Page 21 of Out in the Surf

“’Cause I like you, and I want you to do well. I don’t like the idea that I’m taking from you and not giving anything in return.”

“We both know that’s not true,” I snorted. “I appreciate the offer, but I’d have to teach you how to sand and buff.”

“I’m an expert sander and buffer,” Luca huffed. “And I’m good at reading situations. All those morning BJs have taken you from your training. I don’t want to be the reason you miss an opportunity. And I’m not talking about winning a competition. You’re not in it for the glory. You need the money.”

“True, but—”

He held his hand up before I could argue. “Then let me help. You know I’m a fast learner. You can teach me to do some basics.”

“Sure, but you must be busy too.”

Luca inhaled deeply and stared out to sea. “Not busy enough. I’m taking one class that counts toward my major. The rest are electives…Photography, History of the Beatles, and Chess 101. It’s a blast. If I’d known how awesome SoCal was, I would’ve fucked up my Achilles my freshman year so I could hang out at the beach and party with the cool kids sooner.”

“You hate it here,” I deadpanned.

“Nah, I like it just fine. I’ve met some good people. But I miss hockey. A lot. I miss things about it that surprise me too…like waking up early for practice, running drills, and geez…having teammates. I even miss the annoying ones.” He twisted on the bench to face me. “There was this D-man, Mark Jennowski, on my team. The guy was a prick. He was obnoxious, full of himself, and so sure he was always right, even after he was proved wrong. Get this…he had a theory that hair and nails grow after death.”

I chuckled. “Really?”

“Yep. He’d waltz into the locker room every other day spouting some false claim. Everyone would groan and try to be the first to debunk his theories. We’d have these mad Google forums where we’d take turns listing facts.”

“Like what?”

“Uh…let me think.” He tapped his temple and squinted. “Baby flamingos are born gray, not pink. Elephants suck on their trunks for comfort, like human babies suck on their thumbs. Ooh! Get this one. All clownfish are born male.”

“No way.”

“Way,” he countered with a laugh. “Do not ask me in-depth questions about clownfish. I know they’re orange, but that’s it. I ceased to care after I schooled Jennowski’s ass.”

I grinned, then sipped my coffee. “Do you stay in contact with your old teammates?”

“A little, but they’re busy with school and practice.” Luca’s voice lowered and the note of misery in his voice was hard to miss when he continued, “Our season started this week.”

I put my arm around his shoulders, pulling him close in an awkward side hug.

“I’m sorry. That sucks.”

Luca sighed. “Hmm. You know, if I hadn’t met you, I think I’d be really homesick.”

“Yeah?” I smiled, inordinately pleased with the compliment.

“You’ve kept me centered. I wake up early and learn something new almost every day. And I’m a huge fan of the bonus sexy time.”

“Me too.”

“I don’t want to freak you out, but this is a little more than just sex for me. We’re legit friends, right?”

“Right,” I confirmed.

“As your legit friend, I want you to know I’ve been paying attention, Cal. You’re confident, disciplined, and patient as fuck. You’re also stretched too thin. If I can help you, let me. Please.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond at first. I was used to doing things that mattered to me on my own. I didn’t think twice about it. Surfing taught me how to rely on myself and trust my instincts. It was something I could do with friends, but ultimately, surfing was an individual sport. And I liked being alone.

It was a good thing too because other than Luca, I didn’t hang out with anyone. I bumped into people and temporarily shared their atmosphere. Jay, Sarah, Rex, my parents… If I remembered correctly, my ex’s number one complaint about me was that I did “alone” too well.

Luca didn’t. He needed more on his plate and I needed less.

I didn’t want to mess with a good thing, though.