He lifted her chin to have her look at him. She slowly nodded.
“When my dad died, I felt so incomplete. I gave up everything. After I met you I started to feel like my old self again. I remembered what it was like to be happy and enjoy life. You complete me and make me whole again.”
“I feel the same way about you. When I am with you I feel happy again. I forget about all the other problems in life and focus on our happiness together. I have been through so much in my life, but with you I forget about all my trials and tribulations. It is just great being with you, spending days with you has been so special to me. I hope you know that.”
“I’m so glad that I met you. Adding on that class has been the best decision that I ever made in my life.” He chuckled then turned serious. “I can’t imagine my life without you now.”
“I’m happy that you joined that class too. I was sure you thought I was an idiot after I missed that question. And now to think you are such a huge part of my life.” She pulled him closer to her body. “Life feels better knowing that you’re in my life. I feel like I have finally moved on from the past now.”
“Well for the record, I never thought you were an idiot. He just picked on you unexpectedly. That could have happened to anyone. And I feel the same way about you. I have forgotten about the past and the pain that it brought me. I’m finally happy now.” He brushed his hands through her tangled hair.
They sat there in silence for a while basking in the sun as it played along the horizon. It was so hot out that sweat was perspiring off of their legs and onto the sand. Marc held Cathy for what seemed like forever and he realized that he wanted her forever. She had been the only woman in his life who could ever understand him. He loved that she was his lover and his best friend. She was his world he realized and he wanted to keep it that way.
“I love you Cathy.” Marc said softly breaking the silence between them.
She blushed and turned her head to the side to look him in the eyes. “I love you too Marc.”
“You’re going to marry me one day. You make me happy. I need you for life.” He stated surely.
“Deal. I need you too.” She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. “Our love is magical.”
“Yes it is. You’re my love.” He kissed her back tenderly as he picked her up and set her in his lap. “The heat is killing me. Do you want to head back to my place for lunch? I just bought some fresh veggies, I could make them steamed.”
“You’re my love too. And yes I am burning up. That sounds amazing, let’s go now.” She said as she stood up. She used her hands to pull Marc up from the ground. He landed her arms and she held him momentarily before they started walking up towards the boardwalk.
The sun burned down fiercely upon their backs as they walked hand-in-hand to Marc’s car. Cathy hopped in the passenger’s seat and buckled her seatbelt as she messed with turning the radio dial. He put the car in gear and started down the road, grabbing for Cathy’s hand. She let him hold in all the way back and recognized she never felt something more wonderful.
Chapter 10
The tips of her fingers touched the smooth surface as her hands grazed thoroughly over it. She had never seen something so beautiful in her life. She had never seen anything like it in her life, nothing that could match its perfect quality. She picked it up and held it in her hands taking in the fine quality of it. Just the feel of it alone made her want to get into the water. She wanted to dive in and try it out to see if she could master the task. She couldn’t take her eyes off of it as she dazed admiringly at it.
“Cathy? Where did you go?” Marc yelled out from the kitchen. “I made the steamed veggies. Come and get them while they are hot. And still here.” He laughed as he popped one in his mouth seething at the joy of the taste.
“I’m in here!” She called, her voice sounding distant.
“Where?” He said back while heading to look for her.
“In your bedroom.”
“What are you doing in there?” He asked smiling at her as he cracked the door and saw her holding his prized possession.
“Just rummaging around your room and admiring your surfboard. I have never seen one like this. It is so classic looking, with the red paint. I love the design going down the middle with the blue waves.”
“I love this board. It was my Dad’s. Well it’s funny, actually it was mine. He gave it to me as a gift for my thirteenth birthday. He said I was finally a teenager, becoming a man and I needed a real board to surf with. Although he gave it to me, I could tell that he wanted it. Badly. So I would often let him “barrow” it, but it was mostly used by him. I used it on my thirteenth birthday and that’s about it. I might have used it a few other times as well, but my father was the one who really loved this board. The reason why it is so significant to me is because it was his favorite board. It was the board that he rode his last wave on. He said, taking the board into his hands while caressing its surface with care.
“Dad! Dad! Do you know what today is?” Marc cried out as he ran down the stairs.
“Yes, it’s Thursday Marc.” He said looking up from his paper as he picked up his coffee mug from the table and took a sip.
“Yes, but it’s not just any old Thursday. Don’t you remember?” He asked looking at his dad with curious eyes.
“Hmmmm is it Fourth of July already? Boy the summer went fast this year.” He put his reading glasses on top of his head leaving a mark in his curly brown hair. He then set down his newspaper and went over to the sink to wash the ink off of his hands.
“Dad, it’s not Fourth of July!” Marc said anxiously.
“Well then it must be your birthday Son. I knew all along. Do you want your present now or later?” His dark brown eyes questioned his son.
“Now Dad! I want it now. I have been waiting months for my birthday. I know you have a really good surprise for me and I am ready for it now.” His voice rang with anticipation.
“Alright. Now close your eyes while I go get it. And make sure that you keep them closed. It’s important so that you don’t ruin the surprise. Why don’t you count to thirteen while I go pull it out?”
“Dad this is really silly. I’m a teenager now. I don’t want to play silly games. I just want to see my present.” Marc whined.
“Come on Marc, do it. I promise it will be worth it. I’ll help you start and you carry on. One….”
Fine Dad, but I am only doing it because I really want to see what you got me. Two…three…four…five.”
He could hear his dad digging through the closet searching for his gift. He opened his eyes slightly and stepped over to the right of the kitchen to get a peek of what his dad was looking for.
“Marc, no peeking! Now step back behind the wall, close your eyes and keep counting.” His father yelled from the closet sounding muffled.
“I am Dad!” he called back to him. “Six…seven…eight…nine…ten…eleven. Did you almost find it?”
“Yep, I have it. Finish the counting.” His father directed.
“Twelve…thirteen. Okay Dad where is it?” He asked in annoyance.
“Surprise!!!!” He yelled as he pulled a large surfboard with a big red bow wrapped around it out from behind his back.
“Wow Dad, this is awesome! It’s the board that I wanted since I was six years old.” He screamed at the top of his lungs while jumping up and down. In an announcer voice he said, “The Rip Curl 5 Speed, the only board for surfers who want to be true pros.”
His father chuckled at his impression. “I’m glad you like it Son. I had it customized a few months ago.”
“Like it? Are you kidding? I love it! I love it! I love it!” He seized the board closer to him as he admired the paint. “Red is my favorite color and I love this blue wave decal going down the middle. This is the best gift that I have ever gotten.” He held his chin as he thought about that for a moment. “Yep, definitely best gift I have ever gotten.”
“Really the best gift you have
ever gotten? What about that year when I drove three hours to get that special wetsuit you wanted? Or what about when you were five years old and I bought you that hamster that you just had to have? Or what about…”
“Dad, stop!” He laughed as he cut his father off. “Those were all great gifts too. It’s just that I wanted this for such a long time and now that I finally have it, it’s like a dream. I feel like any minute now I am going to wake up and just bawl my eyes out because this is just a dream.”
“It’s not a dream Son, this piece of surfing gold is yours to keep. Bring it here and let me wax it before you use it so that the ride will be smoother.” He grabbed the wax out of the kitchen drawer and took the board from his son’s grasp.
“Be careful with it Dad. It’s so perfect. I don’t want anything to happen to it.” He looked longingly over at his new gift as his father polished it. “It looks even better from a distance.” He sighed. “I miss it.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t hurt it Son. It misses you too.” He said with a smile. “Now go get ready for surf camp. I’m sure all the kids will be impressed by your new board. You will be the cool kid on the block.” He raised his eyebrows and made a face.
Marc giggled as he tried to look at his dad with a straight face. “Dad, you are such a dork, but I love you. Thanks for the gift it was awesome.” He walked closer to the stairs and started going up. “This was the best birthday yet.”
“I love you more Son. And I am glad. It was a great day for me too. Even though it wasn’t my birthday.” He said with a smirk.
“Dad, you’re funny. I ’ma get dressed and take my board to camp. I can’t wait to see how it rides in the water.” He ran up the stairs, thinking about how lucky he was to have the board he always wanted. He looked back at his father in the kitchen, polishing the board and thought to himself that he was even luckier to have an incredible dad like him.
“It’s really something else. I bet it’s a smooth ride in the water. I never surfed, so I wouldn’t really know a good board from a bad one. But this board is remarkable. There is something about it that draws me to it. I don’t know what it is, but it just catches my eye for some reason,” She stated glancing down at her toes and then looked back up at Marc directly in the eyes. “It’s great that you and your dad were so close. I can tell that you really loved him.” Cathy said as she intervened by stroking his neck slowly.
Marc set the board down and moved closer into her touch. “It is a great board. I haven’t rode it much, but the times that I did, it was amazing. It was smooth and perfect. I haven’t rode it or even touched it really since my dad passed away and yes we were close. We were just alike. I loved him very much.” He pulled her into his arms as he sat down on the bed. “And I love you very much.” He whispered in her ear.
“You should ride it again. I think it would make your father proud.” She leaned it to kiss him. “I love you more.”
“Maybe I will this weekend. I might take it up to Stinson Beach. I haven’t rode there since he died. You can come too if you want. It could be fun.” He said as he poked her stomach.
“I would love to. It would be my pleasure.” She said as he pulled her down into the bed.
He looked at the board as it sat next to his door. The last time he had surfed had been with Tony and that had been so many years ago. He didn’t know if he was really ready to try again or not, but with Cathy’s encouragement he truly thought that he could do it. He tightened his grip around her as he held her close to his body. He felt like he could lay like this with her forever. He didn’t want to let go of her. Her hair was touching his neck and he could smell the sweet scent of her. She smelled of fresh-kissed strawberries and perfume. He kissed her neck lightly as he heard her murmur in pleasure.
“Do that again.” She whispered softly as she lifted her hands up and drew him closer to her body.
“I will.” He whispered back and started kissing her all down her neck and to the lower part of her chest where her heart lay beating faster and faster with each touch.
“I like that.” She said as she turned around and kissed him on the mouth with passion as he still held her tightly in his arms.
“I know you do,” He replied in-between kisses. “What about the steamed veggies? I just finished cooking them for you. Are you hungry?”
“We can always heat them back up again in a minute.” She pulled away from him and looked him in the eye with a ravenous glair. By the look in her eyes, he knew that there was no turning back now. Cathy always got what she wanted. “Come closer to me.” She said as she pulled him back towards her and lifted up his shirt. She started kissing his chest and vaulted on top of him to be in control. Taking off his shirt, she started massaging his chest and his arms with the palms of her hands. From his expression, she could tell that he liked it and he wanted more.
He held her snugly in his arms in the dim light after they had made love. The blinds were closed and let in pickets of sunlight from the outside world that he had forgotten existed. Restless and tired, he figured his thoughts would have went away by now but he was still thinking about the red board that laid by the door. Nothing could take away the significance of what that board meant to him. It was more than a surfboard to him, it was the last piece that he had of his dad’s life.
“Dad?” He called down the stairs, starting the daily hunt for his father. Every morning he never knew exactly where his father would be or where he would find him. His father was a wonderer and never stayed in one place for long. “Mom?” He wondered if his mom would still be home. He knew she usually didn’t go into the vet’s office until later in the day. She always stayed home with him until he went to school. He loved the lunches that she would pack for him. All of his friends were always envious of his gourmet lunch foods. If his mom wasn’t a veterinarian, she would have made an amazing cook.
“Marc? Is that you dear?” She called back from what seemed to be the kitchen based on the echo that Marc heard.
“Yes, Mom it’s me. Have you seen Dad? Did he leave for the beach without me?” He probed as he started walking down the stairs.
“Why don’t you come down here and I’ll explain.”
He walked right behind her as he said, “I already beat you to it, I’m here. Did you pack my lunch yet Mom?”
“It’s Saturday, Marc.” She said without glancing up from her cookbook.
“Oh right.” He smacked his forehead with his hand. He didn’t know how he had gotten the days mixed up. Lately all of his days seemed to be running together for some reason. He couldn’t keep the school days straight from his days off, which was unusual for a teen in school. All his friends never lost track of when the weekend was. The weekend meant free time to surf for them. “What are you cooking?”
“I’m trying out this new recipe that I found in this cookbook your father gave me for my birthday last year. It’s strawberry and cinnamon pancakes with a hint of ginger.” She stirred the batter bowl with her whisk briskly.
“Mmmmm, that sounds good.” He licked his chops as he felt his stomach growl. It was just like his mother to experiment with new recipes. She was adventurous and fearless when it came to food. She was often bored with recipes and was continually trying out new ones.
She finished mixing the batter with the whisk and put a small portion into the skillet. He could smell the sweet scent of strawberries mixed with cinnamon and ginger as it lightly burned on the stove. Just the smell alone was making his stomach want food even more. He hadn’t even realized how hungry he was until his mom took the pancake off the skillet and put it onto a plate in front of his face. He could see the steam flying off from it as sat right under his nose. The aroma was too much, he took his fork and started digging in.
“Careful there Marc, it’s really hot.” She warned him, interrupting his first bite of deliciousness.
He blew softly on the pancake before taking a quick bite. He figured it would be cooled off by now, but boy was he wrong. He ended up spitting
it out quickly and reached for his orange juice, taking a huge gulp. He could feel his tongue inside his mouth, it felt as if it was on fire. He drank more orange juice to cool the burning sensation in his mouth, but the feeling wouldn’t go away.
His mother gave him an “I-told-you-so” look as she looked at her son. “Are you okay Marc?”
“It was just a little hot, but it’s delicious Mom. Best pancake I ever had.” He smiled while taking another bite of the pancake, now that it was cooler. His mother was always right. It hadn’t taken him long to figure that out. When it came to life, mothers just had a way of knowing best. He was grateful that the pancake had finally cooled down and he could gobble it up as quickly as his stomach instructed him to. His mother was a wonderful cook, no doubt about that. “So Mom where’s Dad? I noticed that my surfboard is no longer in my room. Did he leave without me? Usually he never leaves without me. I don’t understand why he just didn’t come into my room and wake me up.”
“Well, Marc let me explain for your father. You know he went to Stinson Beach right?” She looked down at her hands and twiddled her fingers. Marc could tell by her expression and her body language, that what she was about to say wouldn’t be good news for him.
“Yes, what’s wrong? Why can’t I come?” He questioned his mother as his expression turned muddled.
“Well there’s been a big problem there lately with sharks. Two people have already been attacked this week. I told him not to go, but you know how your father is. Whenever he sets his sights on something, he never gives up. I’m not even sure why he would still go up there with some of his friends. I guess since most of the shark attacks were earlier in the week, they figured it would be safe by now. He didn’t wake you up because I didn’t want you to go with him. It’s too dangerous. I tried to stop him from leaving, but nothing I said could make him stay. He was dead-set on going.” She turned away as her face filled with regret and some other emotion that Marc couldn’t figure out.
“Mom, this isn’t good. I have a bad feeling about this,” He said as he felt his intuition taking over. “I have to go there and see if he is okay.” He pulled his car keys out of his pockets and started heading for the door.
Shark Lover Page 14