I laughed. “I’m sure you are.”
We sat in an uneasy silence as I tried to think of something to say. I wanted to get to know him, but I wasn’t sure how. We were so different.
“So, what do you like to do when you’re not working or in school?” I asked.
“I like to surf.”
I raised a brow. Jesse was full of surprises. I’d pegged him as a surfer when we first met, but this was the first time he’d mentioned surfing to me.
“Really?”
“Yep. I’ve been doing it since I was ten, so I’m actually pretty good at it.”
“I’m impressed. I’ve always wanted to try it, but I’m too scared of falling or something.”
“It’s not that hard once you get the hang of it. You’d probably be pretty good since you’re in great shape from cheerleading.”
“You think I’m in great shape?” I asked, half-teasing and half-fishing for compliments.
“You know you are, so don’t act all surprised.”
“You’re such a charmer, you know that? If you think you’re so good at it, why don’t you teach me?”
“To surf or charm people?”
“To surf, smart-ass. I’d love to give it a try.”
The waitress appeared just then, and she set our food and drinks in front of us. “Here you go. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
“Thank you.” I picked up my burger and took a bite. Sweet mother of God, he wasn’t kidding. It was like a mouthgasm—yes, a mouthgasm. It was so good that it needed a new word to describe it.
I moaned a little bit, and he grinned.
“Good?”
“Um, yes! How did I not know about this place before now?”
“Because you’ve never been to this side of town before?” “Oh, right,” I said sheepishly.
“Anyway, were you serious about learning to surf?”
“Absolutely. I think I could kick your butt if I knew what I was doing.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, but I wouldn’t mind seeing you get knocked off the board a few times. Might bring you down to my level.”
“Oh, shut up. We’re on the same level now. Seeing me get the crap knocked out of myself won’t change anything.”
“But it’ll make me laugh,” he said as he grinned at me.
“Sure, it will. What do I need to do, and when do you want to do this? I need time to get a board and stuff.”
“Don’t worry about the board. You can use my old one that I learned on.
As for when, I’m free tomorrow morning until two if you want to start then.”
Wow. That was a lot sooner than I’d expected. I wasn’t one to turn down a challenge though. “Sounds like a plan to me. What time do you want to start? And where should I meet you on the beach?” I asked.
“Let’s meet at eight. There won’t be a ton of people around, so you won’t have to worry about embarrassing yourself. The beach I surf at is only a few minutes from here.”
“Great, I can’t wait. Should I bring anything with me?” I asked.
“Nope, just yourself.” He gave me a devious smile. “And a bikini.”
I felt my cheeks heat, but I refused to look away from him. He was testing me, and I wasn’t about to lose this one.
“I think I can handle that.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
We talked about nothing in particular as we finished our food. While we didn’t get into anything personal, I felt like I could relate to Jesse a little bit better. The guy was smart, really smart. I could tell just by the way he talked. While he came off as easygoing and even a little wild, I didn’t think he was as bad as he seemed. Still, underneath the shaggy hair and tattoos, he was a force to be reckoned with. There was just something about him. Maybe it was the way he carried himself as if to say, “Don’t mess with me.”
When we were both done, Jesse pulled out his wallet and set a few bills on the table to cover our dinner. I grabbed my purse and followed him out to the parking lot. I stayed a few feet behind him, admiring his ass as he walked.
I couldn’t help it. I was only human.
The ride back to the school was quiet. As he pulled in next to my car, he turned to me.
“Well, this was fun. Thanks for inviting me,” I said.
“You’re welcome. I know it wasn’t five-star dining, but I like this place.” “Screw five stars. I have to wear a dress when we go to places like that.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t mind seeing you in a dress sometime, preferably something short.”
I wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not, so I just smiled as I opened my door.
“Don’t forget. Eight o’clock sharp, or I’ll paddle out without you.”
I saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
He waved as I started my car, and pulled away. I watched him in my rearview mirror until I was out of the parking lot. I was going to have a lot of fun figuring Jesse out.