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“Did you see that?” Oliver runs from the shore back toward me where I’m standing in the water with a drink in my hand. The smile on his face is so large and gorgeous that I can’t find words to answer. Finally managing a nod, I laugh when he shakes his head like a dog when he reaches me. “I want you to try it with me, okay?”
“Alright.”
He moves behind me and my breath catches as his fingertips run down my arms while he talks, “It’s all about the timing. You have to wait until just the right moment. When the top of the wave is the whitest, when the body is transparent just before it crests and begins to fall over the top. That is when you get into position, dunk under the water, so you can ride it to shore. Does that make sense?”
“Yes.” My voice sounds scratchy.
He pulls me further out into the water, then gets behind me again and raises my arms over my head, putting the inside of my elbows at my ears and I press my hands together to form a point. I almost laugh. I remember standing just like this when I was in swim lessons at our local YMCA when I learned how to dive. My instructor would have me stand at the side of the pool, toes hanging over the edge. I’d put my arms in this position and she’d instruct me to bend forward until my arms went into the pool first, my body following. For a moment I feel like I’m seven years old again. Oh how I wish once again that my biggest worries were where I last left my crayons and keeping my stuff picked up to make my mom happy.
Oliver moves to stand next to me and I do giggle this time when he stands like me. He smiles, “Get ready!” He faces forward, but his head is turned so he can see the wave. “Okay… now!”
I’m a couple seconds behind him. I see him go under the water first, flat on his belly. I do the same and instead of the wave rolling under me like when I was floating, this time it’s as if I become part of the wave itself and it propels me forward. My body speeds through the water and I do my best to resist the urge to fight against it, instead letting myself relax and going with the flow. When I feel sand at my belly, I stand gasping for breath, then laugh out loud.
“I did it!”
Oliver rushes to me and spins me around, “You did!”
“That was a rush. The power of the water… it’s amazing.”
“I told you that body surfing was fun. I still remember my dad teaching me how to do it. Truth is, I’m not sure who liked it more, me or him.”
“Let’s do it again!”
“Maybe next I can get you on a surfboard,” we begin walking further into the water once more.
“I’m not sure about that,” I laugh.
I have no idea how long we stay out in the water and let wave after wave push us to shore. When I’m tired and my bones feel heavy, I finally tell Oliver I’m ready for a break.
I didn’t realize how much the tide had pulled us away from our cabana until I looked for it and saw it far down the shore. It took us quite the walk to return to it. Deciding immediately we’re famished once more, we order food and drinks and wait impatiently for them to arrive.
Later, as I’m shoveling another chip full of salsa into my mouth, I take a drink of my fourth… no maybe it’s fifth piña colada and decide to ask Oliver a question if he permits it. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“First tell me if you’re feeling okay.”
“I’m more than okay. I’m feeling damn skippy at the moment.”
“Damn skippy?”
“That’s what I said.”
“You’re cute when you’re drunk.”
Rolling my eyes makes him laugh. “I’m not drunk.”
“Sure you’re not.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because you’re slurring a little, giggling a lot and you never seek permission before asking me a personal question.” He takes a swig of his beer and squints at me, sunglasses resting on top of his head.
“I’d roll my eyes at you again, but last time it felt like I might lose them up there.”
“Well that would be a tragedy. I’d miss those gorgeous eyes of yours.” He smiles and the crinkles on either side of his eyes almost distract me.
“Anyway, I was just trying to be polite.” I scoop guacamole onto my chip this time.
He openly laughs at me, the jerk. “Of all the adjectives I’d use to describe you I’m not sure ‘polite’ would be one of them.”
