13
MIA
The alarm on my phone is annoyingly persistent, and after a few moments, my eyes reluctantly open, and I blink a few times, staring up at the ceiling. I stretch my arms above my head, and when the memory of last night pops into my head, I smile. That was hands down the best kiss of my life. I wonder how much time I’ll have to wait before I get to kiss him again, because I can easily see that becoming addicting. I had been slightly embarrassed to make the first move, but I knew without a doubt that John would never kiss me first. Even though he seemed hesitant about it, I am ultimately happy with how the night ended. We’re just going to see where things go. I’ll be heading home in a couple weeks anyway, so I’m not looking for anything serious.
Forcing myself to get out of bed, I brush my teeth and shower, run a brush through my hair and pull on a gray cotton romper. I walk into the kitchen to make some coffee when I notice a note lying on the rug by the front door. It looks like it had been slipped underneath the door. Picking up the note, I read the words “Enjoy.”
Confused, I open the door. On the mat is a plastic bag I recognize from the Farmers Market. Peeking inside on my way back to the kitchen, I find three papaya. I let out a little laugh. I grab my phone off the counter and find John’s number.
Mia: Thank you for the papaya :)
It only takes a few seconds before I see the three dots indicating he is typing.
John: You’re welcome. I knew you were out.
Mia: You saved me from making a trip into town. I appreciate it. What are you up to today?
John: Thinking of taking my surfboard to the beach. Want to come?
Mia: Yes! Can I have an hour to get some work done first?
John: Sure. Come over when you’re ready.
I fly through as many work emails as I can in the next hour, responding to writers who have questions about specific articles they’re working on. I even squeeze in a quick twenty-minute conference call with my boss, and when she hangs up, I shut my laptop.
After lathering up with sunscreen, I quickly change into my black swimsuit and pull the romper back over top. I slide my sunglasses on top of my head and reach for my book, then change my mind. There is no way I’ll be able to concentrate on a book if John is around, let alone shirtless on a surfboard.
I venture over to the main house and knock on the sliding door by the pool. John appears from the hallway and waves me in. He’s wearing no shirt and black board shorts that go incredibly well with his broody face.
“Hi,” I say with a smile.
“Hi.” He stares at me from across the room, the intensity in his eyes creating butterflies in my stomach. “You ready?”
“Yup!”
He leads me past the kitchen to a door that opens into the garage, where he slips on his sandals and grabs his surfboard. We head toward the beach, walking slowly, soaking in another beautiful day in paradise. As we pass by her house, I wave to Rose, who’s sitting on her porch.
“Hi, Rose!” I call. I haven’t talked to her much. She’s not outside often, but she always says hello to me if she’s out on her porch.
“Hi, dear!” She waves and smiles. I turn my attention back to John.
“When’s the last time you’ve been surfing?”
“Right before I left for basic training, I guess.”
“You haven’t gone since you’ve been back?”
He shakes his head.
“Why not? Too many people?”
“Just haven’t felt like it.”
Okay then. I guess that’s all I’m getting.
We walk the rest of the way in silence. Once we reach the water, I find a spot to sit and watch as John carries his surfboard into the water. I keep my eyes glued to him for the next hour or so while he paddles out, finds the perfect wave to surf all the way near shore, then turns around and does it again. He’s mesmerizing. He does it so effortlessly, with such ease, that you can tell he’s been surfing for a long time. I wonder why he hasn’t been surfing since coming home. Surely there are times when the beach is less crowded, right?
Eventually, he walks out of the water, and the sight of him carrying his surfboard, drops of water running down his well-defined abs, sends a shiver down my spine. He’s out of breath when he sets his board down and drops down next to me.
“Have fun?” I ask him with a smile.
“Yeah, that was fun,” he replies, still taking deep breaths.
I study his face while he stares out at the ocean. He looks significantly more relaxed, his face is much softer than before. I wonder if he knows he has a scowl on his face most of the time. Thinking that maybe he’ll be more apt to talk if he’s more relaxed, I decide to try my luck.
“Has it been hard to do certain things since being back? Even things you used to do all the time?” I ask cautiously.
He sighs, then nods. “Yeah.” He looks at me, opening his mouth like he wants to say more but isn’t sure what to say. I wait patiently, and eventually, he gives me more.
“It’s hard to explain. It’s not the actual activity that’s hard—it’s just… the thought of being out in the world around other people makes me not want to go in the first place. It’s overwhelming if there are too many people or too much going on.” His eyes drop to the sand in front of him, and a sadness washes over his face. “Also, it doesn’t seem fair… doesn’t seem right for me to just go back to normal life when…” He stops, rubs his face, and goes quiet for a moment. “When so many couldn’t.”
My heart tugs in my chest, breaking for him and everything he must be dealing with. He turns to me and offers me a small smile.
“You make it easier, though.”
Well, there goes any chance I had of not completely falling for him. My heart is now firmly on Team John.
I smile back at him. “I do?”
He nods. “Yeah.” I let that sink in for a minute. I like that I make things easier for him, even though I have no idea what I’m doing that’s so helpful. There must be more that I can do.
“What else have you been wanting to do but haven't yet?”
He sighs, turning his gaze back towards the water.
“Well, I used to fish a lot. My buddy Brian is a guide, and he owns a deep-sea fishing charter company. We used to go out when he had time between his client charters. He’s invited me along a couple times since I’ve been home, but I always end up turning him down.”
“I’ll go with you if you want.”
His brows lift high in surprise as he looks over at me.
“You would do that? Do you like fishing?”
“Well, not really. But I’ve never been deep sea fishing before, and I’m up for trying anything once.”
I would do just about anything if there was a chance it would help lift some of his burdens. Fishing isn’t exactly my idea of a great time, but if he is willing to dip his toes back into living a full life—and I apparently help him do that—then that’s exactly what I want to do.
He looks at me in disbelief.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
He smiles the biggest smile I've ever witnessed on him—granted, it still isn’t a whole-face kind of grin, but it’s darn close. He puts his arm around me, pulling me in while he plants a kiss on my temple.
Yup, I’d definitely do anything to see that smile.
“Well, if that’s all it takes to get a kiss, then let’s go fishing every day!” I say, feeling flirtatious.
He chuckles.
I’m serious.
I hold his gaze, and his eyes soften. He lifts my chin, brings his mouth to mine, and then rests his hand on the side of my head, his fingers getting tangled in my hair. My whole body tingles in response to his kiss, and I wrap my hand around his smooth, firm arm.
Yup, I could get used to this.
He pulls away from me with a smile and finds my hand to thread his fingers with mine. I rest my head against his shoulder, and we sit in silence, watching the waves crash onto the shore.
When we get back to the house and cottage, I take John up on his invitation to work by the pool. I grab my laptop and get situated on one of his lounge chairs next to the sparkling blue water. I spend the rest of the afternoon doing my work in the sun, taking a few breaks to cool off in the water. John goes to check on Rose and comes back an hour later after helping mow her lawn.
When it starts to get dark, he makes us some sandwiches for dinner and walks me back to the cottage, giving me a quick kiss at the door. He’s almost to the top step when I feel my chest tighten, not wanting to see him go. “Hey…” I call out. He turns halfway around, eyebrows lifting as his eyes meet mine. “Do you want to come in? Maybe watch a movie with me?” I hope my voice doesn’t sound as desperate as I feel. I just want to be close to him.
He smiles and comes back in my direction. “I would love to.”
“Great!” I reply, making my way inside. “How about I make some popcorn while you pull up movies on the TV?” I haven’t even turned the TV on since I’ve been here, so he would know how to work it better than I would.
“Sure.”
I pop a bag of popcorn in the microwave and pour it into a bowl.
“What kind of movie do you want to watch?” He asks from the couch. I grab us a couple Gold Cliff’s and join him, placing the bowl on the coffee table.
“What kind of movies do you like?” I ask him. “I mean, I’m obsessed with classic movies, especially romance ones. I watched An Affair to Remember on the plane; have you ever seen that? Oh my gosh, so, so good. But don’t worry, I won’t force you to watch one of those.” I pause to take a breath. “We can watch something that you like?”
He smiles at me, and I realize I was rambling a bit. I feel my cheeks heat up and smile sheepishly. He grabs my hand, threading his fingers through mine, and rests them on his leg.
“I’ll watch whatever you want to watch,” he says. “I’m not a big movie guy, so seriously, whatever you want. I’m just happy to be here.”
My cheeks heat up again, this time flushing along with a smile I can’t stop from forming. “Are you sure? You may regret that decision in a little bit.” He laughs and hands me the remote. I’m surprised at the huge selection of movies available to choose from. He gave me permission, so I choose the romance section. Up pops a long list of all my favorite movies.
I gasp. “Ah! The Notebook. Tell me you’ve seen that, right? You probably got roped into seeing that in high school.” I’m talking mostly to myself, which I’m aware of and okay with. “And Gone With the Wind! A classic for sure, but way too long for tonight. The Princess Bride! Yes, let’s do that one!” I haven’t seen it in a while, and it seems like a good choice. Maybe John will appreciate the sword fights. John gives a nod of approval, and we settle into the couch, eating the popcorn on my lap with our free hands.
After about an hour, I glance over to see John fast asleep, his head tipped slightly to one side. I press pause on the movie, untangle my hand from his, and gently shake his shoulder.
“John,” I whisper. His eyes flutter open, and he jerks a bit before his eyes clear and he looks at the TV.
“I turned it off. Figured we should call it a night.”
He nods and stands, tugging me to my feet. At the door, he gives me a hug and kiss on the cheek. When he’s gone, I put the popcorn away and get myself ready for bed. I fall asleep with a smile on my face… the same one I’ve had all day.