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“Givatayim is the most boring city on earth.” She made such a face that he grinned. “You live in Dizengoff!” Gal pressed her advantage. “They’re all jealous of me that I get to live at the heart of Tel Aviv in my cool apartment, two seconds from Habima.”
Leaving home and going out with his baby brother didn’t appeal to him at all. He wanted to relax after a full week of juggling two places of work, and he needed a quiet minute to process everything that was coming along at warp speed with Dafna. But Gal needed to enter the paddleboarding learning session with a cool head, so he didn’t deny her just yet.
The sea was a flat bright blue, the sky sported puffy white clouds, the morning breeze was a pleasant tug cooling his sweat. A perfect summer day.
The meeting point was where the Tel Aviv municipal border ended and Herzliya began. The sandstone cliffs rose behind them with indigenous flora clinging onto rocky nooks, sprouting out its yellow flowers.
An elegant figure stood a little to the side, not mingling with the group of twenty people who were busy lining their paddle boards on the sand.
“Good morning.” His breathy voice betrayed the excitement of seeing her. The slight wind blew her hair around her face, the morning sun striking gold notes in the chestnut mane. She had his heart going, and his cock, and his mind.
Gal cleared her throat, and he recalled she was standing right there.
“Hi, I’m Gal,” his daughter introduced herself. “You’re Dafna? Nice dress.”
Dafna wore another gorgeous dress today, a light red one with white dots that wrapped around her mouthwatering curves. He hadn’t warned her that his daughter would be here this morning. But Dafna, like Dafna, kept her cool. And elegance.
“Thank you, nice to meet you, Gal. I like what you’re wearing.”
Gal wore one of his cheesier T-shirts. It said, ‘this is what an awesome accountant looks like.’ It reached her knees and hung on her shoulders, providing cover from the summer sun.
“Where did you buy your dress? I want one just like it.”
“It’s Diane von Furstenberg. I bought this one in New York,” Dafna answered, smiling back.
“You’re rich. Good for you,” Gal said. He cringed.
“Gal!” he admonished. Dafna waved her palm, motioning to him she was fine.
“Thank you. I earned my money by working hard and being in the right place at the right time.” Gal looked away from Dafna, as if she didn’t want to hear her answer, her behavior bordering on rudeness. “Your father can’t sing your praises loud enough,” Dafna continued in a classy effort to defuse the situation.
“Sing! Oh, I get it. Abba told you about my recital, right?” Gal’s voice broke. His daughter was all over the place this morning. Dafna looked at him for directions, and he had none to give. He almost wished Gal hadn’t come, then chided himself for almost wishing it. His brother waved at them from a distance.
“There’s Uncle Eitan,” he said and waved like mad at his brother.
“Gal! I can’t believe you actually woke up!” Eitan approached them. “Hi Dafna,” he greeted her, grinning widely, jumping to all the right conclusions.
“Hi Eitan.”
“You know her?” Gal asked. “How come you know her before I do?” Her hands were on her hips, and her mouth was turned down. Crap, he handled this wrongly. His daughter was afraid she would be left out. That he had already left her out.
“Come Gal. Let me show you the ropes. You’ll get this in no time.” Eitan took Gal’s board under his armpit and steered her away. They stopped a little farther down the sandy beach, where Gal’s tutorial would take place.
“Erez, what does your daughter know? About us?”
Her creamy skin shone in soft pastels. Gal was looking the other way so he cupped her soft cheek. “I told her that…you were important to me.” She bit her lip. “I apologize, she is usually better behaved.”
“She is probably jealous, and with good reason. She is used to being the only woman in your life.” He stared into her eyes and fell a little deeper.
Dafna cleared her throat.
“I’m wearing a swimsuit under the dress. I also brought a white T-shirt like you said.”
“Yes.” He concentrated on the job ahead. “The shirt is for when you paddle. You’re exposed to the sun, standing on the board. A hat and cover are essential.”
“A hat?”
“I have one for you.” He whipped out an extra hat.
