Page 11 of Catch a Wave

“Oooh. So, is this guy cute?”

I giggle. Leilani is shameless in her appreciation of men. She’s more of a Type-A than I am when it comes to setting goals and pursuing them. And she doesn’t take crap from anyone. I’m more of a live and let live person. She’s more of an,Oh, no you didn’t, type. We mesh somehow. Perfectly.

“I used to think he was beyond cute.”

“What? Do you know him?”

“Yeah. I did.”

“Stop being so mysterious. Who is this man?”

“Bodhi.”

“WHAAAAAT?” Leilani shrieks. I hear people around her go quiet. “Sorry. What did you say? I know you didn’t say Bodhi,as in the man who shattered your heart into so many fragments it took me at least a year to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.”

“It wasn’t as bad as you make it sound.”

“Um. Beg to differ.”

“It was a rough year. Can you blame me?”

“You, I never blamed. Him …”

“I know. And, there’s more.”

“Shut the front door. More? What more? Don’t you think you’ve been through your quota of bad juju with him?”

“Yeah. Well. Apparently Bodhi has been living here for almost two years. He came to Kai’s after the accident.”

“Um. Am I missing something? Why didn’t Kai say anything about this minor detail? Like, oh, I don’t know,Hey Kalaine, your ex is now my housemate?”

“Right? Trust me. That’s going to be the very first question I ask my brother.”

“You haven’t seen him yet?”

“No. I got off the ferry and a resort employee drove me to Kai’s … well, Kai and Bodhi’s … in a golf cart. Then I knocked on the door and Bodhi answered. Kai’s at work.”

“Awkward.” She pauses. Then her voice brightens. “Or … maybe it’s fate. No. It’s not fate. Unless fate has a vendetta against you.”

“Nope. It’s not fate. It’s just awkward.”

“Hmmm. I don’t know. Let’s run the statistical probability here …” Leilani pauses her train of thought to answer someone. “Yeah. I’ll be right there. Go ahead without me.” Then she says, “How likely is it that you and Bodhi would end up crossing paths again? And then, on top of that, what’s the likelihood that you would end up in Bodhi’s actual house? I think this could definitely be fate.”

“If fate is out to get me, then yes. I’ll agree.”

“Despite the way you moved on with life, you have to admit you never got over him. It pains me to admit that.” Her voice is calm and gentle, like she’s trying to coax a toddler to give back an open bottle of nail polish while standing over a white carpet.

“My old feelings for him are completely irrelevant, and also highly inconvenient. I need to have gotten over him. And I’m angry enough to override any reaction to his hotness.”

“His hotness. I know. Girl, if he’s as hot as he was when he was surfing …”

“He is. And it’s a troublesome aggravation I’ll have to live with temporarily. I’m obviously not staying here.” I don’t know where I’ll go, but I can’t stay here with Bodhi and my lying brother.

I sigh. “I’m a pro surfer. I can overcome my physical urges in order to attain a higher goal.” I pause. “Well, I was a pro surfer. I don’t know what I am now.”

“I’ll tell you what you are. You’re still the top surfer in female heats, and in big wave surfing you’re one of the best of the best. You kick booty and take names. You even out-ride most of the men. Mark my words. You will be proving all that and more in the years to come. Don’t give up on yourself over this one experience, Kah.”

“I know. I won’t.”

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