Chapter 4
JULES
I was not prepared.
Beau had told me about the demo, but I hadn’t anticipated anything like this.
It bordered on insanity.
And considering I was someone who spent her days waking up early, so I could bake before being surrounded by large crowds of people, I thought that was saying something.
There was such a huge crowd at this demo, and the energy was wild.
I loved it.
But nothing compared to the actual skating.
The demo had started just a few minutes ago, and I’d been thoroughly impressed by what I saw, by what Beau could do.
He hadn’t spotted me, and I wasn’t keen to intrude on this. Not yet, anyway. A handful of people had stopped him after he’d taken his turn to do a run that had him doing a trick down a stair set. Those people had requested to take pictures with him and asked for his autograph.
I watched with a smile while he signed several skateboard decks, working his way through the mess of fans surrounding him.
It was so strange. Any time I ever thought about famous people, my mind automatically drifted to movie stars or the big names in football or basketball, names people knew without having to watch the sport.
I’d never known anyone famous, and I found it fascinating that in this world, in the skateboarding industry, Beau seemed just as popular as Keanu Reeves.
I didn’t mind standing back and simply observing while he was in his element. In fact, I enjoyed it.
Beau succeeded in making it back to the upper platform of the park, where all the men, who I presumed were part of the team, were starting their run. I watched as they took their turns, waiting patiently for the guy who’d caught my eye to go again.
I loved seeing him in his element and thought it was great that he got to do something he seemed to love for a living. And if nothing else, I couldn’t miss how much Beau was enjoying himself. The smile that had been plastered on his face throughout was evidence enough of that.
In the mix of it, I’d even recognized a few individuals I’d seen him with at Westwood’s last week. Those guys were mixed in with others I hadn’t seen before, all of them taking turns at making a run.
The crowd went wild and cheered whenever they landed a trick.
Some guys took incredibly hard falls on the concrete without a knee or elbow pad in sight, making me wince.
That had been all the proof I needed to know I’d made a smart decision when I chose not to take up skateboarding on my own without anyone to teach me.
Finally, Beau was on his board again, and after he’d done a trick onto a rail, slid his board down that rail, and landed with ease as he did another trick off it, he spotted me.
What he’d done had been amazing. Incredible, even. But for me, it didn’t compare to the way his entire expression changed when he realized I was there. His eyes lit up, a smile spreading across his face, and he quickly changed direction, riding his board over to where I was.
“You made it.” There was such happiness in his tone, like he hadn’t been entirely sure I was going to come and was thrilled that I had.
Grinning at him, I said, “I did. And I have to tell you just how impressed I am. You’re amazing.”
“Thanks. I didn’t know you were here, but I’m glad to know I didn’t leave you disappointed. This probably would’ve been a terrible experience for you if I couldn’t land a single trick.”
At that moment, the crowd let out a groan of concern. Beau and I both looked toward the stair set, where one of the skaters had just tucked and rolled his body out of the fall he’d taken.
When Beau returned his attention to me, I replied, “I think, if it’s anything like that, it would be you who’d have a far worse experience than me. Gosh, these falls look terrible.”
He laughed. “Yeah, we take some hard slams. But it’s all in good fun, and it never stops us from getting back up and trying again.”
“I’ve noticed that. It’s impressive.”
“Excuse me?” At the interruption, Beau turned to his side and found a teenage boy standing there looking a little stunned. “Beau Easton, you’re my favorite skater of all time. Would you mind signing my board for me?”
“Sure, man.” He took the paint marker and the board from the teen and signed. “How long have you been skating?”
“This is my third year,” the teen answered.
“Yeah? So, you’re enjoying it, then. What’s the toughest trick you can do?”
The boy considered Beau’s question. “Well, I guess it depends on where I’m skating, but on a ledge, a nollie front side nose slide.”
“In three years? That’s awesome. What do you want to learn next?”
“Everything.” The boy smiled. “But I’m really excited to learn both a heelflip front boardslide and a backside blunt slide on a rail.”
Beau smiled and handed the board and marker back to the teen. “Impressive. Well, you keep at it, and you’ll get there in no time.”
“Thank you so much. It was so cool to meet you. Can I get a picture with you?”
“Of course.”
The kid turned, held out his phone, and snapped a selfie with Beau.
After he walked off, Beau returned his attention to me. “Sorry.”
I waved it off. “Don’t apologize. That’s so amazing.”
It was likely those two minutes would have little impact on Beau’s life, but it was clear they meant everything to that kid. The way Beau took the time not only to sign the board and take the photo but to also talk to the teenager about his skating journey warmed my heart.
I’d had some concerns last week about how quick I was to trust this guy, but somehow, he made me feel at ease. Witnessing what I just did, it finally made sense.
Beau was just a good guy.
He was fun and laidback and didn’t look at himself as being too good for those who didn’t have the same level of skill as him.
Apparently, even though I had initially believed based on his outward appearance that there was something that made him seem just a bit rough around the edges, the man he was deep down was the opposite. It made me that much more excited about the possibilities ahead for us.
“I hate to just leave you here like this, but I kind of have to—”
“Go,” I urged him. “I’m here to watch you skate. We can talk later.”
Beau offered a nod of appreciation in return. “You’re awesome, Jules.”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond before he took off.
And for the next hour or so, I watched Beau skating with his teammates and interacting with his fans.
Surprisingly, the time flew by, and the crowd dispersed as folks made their way over to the tents and displays set up to meet their favorite skaters and get photos or autographs.
I hung back, found a discreet place to sit and watch kids and adults skating around the park, and waited for Beau to have a few free minutes.
It didn’t matter that I didn’t know anything about skateboarding. I was entertained watching others do it, so I never once felt bored waiting for Beau.
But I couldn’t say it didn’t make my day when I finally looked up from the bench where I was sitting and saw Beau walking in my direction.
God, he was breathtakingly handsome. He was tall and muscular, but not too bulky.
Obviously, he had great control over that body.
And the way he was looking at me had me squirming just a touch in my seat.
He came over and sat down next to me. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“I’m so sorry you’ve been sitting here by yourself all this time. It was a bit chaotic over there.”
I waved my hand in the air dismissively. “It’s totally okay, Beau. I’ve got the shade of this tree here, and I’ve been able to watch a ton of great skateboarding, so it’s all good.”
“Did you enjoy yourself, then?”
Nodding, I confirmed, “I did. And I guess you really did prove me wrong.”
Seemingly confused, his head dropped to one shoulder. “About what?”
I hesitated for a beat before I revealed the truth. “Your body is more than capable, despite your age.”
Beau laughed. “I tried to tell you that, but I guess it’s one of those things you need to see to believe.”
I smiled. “You’re a big deal.”
“What?”
Sweeping my hand out toward where everyone was skating and hanging out, I said, “When you told me you were a professional skateboarder, I didn’t realize just how popular you were.”
Beau draped his arm over the back of the bench around me. “I promise I’m just a regular guy.”
It took all my concentration to pay attention to what he was saying, even though he wasn’t touching me.
Why did I want that so badly? Was it the ease with which we got along, the fact that he was wildly attractive, or that it had been quite a long time since I’d had any sort of romantic connection to someone?
“I know. It doesn’t bother me or scare me or anything like that. I’m just pointing out the fact that you’re basically a celebrity in this world. It’s kind of cool.”
He dropped his hand from the back of the bench to my shoulder and squeezed. Tingles shot through my body. “Well, as long as it doesn’t scare you away.”
I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I merely shook my head and tried to calm my nerves. Following a few beats, I released a long breath. “I have a surprise for you.”
Beau’s fingers pressed in firmly. “For me?”
“Yes.” I reached into my bag and pulled out the surprise. “I know everybody else here is looking to get something from you—a picture or an autograph—but I brought you this.”
I lost Beau’s hand on me, because he immediately reached for the plastic container and turned his body slightly, so his knee was touching mine. “Are you serious? This is awesome. Do you know how disappointed I was that I didn’t get to try one of those brownies last week?”
I nodded. “I do. That’s why I brought you one today. It’s like a reward for all your hard work this afternoon.”
Beau held the container with the brownie in his hands, his elbows resting on his thighs. He twisted his neck to look back at me. “You’re such a cool chick, Jules. This is… Thanks for this.”
My belly flipped. “You’re welcome.”
“Do you mind if I try it now?”
“Not at all.”