The Exception(10)

I had meant what I said to Kellan on the phone. My new life and journey that I was about to embark on was about me. I didn’t care if “Mr. Right” walked up to me at this very moment. Guys weren’t going to be a part of my journey. Not for a very long time. This was a solo mission. My entire life had been in the hands of other people and now, I was taking it back. After finishing breakfast, I decided to do a little stand-up paddle boarding. After I headed up to my suite, I changed into my black bikini, threw my cover-up on me, grabbed a towel, and headed out the door. When the doors to the elevator opened, I saw Drew and Jess standing there.

“Hi.” I smiled.

“Hi,” Drew spoke with a small smile.

“Hello.” Jess looked me up and down. “Are you going to the pool?” she asked.

“Paddle boarding,” I replied.

“Ugh, I hate paddle boarding.”

“Well, it’s not for everyone.” I slightly rolled my eyes.

When the elevator doors opened, I stepped out and spoke, “Have a great day.”

“You too,” Drew replied.

While they walked away, I couldn’t help but stare at his attire. Black swim trunks that were just the right length, a tight light gray t-shirt that hugged his body in all the right places, and flip-flops. He looked smoking hot and I won’t lie and say my bikini bottoms didn’t get a little wet. Ugh. Shaking my head and entering back into reality, I walked over to where the paddle boards were.

“Can I paddle board out to that little island?” I pointed.

“You sure can. There’s a couple spots where you can sit down and get some sun if you want.”

“Great.” I smiled.

A feeling of peace overtook me as I got on the paddle board and began to make my way towards the island. As I was sitting there with my knees hugging my chest, I stared out into the ocean and listened to the serene sound of the waves. I had been to Hawaii many times growing up, and every time I visited, I felt the same peace that resided in me now, but that sense of feeling flew away the minute we stepped on the plane to go home.

Staring out and taking in the warmth of the sun that enveloped me, I noticed a man who kept falling off his paddle board heading towards the island. As I strained my eyes to get a better look, it seemed that man looked like Drew. He saw me staring at him as he sat on his board and put his arms out as if he was giving up. Laughing, I grabbed my board and paddled out to him.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I was trying to get to the island to come and say hi, but it just wasn’t working out.”

“Have you never been on a paddle board before?”

“No. Actually, I haven’t.” He sighed.

“Where’s Jess?”

“She came down with a migraine and went back to the room to lie down. I was sitting down at the pool and remembered you had said you were going paddle boarding, so I thought I’d give it a try.”

“How did you know I was at that island?”

“I asked the guy at the rental place if he knew which direction you were headed and he said you had asked about the island. So, hi.” He smiled.

“Hi.” I grinned. “Do you think you can make it back to shore without falling in the water?”

“I don’t think so. Maybe I should have had some lessons first.”

“That probably would have been a good idea. You know you can just sit on your knees. You don’t have to stand up if you’re not comfortable.”

“I thought about that, but then I’d look like an idiot out here. Look around; everyone is standing.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, hand me your paddle and slowly stand up. Put your foot where your knee was. One foot at a time and make sure the nose doesn’t dip up. Then, keep your feet hip width apart. The most important thing to remember is don’t balance with your entire body, just your hips, and don’t look down. Keep your head up and looking forward at all times.”

Drew did exactly what I said and balanced himself.

“Good, now here’s your paddle. Make sure you grip the top and stand tall. Don’t slouch.”

“Like this?” he asked.

“Yes. Perfect. Now follow me and use short strokes.”

As we began to paddle board back to shore, I looked over and noticed he was going in the wrong direction. I busted out into laughter.

“You’re going the wrong way!” I shouted.

“I can’t help it. It’s making me.”

“You’re paddling wrong. We’re going to the left, so you want to paddle on the right.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” He smiled as he turned his board around.

Finally, we made it back to shore, and I was pleasantly surprised how Drew managed to stay on the whole time.

“That was quite an adventure.” He grinned.

“Yeah. It sure was.”

We returned our paddle boards and began walking towards the lobby of the hotel.

“I think I’m going to hang out at the pool,” he spoke. “Care to join me?”

“I’m going to head back to the room and change. There’s someone I have to go see.”

“Okay. You have a friend here?”

“Yeah. He’s an old friend that I visit every time I come here.”