Chapter 10
Chloe
Ipark Aunt Val’s car at Leon Inlet. Somehow, this morning, I managed to slide into my first ever wetsuit. That was an adventure. I opted for the smaller size because the other one was a little loose. Now, I’m second guessing my decision. I feel like it’s cutting off my air supply…but maybe that’s just my anxious brain freaking out.
Okay, pep talk time. Chloe, yes there are sharks and a million other creatures in the ocean, but you can do this. Yes, there is the possibility that you could drown…I stop myself. This is a terrible pep talk.
I find my phone and search for the song “Eye of the Tiger.” With the volume turned up, I close my eyes and bob my head to the beat, trying to soak in the emboldening lyrics.
What did Adelena, my main character, tell her fellow fighters before battle? Be brave, be strong, be fearless and believe! I love her. She’s confident and boisterous, while at the same time compassionate. Adelena would never let her fear stop her from accomplishing a goal. That’s why I love writing her so much. She’s what I aspire to be.
Today, I’m going to channel her spirit. Rise up to the challenge. Let’s do this.
I grab my backpack, step out of the car and freeze. Leo is leaning against a short wooden post with his hand atop our two surfboards. His eyes sparkle as he gives me a quick nod.
I want to crawl in a hole and never come out. “How…long have you been standing there?”
“Only a couple minutes. You looked busy, so I didn’t want to interrupt.”
I drop my backpack to the ground and hang my head. “Just trying to pump myself up. I’m really nervous.”
“Was that… ‘Eye of the Tiger’?”
“Yep,” I stammer, as we begin walking on the wooden path toward the beach.
“Good choice. Whenever I need a good jam session, I usually opt for “Shake it Off”, but that’s a close second.”
A laugh bursts through. “You’re a Swifty, huh?”
“I don’t know if I have enough street cred for that title, but that woman knows how to write a song.”
“Agreed.” I feel my cheek muscles working as Leo once again makes me smile. I don’t know how he does it, but he made my horrible embarrassment disappear as quickly as it came.
“How’s your wetsuit fit?”
“It’s good, a little tight.”
“It’ll feel better once we get in the water.”
I really hope so, because my swimsuit is giving me a major wedgie. I read that most surfers don’t wear anything underneath, but this one is rented, so it’s a requirement. Even if it wasn’t the surf shop’s rule, it’s definitely mine.
Leo stops after we walk a few feet in the sand. “Let’s set our stuff here.”
I drop my towel and backpack. Gazing out at the water, I honestly can’t fathom going in it.
Looking over at me, he asks, “You can swim, right? I probably should have asked you that earlier…”
“I can swim. I just…don’t very often.”
“We won’t go out far. There’s no drop offs, so it’s a steady decline.”
I pull at the neck of my wetsuit, which is starting to feel more like a scratchy turtleneck.
“Hey, before I forget, I grabbed you something.” Leo reaches into his bag and pulls out a pair of flip-flops.
I raise a hand to my cheek. “Thank you.” I feel the smooth leather of the flip-flops, and then read the tag. “Rainbow, Sierra Brown.”
“I hope you like them,” Leo says.
“Nice and neutral.” Like the nude heels in my passenger seat. I went barefoot in the car but brought my heels in case footwear was required, but I don’t mention that.
Laying the flip-flops on the sand, I slide my feet into them. My toes wiggle, feeling out their new summer home. These are not the flimsy, foam ones I remember growing up.
“Wow, they’re really comfortable. I love them. I just hope I remember how to walk in them. Might be surfing and walking lessons today.”
“I have a PhD in flip-flops, so I can definitely teach you that too.” Leo grins over at me, and I cherish the warmth of his smile. “Ready to get started surfing?”
“Mhmm,” I say meekly.
“We practice on land first if that makes you feel better.”
“It does.” I push my tongue against the roof of my mouth, willing the moisture to return.
“First thing you need to learn is how to pop up. Let’s get you situated on your board.” He straightens my board parallel to our towels. Then he sets his board next to mine. “I’m going to teach you the ‘figure four’ technique.” I watch him lay across his board on his stomach and quickly realize I should do the same.
I gingerly lower myself onto my board then turn my head to face him. This feels more intimate than I expected. I’m face-to-face with Leo Cruz. Butterflies zoom around in my gut. I don’t have much time to dwell on our forced proximity though, because Leo is onto the next instruction.
“Your goal is to step your back foot forward and then plant your front foot. You want to get your feet onto the board without using your knees.”
Leo demonstrates.
Looks simple enough. I attempt to recreate his movement, and I’m like a turtle trying to stand on two feet. I wobble and quickly splat onto my stomach again.
“Good try,” Leo says brightly. “Are you familiar with yoga poses?”
“Kind of.” My college roommates convinced me to take a class with them on Thursday nights my senior year. I was not sad when my MVP internship made me work past yoga class time. Which reminds me…I definitely need to send them a picture, because they’ll never believe I’m doing this.
Leo continues. “Think of it like you’re doing the cobra pose. When you push your hands into the board, pop your legs into position.”
I take a deep breath and watch Leo shoot up with impressive ease. I know, from my first lame attempt, that it takes some serious ab strength, especially to do it as quickly and smoothly as Leo does.
I shake my head to rid the swirling thoughts of Leo’s abs and push myself up on my elbows. “I can do this.”
“You got this,” Leo confirms, standing with his hands on his hips next to me.
It’s at that moment I realize I encouraged myself out loud. My cheeks feel hot. “Sorry, I meant that to be an inner dialogue moment.”
“No worries. Positive self-talk is good. So is visualization. Picture yourself doing what you want to accomplish. Ben and I talk about that a lot with his free throws.”
I close my eyes to visualize myself doing a stellar pop up. Instead my mind wanders…I wonder if I’ll get to meet Ben anytime soon. I can already tell Leo is a great dad, and Val gave him a glowing endorsement.
Wait, why am I even thinking about this? I have no reason to meet Leo’s son. I’m just a woman he felt bad for and is now giving surf lessons to. Leo Cruz is out of my league. I need to remember that. No more fantasy crushes like Bronson Campbell.
“Ready to try again?” Leo asks, pulling me back to the present.
Not sure why, but I give a salute. “Ready.”
“Think Cobra, then pop up.” Leo says as he demonstrates flawlessly.
My turn. The cobra push up is a success, but my legs are slow to cooperate, and my knees definitely touch the board. Nonetheless, I’m up. New goal: incorporate crunches into my daily routine. A strong core is a necessity.
“That was better!” Leo beams, and I feel euphoria wash over me. Then he adds, “Let’s do it ten more times.”
I have got to document this…and I could use a minute to catch my breath. “Can you take a quick picture of me on the surfboard? My college roommates will never believe I’m taking surfing lessons.”
“Of course,” he says as I hand him my phone. “First, we gotta make you look legit.” He moves one arm in front of me and the other straight behind. It’s basically the quintessential surfer pose. All that’s missing is me throwing up the “shaka” sign and yelling kowabunga, but I have yet to work up the courage to ask if surfers really do that.
Leo steps back. “Gnarly.” I hear the camera click. Then he steps forward, turns his back towards me and holds up the phone. Our faces appear next to each other on the screen.
Leo’s so close to me that I can smell his cologne, or deodorant. I don”t know what the origin of the scent is, but it’s exactly how I imagine sipping a pi?a colada on the beach would smell. The hair on the back of my neck perks up as he captures the selfie.
“You should send that to me,” he says.
“Yeah, I can do that. What’s your number?” I’m not disappointed that I’ll have a photo of Leo on my camera roll. It’s gonna take all my maturity to not make it my home screen. At this point, he’s the One Direction to my thirteen-year-old heart. Just a poster on the wall to be admired though, not someone who I have any chance of dating.
After sending the selfie to Leo, I pull up my college group chat. “Just gonna pass my surfing picture on to my old roommates…” I select the photo and then hit send. They’re gonna freak out…Number one, that I’m voluntarily exercising and number two, that I’m doing a somewhat dangerous sport. It feels exciting to surprise them. Just like I did when I told them I was quitting my job at MVP.
I throw my phone back on my towel, and then clap my hands together. “Okay, I’m ready to get back to work.” Lying down on my board, I do a few more pop up reps. Panting, I bend down with my hands on my knees. “I’m going to be sore tomorrow, aren’t I?”
“First timers usually are. Surfing uses a unique set of muscles.”
I lie face down on my board, close my eyes and breathe in.
“Is that your phone?” Leo asks.
It sounds like it’s malfunctioning with how many pings are going off. “Yeah…it is. Let me turn it on silent.” I grab my phone from my towel and find twenty-three new messages. My forehead creases. I thought they’d be surprised, but not this much.
Leo must notice my confusion. “Everything okay?”
I gasp as I notice my error. “No, no, no…”
Stepping closer, Leo puts his hand on my back. “What’s going on?”
“I accidentally sent the selfie you took of us.” My stomach churns as I read through their messages.
Maggie
????????
Meg
What’s happening!?!? Are you hinting at something!?!
Brooke
Who is this handsome man, Chloe????
Ava
You cannot send a selfie of you SURFING WITH JASON MOMOA and then leave us hanging!!
Leo glances over my shoulder, and I let him read their onslaught of messages. Might as well let him see what I’m dealing with…and what chaos my mistake has caused.
He stifles a laugh. “I say you roll with it. Let them speculate.”
“Oh no, I can’t do that.” I begin pacing back and forth in the sand. “I’ve been on less than five dates in my life and no second dates.” The words are out before I can reel them back in. Why did I admit that? Just piling on the embarrassment. I put a hand to my forehead.
“Really? Why’s that?” Leo’s question is inquisitive, not judgmental.
“Because…I guess I’ve never really felt a connection with anyone, and I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. Plus, my main focus has always been school and work…Dating seems so awkward. I hate it.” I usually struggle to put my feelings into words, that’s why I prefer print to conversation. Writing gives me time to work out how I feel. But, I just expressed that very clearly. And it’s the truth.
Yes I”ve been known to have crushes, but that feels safer. Admiring a guy from afar is a harmless hobby, there’s no risk. That might be a sad reality I need to delve further into later. Possible reason for therapy as well.
Leo runs a hand through his hair. “I get that.”
“Why can”t it be like a romcom movie?” I say it sarcastically, but there’s a part of me that really wishes it could be that magical.
“That’s how I felt when I started surfing too. They make it look easy on TV, but there’s so much technique and nuance.”
Surfing, right. We’re not here to talk about my sad dating life. “I’m just gonna deal with this later.” I type a short message.
Accidentally sent that pic of me and Leo. He’s just my surf instructor.
Then I place my phone in my backpack…on silent.
Grateful for a distraction, I say, “All right, I’ve got one more pop up to practice.” I’ve improved steadily over the last nine. This is number ten, and I want to nail it.
I’m about to cobra when I hear Leo’s voice. “Benjamin, hey bud.”
I look up to see a younger version of Leo—except short, dark hair, instead of long. He’s wearing a Miami Heat jersey and carrying a basketball under his arm.
“Hey Dad.”
Leo gives me a hand, and I rise to my feet.
“This is Chloe, Ms. Val’s niece.”
I give a small wave. “Nice to meet you.”
“Is my dad making you practice the pop up a hundred times?”
“It feels like it, but I’m apparently not even close to being in shape enough for surfing.”
“Yeah, he’s a stickler for the perfect pop up.”
“Hey now, it’s the foundation of surfing, which you would appreciate if you came out with me more.” Leo gives Benjamin’s shoulder a playful push.
“Dad, I’m a baller not a surfer.” As he says it, he spins the basketball on his finger.
“That’s impressive.” Benjamin’s clearly talented. I glance at Leo, and there’s a glow of adoration in his eyes as he looks at his son.
“You play?” Benjamin asks.
I shift my weight to my back foot. “Not in high school or anything, but I would shoot in our driveway a lot for fun. I’m a huge Denver Nuggets fan.”
“I’m a Heat guy,” he says pointing to the name on his jersey.
“Nice.” I’m surprised by the ease of this conversation, but I shouldn’t be. Leo is extremely easy to talk to as well. Like father, like son. They have a gift for making me feel more extroverted than I am.
Benjamin tucks the ball back under his arm. “Dad, the traveling team guys are meeting up at Edgewater Paintball. Can I go?”
“What time?”
“Noon.”
“Sorry, bud,” Leo rubs the back of the neck with his hand. “I have to get a couple Airbnbs ready for new arrivals. Then at twelve thirty, I’m meeting Pastor Dave at the church to talk through the upcoming renovation.”
“But this is a team hangout before our first tournament next weekend…” Benjamin trails off, the disappointment palpable.
“I’m sure there will be more opportunities.”
Benjamin’s shoulders sink, and he nods his head before turning away.
Lowering my voice, I say, “I could probably take him. Aunt Val said she’s working from home today.”
“I don’t want you to have to do that. Edgewater is a half hour away.”
“I really don’t mind.” I remember what it was like being a kid. Although I didn’t have a ton of friends, the ones I had were important to me. I never wanted to miss a birthday party or an outing.
“Are you sure?”
“As long as you’re okay with it and Benjamin wants me to.”
“I’m sure he’d be stoked.”
“Sounds good to me, then.”
Benjamin is almost to the wooden path when Leo shouts, “Ben!” Upon hearing his name, he turns around. Leo waves him back, and Benjamin jogs toward us.
“Chloe said she can drive you to paintball.”
“Really?”
“Sure, if you want me to.”
“Yeah! Thank you!”
“Okay, I’ll pick you up at eleven thirty.”
“Sweet!” Benjamin chucks his basketball high into the air, catches it and then runs toward the boardwalk. “See you guys later! Thanks Chloe!”
Leo lets out a small sigh. “Thank you.” His expression is gratitude mixed with something deeper. “That’s one of the hardest parts of being a single parent…I wish there were two of me.”
“That sounds tough,” I say softly.
“Ben’s a great kid. Wish I could give him everything…”
My heart squeezes seeing the love and pain in his eyes. After a moment of quiet, Leo’s positive demeanor returns. He points to my surfboard. “What’d you say we try this in the water?”
I turn toward the sea and realize I’ve lost my nerve. “I can’t really imagine being able to pop up in the water…or even swimming in the ocean.”
Leo reaches out and gives my arm a gentle squeeze. “Why don’t we start by putting our feet in today?”
Relief washes over me at Leo’s suggestion. “I think I can handle that.”
As we walk to the water, Leo says, “You were getting good at popping up. Even experienced surfers still have to practice it. You want to get to the stage where you don’t need to think about your movement. You want your body to flow so you can focus on the wave.”
“I feel like there’s another one of those surfing life lessons in there somewhere.”
“Definitely, whatever you want to be good at…you have to do it enough where it flows naturally.”
“That’s applicable to writing too.” Sometimes I forget that writing takes practice. Not just reading or editing, but actual fiction writing. Yes I worked on my manuscript for three years, but maybe that’s part of the problem. I’ve been so focused on just one story, on making this one book work…that I haven’t challenged myself to try anything else. Maybe I should try writing a whole new book.
Leo’s voice breaks into my thoughts. “Speaking of…what is your book about?”
I kick the warm water as it moves over my feet. I’ve never told anyone about the characters. My characters. They feel personal, like they’re part of me. Maybe that’s another issue…I’m too close to them. I want to protect them from the harsh judgment of readers. But, isn’t that the point? It’s weird how I can want people to read my book and be terrified of them reading it at the same time.
Although my heart pounds as I contemplate summarizing my manuscript, I feel excited to tell Leo. “It’s kind of like a modern Mulan meets Emperor’s New Groove, but for young adults.”
Leo cocks his head and squints slightly.
I laugh nervously. “That probably sounds weird…Let me try again. So, my main character’s name is Adelena. She’s an average girl working on her family farm. She’s too poor to go to college…but she has dreams of bigger things. When a new president is elected, he begins taking sweeping measures to ensure his own power. He’s becoming a dictator. It’s threatening the livelihood of her family and her entire city. She’s small in stature and soft spoken, but she feels like she can covertly make her way into the president’s circle. She ends up infiltrating and funneling information back to her people. Eventually she leaves her position at the capitol and leads a revolt.”
I feel a tug on my hand. I turn and see Leo with a curious smirk on his face.
“Chloe, you have to keep going with your story.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re so passionate about it. You light up when you talk about it.”
My teeth sink into my cheek. “Thanks. That’s nice of you to say…”
“I’m not just saying it.” Leo is staring me square in the eye. The wind gusts, and my hair flies across my face. He tucks it behind my ear.
I look down at the water streaming around my ankles. He must follow my eyes, because his hand reaches next to my foot. He pulls up a circular object.
“Oh my gosh, you found a sand dollar?” I know what it is from seeing them in shops, but I’ve never encountered a real one in the ocean. “It’s perfect.” He places it in my hand, and I can’t help but beam. “It’s like finding treasure.”
As he straightens, our eyes meet. “I know what you mean.” His smooth hand lifts my chin. Breath catches in my chest.
In the next moment, Leo leans forward and gently presses his lips to mine. The pressure is tender and sweet. I lean forward on my tip toes, not wanting the moment to end.
Slipping his fingers behind my head, he deepens the kiss. My hand finds his chest.
“Chloe,” I hear him whisper against my mouth.
“Mhmm?” I keep my eyes closed, savoring the contact.
He retreats, forcing me back to reality. “I just want you to know, I don’t normally do this…I actually haven’t felt excited about anyone since…”
“Elena?” I finish for him.
He nods as he slides his hands around my waist.
“As you probably guessed, I have never done anything like this.” I motion in a circle between us. I feel like a teenager at summer camp meeting Leo and falling head over heels for him in the first week. I thought that was just a naive young adult thing, but I’m so glad I’m finding out it’s not.
Grabbing my hand, Leo interlaces his fingers in mine. “Thank you.”
“For what?” All Leo has done since I met him was help me. I’ve done nothing.
“For being yourself, for reminding me that feeling this way about someone is possible.”
I swing our hands out to the side. “I’m really glad that lizard attacked me.”
A chuckle rumbles out, and he reels me in, cupping his hands behind my lower back. I lay my head against his chest, and I feel him kiss my hair. How is it possible that I feel so comfortable with someone I’ve only known for a short time?
I make a mental note to call Brittany and apologize because I repeatedly told her that insta-love romance novels were ridiculous and unrealistic. I’ll admit it. I was wrong. I see now that the amount of time you know someone doesn’t equal how deep your feelings can be for them.
We turn and walk back toward our towels and boards. Leo drapes his arm over my shoulder, and I feel immense happiness radiating through every fiber of my being.
When we catch each other”s eye, we both smile. After reaching the parking lot, Leo helps me load my board. It hits me that I don’t know where Leo’s vehicle is. “Do you want a ride back to your place?”
“Nah, I only live about a block away.”
“Oh, okay.” I don’t know what else to say, but I don’t want to leave.
He reaches out his arms and wraps me in a hug. “Can I take you out for dinner tonight?”
“Like a date?”
“Exactly. Will you go on a date with me, Chloe?”
“I would love that.”
His lips graze my cheek, and I feel a wide grin return to my face.
When he pulls back, I immediately miss his closeness. “Thank you again for being willing to take Benjamin to hang out with his friends.”
“Of course.”
“I’ll pick you up around six?”
I nod and smile.
He slowly backs away and then spins to grab his board propped up against the wooden railing.
Heat is radiating from my face. I’m not sure if I’m beaming out of pure happiness or if it’s the inevitable sunburn I’m developing from being outside more than ten minutes.
I have to put on a poker face so that Aunt Val doesn’t get her hopes up. She’ll be planning our wedding if I let on that I’m smitten. Best to keep expectations low.
I definitely can’t let on that Leo just gave me the best kiss of my life…also known as the only kiss of my life. Unless you count when Joe Logan dared Jeff Bennet to kiss me during a junior high boy/girl party. I don’t count it. I closed my eyes thinking it would be romantic. Instead, it was sloppy and disappointing.
Nothing about my kiss with Leo was either of those things. I don’t have any words… they probably don’t exist in the English language. Like how Greek has three words for love, but we only have one. I need more words! That kiss was otherworldly… like how I imagine it would feel entering Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory—a dream of mine. I’m giddy that such an experience exists.
My phone dings, waking me up from my stupor. Only then do I realize I’ve been sitting in the driveway for who knows how long, stuck in Leo La-la land—a place I hope to visit again soon.
My phone dings a second time, and I see it’s a message from Aunt Val.
“Hi Chloe, when will you be home?”
Aunt Val is not one to check up on me. Maybe something happened. Maybe she needs her car. I grab my book bag and hustle inside.
As soon as I open the door, I head to the kitchen. The sound of male voices makes its way to my ears. Walking closer, it appears Aunt Val has company, but she never mentioned anyone coming.
I approach the kitchen island where everyone has their backs turned. They must not have heard me come in.
”Hey,” I say, with an awkward unnecessary wave since no one is looking at me.
“Oh look who’s here!” Aunt Val walks over and gives me a side hug. The two other people turn and my backpack falls to the floor with a crash.
Bronson Campbell is staring back at me.