I grimaced as my hand brushed something sticky while wiping down a table at a booth. I needed money, so Mya and I were both waitresses at Sandy's Diner during the summer months. As much as I despised dealing with the snobby beach goers that dine at this joint, I had to earn money somehow, and the job paid well. The owner of the joint was a family friend of mine, so luckily Mya and I only had to work two or three times a week. A major bonus was that the diner was right off of Grover Beach, which made it a select hang out place for hot surfers hungry after a day on the waves.
The lunch rush had finally ended, so Mya and I were stuck cleaning up the messy tables that had been left unattended to. As we finished up busing the tables, I decided to tell her my brilliant surfing plan.
"Have you gone crazy? There's no way he'll agree to that, Emmy!" Mya exclaimed as soon as I finished explaining.
"Mya, keep it down!" I shushed her as a couple customers turned to look at us.
"I can't be quiet! You want to ask the hottest, most socially reclusive guy in this town if he would be ever so kind as to teach you to surf? I wish I was good at surfing so I could just teach you myself. Why can't you ask someone we actually know?"
"What are you talking about? We know Reid!" Mya raised an eyebrow. "Ok, so maybe we don't know him that well, but think about it. It would be perfect. He won't talk to anyone, no one will talk to him. Not to mention he's an amazing surfer. My dad will never find out."
"Not that I object to you spending time with an attractive male, but this is Reid Sawyer we are taking about. Bad boys never--" Mya abruptly stopped talking, and incredulous look passing across her face.
"Never do what?" I stared at her confusedly. "Mya, what's wrong?"
"Damn. Speak of the devil," she muttered. I gasped inwardly, finally turning around to see who she is staring at. None other than Reid Sawyer was settling into a booth and looking at a menu.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go talk to him!" Mya gave me an encouraging shove towards him. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my frantic nerves.
"Hi, Reid. I'm Emily," I said as I stopped in front of the table.
"Yeah, can I order?" he responded not looking up from his menu.
"In a minute, you can. But I want to ask you something first." I sat down in the seat across from him.
"Look, I just came here to get some food and I'm really not one to chat," he huffed, picking his head up from looking at the menu.
My breath caught in my throat as his beautiful eyes locked with mine and held me in a trance. I'd never seen Reid's face up close before, but I could see now what other girls were talking about. To be blunt, he was even hotter up close than from far away.
"I saw you surfing when I was at Nikko's party a couple days ago. You're good," I started, beating around the bush. Maybe if I could soften him up a little first, the odds of him saying yes would be greater.
"And your point is..?" Reid shot back, not even taking the compliment. His nostrils flared in annoyance, and I could see anger beginning to cloud his beautiful eyes.
Come on Emmy, put on your big girl pants.
I took a deep breath. "I want you to teach me to surf like that."
"No."
"But I really want, well actually need to learn how to surf and I can't--"
"Look, princess," he gave me a glare so cold it could freeze hell, "I'm gonna be honest, no explanation you give me could make me care any less than I do right now. I said no. I don't know who told you what, but I do not give surfing lessons. Now let me order my damn food before I call the manager over."
My heart dropped. My last hope was gone; shot down; lit on fire and thrown out of a window from twenty stories up. I'd go down in history as the only person living on the Californian coast that had never surfed a day in her life. I'd wanted to learn to surf for as long as I could remember, after seeing how effortless and graceful my mom looked as she tore up the waves. I wanted to be just like her, but it looks like that dream had gone swirling down the drain for good.
I sighed dejectedly, sliding out of the booth seat. "What can I get you?"
I quickly scribbled down his order and retreated to the kitchen.
Mya came up to me and bumped my hip. She asked excitedly, "So? What did he say?"
I frowned, shaking my head. "He said no."
"Did you even try to convince him?"
"He didn't even give me the chance," I sighed sadly, blinking back a lone tear that threatened to waterfall from my eye.
"I'm sorry, Boo," Mya pulled me in for a hug and rubbed my back soothingly. "Somethings are just not meant to be, you know?"
YOU ARE READING
SoCal Summer
Ficção Adolescente"Hey, who's the surfer?" I interrupt whatever pick-up line Mya was throwing on the bartender. She gives me a look as her item of affection turns his attention to me. "Oh him? That's Reid Sawyer. He walked past about ten minutes ago with his surfboa...
