9. Summer 15
“He finally let go!” Rebecca yells to her dad. He slows to a stop as Rebecca throws up the orange flag, and I begin pulling Andrew back to the boat. “He’s such a showoff. Why does he have to go for so long and do all those jumps?”
Mr. Martin chuckles. “He’s a fifteen-year-old boy, honey. I’d expect nothing less.” Brushing some of the fly aways along her hairline, he quickly adds, “Don’t worry, you looked great out there too!” Watching Rebecca’s facial expression, I can tell the compliment doesn’t do much to soothe her.
Andrew reaches the back of the boat and climbs up the ladder, dripping all over the custom upholstery. As he unzips his life vest, I try not to stare at his broad shoulders, strong biceps, and traces of a six-pack. As a result of throwing javelin and doing the triple jump for his high school track team, Andrew started weight training this spring, and it has done miracles for his body.
Focusing on anything other than his taut muscles, I say, “You looked good out there. You’re getting pretty good at jumping the wake.”
He’s been working on that since the beginning of the summer. At first, he would wipe out every time, but now, to Rebecca’s dismay, he’s basically perfected it. “Thanks! When are you going to try getting out on the wakeboard?”
“Ummm probably around never,” I deadpan.
“Come on! The summer is almost over, and you still haven’t tried it.” Rebecca buts in. “You’re great at water skiing. Why won’t you try wake boarding?”
“I think you mean I’m mediocre at water skiing on a good day. I just don’t want to go out there and follow that.” I motion to Andrew.
He smiles. “Em, no one cares! It’s just us.”
I shake my head. “I can hardly water ski! What makes you think this will be any different? Let’s just face the fact that I’m not good at water sports.” I add, “It doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying being out on the boat with you.”
“You promised me you’d try something new this summer! You have to follow through on your promise.” Rebecca gives me her best puppy dog look.
“I did say that. I’m not breaking my promise by not wake boarding. I’m just choosing to try something else.”
“Do it for me!” Andrew begs. “Please. You’ll love it! It’s way more fun than water skiing.”
He must still see the hesitation on my face because after a beat he adds, “If you go, I’ll convince one of my parents to drive us to the bookstore I told you about. I’ll buy you a book of your choice, and we can get ice cream from the place across the street. I hear it’s homemade.”
I hate that he knows me so well! How am I supposed to pass up an offer like that? A book and ice cream? Not to mention a day with Andrew all to myself.
“Fine. For the record, I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for the free book and ice cream.”
Rebecca is already grabbing me a life jacket out of the storage compartment underneath one of the seats. “That’s what it takes? I’ll keep that in mind.” She hands me the life jacket. “I’m so proud of you!”
“What do I do?” My stomach churns as the nerves build. What am I getting myself into?
“You’ll pretty much sit in the water with your knees bent, just like skiing only different,” Rebecca begins.
My shoulders slouch. “This is why I didn’t want to do it. You’re awful at explaining things, Becs!”
She pretends to be hurt, but I know it takes a lot more than that to break through Rebecca’s thick skin.
Andrew turns from shortening the rope hanging off the boat and asks his dad, “Why don’t we get closer to our dock to start, and then I can get in the water with her?”
“Sure thing.” Mr. Martin nods and turns the boat around to head back toward their cabin.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” I ask uneasily.
“Did you not see me out there? I know what I’m doing.”
“I mean do you know how to teach wake boarding.” Exasperation begins to build. “Your ability to teach me can make or break this experience. I’m doing this once for a free book and dessert, but don’t think I’ll be bribed again.”
He rolls his eyes. “I swear Rebecca is rubbing off on you.” Turning to his sister with narrowed eyes, he adds, “Trust me, that’s not a good thing.” His words say one thing, but the smile on his face says another.
Rebecca frowns and smacks his arm.
He shoves her back hard enough for her to fall right into the seat behind her. Grabbing my hand, Andrew leads me toward the back of the boat to strap me into Rebecca’s board.
“Are you ready?”
“No.”
He laughs as if I’m joking. Then he helps ease me off the boat. He jumps in after me and grabs my waist, one hand on each hip. “What are you doing?” I jolt as if he just electrocuted me with his touch.
“Relax, I’m just trying to help you get seated in the water how you’re supposed to.”
I try to relax, but that’s nearly impossible when Andrew is grabbing me like this. It’s not like he’s never touched me. We hug each other hello and goodbye, and we full-on wrestled my first summer at the lake. It’s just different now.
For starters, I’m just in my bikini and a life jacket, and his hands are directly on the bare skin of my waist. Then there’s the fact that Andrew has been treating me differently this summer. He’s been a little extra sweet around me, complimenting me and looking out for me. Oh, and we can’t forget the fact that every time he so much as grazes my pinky, I feel electricity through my whole body. Right now, it’s a miracle I’m even conscious after this amount of skin-to-skin contact.
Andrew’s words bring my attention away from his body and back to the task at hand. “I shortened the rope for you before we got off the boat. That will give you more upward pull and make it easier for you to stand up when my dad starts going. Bend your knees, like this.” He hikes his knees up to his chest. “You’ll sort of be crunched up like this.” He motions again. “Stay crunched until you’re over the top of the board then stand up slowly. Don’t rush it.”
My jaw drops. “That’s all you’re going to say? What if I get up? Then what?”
“If you do get up, you’d just shift your weight so your dominant foot is in the back. If you get up on your first try, I’ll give you fifty bucks on top of the book and ice cream. That’d be incredibly impressive.”
Determination fills my body. I’ll show him. I could use fifty bucks. Think of all the books I could buy with that money! I bend my knees like he showed me. “Like this?”
He moves one of my knees a little bit. “More like this.” He motions for me to move my other leg to match. “Do you want me to tell my dad to hit it?”
Despite my determination a second ago, fear kicks in. “No, Andrew. I don’t want to do this. I hate trying new things. I hate being bad at things.”
“You don’t know you’ll be bad at this though because you’ve never done it before.”
He’s smart. I’ll give him that. “I’m bad at water skiing though, and I don’t want to fall. What if I face plant? That’s going to hurt so bad!” Panic wells up inside of me. Oh God! Am I on the verge of tears right now? Heck no! I’m not about to cry over this.
He grabs my waist again, but this time his touch is firmer, a steadying hand to tell me he’s here for me. “First of all, you’re not bad a water skiing. Although you’d be much better if I had taught you instead of Rebecca. Just saying. Second of all, if you face-planted, you won’t be going fast enough for it to hurt. Plus, it’s not that far of a fall. You’re kind of short.”
I narrow my eyes at him, but the smile he gives me in return absolutely melts me, and I can’t help but laugh and smile back as I mock offense. “Hey! I thought you’re supposed to tell me there’s no way I’ll fall!”
“I’m just stating the facts. Come on. You’ll be so proud of yourself for trying! You didn’t get in the water not to try it. Plus, there’s a reward waiting for you.” He wiggles his eyebrows. I know he’s talking about the bookstore and ice cream, but my pounding heart doesn’t get the memo. Instead, it’s picturing Andrew leaning in for a kiss. I bet he’d be a really good kisser with those full lips and the tenderness of his touch.
“So, you ready?”
I shake my head a little as I refocus again. “Yeah.” I nod. “I can do this.”
“That’s my girl!” My heart flutters at his words. “I’ll tell my dad to hit it. If you need to stop for anything, just use the same signal as tubing and skiing.” He takes his hand and slices it across his neck to be sure I know it, as if I haven’t been using it for the past six summers.
I nod as my hands feel a little shaky. I’ve got this. I’ve got this. I’ve got this. “She’s ready, Dad! Hit it!”
“Woohoo, Emma!” Rebecca cheers me from the boat, waving her hands crazily in the air in her usual flamboyant manner.
Mr. Martin starts the boat’s motor again and nods at me. “Starting now.”
I feel the rope begin to pull, and I try to remember Andrew’s instructions, but I panic. The rope tugs and I try to push with my legs to help me get up. As a result, I faceplant just like I said I would. The crash of the water fills my ears and I scramble back to the surface.
I see Rebecca hanging off the back of the boat, giving me an eager thumbs up. I turn to find Andrew swimming toward me. He’s smiling. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” At the sight of his face, I grow self-conscious. “Are you laughing at me?”
“What? No!” He looks genuinely offended that I’d think that. “I’m proud of you. You were right there! You just need to let the boat do more of the work for you. Don’t fight it so much. Give it another try.”
“Okay, I will. I was pretty close, huh?” I say, feeling comforted now.
His smile widens. “Yes, you were! We’ve got to give you another run.”
He helps me set up once again. This time he hardly even needs to adjust my form for me. I’ve so got this. I give Mr. Martin the thumbs up, and the boat pulls forward again. This time, I let the boat get me most of the way there and then push up just a little with my legs. I get up, but I feel some resistance as I try to shift my weight to my dominant leg. Next thing I know, I’m swallowed by water again.
I come up gasping for air. Rebecca is cheering for me again. “I’m so proud of you, bestie!”
I laugh and swat my hand at her. She’s being ridiculous. This is no amazing feat.
Andrew reaches out to pull me back closer to our starting point again and give me more pointers. “You’re a natural! I told you Rebecca is just a bad teacher.” He winks. “What happened this time?”
“I couldn’t get the board turned.”
“Okay, just try rotating your left foot back instead of shifting your full weight around. I have a good feeling about this next one.” I don’t think he’s stopped smiling since my first run.
We start again. I let the boat pull me most of the way. Once I’m up, I lean on my heel a little to rotate my left foot back, and I’m doing it. Oh my gosh! I’m doing it! I look up at the boat in wide-eyed bewilderment as I skate across the water. Rebecca is whooping and hollering at me. I hear Andrew shouting from his spot in the water, “Go, Em!” I turn to see him, a goofy grin on my face, and I wipe out.
I went for two more runs. My first of the two being my longest. I have to admit, Andrew was right. I am proud of myself for doing this. Not only do my Oreos and milk taste sweeter today, but now Rebecca and Andrew are both super proud of me, and Andrew owes me a trip to the bookstore with some ice cream.
The sun hangs low, on the verge of setting but not quite to the point where the sky is changing colors. Rebecca, Andrew, and I sit on the dock wrapped in towels. Rebecca animatedly exclaims, “You should’ve seen yourself, Emma! You looked like a total badass out there!”
I humbly laugh. “Andrew was pretty helpful.” My eyes meet his for a moment. To Rebecca, I say, “I came through on my promise, so now you can stop bothering me about it.”
“No no no no no!” she insists. “You just proved to me that I need to help bring you out of your shell so you can reach your full potential. The possibilities are endless now! I have to start brainstorming what else we can get you to try.”
I shrink back. “Rebecca, I love you, but I think I need some time to recover from the new thing I just tried. My body is still stiff from the beating I took from the water.”
“I love you too, which is why I’m pushing you to be your very best self.” She grins big. Throwing her arms around me, she says, “I’m just so proud of you.”
Behind her, Andrew calmly adds, “Me too.”
I can’t help but be slightly angry at myself for allowing his approval to hold so much weight, but it does. His words bring me to life.
I regain my composure. “Speaking of promises, when are we going to the bookstore? I have so many books on my wish list.”
“Well, when do you want to go?”
“Right now.”
Andrew looks up at the sky as the orangey hues begin to paint the horizon. “The store is definitely closed by now. How about tomorrow?”
“Done.”