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jacqui catches a wave, but the boy slips through her fingers
"LEAVE HER," PHILIPPE ADVISED, AS JACQUI TRIED UN SUC CESSFULLY to rouse Mara from the bed. They had to be in Montauk for the kids' first surfing lesson by nine, and they wouldn't be able to make it if they waited for Little Miss Hangover to wake up.
Jacqui gave Mara one last shake and was rewarded with a bleary groan. "Mffpphhh," Mara said, turning to her side and burying her head under the pillows.
Mara had stumbled in near dawn, laughing hysterically when she'd climbed into the nearest bed and landed on Philippe. Jacqui and Philippe had helped her into the bottom bunk, Jacqui taking care to cover her friend with a blanket before unzipping her out of her dress. They had tucked her in like one of the kids, and the next morning they looked down at her like bemused parents.
"She's a partier, huh?" Philippe asked a few minutes later, as he and Jacqui collected the kids and all their aquatic equipment, piling the latter into the back of the Range Rover.
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"Not usually," Jacqui said, defending her friend as she strapped Cody into his car seat and grabbed Zoe's doll out of William's hands and returned it to the whimpering little girl.
Jacqui was a little annoyed with Philippe. She was bummed to have missed Eliza's opening night at the club. She still had no idea where he'd spent the rest of the evening last night. It wasn't any of her business, but she was a little irritated that he'd paid more attention to Anna than he had to her. Rules were rules, and she didn't plan on breaking hers, but Jacqui wasn't accustomed to playing second banana to anyone.
Philippe backed the SUV out of the driveway, and they were to the private road when Dr. Abraham, in a red bathrobe and flippers, came running out of the house, flagging them down. The kids grumbled as the doctor hauled himself into the car.
"Thank you," the doctor nodded, huffing and puffing and buckling his seat belt.
"Ah, the good doctor," Philippe said cheerfully. "You need to monitor the children's physical activities, yes?" he asked, discreetly motioning toward a large tote bag filled with sunscreen and books. "The beach behavior?"
"Indeed, indeed," Dr. Abraham replied.
When they arrived in Montauk, the two surfing instructors, Bree, a squat, toothy girl with blond dreadlocks, and Roy, a laid-back Hawaiian guy who kept giving them hang-ten hand signals, showed them where to change. Anna had bought all
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the kids matching black full-body wet suits and the most high-tech equipment, including battery-powered homing devices on their ankle chains that attached to their fiberglass surfboards. Bree handed Jacqui and Philippe wet suits as well, explaining that the cute little string bikini Jacqui was wearing would get totally torn off her body by the waves, eliciting looks of excitement and then disappointment from all the males present.
Once everyone had changed, they paddled out on their boards in the ocean. The smaller waves swelled close to shore, so they didn't have to go too far. Bree and Roy took the two youngest between them, advising William to follow.
"Ouch!" William said, as a wave crested and he smacked himself on the face with his board.
"Hold it out like this," Philippe said, holding his borrowed board at arm's length and grasping the rails.
A large wave lifted all of them up a few feet, drawing frightened screams from Cody, who was wearing water wings with his wet suit.
"Boards at the sides, facing the beach!" Roy directed, cupping his hands over his mouth. "Keep an eye on the waves and choose one that looks like it can hold you, like this," he said. "Then pull yourself up on the board. Paddle out, let the wave take you."
"Easier said than done," Jacqui noted, pulling herself up on the board only to fall back on the other side. "Merda!"
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"Look at me! Look at me!" Zoe said, slipping out of Bree's reach and paddling furiously as a wave brought her to shore.
"Nice one, mahalol" Roy said, giving another hang-ten signal.
"Cowabunga!" William yelled, diving straight into the sand as a wave tossed him backward. "I'm okay! I'm okay!" he said, resurfacing and spitting out ocean water.
Philippe ducked into a wave, paddling furiously, then emerged, standing straight up on his board, cruising to the sand. He ran back to the water, laughing. "I haven't done that in years." His whole face was lit up, and his eyes were gleaming.
"Wow! Surpreendente!" Jacqui said. "I didn't know you could surf."
"Only a little. It's not that hard," he said, coaching her. "There, get that one. . . . Pull up, pull up, bien! Ah, fantastic! Go, go, go!" he cheered, as Jacqui coasted gracefully down to the beach.
They watched the kids bob up and down for a while, satisfied that Roy and Bree were taking good care of their charges, then retreated back to shore, where Dr. Abraham was snoozing underneath his umbrella.