Read Online Summer Loving by Nicola Yeager - Free Book Online Page A

though.
    ‘Good! Well you’re getting there already. We use pop-outs for the students here. They’re moulded boards, ideal for beginners. They’re big and they float, so you can always hang onto them if you don’t feel confident…’
    There’s a loud crash from the room behind the reception desk and I hear a male voice hiss ‘Shit!’
    Janica looks behind her briefly, rolls her eyes, then she continues. ‘We’ll get you in the water on the first lesson, but there’ll be a little bit of theory first on the beach. Nothing too difficult. Nothing to worry about. Just general health and safety. Load of bullshit really, but we have to do it.’
    ‘I saw you on the beach this morning, I think.’
    ‘Yeah, that was me. I was glad when that lesson was over, I can tell you that for nothing. So, anyway, after our chat, we’ll show you how to get onto the board, how to position yourself, and all that sort of thing. Lying down first, then we’ll run through what you have to do to stand. Don’t expect to stand on the first lesson, though. In the water, that is. Some people do it, but don’t worry if you can’t. It’s pretty difficult when you’re starting out, or it can be. Depends on the waves, to a degree. We’ll just play it by ear. Deaths are down by forty per cent this year, by the way. Only kidding.’
    She pulls out a sheet of paper, sticks a pen on top and pushes it across to me.
    ‘This is just something for you to fill in. No rush, but they insist we do it. For now just stick down your name, signature and room number. We’ll charge the lessons to your room. You can do the other stuff later. Or you can do it now. Doesn’t matter much, really,’ She laughs, ‘We burn them afterwards. Only kidding.’
    I take the form and start writing.
    ‘I noticed you yesterday out front. You’re here with your dad, yeah?’
    Jesus Christ.
    ‘No. No, he’s just a – a friend.’
    She laughs. ‘Oops!’
    Turning away from me, rather embarrassed, I suspect, she taps something on the computer keyboard and squints at the screen.
    ‘Well, I’m afraid I’ve got a beginner lesson in five minutes, then a break and then I’m fully booked for the rest of today. There’s really nowhere I can squeeze you in. But…hold on…’
    She does some more typing, looks at the screen again and smiles.
    ‘OK. No worries. My colleague has got a lot of gaps this afternoon. Just let me check for a moment. In fact… he could probably do you straight away, if you’ve got nothing else on. If that’s too soon, don’t worry.’
    What a stroke of luck. ‘That would be perfect.’
    I give her one of my nicest smiles. She turns to look at the door behind the reception desk and shouts at whoever’s in there.
    ‘Can you come out here when you’ve finished destroying the place? Lady wants a private lesson.’
    ‘Sure.’
    What happens next seems to be in slow motion, but I’m sure it was really only a matter of seconds. A tall, good-looking guy appears in the doorway. Orange iridium shades, green O’Neill t-shirt, black cargo shorts. And the smile drops from my face.
    Oh Christ, no. Oh no. It can’t be.
    I don’t know whether I’m hyperventilating or sobbing. I try to take big gulps of air, but I’m repeatedly and rapidly breathing out. I feel faint. My eyes fill with tears and I can feel them running down my cheeks. For a second, I wonder if I’m having a heart attack. I put a hand out to support myself on the edge of the reception desk and place the other across my chest as I try to gulp in air.
    I hear Janica’s concerned voice, but I can’t see her. My peripheral vision seems to have crashed. ‘Are you OK? Excuse me? Miss? Madam? Oh, Jesus.’
    I hear her rush around the desk and in a second, she’s got an arm around my shoulder. She grabs my chin, lifts my head up and looks into my eyes. She looks frightened.
    ‘Come over here. Come over here and sit down. Oh hell.’
    She manhandles me towards a chair a few feet away