Page 20 of Aim for Love

Her enthusiasm is so genuine, my heart skips a beat. She’s jumping in the air and I hold out my arms because it seems like the thing to do. And then I’m holding her.

We meet each others’ eyes, and the energy buzzes in my feet, traveling up my legs and torso and into the arms wrapped around her. Neither of us step away and so I release the energy by lowering my head to hers.

When we kiss this time, it doesn’t feel like a consolation prize. It feels like joy.

eight

MOLLIE

I never should have letNora and Sophie believe I was off to hook up with Hunter.

Sophie made me borrow her underwire bikini top that makes my boobs look like a cliff. “It worked for me,” she told me with a wink.

Nora painted my toenails to match the color of the bathing suit. “It’s a subconscious clue the carpet and drapes match, you know what I mean?” she joked.

Admitting the only reason I’m meeting Hunter this afternoon is to get in extra practice would have been worse. Nora and Sophie are effortlessly good at everything. They won’t understand that I need to try, and try, and try again in order to get it. They’d tease me for not wanting to spend my time under a hot instructor learningotherthings about my body.

And it’s not that I’m not interested in Hunter like that. This morning was a revelation. Spending time with Hunter felt like a date wrapped up in a lesson or vice versa. But I’ve felt so incompetent so far this vacation that expanding my capacity tohave adventures sounds even more satisfying than sex at the moment.

When I get to the adventure center, I realize I’ll be under Hunter, after all, because he’s only got one stand-up paddleboard out and he says I can sit in the front while he paddles standing over me. “This will give you a chance to get a better feel for the board,” he says. I’ll definitely get afeelfor something if I’m holding onto his legs with a death grip.

He sees from my face that I’m uncertain. “You need a distraction,” he announces. “How about…” he hesitates, like he has to work up the nerve to suggest this. “A kiss for every time you try something hard.”

“How do we define ‘hard’?” I volley back, not because I don’t want to say “yes” but because I want more kisses. Then I realize what I said.

“Hard is in the eye of the beholder,” he says. He grins back at me. “So it’s however you define it.”

“And I just have to try? Not succeed?” That’s basically what he promised me that morning, and it’s too good to be true.

“That’s right.”

“This seems like a pretty good deal for me,” I say suspiciously.

“Hmm, I’ve seen you try things over and over again. Pretty sure I’m getting the better deal.”

And so off we go on the single paddleboard, me awkwardly sitting with my legs criss-crossed in front of Hunter, who stands up with the paddle. I keep checking my crotch to make sure I’m not exposing more than I intend in my bikini bottoms. When I try to rearrange my limbs, the entire board sways. My toes get splashed with cold lake water.

“It’s OK. This board is more stable than you think,” Hunter says. He starts wiggling the board by moving his legs, tilting itback and forth between his weight, and I shriek. “See? It’s hard to tip!”

I grab his ankle and he stops. If I tilt my head back, I’m looking at his shorts. So I stare straight ahead while I answer. “It’s like we’re standing on air in the middle of a giant lake.” I’m absolutely positive that we’re going to end up in the lake at some point on this adventure. It’s a matter of when.

He laughs. “People know we’re out here. I left word at the center. If that makes you feel better.”

“The lifejacket makes me feel better,” I sigh, putting my hands on both sides of the jacket that keeps pulling up around my ears.

“See? Falling in isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

“I’d rather decide when I want to go in.” Then I grimace. I sound so whiny, even to my own ears. At least I’m not sitting in a windowless office all day. This could befunif I let it. “OK,” I say, partly to myself. “Let me try.”

I can hear him grinning when he replies, “You got it!”

Switching places is a delicate dance. He gets down on his knees, the paddleboard swaying, and I get up on mine. I turn so I’m partly facing him. Now we’re face to face and I’m thinking about my promised reward.

He’s not grinning anymore. His face is serious, his blue eyes searching. He’s waiting on me to move.

Well, he didn’t specifywhatI’d be trying that was hard—and this, right now, seems to qualify. I’m staring back at a man I’d like to kiss and I’m frozen. My knees are objecting to the hard board. My hands are wet from a pool of water beneath us. Our positions feel precarious. Yet he told me I could kiss him and for some reason, I haven’t.Silly Mollie. You can do this.And I do. I lean forward and kiss Hunter.

His lips are warm compared to the water evaporating off my skin. He’s a little salty and he tastes like the sun. I pull back when he puts his hand on my arm. “I haven’t tried the thing yet.”

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