His Father

“I can give you my email and number so you can send over the details? But Africa is one of the places I’ve really wanted to go anyway…”

“Give it time, think it over,” I insist, hating that she can so easily make plans to be away from me for what could be months on end.

Am I thinking that far ahead? She’s likely being realistic.

I know she thinks I’ll get bored, I do tire easily of the same thing but she’s, for lack of being a cliché, different.

I have a hunger for her that I’m not sure I’ll ever satisfy.

“What a splendid evening. My wife is finally no longer my wife and I may have found somebody for Africa.” Cassius beams, holding up his drink and she clinks hers against it.

“You’ll be going to this one yourself?” I ask. “How will you find the time?”

“While you’ve been slumming it with your employees,” he jests. “I’ve found myself a couple of replacements to handle my shit. I’m not getting any younger. It’s time to do the shit I want to get done before I get too old. You should consider the same.”

Cassius has a point but one I can’t linger on for now. There are too many other things to worry about.

Tempest

“Maddox is still ignoring me,” I tell Fidget. She’s the only person I’ve opened up to about my relationship with Sargent. Not because I’m ashamed… Okay, maybe because I’m a little bit ashamed. “I miss him.”

“Give it time.”

“It’s been nine days now,” I grumble, frowning when Kent knocks the cap off a man’s head as he walks in the store. “Is there a new no cap policy?” It’s the fourth time I’ve seen him do that today. The customers take it all in stride but still, it’s a bit weird.

“Afternoon, boss.” Fidget grins at Devon as he walks in with a broken surfboard in two pieces under one arm.

“Take a dive?” I ask, tossing him a towel.

He catches it and dries off his hair. “Something like that. Feel like joining us in the water, Pest?”

Fidget nudges me forward with her hand on my shoulder. “Go on, you’ve been talking about it nonstop since you started.”

“I’m working.”

“You’ll still be working, you just have to help me keep the kids balanced on their boards.” Devon grins, nodding for me to follow. “Go get yourself a company wet suit, they’re on the hangers, and meet me in the workshop when you’re done. Next class is in half an hour, waves permitting.”

“They’re wild out there today.” Fidget grins, bouncing excitedly. “Go… why are you just standing there?”

I race into the back and grab what I need. The wet suit fits like a body glove. It’s so soft and warm. At least he chose a nice and sunny day for me to join in.

When I enter the workshop, I help him wax a couple of boards that have the company logo and colors, sea green and black, and we carry them down to the beach where it is cordoned off for his store specifically.

“Before they get here let’s check out your stance.” He grins, dropping a board onto the sand with a thud. Surfboards are a lot heavier than they look. “It’s easy enough, we have the guides on our boards but everybody has their own way.”

“You want me to balance on the board… on the sand?” I laugh and hop on without shame.

“Start on your front, cheater.” He smacks my ass then realizes what he just did and we both stare at each other before roaring with laughter. “Please don’t sue me, I wasn’t thinking… I just did it and immediately regretted it.”

“I’m telling Sargent,” I jest, dropping onto my front so I’m fully on the board.

It’s been a while since I surfed but not so long that I don’t remember what to do.

I hop up, using my arms to steady the board and take my stance.

“Not bad but you need to be quicker.”

When I lie down for the third time, I squeal as a hard body hits my back.

“This is a rather cushioned board,” Sargent chuckles in my ear, kissing my hair and rolling me over. He’s wearing his own jet-black wet suit with silver stripes down the arms and legs.

He helps me to my feet and yanks me into his body before kissing me.

“Stop,” I snap, slapping his chest. “I’m wearing the company logo. It’s against policy.”

“She deserves a raise,” Sargent tells his friend, ignoring me and grabbing my arse with both hands. “I missed you.”

“You did?” I breathe, a mental puddle of goo because of his words. It’s the first time he has ever said anything like that but he has been away for two nights with Cassius who is moving back to Malibu for a while to celebrate the divorce from his psychotic ex-wife. They didn’t choose very good women to first wed from what I’ve heard.