Kai

 

Isla had been on Maui for two days and it had seemed like two years. I couldn’t wait until she was gone. Her mood vacillated from amused to bitter to depressed, then back again. And she hadn’t gone outside since that first day. No matter what I said, she refused to go swimming or surfing.

She also refused to talk much, only giving me laconic responses. In LA, people would take that to mean she was worldly and cool, but I knew she was just shy.

Further, even though I was doing my best to appear as Zen as possible, her nerves were starting to affect my own. I was constantly worried lest she tried to take off and had a cat keeping an eye on her at all times. And I found myself concerned she wasn’t eating and sleeping enough.

Now I was lying in an apathetic state at the edge of the water, letting the waves brush my toes and the sand cake my back. I couldn’t get through to this girl. It was going to be four more days of this. I didn’t think I’d make it and I was once locked in a meat locker for–

“Ocean will do me wonders?” Isla’s voice jerked me upright. She was standing there in a sporty purple one-piece swimsuit and was hugging herself. “Well, come on, surfer boy. Teach me.”

“Can you swim?” I asked stupidly, still staring at her and then forcing myself to look away. I’d been letting myself trace the curves of her thighs up to her breasts. Digging my nails into my palms, I took a steadying breath. No matter how attractive Isla was, I had to keep cool.

Isla let out an impatient sound and waded into the ocean. “Yes, of course.”

I stood up and studied the water. The ocean was calmer than it had been earlier and there were some nice, small waves rolling in not too far out. “You know what to do in a rip tide?” I asked.

"Swim diagonally to shore," she replied.

“Alright, let me go get you a longer board and we can get started,” I said.

“What’s wrong with that one?” Isla asked, pointing at my board and making a face. “What, is it too precious to let me use it?”

My face twitched and I shrugged. “Alright, we can give it a shot,” I said calmly and swept it up under my arm, carrying it out into the water up to my waist. “Let’s see you stand on it, first, kook.”

“Kook?” Isla bit out.

“Just means a newbie,” I said, smoothing my face of expression. “Come along.”

Wading out after me, she accepted the board and spun it around. Shimmying onto it, she sat up and then looked at me. “Knees first?” I nodded and she got up onto her knees. A wave came by and she pitched forward, grabbing the board. “Oh damn, it’s kind of slippery.”

“Water,” I said laconically, letting myself sink in up to my neck. “Okay. Stand up.”

Isla wobbled as she got up on her knees, then put one foot up and slowly rose. For a moment, she was standing and then a wave knocked into her board and she pitched off it backward. Spluttering, she flailed as she stood up and the board sailed to the shore. 

“So, that’s a shortboard. Let me go get you an egg,” I said, diving under and heading for shore. I heard her muttering something as I got out, but I chose to ignore it.

When I got back, Isla was swimming around and smiling, diving through the waves. As I got closer she stood and shook her hair back, smoothing a hand across it and then glancing over her shoulder. Our eyes met and a jolt went through me, almost making me drop the board.

“Kai.” Now she was scowling at me and her hands were on her hips. Had I been staring? “Are you gonna stand there all day in a daze or what?”

Crushing down the many responses I wanted to say, half flirtations and half jokes, I plunged in with the board and pushed it over to her. "Make sure you put on the ankle strap."

Isla grabbed it and tried to lift her leg to put it on, but she kept slipping or getting knocked over by waves. After her fifth attempt, I sighed.

"Do I seriously need it?" Isla snapped, spitting out seawater.

“Yes,” I said. “You want me to do it?”

“No,” Isla said, hopping as she tried to put it on. “Yes. Why is this so hard?”

“It’s awkward at first for some people,” I said, thinking back on the tourists who’d been baffled by the Velcro strap. “No big. You’ll get the hang of it.”

Wading over, I took it and then Isla stuck her foot out of the water. I carefully fitted it around her ankle and tried not to ignore the weird nervousness from her watching me.

“Now what?” Isla asked as I quickly let her go.

“Hop up on the board and paddle out,” I said. “I’ll swim with you for right now.” Looking fierce, Isla squirmed on and began to paddle. The waves slapped the board as she kept going and I followed alongside. “Here’s good,” I called out.

From there, I proceeded to explain how to balance the board, how to get onto your knees and then hop onto your feet, attempting to do it in one fluid motion. Isla got off and floated alongside as I demonstrated and grinned down at her as I balanced perfectly on the board.

“Let me try,” she said.

“Try your knees first,” I said, but Isla was already clambering up and trying to copy me. Again and again, she fell off, until she began to laugh and I did too.

“Just get used to your knees, Isla!” I tried to insist.

After she agreed to give standing up a break, I then explained how to paddle out, catch the wave and paddle hard back in. When the momentum of the wave built enough, catching the board, that was when you wanted to stand and catch a ride.

“Catch a wave and you’re sitting on top of the world,” Isla sang out, surprising me.

“Yo, it sounds easy,” I said with a grin. “But it takes time. S’all good, though. Surfing is so worth the long haul.”

Isla was sitting up and kicking her feet in the water. “Okay, I’m gonna try to ride one in.”

“Did you listen to a word–” I began to say and she flashed by me.

A wave was coming in and Isla flipped the board around, then began to paddle hard. I watched as she wobbled, then caught it and got to her knees. For a second, she looked triumphant and then the wave crashed down and sucked her with it.

I began to race towards shore, but then Isla appeared and towed the board towards her with the ankle strap. “That is not easy,” she called out, spluttering and rubbing her eyes. “Stop making it look easy. It’s annoying.”

Biting down a laugh, I said, “Come on, you deserve lunch after that wipeout.”

As soon as the water dropped to my waist, the waves calmed and Isla made a noise. Glancing back, I saw her eyes were bright and she wriggled on the board. “If you hold it, can I try to stand up? Please? It’s really addicting.”

I fought down a smile and the urge to say, I told you so. Nodding, I gestured at her and Isla moved to the center of the board. Wobbling, she got to her knees, her face focused and then to her feet. I moved my hands to either end of the board and grinned up at her.

“Nicely do–”

Isla had glanced over at me and the board pitched sideways and she toppled off. On instinct, I caught her. Again, our eyes met and this time my footing slipped and we fell backward into the water together. Gasping, I stood up, still half-carrying her.

“Isla, I’m sorry, are you okay?” I asked, coughing out water.

She waved me away and I let her go. Suddenly a foot hooked around my ankle and she shoved me back into the water. Spluttering, my hair in my eyes, I got back up to see her sashaying into shore with the board. Glancing over her shoulder, Isla smirked. “That’s for tripping.”

“Nice,” I muttered as I tried not to grin.

 

After a pleasant lunch, I was starting to feel a little guilty about wishing Isla gone already. She was sparkling and laughing, asking me about surfing and the ocean. Her shyness had evaporated after surfing and I was feeling pleased with myself. She was also still giving me a hard time about tripping when I should have been protecting her. And it was actually entertaining.

“No, I get it, I get it,” Isla said at the end of lunch, bringing her plate to the sink and rinsing it. “You can only balance on a board, not anywhere else. Not even the girl you’re protecting.”

“You’d trip too if a beautiful woman fell into your arms,” I retorted.

“I’ll remember that the next time a beautiful woman falls into my arms,” Isla replied. Then she paused and I looked over at her. “Did you just…?”

Her cheeks went pink as we stared at each other, the word beautiful ringing between us.

“You’re welcome.” I finally got out.

“Hmph, nice try, trying to distract me, it won’t work, Kai,” Isla rejoined quickly.

Nodding, I let her hassle me for a few more minutes before I made an excuse and fled outside. I had to remember not to flirt or say stupid things in front Isla.

We couldn’t be anything.

Well, maybe we could be friends, I thought dully, as I walked up to the tree where I’d hid my phone. There was a metal, waterproof box attached to it and I pulled open the lid. The phone was off and I turned it on, glancing over my shoulder. If Isla found out this was here…

There were no new messages from Piper, but there were some from neighbors and pals wondering where I was. I’d missed two parties and a cookout. I sighed as I turned off the phone and stowed it away again. It’d be nice to take Isla out and around the island. There were artist galleries in Lahaina she’d probably love…

I blinked in surprise at that line of thinking. I usually didn’t enjoy playing tour guide but I found myself willing to do it for Isla. Well, she’s a special case, I told myself.

Back in the house, I found Isla asleep on the couch, Lulu and Spooky curled up at her feet. The other cats, besides Bonsi, were still warming up to her and Zuku gave me a skeptical look as I picked up a blanket and tossed it over her. She only had a skimpy cover-up and the air-conditioner was pretty powerful.

“Thank you, Kai,” came her soft voice and I looked back to see her smiling at me, her eyes half closed and her face filled with a sleepy contentment. A whoosh of heat went through my body. “I’m gonna try to make the best of it like you said."

Sudden, sharp longing rose up in me. I couldn’t make sense of it. All I could do was jerk my head in a nod and get out of there. Once outside, all I could think was, no, thank you, Isla.