Riptide of Romance

by Jennifer Jones

  “That’s what it’s like with you and Lola. You don’t get to be my age without figuring some of this shit out.” He punched me softly on the arm. “You two have what it takes to make one heck of a life together, and I don’t want you missing out.” He grinned at me, his eyes crinkling. “You guys have what it takes to win today.” He picked up the do-rag and fashioned it over my head. He gave a shallow sigh. “You look just like him.” His voice was steady and strong as he gripped my shoulder. “Go show ‘em how it’s done.”

  I hugged my grandfather, and all my senses came alive. I could feel the strength of his arms, the thud of his strong heartbeat. I inhaled the aroma that I always associated with my childhood—beer, sweat, a tiny bit of motorcycle grease, and surf wax. I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t cry.

  Lola and I would win this contest. We had to.

  * * *

  Lola and I stood at the edge of the wave pool, and I moved in closer so I could inhale her scent. I had never felt more connected to my playmate and lover. I held her hand remembering the first time we surfed together when we were twelve. I kissed her knuckles and gave her a wink. “We’ve got this Mrs. Hamilton.” Her hair blew in the breeze and her custom rash guard with the words Team Lola and Justice hugged her sexy breasts and her curvy body. I smiled, and we bumped fists.

  She threw her head back with a nervous laugh. “Look out world. Here we come.”

  We held hands extra tight. “Lola?”

  She whirled her head around. “What?”

  “I love you.” Three simple words that I wanted to say every day until I took my last breath. I gave her a gentle kiss on her sweet lips. She tasted like seawater and sunshine.

  We entered the water behind Devin and Kristin, their tandem board flying through the water lickety-split. Devin’s dark hair was a blur behind Kristin’s flashy blond head, and I knew the final competition would be savage. My throat tightened.

  The announcer’s voice came to life. “Welcome to the finals!” Upbeat music came over the loudspeaker, a harmonious Beach Boy’s song. “For our final heat of the day, our competitors Justice and Lola Hamilton versus Devin and Kristin Stonebreaker, we’re making things interesting. Our competitors will be surfing the reef waves. These steep, high-performance waves with a thirty-five second ride will challenge our competitors to up their game and pull out their most advanced tandem moves.

  “We like to keep things entertaining around here, and we know your jaws are going to drop when you see the best in the West. I couldn’t be more excited about this competition, and I got just one thing to say. Competitors … are you ready to rumble?”

  The applause was thunderous, and I heard Bobbie let out a high-pitched yelp. “Kick ’em where it counts!”

  As we sat in the lineup, all the muscles in my body were on alert like a panther ready to hunt. I squeezed Lola’s thigh. “Remember everything we practiced.”

  She tapped my head. “I like that do-rag. Gives me some ideas for my clothing line.”

  I grinned. “Focus on the waves, babe. We’ll plan your award-winning do-rag line later.”

  The announcer’s voice came to life. “And the first wave goes to Devin and Kristin. Check this out, folks. They’re going right for a high scoring foot to hand.”

  Devin held Kristin’s feet while her body stood erect, her arms in a victory pose.

  Lola’s voice was a hiss in my ear. “They’re trying to steal our signature move.”

  Lola was right. The foot to hand had been one of our crowd-pleasing lifts.

  I patted her thigh. “It’s okay. We’ve got plenty more up our sleeve.” The wave started to break behind us. “Here we go. Let’s show them our pendulum.”

  We paddled hard, and that’s when we found out that, sure as fuck, the reef waves were, steeper, faster waves. But that was okay. Lola and I had practiced for this. I picked her up, and she moved into the perfect pendulum while I held her upside down, one of her legs bent, the other sticking skyward.

  Loud rock music played, and the wave felt like it went on forever, the water rushing underneath the board. My hair whipped in the breeze, perspiration soaking through my do-rag. Lola and I felt like we were one person. Our bodies fused together along with the wave. This is where we were born to be. Lola and me in the water. Surfing. Making love with the waves. I inhaled, and a feeling of lightness filled my chest. We’re doing it, babe. We’re going to win!

  We ended our ride to the raucous cheers of the crowd. I flipped Lola around, and we threw our arms up in the air. I gave her a quick kiss, but we needed to get back out there fast. We paddled back to the lineup and sat next to Devin and Kristin.

  “Don’t get too confident, Justice,” Devin said. “That move isn’t worth much. Is that all you’ve got?” The wave started to break behind them. “Come on, Krissie. Let’s put this thing to bed.”

  Kristin stared at Devin, and something in her eyes confused me. Was she mad at him? Whatever it was it didn’t seem to affect their performance.

  We watched as they executed a perfect front arch split.

  Heat filled my body and my muscles clenched in readiness. “No fucking way is he taking our shop.”

  I had already started to think of the Blue Tide as mine and Lola’s. Spending the past weeks with her had been like slipping into a comfortable pair of pajamas. I smiled to myself. A sexy pair of pajama pants that I wanted to yank down so I could pull out my hard cock and sink it into Lola’s sweet pussy. I shook my head and focused on the contest as the next wave broke.

  “The needle stand, right?” Lola said.

  “You got it babe.”

  This move required a special brand of balance, as I had to hold onto one of Lola’s ankles while she stood on my shoulder and lifted her other leg high up alongside her body and grabbed her foot.

  We did it perfectly.

  We crossed Devin and Kristin paddling back out to the lineup and the look on Devin’s face was one of demonic intensity.

  The next few waves went spectacularly for Lola and me. Every time I glanced at the jumbotron, my breath caught and dang it if I wasn’t impressed as all get out over our eye-catching lifts. Unfortunately, Devin and Kristin were just as much the show stoppers.

  The way both of our teams took turns with showy moves you’d think we had to get them just right to avoid a firing squad. In a way, that’s exactly what it was. For me, anyway.

  “We’re getting quite the show,” the announcer enthused. “Check out these tandem moves! Makes me want to become a contortionist and get out there with them. Hoo boy are these teams giving each other a run for their money. Let’s see what they pull out of the hat now.”

  As we waited for the next wave, I patted Lola’s thigh and teased her light-heartedly. “I can taste the champagne and caviar now.”

  She squealed her laughter. “I am ready to celebrate.”

  Next up in our strategy was an advanced move called the javelin. It required a hell of a lot of arm strength. I needed to hold Lola by one arm, our arms intertwined while her body became horizontal and she held one arm up in the air.

  The wave picked us up, and I huffed out a breath and lifted her onto my shoulders, then swung her up into the move that could win us the contest with a maximum score of three point three for this lift alone.

  “We … got … this.” I could see our shadow as the afternoon sun reflected our silhouette into the wave pool and Lola’s body seemed perfectly straight and gracefully poised.

  The wave rushed underneath us, and I felt Lola’s grip loosen. “I …” She let out a strangled gasp. “I … can’t …”

  And in one moment gone horribly wrong, Lola’s arm lost strength, and her body tumbled so hard and fast that I barely had time to react. “Lola!” My arms reached out, and I heard the crowd let out horrific gasps as I watched Lola dive headfirst into the wave pool.

  The wave rushed fast behind me, and I was thrown off balance. The water overtook me, and the surfboard went one way while I went
the other. I held my breath for the inevitable wipeout of the rushing wave and plunged underwater. Damn it! I held my breath and tried to relax. There was no use fighting the surge of the wave pool.

  When I popped up, my head swiveled frantically around for signs of Lola. “Lola!” I finally saw her arms break the surface and I stroked hard toward her.

  That’s when I saw the blood.

  Thirty-Five

  Justice

  Lola sputtered and coughed. “I couldn’t hold on. I’m … I’m sorry.”

  Panic shot through my system. “You’re bleeding.” I held her in my arms and then did a scan of her body. “Where’s the cut?”

  She bent her leg and winced when she touched her ankle. “The fin cut me.” Her face contorted in pain. “Filha da puta!” Her eyes were wild. “Get the board. Let’s paddle back out.”

  I held her leg and stared at the huge gash that spewed blood into the water. Jesus. I’d seen some horrible injuries in surfing and the thought that Lola could be seriously hurt caused my throat to tighten. “No fucking way. You’re hurt.”

  She slapped the water hard. “I don’t give a fuck.” Her voice was desperate, her eyes crazed. “We’re too close. Get the fucking board. Now!”

  The announcer’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker. “It seems we’ve got an injury. Lola Hamilton appears to be hurt.”

  I glanced toward the stands and saw Papaw, Ginger, and Bobbie scurry out of their seats and toward the wave pool edge.

  I grabbed Lola in my embrace. Our eyes met. “Listen to me, Lola. We’re getting out of the water now.”

  She struggled out of my grip. “What’s the matter with you?” She shook her head sending water spraying every which way. I’d seen that look in Lola’s eyes. My sexy Brazilian lover’s temper was getting ready to run the show, and God help the person caught in the crossfire. “We’re too goddamn close to winning. You can’t give up now.”

  I gave her a warning look. “Lola—”

  I didn’t give her a chance to protest. I picked her up and held her tightly and walked her out of the wave pool.

  She struggled mightily. “Leave me alone. Stop! Put me down.” A few other things came out of her mouth, but I couldn’t understand them because they were Portuguese curse words that probably would’ve made a sailor blush.

  Her brown eyes darted around frantically. “Stop it! Don’t you want to win?”

  “Of course I do! But you’re hurt.” I set her down on the sand and my throat constricted as I watched blood gush from her leg onto the ground.

  Papaw, Ginger, and Bobbie rushed toward us.

  “Oh, my God!” Ginger said as she dropped to her knees in front of Lola. She gently touched Lola’s leg, and when she spoke, her voice was shaking. “She’s hurt.”

  “Damn it, Justice. Get the fucking board!” Lola said.

  My jaw clenched. “Not doing it. Not till you get checked out.”

  Papaw touched Lola gently on the shoulder. “Now, now. Let’s all take a deep breath here.”

  At that moment, Devin and Kristin emerged from the wave pool. Devin clapped me on the back. “Nice try, old buddy. Maybe we can paddle out together back home. Looks like you guys just forfeited.” His voice dropped even lower until he whispered in my ear. “And I read the rule book. A forfeit means the winnings go to the other team.”

  I heard the blood pounding in my ears as I whirled around and shoved him away. “Leave me the fuck alone.”

  His hands flew up in front of his body. “Slow down there bud. Things happen in life. Not your fault you dropped her.”

  Kristin raced to Lola’s side. “Are you okay?” Her face filled with concern and I wondered for the hundredth time how a sweet girl like Kristin put up with the likes of Devin.

  Lola pushed her hair out of her face. “I’m fine. Let’s get back in the—”

  “Medics to the wave pool,” the announcer’s voice boomed. “Participant injured.” And then to the crowd, he said, “Hang on tight folks. Party’s not over yet, but from where I’m sitting it looks like Lola Hamilton is seriously injured.”

  Two burly medics raced to Lola’s side. “Can you stand?” said one.

  “I think she’ll live,” joked the other. He made a face. “But we need to get you fixed up.”

  Lola’s face was a mask of fury as she brushed the medic's hand away. “Yes, I can stand.”

  I gently placed my arm around Lola’s shoulders. “Let’s just get you checked out, babe.”

  And then Lola started to cry. She buried her face in my neck and let out a sob. In between choking sobs, she said, “I … I ruined everything. We … we could’ve won.” Lola coughed as fat tears worked their way down her cheeks.

  I smoothed her hair back. “Sh. It’s okay, honey. Let’s go with these nice men.” I made her look at me. “Maybe they’ll give you a lollipop.”

  You’d have thought I was walking Lola to the executioner instead of the medic’s office the way she wailed and carried on about ruining our chances.

  As Lola, Ginger, Bobbie, the medics and I walked toward the first aid building, the last thing we heard was Devin’s voice. “Sorry ‘bout that folks.” He brushed his hands together. “Guess the better couple won.”

  Lola snapped her head around. “Shut up, Devin.” Her eyes were slits. “If I didn’t have a bum leg I’d kick the shit out of you.” She struggled out of my grasp and whirled around. “The second I get fixed up, I’ll beat you into the ground until you’re begging for mercy. Don’t test me.”

  He made a flapping motion with his hands. “Yeah, yeah. All talk.”

  Kristin grabbed his hands. “Stop. Can’t you see she’s hurt?”

  The announcer’s voice came to life. “This certainly is a turn of events, folks.” I looked up at the jumbotron and saw our sorry parade marching off the competition arena toward first aid. “But our story doesn’t end here, y’all. The official rulebook states that a team is entitled to one time-out.” His fingers seemed to click furiously on his computer. “Here it is right here. Official rule number five-oh-one B. The maximum time-out allotted is thirty minutes.” He let out a small laugh. “Feels like we’re in the NBA or something. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to see this contest keep going. Guess we’ll have to see what the medics say. Meantime, check out the gift shop and get yourselves a fish taco. See you all back here in thirty.”

  And just like that the contest was on hold.

  Bobbie’s fingers scrolled through her smartphone, and she held it aloft. “Here’s the rule. Awesomesauce. We’re going back in!”

  I didn’t want to tell Bobbie, but it was doubtful we’d go back in. My heart sank, but my protectiveness over Lola rose to the surface. I wanted to win with all my heart, but Lola’s leg looked bloody and raw. She’d insisted on wearing her short wetsuit instead of the full-length one because she said it gave her more flexibility. I don’t know if the added neoprene would’ve saved her. That fin was fucking sharp.

  Our sad little group convened in the first aid office.

  The medics settled Lola on the examining table where they became a blur of professional motion. “Get the gauze. Alcohol wipes, please. Do we need to hydrate her? Hand me the blood pressure cuff.”

  Ginger had been holding on to Lola’s backpack and placed it next to her. “Here you go honey. We’ll probably be wanting to make a hasty exit.” She placed a hand on Lola’s arm. “You gave it your best try. But your leg …”

  Lola looked totally miserable; her shoulders drooped as she sniffed and wiped her nose. “Just bandage me up so we can get back in.”

  One of the medics stopped what he was doing and placed a hand on her back. “Honey, I’d love nothing more than to put you back in the game, but you need stitches.” He spoke to her slowly. “We’ll need to get you to the nearest hospital.”

  Lola’s eyes grew wide. “You have to get me back in. Now. Justice. Tell them.”

  I moved to Lola’s side and placed a protective arm around her.
“Honey, I’d like nothing better than to surf with you. But … I’m sorry. Listen to the medics. We need to get you to the hospital. Now.”

  And that was when all hell broke loose. Lola shoved me away and let out a wail. “No, no, no! Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Her body jackknifed into a rigid sitting position and both medics jumped back a step. “You do whatever you have to do to get me fixed up so I can surf.” She jabbed a finger my way. “We are not giving up. We’ve come too far. No fucking way am I letting them win.” She swung her legs over the side of the examining table. The endorphins must’ve played a part, but her face was still a grimace as she hobbled toward the door. “Get me the hell out of here. We’ve got a contest to win.”

  I moved quickly, grabbing her around the waist and hugging her hard. Her body slumped over, her hair in her face. “Sweetheart, stop.”

  Lola whirled around. “Ingrato! All you care about is yourself! Where’s your fighting spirit?”

  I held my hands up in front of my body. “Whoa. Slow down there Lola.” My heart hammered in my chest, and I pointed at her leg. “Look at you! That cut’s nasty. You probably need a transfusion.”

  “I don’t need a transfusion. What I need is for you to get me back out there.”

  “Stop. Do you want to end up with an infection?”

  She favored one leg and planted her feet wide, her fists jammed into her waist. “It’s not infected. Do you want to win or not?”

  The thought of giving up now filled me with dread. I saw Devin’s mocking face, and then I saw Lola’s leg swelling. She needed medical attention. I faced off with Lola. “Of course I want to win. You think I came all this way to lose? But you come first.”