“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.”
“I’m holding you to that.”
“Please do. I like a challenge.”
I looked up to see him a lot closer than I’d realized. His eyes were sparkling with mischief, and I felt my stomach tighten. He was beautiful but even more so up close. I had no idea how I was supposed to ignore that little fact when I was going to spend half the day with him.
“Okay, let’s try it a few times. Remember, push up, pull knees, pop up, one foot in front of you, and keep your center of gravity low.”
“Got it,” I said as I prepared to stand. I did it quickly, feeling proud of myself until he shook his head.
“You stood up too fast. Out there on a wave, you’ll lose your balance and fall off. Try it again.”
I nodded as I repeated the movements, only slower this time. Again, he shook his head.
“Too slow. The wave will reach the shore before you finish standing up. Try it again.”
“You’re a slave driver, you know that, right?”
“Shut up, and try it again.” He shot me a smug smile.
I did it again, trying not to go too slow or too fast. I nearly did a cartwheel when he nodded his approval.
“That was perfect. Now, do it a few more times.”
After several minutes of me popping up off the board, I felt like I had it down. “I think I’m good. Can we get in the water yet?”
“Do you think you’re ready?”
“No, but I don’t think I’ll ever be. Might as well get on with the embarrassing myself part of the day.”
“Sounds good to me. I could use a laugh.”
I rolled my eyes as we put our leg ropes on, and I stood up. I picked up my board, and it was a lot lighter than I’d expected, but it still felt bulky and awkward in my hands.