Saving Elliot ©2015 Sydney Wray

Chapter 14~Salty Kisses

I scanned Venice Beach looking for Hailey. I was clothed in beach shorts I had Damion buy for me, and a casual white shirt. I felt surprisingly combortable.

"Hey, you."

I looked to my left, smiling and putting a light arm around her waist while planting a kiss on her cheek. "Hi. How are you?"

"I'm good. And," she paused, observing my outfit with a smile, "Nice clothes. I don't think I've ever seen you without a dress shirt."

"Ha. Ha."

Hailey grinned, intertwining her hand with mine as she pulled me along. "Let's go."

"Where are we going again?"

"A little farther down the beach, where its quieter." She said, weaving us around the people.

"Why does it have to be quieter?"

I watched her smile to herself. "Because something tells me what I'm about to make you do, is not something you want an audience for."

I made a face, keeping up with her to put an arm around her shoulders.

~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, jeez." I stood observing the two surf boards pitched in the sand.

"Okay, so remember our first date?"

"Vividly." I cringed, remembering the dead dog incident with Jaxx.

"And that we were supposed to go surfing, but we went to go look for Fluffy?"

"Mm."

She smiled, accepting the Sex Wax from a guy who was renting us the boards. "Well, we're surfing. And we're not even halfway through my list."

"Joy." I muttered.

"Here." She tossed me the wax, and I watched her kneel and start to smoother it on her board. "This will help with your stability."

"I really don't think this is a good idea." I kneeled down too, and started to rub it in circles on my own board.

"You also said that about cliff diving, Snoopy, and the hike to the Hollywood sign."

I didn't say anything, only because I knew she was right.

"I think I've won this argument." She rubbed the wax in circles.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Mirror me." She stood on the board, bending her knees slightly.

A light breeze picked up, prickling my bare skin. I did, only I almost slipped on the wax on the board. "If I can't even stand on it on the beach, how will I even do it on the water."

"Don't worry, I was bad when I first started too." She said, only to slap a hand over her mouth.

I pretended to be offended. "You think I'm bad?"

Hailey struggled for words. "No! No, not at all. You're really good-"

"Hailey." I interrupted with a smile, "I'm kidding."

She bit her lip with a smile, stepping off the board and grabbing her board. "Let's just go already."

"But I'm not ready!"

"You'll have to figure it out then!" She called back, with a look of, 'don't mess with me again.'

I swallowed, wringing out my hands. I watched her flop on her board with ease, and begin to paddle out. Her blue half-thongkini showed off her-I stopped my thoughts, shaking my head.

I awkwardly picked up the board, towing it the wrong way to the water. Unsure of what to do, I just dropped it and flopped down like I had seen Hailey do. Too bad Hailey had actually slipped onto it yards out. So, being me, the board sunk completely down and acted as a suction cup to the sand. I tried to paddle, but the board remained unmoving.