Page 22 of Ride the Wave

Do I think he’s a selfish jerk who wants to make this as difficult as possible? Yes.

But am I surprised? No.

At least this time he’d had the decency to let me know he wasn’t going to come; he had my number because I messaged him this morning confirming our appointment. He didn’t reply to that, but hey, he’s messaged. A marked improvement from yesterday. Maybe next time, he’ll make even more progress and cancelbeforewe’re supposed to be meeting.

God. What an arsehole.

I’ve dealt with athletes reluctant or nervous to talk to me, but it’s the first time I’ve been stood up. It’s not very nice.

I stare at his message, trying to work out my next move.

‘Marina,’ I call out while she’s wiping the table of someone who’s just left, ‘could I switch my order from an iced tea to a white wine again please?’

‘Next time you come, I’m going to get you a white wine no matter what you order.’

‘You already know meverywell.’

She bursts out laughing and I return my attention to my phone.

Steeling myself, I start typing.

No problem. We could do tomorrow instead?

Blue ticks. He’s typing back straight away. That’s got to be a good sign.

Maybe. I’ll let you know.

I roll my eyes. Fucking hell, he’s so annoying. I know what he’s doing. He knows when my flight is booked back to London and that I have a limited amount of time here. He’s going to keep putting things off until the last minute so everything will be a big rush.

But I won’t let him win. For now, I have to keep my cool.

Great, thank you. If you’re busy surfing, it would be great if I join? Just to observe your training. I wouldn’t get in the way

Grey ticks. And now he’s offline.

Fuck.

‘Boy trouble?’ Marina asks, setting the glass down in front of me and putting her hands on her hips.

‘Leo can’t make our interview.’

‘That’s why I said “boy” and not “man”,’ she tells me with a wry smile. ‘He can act like a spoilt child sometimes.’

‘He wants me to give up and leave, but I won’t.’

‘I know that. I could tell when we met that you were a woman who gets shit done.’

I break into a smile. ‘You’re very observant, Marina.’

‘How are you liking Burgau?’ she asks, gesturing out to the beach. ‘I know the weather is not as good at this time of year, but I personally prefer it in the down season. Not for my business obviously,’ she nods to the empty tables, ‘but the town itself is quieter. More relaxed.’

‘So far, I love it,’ I reply earnestly. ‘I’ve been exploring today and there’s such a nice atmosphere here. The village is so beautiful, there’s great coffee, great food—’

‘Great people,’ she tags on.

‘And yes, that.’ I grin at her. ‘I’d like to come back in the summer when all the bars and restaurants are open, but you’re right, it’s nice when it’s quiet. It suits the setting. I’m not a beach person, so I wouldn’t be lounging around in the sun or swimming in the sea anyway.’

She raises her eyebrows. ‘Not a beach person. No wonder Leo is upset with you.’

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