, so you don’t have a heatstroke.”

His eyes traveled down my body slowly, and I tried not to fidget or cross my arms over my chest. His mouth said nothing, but his eyes told me everything that I needed to know. There was a heat within them that made me burn inside. I normally felt comfortable in a bikini, but with the way he was staring at me, I felt naked.

“You’re so sweet,” I said sarcastically, trying to relieve the tension in the air.

“I try. Okay, I’m going to show you where to lie on the board first. It’s important to position yourself right, or you’ll mess up when you try to stand. If you’re too close to the front, the nose will dip under, and if you’re too far back, the wave will go right under you. Go ahead and get down on the board.”

I crawled on top of the board, feeling like an idiot. “Am I doing it right?”

“You’re a little too far back. Scoot up a bit.”

I scooted up until he stopped me by placing his hand on my bare back. I jumped a little at the contact, but I said nothing. My skin tingled where he was touching me, and I focused on remembering how to breathe.

“Okay, that’s good. Try to remember where you are, so you can stay there once we go out into the water. Next, we need to cover paddling out. It sounds easy, but there are tricks that will help you. When you’re paddling out, you need to position yourself so that the nose is about an inch out of the water. When we are out there, you need to walk your board until you’re about waist deep and then mount it.”

I nodded. “Okay, I’ll make sure to remember that.”

“Good. Once you’re paddling out, you’re going to come across small waves. It’s easier to dip yourself and your board under them instead of fighting against them. If you don’t, you’ll wear yourself out before you even make it out far enough to surf. Grip your board here, and push down. It will sink under the water, and you’ll follow it. Once you surface, just keep paddling. I’ll let you know when we’re out far enough. You need to keep your board facing out toward the ocean until you see a wave you want. Once you do, you need to turn your board and start paddling. Remember to keep yourself centered, so you don’t dip the nose or let the wave pass under you. When you feel it start to move you, you’ll need to stand up, which is what I’m going to teach you now.”

“Okay, just show me what to do.”

“When you start riding the wave, do a push-up and pull your knees toward your stomach. Make sure to keep your center of balance as you stand up. Put whichever foot feels comfortable in the front, and keep your center of gravity low, or you’ll fall flat on your ass. Honestly, you’re going to fall off of this board a lot today.”

“Great. I can’t wait,” I joked.

“Learning is half the fun. I promise to have you standing up and surfing by the end of the day.”