Page 17 of Beach Bum Billion-Heiress
9
Sage
"A large black coffee with one sugar, please." I was making a quick stop at a coffee shop just a few blocks away from The Surf Shack, on my way back to rent another surfboard from Jonny. I'd told Jax that I'd go with him next time, but now that I knew he'd be working out on the jet ski, I could go surf by him and he could make sure I didn't kill myself. So, I was kind of keeping my promise. Totally.
"Cream?" The bored barista asked me from behind the counter.
"No, thanks."
"Raw sugar, white, or stevia blend?"
"Um, white?"
"Packet or cube?"
My jaw dropped open for a second there. "Surprise me."
I just couldn't anymore. This line of questioning was reminiscent of my days at trendy little coffee spots in downtown New York. I much preferred the sleepy little beach town vibe. Black coffee with sugar. Shouldn't need twenty follow-up questions.
I sauntered over to the back wall and checked out the pictures hanging haphazardly to the wallpapered surface, like a crazy aunt put them up one at a time over the years with no regard to aesthetics. Spotting a weathered picture that looked a bit like Jax' father, I studied the men in the frame with him, sure they were famous locally for something.
"You a surfer, young lady?"
I spun around and saw an older gentleman sitting at a table near me, coffee in hand, newspaper spread out over the table.
"Yes, actually I am. I'm not very good, but I'm trying." I gave him a broad smile, loving his old cardigan and the newsboy cap on his head. Something about old men made me happy. Not the corporate stiffs my father surrounded himself with. Just the Mr. Rogers types, out for a quiet stroll or a cup of coffee over the morning paper, all while in an old brown sweater.
"Well then Max Stern would have been the perfect guy to teach you. He was a good surfer himself, when he wasn't busy working at The Shack." The old man pointed at the picture I'd been looking at. "He was a pillar of the community for decades. His shop was the place to chat, talk politics, or meet famous people driving through town."
"It was the bee's knees, huh?" I kept smiling, enjoying the stories about Jax' father.
He chuckled, his wrinkled face telling me he'd laughed a lot in his life. "Oh, it was! All the pretty girls would hang out there. Used to drive Sherry crazy. Max never strayed though. He was devoted to Sherry and his son, Jax. They were his whole life, even more so than The Surf Shack. Now that boy, Jax. He's running The Shack now and lifeguarding at the beach. He's a good boy. Works too damn hard though. We rarely see him." The old man frowned, shaking his head. "The town's changing. What worked then doesn't work now. Sometimes it's hard to know what to hold onto and what to let go of."
"Black coffee for Sage," yelled the barista at the pick-up counter.
I nodded to the counter. "That's me. Thanks for telling me about Max and The Surf Shack. I think I'll head there now and rent a board."
He reached over and patted my arm. "Now that's a good girl. Give the local places your business. An old man likes to hear that."
I gave him one last smile before heading out with my coffee. The guilt was sitting like a brick in my stomach, eating away at my confidence. If that old man only knew that I wanted to tear down the town's beloved Surf Shack, he may have felt very differently about me.
* * *
Wobbling only the teensiest bit, I had an eight foot board hoisted over my head, staring at the waves north of the pier. I could see how surfing everyday could substitute for indoor gym classes. If I kept this up, my arms would be jacked like Brinley's and my calves wouldn't be jealous of Hessa's.
No sight of Jax out on the jet ski, but I wasn't too worried. The waves looked way smoother than the other day. If I could survive those, I might even be able to pop up today. I set the board down on its side, careful not to get sand on the wax Jonny had carefully spread over the top surface. I'd bought a bright yellow rash guard, mostly because I loved the color yellow, but also figured it would be easy to spot if I got into any trouble. I'd braided my hair back into a tight ponytail, wanting to keep it out of my face, unlike last time. Securing the leash around my ankle, I was as ready as I'd ever be.
I walked the board out to knee height water, then set it down and jumped on top in between waves. I paddled out, having to take a couple rests before I made it all the way past the break. My shoulders were on fire from all the paddling and I cursed my former personal trainer for not preparing me for something so simple. The middle-aged man sitting on his board next to me looked like he was frequent consumer of beer and fried bar food, and yet he'd paddled out no problem. No judgies on his food choices, but damn, that was a little humiliating.
Taking the time to rest before I turned the board around and tried for my first wave, I watched the other surfers' technique, the way they paddled, when they popped up, how they dropped off the board when the wave turned to foam. They made it look so easy when I knew it wasn't. I wasn't afraid to look like an idiot or to do hard work though. I had this.
I saw a swell coming up behind me and no one around me seemed to be going for it, so I laid down and started to paddle hard. The swell hit me and I kept paddling, now on top of the wave. When my board felt like it was being propelled in the wave, not because of my paddling, but because of the force of the water, I placed my hands on the rails of the board and hopped up, feet wide underneath me. I stayed crouched till I felt like I had my balance and then I popped up, actually surfing for several feet of pure bliss.
Next thing I knew I was falling and the water smacked the crap out of me and rushed up my nose. I bobbed up to the surface and looked for my board, feeling the tug on my ankle. I swam over and struggled to get my board headed back out to the ocean while the waves kept coming. I finally got on it, paddled out past the break, and stayed down on the board to catch my breath.
Holy shit...I surfed!
I laid on the board, exhausted, eyes and nose stinging from the salt water rinse, and smiled like a loon. Finally sitting up, I tossed my head back and stared up at the expansive blue sky. Euphoria from my surfing success, combined with my love for the great outdoors, bubbled up in my chest and made me feel giddy. I was in love with this place! The history, the laid-back nature of the residents, the lure of the surf, the excitement of budding friendships with genuine people, the ocean breeze that danced across my skin. Not even the thought of another tough call from my father could wipe the smile off my face.
