Harry Styles is spending the summer in a quiet villa on the French Riviera, hoping to find inspiration for his third album. It's not happening. When he sees a beautiful windsurfer racing across the waves, he believes lessons might be a good distract...
Mariam was sitting on Lia's terrace when she pulled in the driveway.
"Jean-Jaques!" his mother yelled over the fence that separated the two houses, "Come unload Lia's truck!" The dutiful boy emerged a moment later and began to store the boards and rigs in the shed while his mother sat down with her friend.
"Tell me."
"I can't tell you who he is. This one's serious, and I don't want to fuck it up."
"Then it must be good. We'll play twenty questions. Is he tall dark and handsome?"
"Tall enough, brown hair. Handsome."
"Older? Younger?"
"Around my age." Mariam was good at figuring things out. Lia needed to be careful and avoid precise information.
"Definitely. I think I'm going to really enjoy this one. Teaching and looking. I touched him today. On his belly. I've never once touched a student there, but the opportunity presented itself and he didn't seem to think it was weird. I'm having a hard time believing I had my hand on him."
Mariam shook her head and tsk tsked before she spoke, "I've never seen you talk like this about a student. Even the one last summer with all the awards and the blue eyes and pretty mouth."
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"That one was easy on the eyes, and really nice, but old enough to be my father. This one's definitely more age appropriate, and I... admire... him. He seemed sad, though. His smiles never made it to his cheeks or his eyes. But that's enough. No more info. What's for dinner?"
*****
Lia was working with a student on the beach the next morning when she noticed the black Mercedes pull up to the café. Harry, Ed, and Louise sat at the same out of the way table. He was in long pants, long sleeves, a hat and sunglasses. She couldn't help but feel sorry that to hide his identity he had to forgo the sun and breeze on his skin.
Harry, on his phone, turned away as Mariam approached, but if he kept coming for coffee someone was bound to recognize him. Lia realized that she would be relieved if her neighbor solved the mystery herself; at least then they could talk about him!
The lesson finished, and with the next one not scheduled for another hour, Lia decided to do a sail-by of the café. To look less obvious, she went down the beach in the opposite direction, then turned, getting as much speed up as possible while she approached the terrace and Harry.
To wave or not to wave, that was the question. Just then, Mariam came to the railing and waved herself, calling, "Looking good!"
Lia saw Harry glance up from his phone and raise a hand in recognition. She waved back to both her friend and her student before executing a quick turn and sailing away. By the time she came in after a few more laps up and down the beach, Harry and his crew had left the café. Mariam, however, was power walking towards her across the sand.
"I saw him! When he looked up at you I saw him! Oh shit, Lia, even I recognize Ha-"
"Stop! Don't say his name." Lia looked all around to make sure no one was within earshot. "I had to sign a nondisclosure agreement just to teach him to windsurf. I need to you take this seriously."
"Well why is he at the café if it's that important? Anyone could see him."
"You didn't recognize him until today, and I'm sure the only reason you did was because he looked right up at me. And it's still June, early in the season, so the café isn't busy. My guess is that he won't keep coming for long." Lia looked out over the sea for a moment, her brows knit. "It must be a lonely life."
"But he chose it, didn't he?"
"He was sixteen when he started. Do you think Jean-Jaques could understand the long-term implications if he were in that situation right now?"
Mariam shook her head slowly. "Of course not. Do you know, I don't think I would give up my little life for all the money in the world if that's how I had to live. Well, maybe he can make a friend in you."
Lia wasn't so sure. "Maybe. I'll just focus on the windsurfing for now. The windsurfing and the hair. I like the hair."
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