Ch 14: Shore Thing

Clouds covered the sun when I met Luke at a local LA beach popular with the surfing crowd. Near the coast, surfers hung on their boards, waiting for the next wave. As the waves crashed into shore, I sat on a blanket in the sand. Luke looked out at the water, the surfers bobbing with each swell and the waves pounding the shore line.
“I don’t know how you think I’m going to get in there,” Luke said as a wave crashed hard into the sand.
“It’s OK, it’s not that rough today. We’ll go slow. Let’s just get our feet wet.”
Luke pulled off his shirt revealing his ever hunky frame. I would never get bored of watching his broad chest and strong arms gleam in the sun. I loved the salty smell of the ocean mixed with the earthy smell of sand almost as much as I loved peering at Luke’s handsome form. Putting them both together made me feel energized.
I wore my best two piece, not quite a bikini, more like a sport top and matching bottoms in black lined in hot pick, my frame a little tighter since I’d been training Luke. Michelle made me promise to release my fears and have fun. I couldn’t hide myself from Luke forever. Like Luke, I took off my t-shirt and left it crumpled on the blanket along with my shorts.
I stuck my toe in the water as a wave slinked up on the shore. It felt chillier than I expected, and I lurched back. Luke did the same. Soon, we stood ankle deep in the surf. I kicked water at Luke who turned and kicked back. I tried to jog away, and he followed. As he chased me I thought about how much I enjoyed his company in addition to his brawny body.
“I’ll get you,” he said.
“No you won’t,” I panted as I looked back. I sprinted on top of the wet sand where it was more solid under my feet. Luke gained on me with every step, but I kept running. In only a few yards, he caught up to me, grabbed my arm and flung me in the water so that I fell on my butt in a wave. Not one to submit to defeat, I got up and wrapped my arms around Luke’s legs, tackling him in the surf. We both laughed as I got to my feet. A wave rolled in and splashed against Luke’s back.
“You know, normally I’d be afraid of these waves,” Luke said as he stood up, “but I feel safe with you here. Even if I have to watch my back.”
We waded out a little further, the surf hitting our midsections. The water started to feel more comfortable, the sun peeking out of the clouds. As we braved the waves, I watched Luke looking out at the horizon. I wondered if he was thinking about the accident with his sister. And then another thought nagged at my mind. Maybe he was thinking about Gina. Pushing that thought out of my mind, I reminded myself of my renewed goal to teach Luke how to swim. So far, looking at how he was enjoying the ocean, I knew I was on the right track.
“Now that you’re more comfortable in the water, we can try something else,” I said.
“Sure, boss,” he said as he followed me back to shore. I picked up one of the boogie boards I’d brought.
“This is just like a big kickboard,” I said.
“No way, not out there.” Luke shook his head.
“No, no. Not out there.” I watched as a surfer floated on the crest of a wave only to crash into the white foam a second later, pummeled by the force of the water. ”We’ll start a little easier.”
Luke grabbed the other boogie board, and we walked back to the water. I laid down, my head and legs hanging off either end of the board. Luke laid next me, just out of reach the waves. We waited like that for a minute or two before a wave reached our boards, the water jettisoning around us.
“See?” I said. Luke nodded. “Now, just a bit deeper.” We walked in a little further and as another wave receded, I quickly put my board down. Luke did the same. That time, a wave came in and lifted our boards a few inches, propelling us a few feet forward into the sand as the wave trailed back out to sea. Luke smiled. We repeated the process, walking into the place where the wave receded, hopping on our boards, and riding in the wave.
“Good. You’ve got it. Let’s try a little bit deeper,” I said. Luke followed me into the waves a little further, stopping just in front of the breaking point. “You just have to jump on the board at the right moment.” As the white froth of a wave slithered toward me, I laid on my board, cruising into the shore. I walked back out.
A wave rolled in and I signaled to Luke to give it a try. Unfortunately, he put his board down a second too late. As the wave crashed into him, he rolled off the board. Because we were still so shallow, he was able to stand without much trouble.
“Just a smidge too late,” I said, holding my thumb and pointer finger out to indicate what I meant.
Luke nodded, his shoulders shining in the emerging sun. He tried again, and this time pushed off at precisely the right moment, riding into shore.
“Yeah, that was fun.” He smiled and walked toward me. We practiced riding on the foam into shore, sometimes only inches apart.
“Want to try a little further? I think you can still stand past the break.” Luke looked out at the waves for a second, then nodded determinedly. We trudged out, waves breaking further and further up our bodies as we passed the point where the waves crested and crashed. Luke started to look nervous even though the water was calmer out there and he, unlike me, could still stand. I always loved getting just past the break, where I could bob up and down with the water, not worried about a breaking wave.
“This time, you’ll have to push off a bit and kick. You want to get on the wave just as it crests and crashes, pushing you ahead of it. Wait here. I’ll show you,” I said. Once a wave surged, I faced the shoreline with my board in front of me. I pushed off from the bottom and kicked until the wave caught me, rising beneath my board, and propelling me along the water. When I reached the shore, I turned and waved. Then, I battled the surf back out to Luke.
We watched the waves, and I helped him ready his board. When I saw a swell developing a distance away, I prepared Luke.
“OK, here it comes. Now,” I yelled. I pushed his board as he pushed off. “Kick,” I called so he’d stay in front of the wave and avoid it crashing on his body. He did as instructed. Luke crested on top of the wave which then fell, Luke gliding into shore. I caught the next wave and met up with Luke.
Once standing on solid ground, I raised my arm for a high-five, Luke smiling at his accomplishment. Instead of returning my gesture, Luke wrapped his arms around me for a hug. Our wet bodies melded into each other, and I enclosed my arms around Luke’s glistening back. Despite being wet, the heat between us warmed my body. And my heart.
Before letting me go, Luke swiped my legs from under me with his foot. He caught me so I wouldn’t fall too hard, and let me down in the sand.
“I just had to get you back for that tackle,” he said. I didn’t know if he had wanted to hug me, feel my body against his, or if it was all a ruse to tackle me. And what about Gina? I wanted to know, but how could I ask? He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. We sat on the blanket wrapped in our towels, watching the surfers.
“Thanks again, Stella. I don’t think I would have been able to do this with anyone else.” Those words delighted me. Whatever happened between us, I was going to help Luke with his goal.
Our peaceful moment was quickly ruined, however. Luke noticed a man taking pictures of us from afar. And a woman watching us in a telephoto lens. Another staring at us, his black camera in hand.
The paparazzi had found us.