Riding the Surf (6 page)

8

Derek packed his bags then headed to the airport. After he checked in and placed his luggage on
the boarding dock, he walked into the lobby. Paola was sitting in a chair, looking out the huge window that showed the planes coming and going. She wore a white halter dress with brown sandals. Her hair was pulled back and her face was free of makeup. Derek stopped and stared at her, enjoying the view until she noticed him.

“Hey,” he said as he sat next to her.

“Good morning.” She smiled at him and Derek felt weak again. “How are you?”

“I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to this trip, especially with you.”

She stared at him, her eyes focusing. “And what do you mean by that?”

He shrugged. “I just like spending time with you.” He knew he was being very forward but he knew he had to be. She was going to be his. Derek looked away to make the moment less tense.

Paola crossed her legs then looked out the window.

“Are you afraid of flying?” he asked.

“A little.”

“Don’t be scared. You are more lucky to get struck by lightning seven times than get in a plane accident.”

“And you are more likely to be killed in a plane crash than getting stuck by lightning.”

He reached out and patted her hand lightly. “It’ll be over before you know it.”

She didn’t move her hand away and he thought that was a good sign.

“So, t
ell me something about yourself.”

“Like what?”

“Something funny.”

Paola thought for a moment. “I brush my teeth in the shower.”

He smiled. “How is that funny?”

She shrugged. “It’s odd.
Tell me something about you.”

“When I was little, I thought chunky peanut butter had ants in it. Whenever my mom would buy the wrong kind, I would eat it and start crying, feeling bad for eating the poor ants.”

She laughed. “That’s adorable.”

He smiled, loving the sound of her laugh. “I was a cute kid. My parents said I was cuter than my sister. She still gets mad about it.”

“Is your sister older or younger?”

“Older. And believe me, if a pedophile saw me, they’d kidnap me. I was damn cute.”

She laughed again. “I wish I could see for myself.”

“I’ll show you when we get back home. But watch out. Your ovaries will scream.”

“Why would my ovaries scream?”

“Because you’d want to have my babies. If I was cute, our babies would be cute. It’s logical reasoning.” He knew he was flirting excessively but he wasn’t going to let it up until she asked him to stop.

She chuckled but didn’t comment to his statement about having kids together. “I heard our hotel is nice.”

“I’m excited to see San Diego. Have you ever been?”

“Yeah.”

“You should show me around. The competition is on Saturday. We have today and Sunday to explore.”

“There’s this taco shop that’s awesome.”

“Ooh. I love tacos.”

“And it’s called Surf Taco.”

“That’s even better!”

She laughed. “I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.”

“Want to grab some lunch?” he asked.

“No,” she said as she looked at the time. “We’re boarding soon.”

“You’re right.”

The gate opened and the clerk started taking the tickets. Paola stood up and grabbed her bags. Derek reached for the heaviest one and put it over his shoulder.

“I can carry my own stuff,’ she said.

“I know. You’re the strongest person I know.”

The comment seemed to dull the annoyance in her eyes.

“I just wanted to be a gentleman.”

They walked to the counter and handed their tickets over before they boarded. Their seats were near the window.

Derek looked at his ticket and realized he had the window seat. “Take it.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Come on. I insist.”

She smiled then moved into the seat.

Derek shoved their bags in the overhead compartment then sat beside her. After everyone was boarded, the plane started to move toward the runway. Derek could see the obvious fear in her eyes. She tried to hide it and act calm, but Derek felt her emotions. The plane started to move faster as it prepared to take off.

“Hey,” he said, grabbing her hand. “Look at me.”

She did.

“Now stare at my chest.”

“What?”

Derek grabbed her other hand and placed it over his pectorals as he flexed. “Breathe with me.”

She gripped his hand while she synched her breathing with his.

“Just concentrate.”

The plane took off and lifted into the air. It shook as they gained altitude then leveled off after a minute. She kept her hand on his chest and closed her eyes.

Derek leaned close to her. “You did good.”

She took a deep breath then pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry about that.”

“No need for apology.” He held her other hand on the arm rest
, not moving. If she wanted to end the touch, she had to make the move.

Derek leaned back in his chair but didn’t move his hand.

Finally, she pulled it away, much to his disappointment.

A movie was playing on the front screen but Derek wasn’t watching. He wanted to stare at Paola but he didn’t want to gawk.

She sighed as she leaned back. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

He moved closer to her. “Why not?”

“Because I was nervous about the flight.”

“You look tired,” he said.

She yawned. “I’m sorry I’m not pleasant company.”

“You’re always pleasant.”  He reached for the blanket in the back end of the seat in front of him then pulled it over her. He was disappointed to cover the legs he fantasized about. Then he touched her neck gently and pulled her head to his shoulder. She didn’t fight it and let him guide her. Derek smiled when he realized his success. Thatcher’s advice was working. He was taking the lead, not letting her back down, and as a result, they were going somewhere. If she really didn’t like him or thought he was a creep, she would pull away.

Paola closed her eyes then sighed. Derek patiently waited for her to go sleep before he leaned his head forward and looked at her. He took out his phone and took a few pictures, wanting to treasure her face forever. When he looked at the pictures, he was in awe. Somehow in sleep, she looked even more breathtaking. Succumbing to his desires, he grabbed her hand and held it. He leaned his head against hers and smelled her hair. It was a mix of the ocean and flowers. Now he was in heaven. He was holding Paola’s hand and touching her. She wasn’t aware of it, but he was. That was enough for him. He’d never been so interested in such juvenile affection. Normally, he just wanted to have sex. And the sooner it happened, the better. With Paola it was nothing like that, although he desperately wanted to be inside her.

When the plane landed, he pulled his hand away and moved his head. Paola woke up and stretched
. She pulled the blanket off her, and Derek caught the sight of her upper thighs. Her dress had been pulled up and he could almost see her underwear. His erection immediately formed and he looked away, not wanting to embarrass her when she noticed.

Paola adjusted herself then ran her fingers through her hair, untangling it.

“You look beautiful without makeup,” he blurted. He stared at her, giving her the same confidence she gave him.

She flinched at his words. “Thank you.”

“Natural beauty is hard to come by.”

Paola stared at him but said nothing.

Derek grabbed their bags then carried them out of the plane. After they grabbed their belongings, they got into the cab and drove to the hotel. When they arrived at Hotel Del Coronado, Derek’s eyes widened. The hotel was huge. It had white walls with a red roof, and a majority of the rooms faced the ocean. The taxi dropped them off and they walked inside.

After Derek checked them in, they walked to their room.

“We have ocean view rooms,” Derek said happily. “That’s awesome.”

“I know,” she said. “This place is really nice.”

Derek opened her door then carried her luggage inside. She helped him then looked around. “Let’s go out to dinner,” he said. “And we’ll get some wine and watch the ocean from the balcony.”

That seemed to make her uncomfortable. “Derek, you’re a really nice guy, but I’m not looking for a boyfriend.”

He felt the knife slide in his throat. It was a pain he hadn’t felt since his parents passed away. He couldn’t believe how much it hurt. Paola was a dream that he fantasized about. Now it was getting away.

“What
?” he asked.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m just not interested in you that way.”

This was getting worse. “Um, I just thought we would go out together since we are both here and have nothing to do...I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.” Derek decided feigning innocence was better.

“Oh…I’m sorry. I—I guess I misunderstood.”

Derek put his hands in his pockets. “Well, I guess I’ll just see you tomorrow.” He turned toward the door.

“Wait. Of course we can have dinner together.”

He turned back to her. “Great. Are you ready?”

“Yeah.” She checked her dress in the mirror even though she already looked perfect then they left. When they reached the street, there were people eating at the restaurant, hanging at the bars, and walking toward the beach.

“How about pizza?” Derek asked.

“I love pizza.”

They walked to the restaurant then took their seats outside.

“What do you like?” Derek asked. “I eat anything. We can split a pizza.”

“Let’s get a combination.”

Derek smiled. “You’re my kind of woman.”

She took a sip of her water then looked away.

“You usually eat really healthy. I’m surprised you agreed to pizza.”

She shrugged. “I’m on vacation. You have to splurge once in a while.”

Now he liked her even more. “And your body is beautiful.”

She looked at him but said nothing.

“When did y
ou get you belly button pierced?”

“A few years ago.”

“It’s lovely.”

“When did you see it?”

“When we met,” he said. He grabbed his beer and took a drink.

She stared at him suspiciously before she looked away.

“Do you have any siblings?” he asked.

“I have an older brother.”

“Does he live on the island?”

“No, he lives in Oregon.”

“Why Oregon?”

“He went to college there.”

“Are you close?”

“Yes, but we’ve drifted apart over the years.”

“I have an older sister. We’re a year apart.”

“Does she live on the island?”

“Yep. And she’s a pain in the ass.”

“Why?” she asked.

“She’s dating a guy I can’t stand.  He’s a total loser but she won’t dump him. It’s been my worst nightmare.”

“If she’s a pain in the ass, why do you care?”

“Because I love her. She’s the only family I have.”

She gave him a sympathetic look.

“Other than my friends, at least. My grandparents are dead and my dad’s sisters live in England. She and I are on our own.”

“When did your parents pass away?”

“When I started college, so it was about two years ago.”

“That’s hard.”

He nodded. “I try to stay positive for my sister, but it gets me down sometimes.”

“You’re a good brother,” she said.

“I try. Right now I feel like I’m failing. I can’t let her end up with a douchebag. My sister is amazing and deserves better. And my dad isn’t here so I have to worry about it. Sometimes I wish I could just be her brother, but I have to be her parents too.”

“Isn’t she older than you?”

“Yes, but she’s had a hard time. After our parents died, she dropped out of school and just gave up on everything. She’s pretty much a bum. She stays at my place because she doesn’t pay for electricity most of the time.”

“Well, life goes on,” she said. “Your sister needs to realize that.”

“I know. I’m trying to get rid of this boyfriend and then I’m going to make her focus on getting back to school. She and I are the opposite. When tragedy strikes, I get absorbed in school or work. She just stares at the wall.”

“But you never give up.”

“Never.”

The waitress brought the pizza and they ate it together. Derek watched her take small bites with grace. She chewed slowly and swallowed. She only ate a few slices but Derek didn’t comment on it. When the tab came, he paid for it.