Annie
“Dave?” My voice was shaky as I held two full sized surfboards in my arms, while juggling a bar of in between my fingers. The customer in front of me looked a little irritated, it was a teenage boy who was in search of a ‘fun-board’, whatever that was. At my confusion, he’d started picking out boards himself and demanding that I’d hold them for him. He was gripping a third board when Dave wandered over.
“Hey mate, what are you looking for?” Dave’s height dwarfed this kid, and I could see the boy instantly straighten up. Dave’s voice was friendly, as if he didn’t mind that I’d called him over for the fourth time in half an hour.
“I’m looking for a fun-board, one that has a fair bit of flex in the fins…”
Dave nodded, while tugging the surfboards out of my hands and gingerly placing them on the racks above my head. He took the one in the boy’s hands, and then gave it to me wordlessly.
“Though that is a fun-board, I have a feeling that you want one bit more… professional.” At Dave’s words, the teen’s face lit up with pride and approval. “If you want fins with flex, then you can head this way…” He led the boy to a corner of the store.
I sighed. It wasn’t my fault that I had completely no experience or knowledge of surfing. After all, Dave had hired me with the knowledge that I was new to the country.
My slippery hands gripped the wax firmly again, and I sat down on a small wooden bench. Heaving the full sized surfboard onto my knees, I began the swirling motion of waxing the board to keep it in good condition. It was arduous work, but better than nothing.
I heard the faint sound of the till’s keys clicking as the teen paid for the surfboard, which mustn’t have been cheap. He walked out of the store with a bright smile on his face, cradling his new toy with care. Footsteps came closer, and I recognised Dave’s boat-shoes in my vision.
“Sorry-” I began to apologise, but Dave cut me off.
“It’s fine. Over time you’ll get to know each type of board, but for now you’re doing a swell job at cleaning. Keep on working.”
I nodded and resumed my work. Dave was a great manager; he gave compliments liberally, as well as advice, but hardly ever got mad. Even in tough situations, he’d handle it with a calmness that only came with great experience.
Just as I was on my second layer of wax, I felt a light breeze as someone entered through the front door. I gently put down my surfboard, ready to greet the customer as was my job, but this one strode straight past me. From the back, it was obvious that this guy was around eighteen or nineteen, matching my age. He had the type of hair that was originally blonde, but could now be classified as brown: a sort of dirty blonde colour. He wore blue board shorts that were damp, indicating that he’d recently been in the water.
“Hey Dave,” his voice was deeper than I’d expected, if a little husky.
“Nathan, it’s good to see you. How have your holidays been?”
“They’ve been great. I drove down south to visit Redgate and Smith’s Beach, and the surf was incredible! I’m thinking of buying a new board actually, but that requires money. Do you think I could start work again soon?” It was obvious from Nathan’s words that he worked here, or at least used to.
“Yeah, I’ve actually been needing a few more hands around here. You’re welcome to start as soon as possible. How does Wednesday sound? In two day’s time?”
“Perfect,” Nathan reached a tanned hand up to ruffle his hair. “Can I have my old uniform back?”
Dave laughed and nodded, walking to the storeroom to no doubt rummage in one of the many boxes. Nathan began to turn around, and I realized with a jolt that he’d find me staring like a love struck teenager. I didn’t even know the guy!
