Page 22 of Suddenly Beck

Not Georgie though. Her eyes are a deeper blue than mine and dance merrily. Two tiny diamonds wink at me from the piercings in either cheek, which mimic dimples, and when she speaks, I get a tiny flash of a tongue piercing. There’s some sort of graceful tattoo that glides sinuously down the length of her neck, and her left arm has a full, colourful tattoo sleeve, which appears to be nautical themed with maps, stars, and mermaids.

‘Wait a minute,’ I murmur as I tilt my head and study her hair. ‘They’re waves.’ I laugh in delight. ‘Your hair colour, the blue and green with white tips. They’re supposed to be breaking waves.’

‘Well done.’ She grins. ‘Not many people make the connection. For that you win a prize.’

She picks up a plastic tub from the side of the desk labelled ‘pirate booty’ and wiggles it in my direction. I glance inside and find a colourful array of lollipops, and I laugh out loud. I don’t think I’ve ever had a lollipop in my life. Sweets and treats had never been part of my childhood, and it wasn’t the sort of thing you indulged in as an adult.

‘Go on.’ She grins. ‘You know you want to.’ She gives the pot another little shake.

Smiling in warm amusement, I reach in a pull out a red one. Unwrapping it and popping it in my mouth, I get a burst of flavor and teeth aching sweetness, and I’m almost certain my pupils have blown from the sugar rush. Georgie grins and winks as she pops a blue coloured lollipop in her mouth.

‘So, what brings you by today?’ she asks leaving the lolly stick poking out of her mouth as she speaks.

‘Beck has decided I need to learn how to surf,’ I tell her with aplomb.

She chuckles loudly. ‘Yeah, he’s good at talking people into stuff. It’s the dimples. He only has to smile, and you get confused.’

‘Tell me about it,’ I mutter under my breath, and she grins at me again.

‘Okay, I’ve got you all set up.’ Beck suddenly reappears beside me.

‘With what?’ I pull the lolly from my mouth with a faint pop, and even though we’ve agreed to just be friends, I can’t help but enjoy the way his gaze seems to snag on my lips.

‘Uh.’ He clears his throat. ‘I’ve put a brand-new swimsuit in the changing room for you. I’ve also left a wetsuit you can borrow. Let me know if it doesn’t fit, but remember it needs to be snug. Don’t worry if it’s a bit tight, it needs to be, as long as it’s not cutting off circulation to anything important.’ He winks.

‘Okay.’ I head in the direction of the changing room and slip inside, closing the curtain and leaving Beck propped up against the counter chatting to Georgie. I glance around at the small space, which houses a full-length mirror, a chair tucked into the corner and a row of hooks mounted on the wall. There as promised, is a wet suit and… I narrow my gaze, oh hell no. I don’t think so. I grab the item off the hook and turn abruptly, yanking open the curtain roughly and causing Beck and Georgie to glance up in my direction.

‘Problem?’ Beck asks.

‘Yes, there’s a problem,’ I reply. Holding up my hand and allowing the small transparent plastic hanger to swing on my finger, from which a tiny pair of bright red speedos are attached. ‘Magic Mike called, he wants his pants back.’

Georgie snorts loudly as Beck smiles.

‘You can’t wear board shorts under a wetsuit,’ he explains with an amused glint in his eye. ‘Unless of course you want to go commando.’ He raises a brow almost in challenge. ‘But as the wetsuit is a loaner, I wouldn’t recommend it.’

I glare at him as Georgie rounds the counter, giving Beck a playful shove. ‘Alright, out you go, Beck. I’ll help Nat, you go and pick him out a board.

I watch as Beck chuckles and heads out of the shop before turning to Georgie.

‘He does have a point you know,’ Georgie says. ‘The wetsuit needs to be tight to your skin, but if you don’t want those speedos, you can check out what else we have.’

‘What if I buy my own wet suit instead of borrowing one?’ I ask.

‘It’s probably not a good idea.’ Georgie shakes her head. ‘They’re not cheap, and it’s a lot of money to pay out if you have one lesson and decide it’s not for you.’

‘It’s my money.’ I shrug. ‘Besides, if I drown you can bury me in it.’

‘Like Beck would let that happen,’ she laughs.

‘I’m serious, Georgie,’ I tell her. ‘I’d rather buy my own, and if I decide surfing is not for me, I’ll donate it to your loaner collection.’

‘Are you sure?’

I nod emphatically.

‘If that’s what you want,’ she replies easily. ‘I’ll help you pick one out.’

‘So, this is your place then?’ I glance around as she leads me over to the section with all the wetsuits lined up sleek and dark like a row of seals splashed with various shades of primary colours.