Page 17 of Ride the Wave

‘Christ.’ He quirks a brow. ‘You must be desperate with cheesy soundbites like that.’

‘I’m being honest. I think you’re selling yourself short – your comeback could mean a lot to someone out there. If it’s told in the right way.’

He groans. ‘Fine. How would this whole thing work?’

‘We can sit down for a casual chat to talk that through and then schedule in our first interview,’ I say, my heart lifting at his decision. ‘When would work for you to do that?’

The corners of his lips tug up into an amused smile. ‘You need toschedulein a casual chat so that you canschedulea first interview?’

‘I… yeah. We could do the chat now, though. Maybe I could come in.’

‘I’d rather be dressed if that’s okay,’ he says drily, his hands gripping his towel. ‘I’m also going to be late for work.’

‘Of course, your surf school. I only just found out you owned one.’

Leo scowls. ‘Who told you that? Wait.’ He holds up a hand. ‘Let me guess. My mum?’

‘Well, it was actuallyStudio’s editorial assistant who told me, so I’m not sure where she got the information but maybe there was some kind of mix up—’

‘No, Mum and her team would love for you to write that I own a successful surf school and shop so it doesn’t look as though I’ve been doing nothing all these years,’ he mutters bitterly. ‘I’m afraid if you want the truth, I just work at one, okay? I’m an employee. I teach surfing and help out in the shop. I don’t run anything.’

‘You see? This is why it’s great to talk to me and make sure I don’t get anything wrong,’ I point out, clinging to any positivity I can muster.

He looks unconvinced.

‘So when works for you to meet?’ I ask hastily, getting my phone out to schedule it into my calendar. ‘I could come during your lunch break? Or after work might be better?’

He sighs, still obviously pissed off. ‘After work is fine.’

‘Okay, great. Do you know a good coffee place? We can go wherever you like.’

He glares at me. ‘I’ll need something stronger than coffee if I’m talking to a journalist.’

‘How about Marina’s Bar?’ I suggest. ‘She’s your friend, right? It’s a good idea to go somewhere you know and feel comfortable in. Does that setting work for you?’

‘Yeah, fine, whatever.’

‘And what time do you finish? Do you want me to come meet you at the shop or would you rather I see you at the bar?’

He rubs his forehead.

‘God, are you always this…’ he waves his hand about, searching for the right word ‘…busy? It’s like your brain is set to a hundred miles per hour.’

‘I will take that as a compliment. If you mean, am I efficient? Then, yes. It helps to have all the facts of when and where you’re meeting someone.’

‘You’re on city mode,’ he mumbles.

‘What’s “city mode”?’

‘You know.’ He gestures at me. ‘You’re very… London.’

I don’t really know what to say to that. ‘Oh. Well, Iamfrom London.’

He sighs heavily as though I’m not getting it, which is fair because I’m not.

‘I finish at four,’ he says gruffly. ‘Don’t come to the shop; I’ll meet you at Marina’s.’

‘Great, I’ll be at Marina’s for four o’clock,’ I repeat, typing it into my calendar and shuffling back from his doorway. ‘Have a good day!’

---