Love's In The Water ~Jake Nolan~

Chapter Nine

I had a shift at four in the tower with Harrison and we were talking with Bisho and Whippet when they bring up the man in the surf. "How was that E? What he say?" Bisho asked "That was terrifying, don't make ever do that again! I was sh*tting myself" I said "Really?! It looked like you handled yourself very well, like showing no fear" Whippet said "Thank God because I was sh*t scared. He's like what, a grown man over six foot and I'm a sixteen-year-old girl who's like five-six" I said "What he say to you? It looked like at one stage that he was leaving then he came back" Harrison said "Yeah, before that he asked how old I was and when I said sixteen he said 'Nah, you're only a kid. F*ck off, go get your boss, then we'll talk' but I was like 'this is a no surfing zone, and if you continue to not follow what I've asked you to and its not because I'm picking on so I can keep these kids safe and if you don't want to listen and I can get the police down here and they can take you off the beach" I said "The old coppers card" Whippet and I smiled then there was a knock on the promenade door. Whippet went and got it "Eve's it for you," I said and hid underneath the bench "Come on. You can do this" Harrison said and dragged me out from underneath the bench and I walked and met the taller man at the door.

"You!" He said pointing at me while Whippet and Harrison stood me behind me "Me? What did I do that has upset so much that I have had to come down here?" I ask as I really don't have time for this bloke "Look, I'm the adult here and you're the child. You listen to me not the other way round" He says "And who are these? Your backup?" He says referring to Harrison and Whippet "Go, guys. I got it" I say and they leave "You may be, what, sixty? And I'm only a teenager, but you're in my territory and you do as I say. I did not ask you leave the water because I was mean, but it was for the safety of the swimmers around and as a lifeguard that's my job, to keep people safe in the water" I say and he was speechless "If that's all, you know where the door is" I said and walked away "Don't let it hit you on the way out" I add and then the door shuts "That. Was. Amazing! Were you scared?" Harrison asked amazed "Nah, more pissed off," I said taking a seat "Mate, you handled that amazingly!" Bisho said giving me a high five. Kerrbox walks into the tower and asks what happened with the guy in the surf. "Well, I thought that once he paddled in that would be the last of him, but he just came and -" "And she destroyed him!" Harrison interrupted "Really?" Kerrbox asked "I wouldn't say destroyed -" "I would" "So would I" Whippet said and Bisho agreed "Guess what Eve said to him when she was done talking?" Harrison said as Jake walked in "What?" Kerrbox asked worried for some reason "If that's all, you know where the door is, and he walked out in defeat" Harrison said "Then said 'Don't let it hit you on the way out' and she just destroyed him so well, he had nothing else to do but walk away" Whippet said amazed.

"Your girl is really something," Harrison said patting Jake on the back as he walked out "My girl? Eve isn't my girl!" Jake called out but Harrison was gone. "So you destroyed that guy?" He said taking a seat "...Yeah!" I said smiling "Yes!" He said and gave me a hard high five, like one where you're shaking your hand trying to rid of the pain but it doesn't work "Ow" I said laughing while shaking the pain out and he just laughed.

It was knockoff and everyone was in the tower about to go home, when someone knocked on the door from the beach, we turn and it's the guys from the surf... again! "What do you want now?" I said annoyed at him "Eve, this is Brad and we had asked him to be rude to you and see how you handled situations like the one that happened last week" Hoppo said, "And you passed with flying colours!" Deano said and I didn't know what to think. "I'm so sorry, mate," I said, "What for?" He asked "I was so rude to you. I said 'you know where the door is, don't let it hit you on the way out'. I feel so bad now" I said as I did feel bad "Come 'ere," He said with his arms and I walked into his open arms and I gave him a hug. "See ya guys" I said and walked off with Jake as he was my lift home, when we were two hundred metres from his car, it suddenly started bucketing down with rain and I start laughing at how sudden it came, while Jake was trying to keep dry but it was no use, he was going to get wet either way "Come on, you crazy girl" Jake said taking my hand and running to his car, where we would be dry, and he drove me home.

"Have you made your mind up about leaving?" He asks as he parks his car outside dad's house "Yeah. And I'm going back to school. I just need to tell Hoppo" I said "Too bad. We'll miss you like crazy, I'll miss you like crazy" He said and I look at him but he was already looking at me. I've always liked Jake as more than a friend but never dared to tell anyone in the service as they would all tease me about it and probably tell Jake and it would be a living nightmare. I lean in and kiss Jake, and it just feels right, if you know what I mean. "What was that about?" He pulled away so confused "I'll miss you too, like crazy because I like you Jake and I get if you don't like me in the same way" I said now second guessing my action, I look away ashamed "Eve, look at me" I do as he says "I like you, Eve, how you like me. It's too bad that you'll be leaving and focusing on your HSC and won't have time for Bondi" He says and he kisses once more and I know I'll remember this for a while. It's not every day you have your first kiss with your crush in his car after work on a Wednesday afternoon "Thank you, for everything" I say and get out and walk into Dad's house.