Page 109 of The Perfect Spiral
“Well, it’s not really ideal for me. I want to be known for my brain. I only did it to get money, which I mostly gave away. Plus, my mom and best friend beat me into doing it... Lauren who?... And thanks, you’re beautiful too. But I think you already know that with all those girls fawning and chasing after you.”
I nod my head towards the girls. He turns around and starts laughing at their reactions.
“I heard you’re a genius too, that’s kind of sexy. Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy doing it?... Exactly! Lauren who?... Haha! What can I say? I’ve got many fans, I’m a lovable guy... You want to hang out and surf with me?”
“Well, I’m not smart because I’m trying to be sexy. I’m smart because I have a brain and I know how to use it. But sure, why not? We can hang out.”
“That’s even sexier—that you don’t care you’re sexy! If that makes sense? But on a serious note, I was thinking of getting Carter’s name written on my trunks across the ass. Any advice on making my butt look as perky as yours?”
He smirks over at me, making me smile back at him. I like thisguy. He has a good sense of humor. Even if I’m still ignoring the dickhead.
“Advice?” I pretended to think, tapping my finger on my lips in deep thought. “Hmm. My advice is don’t. People will think you’re dating... On second thoughts...”
I smirk over to him, making a small laugh escape his lips.
“I think I’ll stick to chicks, thanks, Thompson! Are you ready to be schooled?”
“Are you ready to be owned? What’s your last name?”
I deadpanned a look over to him, waiting for him to give me his actual last name. He smiled back over to me while grabbing his board and putting it under his arm.
“Too easy. Why? Do you want to have my name written across your ass cheeks now? I mean I’m all for it, don’t get me wrong,” he winks over at me while I roll my eyes at him. “It’s Hendrix.”
“Hendrix? That’s a cool name. Ben Hendrix, damn, I’d say you pick up a lot of girls just with that!” I teased him, continuing to walk to the shore.
“You have no idea, sweet cheeks!”
“Sweet cheeks? Who are you calling sweet cheeks? Honey!”
“You’ve got a good ass, that’s how I know you’re a good surfer. I wouldn’t have asked you to surf with me if you were bad. And Honey?... That’s cute, I like that one!”
“So you based my surfing ability on how my ass looked? How shallow of you. For all you know, I could’ve just done my squats every day to get a good ass?”
He walks beside me, putting his hand on the small of my back and bends down closer to my face.
“Believe me, I know a surfing ass when I see one, sweet cheeks. And you, you’ve got an exceptional surfing ass,” he says while smacking my ass.
I turn to glare over at him and he picks up his pace and runs tothe water.
“Yeah, you better run, Hendrix!” I say, running after him into the ocean.
The sunshine is reflecting hard off the water, but it looks so beautiful today. The water is so blue. Both of us were sitting on our boards with the water lapping around us while we skimmed the water between our fingers.
This is what I needed. Escape my thoughts. I look around at the people on the sand in the distance.
“What’s your story? Like your real story, not the tabloid one,” Ben asks me after a few moments of comfortable silence.
I’m usually not great at talking to people, but I’m enjoying his company. He makes it so easy. I think we’re going to be great friends.
“My story? And scare you off? Maybe when we’re drunk I’ll tell you so you won’t remember,” I joked, turning to look at him.
He’s leaning forwards on his hands, gripping the edges of the board with his face buried into his shoulder, looking over at me.
“You won’t scare me off, trust me. I just want to get to know you, the real you. Not the one the media has made you out to be,” he says softly while we listen to the waves crashing on the shore in the distance.
There are no big waves at the moment, so hopefully, it’ll pick up.
“Really, I don’t think you want to know me. Right now, I’m a mess,” I laugh awkwardly, looking down at my hands rubbing against the board.
