Chapter 6 #2
“Three of them,” he explained as he swayed to the beat of the music drifting into the mudroom from the open kitchen door.
I hoped I wouldn’t have to close the storm shutters later, because I loved it when the scent of rain filled the house, but if we got a torrential downpour, I’d have to at least close the side getting hit the hardest or wind up with puddles in there.
When the rain came down at the wrong angle, it went right through the screens and onto whatever lay on the other side of the wall, including my bed, which was not a fun experience.
Nothing like getting drenched at three am to kickstart the morning.
“Put him down, if he’ll let you, and grab a seat; the food is almost ready,” I said, rubbing Piper’s fur on my way back to the kitchen to wash my hands and retrieve the platter I’d laid out for the steak, as well as the scallops that would take their place on the grill.
I heard Piper’s protest as Nova placed him back on his paws, right before he joined me at the sink.
“You’ve got a beautiful spot here,” he said as he held his hands beneath the pump of the soap dispenser. “It must be amazing to wake up to every morning.”
“It has its moments,” I admitted. “Especially at sunrise. And sunset, and pretty much every point in between, even when the power goes out.”
“What do you do then?”
“Light a few hurricane lamps and watch the shadows dance along the walls until I’m tired enough to go to sleep.
I keep a few paperbacks handy, though I prefer audiobooks, and I try to keep my phone charged enough that I can listen to one of the playlists I have downloaded, though mostly I just listen to the rain and make a list of shit I needed to get done around the house if the rain carries on into the day. ”
“Must be nice to be able to plan your day around the weather.”
“It is, though too many rainy days in a row means no new content, which can really hurt subscriptions to my channel,” I explained as I turned the scallops and removed the fruit from the grill.
Another minute and a half more and we could dig in.
“How often do you post?” He asked as I passed him a plate and utensils I’d already rolled in a paper towel, so we’d have everything.
“I shoot for three new videos a week,” I explained.
“One basic, one intermediate, and one with an advanced technique. I also post bonus content too, which is usually me chaining techniques together so they can really see how things are supposed to flow when they’re out on the waves.
I spend a lot of time responding to comments too, giving extra tips or breaking down steps for someone who isn’t quite grasping the material in the videos.
Some subscribers will even post videos of themselves working on one of the techniques, either for approval to show off their progress or for assistance so I can really see where something isn’t clicking for them.
Most times it’s an easy fix, like shifting the way they place their feet or adjusting the way they crouch or lean.
A few have even flown out for private lessons, though those are few and far between.
Most of my subscribers are constantly picking up things from fellow surfers they meet on the beaches they surf and using the lessons I provide in the content to tighten up their skills and inch them closer to being ready to compete. ”
“That’s super cool though, the way you keep the knowledge flowing so the next generation has it,” he said, swaying in his seat to the beat of the song still drifting out of the kitchen.
He hadn’t stopped moving since I’d put the music on.
I couldn’t wait to see how he did on the dance floor tomorrow night and where we’d end up after it.
There was a fondue place open late and provided a bit of romantic ambience with lantern-lit tables on the beach and both cheese and chocolate options.
That was a definite frontrunner among the thoughts that tumbled through my head.
I enjoyed our one-on-one interactions, and after the club, which was always packed no matter the night, it would be nice to have some alone time over spongy cakes and fruit dipped in creamy chocolate.
“It would be a waste of all the effort that people put into teaching me if I didn’t pay it forward,” I explained.
“There’s an art and philosophy to riding the waves that gets lost sometimes when competition and prize money enter the picture.
I know it did for me. I regret those moments, but I’m grateful to my community of surf elders for making sure I didn’t forget for too long. ”
“Sounds like a family.”
“Because it is. A non-traditional one, since I’m not related to anyone here by blood or marriage, but they’re the people I plan to spend the rest of my life around.”
“At least you’ll never be lonely.”
“Oh, it gets lonely in the middle of the night when I roll over and there is no one in the bed to cuddle with,” I admitted, eying him across the table as I placed the scallops down between us. “Dig in; I think Mother Nature is gearing up for one hell of a show tonight.”
Almost as soon as the words left my mouth, the sky unleashed a heavy curtain of rain that poured over the roof, creating a curtain of water illuminated by a flash of lightning.
“I’d say it’s just begun,” he remarked, forking a scallop and then holding it up to my mouth
Our eyes met as I parted my lips and let him feed me that sweetly succulent bit of seafood. Between the rain and the deep honey hue of his gaze, no mollusk had ever tasted as sweet.